using sources direct quotation, paraphrase,...

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Using Sources Direct Quotation, Paraphrase, Summary There are three ways of incorporating another writer’s work into your own writing: direct quotation, paraphrase, and summary. To use sources most effectively, understand the purpose, their techniques, and the distinctions between the three ways. Direct Quotation How to directly quote: Copy the material precisely, using the author’s exact wording, spelling, and punctuation. Use quotation marks around the quote. If you add words for clarity, use brackets around your additions. Give credit to the source. Provide a lead‐in and an end‐sentence citation. For example: Original sentence from source essay: My father loved books, and since I loved my father with an aching devotion, I decided to love books as well. Quoting the sentence: Alexie explains that “My father loved books, and since I loved my father with an aching devotion, I decided to love books as well (1401). Paraphrase How to paraphrase the source: Use your own words. Clearly represent the source idea in the same general length. Give credit to the source. Provide a lead‐in and end‐sentence citation. For example: Original sentence from source essay: My father loved books, and since I loved my father with an aching devotion, I decided to love books as well. Paraphrasing the source sentence: Alexie explains that he imitated his father’s love of reading because he deeply loved his father (1401). Summary How to summarize the source: Use your own words. Condense the original by stating the main and supporting points. Give credit to the source. Provide a lead‐in and end‐sentence citation. For example: Original source essay: Sherman Alexie’s “Superman and Me” Summarizing the essay: In his essay “Superman and Me,” Sherman Alexie illustrates the power of reading and writing for Native Americans. Source: Sherman Alexie, “Superman and Me,” in The Story and Its Writer, 7 th edition, New York: Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2007, pages 1401 – 1402.

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UsingSourcesDirectQuotation,Paraphrase,Summary

Therearethreewaysofincorporatinganotherwriter’sworkintoyourownwriting:directquotation,paraphrase,andsummary.Tousesourcesmosteffectively,understandthepurpose,theirtechniques,andthedistinctionsbetweenthethreeways.

DirectQuotationHowtodirectlyquote:

Copythematerialprecisely,usingtheauthor’sexactwording,spelling,andpunctuation. Usequotationmarksaroundthequote.Ifyouaddwordsforclarity,usebrackets

aroundyouradditions. Givecredittothesource.Providealead‐inandanend‐sentencecitation.

Forexample:Originalsentencefromsourceessay:Myfatherlovedbooks,andsinceIlovedmyfatherwithanachingdevotion,Idecidedtolovebooksaswell.Quotingthesentence:Alexieexplainsthat“Myfatherlovedbooks,andsinceIlovedmyfatherwithanachingdevotion,Idecidedtolovebooksaswell(1401).ParaphraseHowtoparaphrasethesource:

Useyourownwords. Clearlyrepresentthesourceideainthesamegenerallength. Givecredittothesource.Providealead‐inandend‐sentencecitation.

Forexample:Originalsentencefromsourceessay:Myfatherlovedbooks,andsinceIlovedmyfatherwithanachingdevotion,Idecidedtolovebooksaswell.Paraphrasingthesourcesentence:Alexieexplainsthatheimitatedhisfather’sloveofreadingbecausehedeeplylovedhisfather(1401).SummaryHowtosummarizethesource:

Useyourownwords. Condensetheoriginalbystatingthemainandsupportingpoints. Givecredittothesource.Providealead‐inandend‐sentencecitation.

Forexample:Originalsourceessay:ShermanAlexie’s“SupermanandMe”Summarizingtheessay:Inhisessay“SupermanandMe,”ShermanAlexieillustratesthepowerofreadingandwritingforNativeAmericans.Source:ShermanAlexie,“SupermanandMe,”inTheStoryandItsWriter,7thedition,NewYork:Bedford/St.Martin’s,2007,pages1401–1402.

DirectQuotation

WhatisaDirectQuotation?Adirectquotationisadirectrestatementofanauthor’swords.Adirectquotationmustmatchthesourcewordforwork,letterforletter,andmustbeintroducedandconcludedwithquotationmarks.WhatisthePurpose/ValueofaDirectQuotation?

