Summarizing, Paraphrasing, ICE, and Direct Quoting

Incorporating the ideas of others To weave the information you’ve gathered into your own writing you can: Quote directly Paraphrase Summarize

The Methods Direct quoting involves adding the exact words, inside quotation marks, to your text Paraphrasing, or indirect quoting, involves rewriting a specific part/paragraph/idea in your own words Summarizing involves succinctly giving a synopsis of the main ideas in your own words

Why quote? All of us use others’ ideas to build on, challenge or disagree with The writer must make it clear which ideas and words are his/hers and which belong to others References add weight to your argument Strict conventions exist on quoting others’ ideas or words Use quotations to support your points, not make them.

The ICE Method Use the ICE method: Introduce (first time you use a source-author name, source name, summary of source; after that, just need signal phrase) Cite Explain

I - Introduction An “introduction” can be simple, but ALWAYS needs three parts & is ALWAYS in one sentence on its own (never separated): The author’s full name The full name of the source (either in italics or quotation marks) What the source is about explains how to write a successful essay. John Barton, in his book, Writing in College,

C - Citation Then the citation. This also has three parts: Signal phrase (who is saying it & how are they saying it) The direct quotation The citation He explains, “The ICE method is easy to remember” (Barton 5).

Sample signal phrases Smith points out… Smith reports… Smith notes… Smith observes… Smith concludes… Smith recognizes… According to Smith… To quote Smith… As Smith has indicated… Smith defines … as… Be sure the direct quote does not interrupt the flow of your sentence

Dropped (or stand alone) quotations Do not include a quotation in your document that “stands alone.” This means it doesn’t have a signal phrase.

E -Explanation And the explanation, or justification for the quotation (usually 1-3 sentences long): Most students can remember what the letters in ICE stand for even years afterwards.

Words of Advice Essays that use extensive direct quotations tend to lack voice, continuity, or authority. If you offer quotations every few lines, your ideas become subordinate to other people’s ideas and voices. Your ideas are lost and the piece will not indicate that YOU have done any thinking or synthesizing. Therefore, you are generally better off paraphrasing and summarizing material and using direct quotations sparingly.

Acknowledging your sources There are conventions for indicating the source of the quotations and ideas you’ve used in your writing 1. The bibliography (i.e., References [APA] or Works Cited [MLA]) at the end of the paper 2. Parenthetical citations that follow an individual quotation or reference in your text Your essays will require BOTH

Summarizing Summarizing takes the entire source and puts it into your own words. Summarize the main ideas only Be concise No quotations Tends to be shorter than the original source (In this class, your summaries will be a paragraph [5-7 sentences]) Starts off with an introduction of the source (I of ICE)

A Paraphrase is… Your own version of the meaning of the ideas and/or information of someone else; a very few essential words of the source's may be included. A proper way of using information from a source who you cite. Different from a summary in that it consists of approximately the same number of words as the original; whereas a summary focuses on the main idea and condenses information.

Paraphrasing Guidelines Do not alter the author’s original message Do not eliminate any significant background information Do not misrepresent the author’s intentions Do not copy the original wording too closely Don’t just change a few words or shuffle things around; read the passage several times and completely rewrite it.

Paraphrasing Tips 1. Reread the original passage to grasp its full meaning. 2. Think about the sense, the purpose, the reasoning of the original; then write out your paraphrase. 3. Check your version with the original to make sure that yours accurately expresses all the essential information without relying on the same phrasing or form of expression. 4. Use quotation marks to identify any unique terms you have borrowed exactly from the source. 5. Jot down a few words to remind yourself later about how you plan on using your paraphrase. Write a keyword or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase. 6. Record the source (including the page) so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.

Example of a Paraphrase In a far away, long ago kingdom, Cinderella is living happily with her mother and father until her mother dies. Cinderella's father remarries a cold, cruel woman who has two daughters, Drizella and Anastasia. When the father dies, Cinderella's wicked stepmother turns her into a virtual servant in her own house. Meanwhile, across town in the castle, the King determines that his son the Prince should find a suitable bride and provide him with a required number of grandchildren. So the King invites every eligible maiden in the kingdom to a fancy dress ball, where his son will be able to choose his bride. Cinderella has no suitable party dress for a ball, but her friends the mice, lead by Jaques and Gus, and the birds lend a hand in making her one, a dress the evil stepsisters immediately tear apart on the evening of the ball. At this point, enter the Fairy Godmother, who creates a pumpkin carriage and dress for her to arrive at the royal ball under the understanding that it would disappear at the stroke of midnight. She and the prince meet and fall in love at first glance. She is also given glass slippers, one of which she loses on her way hurrying out of the ball. The prince, after finding the shoe, creates a search team to find the wearer. The stepsisters try to get in the way of Cinderella being discovered; however, the shoe only fit Cinderella. Despite her shabby appearance, the Prince allows Cinderella to try on the shoe, and the rest, as they say, is fairy tale history.

Summarizing Condensing a writer’s ideas into a much shorter piece with your words Summaries allow you to sort through the information in the source and report only what you consider to be essential.

Example of a Summary Though put to work by her evil stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella manages to get a ball gown by the help of her friends and make it to the ball where she meets the Prince. There, they fall in love, she loses her shoe, reunites with the Prince, and lives happily ever after.

Why Summarizing/Paraphrasing is Important The mental process required for successful paraphrasing helps you to grasp the full meaning of the original. It helps you control the temptation to quote too much. It is better than quoting information from an undistinguished passage.