quoting and paraphrasing data study island answers

Using and Incorporating Sources

How to quote and paraphrase:  an overview.

Writers quote and paraphrase from research in order to support their points and to persuade their readers.  A quotation or a paraphrase from a piece of evidence in support of a point answers the reader’s question, “Says who?”

This impact is especially true in academic writing since scholarly readers are most persuaded by effective research and evidence.  For example, readers of an article about a new cancer medication published in a medical journal will be most interested in the scholar’s research and statistics that demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatment.  Conversely, they will not be as persuaded by emotional stories from individual patients about how a new cancer medication improved the quality of their lives.  While this appeal to emotion can be effective and is common in popular sources, these individual anecdotes do not carry the same scholarly or scientific value as well-reasoned research and evidence.

Of course, your instructor is not expecting you to be an expert yet on the topic of your research paper.  While you might conduct some primary research, it’s a good bet that you’ll be relying on secondary sources such as books, articles, and websites to inform and persuade your readers.  You’ll present this research to your readers in the form of quotations and paraphrases.

A quotation is a direct restatement of the exact words from the original source.  The general rule of thumb is any time you use three or more words as they appeared in the original source, you should treat it as a quotation.  A paraphrase is a restatement of the information or point of the original source in your own words with your own syntax.

While quotations and paraphrases are different and should be used in different ways in your research writing (as the examples in this section suggest), they do have a number of things in common.  Both quotations and paraphrases should:

• be introduced to the reader, particularly the first time you mention a source;
• include an account of the evidence that explains to the reader why you think the evidence is important, especially if it is not apparent from the context of the quotation or paraphrase; and
• include a proper citation of the source.

The method you should follow to properly quote or paraphrase depends on the style guide you are following in your academic writing.  The two most common style guides used in academic writing are APA (American Psychological Association) and MLA (Modern Language Association). Your instructor will probably assign one of these styles before you begin working on your project; however, if he/she doesn’t mention this, be sure to ask.

• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Avoiding Plagiarism. Authored by : Steven D. Krause . Located at : http://www.stevendkrause.com/tprw/chapter3.html . License : CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial

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Citation Guide

• Citation Basics

Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing & Patchwriting

Quotes, paraphrases, and summaries are different methods of incorporating other people's ideas and words into your research. You use quotes, paraphrases, and summaries to provide evidence of having researched your topic, which shows you have a thorough understanding of the topic you are discussing, and to show support for your arguments.

Below you will find specific information on each of these different methods of incorporating sources into your research including what they are and best practices for including them in your project.

Quoting is when you use the exact words of another person.

Using Quotes

• Quotes should be used sparingly in your research since they do not show that you have digested and understood the material or showcase your writing ability.  They only show that you've read information related to your topic.
• Quotes should only be used when the exact wording is important, or you are unable to paraphrase the author's words.
• It is best to integrate quotes into your sentences rather than use them as stand-alone sentences. (See the example below for how to incorporate a quote into your sentence.)
• Try not to quote an entire sentence, unless absolutely necessary.  Only quote the most important words or information.
• It is a good idea to  start or end a sentence containing a quote  with your own words to tie the quote back into your assignment. This shows you are applying the quote to support your own ideas and are adding value to the quote.
• Consider using a signal phrase to introduce your quote to the reader.

Formatting Quotes

Short quotations , usually those under 4 lines of text, are enclosed in quotation marks and include an in-text citation at the end. (Check the style guide assigned by your professor for information on formatting the citation correctly.)

Example: Graphic novels have educational and literary value and can be used in science classes to " engage students and support literacy skill development, " (Haroldson, p. 37).

Haroldson, Rachelle. “PICTURE THIS! The Versatility of Graphic Novels in Science Class.” Science Teacher , vol. 89, no. 2, Nov. 2021, p. 37-43. EBSCOhos t, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,cpid&custid=norwalk&db=sch&AN=153491142&site=eds-live .

Long quotations , usually those at or over 4 lines of text, are often called "block quotes" and have specific formatting that differs depending on the citation style being used.  Check the style guide assigned by your professor for direction on how to properly format a block quote.

(largely adapted from content on James Cook University Library " Writing Guide " licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International License  and with permission from  Purdue University Online Writing Lab )

Summarizing

Summarizing is when you take a large portion of the material (paragraphs, chapters, or the entire contents) and condense it down to the main points using your own words.  A summary is very short overview of the resource, or portion of the resource, focusing on the key concepts.

Using Summaries

• Summaries must be written entirely using  your own words
• Summaries should be used when you need to quickly introduce background information or another person's ideas into your work to provide context or help set-up your analysis for your reader
• Try not to use summaries as "stand-alone evidence". You should always try to provide your own commentary, opinions, and/or analysis on the content of the summary.

Formatting Summaries

There is no special formatting for including summaries in your writing, except that you must still include an in-text citation , citing where you got the information provided in the summary. (Check the style guide assigned by your professor for information on formatting the in-text citation correctly.)

Example: In her article, "Picture This!" Rachelle Haroldson discusses the benefits of using graphic novels in science classrooms and provides suggestions for teachers on how to incorporate them into their lessons (pp. 37-43).

(adapted from content on James Cook University Library " Writing Guide " licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International License )

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is when you restate a concept or passage from someone else using your own words. In addition to changing the words used, correct paraphrasing also changes the sentence structure. Unlike summaries, which are much condensed representations of the original work, paraphrases are typically similar in length to the original text. Paraphrases often include your own thoughts, interpretations, and understanding of the information being conveyed.

Using Paraphrases

• Shows that you've done research into your topic
• Shows understanding of the topic and source being cited, and adds value to the conversation surrounding the topic being discussed
• Provides supporting evidence for your arguments, adding credibility to your ideas and work
• Improves the flow of your paper, by retaining your own tone and voice rather than that of your sources
• It is not  simply swapping out words or phrases with synonyms, or reordering the phrases within the sentence (this is considered "patchwriting" and is a form of plagiarism - see the section on Patchwriting below for more information)
• Paraphrasing should be the most frequently utilized method of incorporating sources into your research since it shows a deeper understanding of the material and that you have developed your own thoughts on the topic
• When paraphrasing you should seek to include your own thoughts, interpretations, and/or analysis of the information being paraphrased

Formatting Paraphrases

There is no special formatting for including paraphrases in your writing, except that you must still include an in-text citation , citing where you got the information being paraphrased. (Check the style guide assigned by your professor for information on formatting the in-text citation correctly.)

Example: Haroldson suggests that science teachers incorporate graphic novels into their lessons because the pictorial format encourages student interest and therefore engagement in scientific concepts and supports literacy acquisition (pp. 37-38).

(adapted from content on James Cook University Library " Writing Guide " licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International License  and Academic Integrity ,  by Ulrike Kestler, licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License )

Patchwriting

Patchwriting is when you only change a few words or the sentence structure without incorporating your own ideas or voice in an attempt to paraphrase. Patchwriting mimics the language and structure of the original source and therefore cannot be considered a true paraphrase, which also requires your own thoughts and understanding of the content be included. As such, patchwriting is often an unintentional form of plagiarism.

Patchwriting vs. Paraphrasing

(from Academic Integrity , by Ulrike Kestler, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License )

Patchwriting Example

Original Text

Graphic novels by their nature are intriguing. They are colorful, full of pictures, word bubbles, and funny sounds coming out of the characters’ mouths. Many recent publications are culturally diverse, offering traditionally underrepresented students the opportunity to see themselves in the texts and majority students the opportunity to connect with different characters and perspectives. (Haroldson, p. 39)

Source: Haroldson, Rachelle. “PICTURE THIS! The Versatility of Graphic Novels in Science Class.”  Science Teacher , vol. 89, no. 2, Nov. 2021, p. 37-43.  EBSCOhos t,  search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,cpid&custid=norwalk&db=sch&AN=153491142&site=eds-live .

Graphic novels are inherently captivating due to their vibrant visuals, use of illustrations, word bubbles, and sound effects. Many contemporary graphic novels embrace cultural diversity, providing traditionally marginalized students with a chance to identify with characters who resemble them, while also allowing students in majority groups to engage with diverse perspectives and characters (Haroldson, p. 39).

Graphic novels have a unique ability to capture student interest in scientific concepts due to their inherently entertaining method of conveying information through visual imagery. Moreover, these novels offer a valuable opportunity for students from traditionally underrepresented groups to identify with and relate to the characters and storylines presented within the narrative, making students more likely to engage with the material (Haroldson, p. 39).

