CHAPTER USING OUTSIDE

3 SOURCES

OBJECTIVES
To write academic texts, you need
to master certain skills.

In this chapter, you will learn to:

● Cite sources of outside
information used for reference
● Use direct and indirect
quotations as supporting details
● Correctly paraphrase
information from outside
sources
● Summarize outside sources
used as support
● Write, revise, and edit
a summary of an article
about language

Many languages will soon die out if the older generations

do not teach them to the children.

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 INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, you will practice using information from outside sources to support
your ideas. Outside sources are materials you refer to other than your own knowledge
and experience. Outside sources can include information you gain from reliable online
websites, books, other print materials such as newspapers, or interviews.

There are three ways to insert outside information into your own writing: You can
quote it; you can paraphrase it; or you can summarize it. Whichever way you choose,
you must tell your readers where you found the information you use. In this chapter,
you will learn more about each method. Your final assignment will be to write an
academic summary on the topic of language.

ANALYZING THE MODEL

The writing model discusses an Alaskan language that is on the edge of extinction.
Read the model. Then answer the questions.

! Writing Model
1 2 3 4 5 6

Hope for Dying Languages

1 Inupiaq, an Alaskan language, has been threatened with extinction, but new educational
initiatives may bring it back to life. 2 The threat to Inupiaq is very serious. 3 According to the
National Geographic “Enduring Voice” project, a language dies every two weeks (“Disappearing
Languages”). 4 Since Inupiaq has only 1,500 remaining speakers, it is in grave danger of following
this trend (Hopkins). 5 The decline began under a harsh policy of assimilation in the last century.
6 This directive forced Native Americans to attend English language schools. 7 At these schools,
they were discouraged from speaking their native tongues. 8 Now, however, that policy has been
changed. 9 Inupiaq is currently taught at the University of Alaska. 10 Similarly, software developers
are writing computer programs to help children learn Inupiaq and other endangered languages.
11 These efforts may increase Inupiaq use in the younger generation. 12 Henry Goodman, a
young Inupiat man, recently commented that he feels disconnected from his culture because he
cannot speak the same language as older Inupiat people (Woodroof). 13 Happily, the new Inupiaq
language projects will give him a chance to learn it now.

Sources:
1. “Disappearing Languages.” National Geographic.
2. Hopkins, Kyle. “Alaska Natives Team with Rosetta Stone.”
3. Woodroof, Martha. “Endangered Alaskan Language Goes Digital.”

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 Questions about the Model
1. What is the topic sentence? Underline it.
2. How do sentences 2 and 11 develop the topic sentence?
3. What key supporting fact is included in sentence 3? Where did the author of this
paragraph find this information?
4. How do you think this paragraph might have been different if the author had
relied only on information from his or her personal experience?

!Noticing Vocabulary: Synonyms 2

In Chapter 2, you learned about using synonyms to avoid repetition. Using synonyms
can also add interest, specificity, and nuance to your writing. When you are looking for
a synonym, remember that you can use a thesaurus.

PRACTICE 1 Identifying Synonyms

A Find these words and their synonyms in the model. Write the synonyms.

1. threat

2. initiatives

3. serious

4. languages

B Find the word happily in the last sentence of the writing model. Circle the
synonym that best fits the meaning of happily as it is used in the model.
1. cheerfully 2. joyfully 3. gladly 4. luckily

USING AND CITING SOURCES

Using reliable outside sources can help your writing, but there are many things you
need to know before you start using the words and ideas of others to support and
expand your ideas.

PLAGIARISM
When you use information from an outside source without acknowledging that source,
you are guilty of plagiarism. Plagiarism is using someone else’s words or ideas as if
they were your own, and it is a serious offense. Students who plagiarize may fail a
class or even be expelled from school.

To avoid plagiarism, you should always put quotation marks around words that
you copy exactly. You do not need to use quotation marks if you change the words.
However, whether you copy the words exactly or state an idea in your own words, you
must cite the source. To cite a source means to tell where you got the information.

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 CORRECT CITATIONS
The purpose of a citation is not only to avoid plagiarism, but also to refer your readers
to the source of your information. That way, they can read the original source if they
want to learn more about the topic. It is important to be accurate in your citations.

There are a number of different ways of citing information. In general, you will want
to follow whatever guidelines your instructor gives you to complete an assignment.
However, for most of your academic work, you will find this two-stage process useful
and sufficient for citing your sources:
1. Insert a short reference in parentheses at the end of each piece of borrowed
information. This short reference is called an in-text citation.
2. Prepare a list describing all your sources completely. This list is titled “Works
Cited” and appears as the last page of your paper.

In-Text Citations
Here are three examples of in-text citations and of their corresponding entries in a
works-cited list. In the first example, notice the position and punctuation of the citation—
at the end of the last sentence of the borrowed information, before the final period.
According to the National Geographic “Enduring Voices” project, a language
dies every two weeks (“Disappearing Languages”).

The phrase “Disappearing Languages” in quotation marks and parentheses at the end of this
sentence is the first element of the title of an article from which the preceding information
was taken. There was no author. If there had been an author, the author’s last name—rather
than part of a title—would have appeared inside the parentheses, with no quotation marks.
Because the article was found on the Internet, it did not have a page number.

