quoting the actual topic/prompt in your introduction

[vce01]

i was just wondering, is that something that we should avoid?

for example 'hard times demonstrates need for imaginative engagement in hard times'

and i write something like 'dickens' through blah blah blah does demonstrate need for imaginative engagement in his text'

would i lose marks for something like that?

and oops, i forgot to mention, this is for the text response obviously

[ninwa]

you can use the words, but I wouldn't advise using the whole quote

so you can use "imaginative engagement" but not "demonstrate need for imaginative engagement" - find some other way of expressing it

[vce01]

ah okay, thanks :]

[xox.happy1.xox]

I wouldn't really quote it at all... I would say words which closely relate to the topic, because after all, the assessors can read the topic I would suspect.