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QUOTING, PARAPHRASING & SUMMARISING

Accurate referencing enhances your credibility and authority as a writer. Besides,

i. it helps others to locate the same sources for their own learning purposes;

ii. it also helps you to assert your own voice in assignments, as you can use sources to
lend support to your own ideas or arguments.

Exercise 1: Is a Reference Needed?

When is a reference necessary in an assignment? Discuss with your friend to decide if a

reference to a source is needed in the following situations.

Situation Yes No

1. When quoting directly from a published source.

2. When using statistics or other data that is freely available from

a publicly accessible website.

3. When summarizing the cause of undisputed past events and

where there is agreement by most commentators on cause
and effect.

4. When summarizing or paraphrasing the ideas of a key

commentator or author, but taken from a secondary source,
e.g. general reference book.

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Elements in academic writing:

Element Definition
In-text citation Indicating whose work you are referencing in
the body of your essay.
Reference list Contains of all sources you have written in
your essay.
Direct quotation Using someone's exact words from the
original source.
Paraphrase/summary (Indirect quotation) Using someone's ideas, but putting them in
your own words.

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DIRECT QUOTATION

What is a direct quotation?

When you use the exact words of another author in your paper, you are directly quoting that
author.

The words of the other author should be enclosed in quotation marks.

Gore (1992) asserted the importance of considering the environmental effects of

technological advances, The appropriateness of a technology becomes increasingly
important as its power grows and its potential for destroying the environment expands
(p. 146).

Smith (2002) testified, No one had ever explained the rules of downloading music to
them (p. 150).

For example:

When used to introduce a quote, the following verbs basically mean "says"

The author says . . . The author notes . . .

The author believes . . . The author observes . . .

The author comments . . . The author relates . . .

The author declares . . . The author remarks . . .

The author discusses . . . The author reports . . .

The author explains . . . The author reveals . . .

The author expresses . . . The author states . . .

The author mentions . . . The author acknowledges . . .

The author suggests . . . The author thinks . . .

The author points out . . . The author responds . . .

The author shows . . . The author confirms . . .

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INDIRECT QUOTATION

Sometimes you will want to include someone elses ideas in your paper without directly quoting
them. To do this, you can paraphrase or summarise and give the author credit. A paraphrase or
summary is a rewrite of the original authors ideas in your own words. You need to be careful
when you do this to make sure that you are really rewriting the text, not just changing a few
key words.

Paraphrasing isn't the easiest skill in academic writing, but it is essential and it becomes much
easier with practice.

TECHNIQUES TO PARAPHRASE:

1. Use synonyms

2. Use different word forms

3. Re-order and re-structure sentences

Technique 1: Use Synonyms

English has many synonyms; words that have the same or similar meanings. So you can
paraphrase a sentence using synonyms. For example:

Movies can be divided into three categories. can be changed to Movies can be divided into
three types.

Lets try!

1. The way a person dresses affects the impression that other people have.

______________________________________________________________________________

2. That phrase means in a happy way.

______________________________________________________________________________

3. There is little chance that the situation will improve.

______________________________________________________________________________

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Technique 2: Use Different Word Forms

You can also change parts of speech. If the sentence uses a noun, you can rewrite the sentence
to use the verb or adjective form of the word. For example:

Ahmad is an accurate typist. can be changed to Ahmad types accurately.

Lets try!

1. The company needs to find a solution for this problem.

______________________________________________________________________________

2. The poor economy has been the cause of high unemployment.

______________________________________________________________________________

3. If you eat rabbit, you will find its taste like chicken.

______________________________________________________________________________

Technique 3: Re-order and re-structure sentences

One way you can change a sentence for paraphrasing is by re-ordering and re-structuring the
sentence. For example:

Because I slept too late, I missed my first class can be changed to I missed my first class
because I slept too late,

In order to pass that class, I had to study very hard can be changed to I had to study very
hard in order to pass that class.

However, sometimes it is necessary to change the wording of the parts of the sentences. For
example:

Terry wanted more books, but he couldnt afford them, can be changed to Terry couldnt
afford more books, even though he wanted them.

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Lets try!

1. Although it was raining, Bob walked to work.

______________________________________________________________________________

2. Even though the weather was good, Joan was in a bad mood.

______________________________________________________________________________

3. I had no money, so I borrowed some.

______________________________________________________________________________

Adapted from: www.msbandas.weebly.com/uploads/2/6/1/6/26160238/paraphrasing.doc

WRITING A SUMMARY

There are three steps in writing a summary:

First, READ the text at least twice, and find the main points of the
READ paragraph.

REORGANIZE your notes in a list or outline, putting ideas together.

REORGANIZE Leave out the flowery details, stick to the important main points!

REWRITE the main ideas in your own words as briefly as possible.

