Grade 11 Reading and Writing FINALS

Lesson 3 – Summarizing and Paraphrasing; The Term Paper

Summarizing and paraphrasing are writing tools used to incorporate another writer’s thoughts into your own work without
directly lifting their language. Both processes are very close to each other in terms of execution, with some minor differences. However,
the original author’s name MUST be cited in both these activities since the ideas are there’s even if you have rearranged them in your
words. There are multiple reasons for which paraphrasing and summarizing is conducted:
 Expand the breadth or depth of your writing. (It diversifies your content)
 Provide support for claims or add credibility to your writing. (It is like quoting an authority on the subject to back your
claims)
 Refer to work that leads up to the work you are now doing. (Sets the field for how your work/research will modify the field,
and what other work on it already exists)
 Give examples of several points of view on a subject.
 Call attention to a position that you wish to agree or disagree with.

Paraphrasing
The word paraphrase comes from the Greek word “paraphrases” which means, “to tell in other words”. It basically involves
restating someone else’s ideas in your own language, in more or less the same amount of detail as the ‘original’. Paraphrasing is usually
done to certain passages in a work that you wish to use in your writing without cluttering up your research with too many direct
quotations. Paraphrasing MUST retain the tone and central idea of the text that has been referenced. Paraphrasing could be done to any
‘text’ – words, pictures, situations, etc.

When to Paraphrase:
 When you want to use another writer’s words without plagiarizing their language.
 When the ideas of the other writer are more important than their style of writing.
 When the ideas of the other writer are expressed in a language that is too complex or beyond the comprehension of average
readers.

How to Paraphrase:
 Read the text more than once – the first time cursorily, to get the general idea, the second time carefully, to get the
comprehensive argument being made.
 Make your own notes while reading the passage since the point is to translate the original ideas into your own language.
 Rely on your own notes when paraphrasing. This will ensure that you do not use words from the original source.
 Ensure that you keep the meaning and maintain the same relationship between the main ideas and the supporting points.
 While the tone of the source needs to be maintained, use synonyms to vary the words, and change the sentence structures to
make the writing clearer, and also your own.
 When absolutely necessary, use the words of the author, but put them in quotations to indicate this. Key words that require a
specialized vocabulary needn’t be changed. These should also be put in quotes since they occur in the original work.
 Go back to the original source upon completion and check if you have got all the key points.
 Jot down the page number and source so that you can reference it later on.

Summarizing
A summary is a condensed recap of the original text. It is shorter (1/3rd or 1/4th) than the source and highlights the main idea
of the larger text. The purpose behind having a summary is to give a brief and clear gist to the reader in your own words. It separates
extraneous material while retaining key ideas. Summarizing explores the relationship of the part to the whole system and then derives
meaning from these relationships. Summaries are written in a balanced and objective manner. It does not involve a point-to-point
translation, but is a broad overview of the source material, retaining only the main points. Just like in paraphrasing, the original work
must be referenced in summarizing as well.

When to Summarize:
 When you want to give a brief overview of a topic, movie, book, etc.
 When you wish to highlight only the central ideas of a text.
 When you want to simplify a complex argument.

How to Summarize:
 Read the original material very carefully.
 Decipher the purpose of your summarizing: this will dictate selection of relevant material.
 Select relevant information.
 Delete extraneous details like examples, anecdotes, etc.
 Retain key statistics, facts, and other figures.
 Use alternate terminology – synonyms are your friend.
 Key words/technical terms/specialized vocabulary can be retained, but must be put in quotations.
 Change the structure of the text.
 Express relationships in a different way while retaining the tone of the original.
  Use connecting words to make your writing seamless and join relating ideas.
 No dramatic structure, always written in present tense and indirect speech.
 Recheck your work to see if the main ideas have been translated in a different language.
 The size of the summary will vary, depending on the length of the original text, the purpose of summarizing, and the
selectivity exercised by you.

Difference between Summarizing and Paraphrasing

Summary: Significantly shorter than the source.

Summary: Done to mention the main ideas without any explanations about the matter.
Paraphrase: May be done for the purpose of simplifying the original text, and making the ideas clearer for efficient comprehension.

Summary: It helps to condense the larger ideas in the text and initiate a discussion of the work in its entirety.
Paraphrase: Using your own words to discuss a specific source’s ideas. Usually done to passages in a work to better explain that idea in
a clearer vocabulary.

Summary: While summarizing, think of yourself as a critic or reviewer.

The purpose of summary is to condense the source matter shorter than the original.
The purpose of a paraphrase is to restate the source matter irrespective of length.