Here is an example of an in-text citation for an article with an author and page number:
(Bryson 17)

If you include a quotation in your writing that you found in someone else’s work,
indicate the source of that quotation. Your in-text citation will say qtd. in, which is an
abbreviation for quoted in:
(qtd. in Bryson 17)

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 Writing Tip
It’s good to keep in-text citations short. If the body of your text includes an author’s
name or work’s title, then your in-text citation only needs to include a page number.
In his exciting work Language and Revolution, Joe Smith explains
that the beginnings of this upheaval lie entirely in the imagination (14).

Entries in Works-Cited List

If readers want more information about your sources, they can turn to the works-cited
list at the end of the essay, report, or paper and find these entries:
“Disappearing Languages: Enduring Voices—Documenting the World’s
Endangered Languages.” National Geographic. Nationalgeographic.com.
2012. Web. 14 Jun. 2012. <http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/
enduring-voices/>

This entry tells us that the complete title of the article is “Disappearing Languages:
Enduring Voices—Documenting the World’s Endangered Languages.” It was
published online in 2012 by National Geographic. Nationalgeographic.com is the name
of the website on which it was published. The date 14 Jun 2012 is the date the writer
found the article while researching the topic. The information in angle brackets (< >) is
the website address (URL) where the article can be found. The URL is not required, but
it can be helpful to provide it.

Entries for print publications are a little different. At the end of the reference, give the
city of publication, the publisher’s name, the date of publication, and the word Print.
This shows that this is not an online source.
Bryson, Bill. The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way.
New York: Avon, 1991. Print.

See Appendix E: Research and Documentation of Sources, page 312, for more information on
strategies for doing and citing research.

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 PRACTICE 2 Using Citations
For each source, write a parenthetical in-text citation and the information that
you would include in a works-cited list.

1. A quote from page 152 of the book Go Tell It on the Mountain, by James Baldwin,
published in 1953, in New York, by Dell Publishing, in print.

In-text citation: (Baldwin 152)

Works cited: Baldwin, James. Go Tell It on the Mountain.

New York: Dell Publishing, 1953. Print.

2. A paraphrase from page 33 of the article “Can Minority Languages Be Saved?”

by Eric Garland, published on pages 31–36 in the July–August 2006 edition of the
magazine The Futurist.

In-text citation:

Works cited:

3. Information from the article “Olympic Table Tennis Grunts Are Athlete’s Universal
Language” by Jodi Jill, published in 2012 on the website examiner.com and
retrieved on August 15, 2012.<www.examiner.com/article/olympic-table-tennis-
grunts-are-athlete-s-universal-language>

In-text citation:

Works cited:

4. A quote from page 152 of the book The Argument Culture: Stopping America’s War of
Words, by Deborah Tannen, published in 1999 by Ballantine Books in New York.

In-text citation:

Works cited:

5. Information from the article “Becoming an Independent Language Learner”

by Aaron G. Myers, published on July 25, 2012, on the website The Everyday
Language Learner and accessed on October 15, 2012. <www.everydaylanguage
learner.com/2012/07/25/becoming-indpendent-language-learner/>

In-text citation:

Works cited:

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 QUOTATIONS

Quotations from reliable and knowledgeable sources are good supporting details.
There are two different types of quotations: direct and indirect. When you use a direct
quotation in academic writing, you copy another person’s exact words (spoken or
written) and enclose them in quotation marks. When you use an indirect quotation, the
speaker’s or writer’s words are reported indirectly, without quotation marks. For this
reason, indirect quotations are sometimes called reported speech.

In academic writing, you should never use an indirect quotation without paraphrasing,
or rephrasing information in your own words. In this chapter, you will learn more
about paraphrasing on pages 58–65.

PRACTICE 3 Analyzing Direct Quotations

Work with a partner. Reread the writing model “Hope for Dying Languages,”
on page 47. Then answer the questions.
1. Who spoke the words in quotation marks?
2. What verb introduces the quotation?
3. What information is provided by the in-text citation at the end of the quotation?
● Who wrote the article in which the quotation originally appeared?

● Is the source a printed article or an online article? How do

you know?
● Why do you think the author of the paragraph included the

quotation? How does the quotation support the main idea?

REPORTING VERBS AND PHRASES

As you probably noticed, the verb comments introduced the quotation in the writing
model on page 47. To introduce borrowed information—direct quotations, indirect
quotations, or specific facts or ideas—from someone else’s work, use the phrase
according to or a reporting verb such as comment or one of these verbs:
assert insist note state
claim maintain report suggest
declare mention say write

Here are some rules for their use.

Rules Examples
1. R
 eporting verbs can appear One instructor says , “It is impossible to teach
before, in the middle of, or after language without teaching grammar” (Jones 12).
a quotation.
“It is impossible to teach a language,” says one
instructor, “without teaching grammar” (Jones 12).
“It is impossible to teach language without teaching
grammar,” says one instructor (Jones 12).

