Summarize, paraphrase and quote
Summarizing:
A summary is a shortened version of an author's text, written in your own words. Its goal is to state in as few as words as possible the main idea of a passage. To be effective, it should be concise, objective, and complete. It should reflect the emphasis of the source but not include examples or direct quotes.
Suggested steps in summarizing:
- Read the article carefully at least twice
- Pick out main points of article:
- circle subjects and verbs
- underline repeated words or phrases
- highlight article's thesis and topic sentences
- Write down main points in your own words
- Rescan article to be certain you have included all major points
- Proofread
Paraphrasing:
A paraphrase is a restatement of the author's presentation using your own language. Unlike a summary, paraphrasing is as long, or nearly as long, as the original statements. While it should maintain the original presentation's organization, emphasis and tone, the word choice and sentence structure are yours to create. If you find yourself writing the original phrases, use quotations to show they do not belong to you.
Suggested steps in paraphrasing:
- Read the article carefully at least twice
- Pick out important aspects:
- circle subjects and verbs
- underline repeated words or phrases
- highlight article's thesis and topic sentences
- Note organization, style and tone
- Using your notes and markings, recreate important aspects of the article using your own language
- Rescan article to be certain you have paraphrased all relevant information
- Edit for coherence and correctness
Direct quotations:
When you copy an author's words exactly, you are quoting directly. Direct quotations must match the original exactly. Use direct quotes sparingly so that your writing does not appear as one documented statement after another. Direct quote only when the original statement is so effectively stated that a summary or paraphrase would not do it justice. Direct quotes should flow effectively with your other essay points or topics. Introduce a direct quotation whenever possible to give it credibility by stating the author's name and title.