TERM PAPER

A term paper is a research paper written by students over an academic term, accounting for a large part of a grade. Term
papers are generally intended to describe an event, a concept, or argue a point. A term paper is a written original work discussing a
topic in detail, usually several typed pages in length and is often due at the end of a semester. There is much overlap between the terms
"research paper" and "term paper". The phrase "term paper" was originally used to describe a paper (usually a research based paper)
that was due at the end of the "term" - either a semester or quarter, depending on which unit of measure a school used. However, the
term has fallen out of favor. Common usage has "term paper" and "research paper" as interchangeable, but this is not completely
accurate. Not all term papers involve academic research, and not all research papers are term papers.
Term papers date back to the beginning of the 19th century when print could be reproduced cheaply and written texts of all
types (reports, memoranda, specifications, and scholarly articles) could be easily produced and disseminated. During the years from
1870 to 1900, Moulton and Holmes (2003) write that "American education was transformed as writing became a method of discourse
and research the hallmark of learning." Russell (1991) writes that in the 1910s, "the research paper began to harden into its familiar
form" adding that plagiarism and the sale of research papers both became a problem during this time.
In the present day an entire industry has sprung up to provide plagiarized, pre-written, or custom written term papers to
students of levels of education. There are many websites that sell term papers of all levels of quality and writing proficiency, but are
often claimed by academic institutions as seriously undermining the academic integrity of the student. Use of such papers is frowned
upon by educators and administrators, and submission of these works is considered plagiarism, and grounds for disciplinary action on
the basis of academic dishonesty. These papers are in some rare cases used as a "model" for a student to use as a starting point in their
research, but this is also considered ethically questionable and is usually a pretext for plagiarism.

Identification
 A term paper, also known as a research paper, is a written record of facts, ideas and principles learned in a course. It includes
various sources on a particular subject and is typically written by high school or college students at the end of a school term or
semester and constitutes a major portion of a student's grade for a course.
Types
 Term papers can be grouped into the two broad categories of argumentative papers and analytical papers. Argumentative
papers include arguments supported by solid facts. The writer has to state an opinion, making a stand for his beliefs. On the
other hand, an analytical paper deals with facts and not opinions, so the writer must stay neutral, not taking sides. The
researcher should include both sides of an issue, using his analytical skills to evaluate researched information.
Formats
 Term papers follow four different formats. The APA style (American Psychological Association) places citations of
information within a text rather than in footnotes. The MLA style (Modern Language Association of America) gives guidelines
on how to cite sources throughout the paper, giving many rules and guidelines. The Chicago style, devised more than a
century ago, is a leading reference for both writers and publishers, world-wide, and uses simple direct language. The Turabian
format has become the standard style for term papers, using simple language that's direct.
Procedure
  After choosing a topic, research for information and material, gathering notes. Next devise an outline for the paper and write a
first draft. Next edit your paper to make sure it's written as correctly as possible, checking for spelling and grammatical errors.
Finally, run the text through a reliable plagiarism checker to ensure it's free of plagiarism.
Considerations
 Readers and word count are two important considerations. Will your readers expect more technical detail or will it be read by
more creative people? If there's a limit on the number of words, don't get side-tracked and discover you're writing a book
rather than a paper.
Tips
 Wait a day or two to edit your paper. Then read it the way you would assume your professor would read it, looking for any
portions that should not be included. Take out as much clutter as possible, only including what's necessary.
Warnings
 Don't procrastinate starting your paper. The sooner you start, the better your paper will be as you'll have plenty of time to
rewrite and edit it without panicking because you're running out of time.
 Don't use dated sources more than 20 years old, unless your paper is intended to examine older writings, using a historical
viewpoint.

A term paper is a written academic paper that needs to demonstrate the acquired essential skills and knowledge in the subject
matter. Usually it is a task given to the students at the end of a term and accounts towards the final grade in the subject, sometimes it
can even constitute as the only component of the final grade. The length of a term paper may vary but it is usually between three to five
thousand words.

A term paper can be a critical essay on a popular or current topic requiring author’s personal point of view of the issue and
demonstration of good and accurate understanding of the subject. The author needs to establish compelling arguments accompanied
by facts or other evidence supporting his/her point of view.
The topic of a term paper might be chosen by the student or sometimes it might be a prompt given by the professor of the
subject. In the latter case the professor provides you a problem to resolve or a question to examine and sets the requirements for the
paper. However, sometimes the professor might not give you very much information but just a very general task. For example in law
studies you might be asked to choose one case in the relevant case law and analyse it critically. You are given a subject but not a topic
nor any further information about the expected aspects or components of the term paper.

A term paper can also be a research paper on a topic chosen by the student and involving thus more thorough academic
research in the chosen subject. However, it is very probable that you need to select a topic or subject that had been discussed in the class
or in a relevant text book. In this case the requirements are basically the same as of a research paper, starting with choosing a feasible
topic which interests and/or challenges you and that has a sufficient range of references available. The materials that are being used
and cited in the term paper should be versatile, i.e. encyclopaedias, text books, journal articles and other documents relevant in the
chosen topic.
Every research paper should contain a central statement that the research seeks to defend or support or discuss. It may be
stated in the form of a question that needs to be discussed or even answered or in a form of a claim that needs to be defended. In any
way it cannot be longer than one sentence and needs to be formed with clarity.
Creating a good outline is the key to a successful term paper. The outline is like the bone structure of the term paper. Thus it needs to
reflect the overall purpose of your research, the introduction of the chosen topic and the statement, accompanied by the main
arguments and conclusions.
When writing the term paper follow the created outline and make sure all the requirements set for the term paper are being
met.
In conclusion a term paper can have the same features as a research paper but with certain limitation in its subject and
purpose.

