Summarizing, Quotations, and Paraphrasing

When you are making an argument you often have to refer to someone else’s work. There are several different ways you can g about doing this, such as summarizing, quoting, and paraphrasing. When you summarize you have to find the balance between what “they” are saying and what “you” are saying. You should first make sure that when you talk about what someone else says you have to put yourself in their shoes or other words their thoughts. You have to make sure that you fully understand what they are saying. That what when you talk about what they say you are describing what they are really saying. Also you should make sure that you include all there points. Some common mistakes are when you summarize and don’t include or say what there point was correctly. Although you should also make sure that you include your own thoughts too. If you just have their thoughts and not your own, your summary will not feel complete. Also another good way to have nice summary is to use the right kind of verbs. Using verbs for making a claim, expressing agreement, questioning or disagreeing, and maxing recommendations. Another method for helping an argument is by quoting or using the exact words of your sources. This can be very effective if done correctly. First you have to make sure that you are using all of their words, and then making sure that it fits in with the content of your writing. When you do this you have to incorporate your ideas with those of who you are using are coherent with them. The last thing you should make sure you do is give credit to whom you take a quote from. Another thing you can do is paraphrasing, this is basically taking what someone says and use it and slightly change how you say it so it’s their words in yours.