English for

academic
purposes
 What is a paraphrasing?

– A Paraphrase uses an author’s idea, but expresses it in your own words, without the use of
quotation marks.
– Paraphrasing is permitted as long as you credit the source.
– When you paraphrase, you restate someone else’s ideas in your own words. Unlike a
summary, a paraphrase includes both the main and the supporting ideas of your source
– The usual purpose of a paraphrase is to express someone else’s ideas more clearly and more
simply to translate what may be complex in the original into easily understandable prose.
Paraphrase when:

– You plan to use information on your note cards and wish to avoid plagiarizing
– You want to avoid overusing quotations
– You want to use your own voice to present information
Paraphrasing Tips

– Reread the passage to make sure you understand it

– Circle and/or note the key words
– Put the main idea in your own words
– Change the sentence structure
– Use synonyms for key words
– Don’t read from the source, while writing it down. Look away or turn it over
Plagiarism

– Plagiarism is when a person copies the writing of another person and submits it
as their own
 Two Types of Plagiarism
Intentional Plagiarism
 Copying a friend’s work
 Borrowing or buying assignments
Intentional Plagiarism Unintentional plagiarism
Intentional Plagiarism  Cut and paste from electronic
 Copying a friend’s work resources  Not knowing how to acknowledge
 Copying a friend’s work
 Borrowing or buying assignments or incorporate sources of
 Downloading essays from the
 Borrowing or buying assignments information through proper
 Cut and paste from electronic internet and presenting as your
 Cut and paste from electronic paraphrasing
resources own work
resources  Careless copying, cutting and
 Downloading essays from the pasting from alectronic databases
 Downloading essays from the
internet and presenting as your
internet and presenting as your  Quoting excessively
own work
own work  Failure to use your own ‘voice’
In order to avoid plagiarism, you must
give credit when:
– You use another person’s ideas, opinions, or theories.
– You use quotations from another person’s spoken or written word
– You paraphrase another person’s spoken or written word
– You use facts, statistics, graphics, drawing, music, or other type of information
that does not comprise common knowledge
3 Steps to avoid Plagiarism

 Take good bulleted notes in your own words, no complete sentences

 Paraphrase your notes. Since your notes are in your own words, you are putting
your notes back into complete sentences.
 Citing your sources
All you need to do is:
– Take notes—put in your own words.
– If you do copy words, put “ ” around them and footnote whose
words they are.
– Keep track of EVERY resource you use!
– Cite all of your sources at the end of your work.