Additional Resources

• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing - Purdue OWL A guide from Purdue OWL explaining what quotes, paraphrases, and summaries are, what they're used for, and how to use them.
• The Writing Guide - James Cook University Library A guide detailing the research and writing process with an entire page dedicated to using sources appropriately.
• Reading and Writing with Sources PowerPoint - High School
• Reading and Writing with Sources PowerPoint - College
• Paraphrasing vs. Patchwriting from KPU's Academic Integrity eBook Explanation of the difference between paraphrasing and patchwriting with an example and activity to check your understanding.
• Paraphrasing vs. Patchwriting - Ch. 13 of CS 050 Academic Writing and Grammar eBook Chapter explaining the difference between paraphrasing and patchwriting with videos, examples, and activities to test your knowledge, by the Confederation College Communications Department and Paterson Library Commons.
• ‘Patchwriting’ is more common than plagiarism, just as dishonest, by Kelly McBride - Poynter (2012) A Poynter article discussing what patchwriting is, how common it is, the ethics of patchwriting and its implications, with a particular focus on its use in journalism.
• The Citation Project The Citation Project is a series of research studies on source use. Their purpose is to provide data and analyses that can help with educators’ questions about plagiarism, information literacy, and the teaching of source-based writing. more... less... By collecting data and replicating or adapting the methods of other studies to analyze it, ongoing Citation Project research builds on and extends the work of other scholars, generating deeper and more nuanced understanding of source-based writing. (description from website)
• Paraphrasing - Penn State Academic Integrity Tutorial A page on the Penn State Academic Integrity tutorial with information on correct and incorrect attempts at paraphrasing.
• How to Quote | Citing Quotes in APA, MLA & Chicago A Scribbr guide on using and citing quotes in academic writing, complete with examples, videos, and FAQs.
• << Previous: Citation Basics
• Next: MLA >>
• Last Updated: Feb 23, 2024 2:22 PM
• URL: https://library.ctstate.edu/citations

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• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Details

Integrating Research

• Citing, Referencing, and Tracking Sources

Paraphrasing

Summarizing.

The image below shows how a quotation is an exact replication of another source. A quote's presence is indicated through both a citation and the use of quotation marks " " around the material that has been copied and pasted. 

Quotation Examples

• Reporting verbs like "confirmed" help introduce quotations.
• Quotation marks “_” go around copy and pasted (quoted) material.
• Framing with voice/explanation can contextualize quoted material.
• Square brackets [ ] let you add clarifying material that was not in the original text.
• Elipses … tell your reader that you have removed part of a longer quotation.

Hall, D. (2018). Nursing campus therapy dog: a pilot study. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 13 (4), 202-206.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teln.2018.05.004

Macleod, I. (2014, November 28). A purr-fect way to go viral? A look at why cat memes are so popular. The Drum .  https://www.thedrum.com/news/2014/11/28/purr-fect-way-go-viral-look-why-cat-memes-are-so-popular

The image below shows how paraphrasing is when you put another’s ideas into your own words​. While the idea stays the same, the way it is articulated is new and unique. Paraphrases require a citation and a reference.

Detailed Image Explanation

The cat on the right is directly quoting Macleod (2014). We can tell this is a quotation because of the quotation marks around his statement, "cats can be used to engage intense emotional responses in users" (para. 11). The cat on the left has taken the key ideas from the Macleod quotation and instead paraphrased them by explaining the ideas in his own words.  The paraphrasing cat writes that the use of cat images online can elicit strong emotional reactions (Macleod, 2014, para. 11).

How to Paraphrase

• read the whole article and understand the main argument
• decide what information you want to include in your paper
• jot down notes, images & questions in the margins

• look away from the original
• if you need to, write down short notes on separate paper

• do I need to alter the sentence structure? 
• can I look for any synonyms? 
• did I maintain the original's exact meaning?

Paraphrase Integration Examples

Paraphrasing Integration Examples

Paraphrasing Tips

• try not to have 3+ words in a row that are identical to the original to avoid patchwriting  (a failed attempt at paraphrasing that too closely mimics the original)
• you can keep specific terminology or words that cannot be changed in a paraphrase-- not every word must be new
• a paraphrase is usually about the same length as the original
• do not change the original's meaning or misrepresent information; imagine the original author saw your paraphrasing of their work-- you want them to feel like their ideas were fairly represented

A summary is a concise and general restatement of a source's ideas and findings using your own words and sentence structure. It is usually 1/3 of the length of the original source if the source is in an article format, but larger works, such as books, may not follow this rule.  Ask your instructor for specifics. 

A summary must include the following pieces

• subject 
• thesis/purpose, and 
• main arguments/points 

A summary may include

• author's credibility, 
• methods used (for original research), and 
• limitations/biases 

How to Write a Summary

• Read the source carefully 
• Highlight the thesis or argument and reword it using your own words 
• State key ideas or main points using your own words 
• Write general ideas; avoid using specific examples from the source 
• Provide a reference on a separate page. Ask your instructor for specific requirements 

How to Cite Within a Summary

In the first or second line of the summary, include the title of the source, the author's last name, and the year of publication. Follow APA @ Conestoga format for titles in a paper. Because you are not using specific examples or evidence in your summary, you do not need to include an in-text citation with author, year, page/paragraph number. 

Summary Example

        The article “Using Technology in the Classroom” by August et al. (2012) described the impact of various types of technology on student learning. Technology has improved students’ ability to manipulate and absorb learning concepts. Statistics outlining the rate at which students absorb information using technology compared to traditional learning methods are given in this article. The authors illustrated how cognitive development can be enhanced through the use of appropriate technology. A focus on implementation of pedagogy in relation to the use of technology is also addressed. 

Elements to Notice 

• The example uses paragraph structure, so be sure to indent each new paragraph. 
• The citation is provided within the first sentence of the summary and includes title, authors, and year. 
• The thesis of the original text is provided using new words and a new sentence structure. 
• The main points of the original text are shown in the summary text using new words and new sentence structures, but appear in the same order of the original text. 
• << Previous: Integrating Research
• Next: Citing, Referencing, and Tracking Sources >>

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67 Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

Integrating evidence is a vital step to take when composing effective essays, presentations, and productions. How smoothly you integrate evidence impacts your credibility as a researcher and writer. There are three primary ways to integrate evidence: quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. For all of these, particularly quoting, there is a “formula” to follow: 1) introduce, 2) insert, and 3) explain. The introduce step entails preparing the reader for the new information that’s to come. You can do this by mentioning the source, author, or using signal phrases, such as “according to” or “statistics show that” before bringing in a quotation, paraphrase or summary. The insert step happens when you enter in a quotation, paraphrasing of a fact, or summarize a point made by another source. Lastly, the explain step is oftentimes the most important step to be taken. When explaining your evidence, you’ll demonstrate why the evidence or the source of the evidence is important and how it connects to your overall argument, specific claims, or other important information. By doing so, you’re providing in-depth insight and analysis that keeps your readers engaged and invested in what you have to say.

Quoting is when one uses the exact wording of the source material. Direct quotations should be used sparingly, and should be used to strengthen your own arguments and ideas.

When should one use a quotation? Ideally, you want a balance of quotations, paraphrased or summarized content in your writing. Some reasons to use a quotation instead of paraphrasing or summarizing might include:

• When not using the author’s exact wording would change the original meaning
• To lend authority to the point you are trying to make
• When the language of the quote is significant

Quotations should always be introduced and incorporated into your argument, rather than dropped into your paper without context. Consider this first example of how not to incorporate a quotation:

There are many positive effects for advertising prescription drugs on television. “African-American physicians regard direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines as one way to educate minority patients about needed treatment and healthcare options” (Wechsler).

This is a potentially good piece of information to support a research writer’s claim, but the researcher hasn’t done any of the necessary work to explain where this quotation comes from nor explain why it is important for supporting her point. Rather, she has simply “dropped in” the quotation, leaving the interpretation of its significance up to the reader. Now consider this revised example of how this quotation might be better introduced into the essay:

In her Pharmaceutical Executive article available through the Wilson Select Internet database, Jill Wechsler writes about one of the positive effects of advertising prescription drugs on television. “African-American physicians regard direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines as one way to educate minority patients about needed treatment and healthcare options.”

In this revision, it’s much clearer what point the writer is trying to make with this evidence and where this evidence comes from.

Paraphrasing

While there are numerous skills you will develop as writers and communicators throughout your composition experience, one that builds the foundation to effective source usage and understanding is paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is a restatement of the information or point of the original source in your own words. You’ve probably heard of paraphrasing before and may have even attempted to paraphrase (or had trouble paraphrasing because it seemed as though no one could say it better than the author already did). However, you may not always have enough space or time to integrate a specific quotation, especially if it’s a lengthy one and covers multiple concepts or conveys complex details.

