Paraphrasing and summary

Borrowing ideas

• Scholars are required to present accurate and adequate support to convince their readers of their ideas in academic writing.

• It often is not convincing enough to write about one’s personal experience; therefore, reference to an authority in newspaper, magazine article, or a book that supports an argument will make ideas more valid.

Borrowing ideas

Summarizing

- a short restatement in your own words of the main points in a passage, an article, or a book

- Used when borrowing information from various sources ranging from the length of one paragraph to an article or even a book

When should I paraphrase, and when should I summarize?

• To paraphrase means to restate someone else’s ideas in your own language at roughly the same level of detail.

• To summarize means to reduce the most essential points of someone else’s work into a shorter form.

• Along with quotation, paraphrase and summary provide the main tools for integrating your sources into your papers.

• When choosing which to use, consider first your discipline and the type of writing in which you are engaged. For example, literature reviews in science reports rely almost exclusively on summary. Argumentative essays, by contrast, rely on all three tools.

When should I paraphrase, and when should I summarize?

• Paraphrase and summary are indispensable in argumentative papers because they allow you to include other people’s ideas without cluttering up your paragraphs with quotations.

• Though paraphrase and summary are often preferable to quotation, do not rely too heavily on them, either. Your ideas are what matter most. Allow yourself the space to develop those ideas

• These techniques help you take greater control of your essay. Consider using either tool when an idea from one of your sources is important to your essay but the wording is not.

What are the differences?

• Paraphrasing• does not match the source word for word• involves putting a passage from a source

into your own words• changes the words or phrasing of a

passage, but retains and fully communicates the original meaning

• must be attributed to the original source

What are the differences? contd

Summarising• does not match the source word for word• involves putting the main idea(s) into your

own words, but including only the main point(s)

• presents a broad overview, so is usually much shorter than the original text

• must be attributed to the original source

What are the differences?

Quotations• match the source word for word• are usually a brief segment of the text• appear between quotation marks• must be attributed to the original source

Differences in Quoting, Paraphrasing and Summarizing

Quotation Paraphrase Summary Difference Difference Difference

• Matches the source word for word. • You use the source’s words. • Exact same length as the source, unless you follow the rules for adding or deleting material from a quote.

• Matches the source in terms of meaning. • You use your own words. • Approximately the same length, though often shorter than the source.

• Sums up the central point of the source. • You use your own words. • Much shorter than the source.

Quotation Paraphrase Summary Purpose Purpose Purpose

• To provide credibility for what you are saying (you support your point by quoting an authority). • To get someone’s exact words (when HOW someone said something is as important as WHAT they said).

• To get down the meaning of someone else’s words when: 1. Their exact words are not important 2. Their exact words are not appropriate (style too dense or too simple for example) or useful (what they emphasize is different from what you want to emphasize). • To show that you have command of the material (not a slave to the original author’s word). • To “shorten” a section from the source that is too long to quote. • To demonstrate comprehension (independent assignment).

• To get down the gist of someone else’s work. • To avoid unnecessary details when the main point is all you need. • To show that you understand what the source is saying. • To refresh the reader’s memory if they have read the source. • To give your audience a general introduction to the source.

Quotation Paraphrase Summary How to How to How to

Copy the source’s words exactly. • There are special rules for capitalization and punctuation within quotes. See Writing Lab for handouts or a tutor for help. • Cite it according to whatever style your instructor requires (e.g. MLA

Carefully read the section of the source you are going to paraphrase.Put it away and write down in your own words what the source is saying. Then go back and check to see if you missed anything. • Cite it just like a quote. • Appears on Works Cited page

Carefully read the section of the source you are going to paraphrase. Put it away and write down the main point(s) of the source. Do not be a slave to the source’s organization—you decide what the main points are. • First sentence: “[John Doe]‘s essay [‘Wild Gift’] states that...”

• To paraphrase is to say the same thing in another way, using your own words.

• A paraphrase is a restatement of someone else’s ideas. It is longer than a summary.

• It is used to emphasize important ideas, to clarify a difficult passage and to combine details or ideas in a passage.

paraphrasing

BASICS of PARAPHRASING

• A paraphrase is usually the same length as the original passage and includes all the information.

• You may decide to paraphrase any densely written, or confusing material.

• It is essential to rewrite a material in your own style by making sure that:– You use your own words and,– You change the grammatical structures

BASICS of PARAPHRASING cntd

• In order to avoid plagiarism, the paraphrased part needs; proper paranthetical reference (in-text reference) specifying;– the writer’s surname,

– year of publication,

– page / paragraph number.

BASICS of PARAPHRASING• When changing grammar, you can;

– divide the longer sentences into shorter ones,– join shorter ones with sentence connectors,– or make other grammatical changes.

