LESSON 3

Content:

• Basics of Summarizing
• Paraphrasing and Direct Quoting

Learning Objectives:

1. Evaluate situations regarding summarizing.

2. Summarizes the content of an academic text
3. Paraphrase various forms of texts
4. Differentiate summarizing, paraphrasing and direct quoting
5. Paraphrase various texts and apply various formats of in-text citations in paraphrases
and direct quotes

SIMILARITIES
Source All three methods involve incorporating ideas or information from an
Integration external source into your writing.
Credit to the Proper citation is required for all three to avoid plagiarism and
Original Source acknowledge the original author.
Each method aims to support or enhance your argument, provide
Purpose
evidence, or present information clearly.
Using these techniques requires understanding the source material to
Critical Thinking
determine its relevance and appropriateness for your work.

DIFFERENCES
PARAPHRASING SUMMARIZING DIRECT QUOTING
Restating a specific
Condensing the main
idea or passage from Using the exact
ideas or the overall
the original source in words from the
Definition essence of a larger
your own words source, enclosed in
text into a much
while retaining its quotation marks.
shorter form.
meaning.
Similar in length to Matches the original
Much shorter than
Length the original text or text precisely, word
the original text.
slightly shorter. for word.
To clarify or simplify To provide a broad To preserve the
a specific idea overview or highlight original phrasing for
Purpose
without using the the most important accuracy, emphasis,
exact wording. points of a text. or authority.
When the original
When you want to
When you want to wording is
explain a specific
give a quick outline particularly powerful,
Use point in your own
or context without precise, or essential
words to fit your
delving into details. to the point being
writing style.
made.
 Focuses on Requires quotation
Strips away details,
rephrasing while marks and must
Key Feature focusing only on the
maintaining the match the source
main ideas.
details and meaning. exactly.

Example #1: The rapid growth of technology has significantly transformed the way
we communicate, making it faster and more convenient than ever before.

SUMMARIZE PARAPHRASE DIRECT QUOTING

"The rapid growth of
The advancement of technology has significantly
Technology has improved technology has revolutionized transformed the way we
communication. communication by making it communicate, making it
quicker and more accessible. faster and more convenient
than ever before."

Example #2: It has been suggested (again rather anecdotally) that giraffes do
communicate using infrasonic vocalizations (the signals are verbally described to be
similar—in structure and function—to the low-frequency, infrasonic “rumbles” of
elephants). It was further speculated that the extensive frontal sinus of giraffes acts
as a resonance chamber for infrasound production. Moreover, particular neck
movements (e.g. the neck stretch) are suggested to be associated with the production
of infrasonic vocalizations” (Baotic et al., 2015).

SUMMARIZE PARAPHRASE DIRECT QUOTING

Giraffes emit a low-pitch
Some zoological experts have
noise; some scientists believe
pointed out that the evidence
that this hum can be used for
for giraffe hums has been
communication with other
Baotic et al. (2019) “rather anecdotally” reported
members of the social group,
conducted a study on giraffe (Baotic et al., 2019, p. 3).
but others are skeptical
hums in response to However, some scientists
because of the dearth of
speculation that these noises have “speculated that the
research on giraffe noises.
are used deliberately for extensive frontal sinus of
According to Baotic et al., the
communication. giraffes acts as a resonance
anatomy of the animal
chamber for infrasound
suggests that they may be
production” (Baotic et al.,
making deliberate and
2019, p. 3).
specific noises (2019).

GUIDELINES OF SUMMARIZING

• Understand the Source: Read the text thoroughly to grasp the main ideas.
• Identify Key Points: Focus on the most critical ideas or arguments, excluding minor
details and examples.
• Use Your Own Words: Write the summary using your language while maintaining the
essence of the text.
• Be Concise: Keep the summary significantly shorter than the original text.
• Credit the Source: Always include proper citation to acknowledge the original author.
 GUIDELINES OF PARAPHRASING

• Fully Comprehend the Text: Understand the meaning and context of the original
material.
• Change the Structure: Rearrange the sentence structure to reflect your style while
keeping the original meaning.
• Use Synonyms and Different Expressions: Replace words and phrases with their
equivalents, but avoid changing technical terms or key concepts.
• Maintain the Meaning: Ensure your paraphrase accurately conveys the author’s ideas.
• Credit the Source: Provide a citation even though the wording is different.
• Avoid simply replacing words with synonyms—this can lead to incorrect meanings or
awkward phrasing.
• Compare your paraphrase with the original to ensure no unintentional plagiarism.

GUIDELINES OF DIRECT QUOTING

• Use Sparingly: Reserve direct quotes for when the exact wording is critical, such as a
powerful statement or a precise definition.
• Copy Accurately: Include the exact words from the source, including punctuation, and
place them in quotation marks.
• Integrate into Your Writing: Blend the quote into your text seamlessly, providing
context or explanation.
• Provide Proper Attribution: Include an in-text citation or footnote with the source's
details.
• Use Block Formatting for Long Quotes: For quotes exceeding a certain length (e.g.,
40 words in APA style), format them as a block quotation without quotation marks.
ONLINE RESOURCES:

• https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/writingplace/chapter/summarizing-v-s-direct-quotation-
v-s-paraphrasing/
• https://paperpal.com/blog/researcher-resources/phd-pointers/quoting-paraphrasing-
summarizing