Further, we want to make sure, as effective writers, that we’re not distracting readers from our own perspectives or sources of information by including lengthy quotations from other sources. To put it another way, we don’t want to make our readers work for the point and information because they could lose interest or get lost and miss the important points we’re presenting to them by using the source(s). So, paraphrasing helps us avoid these mishaps and helps our organization and “flow” better.

Two Paraphrasing Tips:

If you’re trying to paraphrase but unsure as to where to begin, try:

a) explaining the author’s point to your peer who’s not familiar with that text or maybe even the concept being addressed there, or

b) writing down the specific thing(s) you want to emphasize from the other author’s point.

Summarizing

Summarizing is a skill similar to paraphrasing. However, it serves a different purpose, especially when writing. Summarizing usually comes into play when there are multiple steps or details to be conveyed. One of the ways summarizing differs from paraphrasing is in the language associated with them. Typically, you summarize a process, an event, or a story but you paraphrase a theory, concept, or claim. In the next paragraphs, author Stephen D. Krause offers us some helpful guidance on how to summarize and why it’s important.

Summaries of different lengths are useful in research writing because you often need to provide your readers with an explanation of the text you are discussing. This is especially true when you are going to quote or paraphrase from a source.

Of course, the first step in writing a good summary is to do a thorough reading of the text you are going to summarize in the first place. Beyond that important start, there are a few basic guidelines you should follow when you write summary material:

• Stay “neutral” in your summarizing .  Summaries provide “just the facts” and are not the place where you offer your opinions about the text you are summarizing. Save your opinions and evaluation of the evidence you are summarizing for other parts of your writing.
• Don’t quote from what you are summarizing .  Summaries will be more useful to you and your colleagues if you write them in your own words.
• Don’t “cut and paste” from database abstracts .  Many of the periodical indexes that are available as part of your library’s computer system include abstracts of articles. Do not “cut” this abstract material and then “paste” it into your own annotated bibliography. For one thing, this is plagiarism. Second, “cutting and pasting” from the abstract defeats one of the purposes of writing summaries and creating an annotated bibliography in the first place, which is to help you understand and explain your research.

It’s important to learn how to create quotations, to paraphrase, and to summarize properly because we don’t want to plagiarize. But beyond our goal of not plagiarizing, we want to give proper attribution to those who’ve worked hard on their research and studies to share this information with the rest of the world. Learning to quote, paraphrase, and summarize properly will help you avoid plagiarism, especially accidental plagiarism, add more dynamism to your writing, and build your credibility and skills as an ethical writer and researcher.

Attributions

“How to Summarize—An Overview,” authored, remixed, and/or curated by Steven D. Krause,  CC BY-NC-SA, https://human.libretexts.org/@go/page/6482 .

“How to Quote and Paraphrase- An Overview,” authored, remixed, and/or curated by Steven D. Krause, CC BY-NC-SA, https://human.libretexts.org/@go/page/6483 .

Reading and Writing in College Copyright © 2021 by Jackie Hoermann-Elliott and TWU FYC Team is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Quoting and Paraphrasing

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College writing often involves integrating information from published sources into your own writing in order to add credibility and authority–this process is essential to research and the production of new knowledge.

However, when building on the work of others, you need to be careful not to plagiarize : “to steal and pass off (the ideas and words of another) as one’s own” or to “present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.”1 The University of Wisconsin–Madison takes this act of “intellectual burglary” very seriously and considers it to be a breach of academic integrity . Penalties are severe.

These materials will help you avoid plagiarism by teaching you how to properly integrate information from published sources into your own writing.

1. Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th ed. (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1993), 888.

How to avoid plagiarism

When using sources in your papers, you can avoid plagiarism by knowing what must be documented.

Specific words and phrases

If you use an author’s specific word or words, you must place those words within quotation marks and you must credit the source.

Information and Ideas

Even if you use your own words, if you obtained the information or ideas you are presenting from a source, you must document the source.

Information : If a piece of information isn’t common knowledge (see below), you need to provide a source.

Ideas : An author’s ideas may include not only points made and conclusions drawn, but, for instance, a specific method or theory, the arrangement of material, or a list of steps in a process or characteristics of a medical condition. If a source provided any of these, you need to acknowledge the source.

Common Knowledge?

You do not need to cite a source for material considered common knowledge:

General common knowledge is factual information considered to be in the public domain, such as birth and death dates of well-known figures, and generally accepted dates of military, political, literary, and other historical events. In general, factual information contained in multiple standard reference works can usually be considered to be in the public domain.

Field-specific common knowledge is “common” only within a particular field or specialty. It may include facts, theories, or methods that are familiar to readers within that discipline. For instance, you may not need to cite a reference to Piaget’s developmental stages in a paper for an education class or give a source for your description of a commonly used method in a biology report—but you must be sure that this information is so widely known within that field that it will be shared by your readers.

If in doubt, be cautious and cite the source. And in the case of both general and field-specific common knowledge, if you use the exact words of the reference source, you must use quotation marks and credit the source.

Paraphrasing vs. Quoting — Explanation

Should i paraphrase or quote.

In general, use direct quotations only if you have a good reason. Most of your paper should be in your own words. Also, it’s often conventional to quote more extensively from sources when you’re writing a humanities paper, and to summarize from sources when you’re writing in the social or natural sciences–but there are always exceptions.

In a literary analysis paper , for example, you”ll want to quote from the literary text rather than summarize, because part of your task in this kind of paper is to analyze the specific words and phrases an author uses.

In research papers , you should quote from a source

• to show that an authority supports your point
• to present a position or argument to critique or comment on
• to include especially moving or historically significant language
• to present a particularly well-stated passage whose meaning would be lost or changed if paraphrased or summarized

You should summarize or paraphrase when

• what you want from the source is the idea expressed, and not the specific language used to express it
• you can express in fewer words what the key point of a source is

How to paraphrase a source

General advice.

• When reading a passage, try first to understand it as a whole, rather than pausing to write down specific ideas or phrases.
• Be selective. Unless your assignment is to do a formal or “literal” paraphrase, you usually don?t need to paraphrase an entire passage; instead, choose and summarize the material that helps you make a point in your paper.
• Think of what “your own words” would be if you were telling someone who’s unfamiliar with your subject (your mother, your brother, a friend) what the original source said.
• Remember that you can use direct quotations of phrases from the original within your paraphrase, and that you don’t need to change or put quotation marks around shared language.

Methods of Paraphrasing

• Look away from the source then write. Read the text you want to paraphrase several times until you feel that you understand it and can use your own words to restate it to someone else. Then, look away from the original and rewrite the text in your own words.
• Take notes. Take abbreviated notes; set the notes aside; then paraphrase from the notes a day or so later, or when you draft.

If you find that you can’t do A or B, this may mean that you don’t understand the passage completely or that you need to use a more structured process until you have more experience in paraphrasing.

The method below is not only a way to create a paraphrase but also a way to understand a difficult text.

Paraphrasing difficult texts

Consider the following passage from Love and Toil (a book on motherhood in London from 1870 to 1918), in which the author, Ellen Ross, puts forth one of her major arguments:

• Love and Toil maintains that family survival was the mother’s main charge among the large majority of London?s population who were poor or working class; the emotional and intellectual nurture of her child or children and even their actual comfort were forced into the background. To mother was to work for and organize household subsistence. (p. 9)

Children of the poor at the turn of the century received little if any emotional or intellectual nurturing from their mothers, whose main charge was family survival. Working for and organizing household subsistence were what defined mothering. Next to this, even the children’s basic comfort was forced into the background (Ross, 1995).

According to Ross (1993), poor children at the turn of the century received little mothering in our sense of the term. Mothering was defined by economic status, and among the poor, a mother’s foremost responsibility was not to stimulate her children’s minds or foster their emotional growth but to provide food and shelter to meet the basic requirements for physical survival. Given the magnitude of this task, children were deprived of even the “actual comfort” (p. 9) we expect mothers to provide today.

You may need to go through this process several times to create a satisfactory paraphrase.

Successful vs. unsuccessful paraphrases

Paraphrasing is often defined as putting a passage from an author into “your own words.” But what are your own words? How different must your paraphrase be from the original?

The paragraphs below provide an example by showing a passage as it appears in the source, two paraphrases that follow the source too closely, and a legitimate paraphrase.

The student’s intention was to incorporate the material in the original passage into a section of a paper on the concept of “experts” that compared the functions of experts and nonexperts in several professions.

