Importance of quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing for an essay

Importance of quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing for an essay 

A. Quoting

What is quoting?

Quoting is the representation of the exact words said or written by an author. They provide strong evidence to the already written text and determines the content’s strength.

Importance of quoting

1.It provides the claims and evidence for a write-up.

2.It gives a sense of power to the write-up thereby conveying appropriate meaning.

3.It provides the author’s ideas which can be used in your write-up.

When to quote?

1.When you wish to comment on the particular writing style of writer

2.When you want to take an example and explain it using a quote.

3.When it is important for the readers to know the opinions from different aspect.

How to quote?

Step 1: Select the context for which the quotation must be added.

Step 2: Choose an appropriate quotation to use

Step 3: Include the selected quotation to use it in the context

Step 4: The quotation which is added must be enclosed within “ “ (quotation marks) to avoid plagiarism

Tips for quoting

1.Quoting the original text: It is important to include the exact words which are included in the quote as it should not misinterpret with the meaning of the context.

2.Ellipses: If the quote seems long enough, it can be shortened by adding ellipses (...) so that it indicates that the quote has continuity without breaking the rules.

3.Citation: The quote which is used must be cited properly so that it does not go against the rules

B.Paraphrasing

What is paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is a technique which is used to acquire information from some other source to use it in your own text. It is one of the ways to discourage plagiarism.

If a text is paraphrased, it need not be quoted but it definitely needs a mention as to from where it was used.

Importance of paraphrasing

1.It condenses the information that needs to be used while a context is being sourced from the original text.

2.Paraphrasing allows you to write information used from the original source in your own voice.

3.Paraphrasing enables to explore and interpret the author’s idea in your own words.

When to paraphrase?

Paraphrasing can be chosen as an option when:

1.When you need claim and evidence to support your content.

2.To use as an alternative for quotation.

How to paraphrase?

Step 1: Select the passage or the text you want to use in your write-up

Step 2: Read the paragraph carefully before paraphrasing it

Step 3: Select the points that you want to use in your text.

Step 4: Understand the context and carefully paraphrase it without changing its meaning.

Step 5: Write down the content in your own words and reconstruct the sentences so that it does not forbid the laws.

Step 6: Go back to the original source and recheck if the content that is used goes with what you have written.

Step 7: Provide clear citations to complete the process of paraphrasing.

Tips for paraphrasing

1.Retain the meaning: The first step to paraphrasing a text is to retain the meaning of what is written. The main aim of paraphrasing a text from the original source is to get the meaning and rephrasing it in your own sentences.

2.Do not paraphrase the whole text: A few paragraph(s) must be utilized while the original source is being paraphrased. It is considered a bad practise and an act of restating the whole content if the whole text is used for paraphrasing.

3.Cite the sources: It is very important to source or cite the references that you have used while the text is used for paraphrasing. 

4.Go through the text: To paraphrase any text, it must be read thoroughly. Without evaluating the information, the text’s essence and its meaning cannot be brought out.

5.Reconstruct the sentences: To paraphrase the text, the sentences that are used must be reconstructed so that it abides by the rules of avoiding plagiarism.

C.Summarizing 

What is summarizing?

Summarizing is way of condensing the information of another author’s in your own words. It is shorter version of the original text which will reveal some of the details on the surface.

It is a way through which the main idea is taken into consideration and focused upon it so that it can be summarized effectively. 

Importance of summarizing

1.It is useful skill to note down important points while reading or listening to lectures

2.Summarizing allows to write up text in fewer sentences from the original text which consists of lengthy description about the same.

When to summarizing?

1.To include the text when you want support or another author’s ideas to write

2.The passage that you have selected can be further classified

3.Helps in demonstrating your work backed with strong content

How to summarizing?

Step 1: Read the content which is to be summarized carefully

Step 2: Pick out the important point from the summary so that it can be further analysed and given the summary.

Step 3: Interpreting the original text, start writing the summary focusing on the main idea that is chosen.

Step 4: Cite necessary sources so that it discourages plagiarism.

Tips for summarizing  

1.Highlight the main idea: The main idea of the text that is being summarized.

2.Include words to write: After selecting the context to summarize, it must be written in your own sentences.

3.Interpret the original text: The original text must be interpreted correctly so that the summarization falls into place. Without interpretation, it becomes a dry write-up which will only produce lame quality content.  

4.Do not add your own opinion: It is important to understand that summarization is a piece of writing which should hold the content that is intended to

               

5.Use your own words: It is suggested to use your own words with whatever information has been collected. It is the best technique to ensure that plagiarism is avoided.