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 Rules Examples
2. T
 he reporting phrase according to According to one instructor, teaching language
usually appears at the beginning without teaching grammar is impossible (Jones 12).
or end, but not in the middle of
Teaching language without teaching grammar is
a sentence.
impossible, according to one instructor (Jones 12).
3. Use according to with a According to linguist Deborah Tannen, journalist
reporting verb only when two David Broder claims that more news coverage is
separate people are saying two devoted to political analysis of events than to the
separate things. events themselves (Tannen 34).
4. R
 eporting verbs can be used As one middle school teacher says , when
either with or without the discussing the teaching of grammar, “When you
subordinator as. learn your first language, your mind automatically
understands the grammar” (Jones 15).
One middle school teacher says , when discussing
the teaching of grammar, “When you learn
your first language, your mind automatically
understands the grammar” (Jones 15).
5. R
 eporting verbs can be in any Some critics claim / have claimed that certain
tense. However, a past tense programs have not provided enough grammar
reporting verb may cause teaching in ESL classes for young children (“English
changes in verbs, pronouns, and for Tots Not So Hot”).
time expressions in an indirect
Some critics claimed that certain programs had not
quotation. See Sequence of
provided enough grammar teaching in ESL classes
Tenses Rules, page 56, for more
for young children (“English for Tots Not So Hot”).
information on these types
of changes.

Writing Tip
Including the source of the borrowed information with the reporting expression
gives authority to your writing because it lets your reader know immediately
that your information is from a credible source.

PUNCTUATING DIRECT QUOTATIONS

Follow these general rules for punctuating direct quotations.

Rules Examples
1. P
 ut quotation marks around According to Language / Brain Magazine , “ Many
information that you copy word- people believe that some people have more talent for
for-word from a source. Do not use learning language than others .”
quotation marks with paraphrases,
summaries, or indirect quotations.

(continued on next page)

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 Rules Examples
2. N
 ormally, place commas (and “Many people believe that some people have more
periods) before the first mark and talent for learning language than others , ” according
also before the second mark in a to Language / Brain Magazine.
pair of quotation marks.
Exceptions:
If you insert only a few quoted words Susanna Wong, a professor at Upper Midwest State
into your own sentence, do not University, argues that “a large percentage” of
use commas. language learners never fully acquire proficiency (128).
When you add an in-text citation after The Association for Childhood English Learning
a quotation, put the period after the warns, “A solely grammatical curriculum can prevent
closing parenthesis mark. the children from learning how to communicate, yet
grammar in some amount is required for a learner to
become highly proficient” (qtd. in Torralba 26) .
3. W
 hen quoting a complete sentence, T he Association for Childhood English Learning
capitalize the first word of the warns, “ A solely grammatical curriculum can prevent
quotation as well as the first word the children from learning how to communicate, yet
of your sentence. grammar in some amount is required for a learner to
become highly proficient” (qtd. in Torralba 26).
4. I f you break a quoted sentence into “ A solely grammatical curriculum can prevent the
two parts, enclose both parts in children from learning how to communicate ,” warns
quotation marks and separate the The Association for Childhood English Learning , “ y et
parts with commas. Capitalize only grammar in some amount is required for a learner to
the first word of the sentence. become highly proficient” (qtd. in Torralba 26).
5. I f you omit words, use an ellipsis As Henry Goodman, a young Inupiat man,
(three spaced periods). comments, “Listening to the elders . . . speak the
language, I couldn’t understand.”
6. I f you add words, put square He added, “It’s part of our culture and I never did
brackets around the words you learn [ the ] language growing up” (qtd. in Woodroof)
have added.
7. U
 se single quotation marks to A student said, “When I first started learning English,
enclose a quotation within a I would say things like ‘ he go ’ or ‘ I no have. ’ ” (qtd.
quotation. in Jones 14).
8. I f your quotation is four lines or A national news agency reported these survey results :
longer, do not use quotation marks.
Several years ago [when] 198 teachers in the
Introduce this type of quotation
city were asked how much time they spend on
with a colon and indent it one inch
grammar teaching in the classroom, 75 teachers
from the left-hand margin.
said they spent more than 90% of their time on
grammar, 90 said they spent less than 10% of
their time on grammar, and only 10 said they
spent about 50% of their time on grammar (qtd.
in Torralba 34).

See Appendix C: Punctuation Rules, page 299, for more information.

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 PRACTICE 4 Punctuating Direct Quotations
Add punctuation to the direct quotations, and change the capitalization as
necessary.

1. Dr. Yixuan Ma, a well-known astrophysicist who has been studying black holes,

said they are the most interesting phenomena we astrophysicists have ever

studied.

2. As she explained in black holes the laws of nature do not seem to apply.

3. A black hole is a tiny point with the mass 25 times the mass of our sun explained

Ma’s associate, Chun-Yi Su. Black holes are created by the death of a very large

star she stated.

4. It is an invisible vacuum cleaner in space she added with tremendous

gravitational pull.

5. According to Dr. Su, if a person falls into a black hole, he will eventually be

crushed due to the tremendous gravitational forces.

6. Time will slow down for him as he approaches the point of no return she said and

when he reaches the point of no return, time will stand still for him.

USING DIRECT QUOTATIONS AS SUPPORT

The purpose of learning to write quotations is to be able to use them as supporting
material in your writing. Quotations from experts in a field or people with particular
experience can serve as useful details and examples when explaining a point.

