How To Quote A Paragraph Without Using All Of The Text

How do I correctly quote a paragraph without using word for word of the original material?

When you quote something, it means verbatim (i.e. word for word — exactly as the original).When it’s not verbatim, then it isn’t quoting — it’s paraphrasing.It’s one or the other, generally speaking.Of course, it’s also realistic that some parts of the original cannot be quoted verbatim and some paraphrasing is required for the sake of your own sentence structure. The most usual (and easiest way) is is use square brackets to enclose the parts that have been paraphrased.Examples:—A quotation (exactly as appeared in the original):—A quotation is the repetition of one expression as part of another one, particularly when the quoted expression is well-known or explicitly attributed by citation to its original source, and it is indicated by (punctuated with) quotation marks. A quotation can also refer to the repeated use of units of any other form of expression, especially parts of artistic works: elements of a painting, scenes from a movie or sections from a musical composition.(via Quotation - Wikipedia)A paraphrasing (partial):—The Wikipedia article Quotation stated that, “A quotation is [some text or a part of a painting, movie scene or musical composition that is reproduced in another work], particularly when the quoted [material] is […] attributed by citation to its original source, and is […] (punctuated by) quotation marks.”Notice the paraphasing and omissions within the square brackets. That’s how it’s most usually done.A paraphrasing (complete):—A quotation is some text, image or musical element reproduced in another work, using quotation marks around the quote material to indicate its quoted nature and a citation to indicate its original source, according to Quotation - Wikipedia.Protip:— Your choice of style format may vary from the above, but usually it is clearer and less ambiguous to indicate omitted material with “[…]” (i.e. the suspension point and square brackets) than just “…” alone.Thanks for the A2A.

Can a paragraph/excerpt count as a quote from a book?

I'm not sure I understand the question.  When you say "count as a quote from a book," do you mean count as a requirement for an assignment?  A quote is not necessarily part of a dialogue. You can quote from a book, a written statement, a speech or even a press release. The key thing is to attribute the quote to its author and the source.   When I'm writing a newspaper article, I do normally distinguish between a quote taken from an interview ("It's going to rain," says Bill Smith) and a quote taken from something written in a book ("It's going to rain," Bill Smith writes in his book, All About Rain.)    I usually avoid quoting a press release, but if there's no other credible source, I'm careful to note that. ("It's going to rain," Bill Smith said in a press release issued by Weather & Co.)  Also, agreed with Mike Mendis, if you are quoting a fairly long piece of text, you're getting into an excerpt rather than a quote, and then you may have copyright issues, assuming your work will be published.

Should I report all answers quoting religious scripture without blockquote formatting as plagiarism?

Should I report all answers quoting religious scripture without blockquote formatting as plagiarism?I feel like saying yes. I have read answers that were practically nothing but a long string of Bible verses strung together. Possibly there was a reference somewhere, and possibly it meant something to a fellow congregant. As a former Christian, I basically knew what they were trying to say but it seemed not at all to meet Quora’s standards of being the best information on the internet on the topic.FROM What are the main policies and guidelines for posting questions on Quora?The goal for each question page is that it become the best resource for anyone looking for the answer to that question.For a page to be that, it works best if the author writes in his/her own words and explains their position. Quotes from the sacred text can be used to support the argument like I’m doing here with quotes from Quora’s policies. But they should not be the sum total of the answer and/or indistinguishable from the author’s own words.Here’s what Quora says about using quotes. FROM What is Quora's policy on plagiarism and attribution?Answers that copy or paraphrase content from other sources should:Explicitly attribute the source. If the source is online, the answer should include a link to the page where the content can be found. If the source is a physical source (like a book), the answer should include a citation.Clearly indicate which portions of the text are copied from another source. Format using blockquotes, quotes, or otherwise visually indicate which portions are taken from elsewhere.Quora's strong preference is for people to use Quora's blockquote formatting for long excerpts. If you are republishing your own content from another site you may omit blockquote formatting and cite the original publication at the end of your answer.  Answers that plagiarize content from other sources will be collapsed.It’s easy to do and makes the post look professional. Besides, it’s so much easier to read and gives the writer a feeling of satisfaction that does not come from sprawling a big cut-and-paste across the answer box.

How do I cite an entire paragraph?

You mention where you found the info from at the very end with the date of publication.This is a guide to IN-TEXT CITATIONS in the form of HARVARD REFERENCING:If the paragraph is from a website just put in the name of the website and year of publication e.g. (Business Dictionary, 2016) at the very end of the paragraph. You can find this info by scrolling down to the bottom of the page.It it’s from a book, the authors surname, date of publication and page number e.g. (Anonymous, 2016, p.9) and also at the very end of the paragraph.