For example, the original material might say a ten-year period, but in
your summary you might say decade instead.
REWRITE

Although main ideas are typically written as single sentences, you may
sometimes find it easier to break them into two or more sentences in
your summary.

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EXAMPLE OF A SUMMARY

The Northern Lights

There are times when the night sky glows with bands of color. The bands may begin as
cloud shapes and then spread into a great arc across the entire sky. They may fall in folds like a
curtain drawn across the heavens. The lights usually grow brighter, then suddenly dim. During
this time the sky glows with pale yellow, pink, green, violet, blue, and red. These lights are
called the Aurora Borealis. Some people call them the Northern Lights. Scientists have been
watching them for hundreds of years. They are not quite sure what causes them. In ancient
times people were afraid of the Lights. They imagined that they saw fiery dragons in the sky.
Some even concluded that the heavens were on fire.

Summary

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, are bands of color in the night sky. Ancient people
thought that these lights were dragon on fire, and even modern scientists are not sure what
they are.

Exercise 2: Write a summary for paragraphs below using your own words.

Original Source Summary

Almost all students are motivated in one way
or another. One student may be keenly interested
in classroom subjects and purposely look for
information and challenging coursework.
Another student may be more concerned with the
social side of school, socialising with classmates
frequently and attending afterschool activities
almost every day. Motivation is important in
education because it has several effects on
students learning and behaviour. It encourages
students to work towards a particular goal,
increases the amount of effort and energy the
student invests, makes students more likely to

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begin and continue with activities, affects

cognitive processes and decides which
consequences are rewarding or punishing.
Because of these issues just identified,
motivation produces improved performance
(Smith, 2012).

The idea of emotional intelligence has

become more popular, particularly since the idea
of emotional literacy was developed, which, as
the name suggests, is something that can be
taught in schools. Many believe children can be
taught the emotional skills to deal with
difficulties and to come through experiences like
failing, feeling strong and being able to cope
(Omar, 2014).

Trick interview questions are annoying. You

would have to be a bit strange to feel
comfortable with them. But ever since Microsoft
decided to use brain teaser questions in
recruitment interviews back in the 1990s,
theyve been growing in popularity. They dont
necessarily work though. They also actively
discourage good candidates and have a long-
term effect on a companys ability to attract
talent, as reported in research that came out in
October. After putting 360 participants through
job interviews, the researchers found that the
most qualified workers preferred not to attend
interviews that use trick questions because they

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personally see them as unfair and are designed to

make them fail (Johnson, 2009).
There are two types of motivation; intrinsic and
extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation can
have an effect on intrinsic motivation. Students
with intrinsic motivation are fascinated by a
subject or its usefulness in life and will
frequently use phrases such as Speaking English
allows me to meet new people. Extrinsic
motivation comes from outside consequences of
actions. Students with extrinsic motivation will
use phrases such as My dad will give me RM50
if I pass this exam.
Extrinsic motivation can have an effect on
intrinsic motivation (Ahmad, 2013).

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Exercise 3: Paraphrasng/Summarising

Part A:
Read the sentences below and decide which sentences are closest in meaning to the five
sentences below.

1. 25% of adolescents who have one baby have a second baby within two years of the first
baby's birth (Smithson, 2009, p. 6).
a. According to Smithson (2009), 25% of babies are born to mothers who are adolescents
(p. 6).
b. One out of four adolescent mothers has another baby before the first baby reaches his
second birthday (Smithson, 2009, p. 6).
c. A quarter of young mothers give birth when their first born is two (Smithson, 2009, p.
6).
d. 25% of mothers become pregnant again when their first babies are two years old.

2. It has been reported that the richest one percent of Americans own 40% of the country's
wealth (Richards, 2005, p. 45).
a. The richest 1% are 40 times as wealthy as the rest of Americans (Richards, 2005, p. 45).
b. If the gap between rich and poor continues to grow at the current rate, the richest one
percent will soon own 40% of the country's wealth (Richards, 2005, p. 45).
c. 40% of the country's wealth is in the hands of only 1% of Americans (Richards, 2005, p.
45).
d. 99% of Americans own 40% as much as the richest 1%.

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3. The judge was relieved when the jury was finally ready to announce its verdict (Ray,
2011, p. 69).
a. When the jury announced its verdict, the judge was relieved (Ray, 2011, p. 69).
b. The judge asked the jury to arrive at a verdict.
c. The judge welcomed the prospect of an imminent verdict (Ray, 2011, p. 69).
d. The jury welcomed the judge's relief.