TRY IT OUT! On a separate sheet of paper, write a short paragraph using the material presented
here comparing computers with the human brain. Follow the instructions.
1. Copy the topic sentence exactly as it is given.
2. Write several supporting sentences, using the main points and quotations
supplied. Add supporting details such as examples if you can. Use the techniques
and rules you have learned for quotations.
3. Add an in-text citation in the proper format after each quotation.
topic sentence  Computers cannot be compared to human brains.

main point a  The human brain is more powerful than any computer.

quotation  “The human brain has information processing capabilities that are infinitely
beyond anything that can be conceived of by a computer.”

main point b  The kinds of processing in a human brain and a computer are different, too.
(continued on next page)

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 quotation  “A computer can easily calculate complicated numerical equations, which is
difficult for a human being to do independently. On the other hand, humans
easily discuss the relationships among ideas in a text and summarize
stories. These are exceedingly difficult tasks for a computer.”

source  Both quotations are from an article entitled “Computers and the Human
Brain” by Sasha Moskovski. The article was published on the website
topictalk.com on May 3, 2009.

CHANGING DIRECT QUOTATIONS TO INDIRECT QUOTATIONS

When you change a direct quotation to an indirect quotation, use this method:
● Omit the quotation marks.

● Add the subordinator that.*

● Change the verb tense if necessary. Follow the sequence of

tenses rules.
● Change pronouns (and time expressions if necessary) to keep the

sense of the original.

*
The subordinator that is often omitted in reported speech, especially in spoken language.

Sequence of Tenses Rules

If the reporting verb is in a past tense, the verbs in an indirect quotation may change tense
according to the rules. Also, pronouns (and sometimes time expressions) may change.

Tense Changes
Rules Direct Quotations Indirect Quotations

1. S
 imple present changes Susan said, “The exam is at Susan said (that) the exam
to simple past. eight o’clock.” was at eight o’clock.
2. S
 imple past and present She said, “We didn’t have   She said (that) they hadn’t
perfect change to past time to eat breakfast.” had time to eat breakfast.
perfect. He said, “The exam has He said (that) the exam had
just started.” just started .
 ill changes to would,
3. W Sam mentioned, “Today Sam mentioned that today
can to could, may to might, I will eat Chinese food, and he would eat Chinese food
and must to had to. tomorrow I ’ll eat French and that tomorrow he ’d eat
food if I can find a good French food if he could find a
restaurant.” good restaurant.
4. T
 ime expressions may The teacher said, “You must The teacher said (that) we had
change if the meaning finish the test right now .” to finish the test right then .
requires it.

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 Notes

These are a few additional points about indirect quotations.

● When the reporting verb is simple present, present perfect, or future, the

verb tense in the quotation does not change.

He says, “I can finish it today.”

He says that he can finish it today.

● When the reporting phrase is according to, the verb tense does not change.
The lawyer said, “My client is innocent.”

According to the lawyer, his client is innocent.

● When the quoted information is a fact or general truth, the verb tense in the
quotation does not change.
He said, “Water boils at a lower temperature in the mountains.”

He said that water boils at a lower temperature in the mountains.

PRACTICE 5 Changing Direct Quotations to Indirect Quotations

On a separate sheet of paper, rewrite the direct quotations as indirect
quotations.
1. OnlineEd, Inc., General Manager Jim Burns said, “Not everyone can
attend college in the traditional way; therefore, taking courses via the
Internet will offer many more students the chance to earn a college degree.”
2. Premed student Alma Rodriguez commented, “I miss being on campus,
but I have to work and take care of my family.”
3. Other students noted, “Last year, we spent several hours a day commuting
to and from school. Now, we don’t have to do that.”
4. Computer engineering student Amir Mehdizadeh stated, “I can choose
when to study and how to study without pressure.” He also said, “I will
take two more online classes in the fall.”

Writing Tip
Notice that all the examples of indirect quotation are from conversation. This
is because indirect quotation is forbidden in academic writing. If you use
the same words as a source, changing only the verb tense, it is considered
plagiarism and can be cause for serious punishment. Instead of indirect
quotation, in academic writing use paraphrase, an important strategy that you
will learn about in the next section.

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 PARAPHRASING

When you paraphrase, you rewrite information from an outside source in your
own words without changing the meaning. Unlike when you use indirect quotation
or reported speech, you do not simply change verb tense. In addition, when you
paraphrase, you convey the author’s idea but change the author’s words and sentence
structure. You think about the message the author is trying to send in the text, and
then try to express that idea in your own way. A paraphrase may be shorter and more
concise than the original, but only slightly. Because you include in your rewrite all
or nearly all of the content of the original passage—including many of the details—a
paraphrase is almost as long as the original.

ANALYZING THE MODEL

The writing model consists of two passages about language. One is an excerpt from an
encyclopedia entry about language by an author named Stephanie Wallen. The other is
a paraphrase of the excerpt.
Read the models. Then answer the questions.

! Writing Model
Original Passage

1 There are more than 6,500 unique spoken languages across the globe.
2 Technology has made great progress in helping speakers of different
languages communicate with one another. 3 However, there are still many
challenges. 4 Linguists have tried to develop a universal language. 5 A
universal language is one language that all people in the world could learn.
6 If we were able to successfully create such a language, many things would
be much simpler, including education, global business, and possibly even world
peace (Wallen).

