2. Step 1: SOURCES
• A source is something that you use to get information from
to write a paper. A source can be an article, a blog, a radio
broadcast, a conversation, an email, or many other sources
of information.
• Do not use Wikipedia as a source, ever. It's not reliable.
• When you use a source, the first thing you should do is write
a good APA-style reference of the source.
• PRACTICE:
3. Step 2: PARAPHRASE
• Paraphrase is the substantial rearrangement of a source's
words AND grammar without changing the meaning.
• Most of what you write in English should be paraphrased.
• Paraphrase is simplest when you do it this way:
o Break the source down into simple clauses, each with a
finite verb phrase.
o Change as many of the words in the simple clauses as
you can.
o Re-combine the simple clauses into new sentences, each
with no more than two or three finite verb phrases.
4. EXAMPLE: PARAPHRASE
SOURCE: Many illegal immigrants signed documents in the
past week allowing others to care for their children if needed,
assistance groups say. A couple living illegally in Shelby
County south of Birmingham even extracted a promise from the
man's boss to send their three young children -- all U.S.
citizens -- to Mexico should they be jailed under the law.
REFERENCE:
Immigrant in Alabama make plans for children. (2011, October
11). The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved
from http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/oct/10/immi
grants-make-plans-for-children/
5. EXAMPLE: PARAPHRASE 2
SENTENCE BREAKDOWN:
Many illegal immigrants signed documents in the past week
The signed documents allow others to care for their children
Child care is needed.
Assistance groups say [something].
A couple lives illegally in Shelby County south of Birmingham.
The couple extracted a promise from the man's boss.
The boss will send their three young children to Mexico.
The children are all US citizens
The couple are jailed under the law.
6. EXAMPLE: PARAPHRASE 3
CHANGE WORDS AND PHRASES:
Many illegal immigrants signed documents in the past week.
Last week many undocumented aliens signed legal documents.
The signed documents allow others to care for their children.
Those documents give other people permission to care for their
children.
Child care is needed.
Child care becomes necessary.
7. EXAMPLE: PARAPHRASE 4
Assistance groups say [something].
Humanitarian aid societies have said [something)
A couple lives illegally in Shelby County south of Birmingham.
An undocumented couple lives near Birmingham in Shelby
County.
The couple extracted a promise from the man's boss.
The husband's supervisor agreed to do something.
The boss will send their three young children to Mexico.
The supervisor will assist the couple's three minor children to
get to Mexico.
The children are all US citizens.
The couple are jailed under the law.
The parents are arrested because of the law.
8. EXAMPLE: PARAPHRASE 5
RECOMBINE CLAUSES
Humanitarian aid societies have said [something)
Last week many undocumented aliens signed legal documents.
+
Those documents give other people permission to care for their
children. +
Child care becomes necessary. +
The parents are arrested because of the law.
Humanitarian aid societies have said that last week many
undocumented aliens signed legal documents which give other
people permission to care for their children. These papers are
in case child care becomes necessary because the parents are
arrested due to the law.
9. EXAMPLE: PARAPHRASE 6
An undocumented couple lives near Birmingham in Shelby
County.+
The husband's supervisor agreed to do something.+
The supervisor will assist the couple's three minor children to
get to Mexico.+
The parents are arrested because of the law.+
The supervisor of an illegal man who lives near Birmingham
agreed to do a favor for the man and his wife. The supervisor
will send the their three children to live with them in Mexico if
the parents are arrested. Unlike the parents, the children are
all citizens of the US.
10. Compare
Many illegal immigrants signed The supervisor of an illegal man who
documents in the past week allowing lives near Birmingham agreed to do a
others to care for their children if favor for the man and his wife. The
needed, assistance groups say. A supervisor will send the their three
couple living illegally in Shelby County children to live with them in Mexico if
south of Birmingham even extracted a the parents are arrested. Unlike the
promise from the man's boss to send parents, the children are all citizens of
their three young children -- all U.S. the US. Humanitarian aid societies
citizens -- to Mexico should they be have said that last week many
jailed under the law. undocumented aliens like this couple
have signed legal documents which
give other people permission to care
for their children. These papers are in
case child care becomes
necessary because the parents are
arrested due to the law.
11. STEP 3: CITE
• Cite whenever you paraphrase. Even if you use your own
words, you must cite!
• In APA style, use the author's last name and the year date
of the source. If there is a page number, use that.
• If there is no author, use the first three words of the title.
REFERENCE:
Immigrants in Alabama make plans for children. (2011,
October 11). The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved
from http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/oct/10/immi
grants-make-plans-for-children/
CITATION: (Immigrants in Alabama, 2011)
12. EXAMPLE: CITATION
The supervisor of an illegal man who lives near Birmingham agreed to do a favor
for the man and his wife (Immigrants in Alabama, 2011). The supervisor will
send the their three children to live with them in Mexico if the parents are
arrested. Unlike the parents, the children are all citizens of the US.
Humanitarian aid societies have said that last week many undocumented aliens
like this couple have signed legal documents which give other people permission
to care for their children. These papers are in case child care becomes
necessary because the parents are arrested due to the law (Immigrants in
Alabama, 2011).
13. STEP 4: Quotation
• Generally speaking avoid quotation and favor paraphrase.
• Keep these basics in mind
o Keep your quotes as small as possible, striving for
unusual and text-specific phrases
o Always quote precisely what the text says
o Integrate quotes with material around the quotes
o Do not start a sentence with a quote. Instead, introduce
and embed quotes.