4. Research data suggest that girls who witnessed maternal abuse may tolerate abuse as
adults more than girls who did not (Allen, 2000, p. 33).
a. Allen (2000) claims that women who witnessed the abuse of their mother as teens are
more likely to become abusive adults (p. 33).
b. Women who observed the abuse of their mothers when they were young are more
likely to endure abuse themselves (Allen, 2000, p. 33).
c. Women who were abused as children are more likely to abuse their own children (Allen,
2000, p. 33).
d. Girls who testify about maternal abuse tolerate abuse as adults more readily.

5. Martha thinks that the issue of adolescent problems is important to write about (Black,
2013, para. 14).
a. Martha thinks that adolescents like to write about their problems (Black, 2013, para.
14).
b. Martha feels that writing about adolescent problems is worthwhile (Black, 2013, para.
14).
c. Martha believes that the dream of most adolescents is to write something important
(Black, 2013, para. 14).
d. Martha thinks that adolescents can write about their problems.

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Part B:
Rephrase or make summary for direct quotations below using your own words. Do not forget
to include the in-text references.

a. Although only about 10% of a final manuscript should appear as directly quoted
material, students generally overuse quotations in their writing because they frequently
overuse direct quotation in taking notes for their paper (Ricky, 2003, para. 19).
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

b. A key factor in explaining the sad state of the traditional education can be found in
overbureaucratization, which is seen in the compulsion to consolidate our public schools
into massive factories and to increase the number of our universities (Espan, 2004, p.
99).
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

e. Researchers have found a strong association between computer and Internet use in
adolescents and engagement in multiple-risk behaviours (MRB), including illicit drug use
and drunkenness (Zack, 2000, p. 42).
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Adapted from: duytan.edu.vn/Home/ArticleDetail/vn/142/2860/paraphrase-exercise-1

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In-text citations and Reference List entries

Type of Entry Reference List In-text citation

Book: single author Smith, J. (1996). Leadership (Smith, 1996)
and Women. Boston: Free Press.

Book: more than one Hill, M., & Hall, S. (1996). Woman in the (Hall & Hall, 1996)
author car. New York:
Yale Press.

A work with 3 to 5
authors
Use all five last names for
in-text the first time you
cite the source, subsequent
use, list first authors last
name and et al.
(use all five last names,
Smith, H.J., Ti, L., Song, L.G., Hill, B.J., & 2007)
(Smith, et al., 2007)
Lu, L.S.
(2007). A Time to Learn. Atlanta: Georgia
Press.

Edited book Jones, J. C. (Ed.). (1996). Divorce in (Jones, 1996)

No author America: A case
study. New York: Free Press.

Unknown author Divorce in America: A case study. (1996). (Divorce, 1996)

New York:
Free Press.

Magazine article Jones, W. (1998, June). Id rather travel. (Jones, 1998)

Time, 135, 70-72.

Web site page Jones University. (2006, May 30). Canterbury (Jones University, 2006)
Tales Clearing House. Retrieved June 6, 2007,
from: www.jonesu.edu.

eBook Huppe, B. F. (1994). A reading of the (Huppe, 1994)

Canterbury Tales.Retrieved from:
www.galileo.usg.edu.

Taken from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6 th ed., 2009.

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A REMINDER!!

CITING FROM SECONDARY SOURCES

Citing Secondary Sources

If you read an article or book which cites some information that you want to cite,
always refer to ; the source where you found the information, not the original source.

For example:
If you read an article by Alex Reid, in which he cites information from a previous study
by Seidenberg and McClelland, and you wish to refer to this information in your
assignment:

You would acknowledge Seidenberg and McClelland in the text:

Seidenberg and McClellands study (as cited in Reid, 2007) found that the
paranormal

In your reference list at the end of your assignment, your entry would be a
reference for Reid's article because that is where you sourced the information:

Taken from: http://libguides.murdoch.edu.au/APA/secondary

Reid, A. S. (2007). Study of multiple paranormal phenomena. Journal of Abnormal
Psychology, 45, 13-26.

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Exercise 4: Fill in the blanks with correct citations from the reference list given.

ELEPHANTS AND CHEESE: AN EXPLORATORY PAPER

by Teck Wann

It is widely known that elephants fear cheese, and will flee at the
first whiff of it ( ). What is not yet well understood is why this Source F
phenomenon occurs. For more than a decade academics have been
researching this perplexing topic. Their work constitutes part of the
booming new discipline known as pachydermo-fromagology, which is
defined as the study of elephant-cheese interactions ( ).
Source D
This paper will evaluate existing research and theories, and argue that
none of them satisfactorily explain the data which has been gathered
so far.