Source: Wallen, Stephanie M. “Language and the World.”

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 There are more than 6,500 living languages in the world today.

ParaPHrase

1 The world is home to many different languages. 2 People

have developed new methods to help simplify communication,
but challenges still exist. 3 Some people believe the answer to these
difficulties is a universal language, a language that all people in the
world could speak. 4 Language experts believe this would eliminate
challenges and could benefit the world in countless ways. 5 It would
also make communication between people much easier, which could
increase global cooperation (Wallen).

Questions about the Model

1. How many sentences are there in the original passage? In the paraphrase?
2. How do the original passage and the paraphrase differ sentence by sentence?
What are the differences between them in sentence structure and words?
a. What is the last word of the first sentence in the original passage? Where does
a synonym of this word appear in the first sentence of the paraphrase?
b. What is the first word of the second sentence in the original passage? What
word replaces it in the second sentence of the paraphrase?
c. What word replaces challenges in the third sentence? What word or phrase
replaces linguists in the fourth sentence?
d. Which two sentences in the original become one sentence in the paraphrase?

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 PLAGIARISM AND PARAPHRASING
Learning to paraphrase properly can help you use information from outside sources
accurately and ethically. It is essential to avoid committing plagiarism.

There are two kinds of plagiarism that you need to consider when paraphrasing.
1. When you use information from an outside source without citing the source (telling
where you got the information), you are guilty of plagiarism.
2. Even when you cite your source, if your paraphrase is too similar to the original,
you are guilty of plagiarism.
Reread the model on pages 58–59. Pay attention to the paraphrase. Then read these two
paraphrases and decide which kind of plagiarism each example is guilty of.

UnaCCePTaBle ParaPHrase 1

The world is home to many different languages. People

have developed new methods to help simplify communication,
but challenges still exist. Some people believe the answer to these
difficulties is a universal language, a language that all people in the
world could speak. Language experts believe this would eliminate
challenges and could benefit the world in countless ways. It would
also make communication between people much easier, which could
increase global cooperation.

UnaCCePTaBle ParaPHrase 2

There are more than 6,500 different spoken languages across

the globe. Technology has made a lot of progress in helping speakers
of different languages talk to each other. However, there are still
many difficulties. Linguists tried to develop a universal language
in the past. A universal language is a language that everyone in the
world could learn. If we could successfully create a language like
this, many things would be easier, including schooling, the world
economy, and maybe even global friendship (Wallen).

Paraphrase 1 is plagiarism because the source is not cited. Paraphrase 2 is plagiarism

because it is too similar to the original passage. For example, in the first sentence,
only one word has been changed: different replaces unique. In the second sentence,
only a few words have been changed. You can avoid the first kind of plagiarism by
always citing your sources. You can avoid the second kind of plagiarism by learning to
paraphrase correctly.

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 WRITING A SUCCESSFUL PARAPHRASE
To paraphrase correctly, you first need to make sure that you fully understand the
original passage. Use this method to write a good paraphrase.
● Read the original passage several times until you understand

it fully. Underline the key words. Look up unfamiliar words

and find synonyms for them. It is not always possible to find
synonyms for every word, especially technical vocabulary. In this
case, use the original word.
● Take notes while you read. Write down only a few words for each

idea—not complete sentences. Here are one writer’s notes on the

original passage about universal language:

6,500 languages—technology helps—

but difficult to communicate—universal language—
all people can learn—benefits: school, economy,
friendship

● Make a brief outline:

A. World Languages - over 6,500

1. There are difficulties communicating with people who don’t speak
your language.
2. universal language would help people communicate.
B. Benefits
1. Education
2. Economy
3. Friendship

● Write your paraphrase from your notes. Don’t look at the original
while you are writing.
● Check your paraphrase against the original to make sure
you have not copied vocabulary or sentence structure too closely.
Above all, make sure that you have not changed the meaning of
the original or given any wrong information.
● Add in-text citations. Also add a works-cited list if appropriate.

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 PRACTICE 6 Choosing the Best Paraphrase
Read each original passage. Then read the paraphrases in each group and decide
which is the best. Label it Best. Label the others Too sim. (too similar), No cit.
(no in-text citation), or Inc. / Inacc. (incomplete and / or inaccurate information).

Original Passage 1

Source: A passage titled “Late-blooming or Language Problem,” published in 2012

on the website of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. There are no
authors listed.

The stages that children pass through in the development of

language are very consistent. However the exact age when they hit
these milestones varies a lot.

Best a. As children develop language skills, they usually go through

the same stages, but they may reach the stages at different
ages (“Late-blooming”).
No cit. b. Developing children may pass through linguistic stages at
different ages although they will generally pass through each
stage at some point.
Too sim. c. The stages that are passed through by children in language
development are very consistent. However the exact time when
they hit these milestones can be different (“Late-blooming”).
Inc. / Inacc. d. Language development is very different for different children,
and there can be variation in the stages they go through
(“Late-blooming”).

Original Passage 2

Source: The same as Passage 1.