Adirectquotationisusefulwhentheoriginalwritingisuniquelymoreeffectivethanparaphrasing.

Adirectquotation–introducingorfollowingyourownpoint–strengthensandenhancesyourpoint.

Howdoyoudirectlyquote?

Selectdirectquotationstosupportthepointyouaremaking.Usequotationssparingly Readtheauthor’spassageclosely.Becertainthatyouunderstandtheauthor’s

meaning. Rememberthatadirectquotationshouldduplicatethesourceexactly.Bevigilantin

copyingcorrectlyandthencheckyourcopy. Integrateyourquotationeffectively.Yourreaderwillbeconfusedifyoudonot

introducethedirectquoteorintegratethequotesmoothlyintothepointyouaremakinginyourwriting.

Effectivequotationsinwritingmakeuseofsignalphrases.Signalphrasescontain1)thesourceauthor’snameand2)averbthatindicatesthesourceauthor’sattitudetowhatheorshewrites.(Forassistancewithsignalphrases,refertoLBBrief,pages466–468.)

Toavoidplagiarism,providealead‐inandanend‐sentencecitation.Howdoyouintegratequotationseffectivelyintoyourownwriting?

Neversimplyplaceadirectquotationwithinyourwritingwithoutintroducingthesourceand/orwithoutgivinganend‐sentencecitation.Forexample,neverdothis:Alexieconcludeshisessaywithaclaim.“Iamtryingtosaveourlives.”HisclaimisthaturgingIndianyouthtovalueliteracywillsavetheirlives.

Youmayplaceaquotationanywhereinyoursentence.Forexample:o Atthebeginning:“Iamtryingtosaveourlives,”Alexieexhortsatthe

conclusionofhisessay(“Superman”1402).o Inthemiddle:Alexieconcludeshisessaywiththeclaimthat“Iamtryingto

saveourlives”byurgingIndianyouthtovalueliteracy(“Superman”1402).o Attheend:AlexieconcludeshisessaywiththeclaimthatbyurgingIndianyouth

tovalueliteracy,heis“tryingtosaveourlives”(“Superman”1402).

Paraphrase

WhatisaParaphrase?Aparaphraseisarestatementofanauthor’sideainyourownwordsingenerallythesamelengthastheauthor’s.WhatisthePurpose/ValueofaParaphrase?

Paraphrasingisusefulwhenyou’dliketorepresenttheauthor’sidea,butdon’tfeeltheoriginalwordingmeritsadirectquotation.

Paraphrasingallowsyoutoincludedetailsandspecificsasyoufocusonanauthor’sideainyourownwriting.

Howdoyouparaphraseanauthor’swrittenidea?

Readtheauthor’spassageclosely.Re‐readthepassageandbecertainthatyouunderstandthewriter’smeaning.

Restatetheauthor’sideainyourownwords. Youdon’tneedtofollowthesentencestructureoftheoriginal,nordoyouneedto

includeallthespecificsordetailsintheoriginal.Selectandincludewhatisimportanttothepointyouaremakinginyourownwriting.

Toclarifywhereyourparaphrasebeginsandends,andtoavoidplagiarism,providealead‐inandanend‐sentencecitation.

