Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is restating another
person's ideas in your own words. Even though you are paraphrasing you
must:
1. check your version against
the original to make sure that your version is accurate, and
2. use quotation marks to identify
any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.
It is important to know what
is acceptable paraphrasing. Here are some examples of appropriate and inappropriate
paraphrasing.
Original Source
If the existence of a signing
ape was unsettling for linguists, it was also startling news for animal
behaviorists (Davis qtd. in Hacker, 572).
Unacceptable Borrowing of
Phrases:
The existence of a signing
ape unsettled linguists and startled animal behaviorists (Davis 26). (Hacker
572)
Unacceptable Borrowing of
Structure:
If the presence of a sign-language-using
chimp was disturbing for scientists studying language, it was also surprising
to scientists studying animal behavior (Davis 26). (Hacker 572)
Acceptable Paraphrase:
When they learned of an ape's
ability to use sign language, both linguists and animal behaviorists were
taken by surprise (Davis 26). (Hacker 573)
Acceptable Paraphrase:
According to Flora Davis, both
linguists and animal behaviorists were unprepared for the news that a chimp
could communicate with its trainers through sign language (26). (Hacker
573)
Questions? Confused?
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If you need further assistance,
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