Unit 5 Referencing: Paraphrasing and Summarising
Writing
Getting Taking Organising Linking Academic
Referencing Revising a final
ideas notes ideas ideas style draft
The writing process
Session 1
In this session you will learn how to do the following:
Recognise when to use references in your writing
Paraphrase information and ideas from sources
Activity 1: Find out about referencing
Read the text, underline the key words and answer in short the
questions to check your understanding about referencing.
Referencing
Referencing is very important in academic writing. You use paraphrase*,
summary or direct quotation when you want to refer to other people’s
ideas as evidence to support your ideas. To use other people’s ideas,
words, research findings or any information without acknowledging the
source is called plagiarism* which is a serious academic offence.
Plagiarism can be avoided by including the details of the sources you have
paraphrased, summarised or quoted from in your writing. You should do
this both in the body of your essay or report (this is called ‘in-text
citation’*) and by providing a detailed list of those sources at the end of
your essay/report in a Bibliography* or References* list.
1. What is referencing?_______________________________________
2. What is plagiarism? _________________________________________
3. How can you avoid plagiarism?________________________________
4. What is in-text citation?_____________________________________
5. Look at the glossary and write the difference between Bibliography*
and References*.___________________________________________
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Activity 2: What is paraphrasing?
Work in pairs.
Paraphrasing* is a common technique which we use when we refer to other
people’s work in our writing. When you paraphrase, you rewrite someone’s
ideas in your own way, but you retain the main idea, and you must also cite
the original author. The diagram shows four common strategies for
paraphrasing successfully.
1. Change the vocabulary by using synonyms*
Text A (source) Text B (paraphrase)
traditional conventional
2. Change the word class*
For example, change from nouns to verbs or adjectives
to nouns.
Text A (source) Text B (paraphrase)
Strategies
to 3. Change the order of the words in the
paraphrase sentence
For example, make the object of the sentence the
effectively subject.
Text A (source) Text B (paraphrase)
4. Change the grammar without changing
the meaning
For example, change active voice into passive voice or
vice versa; long sentences can be made short and short
sentences can be connected together;
Text A (source) Text B (paraphrase)
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Compare the text below (A) and its paraphrase (B). Find the differences and
write them in the diagram above.
A
Cubism developed as an important art
style in the early twentieth century.
Cubist painters abandoned the traditional
approach of painting people, objects and
landscapes as they appear in real life in
favour of a technique using lines and
geometric shapes to give a portrayal of
their subject from multiple perspectives.
Pablo Picasso was a leading figure in the
Cubist movement.
B
At the beginning of the twentieth
century, a new approach to art of great
importance emerged, namely Cubism.
Conventional methods of representing
nature, humankind and objects were
rejected by painters who were followers
of Cubism. Instead lines and geometric
shapes were used to portray the subject
of their paintings from several different
positions at the same time. An influential
artist in this new movement was Pablo
Picasso.
Study Tip
To paraphrase, read the original text carefully and take notes. Then use your
notes to write the paraphrase. This will help you write in your own words
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Activity 3: Can you paraphrase?
Read the topic sentence below. Provide support for this sentence from the
information in the text which follows. First make notes and then paraphrase
the ideas.
TOPIC SENTENCE: Because of high population, public facilities in Dhaka city
will be under great strain.
Greater Dhaka is one of the fastest-growing mega cities in the world. An
estimated 300,000 to 400,000 migrants, mostly poor people from rural areas,
arrive in the metropolitan area annually. Since 2000, its population has more
than doubled and it is projected to grow to 25 million by 2025. With the
population growing at this pace, civic amenities are likely to fall apart leading
to anarchy and lawlessness.
Text source: (Extract from) Ahmad, W. (2012) Dhaka: The city wronged
http://opinion.bdnews24.com/2012/09/01/dhaka-the-city-wronged/
My Notes
My paraphrase:
Because of the high population, public facilities in Dhaka city will be under
great strain._________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Share your paraphrase with a partner.
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Extension: Paraphrasing recap
A student, Mithila, has some questions about paraphrasing. From
what you have learnt in this session, can you answer her questions?
Mithila’s questions. Your answers
When I want to use an idea from a
source in my essay, can I just copy
it, or do I have to make some
changes to how it is written?
What sort of changes do I
make?
When I paraphrase, why must I
always cite the original author?
Home task
a) Portfolio task
Write a paraphrase of the text below for your portfolio.
The popularity of e-commerce is rapidly increasing in Bangladesh. E-commerce is
the process of buying or selling products and / or services online. More and more
people are now becoming conscious of the benefits and security of e-commerce.
Mobile phone companies are using e-commerce for bill payment and other
customer services; banks are providing ATM and online banking facilities and
shopping malls have introduced the facility for buying products by using
debit/credit cards. Rokhsana Begum, a housewife in Chittagong, says, ‘I don’t like
carrying cash when I go to buy something in a shopping mall’. It is interesting to
note that more and more people in sectors like education, public health and
taxation are conducting their activities through e-commerce.