Whatisthedifferencebetweenasummaryandaparaphrase?Asummarycondensestheoriginalmaterial;aparaphraserestatesthesourceingenerallythesamelength.Forexample:Source:“Myfather,whoisoneofthefewIndianswhowenttoCatholicschoolonpurpose,wasanavidreaderofwesterns,spythrillers,murdermysteries,gangsterepics,basketball‐playerbiographies,andanythingelsehecouldfind.HeboughthisbooksbythepoundatDutch’sPawnShop,Goodwill,SalvationArmy,andValueVillage.Whenhehadextramoney,heboughtnewnovelsatsupermarkets,conveniencestores,andhospitalgiftshops.Ourhousewasfilledwithbooks.Theywerestackedincrazypilesinthebathroom,bedrooms,andlivingroom.Inafitofunemployment‐inspiredcreativeenergy,myfatherbuiltasetofbookshelvesandsoonfilledthemwitharandomassortmentofbooksabouttheKennedyassassination,Watergate,theVietnamWar,andtheentiretwenty‐three‐bookseriesoftheApachewesterns.Myfatherlovedbooks,andsinceIlovedmyfatherwithanachingdevotion,Idecidedtolovebooksaswell.”Summary:Alexieremembersthathisfatherfilledtheirliveswithbooksofallkinds,modelingforadevotedsontheloveofbooks(1401).Source:“Myfatherlovedbooks,andsinceIlovedmyfatherwithanachingdevotion,Idecidedtolovebooksaswell.”Paraphrase:Alexieexplainsthatheimitatedhisfather’sloveofreadingbecausehedeeplylovedhisfather(1401).

SummaryWritingThepurposeofthishandoutistoexploresummarywriting,animportantgenreofwritingthatisoften used in business, scientific inquiry, and education. By learning how to summarizemoreeffectively, you will get more out of the things you read and be able to share what you’velearnedmoresuccessfullywithothers.

Asummaryrestatesanother’sworkinyourownwords.Asyousummarize,youstatethemainideaandsupportingpointsofyoursource in theorderof theoriginal. ThepoetX.J.Kennedydefines summary in this way: “You take the essence of the author’s meaning, without thesupportingevidenceandotherdetailsthatmakethatgistconvincingorinteresting”(18).WhySummarize?

• Summarizing isoneof thebest strategies tobecomeabetter,morecriticalreader.

• Summarizing illustratesyourclearunderstandingof thesourcework.

• Summarizing is a useful step in exam preparation: bysummarizing you create your own condensed/shortenedversionofthesource,aversionwhichyoucanrefertolaterasyoustudythematerial.

• Summarizingwillfocusyourattentiononhowthesourceworkis organized, a focus which will strengthen your ownorganizationasawriter.

• Summarizing a source in your ownwords allows you tomakeclear distinctions between the ideas of others and your ownideas.

• Summarizing allows you to join the academic conversation byincorporating the ideasofothers (sourcework) into yourownwork.

As you can see, summarizing has many benefits that not only help you better understandothers’ideas,butalsohelpyoubecomeabetter,moreactivereader.Becauseofthis,therearemanysituationswhereyoumayfindsummarywritinghelpful.WhatCanBeSummarized?

• Lectures,presentations• Textbooks,courseprint,oronlinematerials• Videoclips/audioclips• Workshops• Essays,journalarticles,etc.

Basedonthesituation,youmayfinddifferentwaystobestcomposeyoursummaryand,whenasked to summarize for a class assignment, you should always follow your instructor’sguidelines.Mostsummaries,however,followageneralformatthat,oncelearned,canhelpyousummarizemoreeffectivelyandinlesstime.Below,you’llfindastep‐by‐stepguideonhowtowriteabasicsummarytohelpgetyoustarted.

HOWTOWRITEASUMMARY

Step1CriticalReading

1. ReadtheattachedessaybyShermanAlexieclosely.Understandthewriter’smeaning.Lookupwordsorconceptsthatyoudon’tknow.

2. Re‐readandannotatetheessay.3. Understandtheorganization.Workthroughtheessaytoidentifyits

sections (single paragraphs or groups of paragraphs focused on asingletopic).

4. Identifythemainideaforeachparagraph(orsection)andnotethatmainideainthemargin.

5. Onaseparatesheetofpaper,writeaonesentencesummaryinyourown words for each paragraph. In this way, you’ll actually beoutliningtheessay.

6. Re‐readyourone‐sentencesummaryoutlineoftheessay.Nowthatyou understand the paragraph points clearly, you’ll be able tosynthesizethesepointsintoamainpointfortheentireessay.

