BCOM 301: Business Communication: Writing

A quotation is:

• a way of incorporating another author's ideas using the exact words from the original source
• included in your own sentence (see suggested sentence structures)
• used to explain, illustrate, support, or give an example

Use a quotation INFREQUENTLY, in cases when:

• you need to preserve vivid or technical language
• you want to comment on a quotation
• comparing or contrasting your point of view and the quotation
• a paraphrase might alter the meaning

Sentence Structure Formulas for Quotations:

• Author states, "insert quote here" (in-text citation). In other words, author believes explain the quote in your own words.
• According to author, "insert quote here" (in-text citation). Author is supporting the argument that explain the quote's argument in your own words. 
• In the book, title of book, author maintains that "insert quote here" (in-text citation). In making this comment, author urges us to explain the quote in your own words.

Example:

According to Kearney, "even well-prepared students are often not clear about when and how to use summary, quotation, and paraphrase" (1). Kearney is supporting the argument that these concepts can be difficult to teach and learn but practice and awareness can reduce the tendency for students to plagiarize someone else's work. 

Sources: 

Kearney, Virginia. How to teach paraphrasing, quotation and summary. Owlcation, 26 March 2019, https://owlcation.com/academia/Teaching-Quotation-Paraphrase-and-Summary. Accessed 1 April 2020.

Graff, Gerald, and Birkenstein, Cathy. They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. 4th ed., W.W. Norton & Company, 2018.

A paraphrase is:

• an easier way to incorporate another author's specific points into your paper 
• an accurate and comprehensive account of the author's ideas
• written in your own words and uses a different sentence structure than the original work (see suggested sentence structures)

Use a paraphrase VERY FREQUENTLY, in cases when:

• you need to describe the author's evidence and engage with his/her findings
• referring to a short passage
• the source is not authoritative or interesting enough to quote

Sentence Structure Formulas for Paraphrase:

• On the one hand, author #1 argues insert paraphrase here (in-text citation). On the other hand, author #2  believes insert paraphrase here (in-text citation).
• Author suggested that insert paraphrase here (in-text citation). 
• According to researchers, insert paraphrase here (in-text citation).

Example:

Kearney suggested that writing notes after reading a passage can help students with paraphrasing and make it easier to paraphrase in many of the instances in which students instinctively want to quote (2). 

Source: 

Kearney, Virginia. How to teach paraphrasing, quotation and summary. Owlcation, 26 March 2019, https://owlcation.com/academia/Teaching-Quotation-Paraphrase-and-Summary. Accessed 1 April 2020.

Graff, Gerald, and Birkenstein, Cathy. They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. 4th ed., W.W. Norton & Company, 2018.

A summary is:

• a way of incorporating an author's main idea by using your own words
• summarizes the whole source, not just a section or key point
• much shorter than the original piece

Use a summary FREQUENTLY, in cases when:

• you need to describe the main idea of a book, article or passage
• referring to an author's major argument
• describing a theory you plan to apply to your work

Sentence Structure Formulas for Summary:

• The purpose of author's article is to argue insert summary here (in-text citation). 
• Author's thesis boils down to insert summary here (in-text citation). 
• Numerous researchers have found insert summary here (in-text citation).
• In summary, author argues insert summary here (in-text citation).

Example:

In summary, Kearney argues that students who understand how to quote, paraphrase, and summarize will write stronger papers and have less of a tendency to plagiarize (1).

Source: 

Kearney, Virginia. How to teach paraphrasing, quotation and summary. Owlcation, 26 March 2019, https://owlcation.com/academia/Teaching-Quotation-Paraphrase-and-Summary. Accessed 1 April 2020.

Graff, Gerald, and Birkenstein, Cathy. They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. 4th ed., W.W. Norton & Company, 2018.