Paraphrasing, Summarizing and Quoting

Adapted from a lesson by Jillan Mattera

Warm Up

What do you know about paraphrasing,

summarizing, and quoting?

Summarizing

“Present[s] the substance in a condensed form; concise” (dictionary.com)

Extracts the important information from a written work

Is an abbreviated and exact formFocuses on main ideas

When & Why

Original expression is meaningful but long

Original is overly wordy and tends to get confusing

Writer wishes to maintain focus on main ideas

How to Summarize

Absorb the meaning of the passage Reflect on main points Recall main points in your own words Shorten the original work significantly Represent author’s ideas as correctly as

possible Make certain that your summary is able to

stand alone

Paraphrasing

“A restatement of a text or passage giving the meaning in another form, as for clearness; rewording.” (dictionary.com)

Saying what someone else said, but in your own words

Sharing ideas with your own explanation Translating point-by-point

When & Why

To explain a complex ideaTo illustrate that you have

researched thoroughlyTo support your own ideaTo represent a writer’s key ideas

How to Paraphrase

Absorb meaning of the passage Restate passage in own words

– Completely new– Maintain point of view– Keep length approximately the same

Include a citation (!) Check accuracy with original

Summary vs. Paraphrase

Summary deals with main points.

Paraphrase requires entirely restating.

Summaries are shorter than paraphrase.

Quoting

“To repeat or copy the words of (another), usually with acknowledgment of the source.” (dictionary.com)

“To cite or refer to for illustration or proof.” (dictionary.com)

Removing any portion of the exact words of another and using them in your own work

When & Why

A piece is essential to support your argument. Word choice/style are important. Particularly specific wording is difficult to restate. Avoid direct quotations over paraphrase and

summary. Quotations should be saved for the very best expressions and should not be overused.

How to Quote

Use a lead in when possible. Parenthetically cite all direct quotations(in-

text citations) if lead in did not include all documentation information (such as page number).

Refer to MLA documentation if you are unsure.

MLA Citation

Place author’s name and page number directly after quotation, summary, or paraphrase.– “Time put things in their place” (Marquez 35).– Marquez conveyed, “Time put things in their

place” (35).

Use shortened title when there is no author. Separate multiple sources by a semicolon.

MLA Citation Continued

If you add words into a direct quotation, use square brackets ( [ ] )

If you omit words, use a ellipsis ( . . . ). Poetry requires virgules ( / )between lines.

Resources Used

Perdue Online Writing Lab P.O.W.E.R. Learning Center A Meeting of Minds Callaghan & Dobyns