The following is the handout from this workshop. To view a Prezi on paraphrasing and summarizing, click here.
If you would like additional information, the Purdue OWL's website has a good page called Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing.
Paraphrasing
& Summarizing
A Germantown
Writing Center Workshop
Paraphrasing & Summarizing in Everyday Life
a. When do we paraphrase or summarize? Why?
b. Think about the last movie you saw. How did
you describe certain scenes to your friends? Could you remember the dialogue
word for word, or did you rephrase it? What parts did you leave out?
Why paraphrase or summarize?
a.
To
avoid plagiarism
b.
To
write most of your paper (66-75%) in your own words
c.
To
condense and/or present information the reader isn’t likely to have read or to
want to read
What is paraphrasing?
Paraphrasing is the
use of other’s ideas written in your own words. Paraphrases must be introduced
using a signal phrase and cited. Take a look at these
examples:
a. In discussing how wealth influences appearance,
Leslie Fiedler, a literary critic and noted author, asserts that because the wealthy can afford to
alter their bodies through surgeries or other medical means, they will become
the norm for beauty while the impoverished who cannot afford to change their
appearance will be our “sole remaining freaks” (p. 564-565).
b. One noted author and literary critic, in
discussing how wealth influences appearance, ironically argues that because the wealthy can afford to
alter their bodies through surgeries and other medical means, they will become
the norm for beauty while the impoverished who cannot afford to change their
appearance will be our “sole remaining freaks” (Fiedler, p. 564-565).
·
Length: Generally the same length as the original text.
What is summarizing?
Summarizing, like paraphrasing, is putting an author’s
thoughts and ideas in your own words. However, summarizing focuses on a larger
portion of information, like a whole book, article, or movie. Summaries must
also be introduced using a signal phrase and cited.
·
Length:
Generally ¼ the length of
the original text or less.
What is patchwork plagiarism?
Patchwork plagiarism is when some of the author’s original phrases or clauses are used
without enclosing those words in quotation marks. This can occur when a writer
substitutes some of the author’s words using a thesaurus and uses the author’s
original sentence structure.
How do I paraphrase or summarize?
DO:
- Read the text
- Take notes
- Reread if necessary
- Put the text away and begin writing
- Use an in-text citation
DON’T:
- Skim the text
- Look at the text while writing
- Replace words from the text with synonyms
- Use the same sentence structure as the author
Academic Paraphrasing Exercise
Now that we’ve practiced paraphrasing with a
fellow student, let’s try paraphrasing a passage of text from The Reading-Writing Connection by John
Langan.
Original passage:
“Improving your vocabulary will make you a better reader and a better
writer. It would be nice if there were pills available for this purpose—with
each pill automatically adding, say, a hundred words to your vocabulary! But
while there is no instant cure for an underdeveloped vocabulary, there are
steps you can take to build word power” (Langan, p. 15).
Your paraphrase:
Summary and Review
As you have seen today, we
paraphrase for many reasons—some academic, some not. Paraphrasing is how we
show that we’ve understood information or materials presented to us. When
writing a college essay, you will often be called upon to present your opinion
or analyze a certain text, or perhaps both! You will become more and more
familiar with paraphrasing as you write more essays. Remember the two most
important aspects of paraphrasing:
a. Show your understanding of the text by
accurately summarizing or paraphrasing the author’s original words.
b. Give credit to the author by using correct
citations in your paper.
If you would like additional information, the Purdue OWL's website has a good page called Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing.