7. Atthetopofyouroutline,writethismainideaoftheentireessayinyourownwords.

Onceyou’vefinishedwiththeoutline,you’rereadytobegindraftingthebodyofyoursummary.Atthisstage,youneedn’tworryaboutgrammarorpunctuation.You’resimplytryingtogetyourideasonpapersoyoucanbeginorganizinganddevelopingthem.Step2

Drafting

1. BeginwithaTopicSentencethatstatestheauthor,thetitle,andthemain idea of the essay. For example: In his essay “Superman andMe,”ShermanAlexieillustratesthepowerofreadingandwritingforNativeAmericans.

2. Working from your outline, write out the paragraph’smain/supportingpointsinyourownwordsinthesameorderasthepointsappearintheessay.

3. Remember thata summaryparagraph requiresmore than stringingtogethertheentriesinanoutline.Usetransitionstofillinthelogicalconnectionsbetweentheauthor’s ideas. (Forhelpwithtransitions,refertoLBBrief,pages55–57.)

4. Repeattheauthor’snamefromtimetotimefortransition,remindingyourreaderthattheideasaretheauthor’sandnotyourown.Refertotheauthorbyname.Forexample:Alexieacknowledges,orAlexieexplains. (For help with signal phrases like this, refer to LB Brief,pages466–467.)

5. Refer to the author by last name, not first. For example, if theauthor’s name is Sherman Alexie, and you’d like to shorten thereferencetoonename,writeAlexie,notSherman.

6. If you use quotations in your summary, use them sparingly. In asummary paragraph of 10 – 12 sentences, use no more than twoquotations. (Forhelpwithquotationmarks, refer toLBBriefpages378–382.)

7. Integrate your quotations effectively. If you use full‐sentencequotations, provide a lead‐in and an end‐sentence citation. (Forexamplesoflead‐insandend‐sentencecitations,refertoLBBrief.)

8. Writeaconclusionsentencethatsummarizesinyourownwordstheconclusionofthesource.

Whenyouhaveyourroughdraftfinished,you’rereadytobeginshapingandrefiningit.Again,don’t spend time worrying about punctuation or grammar at this stage as you are likely tomodifyorremovelargepartsofyoursummaryasyourevise.Step3

Revising

1. Compare your summary version to the original essay. Have youremainedfaithfultotheessay?Iftheauthoroftheessayreadyoursummary,wouldheorshefeelwellrepresented?

2. Rememberyouraudience:heorshehasnotreadthesourceessay.Haveyoumadeyoursummaryclearandunderstandabletosomeonewhohasnotreadtheoriginalessay?

3. Haveyoubeencarefulnottoplagiarize?Ifyouusedthewordsoftheauthor,haveyouputthosewordsinquotationmarks?

4. Have you refrained from including your own ideas, opinions, orinterpretations?

Whenyouaresatisfiedwiththeshapeandsubstanceofyourparagraph,you’rereadytostartputtingthefinishingtouchesonit.It’softenhelpfulatthisstagetoreadyoursummaryaloudorinviteotherstoreaditasthiscanhelpyouidentifyerrors.Step4

Editing

1. Bevigilantregardingyourfrequentgrammaticalerrors.2. Look out for the most common grammatical errors: fragments,

comma‐splices, fused‐sentences, comma errors, subject‐verbagreementerrors,pronounerrors,apostropheerrors,spellingerrors.

3. Check your format. If you’ve been asked to write a summaryparagraph,haveyouformattedyoursummaryinparagraphform?Ifyou’vebeengivenaparticularlength(e.g.10–12sentences)haveyoustayedwithintheseguidelines?

Congratulations!Nowthatyou’vefinishedyoursummary,you’rereadytoshareitwithafriend,familymember,orteacher.

WorksCitedAaron,JaneE.LBBrief.3rded.NewYork:Longman,2008.Driscoll,DanaL."Quoting,Paraphrasing,andSummarizing."TheOWLatPurdue.10Sep.2006.

PurdueUniversity.10Oct.2008<owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/01/>.