Purpose
Focus on a problem or issue, make a logical argument and assert a position. You do not simply want to describe a topic, but
critically give thoughts and opinions about it. Clearly state your paper's thesis---the main idea put forth. While drawing on ideas and
theories from others in the field who have written about the topic, the purpose should revolve around giving new perspective.

In some cases, a term paper may be a type of personal reflection completed by the student. This is especially common in
earlier grades in school. A student might be assigned to write a paper detailing what he or she learned in his or her favorite subject
or class of the year, for instance. This allows students to reflect on the school year and review their subjects while developing their
writing skills.

The Basic Parts of a Term Paper

A term paper is a semester written project that can be in a form of either an essay or a structured research paper. Basically it
intends to enhance or develop the skills of the students in the aspects of communication, resourcefulness and discipline. Now what are
the parts of a term paper that you should know about? Let me give you the five basic parts necessary for this article.
1. The cover page is the first part of the term paper. Actually it does not contain anything about the topic you have selected. It is just a
page that provides the title of your work as well as details about you as the writer. A standard term paper usually has a separate cover
page before the main pages of the article.
2. The next part of a term paper is the introduction. This is integrated in the actual page structure of the project. You need to provide a
background of the topic that you have written. In this paragraph, make sure that you provide details why the topic is important and
what is to be expected in the contents of discussions. You also need to place the thesis statement at the introductory paragraph.
3. The third part of a term paper is the body. Actually you are not limited to using only one paragraph. Depending on the discussions
of the topic, you can expand the number of body paragraphs indefinitely. Some research term papers for school will have to contain
discussions like methodology, literature review or pictures and diagrams. But always make sure that the body can support the thesis
statement in a way that you are proving it to be valid.
4. The fourth part of the term paper is the conclusion. This is the summary paragraph of the entire article. You can compress the main
ideas in this part and make sure that the problem statement was solved by putting your answer in it.
5. The last part follows as the bibliography page. You can use our guide materials in the archives regarding the APA and MLA
citation formats.

The Four Parts of an Academic Term Paper

1. Introduction
The term paper writer should identify the topic and explain why it is important. The introduction must be adequately
informative, yet easy to follow. It should state the problem as simply as possible, taking into account the broader view of the discipline
as a whole.
The writer should not overestimate the reader's familiarity with the topic. The Introduction will be read by those who are
somewhat acquainted with the general area, but not all readers will be specialists in the particular topic. The term paper writer should
write in an intelligent, logical, concise manner, but the Introduction should be presented in such a way that one who knows little of the
literature or particular topic will gain a solid understanding of the writer's purpose and subject matter.
The Introduction must be interesting, as well. If the reader becomes bored while reading the first section of the term paper, he
or she is unlikely to regain interest in the following sections. In fact, the reader may stop reading altogether! To prevent such disaster,
tradition allows text in the first few paragraphs that is less dry than the literary, formal, or scientific norm.

2.Body
The body is the general text of a paper (paragraphs, sections, chapters, etc.). Everything after the introduction and before the
conclusion is "body."

3. Conclusion
The conclusion may be the most important part of a term paper. The writer must not merely repeat the introduction, but explain in
expert-like detail what has been learned, explained, decided, proven, etc. The writer must reveal the ways in which the paper's thesis
might have significance in society.
A conclusion should strive to answer questions that readers logically raise: "Why is the writer telling me this?" "Why
does the writer think that I need to understand his/her main point?" The conclusion may place term papers in a larger context,
serve as a call for action, set forth a warning or hypothesis, intentionally complicate the issues already introduced, raise a
question or questions, introduce a relevant quote, or tell an appropriate anecdote.

Again, the writer should not depend on the conclusion to sum up the body paragraphs. Paragraphs should flow
naturally into one another and connections should be made among them. Summary can be an important function of a
conclusion, but this part must be brief; readers know what they've just read. The writer should point out the importance or
implications of the research on an area of societal concern. The writer could also mention the lack of conclusion in the field. This
demonstrates understanding of the subject's complexity. The writer may choose to propose what may be the natural next step to
take in light of what the argument is attempting to convince. The conclusion should not end with a quotation or statement that
could very well be the subject of another paper. The former deflects attention away from one as writer and thinker; the latter
deflects attention from what the writer is conveying in the term paper.

4. Bibliography and/or Works Cited

In the Works Cited section, all cited sources should be listed in alphabetical order. These sources may include books, articles,
magazines, newspapers, electronic resources, audio-visual materials, etc. Within the text of the term paper, parentheses should
show readers where the writer found each piece of cited information. These textual citations allow the reader to refer to the
Works Cited page(s) for further information.