Quoting vs Paraphrasing: What's the Difference?
There are two ways to integrate sources into your assignment: quoting directly or paraphrasing.
Quoting is copying a selection from someone else's work, phrasing it exactly as it was originally written. When quoting place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Make sure to include an in-text citation.
Paraphrasing is used to show that you understand what the author wrote. You must reword the passage, expressing the ideas in your own words, and not just change a few words here and there. Make sure to also include an in-text citation.
Modifying Quotations
Quoting - Example:
There are two basic formats that can be used when quoting a source:
Parenthetical Style:
Narrative Style:
Note: If there are no page numbers, as in a website, cite the author name only.
What is a Long or Block Quotation?
A long or block quotation is a quotation which is 4 lines or more.
Rules for Long Quotations
There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:
Example of a Long Quotation
At the end of Lord of the Flies the boys are struck with the realization of their behaviour:
The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. (Golding 186)
Changing Quotations
Omitting parts of a quotation
Adding words to a quote
If you are adding words that are not part of the original quote, enclose the additional words in square brackets - [XYZ]
Paraphrasing
Correct vs. Incorrect Paraphrasing
Long Paraphrases
Paraphrasing - Examples:
When you write information from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion as follows:
If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name again as part of your in-text citation, instead include the page number if there is one:
Original Source
Homeless individuals commonly come from families who are riddled with problems and marital disharmony, and are alienated from their parents. They have often been physically and even sexually abused, have relocated frequently, and many of them may be asked to leave home or are actually thrown out, or alternatively are placed in group homes or in foster care. They often have no one to care for them and no one knows them intimately.
Source from:
Rokach, Ami. "The Causes of Loneliness in Homeless Youth." The Journal of Psychology, 139, 2005, pp. 469-480. Academic Search Premier.
Example: Incorrect Paraphrasing
Example: Correct Paraphrasing
If you paraphrase a source more than once in a single paragraph and no other sources are mentioned in between, provide an in-text citation for the source at the end of each paraphrase. In the examples, the second in-text citation only includes the page number since it is clear that the same source is still being paraphrased.
If your paraphrase continues to another paragraph and/or you include paraphrases from other sources within the same paragraph, repeat the in-text citations for each.
In-Text Citation Tips
If you are using information from a single source more than once in succession (i.e., no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation.
When you are citing two different sources that share the same author, for the Works Cited List list the first title only, and for any subsequent titles by the same author list three dashes (---) in place of the author name.
For in-text citations, include a shortened version of the source title following the author name.
Example: In-text citations (Haynes, Noah's Curse 84) (Haynes, The Last Segregated Hour 57)
If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon (;).
In-text Citations & AI-generated Text
AI-generated content may not be considered as an acceptable source for your course work. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check with your instructor if you are permitted to use it as a source. See Citation Examples: Artificial Intelligence for more information. For in-text, include the shortened text of the prompt surrounded by quotation marks such as: ("Shortened text of prompt").
Direct Quote Example
Paraphrasing Example
|
|
Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing
You already know that you need to use various kinds of resources when you are researching. Now things can get a little more complicated when trying to use those resources in your assignments.
We find that most students accidently plagiarize because they don’t know how to correctly quote, paraphrase, and/or summarize information they are trying to incorporate into their papers. Or how and when to cite things.
So, what's the difference?
(Venn_quote, n.d.)
Direct Quotes
Quotes are the exact words that the author has used, word for word. When quoting, you must use quotation marks and include an in-text citation .
According to the MLA Handbook, quotes should be "used selectively" and should "be as brief as possible" (75).
Rather, most professors prefer you to paraphrase or summarize information from your source because it demonstrates that you really understand what you're writing about.
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing means putting the information you could have quoted into your own words, but keeping the intention of the original source. Paraphrases do not have quotation marks because you are using your own words, yet still must include an in-text citation at the end of the part you are paraphrasing.
Summarizing
When you summarize information, it's really a shorter version of the original source where you relate the overall meaning from the source. Like when paraphrasing, when you summarize you must still include an in-text citation at the end of the part you are summarizing.