Summary“SupermanandMe”In his essay, “Superman and Me,”Sherman Alexie illustrates the power ofreading and writing for Native Americans.WhilegrowinguponanIndianReservation,Alexie learned how to read at the age ofthreebyusingSupermancomics.Hewritesthat he got his love of reading from hisfather who would buy “his books by thepound” from a number of stores. Theirhouse was filled with books ranging fromApache westerns to books on Watergate.Alexiedescribeshischildhood’smomentofclaritywhenheunderstoodthemeaningoftheparagraph.Hewritesthathesoonsaweverything as interrelated paragraphs.AlthoughAlexiecouldnotyet“read”words,hecouldpiecetogetherthemeaningofthecomicthroughpictures.Ashecontinuedonhis reading journey, Alexie began readingclassics likeTheGrapesofWrathwhile theother children his age were beginning toreadDickandJane.Alexieremembersthathisabilitycausedresentmentfromhispeerswho constantly reminded him that as anIndian child, he was “expected to bestupid.” Alexie,however, “refused to fail”;insteadhewouldmake it his life’swork tobeastrongreaderandasmartIndian.HeisalsocommittedtohelpingIndianyouth.HeconcludeshisessaybyexplainingthatheistryingtoreachallIndianyouth:“Iamtryingtosaveourlives.”Alexie, Sherman. “Superman and Me.”ExcerptedfromTheStoryandItsWriter,7thedition, edited by Ann Charters. Bedford:2007.ThishandoutdevelopedbyRobinHavenickandGregRathert,Linn‐BentonCommunityCollege,2008

Clearandeffectivetopicsentenceincludesauthor,title,andmainidea.Transitionsusedtofillinthelogicalgapsbetweenideas.ContinuousremindersthatthisisasummaryandthattheseareAlexie’spoints.ConclusionsummarizesAlexie’sownconclusion.Accuratesourcecitation

ResponseWriting

Inacademicassignments,responsewritingoftenaccompaniesasummary.Aninstructormightaskyoutoreadinformation,summarizeitforothers,andthenpresentyourresponsetoitsideas.Dependingonthepurposeandaudience,theformatforyourresponsemayvaryfromanessaytoasetofparagraphs(onesummary,oneresponse).Thishandoutoutlinesthestepsyoucouldtaketocomposeaparagraphresponse(butthey’rehelpfulincomposinganessayresponseaswell).Let’sassumethatyouhavealreadycompletedacriticalreadingofthesourceandaclearsummaryparagraph.

Inresponsewriting,aninstructorasksyoutorespondtotheideasinasourceessayoftentimesintheformofaprompt.Apromptisaguidedquestionorstatementthatelicitsafocusedwrittenresponse.Iftheinstructordoesnotprovideaprompt,thenthechallengeistodevelopyourownfocusedresponsetothesource.Also,keepinmindthevarietyofresponsesrequested.Somepromptsaskforacriticalresponse(e.g.explain,compare/contrast,analyze)whileothersaskforapersonalresponse(e.g.narrate,describe).Aftertherigorofsummarizing,manywritersfindresponsewritingmucheasiertocompose.

HowtoWriteaResponse

1. Beginbyreadingtheassignmentprompts.Note(underline,circle,highlight)keywordsinthepromptthatdirecttheformyourresponseshouldtake:e.g.narrate,describe,identify,illustrate.Readtheentirepromptclosely;payattentiontoallthequestionsincludedintheprompt.Oftenapromptwillincludeseveralquestionsdesignedtohelpyoudevelopideas;othertimesaninstructorexpectsthatyouwilladdresseachquestionintheprompt.Ifyouaren’tcertain,clarifyyourinstructor’sexpectationsbyaskinghimorher.