The Passage as It Appears in the Source

Critical care nurses function in a hierarchy of roles. In this open heart surgery unit, the nurse manager hires and fires the nursing personnel. The nurse manager does not directly care for patients but follows the progress of unusual or long-term patients. On each shift a nurse assumes the role of resource nurse. This person oversees the hour-by-hour functioning of the unit as a whole, such as considering expected admissions and discharges of patients, ascertaining that beds are available for patients in the operating room, and covering sick calls. Resource nurses also take a patient assignment. They are the most experienced of all the staff nurses. The nurse clinician has a separate job description and provides for quality of care by orienting new staff, developing unit policies, and providing direct support where needed, such as assisting in emergency situations. The clinical nurse specialist in this unit is mostly involved with formal teaching in orienting new staff. The nurse manager, nurse clinician, and clinical nurse specialist are the designated experts. They do not take patient assignments. The resource nurse is seen as both a caregiver and a resource to other caregivers. . . . Staff nurses have a hierarchy of seniority. . . . Staff nurses are assigned to patients to provide all their nursing care. (Chase, 1995, p. 156)

Word-for-Word Plagiarism

Critical care nurses have a hierarchy of roles. The nurse manager hires and fires nurses. S/he does not directly care for patients but does follow unusual or long-term cases. On each shift a resource nurse attends to the functioning of the unit as a whole, such as making sure beds are available in the operating room , and also has a patient assignment . The nurse clinician orients new staff, develops policies, and provides support where needed . The clinical nurse specialist also orients new staff, mostly by formal teaching. The nurse manager, nurse clinician, and clinical nurse specialist , as the designated experts, do not take patient assignments . The resource nurse is not only a caregiver but a resource to the other caregivers . Within the staff nurses there is also a hierarchy of seniority . Their job is to give assigned patients all their nursing care .

Why this is plagiarism

Notice that the writer has not only “borrowed” Chase’s material (the results of her research) with no acknowledgment, but has also largely maintained the author’s method of expression and sentence structure. The phrases in red are directly copied from the source or changed only slightly in form.

Even if the student-writer had acknowledged Chase as the source of the content, the language of the passage would be considered plagiarized because no quotation marks indicate the phrases that come directly from Chase. And if quotation marks did appear around all these phrases, this paragraph would be so cluttered that it would be unreadable.

A Patchwork Paraphrase

Chase (1995) describes how nurses in a critical care unit function in a hierarchy that places designated experts at the top and the least senior staff nurses at the bottom. The experts — the nurse manager, nurse clinician, and clinical nurse specialist — are not involved directly in patient care. The staff nurses, in contrast, are assigned to patients and provide all their nursing care . Within the staff nurses is a hierarchy of seniority in which the most senior can become resource nurses: they are assigned a patient but also serve as a resource to other caregivers. The experts have administrative and teaching tasks such as selecting and orienting new staff, developing unit policies , and giving hands-on support where needed.

This paraphrase is a patchwork composed of pieces in the original author’s language (in red) and pieces in the student-writer’s words, all rearranged into a new pattern, but with none of the borrowed pieces in quotation marks. Thus, even though the writer acknowledges the source of the material, the underlined phrases are falsely presented as the student’s own.

A Legitimate Paraphrase

In her study of the roles of nurses in a critical care unit, Chase (1995) also found a hierarchy that distinguished the roles of experts and others. Just as the educational experts described above do not directly teach students, the experts in this unit do not directly attend to patients. That is the role of the staff nurses, who, like teachers, have their own “hierarchy of seniority” (p. 156). The roles of the experts include employing unit nurses and overseeing the care of special patients (nurse manager), teaching and otherwise integrating new personnel into the unit (clinical nurse specialist and nurse clinician), and policy-making (nurse clinician). In an intermediate position in the hierarchy is the resource nurse, a staff nurse with more experience than the others, who assumes direct care of patients as the other staff nurses do, but also takes on tasks to ensure the smooth operation of the entire facility.

Why this is a good paraphrase

The writer has documented Chase’s material and specific language (by direct reference to the author and by quotation marks around language taken directly from the source). Notice too that the writer has modified Chase’s language and structure and has added material to fit the new context and purpose — to present the distinctive functions of experts and nonexperts in several professions.

Shared Language

Perhaps you’ve noticed that a number of phrases from the original passage appear in the legitimate paraphrase: critical care, staff nurses, nurse manager, clinical nurse specialist, nurse clinician, resource nurse.

If all these phrases were in red, the paraphrase would look much like the “patchwork” example. The difference is that the phrases in the legitimate paraphrase are all precise, economical, and conventional designations that are part of the shared language within the nursing discipline (in the too-close paraphrases, they’re red only when used within a longer borrowed phrase).

In every discipline and in certain genres (such as the empirical research report), some phrases are so specialized or conventional that you can’t paraphrase them except by wordy and awkward circumlocutions that would be less familiar (and thus less readable) to the audience.

When you repeat such phrases, you’re not stealing the unique phrasing of an individual writer but using a common vocabulary shared by a community of scholars.

Some Examples of Shared Language You Don’t Need to Put in Quotation Marks

• Conventional designations: e.g., physician’s assistant, chronic low-back pain
• Preferred bias-free language: e.g., persons with disabilities
• Technical terms and phrases of a discipline or genre : e.g., reduplication, cognitive domain, material culture, sexual harassment

Chase, S. K. (1995). The social context of critical care clinical judgment. Heart and Lung, 24, 154-162.

How to Quote a Source

Introducing a quotation.

One of your jobs as a writer is to guide your reader through your text. Don’t simply drop quotations into your paper and leave it to the reader to make connections.

Integrating a quotation into your text usually involves two elements:

• A signal that a quotation is coming–generally the author’s name and/or a reference to the work
• An assertion that indicates the relationship of the quotation to your text

Often both the signal and the assertion appear in a single introductory statement, as in the example below. Notice how a transitional phrase also serves to connect the quotation smoothly to the introductory statement.

Ross (1993), in her study of poor and working-class mothers in London from 1870-1918 [signal], makes it clear that economic status to a large extent determined the meaning of motherhood [assertion]. Among this population [connection], “To mother was to work for and organize household subsistence” (p. 9).

The signal can also come after the assertion, again with a connecting word or phrase:

Illness was rarely a routine matter in the nineteenth century [assertion]. As [connection] Ross observes [signal], “Maternal thinking about children’s health revolved around the possibility of a child’s maiming or death” (p. 166).

Formatting Quotations

Short direct prose.

Incorporate short direct prose quotations into the text of your paper and enclose them in double quotation marks:

According to Jonathan Clarke, “Professional diplomats often say that trying to think diplomatically about foreign policy is a waste of time.”

Longer prose quotations

Begin longer quotations (for instance, in the APA system, 40 words or more) on a new line and indent the entire quotation (i.e., put in block form), with no quotation marks at beginning or end, as in the quoted passage from our Successful vs. Unsucessful Paraphrases page.

Rules about the minimum length of block quotations, how many spaces to indent, and whether to single- or double-space extended quotations vary with different documentation systems; check the guidelines for the system you’re using.

Quotation of Up to 3 Lines of Poetry

Quotations of up to 3 lines of poetry should be integrated into your sentence. For example:

In Julius Caesar, Antony begins his famous speech with “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears; / I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him” (III.ii.75-76).

Notice that a slash (/) with a space on either side is used to separate lines.

Quotation of More than 3 Lines of Poetry

More than 3 lines of poetry should be indented. As with any extended (indented) quotation, do not use quotation marks unless you need to indicate a quotation within your quotation.

Punctuating with Quotation Marks

Parenthetical citations.

With short quotations, place citations outside of closing quotation marks, followed by sentence punctuation (period, question mark, comma, semi-colon, colon):

Menand (2002) characterizes language as “a social weapon” (p. 115).

With block quotations, check the guidelines for the documentation system you are using.

Commas and periods

Place inside closing quotation marks when no parenthetical citation follows:

Hertzberg (2002) notes that “treating the Constitution as imperfect is not new,” but because of Dahl’s credentials, his “apostasy merits attention” (p. 85).

Semicolons and colons

Place outside of closing quotation marks (or after a parenthetical citation).

Question marks and exclamation points

Place inside closing quotation marks if the quotation is a question/exclamation:

Menand (2001) acknowledges that H. W. Fowler’s Modern English Usage is “a classic of the language,” but he asks, “Is it a dead classic?” (p. 114).

[Note that a period still follows the closing parenthesis.]

Place outside of closing quotation marks if the entire sentence containing the quotation is a question or exclamation:

How many students actually read the guide to find out what is meant by “academic misconduct”?