Works Cited
The Modern Language Association of America. MLA Handbook , 8th edition. The Modern Language Association of America, 2016.
"Venn_quote." Dallas Learning Cloud , n.d., dlc.dcccd.edu/embed.php?key=dcccd+1dcccd234+englishcomp1rlc-units/quoting-paraphrasing-and-summarizing. Accessed 9 Sep 2019.
Home / Guides / Citation Guides / Citation Basics / Quoting vs. Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing
If you’ve ever written a research essay, you know the struggle is real. Should you use a direct quote? Should you put it in your own words? And how is summarizing different from paraphrasing—aren’t they kind of the same thing?
Knowing how you should include your source takes some finesse, and knowing when to quote directly, paraphrase, or summarize can make or break your argument. Let’s take a look at the nuances among these three ways of using an outside source in an essay.
The concept of quoting is pretty straightforward. If you use quotation marks, you must use precisely the same words as the original , even if the language is vulgar or the grammar is incorrect. In fact, when scholars quote writers with bad grammar, they may correct it by using typographical notes [like this] to show readers they have made a change.
“I never like[d] peas as a child.”
Conversely, if a passage with odd or incorrect language is quoted as is, the note [sic] may be used to show that no changes were made to the original language despite any errors.
“I never like [sic] peas as a child.”
The professional world looks very seriously on quotations. You cannot change a single comma or letter without documentation when you quote a source. Not only that, but the quote must be accompanied by an attribution, commonly called a citation. A misquote or failure to cite can be considered plagiarism.
When writing an academic paper, scholars must use in-text citations in parentheses followed by a complete entry on a references page. When you quote someone using MLA format , for example, it might look like this:
“The orphan is above all a character out of place, forced to make his or her own home in the world. The novel itself grew up as a genre representing the efforts of an ordinary individual to navigate his or her way through the trials of life. The orphan is therefore an essentially novelistic character, set loose from established conventions to face a world of endless possibilities (and dangers)” (Mullan).
This quote is from www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/orphans-in-fiction , which discusses the portrayal of orphans in Victorian English literature. The citation as it would look on the references page (called Works Cited in MLA) is available at the end of this guide.
Paraphrasing means taking a quote and putting it in your own words.
You translate what another writer has said into terms both you and your reader can more easily understand. Unlike summarizing, which focuses on the big picture, paraphrasing is involved with single lines or passages. Paraphrasing means you should focus only on segments of a text.
Paraphrasing is a way for you to start processing the information from your source . When you take a quote and put it into your own words, you are already working to better understand, and better explain, the information.
The more you can change the quote without changing the original meaning , the better. How can you make significant changes to a text without changing the meaning?
Here are a few paraphrasing techniques:
Let’s look at an example. Here is a direct quote from the article on orphans in Victorian literature:
“It is no accident that the most famous character in recent fiction – Harry Potter – is an orphan. The child wizard’s adventures are premised on the death of his parents and the responsibilities that he must therefore assume. If we look to classic children’s fiction we find a host of orphans” (Mullan).
Here is a possible paraphrase:
It’s not a mistake that a well-known protagonist in current fiction is an orphan: Harry Potter. His quests are due to his parents dying and tasks that he is now obligated to complete. You will see that orphans are common protagonists if you look at other classic fiction (Mullan).
What differences do you spot? There are synonyms. A few words were moved around. A few clauses were moved around. But do you see that the basic structure is very similar?
This kind of paraphrase might be flagged by a plagiarism checker. Don’t paraphrase like that.
Here is a better example:
What is the most well-known fact about beloved character, Harry Potter? That he’s an orphan – “the boy who lived”. In fact, it is only because his parents died that he was thrust into his hero’s journey. Throughout classic children’s literature, you’ll find many orphans as protagonists (Mullan).
Do you see that this paraphrase has more differences? The basic information is there, but the structure is quite different.
When you paraphrase, you are making choices: of how to restructure information, of how to organize and prioritize it. These choices reflect your voice in a way a direct quote cannot, since a direct quote is, by definition, someone else’s voice.
