Paraphrase Borrowed ideas presented in the language of the researcher/writer (uses your own words and sentence structure to communicate the source’s ideas) Ideas must be accurate, but the paraphrase is not enclosed in quotation marks.
Essay 3 Requirements Selectively paraphrase details from the story and film to illustrate your observations. Incorporate at least two paraphrases of secondary source material that supplement your own ideas throughout your analysis paragraphs and show your ability to incorporate source ideas into your own writing style.
Why paraphrase? Used for incorporating source ideas when the writing style of the source isn’t notable Sometimes more concise than the source Sometimes more stylistically effective than quotations Gives greater credibility than numerous quotations
Examples Quote: “These are the times that try men’s souls.”— Thomas Paine Paraphrase: This period is very challenging for everyone.
Quote: “Relating the educational quality of institutions of higher education to their cost is a difficult task, especially given the complications introduced by the many new forms of financial aid now available.”—[”The Best Values: A Combination of Quality and Cost.” Newsweek 23 Sept. 2010: 90. Print.] Paraphrase: According to “The Best Values,” the numerous types of financial aid make it challenging to determine whether colleges and universities are worth their price (90).
Paraphrasing Pitfalls to Avoid Your paraphrase may not change the meaning of the original passage. You may not merely substitute a few words or rearrange the order of words from the original passage, which is a form of plagiarism EXCEPTIONS: Words that are extremely common or have no acceptable synonym (articles, prepositions, proper names, dates)
Original: However much Abraham Lincoln believed in democracy, the American masses, in the half-century following their war-President's death, did not seem to believe in themselves.... [Lewis, L. Myths after Lincoln. New York: Press of the Readers Club Print.] Paraphrase A: Lewis points out that no matter how much Abraham Lincoln believed in democracy, American masses did not appear to believe in themselves in the half-century after their war- President's death (247). Paraphrase B: Lewis points out that the average American in the 50 years after Lincoln died appeared to possess no self-confidence, despite the fact that Lincoln had a great deal of faith in democracy (247).
Integrating Paraphrases Correctly Introduce the paraphrase – Use a short phrase with a comma – Use a full sentence with a colon – Combine with your own sentence with no additional punctuation Include the writer’s name. Include the page number (if there is one) in parentheses at the end of the paraphrase.
Short Phrase with Comma PRIMARY Original: "Look at my hand; whiter than yours, Armand," she laughed hysterically. Paraphrase: As Desiree claims, her skin is not as dark as Armand’s (Chopin). NOTES: – You also may need to indicate which character is speaking. – Not all stories have page numbers.
Full Sentence with Colon PRIMARY Original: "I must not only punish, but punish with impunity." Paraphrase: Montressor sums up his philosophy of revenge in the first paragraph of the story: in addition to exacting revenge, he must suffer no punishment for doing so (Poe 346). NOT: Montressor sums up his philosophy of revenge in the first paragraph of the story, in addition to exacting revenge, he must suffer no punishment for doing so (Poe 346).
Your Sentence, No Punctuation PRIMARY Original: “She disappeared among the reeds and willows that grew thick along the banks of the deep, sluggish bayou; and she did not come back again.” Paraphrase: Desiree never returned after wandering into the bayou (Chopin).
Short Phrase with Comma SECONDARY Original: “she leaves it to the reader to decide whether Armand’s cruelty springs from social forces and prejudice or whether it is in reality a distant memory of his mother—a repressed, unconscious remembrance of his own past.” Paraphrase: According to Foy, Chopin does not reveal if Armand behaves as he does because of prejudice or because of some lingering recollection of his own family history, especially his mother (223).
Full Sentence with Colon SECONDARY Original: “she leaves it to the reader to decide whether Armand’s cruelty springs from social forces and prejudice or whether it is in reality a distant memory of his mother—a repressed, unconscious remembrance of his own past.” Paraphrase: One scholar claims that Chopin does not fully reveal why Armand behaves as he does: it may be because of prejudice or because of some lingering recollection of his own family history, especially his mother (Foy 223).
Your Sentence, No Punctuation SECONDARY Original: “she leaves it to the reader to decide whether Armand’s cruelty springs from social forces and prejudice or whether it is in reality a distant memory of his mother— a repressed, unconscious remembrance of his own past.” Paraphrase: Foy points out the difficulty of determining if Armand behaves as he does because of prejudice or because of some lingering recollection of his own family history, especially his mother (223). OR Foy claims that Chopin does not reveal if Armand behaves as he does because of prejudice or because of some lingering recollection of his own family history, especially his mother (223).