The kind of language the child hears and how people respond
to the child can affect the speed of language development.

a. People’s response to the child and the kind of language

the child hears can affect his rate of language development
(“Late-bloomer”).
b. Language can develop at different rates depending on the
child’s exposure to language and the response he or she gets
when using it (“Late-bloomer”).
c. Rate of language development can be influenced by children’s
exposure to language and response to their language use.
d. Language develops more quickly if children are exposed to
different languages and if they receive a response
(“Late-bloomer”).

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 Original Passage 3

Source: A passage titled, “Speech and Language Disorders in the School Setting”
from the same website as Passages 1 and 2.

Children with communication disorders frequently do not

perform at grade level. They may struggle with reading. Similarly,
they may have difficulty understanding and expressing spoken
language. Individuals with reading and writing problems also may
have trouble using language to think and learn.

a. Communication disorders prevent children from learning

and are evidence of low intelligence (“Speech and
Language Disorders”).
b. Children with speech and language challenges can fall
behind in school because of trouble processing text or
comprehending and using speech. Difficulty reading and
writing can lead to problems with thinking and learning.
c. Children with communication disabilities often do not work
at grade level. They may have challenges with reading or
have trouble comprehending and using spoken language.
People with reading and writing problems also may have
trouble using language to process ideas (“Speech and
Language Disorders”).
d. Communication disabilities can cause problems for children
in the areas of reading, writing, speaking, listening, thinking,
and learning, which can result in poor performance in school
(“Speech and Language Disorders”).

PRACTICE 7 Writing a Paraphrase

Read the passage from an article that supports bilingual education. Write
a paraphrase on a separate sheet of paper. Follow the method for writing a
paraphrase described on page 61.
Original Passage

Source: A post from a popular language learning blog called Language 2020,
published Monday, March 23, 2020, and accessed online April 20, 2020. The title of
the post is “Bi-lingual Children: The Way of the Future.” There is no author listed.

In the past, many parents of English speaking children believed

that English was the only language their children needed to know.
Today, more parents believe that children who know more than one
language are better prepared for the future. The younger children
are, the better the timing to teach them a second language. Countless
studies have shown that children learn languages much faster than
adults. Furthermore, studies have shown that knowing more than
one language helps children develop their communication, critical
thinking, and creativity skills. More and more jobs require that
applicants know at least one other language. Children who learn
two (or three!) languages in their early childhood years will have
more job opportunities as adults.

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 USING PARAPHRASES AS SUPPORT
You previously learned how to use quotations as support for your ideas. Similarly,
the purpose of learning to paraphrase is to be able to use paraphrases as supporting
material in your writing. In fact, paraphrase is usually preferred over quotation in
academic writing because it shows that the writer truly understands the information,
and it is often easier to understand how the information relates to the writer’s points.
Thus, whenever the exact words of your source are not important, you should
use paraphrase.

Notice how a student in a sociolinguistics class used a paraphrase of a passage from an

online article about the Irish language Gaelic to support her idea.

Original Passage

Gina Ruane, a teacher in the Irish city of Galway, has a mission

of instilling a passion for Gaelic in the young people of Ireland to
encourage them to learn the language and one day teach it to their
own kids. She makes online comics and memes written in Gaelic
that are incredibly popular with kids and even teens. This viral
content encourages young Irish people to not only learn Gaelic but
also take pride in their language. (“Viral Gaelic”)

Source: “Viral Gaelic.” Shamrock Times.

ParaPHrase

According to an article by Shamrock Times, viral internet content

written in Gaelic is helping to encourage young Irish people to
study the language. By creating popular comics and memes, a
teacher named Gina Ruane is helping to instill a sense of pride for
the language of Gaelic in younger Irish generations, a move that is
helping to keep Gaelic alive (“Viral Gaelic”).

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 COMPleTeD ParagraPH WiTH ParaPHrase

Ireland has two official languages: Gaelic (Irish) and English.

As of 2016, around 30% of the people of Ireland could speak Gaelic
fluently, with around 5% of them speaking it regularly. Some have
expressed concern that the percentage of those who speak Gaelic
represent a much older generation of Irish people, while young people
do not learn the language to the point of being fluent. Efforts are being
made to appeal to younger generations and to change perspectives
on why learning Gaelic is important, not only to honor the history of
the country and culture, but to keep that history alive for future
generations. According to an article by Shamrock Times, viral internet
content written in Gaelic is helping to encourage young Irish people to
study the language. By creating popular comics and memes, a teacher
named Gina Ruane is helping to instill a sense of pride for the language
of Gaelic in younger Irish generations, a move that is helping to keep
Gaelic alive (“Viral Gaelic”). Perhaps these efforts really will make a
difference in keeping the Gaelic language an active and important part
of Ireland for generations to come.

TRY IT OUT! Write a paragraph in which you agree with this statement.

Some people feel that children who immigrate to a new country should not be
taught only the language of the new country. They believe these children should be
educated bilingually, that is, both in their first language and in the language of their
new country.
1. Write a topic sentence that states your opinion.
2. Include all or part of your paraphrase from Practice 7: Writing a Paraphrase on
page 63 as one of your supporting points. Make sure to add an in-text citation at
the end of the paraphrase.
3. Include additional supporting sentences using your own ideas and personal
supporting example, if possible.
4. Use transition signals to connect the ideas and make your paragraph
flow smoothly.