Although the purpose of both quoting and paraphrasing is to introduce the ideas of an external source, they are used for different reasons. It’s not that one is better than the other, but rather that quoting suits some purposes better, while paraphrasing is more suitable for others.
A direct quote is better when you feel the writer made the point perfectly and there is no reason to change a thing. If the writer has a strong voice and you want to preserve that, use a direct quote.
For example, no one should ever try to paraphrase John. F. Kenney’s famous line: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
However, think of direct quotes like a hot pepper: go ahead and sprinkle them around to add some spice to your paper, but… you might not want to overdo it.
Conversely, paraphrasing is useful when you want to bring in a longer section of a source into your piece, but you don’t have room for the full passage . A paraphrase doesn’t simplify the passage to an extreme level, like a summary would. Rather, it condenses the section of text into something more useful for your essay. It’s also appropriate to paraphrase when there are sentences within a passage that you want to leave out.
If you were to paraphrase the section of the article about Victorian orphans mentioned earlier, you might write something like this:
Considering the development of the novel, which portrayed everyday people making their way through life, using an orphan as a protagonist was effective. Orphans are characters that, by definition, need to find their way alone. The author can let the protagonist venture out into the world where the anything, good or bad, might happen (Mullan).
You’ll notice a couple of things here. One, there are no quotation marks, but there is still an in-text citation (the name in parentheses). A paraphrase lacks quotation marks because you aren’t directly quoting, but it still needs a citation because you are using a specific segment of the text. It is still someone else’s original idea and must be cited.
Secondly, if you look at the original quote, you’ll see that five lines of text are condensed into four and a half lines. Everything the author used has been changed.
A single paragraph of text has been explained in different words—which is the heart of paraphrasing.
Next, we come to summarizing. Summarizing is on a much larger scale than quoting or paraphrasing. While similar to paraphrasing in that you use your own words, a summary’s primary focus is on translating the main idea of an entire document or long section.
Summaries are useful because they allow you to mention entire chapters or articles—or longer works—in only a few sentences. However, summaries can be longer and more in-depth. They can actually include quotes and paraphrases. Keep in mind, though, that since a summary condenses information, look for the main points. Don’t include a lot of details in a summary.
In literary analysis essays, it is useful to include one body paragraph that summarizes the work you’re writing about. It might be helpful to quote or paraphrase specific lines that contribute to the main themes of such a work. Here is an example summarizing the article on orphans in Victorian literature:
In John Mullan’s article “Orphans in Fiction” on bl.uk.com, he reviews the use of orphans as protagonists in 19 th century Victorian literature. Mullan argues that orphans, without family attachments, are effective characters that can be “unleashed to discover the world.” This discovery process often leads orphans to expose dangerous aspects of society, while maintaining their innocence. As an example, Mullan examines how many female orphans wind up as governesses, demonstrating the usefulness of a main character that is obligated to find their own way.
This summary includes the main ideas of the article, one paraphrase, and one direct quote. A ten-paragraph article is summarized into one single paragraph.
As for giving source credit, since the author’s name and title of the source are stated at the beginning of the summary paragraph, you don’t need an in-text citation.
The fact is that writers use these three reference types (quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing) interchangeably. The key is to pay attention to your argument development. At some points, you will want concrete, firm evidence. Quotes are perfect for this.
At other times, you will want general support for an argument, but the text that includes such support is long-winded. A paraphrase is appropriate in this case.
Finally, sometimes you may need to mention an entire book or article because it is so full of evidence to support your points. In these cases, it is wise to take a few sentences or even a full paragraph to summarize the source.
No matter which type you use, you always need to cite your source on a References or Works Cited page at the end of the document. The MLA works cited entry for the text we’ve been using today looks like this:
Mullan, John. Orphans in Fiction” www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/orphans-in-fiction. Accessed 20. Oct. 2020
————–
See our related lesson with video: How to Quote and Paraphrase Evidence
How useful was this post?
Click on a star to rate it!
We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!
Let us improve this post!
Tell us how we can improve this post?
Citation Basics
Harvard Referencing
Plagiarism Basics
Upload a paper to check for plagiarism against billions of sources and get advanced writing suggestions for clarity and style.