• Original ideas remain unchanged in a paraphrase, that is, keeping the original meaning is the core of paraphrasing.

• You replace the language of the original text by using different vocabulary, grammar, and writing style.

• The paraphrase is approximately the same length as the original.

What if you don’t understand a text?

• You can even use paraphrasing as a tool for explaining to yourself the main ideas of a difficult passage.

HERE’S HOW:• Rewrite the parts that you have understood, and• Pinpoint the ones that you did not fully understand.

• It’s easier to understand long texts in smaller groups of sentences of your own.

• General temptation of the students who find a text “very difficult” is to skip that material. 

RESIST THIS TEMPTATION!

HOW TO PARAPHRASE

• First of all, make sure that you understand the source passage.

• Write what you understand without looking at the original.

• Paraphrase as much as possible by writing the text in your own style, making the necessary changes in the wording and grammar.

• Compare your paraphrase with the original to make sure that you included all the ideas and you did not change the meaning.

We can simplify paraphrasing by dividing it into 4 steps:

STEP 1: Read the selection carefully several times until you understand it fully.

STEP 2: Look up any words you do not understand; find synonyms for them.

STEP 3: Write a brief outline, including:a. The main idea (topic and controlling idea)b. The main supporting pointsc. Primary and secondary supporting details

STEP 4: Write the paraphrase. Use your own words and do not omit any essential ideas.

HOW TO PARAPHRASE• Rearrange your own sentences so that they read smoothly. Sentence structure or even sentence order need not be based on those of the original.

AND• Do not forget to include an in‐text reference in your paraphrase.

A Model Paraphrase• Original:

When Maracaña soccer stadium [in Rio de Janerio, Brazil] was opened to the public in 1950, and Brazil lost the World Cup to the Uruguayan team, the Brazilians were so disheartened that one had the impression that the country itself had died. And people did die of sadness. Mere threats of defeat in a championship match can cause heart attacks and the despair of the public is so great that many beat their heads against the cement posts. Such is the Brazilian’s passion for soccer.

• Outline:A. Brazil lost the World Cup in 1950.

1. Entire country was sad.2. Some people died.

B. Possible defeat causes strong reaction.1. Some experience heart attacks.2. Some beat their heads.

C. Brazilians are very emotional about soccer.

A Model Paraphrase

• Paraphrase:In 1950, Brazil lost the World Cup in soccer to Uruguay in Rio de Janerio. The entire country was overcome by sadness; some people even died from it. Brazilians react very strongly to potential defeat in championship soccer games. Some people have heart attacks, and others beat their heads against cement posts. Brazilians are very emotional about soccer.

• Outline:A. Brazil lost the World Cup in 1950.

1. Entire country was sad.2. Some people died.

B. Possible defeat causes strong reaction.1. Some experience heart attacks.2. Some beat their heads.

C. Brazilians are very emotional about soccer.

Original:When Maracaña soccer stadium [in Rio de Janerio, Brazil]

was opened to the public in 1950, and Brazil lost the World Cup to the Uruguayan team, the Brazilians were so disheartened that one had the impression that the country itself had died. And people did die of sadness. Mere threats of defeat in a championship match can cause heart attacks and the despair of the public is so great that many beat their heads against the cement posts. Such is the Brazilian’s passion for soccer.

Paraphrase:In 1950, Brazil lost the World Cup in soccer to Uruguay in

Rio de Janerio. The entire country was overcome by sadness; some people even died from it. Brazilians react very strongly to potential defeat in championship soccer games. Some people have heart attacks, and others beat their heads against cement posts. Brazilians are very emotional about soccer.

PARAPHRASING Techniques

• Change from a Clause to a Phrase (or vice versa)

• Change from Quoted Speech to Indirect Speech (or vice versa)

• Change from Active Voice to Passive Voice (or vice versa)

• Change to Synonyms• Change Word Forms

Change from a Clause to a Phrase

• After he studied, John took a nap.• After studying, John took a nap.

♦The house across the street is new.♦The house that is across the street is

new.

Change from Quoted Speech to Indirect Speech

• Mr. Mensah said, “I am ready for lunch.”• Mr. Mensah said he was ready for lunch.

Change from Active Voice to Passive Voice

• A hotel employee will carry your bags.

• Your bags will be carried by a hotel employee.

……and replace words with synonyms.

• A hotel employee will carry your bags.• Your bags will be carried by a hotel

employee.

♦Your luggage will be picked up by a bell boy.

Change Word Forms

• Use an adverb instead of an adjective• Use a verb to replace a noun.

• Lizzy  is an accurate typist. • Lizzy types accurately.

Change to Synonyms

• Replace the original words with wordsthat mean the same.