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Unit 5 Referencing: Paraphrasing and Summarising
Writing
Getting Taking Organising Linking Academic
Referencing Revising a final
ideas notes ideas ideas style draft
The writing process
Session 2
In this session you will learn how to do the following:
Paraphrase and summarise information and ideas from sources
Activity 1: What is a summary?
Work in pairs
You can summarise the main idea, a point of view or even a whole text in just
one sentence or a few sentences in your academic writing. Look at both the
texts and identify which one is the summary. How are text A and B different?
Text A Text B
The popularity of e-commerce is rapidly increasing Because of the benefits and
in Bangladesh. E-commerce is the process of security of e-commerce, it is
buying or selling products and/or services online. becoming more and more
More and more people are now becoming popular in Bangladesh. Mobile
conscious of the benefits and security of e- phone companies, banks, and
commerce. Mobile phone companies are using e- shopping malls are enabling
commerce for bill payment and other customer customers to pay bills and
services; banks are providing ATM and online access other customer services
banking facilities and shopping malls have online. Interestingly, an
introduced the facility for buying products by using increasing number of people,
debit/credit cards. Rokhsana Begum, a housewife for example working in
in Chittagong, says, ‘I don’t like carrying cash when education, public health and
I go to buy something in a shopping mall’. It is taxation are using e-commerce
interesting to note that more and more people in in their daily lives.
sectors like education, public health and taxation
are conducting their activities through e-
commerce.
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Activity 2: How to Summarise?
Work in pairs.
Look carefully at the summary text in Activity 1 and discuss together.
a) How did the writer make the summary?
b) What do you notice about quotes, details and sentence structure?
c) Decide if the following statements about summarising are true or false.
1. You should first check quickly to see if the text is useful for your
essay. T_
2. You should note down as many examples as possible. ___
3. You can use note-taking strategies, such as writing down key
words. ___
4. You can underline the main points to help you find them. ___
5. You should copy out the useful parts. ___
6. You can use the paraphrasing strategies you have learnt to help
you write your summary. ___
7. You should check your summary matches the focus and meaning of
the original text. ___
8. You must use your own words to write the summary. ___
9. A summary should be almost as long as the original text. ___
d) Now in your own words, use what you have learnt about summarising to
complete the steps for writing a successful summary
My
summary!
Original
text
read
quickly
to decide
if the text
is relevant
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Activity 3: Summarising a text
Summarise the text below using the steps from Activity 2. (Use no
more than 25 words).
Tissue culture for seedling multiplication and other biotechnological
innovations has had a huge impact on modern agriculture. Hybrid seeds of
rice, maize, vegetables and other crops have also made a great contribution
to overall agricultural production. If all the modern technologies in
agriculture that are available in Bangladesh are adopted judiciously, it is
expected that in spite of the 1.36 per cent population growth and one per
cent reduction of cultivable land every year, farmers, agricultural scientists
and extension personnel will be able to feed the growing population.
Text source (adapted from) ‘High tech agriculture in Bangladesh’ The Daily Star 26 June, 2012
http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/cache/cached-news-details-239708.html
My notes:
My summary
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Share your summary with a partner
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Activity 4: Developing academic vocabulary
Here are some useful academic words you are meeting in the units.
a) Find them in the word search.
b) Check their meaning in a dictionary
Here are some useful
academic words you are
meeting in the units.
complex element
principle relevant
strategy income
evidence positive
primary
c) Choose any five of these words to make sentences which clearly show the
meaning of the word.
1. _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
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Extension: What is the difference between summary and
paraphrase
Work in pairs.
Discuss together: What is the difference between summary and paraphrase?
Now complete the gap fill together.
Summarising Paraphrasing
___________________ is helpful when you want to use the detail of a
writer’s research findings or opinion to support your argument.
___________________ saves you rewriting long passages.
Home task
a) Critical reflection
Think back on what you have learnt in this unit and reflect on the
experience.
1. Do you think that you can paraphrase and summarise a text?
2. How will these skills be useful when you will write a report or
essay?
3. Do you think that you are now more equipped to avoid plagiarism
in your writing? Why do you think so?
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b) Portfolio task
Now read the text that follows about how to do well in
undergraduate study. Write a summary AND a paraphrase of the text.
Add the completed task to your portfolio.
How to do well in undergraduate study
Learning is enhanced when it is more like a team effort than a solo race.
Good learning, like good work, is collaborative and social, not competitive
and isolated. Working with others often increases involvement in learning.
Sharing one’s own ideas and responding to others’ reactions sharpens
thinking and deepens understanding.
Text source: (Extract from) Chickering, W. & Gamson, Z. (1987) ‘Seven Principles for Good
Practice in Undergraduate Education AAHE Bulletin, p3-7 Mar 1987.
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED282491.pdf
c) New vocabulary
Use your dictionary to search the meaning of the following words which
you will encounter in the next unit, and write in the table.
Words Meaning
contingent
eternal
fleeting
transient
yardstick
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