Get Started
Quoting vs. paraphrasing – mla style.
Please watch this helpful video that demonstrates the differences in the following: quoting directly from a source vs. paraphrasing, block quoting, and using a quote from an indirect source. You should see examples of all of these ideas demonstrated in the sample MLA essay that is also available in this module.
If you’d like to see a helpful video, courtesy of Suffolk County Community College Library , please click here: Quoting Vs. Paraphrasing – MLA
Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts
This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.
Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.
When you directly quote the works of others in your paper, you will format quotations differently depending on their length. Below are some basic guidelines for incorporating quotations into your paper. Please note that all pages in MLA should be double-spaced .
To indicate short quotations (four typed lines or fewer of prose or three lines of verse) in your text, enclose the quotation within double quotation marks. Provide the author and specific page number (in the case of verse, provide line numbers) in the in-text citation, and include a complete reference on the Works Cited page. Punctuation marks such as periods, commas, and semicolons should appear after the parenthetical citation.
Question marks and exclamation points should appear within the quotation marks if they are a part of the quoted passage, but after the parenthetical citation if they are a part of your text.
For example, when quoting short passages of prose, use the following examples:
When using short (fewer than three lines of verse) quotations from poetry, mark breaks in verse with a slash, ( / ), at the end of each line of verse (a space should precede and follow the slash). If a stanza break occurs during the quotation, use a double slash ( // ).
For quotations that are more than four lines of prose or three lines of verse, place quotations in a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, with the entire quote indented 1/2 inch from the left margin while maintaining double-spacing. Your parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark . When quoting verse, maintain original line breaks. (You should maintain double-spacing throughout your essay.)
For example, when citing more than four lines of prose, use the following examples :
Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him throughout her narration: They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr. Earnshaw's door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber. Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)
When citing long sections of poetry (four lines of verse or more), keep formatting as close to the original as possible.
In his poem "My Papa's Waltz," Theodore Roethke explores his childhood with his father:
The whiskey on your breath Could make a small boy dizzy; But I hung on like death: Such waltzing was not easy. We Romped until the pans Slid from the kitchen shelf; My mother's countenance Could not unfrown itself. (qtd. in Shrodes, Finestone, Shugrue 202)
When citing two or more paragraphs, use block quotation format, even if the passage from the paragraphs is less than four lines. If you cite more than one paragraph, the first line of the second paragraph should be indented an extra 1/4 inch to denote a new paragraph:
In "American Origins of the Writing-across-the-Curriculum Movement," David Russell argues,
Writing has been an issue in American secondary and higher education since papers and examinations came into wide use in the 1870s, eventually driving out formal recitation and oral examination. . . .
From its birth in the late nineteenth century, progressive education has wrestled with the conflict within industrial society between pressure to increase specialization of knowledge and of professional work (upholding disciplinary standards) and pressure to integrate more fully an ever-widening number of citizens into intellectually meaningful activity within mass society (promoting social equity). . . . (3)
If you add a word or words in a quotation, you should put brackets around the words to indicate that they are not part of the original text:
If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should indicate the deleted word or words by using ellipses, which are three periods ( . . . ) preceded and followed by a space. For example:
Please note that brackets are not needed around ellipses unless they would add clarity.
When omitting words from poetry quotations, use a standard three-period ellipses; however, when omitting one or more full lines of poetry, space several periods to about the length of a complete line in the poem:
There are two ways to integrate sources into your assignment: quoting directly or paraphrasing.
Quoting is copying a selection from someone else's work, phrasing it exactly as it was originally written. When quoting place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Make sure to include an in-text citation.
Paraphrasing is used to show that you understand what the author wrote. You must reword the passage, expressing the ideas in your own words, and not just change a few words here and there. Make sure to also include an in-text citation.
There are two basic formats that can be used when quoting a source:
Parenthetical Style:
Narrative Style:
Note: If there are no page numbers, as in a website, cite the author name only.
A long or block quotation is a quotation which is 4 lines or more.