That elephants fear cheese was an accidental discovery made by

the noted elephantologist G. Coleman ( ). The story of the Source B
discovery is now famous, but worth repeating:
After a hard morning following the herd, I had just sat down
under a tree for lunch and unwrapped a particularly delectable
chunk of cheddar sent up from the base camp. Suddenly I heard
Source C,
an enormous trampling sound, and when I looked up, the entire page 160
herd was gone. ( )
His discovery, while dismissed at the time, was subsequently
Sources G, H
corroborated by other researchers. Several studies ( ) have
confirmed the phenomenon, and that it occurs among both African
and Asian elephants. A recent report by the Elephant Research
Institute ( ) established that smell is the primary means Source E
elephants detect cheese, and that they will ignore large pieces of
cheese if tightly wrapped. Meanwhile a French cheese expert asserts
on his website that elephants do not flee from French cheese, only the
lesser cheeses of other nations. Zee creatures, zey have good taste,
Source I,
non? he writes ( ). Introduction, para. 2

Recently, a new theory has exploded on the scene and caused

quite a stink. Based on several clever experiments, K. Maas Source J,
page 468
( ) has claimed that in fact elephants do not fear cheese at
all, but instead fear the mice which are attracted to cheese. However,
Sources
this theory, which she calls the Maas Mouse Hypothesis (MMH), has K, L
not yet been widely accepted. One researcher ( ) has
published a series of articles roundly denouncing the MMH, and the
debate has even spilled over into the popular press ( ). Source A
What are we to make of this controversy?

Adopted from: Gordon Coleman, In-text Citation in APA Style: Notes Sheet, Exercise, Answer Key,
https://urls.bccampus.ca/35.

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References

Achison, C.L. (2004, April). A ripe and weighty issue: an interview with A
Monica Sturgess. Cheese Lovers World, 6 (4), 12-13.

Coleman, G.J. (1984). An odd behaviour observed among the species Elephas B
maximus. Journal of Trunked Mammal Studies, 23, 421-429.

Coleman, G.J. (1988). Underfoot: ten years among the elephants. New York: C
Oxford University Press.

Concise Oxford dictionary, 11th ed. (2004). Oxford University Press. Retrieved D
October 20, 2004, from Oxford Reference Online database.

Elephant Research Institute, Simon Fraser University. (2001) Smell versus

E
sight: detection of cheese by elephants. Retrieved November 1, 2004,
from http://www.sfu.ca/eri/reports/00107elephants.pdf

Elephants stampede, 7 cheese-lovers trampled. (2003, November 22). F

Vancouver Sun, p. A1, A8.

Gibson, C.N. & Sturgess, M.N. (1987). Elephant fleeing behaviour confirmed.
Journal of Elephantology, 16, 239-245. Retrieved October 27, 2004, from G
Academic Search Elite database.

Gibson, C.N. Sturgess, M.N., & Bates, A.T. (1989). Experiments with cheese
H
effects on Elephas maximus and Elephas africanus. Journal of
Elephantology, 18, 120-134. Retrieved October 27, 2004, from Academic
Search Elite database.

Gouda, A.N. (n.d.) Commentary of a report about cheese and les elephants. I
Retrieved October 23, 2004, from
http://www.mondedefromage.fr/elephants.html

Maas, K.A. (2003). The missing link: elephants, mice, and cheese.
International Journal of Rodentia Research, 56, 459-471. Retrieved J
October 31, 2004, from
http://www.elsevierpublisher.com/ijrr/56/4/maas.htm

Sturgess, M.N. (2004a). Of mice and cheese (Part 1). Journal of Trunked K
Mammal Studies, 43, 10-15.

Sturgess, M.N. (2004b). Of mice and cheese (Part 2). Journal of Trunked
L
Mammal Studies, 43, 219-225.

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CITATION MATRIX

For Exercise 5, use your own words to summarize the quote given from the original source.
After that, fill in the table with necessary information.

Example:

Author: Randy Sonoma

Publication date: 2011
Book Title: How To: A Guide to Preventing Suicide
Original Source/Quote: The incidence of high suicide rates is partly due to a lack of sufficient
intervention programs.
Page number: 138

No. Original Source Paraphrasing/Summarising In-text Reference

Citation

1. The incidence of high Therefore, sociological Sonoma Sonoma, R.

suicide rates is partly researcher Sonoma (2011) (2011) (2011). How
due to a lack of agrees that lack of to: A guide to
sufficient intervention sufficient intervention preventing
programs. programs can cause to high suicide.
suicide cases. Madison, WI:
Knopf.

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Exercise 5
Authors: Sarah Belkins, Ruth DeFone, Samual Cruz, Dan Smith
Publication date: 2007
Title of Article: Messing Up Our Kids
Journal: Journal of Child Psychology and Medicine
Volume: 3
Issue: 17
Original Source/Quote: Children of alcoholic parents are less likely to find themselves in
healthy, loving adult relationships.
Page numbers: 23-29
Location: New York, NY
Publisher: JSTOR
Url: www.jstor.org/jcpm/3_17/2007

No. Original Source Paraphrasing/Summarising In-text Reference

Citation

1.

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