Quotation within a quotation

Use single quotation marks for the embedded quotation:

According to Hertzberg (2002), Dahl gives the U. S. Constitution “bad marks in ‘democratic fairness’ and ‘encouraging consensus'” (p. 90).

[The phrases “democratic fairness” and “encouraging consensus” are already in quotation marks in Dahl’s sentence.]

Indicating Changes in Quotations

Quoting only a portion of the whole.

Use ellipsis points (. . .) to indicate an omission within a quotation–but not at the beginning or end unless it’s not obvious that you’re quoting only a portion of the whole.

Adding Clarification, Comment, or Correction

Within quotations, use square brackets [ ] (not parentheses) to add your own clarification, comment, or correction.

Use [sic] (meaning “so” or “thus”) to indicate that a mistake is in the source you’re quoting and is not your own.

Additional information

Information on summarizing and paraphrasing sources.

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th ed.). (2000). Retrieved January 7, 2002, from http://www.bartleby.com/61/ Bazerman, C. (1995). The informed writer: Using sources in the disciplines (5th ed). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Leki, I. (1995). Academic writing: Exploring processes and strategies (2nd ed.) New York: St. Martin?s Press, pp. 185-211.

Leki describes the basic method presented in C, pp. 4-5.

Spatt, B. (1999). Writing from sources (5th ed.) New York: St. Martin?s Press, pp. 98-119; 364-371.

Information about specific documentation systems

The Writing Center has handouts explaining how to use many of the standard documentation systems. You may look at our general Web page on Documentation Systems, or you may check out any of the following specific Web pages.

If you’re not sure which documentation system to use, ask the course instructor who assigned your paper.

• American Psychological Assoicaion (APA)
• Modern Language Association (MLA)
• Chicago/Turabian (A Footnote or Endnote System)
• American Political Science Association (APSA)
• Council of Science Editors (CBE)
• Numbered References

You may also consult the following guides:

• American Medical Association, Manual for Authors and Editors
• Council of Science Editors, CBE style Manual
• The Chicago Manual of Style
• MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

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MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Quoting vs. Paraphrasing

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Quoting vs Paraphrasing: What's the Difference?

There are two ways to integrate sources into your assignment: quoting directly or paraphrasing.

Quoting is copying a selection from someone else's work, phrasing it exactly as it was originally written. When quoting place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Make sure to include an in-text citation.

Paraphrasing is used to show that you understand what the author wrote. You must reword the passage, expressing the ideas in your own words, and not just change a few words here and there. Make sure to also include an in-text citation.

Quoting Examples

• Long Quotations

Modifying Quotations

Quoting - Example:

There are two basic formats that can be used when quoting a source:

Parenthetical Style:

Narrative Style:

Note: If there are no page numbers, as in a website, cite the author name only.

What is a Long or Block Quotation?

A long or block quotation is a quotation which is 4 lines or more.

Rules for Long Quotations

There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:

• The line before your long quotation, when you're introducing the quote, usually ends with a colon.
• The long quotation is indented half an inch from the rest of the text, so it looks like a block of text.
• There are no quotation marks around the quotation.
• The period at the end of the quotation comes before your in-text citation as opposed to after, as it does with regular quotations.

Example of a Long Quotation

At the end of Lord of the Flies the boys are struck with the realization of their behaviour:

The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. (Golding 186)

• Sometimes you may want to make some modifications to the quote to fit your writing. Here are some MLA rules when changing quotes:

Changing Quotations

Omitting parts of a quotation

• If you would like to exclude some words from a quotation, replace the words you are not including with an ellipsis - ...

Adding words to a quote

If you are adding words that are not part of the original quote, enclose the additional words in square brackets - [XYZ]

Paraphrasing

Correct vs. Incorrect Paraphrasing

Long Paraphrases

Paraphrasing - Examples:

When you write information from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion as follows:

If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name again as part of your in-text citation, instead include the page number if there is one:

Original Source

Homeless individuals commonly come from families who are riddled with problems and marital disharmony, and are alienated from their parents. They have often been physically and even sexually abused, have relocated frequently, and many of them may be asked to leave home or are actually thrown out, or alternatively are placed in group homes or in foster care. They often have no one to care for them and no one knows them intimately.

Source from:

Rokach, Ami. "The Causes of Loneliness in Homeless Youth." The Journal of Psychology, 139, 2005, pp. 469-480. Academic Search Premier.

Example: Incorrect Paraphrasing

Example: Correct Paraphrasing

If you paraphrase a source more than once in a single paragraph and no other sources are mentioned in between, provide an in-text citation for the source at the end of each paraphrase. In the examples, the second in-text citation only includes the page number since it is clear that the same source is still being paraphrased.

If your paraphrase continues to another paragraph and/or you include paraphrases from other sources within the same paragraph, repeat the in-text citations for each.

In-Text Citation Tips

• Repeated Use of Sources
• Sources with Same Author and Publication Year
• Citing More Than One Source
• AI-Generated Text

If you are using information from a single source more than once in succession (i.e., no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation.

When you are citing two different sources that share the same author, for the Works Cited List list the first title only, and for any subsequent titles by the same author list three dashes (---) in place of the author name.

For in-text citations, include a shortened version of the source title following the author name.

Example: In-text citations (Haynes, Noah's Curse 84) (Haynes, The Last Segregated Hour 57)

If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon (;).

In-text Citations & AI-generated Text

AI-generated content may not be considered as an acceptable source for your course work. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check with your instructor if you are permitted to use it as a source. See Citation Examples: Artificial Intelligence for more information. For in-text, include the shortened text of the prompt surrounded by quotation marks such as: ("Shortened text of prompt").

Direct Quote Example

Paraphrasing Example

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Referencing and Plagiarism: Paraphrasing, summarising and quoting

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Paraphrasing and summarising

Summarising.

When you summarise, you are working from the notes you have taken from various sources during the reading and research you have done for your assignment. This means that in a summary you select the most important information from a text (book, journal article, website etc.) and bring it together to ‘fit’ into your writing. This is the information you have found which is significant for your discussion. Presenting this in your assignment shows your understanding of the source texts and demonstrates that you can select and deselect information as appropriate. It allows you to show interpretation of literature, and also to combine various sources into one paragraph.

Paraphrasing

When you paraphrase, you are working more closely with the original text; you want to use something specific from the text, but to put it into your own words; you want to help it ‘fit’ into your text and you want to avoid direct quotation. Although paraphrase is not as common as summary in academic writing, it is still used frequently and is better than using a direct quotation. Various techniques can help you paraphrase effectively and you need to use a combination of techniques in your writing; one technique is never enough as it will lead to patchwork paraphrase where your writing is too close to the original text.

Some techniques to use when paraphrasing:

Look at the examples below. The first paraphrase is too close to the original whereas the second paraphrase employs all of the techniques above; thus, it becomes the student’s own presentation of the idea while still being attributed to the original source. When paraphrasing, using author prominent citation (as in paraphrase 2 below) helps move away from the original wording.

You should use quotations sparingly, for example when you want to include definitions or strong statements. They should be as short (less than two lines or about 40 words in length) and relevant as possible.

Short quotations (fewer than 40 words)

Short quotations should provide the page number (using p. for ‘page’ or pp. for ‘pages’) and should not use italics or bold text.

Where the reference is after the quotation, as in the second and third examples below, the full stop comes after the parentheses (brackets) rather than the end of the actual quotation.

Quotations should match the grammar of the sentences they are placed within so that the overall sentence makes sense.

Pay attention to the examples below and the locations of the full stops:

Long quotations (40+ words)

Where the reference comes before the quotation (as in a)), the full stop comes before the closing quotation mark. Where the reference is after the quotation (as in b) and c)), the full stop comes after the bracket rather than at the end of the quotation.

Try to avoid such long quotations if possible. If you do need to include a longer quotation (over two lines in length) it should be indented in a separate paragraph as a block quote.

Unfinished quotations

Sometimes, to shorten the length of a quote and remove unnecessary or irrelevant information, you might want to leave out some words, lines or paragraphs from a direct quotation. When doing this you need to be careful not to distort the message being communicated by the author. You indicate you have omitted some of the quote, use an ellipsis (three dots: …).

Note: You do not need the ellipsis points at the start of the quotation if it is embedded within your own sentence.

Note: Cite Them Right advises that you can use single (' ') or double (" ") quotation marks, and to be consistent throughout your assignment. However, the Turnitin Similarity Checker will not disregard single quotation marks so quotations using single quotation marks may be flagged as plagiarism. The punctuation choice won't be a problem when your work is read and assessed by a human being, so don't panic, but please be aware that this may be flagged on the similarity score.

