Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing

Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing are three ways to effectively integrate sources into your writing. Below, learn how to use each one in your paper.

1. Quotations

• Use the exact same language as the original.
• Use quotation marks to signal the borrowed language.

Integrating a Quotation

Introduce the Quotation:

• Introduce your quote with a signal phrase and an active verb
  • Eugene Chan (2022) writes that the government is….

• After you introduce it, add your quotation with the citation.
  • Eugene Chan (2022) writes that the government is “seeking ways to limit the effects of human actions on the planet” (para. 1).

• Then, explain why the quote is important to your point.
  • Eugene Chan (2022) writes that the government is “seeking ways to limit the effects of human actions on the planet” (para. 1). In other words, the climate crisis has gotten so bad that the highest ruling bodies are trying to change out impact on the planet.

2. Paraphrases

• Modify the sentence structure.
• Redraft the words used in the original text.
• Are the same length as the original (roughly).
• Accurately represent the ideas from the original.

Paraphrasing Example

Original: “'The theories that make sense when you have huge amounts of data look quite different from those that make sense when you have small amounts,' says Tom Griffiths, a psychologist at Princeton” (Spinney, 2022, para. 10).

Ineffective Paraphrasing: Tom Griffiths, a psychologist at Princeton says that theories that make sense when you have large sets of data don’t look the same as theories when you have smaller data sets (Spinney, 2022).

This paraphrase
X Does not modify the sentence structure enough.
X Does not redraft the words sufficiently.
✓ Does roughly match the same length as the original.
✓ Does represent the ideas accurately

Effective Paraphrasing: In the article, psychologist Tom Griffiths explains the vast difference between theories used to analyze large sets, versus theories used to analyze small data sets (Spinney, 2022).

This paraphrase
✓ Does modify sentence structure sufficiently.
✓ Does redraft the words sufficiently.
✓ Does roughly match the same length as the original.
✓ Does represent the ideas accurately.

3. Summaries

• Condense large concepts.
• Simplify complex ideas.
• Are shorter than the original material.
• Omit material that doesn’t help your argument.

Summary Example: 

Effective Summary: Though scientific theory, as we have understood it, may not yet be gone, it is evolving to a point that we may no longer recognize (Spinney, 2022).

This summary
✓ Condenses the overall point of the article.
✓ Simplifies complex ideas from the article.
✓ Is shorter than the original article
✓ Omits material.

How to Integrate Quotation/Paraphrase/Summary into a Paragraph

Use the acronym M.E.A.L. to help build your quotation, paraphrase, or summary into the structure of your paragraph.

M: Main point/Topic sentence: Introduce the main point of your paragraph with this sentence.
E: Evidence: Insert your quotation, paraphrase, or summary here.
A: Analysis: Add your explanation of the evidence here.
L: Linking-back sentence: Summarize the main point of the paragraph with a sentence that mirrors the main point sentence.

M.E.A.L. Example

M: A second theme that emerges from the sources is _______. E: XX write that, "____________." A: In other words, they help us see that ________. E: Similarly, YY addresses the same theme when they write, "__________." A: What they help us see here is ___________. E: Further, both sources offer insights on [the theme] by arguing _______. L: In sum, by stating these arguments, these sources highlight [the theme].

Writing Services, Wilfrid Laurier University, CC By-NC 2023