THREE TYPES OF

NOTE-TAKING
TECHNIQUES
direct quotation, summarizing, paraphrasing
 DIRECT QUOTATIONS

A direct quotation is a report of the exact words

of an author or speaker and is placed inside quotation
marks in a written work.
For example,

• Dr. King said, “I have a dream” (1963).

• In fact, Rumelhart suggests that schemata "truly are the

building blocks of cognition"(1981).
 Use them for emphasis, when the reader need to see
the exact words for analysis when they’re evidence
perfectly encapsulates the topic at hand more succinctly or
better than you could.
 SUMMARIZING

Is defined as taking a lot of information and

creating a condensed version that covers the main
points.
 STEPS IN COMPOSING A SUMMARY

• Reread the passage, jotting down a few keywords.

• State the main point in your own words. Be

objective: Don’t mix your reaction with the
summary.
• Check your summary against the original, making sure
that you use quotation marks around any exact phrases
that you borrow.
• Example: Summary of Sorry, Wrong Number

In New York, Leona Stevenson is the invalid wife of the

VP of a pharmaceutical industry Henry J. Stevenson and
becomes aware of a murder that would be committed late
night of that day through a "cross-wire", when she
overhears two men planning the murder.
Leona tries to find the right number to tell the police and she
discovers that her former friend and ex-girlfriend of Henry,
Sally Hunt Lord, had lunch with him. She recalls the first
encounter with her husband and parts of her life with him
through flashbacks. Along the night, she learns dirty secrets
about her husband Henry as she attempts to find the intended
victim.
 PARAPHRASING

Involves taking a passage – either spoken or

written - and rewording it. Writers often paraphrase
to deliver information in a more concise way.
 When paraphrasing, it is important to keep the
original meaning so that the facts remain intact. Basically,
you are writing something in your own words that still
expresses the original idea.
 EXAMPLE:

• Original: Her life spanned years of incredible change for

women as they gained more rights than ever before.

• Paraphrase: She live through the exciting era of women’s

liberation.
• Original: Any trip to Italy should include a visit to

Tuscany to sample the region’s exquisite wines.

• Paraphrase: Be sure to make time for a Tuscan wine-

tasting experience when visiting Italy.

• Original: The price of a resort vacation typically includes

meals, tips, and equipment rentals, which makes your

trip more cost-effective.
• Paraphrase: All-inclusive resort vacations can make for

an economic trip.
THANK
YOU