Rules for Long Quotations
There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:
Example of a Long Quotation
At the end of Lord of the Flies the boys are struck with the realization of their behaviour:
The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. (Golding 186)
Changing Quotations
Omitting parts of a quotation
Adding words to a quote
When you write information from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion as follows:
If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name again as part of your in-text citation, instead include the page number if there is one:
Original Source
Homeless individuals commonly come from families who are riddled with problems and marital disharmony, and are alienated from their parents. They have often been physically and even sexually abused, have relocated frequently, and many of them may be asked to leave home or are actually thrown out, or alternatively are placed in group homes or in foster care. They often have no one to care for them and no one knows them intimately.
Source from:
Rokach, Ami. "The Causes of Loneliness in Homeless Youth." The Journal of Psychology, 139, 2005, pp. 469-480. Academic Search Premier.
Example: Incorrect Paraphrasing
Example: Correct Paraphrasing
If you paraphrase a source more than once in a single paragraph and no other sources are mentioned in between, provide an in-text citation for the source at the end of each paraphrase. In the examples, the second in-text citation only includes the page number since it is clear that the same source is still being paraphrased.
If your paraphrase continues to another paragraph and/or you include paraphrases from other sources within the same paragraph, repeat the in-text citations for each.
If you are using information from a single source more than once in succession (i.e., no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation.
Note: If using this simplified in-text citation creates ambiguity regarding the source being referred to, use the full in-text citation format.
When you are citing two different sources that share the same author, for the Works Cited List list the first title only, and for any subsequent titles by the same author list three dashes (---) in place of the author name.
For in-text citations, include a shortened version of the source title following the author name.
If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon (;).
AI-generated content may not be considered as an acceptable source for your course work. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check with your instructor if you are permitted to use it as a source. See Citation Examples: Artificial Intelligence for more information. For in-text, include the shortened text of the prompt surrounded by quotation marks such as: ("Shortened text of prompt").
Direct Quote Example
Paraphrasing Example
Repeated use of sources, long quotations.
Order of authors, physician credentials, about in-text citations.
In MLA, in-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to the full citation on the works cited list at the end of the paper.
Create in-text citations for the following:
If you're using information from a single source more than once in succession (i.e., no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation.
Cell biology is an area of science that focuses on the structure and function of cells (Smith 15). It revolves around the idea that the cell is a "fundamental unit of life" (17). Many important scientists have contributed to the evolution of cell biology. Mattias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann, for example, were scientists who formulated cell theory in 1838 (20).
Note: If using this simplified in-text citation creates ambiguity regarding the source being referred to, use the full in-text citation format.
What Is a Long Quotation?
If your quotation extends to more than four lines as you're typing your essay, it is a long quotation.
Rules for Long Quotations
There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:
Example of a Long Quotation
At the end of Lord of the Flies the boys are struck with the realization of their behaviour:
The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too . (Golding 186)
Direct Quote - Add an in-text citation at the end of the quote with the author name and page number:
Mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (Hunt 358).
Authors Name in the Sentence & with a Direct Quote - If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name in the in-text citation, instead include the page number (if there is one) at the end of the quotation or paraphrased section. For example:
Hunt explains that mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (358).
No Page Numbers & with a Direct Quote - When you quote from electronic sources that do not provide page numbers (like Web pages), cite the author name only.
"Three phases of the separation response: protest, despair, and detachment" (Garelli).
Note: The period goes outside the brackets, at the end of your in-text citation.
Author Known:
Number of Authors/Editors | In-Text Citation Example |
---|---|
One | (Author's Last Name Page Number) (Lee 5) |
Two | (Author's Last Name and Author's Last Name Page Number) Example: (Daristotle and Case 57) |
Three or more | (Author's Last Name et al. Page Number) Example: (Daristotle et al. 57) |
If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon.
(Smith 42; Bennett 71).
( It Takes Two ; Brock 43).
Note: The sources within the in-text citation do not need to be in alphabetical order for MLA style.
When creating an in-text citation or full citation, the authors should be listed in the original order displayed on the item (book, article, ...).
Do not include academic credentials (e.g., MD, MPH, PhD,. DDS) when citing doctors in the in-text or full citation.