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 SUMMARIZING

Another way to use borrowed information from an outside source is to summarize

the material. What is the difference between a paraphrase and a summary? When you
retell a story that someone has told you, you repeat the story in your own words. If
your retelling is about the same length as the original and includes many of the details,
it is a paraphrase. If you shorten the story—retelling only the most important points
and leaving out the details—it is a summary.

Summaries have many uses in academic writing. Like paraphrases, they can be used
to support a point. They can also be part of a longer piece of writing, such as a book
report. You might summarize a book before going on to write a response to it. Writing
a summary can also be a good strategy for remembering things that you’ve read. For
example, your teacher may ask you to summarize a textbook chapter.

ANALYZING THE MODEL

You previously read these writing models on pages 58–59. Here you will also read a
summary of the same material.
Read the model. Then answer the questions.

! Writing Model
Original Passage (82 WOrDs)

There are more than 6,500 unique spoken languages across the
globe. Technology has made great progress in helping speakers of different
languages communicate with one another. However, there are still many
challenges. Linguists have tried to develop a universal language. A universal
language is one language that all people in the world could learn. If we
were able to successfully create such a language, many things would be
much simpler, including education, global business, and possibly even world
peace (Wallen).

Source: Wallen, Stephanie M. “Language and the World.”

ParaPHrase (74 WOrDs, aBOUT THe saMe lengTH as THe Original)

The world is home to many different languages. People have

developed new methods to help simplify communication, but challenges
still exist. Some people believe the answer to these difficulties is a universal
language, a language that all people in the world could speak. Language
experts believe this would eliminate challenges and could benefit the
world in countless ways. It would also make communication between
people much easier, which could increase global cooperation (Wallen).

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 sUMMarY (32 WOrDs, MUCH sHOrTer)

There are many languages in the world, and difficulties in

communicating can arise when two people don’t share a common
language. One solution is a global language, which could bring
many benefits.

Questions about the Model

1. How many sentences are there in the original passage? In the paraphrase?
In the summary?
2. What are some other differences between the paraphrase and the summary?
What are some details that were left out of the summary?

WRITING A SUCCESSFUL SUMMARY

To write a successful summary, you must focus on the most important points of the
original passage. These are strategies for writing a good summary.
● Use your own words and your own sentence structure.

● Remember that a summary is much shorter than a paraphrase.

Include only the main points and main supporting points,

leaving out most details.
● Do not change the meaning of the original.

The method for writing a summary is similar to the one for writing a paraphrase.
● Read the original passage several times until you understand it

fully. Look up any words that you don’t understand.

● Decide what the most important points are. It helps to underline

them. It also helps to take notes on the passage. Write down only
a few words for each idea—not complete sentences.
● Write your summary from your notes. Don’t look at the original

while you are writing.

● Include a sentence that sums up the main idea of the article.

● Use transition signals between sentences as needed.

● Check your summary against the original to make sure you have

used different words but have not changed the meaning.

● Add an in-text citation at the end of the summary.

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 PRACTICE 8 Choosing the Best Summary
Read the original passage and the two summaries. Then answer the questions.

Original Passage

Bilingualism and Its Advantages

It was once believed that learning to speak two languages at an early

age could create confusion between them. However, research today indicates
that bilingualism, or speaking two or more languages, has many advantages.
One very obvious benefit is that individuals who speak several languages can
communicate with more people.
Being bilingual also can have a deep impact on how the brain functions.
Research shows that bilingual children are often better able to learn words,
form rhymes, and solve problems than monolingual children. Children who
are bilingual are adept as well at categorizing words (“The Advantages of
Being Bilingual”). This is because the brains of bilingual children, according
to experts, are able to process information with great efficiency. Having to
switch between two languages on a constant basis seems to help these children
develop a capacity to focus and ignore distractions. At the same time, they are
able to retain information (Cuda-Kroen).
Bilingualism has been shown to have advantages for adults as well as
children. At St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, researchers found that being
bilingual can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s symptoms. Alzheimer’s disease,
an illness that affects the brain and memory, seems to progress more slowly
in bilingual adults. This may be because their brains are better prepared to
compensate for changes in brain function (Bhattacharjee). Based on these and
other findings, it seems clear that being bilingual is not only beneficial for
children. It may also be vital to a person’s health and wellness later in life.

Sources:
1. “The Advantages of Being Bilingual.” American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
2. Bhattacharjee, Yudhijit. “The Benefits of Bilingualism”—NYTimes.com.
3. Cuda-Kroen, Gretchen. “Being Bilingual May Boost Your Brain Power”: NPR.

sUMMarY a

Research suggests that speaking more than one language has many
benefits. First, a person who speaks another language can communicate with
more people. Also, learning another language can help brain development.
Bilingual children are better at learning vocabulary, rhyming, problem solving,
and analyzing words. Experts think bilingual children’s brains are better at
these tasks because changing from one language to another helps the brain
become better at focusing. Being bilingual also has an advantage when a person
is older. Researchers in Toronto found that Alzheimer’s disease progressed
more slowly in bilingual adults. In conclusion, bilingualism is great for both
children and adults.