The stallion was content with the mare.The stallion was happy with the mare.

When You can’t find a  Synonym

• Replace the original word with a definition.

• The stallion was content with the mare.• The male horse was happy with the female horse.

Change to Synonyms

• Your best friend when trying to find the synonym of a vocabulary item is a THESAURUS DICTIONARY.

• However, be careful when choosing among the synonyms of a word, especially of a verb: Always check the meaning twice if you see that word for the first time.

Combine TechniquesChange to a phrase & add synonyms or

definitions

• After he ate lunch, Mike took a nap.• After eating lunch, Mike slept a little.

Combine TechniquesChange to a phrase & add synonyms or

definitions

• The house that is across the street is old.• The house across the street is old.• The house on the other side of the street is old.• The dwelling on the other side of the road is ancient.

Interpret Meaning…….Identify the underlying meaning of a statement.

The wolf said, “I am ready for lunch.” The sheep looked very worried

The wolf complained about being hungry which made the sheep extremely anxious.

.

Change transitions

• Although it was raining, Amina walked to school.• It was raining, but Amina walked to school.• It was raining; however, Amina walked to school.

Summarizing

• Summarizing is a powerful reading strategy. It increases comprehension and retention of information.

• When you summarize, you restate the most important information of a text, using your own words.

• A summary can be completed in writing, but also orally, dramatically, artistically, visually, physically or musically.

Summarizing is:

•Keeping•Deleting •Paraphrasing

Keeping• Keep only the important information and

main ideas.Deleting

Do not include supporting details in your summary.

ParaphrasingUse your own words.

• “Summaries are about the author’s arguments and details; they are not the place for personal opinions or judgments.”

-- Rick Wormeli

• Summaries should be between 10 to 25 percent of the original text’s length (1 percent for novels).

• If the summary is more than 25% of the original text’s length, you need to delete more details and keep only the important information.

Example• People used to play football bareheaded. After many

injuries, players began to use plain, leather caps. Plastic helmets and masks appeared later. Still, many players were getting hurt. To make helmets better, designers studied woodpeckers! Their tough, spongy skulls became the model for modern football helmets.

Steck-Vaughn - Comprehension Skills - Main Idea - Level F. Pg. 34

During football’s early days, many injuries occurred due to little or no head protection. Improved football helmets were designed using woodpecker skulls as a model.

• Your summary and paraphrase will not be exactly the same as the example shown. However, it should include the following important details.

•Football was originally played with little or no head protection

•Injuries occurred•Improved helmets/head protection were modeled

after woodpecker skulls

Summarising Tricks/strategies

• Text Features• Vocabulary• Topic Sentences• Reporter’s Notes –

Who, What, Where, When, Why, How

Text Features

• Text features such as titles, subtitles, bold, color, margin notes, etc. are clues to a text’s most important information -- information you may want to include in your summary.

Vocabulary

• If a text gives you a list of important vocabulary in it’s preview, or your teacher provides vocabulary prior to a unit of study, use these vocabulary words as important information that should be included in your summary.

Topic Sentence

• When reading a short text, identify the topic sentence in each paragraph. A topic sentence holds the most important information in a paragraph. Therefore, a summary can be written simply by paraphrasing the topic sentences into your own words.

Reporter’s Notes

• Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?

Identify the answer to each of the above items. Take your answers, write them into paragraph form and you have the framework for your summary.

The following guidelines can be followed when summarizing and paraphrasing texts.

• Read the original passage carefully to understand the main points completely. Identify the main ideas/sections for easy reference. One way of doing this is by underlining the topic sentences and key facts raised in the text. Points which are too difficult to understand can also be identified and clarified.

• Rewrite the passage by focusing on the main ideas/sections presented in the original texts, re-phrasing the topic sentences and replacing certain key words with synonyms.

• The summary should be concise and include key ideas and not minor details.

• Summaries and paraphrases should be written without the inclusion of personal opinions, ideas or interpretations. Rather, ensure that the summarized text accurately reflects what the original author intended to say.

• Make sure the order of the original passage is retained in the summarized or paraphrased version. This is because, a distortion in order may cause a change in meaning.

• After writing, check the accuracy of the summary by making sure it correctly represents an author’s key points or ideas and is devoid of personal opinion or commentary. Any direct quotations should be correctly cited.

• The last stage of the summary and paraphrase writing process is to proofread and edit the text. This is to enable writers to correct any errors arising from punctuation and spelling.

• Cankaya Unıversıty - Offıce Of Basıc And Electıve Courses- Englısh Unıt. Academic Writing Skills -RPW305. www.rpw305.cankaya.edu.tr/.../Week%201-Course%20Introduction%20%26.