Summary/Paraphrase Assignment
Paraphrase: “in your own words”; allows the writer to modify language that readers might not understand; presents opinions of others in a succinct way; shorter than the original
Summary: focuses on main points; shows consideration of extended (general) argument or main idea; much shorter than original
Examples
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. Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47.
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 (Lester 46-47).
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 (Lester 46-47).
Directions: Please read the following works and complete the assigned tasks for ONE READING.
Essay: “Working Life” by Nisha Ramachandran
1) Summary
Summarize the whole article in 1 sentence. You might think of this as what you would say if you had to tell a friend what this essay was about at its core. The summary should give the title and/or author and should hint at supporting ideas in addition to the main idea.
2) Paraphrase
Paraphrase this passage: “Even an on-campus job may afford the opportunity to build up a resume while banking cash. ‘We are running a business,’ says Janice Sutera, director of the career center at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. ‘With everything we need to make this place work, there is a potential for student workers.’ Jobs swiping meal cards and monitoring the library are still available, but those that require more training such as website design or maintenance often offer higher wages” (Ramachandran 269-70).