The writer may refer to the physician by Dr. (name), when writing a paraphrase or inserting a direct quotation, although, it is not required.
Using the medical credential in the sentence:
Dr. Higgins, said the reason behind the complication was "direct quote here" (257).
Dr. Price realized that nutrition was tied to health outcomes and encountered this observation in various regions of the world during his travels (390).
Omitting the medical credential from the sentence:
He sad the reason behind the complication was "direct quote here" (Higgins 257).
Price observed that nutrition was tied to health outcomes and encountered this in various regions of the world during his travels (390).
When you write information or ideas from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion.
Paraphrasing from One Page
Include a full in-text citation with the author name and page number (if there is one). For example:
Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 65).
Hunt discussed mother-infant attachment becoming a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (65).
Paraphrasing from Multiple Pages
If the paraphrased information/idea is from several pages, include them. For example:
Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 50, 55, 65-71).
Author Unknown:
( Cell Biology 12)
("Nursing" 12)
Sometimes an author of a book, article or website will mention another person’s work by using a quotation or paraphrased idea from that source. ( This may be called a secondary source.)
For example, the Kirkey article you are reading includes a quotation by Smith that you would like to include in your essay.
Examples of in-text citations :
According to a study by Smith (qtd. in Kirkey) 42% of doctors would refuse to perform legal euthanasia.
Smith (qtd. in Kirkey) states that “even if euthanasia was legal, 42% of doctors would be against this method of assisted dying” (A.10).
Example of Works Cited list citation:
Kirkey, Susan. "Euthanasia." The Montreal Gazette , 9 Feb. 2013, p. A.10. Canadian Newsstand Major Dailies.
When you use sources in your paper, you will likely do a lot of paraphrasing. Often you will summarize, which means you will take longer pieces of information you learned from your research and put in your own words in order to explain it to your reader. If you are able to successfully put things in your own words, it shows your instructor that you understand the information that you are writing about. When you summarize and paraphrase, YOU MUST USE CITATIONS.
Some tips for paraphrasing:
Changing just a few words around IS NOT paraphrasing.
Quoting is when you take a bit of information from your source and you use it word for word. When you use quotes, you need to use quotation marks to show which pieces of information are directly from your source. If your quote is at the end of a sentence, the period will go after your in-text citation. See the example below.
According to the MLA Handbook, quoting should not make up large portions of your paper and "should not be used as a substitution for paraphrasing ideas you do not fully understand" (100).
Quotes are best when they are short and used sparingly. However, if you must include a longer quote this is done differently. A quote that is more than four lines long is called a block quotation. When you use a block quotation, the whole quotation is indented and you do not have to use quotation marks.
The screenshot below shows a block quote from one of the sample MLA papers.
Contact the writing center, phone: 712-388-6841, email: [email protected].
Questions about your writing assignments? The Writing Center can help with outlining, organizing, paraphrasing, and other writing questions. Click the button to schedule.
Writing and citation guide: quoting vs. paraphrasing.
There are two ways to integrate sources into your assignment: quoting directly or paraphrasing.
Quoting is copying a selection from someone else's work, phrasing it exactly as it was originally written. When quoting place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Make sure to include an in-text citation.
Paraphrasing is used to show that you understand what the author wrote. You must reword the passage, expressing the ideas in your own words, and not just change a few words here and there. Make sure to also include an in-text citation.
There are two basic formats that can be used when quoting a source: parenthetical style and narrative style.
The homeless were typically neglected growing up since they "commonly come from families who are riddled with problems and marital disharmony" (Rokach 477).
As Rokach notes, the homeless "often have no one to care for them and no one knows them intimately" (477).
Note: If there are no page numbers, as in a website, cite the author name only.
A long or block quotation is a quotation which is 4 lines or more.
There are 4 rules that apply to long quotations that are different from regular quotations:
At the end of Lord of the Flies the boys are struck with the realization of their behaviour:
The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wrench his whole body. His voice rose under the black smoke before the burning wreckage of the island; and infected by that emotion, the other little boys began to shake and sob too. (Golding 186)
Sometimes you may want to make some modifications to the quote to fit your writing. Here are some MLA rules when changing quotes:
If you would like to exclude some words from a quotation, replace the words you are not including with an ellipsis - ...
