It can be difficult to always use the right words in the right context. However, knowing how to do so can gain you valuable marks in your papers. So, read on to find out when to use ‘cite’ and ‘site’!
Cite
The term ‘cite’ is a verb used frequently in academic writing as it means ‘to reference’. When you quote any other author’s work, or even paraphrase their ideas, you will need to add the name of the author, alongside the year of the work you are referring to, in brackets, in the body of your paper. This is known as ‘citing’ a work. The term comes from the Old French word ‘citier’, which means ‘to summon’. It’s used when referencing work as you are ‘summoning’ the author’s words to back up your argument.
Site
The term ‘site’, however, is a noun used to refer to locations and comes from the Latin ‘situs’, which means a ‘place’ or ‘position’. So, you may talk about the ‘site’ of a house, or a hospital. This term can never be used in place of ‘cite’.
You may also use it as a verb, to speak about where ‘to site’ a building.
Proofreading
It can be very difficult to spot mistakes such as the above, especially when you have been working on a piece of writing for a long time. So why not send it to the professionals, over at Proofread My Paper? They will check your paper for errors like the above and send you back a copy showing the changes made, along with helpful comments to help you improve your work.