2. Brainstormorfree‐writeideasthatthepromptgenerates.Thinkandwritedownallthespecificdetailsrelatedtoyourtopic.

3. Organizeyourideasinalogical,coherent,andeffectivewaywitharoughoutline.4. Draftyourresponseparagraph.

a. BeginwithaTopicSentence.Muchlikeathesisstatementassertsthemainideainanessay,yourtopicsentenceshouldassertthemainideaofyourresponseparagraph.Yourtopicsentenceinaresponseparagraphshouldalsoaccomplishthefollowing:

a. Provideasmoothtransitionbetweenthesummaryparagraphandyourresponseparagraph.Thistransitionwillensurethatyourreaderunderstandswhenyourwritingmovesfromthesummaryofsomeoneelse’sideastoyourownideas.

b. Focusonyourmainideaandstatethatmainideapreciselyandeffectively.Allthesupportingpointsintheparagraphshouldsupportthistopicsentenceinafocusedway.

b. Developyourparagraphwithdetailsthatsupportthefocus,followingyourroughoutline.Thelengthofthisparagraphshouldfollowassignmentguidelines.InWR115,thoseguidelinesrequireaminimumof12sentencesandamaximumof15sentences.

c. Concludeyourparagrapheffectively.

d. Reviseyourparagraph.a. Re‐readthepromptandbecertainthatyourparagraphclearlyfocusesa

responsetotheprompt.b. Checkyourparagraphforlogicalandeffectivedevelopment,coherence

(sentencesshouldlogicallyandcoherentlylink),andgrammaticallyeffectivewriting.

c. Makesurethatyouhavenotsummarizedintheresponse.d. Shareyoudraftwithstudentcollaborators,WritingCenterAssistants,your

instructor.

SampleofResponseParagraphWriting

HereisanexampleofaresponsepromptandaresponseparagraphtoShermanAlexie’sSupermanandMe.Inthisexample,theinstructionsofferyouapromptchoice.Onceyou’vedecidedonaquestiontorespondto,underlinethekeywords(forthisexample,you’llseethatthey’reinboldface).

SamplePrompt:ChooseONEofthefollowingtofocusyourresponse:1.Howwasreadingviewedinyourhouseholdgrowingup?Explainthewaysinwhichreadingwaseitherimportantornotimportanttoyouasachild.2.Howimportantisreadingtoyounow?Narratearecentinstancethatdemonstrateseitherapositiveoranegativeexperiencewithreadingasyoufocusyourresponseontheimportance(orlackofimportance)youplaceonreadingnow.SampleResponseto“SupermanandMe

LikeAlexie,Itoowaspromptedtoreadatanearlyageandinthemidstofadifficultchildhood.Ilearnedtoreadbeforestartingschool,mostlyasawaytohidefromtheworldthatwasgoingonaroundme.Booksweremywaytoescapefromthealcoholic–abusivehouseholdIwasraisedin.I readalone,mostoften, outsideunder a favoriteoak treeorbehind closeddoors inside. Thisactivity gavemehoursofprivacyand suchgreatenjoyment. And themore I read, themore Iwantedtoread,whereverIwas.AsIgrewolderandbeganlivingonmyown,Irealizedthatallmyhoursofreadinghadpaidoff.TheknowledgeIgainedfromreadingshowedmethattherewasadifferent world out there. I didn’t have to continue in the cycle of addiction and abuse. Byextendingmyeducation,Icouldsetanexampleformychildrenwho,inturn,woulddothesamefortheirchildrenaswell.Knowledgeandeducationhavehelpedmeliftmyselfaswellasothersaroundmeout of the recycling bin of despair andhas put us back on the shelf – a brandnewproduct.

Pointstoappreciateinthemodelparagraphabove:

• Topicsentenceprovidesasmoothtransitionbetweenthesummaryparagraphandtheresponseparagraph.

• TopicSentenceprovidesfocusforthisparagraph.• Paragraphdevelopsdetailstosupportthefocus(topicsentence)oftheparagraph.• Thesesupportingpointsandinterestingandclear.• Theresponseparagraphanswerstheprompt(optionone).• Paragraphbeginsclearlywithatopicsentenceandconcludeseffectively.• Paragraphprovidescleartransitionalwordsbetweensentencestoprovidecoherence.• Paragraphiseffectivelyorganized,welldeveloped,andgrammaticallycorrect.