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 sUMMarY B

Being bilingual is advantageous in many ways. Bilingual people can speak

to more people around the world. Children that are bilingual are smarter, too.
They can learn words, rhyme, and problem solve better than monolingual
children. Their brains process information better because they have to go back
and forth between languages. Being bilingual is also good for adults and helps
stop diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Questions about the Summaries

1. Which summary is better? Why?
2. Which summary contains an idea that was not in the original passage?

!Applying Vocabulary: Using Synonyms 2

You have learned that knowing and using a variety of synonyms can help you to
avoid repetition in your writing and to add interest and nuance to it. You have also
learned that synonyms can have slight variations in meaning or connotation, and that
you therefore need to be careful about which synonyms you choose to include in a
particular passage. Reference works such as a dictionary and thesaurus can be helpful
guides when you need to find a synonym or to confirm a synonym’s precise meaning.

PRACTICE 9 Using Synonyms

A Write synonyms for the words. You will see these words again in your Chapter 3
Writing Assignment. Use a dictionary or thesaurus as needed.

1. technology

2. software

3. languages

4. communicate

5. revive

B On a separate sheet of paper, write four pairs of sentences with the words from
Part A. Include one of the given words in the first sentence of each pair and its
synonym in the second sentence.

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 WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Your assignment for this chapter is to write a one-paragraph summary of an article

entitled “How Technology Aids Language.” Use the summary models on pages 66–67
to help you.

The reading that you will summarize for this assignment can be found in Appendix A:
Chapter Readings, on page 279. To complete the assignment, first read the article. Then
follow the steps in the writing process.

Prewrite STEP 1: Prewrite to get ideas.

● After you have read the article on page 279 in Appendix A
once, reread it several times until you are sure that you fully
understand its meaning. Underline important points.
● Make notes on a separate sheet of paper. Summarize the author’s
main idea in your own words at the top.
● Then list the other important points, changing vocabulary words
wherever possible. Write down only a few words for each point.

Organize STEP 2: Organize your ideas.

● Review your list of important points. Arrange them in a logical
order. Which point will you discuss first in your summary?
Which will you discuss second?
● Ask yourself whether each point on your list is essential to
understanding the article. If a reader could understand your
summary without that point, then it may be a detail that you
could leave out.

Write STEP 3: Write the first draft.

● Write your summary from your notes. Don’t look at the original
while you are writing.
● Sum up the main idea of the article in your paragraph’s topic
sentence, using your own words.
● Use transition signals between sentences as needed.
● Check your summary against the original to make sure you have
used different words but have not changed the meaning.
● Add an in-text citation at the end of the summary.

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 Revise STEP 4: Revise the draft.
● Ask yourself whether someone who has not read the original
text could understand your summary.
● Remember that a summary should be brief and focus only on the
most important points. Is there anything you want to leave out
of your summary? If so, delete that word, detail, or sentence.
● Make notes in the margin about anything you want to improve.
● Ask a classmate to read and give you feedback on your first
draft using the Chapter 3 Peer Review on page 325.
● Discuss your classmate’s suggestions and decide which ones
to take.

Proofread STEP 5: Edit and proofread the draft.

● Make sure that you have identified all of the changes you
want to make in content and organization. Then review your
summary for errors in format, mechanics (capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling), grammar, and sentence structure.
Use the Chapter 3 Writer’s Self-Check on page 326 to help you.
● When you find an error, make a note on your paper using the
correction symbols from Appendix D on pages 309–311.

Write STEP 6: Write a new draft.

● In your new draft, include the changes you identified in Steps 4
and 5.
● Proofread your new draft again carefully. Make sure it is neat
and error free.
● Hand in your summary to your teacher.

SELF-ASSESSMENT
In this chapter, you learned to:
Cite sources of outside information used for reference
Use direct and indirect quotations as supporting details
Correctly paraphrase information from outside sources
Summarize outside sources used as support
Write, revise, and edit a summary of an article about language
Which ones can you do well? Mark them

Which ones do you need to practice more? Mark them

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 EXPANSION

TIMED WRITING
In this expansion, you will write a one-paragraph summary of a reading. You will
have 45 minutes to complete the expansion in class. You will need to budget your time
accordingly. Follow this procedure.
1. Read the passage ”The Challenge of Many Languages” on page 280 in Appendix A.
Underline the points that you think will be most important to use in your summary
(15 minutes)
2. Write a topic sentence for your summary that includes the main idea of the
passage. Make sure to paraphrase. (5 minutes)
3. Write your summary. Be sure to include only the most important points, use
paraphrase, connect ideas with appropriate transition signals, and include a
citation. (20 minutes)
4. Check your paragraph for errors. Correct any mistakes. (5 minutes)
5. Give your paper to your teacher.

RESPONDING TO A READING
In Chapter 2, you learned to respond to a reading using your opinion. Now, you
will again respond to a reading, but this time you will use your skills at quoting,
paraphrasing, and summarizing to make sure that your ideas are closely connected to
the ideas in the reading.

Reread “The Challenge of Many Languages” on page 280 in Appendix A, a passage

that you previously summarized in your Chapter 3 Timed Writing. Your assignment
is to write a response to the text. Explain whether you believe that an ideal society
should be monolingual (in which everyone speaks only one language) or multilingual
(in which people speak more than one language). Use information from the reading to
discuss your view. You can use quotes, paraphrases, and a summary of ideas from the
reading to support your ideas.

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