Quote/ Paraphrasing Handout from English 120

Larsen/120

Integrating Quotations and Paraphrases

 MLA Documentation Style

When you take words or ideas from sources (books, articles, web sites, etc.) and incorporate them into your essay, you must acknowledge the sources within the text of your essay and on a separate works cited page. You don’t have to cite things that are common knowledge or facts that are available in a variety of sources.  Otherwise, whenever you use someone else’s words or ideas, be sure to cite your source to avoid plagiarism.  See Chapters 6, 15 and 21 in The Bedford Researcher for more information.

CITING SOURCES WITHIN THE TEXT OF YOUR ESSAY

Three ways to integrate information from a source:

1. Direct quotation:  take word-for-word information from the source, in the form of a partial quotation (a phrase), a complete quotation (a sentence), or a block (a longer passage)
2. Paraphrasing/Summarizing: completely reword an idea(s) from the source
3. Combination – paraphrase part of the idea(s) and quote a key phrase(s)

Whichever method you utilize, be sure to introduce and cite the source as follows:

The first time you integrate information from a source:

You may quote and/or paraphrase the same source several times in your paper.  The first time that you quote a source, you should introduce it with an attributive tag:  the author’s full name and the title and/or brief description of his/her credentials.  After the quote, put the page number in parentheses.  If your source does not have page numbers, you do not need to include parentheses.  See Chapter 15B of BR.

EXAMPLES:

In “The Thematic Paradigm,” Robert Ray states, “The attractiveness of the outlaw hero’s childishness and propensity to whims, tantrums, and emotional decisions derived from America’s cult of childhood” (309).

According to Robert Ray, a professor of film, “The attractiveness of the outlaw hero’s childishness and propensity to whims, tantrums, and emotional decisions derived from America’s cult of childhood” (309).

As Robert Ray, a film professor, argues in “The Thematic Paradigm,” “The attractiveness of the outlaw hero’s childishness and propensity to whims, tantrums, and emotional decisions derived from America’s cult of childhood” (309).

The next time you refer to that same source:

If you have already introduced the source’s title and the author’s complete name, you may refer to that author by his/her last name in the rest of the essay, and you do not need to mention the title of the essay again:

Ray states, “Despite the existence of both heroes, the national ideology clearly preferred the outlaw” (271).

                                                                                                                                                           

How to paraphrase:

Summarize what the author says completely in your own words.  Make sure you introduce the source and cite the page number.

Original passage: 

“Supervision is often both tight and woefully inappropriate at most fast-food organizations.”

Paraphrasing:

As sociologist Amatai Etzioni points out in “Why Fast-Food Joints Don’t Serve Up Good Jobs for Kids,” the management at fast-food chains can often be very strict and, at times, unacceptable for a working environment (269).

OR, if you have already mentioned his full name and the title of his essay:

Etzioni points out that the management at fast-food chains can often be very strict and, at times, unacceptable for a working environment (269).

Tips:

1. Follow the general pattern of BLEND, INTRODUCE, PUNCTUATE, CITE
2. Don’t start a body paragraph with a quotation.  You should use your own words to introduce quotes.  These quotes should logically blend into your paragraph.
3. Don’t end a body paragraph with a quote.  Quotes should be followed by statements that explain or expand on the ideas that they present.
4. Avoid orphan quotations.  Use attributive tags.
5. Don’t take quotations out of context or misrepresent a source’s ideas.
6. If you quote or paraphrase information without introducing the author’s name, be sure the author’s name is included in the in-text citation (Etzioni 269).
7. Use italics for titles of longer works, such as films and books
8. Use quotation marks for titles of shorter works, such as articles and essays
9. See Chapter 15b of BR for information on block quotations, use of ellipses, etc.