1 Summarizing, Paraphrasing, Quoting Name: Summary To summarize means to state in your own words (i.e. in your own voice) the main point of something. Your summary should use fewer words than the original and different words than the original. From Latin summa, the whole, the gist, the total number (sum). Summarizing: • captures the overall “arc” of the piece • is shorter than the original version, but not general • should be used to condense large amounts of text (like whole books or chapters or paragraphs) • requires your own language and no quotation marks • gives credit (requires an in-text citation and a Works Cited entry) Paraphrase A paraphrase also puts a source into your own words, but a paraphrase preserves more details of the original passage than a summary does. A paraphrase should be about the same length as the original, so if you paraphrase a paragraph from one of your sources, your paraphrase will be about a paragraph. Paraphrasing is useful when the original passage is complex or confusing for readers and you want to clarify the author’s point. Paraphrasing: • clarifies or rewords the author’s original text • is about the same length as the original passage • should be used to translate shorter passages (one would paraphrase sentences but not chapters) • requires your own language and no quotation marks • gives credit (requires an in-text citation and a Works Cited entry) Quotation Quotations are direct language taken word for word from a source. Quotes should only be used when the author’s original words are so powerful, unique, or eloquent that to attempt to reword them would weaken the overall message. Writers should rely first on summarizing and paraphrasing sources before quoting them. Quoting: • relays the author’s original text • uses exact words, order, and punctuation • should be used sparingly in order to draw attention to an author’s remarkable writing • requires the author’s exact, original language and quotation marks • gives credit (requires an in-text citation and a Works Cited entry) Signal Phrase A signal phrase is a short phrase or sentence that introduces a quote, summary, or paraphrase. Signal phrases alert the reader that a new voice is joining the conversation. For this exercise, the signal phrases are provided for you, but Module #7 will ask you to create and use your own. Signal phrases: • highlight the credibility and/or expertise of your source • distinguish between your ideas and someone else’s • indicate to a reader how a source is being used Practice: 3 Ways to Use a Source The following passage is taken from Michael Pollan’s article titled “Six Rules for Eating Wisely.” You will notice that each excerpt is exactly the same. Your objective is to correctly use summary, paraphrase, and quotation correctly as the three different ways of using a source. Pollan, Michael. "Six Rules For Eating Wisely." Time, 4 Jun. 2006, michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/sixrules-for-eating-wisely/. Accessed 28 May 2017. 2 Original Source Shop at the farmers' market. You'll begin to eat foods in season, when they are at the peak of their nutritional value and flavor, and you'll cook, because you won't find anything processed or microwavable. You'll also be supporting farmers in your community, helping defend the countryside from sprawl, saving oil by eating food produced nearby and teaching your children that a carrot is a root, not a machine lathed orange bullet that comes in a plastic bag. A lot more is going on at a farmers' market than the exchange of money for food. Original Source Shop at the farmers' market. You'll begin to eat foods in season, when they are at the peak of their nutritional value and flavor, and you'll cook, because you won't find anything processed or microwavable. You'll also be supporting farmers in your community, helping defend the countryside from sprawl, saving oil by eating food produced nearby and teaching your children that a carrot is a root, not a machine lathed orange bullet that comes in a plastic bag. A lot more is going on at a farmers' market than the exchange of money for food. Summarize According to the food writer Michael Pollan, … Paraphrase Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and professor of journalism at UC Berkeley, insists that... Original Source Quote Shop at the farmers' market. You'll begin to eat foods in season, when they are at the peak of their nutritional value and flavor, and you'll cook, because you won't find anything processed or microwavable. You'll also be supporting farmers in your community, helping defend the countryside from sprawl, saving oil by eating food produced nearby and teaching your children that a carrot is a root, not a machine lathed orange bullet that comes in a plastic bag. A lot more is going on at a farmers' market than the exchange of money for food. Pollan encourages people to shop at farmers’ markets because...