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Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

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This handout is intended to help you become more comfortable with the uses of and distinctions among quotations, paraphrases, and summaries. This handout compares and contrasts the three terms, gives some pointers, and includes a short excerpt that you can use to practice these skills.

What are the differences among quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing?

These three ways of incorporating other writers' work into your own writing differ according to the closeness of your writing to the source writing.

Quotations must be identical to the original, using a narrow segment of the source. They must match the source document word for word and must be attributed to the original author.

Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source. Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly.

Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, including only the main point(s). Once again, it is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to the original source. Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material.

Why use quotations, paraphrases, and summaries?

Quotations, paraphrases, and summaries serve many purposes. You might use them to:

• Provide support for claims or add credibility to your writing
• Refer to work that leads up to the work you are now doing
• Give examples of several points of view on a subject
• Call attention to a position that you wish to agree or disagree with
• Highlight a particularly striking phrase, sentence, or passage by quoting the original
• Distance yourself from the original by quoting it in order to cue readers that the words are not your own
• Expand the breadth or depth of your writing

Writers frequently intertwine summaries, paraphrases, and quotations. As part of a summary of an article, a chapter, or a book, a writer might include paraphrases of various key points blended with quotations of striking or suggestive phrases as in the following example:

In his famous and influential work The Interpretation of Dreams , Sigmund Freud argues that dreams are the "royal road to the unconscious" (page #), expressing in coded imagery the dreamer's unfulfilled wishes through a process known as the "dream-work" (page #). According to Freud, actual but unacceptable desires are censored internally and subjected to coding through layers of condensation and displacement before emerging in a kind of rebus puzzle in the dream itself (page #).

How to use quotations, paraphrases, and summaries

Practice summarizing the essay found here , using paraphrases and quotations as you go. It might be helpful to follow these steps:

• Read the entire text, noting the key points and main ideas.
• Summarize in your own words what the single main idea of the essay is.
• Paraphrase important supporting points that come up in the essay.
• Consider any words, phrases, or brief passages that you believe should be quoted directly.

There are several ways to integrate quotations into your text. Often, a short quotation works well when integrated into a sentence. Longer quotations can stand alone. Remember that quoting should be done only sparingly; be sure that you have a good reason to include a direct quotation when you decide to do so. You'll find guidelines for citing sources and punctuating citations at our documentation guide pages.

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We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

• The Writing Process
• Stage 2: Drafting/Writing
• Quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing

Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

There are many ways to incorporate another writer’s work within your own assignments such as:

A quote is the exact wording of the source material (either written or spoken). Quotes are word-for-word, or identical, to the original source.

Paraphrases

A paraphrase is a detailed restatement in your own words of the source material. This must includechanges in organization, wording, and sentence structure, but the paraphrase should be nearly identical in meaning to the original message. It should also be nearly the same length as the original passage and present the details of the original source.

A summary is a condensed restatement of the original material. Similar to paraphrasing, summarizing involves using your own words and writing style to express another writer’s ideas. Unlike a paraphrase, which presents important details, a summary presents only the most essential ideas from the original text. Summarizes will be much shorter than the original text.

It is important to use evidence to support the arguments made in an assignment. When a writer uses research in their writing, it is sometimes difficult to decide what should be quoted versus what should be paraphrased or summarized. It is beneficial to know the difference between quotations, paraphrases and summaries and when to use which in the text.

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slayandpay13 commented Mar 23, 2022

Sorry, something went wrong.

1089412 commented Dec 7, 2022

goldtime1020 commented Dec 7, 2022

What was the author's purpose in writing this passage? A. to explain how no one could break the impressive record set by Lou Gehrig B. to describe how and when "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day" is celebrated C. to explain what ALS is, how it affected Lou Gehrig's body, and how it can be prevented D. to describe Lou Gehrig's remarkable baseball career and show how he faced and accepted ALS

Dreamybull1500 commented Mar 16, 2023

In 1566, the Spanish established the earliest known European settlement in Georgia called Santa Catalina. The establishment was a Catholic mission, located on St. Catherine's Island. By the year 1680, however,

ertyjkh commented Mar 16, 2023

Which of the following statements is true regarding the U.S. presidential election? A. The president is elected by members of the Senate. B. Voters do not directly elect the president. C. The vice president is often from a different political party than the president. D. The person who wins the popular election is president.

Which of the following statements is true regarding the U.S. presidential election?

voidz1 commented Mar 29, 2023

Type your response in the box. Explain how the narrative point of view in the story makes the reader suspicious of Dewey Scruggs. Use details from the story to support your answer.

MazinFapp commented Mar 31, 2023

Compare the y-intercepts and rates of change of the following items.

idkyoupick commented Apr 3, 2023

Image courtesy of NASA

The organism shown above belongs to A. the plant kingdom. B. the protist kingdom. C. the animal kingdom. D. both the animal kingdom and the protist kingdom.

tqwzx commented Apr 18, 2023

Why were town meetings in the Massachusetts Bay Colony significant? A. They encouraged the colonists to depend less on British-produced goods. B. They were one of the first attempts at self-governance in North America. C. They were one of the first examples of a representative democracy. D. They encouraged the colonists to be more tolerant of other religions.

whhhvfiufgug commented May 9, 2023

Mrs. Allen is comparing the grades of her math students in two classes. Each dot represents a student.

Which statement correctly compares the data? A. Class A generally has the exact same grades as class B. B. Although the mean of the grades of class A is greater than the mean of the grades of class B, the variability creates too much overlap for any conclusion to be made. C. Class B generally has better grades than class A. D. Class A generally has better grades than class B.

finch1234 commented May 17, 2023

In the Cheseapeake Bay ecosystem, beds of eelgrass provide food and shelter to growing blue crabs. As blue crabs mature, they feed on fish and are fed on by larger animals like egrets. As organisms die, decomposers like bacteria in the sand of eelgrass beds help break down organic material.

Which of the following correctly matches a biotic factor in this ecosystem to the role it plays in cycling matter? A. Fish and other animals convert nitrogen to a form that can be used by plants. B. Decomposers release carbon dioxide that eelgrass use for photosynthesis. C. Blue crabs convert carbon dioxide to organic sugars through respiration. D. Sand contains nutrients like nitrogen that it transmits to eelgrass.

mahabi008 commented Jun 22, 2023

divide x^4-10x^3+31x^2-33x=15 by x-5

tyler580 commented Jul 19, 2023

Which of the following demonstrates how the French Revolution influenced political thought in Latin America? A. Simon Bolivar was a capitalist. B. Toussaint L’Ouverture was a Jacobin. C. Toussaint L’Ouverture was a socialist. D. Simón Bolívar was an abolitionist.

R4aper commented Oct 20, 2023

Graph the line that passes through the coordinates below and determine which statement is true.

A. The line that passes through the given coordinates represents a proportional relationship because the line does not pass through the origin. B. The line that passes through the given coordinates does not represent a proportional relationship because the line passes through the origin. C. The line that passes through the given coordinates represents a proportional relationship because the line passes through the origin. D. The line that passes through the given coordinates does not represent a proportional relationship because the line does not pass through the origin.

studyisland commented Oct 25, 2023

Stickydrift commented Nov 13, 2023

How does the distance between the planet Earth and the Sun compare with the distances between the planet Earth and other stars? A. About half of the other stars are closer to Earth than the Sun. B. The other stars are many thousands of times closer to Earth than the Sun. C. The Sun and all the other stars are the same distance from Earth. D. The Sun is many thousands of times closer to Earth than any other star.

Jonahthedaddy71 commented Nov 16, 2023

1 Unlike cavemen thousands of years ago, people today eat many whole grain foods. 2 Like bread, cereal, rice, and pasta. 3 Fruits and vegetables are also an important part of people's diets today. 4 Vegetables are an excellent source of nutrition.

Which sentence above is a fragment? A. 4 B. 1 C. 3 D. 2

jasonbell-cyrpto commented Dec 6, 2023

The following is a draft of a student essay. It may contain errors.