If you are adding words that are not part of the original quote, enclose the additional words in square brackets - [XYZ]
Correct vs. incorrect paraphrasing, long paraphrases.
When you write information from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion as follows:
Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt 65).
If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name again as part of your in-text citation, instead include the page number if there is one:
Hunt noted that mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research after the publication of John Bowlby's studies (65).
Original Source:
Homeless individuals commonly come from families who are riddled with problems and marital disharmony, and are alienated from their parents. They have often been physically and even sexually abused, have relocated frequently, and many of them may be asked to leave home or are actually thrown out, or alternatively are placed in group homes or in foster care. They often have no one to care for them and no one knows them intimately.
Source from:
Rokach, Ami. "The Causes of Loneliness in Homeless Youth." The Journal of Psychology, 139, 2005, pp. 469-480. Academic Search Premier.
The homeless come from families with problems. Frequently, they have been physically or sexually abused, or have lived in group homes. Usually no one cares for them or knows them intimately (Rokach 470). Note: In this incorrect example the writing is too similar to the original source. The student only changed or removed a few words and has not phrased the ideas in a new way.
Many homeless experience isolation in part due to suffering from abuse or neglect during their childhood (Rokach 470). Note: The example keeps the idea of the original writing but phrases it in a new way.
If you paraphrase a source more than once in a single paragraph and no other sources are mentioned in between, provide an in-text citation for the source at the end of each paraphrase. In the examples, the second in-text citation only includes the page number since it is clear that the same source is still being paraphrased.
Examples: This is the first sentence of my paraphrase (Smith 64). I continue to describe the author's idea. This is the last sentence of my paraphrase (66). Smith states that this is the first sentence of my paraphrase (64). I continue to describe the author's idea. This is the last sentence of my paraphrase (66).
If your paraphrase continues to another paragraph and/or you include paraphrases from other sources within the same paragraph, repeat the in-text citations for each.
Example: This is a new paraphrase from my first source (Smith 64). This information was taken from my second source which is a journal article (Rokach 12). I introduce another idea from my first source (Smith 66).
If you are using information from a single source more than once in succession (i.e., no other sources referred to in between), you can use a simplified in-text citation.
Example: Cell biology is an area of science that focuses on the structure and function of cells (Smith 15). It revolves around the idea that the cell is a "fundamental unit of life" (17). Many important scientists have contributed to the evolution of cell biology. Mattias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann, for example, were scientists who formulated cell theory in 1838 (20).
Note : If using this simplified in-text citation creates ambiguity regarding the source being referred to, use the full in-text citation format.
When you are citing two different sources that share the same author, for the Works Cited List list the first title only, and for any subsequent titles by the same author list three dashes (---) in place of the author name.
Example: Works Cited list Haynes, Stephen R. Noah's Curse: The Biblical Justification of American Slavery . Oxford University Press, 2007. ---. The Last Segregated Hour: The Memphis Kneel-Ins and the Campaign for Southern Church Desegregat ion . Oxford University Press, 2012.
For in-text citations, include a shortened version of the source title following the author name.
Example: In-text citations (Haynes, Noah's Curse 84) ( Haynes, The Last Segregated Hour 57)
If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon (;).
Examples: (Smith 42; Bennett 71). ( It Takes Two ; Brock 43). Note: The sources within the in-text citation do not need to be in alphabetical order for MLA style.
Where you'd normally put the author's last name, instead use the first one, two, or three words from the title. Don't count initial articles like "A", "An" or "The". You should provide enough words to make it clear which work you're referring to from your Works Cited list.
If the title in the Works Cited list is in italics, italicize the words from the title in the in-text citation.
If the title in the Works Cited list is in quotation marks, put quotation marks around the words from the title in the in-text citation.
( Cell Biology 12)
("Nursing" 12)
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
There are two ways to integrate sources into your assignment: quoting directly or paraphrasing. Quoting is copying a selection from someone else's work, phrasing it exactly as it was originally written.When quoting place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends.
Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing - Purdue OWL
Here is a quick overview of the difference between quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing: QUOTING. What it is: Using the exact words of your source; must be placed within quotation marks. When to use it: Specific terminology, powerful phrases. Example: McMillan Cottom explains that "Reading around a subject is about going beyond the object of ...
A paraphrase is a piece of information written in a new way after reading and analyzing a source. A paraphrase translates the main ideas of a passage into a new passage that uses your own words and perspective. A paraphrase lets you control what point or information is highlighted. A paraphrase allows you turn a long passage into a condensed ...
See the example below. According to the MLA Handbook, quoting should not make up large portions of your paper and "should not be used as a substitution for paraphrasing ideas you do not fully understand" (100). Quotes are best when they are short and used sparingly. However, if you must include a longer quote this is done differently.
When quoting place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Make sure to include an in-text citation. Paraphrasing is used to show that you understand what the author wrote. You must reword the passage, expressing the ideas in your own words, and not just change a few words here and there.
For quotations longer than four lines, use a block quote. Press enter to start the quotation on a new line. Press Tab to indent the entire quotation 1/2 inch from the left margin.
Quoting Sources: When you quote a source, you include the author's exact words in your text. Use "quotation marks" around the author's words. Include signal phrases and an in-text citation to show where the quote is from. Paraphrasing Sources: When you paraphrase a source, you restate the source's ideas in your own words and sentence structure.
Quoting is copying a selection from someone else's work, phrasing it exactly as it was originally written. When quoting place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Make sure to include an in-text citation. Paraphrasing is used to show that you understand what the author wrote.
Please watch this helpful video that demonstrates the differences in the following: quoting directly from a source vs. paraphrasing, block quoting, and using a quote from an indirect source. You should see examples of all of these ideas demonstrated in the sample MLA essay that is also available in this module.
Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing. You already know that you need to use various kinds of resources when you are researching. Now things can get a little more complicated when trying to use those resources in your assignments. ... According to the MLA Handbook, quotes should be "used selectively" and should "be as brief as possible" (75 ...
Paraphrasing means taking a quote and putting it in your own words. You translate what another writer has said into terms both you and your reader can more easily understand. Unlike summarizing, which focuses on the big picture, paraphrasing is involved with single lines or passages.
Quoting vs. Paraphrasing - MLA Style. Please watch this helpful video that demonstrates the differences in the following: quoting directly from a source vs. paraphrasing, block quoting, and using a quote from an indirect source. You should see examples of all of these ideas demonstrated in the sample MLA essay that is also available in this ...
Paraphrase: Write It in Your Own Words - Purdue OWL
When quoting place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Make sure to include an in-text citation. Paraphrasing is used to show that you understand what the author wrote. You must reword the passage, expressing the ideas in your own words, and not just change a few words here and there.
Paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is the expression of information or ideas from an outside source in your own words. Use paraphrase. • when the general ideas or concepts are more important than the original wording of the source. • to establish and maintain your own voice in discussing outside sources, information, and evidence. • Ex.
MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. This resource, updated to reflect the MLA Handbook (8th ed.), offers examples for the general format of MLA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the Works Cited page.
Quoting is copying a selection from someone else's work, phrasing it exactly as it was originally written. When quoting place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Make sure to include an in-text citation. Paraphrasing is used to show that you understand what the author wrote.
MLA: In-Text Citations - Quotations & Paraphrasing
Quoting vs. Paraphrasing. There are two ways to integrate sources into your assignment: quoting directly or paraphrasing. Quoting
If your quote is at the end of a sentence, the period will go after your in-text citation. See the example below. According to the MLA Handbook, quoting should not make up large portions of your paper and "should not be used as a substitution for paraphrasing ideas you do not fully understand" (100).
About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright ...
Quoting vs. Paraphrasing. There are two ways to integrate sources into your assignment: quoting directly or paraphrasing. Quoting is copying a selection from someone else's work, phrasing it exactly as it was originally written.When quoting place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends.