How to Write in Your Own Words
Understand the passage., Set the original aside and write down what it said without looking.This will force you to translate the author’s text into your own., Add some additional notes about the context of the passage., Double check the original...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Understand the passage.
Whenever you conduct research, it is essential to be able to take the ideas of others and translate them into your own words.
In order to do this, you must first understand the passage you intend to translate.
Read this passage over several times.
Stop to look up words you don’t understand.
Make you sure you grasp the message in its entirety., You may find that the parts you can easily recall are the most significant.
If you are working digitally, avoid using "copy" and "paste."
Ask yourself these questions:
Where was the passage located? What came before it? What else might the reader need to know to understand this passage? Why was this passage important to you?, Go back to the original and read it over.
Make sure you accurately represented the message.
Update your work to include any significant omissions.
You want to be sure that the main idea of the passage is still the same., If there are any unique phrases or terms that you borrowed directly from the original, you must use quotation marks to signal them.
Placing quotation marks around a few key words in your paraphrase gives credit to your source and preserves the integrity of the main idea, without relying too heavily on direct quotes., Write down any relevant information about your source.
This should include the title, author, and date of publication.
Refer to a specific style-guide (MLA, APA, AP, or Chicago style) to determine how your citation should appear in your paper.
For now, just make sure you have this information handy.
You may also want to return to this source for additional information. -
Step 2: Set the original aside and write down what it said without looking.This will force you to translate the author’s text into your own.
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Step 3: Add some additional notes about the context of the passage.
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Step 4: Double check the original.
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Step 5: Use quotation marks.
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Step 6: Cite your source.
Detailed Guide
Whenever you conduct research, it is essential to be able to take the ideas of others and translate them into your own words.
In order to do this, you must first understand the passage you intend to translate.
Read this passage over several times.
Stop to look up words you don’t understand.
Make you sure you grasp the message in its entirety., You may find that the parts you can easily recall are the most significant.
If you are working digitally, avoid using "copy" and "paste."
Ask yourself these questions:
Where was the passage located? What came before it? What else might the reader need to know to understand this passage? Why was this passage important to you?, Go back to the original and read it over.
Make sure you accurately represented the message.
Update your work to include any significant omissions.
You want to be sure that the main idea of the passage is still the same., If there are any unique phrases or terms that you borrowed directly from the original, you must use quotation marks to signal them.
Placing quotation marks around a few key words in your paraphrase gives credit to your source and preserves the integrity of the main idea, without relying too heavily on direct quotes., Write down any relevant information about your source.
This should include the title, author, and date of publication.
Refer to a specific style-guide (MLA, APA, AP, or Chicago style) to determine how your citation should appear in your paper.
For now, just make sure you have this information handy.
You may also want to return to this source for additional information.
About the Author
Shirley Wilson
Writer and educator with a focus on practical pet care knowledge.
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