The Apple Pie Disaster

1 Which detail would be best to add after sentence 11 to further develop the description of characters? A. We decided that whipped cream on our pie would be better than ice cream. B. Monica eagerly peered into the oven and clapped her hands with anticipation. C. The pie baked and we quickly cleaned up the pans and bowls in the kitchen. D. Monica and I agreed that this would be the best apple pie in history. Reset Next Question

Which detail would be best to add after sentence 11 to further develop the description of characters? A. We decided that whipped cream on our pie would be better than ice cream. B. Monica eagerly peered into the oven and clapped her hands with anticipation. C. The pie baked and we quickly cleaned up the pans and bowls in the kitchen. D. Monica and I agreed that this would be the best apple pie in history.

skib-gif commented Dec 6, 2023

What change, if any, should be made in sentence 4? A. Remove the comma after blood pressure. B. Change their face to his or her face. C. Add a comma after older people. D. Make no change.

divyampatel23 commented Jan 3, 2024

Which of these is the best summary of the first paragraph? A. The severe storm in Wichita, Kansas, last night brought strong winds but no tornadoes. B. A severe storm last night in Wichita, Kansas, dropped a lot of rain and brought strong winds. C. Between 9 PM and 1 AM, areas around Wichita, Kansas, received as much as eight inches of rain. D. A severe storm brought between six and eight inches of rain to Wichita, Kansas.

aubreyyania77 commented Jan 3, 2024

Marathon Kids is a special running program sponsored by RunTex. For five months, children run a half-mile to one mile at a time until they reach 26.2 miles. This is the total distance of a marathon. Students who have participated this year will cross the 26-mile line on Saturday, February 16. On that day, kindergartners through fifth-graders will receive their Marathon Kids medals. The Final Mile Medal Celebration will be held at Burger Center, located at 3200 Jones Road.

Which of the following best summarizes the passage above? A. Marathon Kids is a special running program that has children run over the course of five months a half-mile to one mile at a time until they reach 26.2 miles. Participants receive medals on Saturday, February 16. B. Marathon Kids is a running program that allows children to collectively run the length of a marathon. Children who participated in this program will receive medals at the Final Mile Medal Celebration at Burger Center. C. On Saturday, February 16, Marathon Kids, which is a special running program sponsored by RunTex, will hand out medals to kindergartners through fifth-graders who participated in their running program. D. On Saturday, February 16, kindergartners through fifth-graders will receive their Marathon Kids medals if they participated in a special running program sponsored by RunTex.

FPLife commented Jan 22, 2024

Read these sentences from the passage.

Alan was confounded when he caught a distracted Nick repeatedly glancing at his watch. Alan found this puzzling because mathematics was Nick's favorite subject, and he was usually very attentive in class.

What does confounded mean in this context? A. confused B. outraged C. irritated D. curious

ineedanswers69420 commented Feb 23, 2024

According to MLA guidelines, which sentence quotes the passage correctly? A. Chadwick writes, "Based on DNA studies, [scientists] have learned that at least 170,000 years ago, body lice emerged. Body lice originated from head lice, which are two different species" (8). B. Chadwick says, "Tiny impressions in baked clay fragments show fine textiles comparable to linen, possibly made from flax" (8). C. Chadwick reports, "It was especially important to wear clothes because different fabrics protected people from a variety of things, whether it be extremes in temperature or insect bites" (8). D. Chadwick states, "The use of plants for producing fabrics seems to have begun with [Homo sapiens]" (8).

MooShroomBEEP commented Mar 5, 2024

Who was the monarch of Britain in the time leading up to and during the American Revolution? A. King James III B. King George III C. King Louis VIII D. Queen Elizabeth II

thebestki commented Mar 24, 2024

Passage 1 Winnipeg (from The City of Winnipeg Web site)

The city of Winnipeg is located in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is only 60 miles north of the United States’ border. The Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet in Winnipeg. This point, known as The Forks, is almost at the center of North America.

Winnipeg was founded as a city in 1873. It had a population of only 1,869. In 1885, the Canadian Pacific Railway brought rapid development to the city. Today, it is the eighth largest city in Canada. It has a population of around 670,000.

Winnipeg is a thriving city. Food and beverage products and farming equipment are made here. Goods are easily transported on the railway. Tourism is another main source of business for the city. Also, a lot of grain is grown here. The city's water supply can support one million people.

Winnipeg has a lot to offer. The downtown areas are full of stores. People can shop without having to pay a general sales tax. There are many nice hotels and motor home parks. The city is also known for its lovely parks that are full of trees. The nearby lakes are wonderful for fishing, boating, and swimming.

Passage 2 Visit Winnipeg (from a travel agency Web site)

A. the best sites for visitors to see in Winnipeg B. the history and development of Winnipeg C. the history of the French area of Winnipeg D. the best places for travelers to eat in Winnipeg

NickCons1123 commented Mar 25, 2024

Why does the author use the simile "Jake steps into the throw and chucks the ball like a missile tied to a tightrope wire"? A. to show how long it takes the pass to get there B. to show how Jake practices C. to show how fast and straight the pass is D. to show how fast the receiver is

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4.9: Quoting, Summarizing, and Paraphrasing

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• Page ID 174801

• Rob Drummond, Liz Delf, Kristy Kelly, & Shane Abrams
• Oregon State University

Shane Abrams Adapted by Liz Delf, Rob Drummond, and Kristy Kelly

Finding your position, posture, and perspective.

As you begin drafting your research essay, remember the conversation analogy: by using other voices, you are entering into a discussion that is much bigger than just you, even bigger than the authors you cite. However, what you have to say is important, so you are bringing together your ideas with others’ ideas from a unique interpretive standpoint. Although it may take you a while to find it, you should be searching for your unique position in a complex network of discourse.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you consider this:

• How would I introduce this topic to someone who is completely unfamiliar?
• What are the major viewpoints on this topic? Remember that very few issues have only two sides.
• With which viewpoints do I align? With which viewpoints do I disagree? Consider agreement (“Yes”), disagreement (“No”), and qualification (“Yes, but…”).
• What did I know about this issue before I began researching? What have I learned so far?
• What is my rhetorical purpose for this project? If your purpose is to argue a position, be sure that you feel comfortable with the terms and ideas discussed in the previous section on argumentation.

Situating Yourself Using Your Research

While you’re drafting, be diligent and deliberate with your use of other people’s words, ideas, and perspectives. Foreground your thesis (even if it’s still in progress), and use paraphrases, direct quotes, and summary in the background to explain, support, complicate, or contrast your perspective.

Depending on the work you’ve done to this point, you may have a reasonable body of quotes, summaries, and paraphrases that you can draw from. Whether or not you’ve been collecting evidence throughout your research process, be sure to return to the original sources to ensure the accuracy and efficacy of your quotes, summaries, and paraphrases.

A direct quote uses quotation marks (“ ”) to indicate where you’re borrowing an author’s words verbatim in your own writing. Use a direct quote if someone else wrote or said something in a distinctive or particular way and you want to capture their words exactly.

Direct quotes are good for establishing ethos and providing evidence. Quoting is a good choice when how something is said matters; it gives readers a sense of the tone, style, and perspective of the original source.

In a humanities essay, you will be expected to use some direct quotes; however, too many direct quotes can overwhelm your thesis and actually undermine your sense of ethos. Your research paper should strike a balance between quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing—and articulating your own perspective!

Summarizing

Summarizing refers to the action of boiling down an author’s ideas into a shorter version in your own words. Summary demonstrates your understanding of a text, but it also can be useful in giving background information or making a complex idea more accessible.

Paraphrasing

When we paraphrase, we are processing information or ideas from another person’s text and putting them in our own words. The main difference between paraphrase and summary is scope: if summarizing means rewording and condensing, then paraphrasing means rewording without drastically altering length. However, paraphrasing is also generally more faithful to the spirit of the original; whereas a summary requires you to process and invites your own perspective, a paraphrase ought to mirror back the original idea using your own language.

Paraphrasing is helpful for establishing background knowledge or general consensus, simplifying a complicated idea, or reminding your reader of a certain part of another text. It is also valuable when relaying statistics or historical information, both of which are usually more fluidly woven into your writing when spoken with your own voice.

Whether you are quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing, you must always include an appropriate citation; see chapters 29, “Deconstructing Plagiarism,” and 30, “Giving Credit Where It’s Due: Why and How to Cite Your Sources,” for more on how to do this ethically.

Each of these three tactics should support your argument: you should integrate quotes, paraphrases, and summary with your own writing. Below, you can see three examples of these tools. Consider how the direct quote, paraphrase, and summary could each be used to achieve different purposes:

It has been suggested (again rather anecdotally) that giraffes do communicate using infrasonic vocalizations (the signals are verbally described to be similar—in structure and function—to the low-frequency, infrasonic “rumbles” of elephants). It was further speculated that the extensive frontal sinus of giraffes acts as a resonance chamber for infrasound production. Moreover, particular neck movements (e.g. the neck stretch) are suggested to be associated with the production of infrasonic vocalizations. (Baotic et al. 3)

There are infinite ways to bring evidence into your discussion. For now, let’s revisit a formula that many students find productive as they find their footing in research writing:

front-load + quote/paraphrase/summarize + (cite) + explain/elaborate/analyze

This might feel formulaic and forced at first, but following these steps will ensure that you give each piece of evidence thorough attention.

