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Expert Joined: Sep 11, 2008 Posts: 103

In writing research, you have to cite a lot of quotations. We have several ways to cite: summary,direct quotation, paraphrase. here I just mention paraphrase. how can we write it in your own words?

A paraphrase is...
* your own rendition of essential information and ideas expressed by someone else, presented in a new form.
* one legitimate way (when accompanied by accurate documentation) to borrow from a source.
* a more detailed restatement than a summary, which focuses concisely on a single main idea.

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill because...
* it is better than quoting information from an undistinguished passage.
* it helps you control the temptation to quote too much.
* the mental process required for successful paraphrasing helps you to grasp the full meaning of the original.

6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing
1. Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
2. Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.
3. Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase.
4. Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.
5. Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.
6. Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.

Some examples to compare
*The original passage:
- Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes.
- A legitimate paraphrase:
In research papers students often quote excessively, failing to keep quoted material down to a desirable level. Since the problem usually originates during note taking, it is essential to minimize the material recorded verbatim.

*An acceptable summary:
- Students should take just a few notes in direct quotation from sources to help minimize the amount of quoted material in a research paper.

*A plagiarized version:
- Students often use too many direct quotations when they take notes, resulting in too many of them in the final research paper. In fact, probably only about 10% of the final copy should consist of directly quoted material. So it is important to limit the amount of source material copied while taking notes.
Source:http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/

Expert Joined: Sep 11, 2008 Posts: 116

I find pharaphrasing a difficult part in writing skill. I will try your suggestions, but will these techniques be useful when we focus too much on form, not the content and meaning?

Just started Joined: Feb 21, 2009 Posts: 4

How about trying to re-read the original, "argue" aloud or silently with the author, and then write what she says as well as what you have to say about that. Good luck! Less is more.

Junior Joined: Feb 23, 2009 Posts: 11

u know whenever I start writing .I'm always affected by the Vietlish ,tranlate Vietnamese into English ,severe mistakes .how can I correct my troubles?

Just started Joined: Feb 21, 2009 Posts: 4

I do not think you should feel bothered by your "Vietlish". Try to escape the Viet mind when you put down your thoughts is not a good idea. That is the tone that matters. But try not to translate it from Vietnamese into Eng. How? Read some more and you will find it how because my experience tells me that I can find a natural way to express my thoghts and still get my message across just fine. There is such thing as weird Vietlish, unless your statements are grammatically correct....No worry about the "mistakes". If they are errors, either of thoughts or grammar, fix it now. Hope this helps.

(from http://my.opera.com/horusviet/blog/)

Joined: Feb 26, 2009 Posts: 1

I want to research writing skill, but I only think vietnamess, not thinking by English. So I have a problem about writing skill.
Can u tell me, what i do ?

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