ENG122

Module 1 Discussion 2: Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Citing

 Available on Feb 7, 2022 12:01 AM. Access restricted before availability starts.

 Available until Feb 11, 2022 11:59 PM. Submission restricted after availability ends.

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Overview

Deciding when and how to use source material in your writing is an important skill to learn. If your essay uses too much source material, or relies too heavily on quotations, it will feel like a patchwork quilt of other people's voices, rather than your own writing. If you do not use sources enough, your essay may lack support or credibility.

In this discussion, you will practice the important skills of quoting a source, paraphrasing a source, and citing your source.

You should spend approximately 2 hours on this assignment.

Instructions

1. For this discussion, use the same article you read for Discussion 1: Close Reading and Brainstorming.

2. Choose one paragraph from your article.

3. Cut and paste the paragraph into the top of your message.

4. Think: When you are faced with source material that you want to use as support in your writing, how do you decide how to incorporate it and synthesize it with your own ideas? How can you show your reader which ideas belong to your source and which are your own? How do you give credit to your source when you quote or paraphrase?

5. Write: In your initial post, you will practice quoting and paraphrasing, and then consider when to use each strategy:

· Pick one sentence to quote. Use a signal phrase to introduce the quotation.

· Pick two sentences to paraphrase. Be sure to combine the two sentences into one. Remember that you must completely rewrite the source material into your own language.

· Create a correctly formatted in-text citation, using MLA Style, for your quotation and your paraphrase.

· Create a correctly formatted Works Cited entry, using MLA Style, for your article.

· Discuss how you decide when to quote and when to paraphrase. What is the benefit of each type of source use?

6. Post one original post, and reply to at least two of your classmates. In your peer replies, help one another see where quotations, paraphrases, and citations are used correctly, and help one another see where these skills can be improved upon. Thoughtfully discuss the benefits of the different types of source use. Try to further the discussion in your replies by asking thoughtful questions, adding interesting information, or connecting your reply to the material we are discussing.

7. Don't forget that your initial posting is due by the date listed in the Course Schedule. Please post over several days. Points will be lost if you post on only one day of the module.

Respond to 2 peers:

Peer 1: Katherine B

The American dream had been a myth for me throughout the 30 or so years that I'd lived in the United States. I couldn't fully grasp how the concept of "the pursuit of happiness" fit into a super busy, superfast American life. It was not until I started to grow plants on the porch of my two-family house on a quiet street in Boston that I had an epiphany.

Direct Quotation:

The author explains that the American dream had not come easily for her, stating that she thought it had “been a myth for [her] throughout the 30 or so years that [she’d] lived in the United States” (Chu).

Paraphrasing:

 Even after living in the United States for an extended period of time, it’s hard for many to grasp how the concept of the Pursuit of Happiness fits into a busy schedule, leading many to believe that the American dream is far from the reality of American life today (Chu). 

Work Cited

Chu, Jennie. "My American Dream is Green." Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2019. Gale in Context: Global Issues, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A605171736/GIC?u=aur58810&sid=bookmark-GIC&xid=15ae15af. Accessed 8 February 2022.

Discussion:

When deciding when to quote versus paraphrase, I usually lean towards paraphrasing since using too many direct quotes leads the reader to believe that there is little original thought present within the writing. Although direct quotes are great for expressing the source material’s ideas in an untouched, unbiased way, paraphrasing is generally my preference for utilizing source material since it allows the source material to be integrated using my own words.

The greatest benefit to direct quotations is that they leave little up to interpretation as the original author’s words are not being changed by the writer, leaving little room for personal bias (stemming from the writer) or the ability to change the original author’s meaning. Paraphrasing, on the other hand, allows me to intertwine the ideas of the author with my own. Although this may skew the meaning of the original quote, it is a necessary sacrifice to have my work not sound like it was copy-pasted from the source text.

Peer 2: Lindsay P

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My fellow Taipei residents didn't seem to mind the absence of green. They lived in apartments and grew flowers in pots indoors, in concrete courtyards, on balconies, or on the buildings' flat roofs to satisfy their gardening needs. No one grew herbs or vegetables. Why bother? Fresh produce was a plentiful bargain in daily markets nearby. Garlic, ginger, and scallions were given away as a token of thanks with the purchase of meat, poultry, and seafood.

Signal Phrase: When Chu talks about growing up not seeing any green, she mentions "garlic, ginger, and scallions were given away as a token of thanks with the purchase of meat, poultry, and seafood." showing us that it was easier getting herbs for free with an purchase of meat than growing it yourself. 

Paraphrasing: Growing up, Chu saw that everyone else's "garden needs" consisted of a flower pot or two indoors or in courtyards, no one bothered to get dirty with herbs and vegetables.

In-text citation: Chu missed her opportunity as a child to discover her love for gardening. She was never exposed or around anyone who had a garden. "No one grew herbs or vegetables. Why bother?" (Chu, 2019). 

Works Cited (MLA 9): 

Chu, Jennie. “My American Dream Is Green.” Go,  https://go-gale-com.ccco.idm.oclc.org/ps/i.do?p=GIC&u=aur58810&id=GALE%7CA605171736&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-GIC&asid=15ae15af.  

Analysis: I discovered when citing a source in your writing, it's important to use in-text citations, paraphrasing, and signal phrases. To make sure you have the perfect amount of credibility, you want to use all the different methods. When paraphrasing in your writing, you are just using a mini summary of the quote so you can help boost your credibility. When using an in-text citation, you are giving your reader more evidence and showing them exactly who and when this quote was from. This can really boost your credibly. You want to use it more as a secret weapon rather than only using in-text citations. Only use it when it is completely necessary. If you use to many in-text citations, your writing will be over flow with information and that will take away from what you are writing about. Each method can help your writing so be sure to use all three!