What might this look like in practice?

[1] Humans and dolphins are not the only mammals with complex systems of communication. As a matter of fact, [2] some scientists have “speculated that the extensive frontal sinus of giraffes acts as a resonance chamber for infrasound production” ( [3] Baotic et al. 3). [4] Even though no definitive answer has been found, it’s possible that the structure of a giraffe’s head allows it to create sounds that humans may not be able to hear. This hypothesis supports the notion that different species of animals develop a sort of “language” that corresponds to their anatomy.

Humans and dolphins are not the only mammals with complex systems of communication. As a matter of fact,

some scientists have “speculated that the extensive frontal sinus of giraffes acts as a resonance chamber for infrasound production”

(Baotic et al. 3).

• Explain/elaborate/analyze

Even though no definitive answer has been found, it’s possible that the structure of a giraffe’s head allows it to create sounds that humans may not be able to hear. This hypothesis supports the notion that different species of animals develop a sort of “language” that corresponds to their anatomy.

Extended Quotes

A quick note on block quotes: sometimes you may find it necessary to use a long direct quote from a source. For instance, if there is a passage that you plan to analyze in-depth or throughout the course of the entire paper, you may need to reproduce the whole thing. You may have seen other authors use block quotes in the course of your research. In the middle of a sentence or paragraph, the text will break into a long direct quote that is indented and separated from the rest of the paragraph.

There are occasions when it is appropriate for you to use block quotes too, but they are rare. Even though long quotes can be useful, quotes long enough to block are often too long. Using too much of one source all at once can overwhelm your own voice and analysis, distract the reader, undermine your ethos, and prevent you from digging into a quote. It’s typically a better choice to

• abridge (omit words from the beginning or end of the quote or from the middle using an ellipsis […]),
• break up (split one long quote into two or three shorter quotes that you can attend to more specifically), or
• paraphrase a long quote, especially because that gives you more space for the last step of the formula above.

If, in the rare event that you must use a long direct quote, one that runs more than four lines on a properly formatted page, follow the guidelines from the appropriate style guide. In MLA format, block quotes (1) are indented one inch from the margin, (2) are double-spaced, (3) are not in quotation marks, and (4) use original end punctuation and an in-text citation after the last sentence. The paragraph will continue after the block quote without any indentation.

Readerly Signposts

Signposts are phrases and sentences that guide a reader’s interpretation of the evidence you are about to introduce. Readerly signposts are also known as “signal phrases” because they give the reader a warning of your next move. In addition to foreshadowing a paraphrase, quote, or summary, though, your signposts can be active agents in your argumentation.

Before using a paraphrase, quote, or summary, you can prime your reader to understand that evidence in a certain way. For example, let’s take the imaginary quote “The moon landing was faked in a sound studio by Stanley Kubrick.”

• [X] insists, “The moon landing was faked in a sound studio by Stanley Kubrick.”
• Some people believe, naïvely, that “the moon landing was faked in a sound studio by Stanley Kubrick.”
• Common knowledge suggests that “the moon landing was faked in a sound studio by Stanley Kubrick.”
• [X] posits that “the moon landing was faked in a sound studio by Stanley Kubrick.”
• Although some people believe otherwise, the truth is that “the moon landing was faked in a sound studio by Stanley Kubrick.”
• Although some people believe that “the moon landing was faked in a sound studio by Stanley Kubrick,” it is more likely that…
• Whenever conspiracy theories come up, people like to joke that “the moon landing was faked in a sound studio by Stanley Kubrick.”
• The government has conducted many covert operations in the last century: “The moon landing was faked in a sound studio by Stanley Kubrick.”

What does each signpost do to us, as readers, encountering the same quote?

The original chapter, Interacting with Sources by Shane Abrams, is from EmpoWord: A Student-Centered Anthology and Handbook for College Writers

Discussion Questions

• What is the value of bringing in sources that you disagree with?
• Paraphrasing can be a difficult point for student writers. What makes it challenging?
• Find an example of a scholarly article in your major. Skim through and count how many quotes and paraphrases/summaries it contains (they should all have citations, which makes them easy to find). What did you learn? Share in class. Why might there be variation across the disciplines?
• Using the table below, create a signpost for each of the quotes in the left column that reflects the posture in the top row.
• Downloadable copy

Works Cited

Baotic, Anton, Florian Sicks, and Angela S. Stoeger. “Nocturnal ‘Humming’ Vocalizations: Adding a Piece of the Puzzle of Giraffe Vocal Communication.” BioMed Central Research Notes , vol. 8, no. 425, 2015, pp. 1–11.

Quoting, Summarizing, and Paraphrasing by Shane Abrams; Liz Delf; Rob Drummond; and Kristy Kelly is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Pasco-Hernando State College

• Finding and Evaluating Sources (Critical Analysis)
• Paraphrasing
• Summarizing
• MLA Documentation
• APA Documentation
• Writing a Research Paper

Test Yourself

• Quotation Marks Quiz

Related Pages

• Quotation Marks
• MLA In-Text Citations
• APA In-Text Citations

Definition and Usage

Quotations are use of exact words from a source.  Direct quotes are use of the author's words.  Indirect quotes are when you use a quote that is quoted in the source.

Quotations are best used when used sparingly. A common error in many papers is the overuse of quotations.  When a paper contains too many quotations the reader may become bored or conclude that you have no ideas of your own. Keep quotations short and only use them when a paraphrase would not capture the meaning or reflect the author’s specific choice of words.  You may also wish to introduce a quote if you plan on disagreeing with the source since using the exact words helps the reader understand the differences between your position and the position in the source and helps to show that you are fairly representing the source.

When you do decide to use quotations, make sure that you do not simply cut the words out and drop them into your paper. You will need to give a brief introduction to the quote to let readers understand the context of the words and their relationship to your argument. Quotes that do not reflect the meaning of the author within the context are considered  out-of-context .  Quotes should not be used  out-of-context  to convey a meaning not intended by the author.  In addition, quotes must be incorporated logically into a sequence of sentences.

Incorrect use:

People pay higher prices for organic food.  “The FDA simply does not have enough agents to do thorough inspections” (Jones).

Corrected use:

People pay higher prices for organic food.  Jones makes a good point when he explains how really impossible it is at this time to tell whether foods are grown without certain chemicals or pesticides to justify these higher prices. “The FDA simply does not have enough agents to do thorough inspections” (Jones).

Quotations must also be incorporated grammatically.

Original Quotation:  Jones continues to explain, “No proof that pesticides were not used.”

Corrected use:  Jones continues to explain that there is “no proof that pesticides were not used.”

Substitutions, Additions, and Omissions in Quotations:

Quotations can be modified; however, proper punctuation must be used to indicate the substitutions, additions, and omissions.  Any such substitutions, additions or omissions should not result in quoting out of context where the meaning of the quote is changed.

• Brackets, also called square brackets, are used to show that the original quote has been modified.
• An ellipsis (three periods in a row) is used to show that words have been omitted.

Original Quotation:  

"Besides, step-families offer unique advantages as well. One example is the increase in available emotional support and, other resources from the larger, more extended family. Another is the opportunity the children have for learning how to cope with an ever changing and complicated world due to the social and emotional complexity of their own step family environment” (Pinto).

Quotation Modified to Substitute an Uppercase for a Lowercase:  

Pinto acknowledges that blended families can also offer positive aspects. Pinto indicates that “[o]ne example is the increase in available emotional support and, other resources from the larger, more extended family.”

See how a small letter  o  was substituted for the capital  O  since using the word that changes what is in the quote to a continuation of a sentence started outside the quote.

Quotation Modified for Clarity: 

Pinto continues, “Another [advantage] is the opportunity the children have for learning how to cope with an ever changing and complicated world due to the social and emotional complexity of their own step family environment.”

The word advantage was added to make the subject clear.

Quotation Modified to Eliminate Unnecessary Words: 

Pinto explains, “One example is the increase in available emotional support … from the larger, more extended family.”

See how the ellipsis shows the omission of words.

Length of Quotes:

While research essays should primarily be your own ideas and analysis of sources, sometimes, such as when the author’s words cannot be adequately paraphrased to convey the intended meaning,  it is appropriate to include a long quote.

If you are quoting for more than four lines (not sentences), you need to set the quote off from the text.  Indent the quote one inch from the left margin, and do not surround the quote with quotation marks. The quote should be double spaced as with the rest of the paper.

Helen Keller, though born both deaf and blind, was no coward. This can be seen in her views on the worth of life:

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.

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