Use sources
Quote, Paraphrase, or Summarize
Use this page when you need to use a source in your writing and want to do it correctly.
Three ways to use a source
Many college assignments ask you to use sources: articles, books, websites, or interviews. There are three ways to bring a source into your writing. In all three, you must say where the idea came from. This is called citing the source.
| Way | What you write | Length | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quote | The author’s exact words, inside quotation marks | Usually short: a phrase or one sentence | The exact words matter, or they are hard to say better |
| Paraphrase | One idea from the source, in your own words and your own sentence structure | About the same length as the original | You need the details of one idea |
| Summary | The main idea of a longer passage, in your own words | Much shorter than the original | You need the big idea, not the details |
In most college writing, paraphrase and summary are more common than quotation. Instructors want to see that you understand the source well enough to explain it.
- Source:
- a text, person, or recording that you take information from.
- Cite:
- to say where an idea or words came from, in the style your instructor asks for, such as MLA or APA.
- Plagiarism:
- using someone else’s words or ideas without citing them.
Example: one source, used three ways
Here is a short passage from an article. Below it, a student uses it three ways. Each number matches a note.
Original passage: Students who work more than twenty hours a week are less likely to finish their degree. The problem is not ability; it is time. When work schedules change without warning, students miss classes, fall behind, and often leave college.
Quote: According to the author, “The problem is not ability; it is time.”1
Paraphrase: The author explains that when employers change work hours with little notice, students may skip classes and stop keeping up with the work, and many of them leave college.2
Summary: The author argues that long and unpredictable work hours, not a lack of ability, keep many students from finishing college.3
- A quote. The exact words are inside quotation marks. The writer chose a short sentence that is strong and hard to say better.
- A paraphrase. It covers one idea, the third sentence, with new words and a new sentence structure. It is about the same length.
- A summary. It gives the main idea of the whole passage in one sentence.
In a real essay, each use also needs a citation in your instructor’s style. For MLA and APA help, see OCTC citation help (opens in a new tab).
How to paraphrase without copying
Changing a few words in the author’s sentence is not a paraphrase. If the sentence structure and most of the words stay the same, it is still too close to the original. Many instructors count this as plagiarism, even with a citation.
| Original | Too close | Real paraphrase |
|---|---|---|
| Students who work more than twenty hours a week are less likely to finish their degree. | Students who have jobs more than twenty hours a week are less likely to complete their degree. | Working over twenty hours a week makes it harder for students to graduate. |
Four steps
- Read the passage until you understand it. Look up any words you need.
- Close the source, or cover it.
- Write the idea from memory, as if you were explaining it to a classmate.
- Compare. If your version uses the same structure or many of the same words, try again. Keep special terms that have no other word, such as GPA.
Some websites and AI tools offer to paraphrase for you. They write the new sentence, so the tool is leading, not you. Use one only if your instructor allows it. See Translation, grammar tools, and AI: check the rules first.
Language focus: reporting verbs
Verbs that introduce a source
When you use a source, start with a signal phrase: the author’s name or the author, plus a reporting verb. The verb tells the reader what the author does with the idea.
| The author | Reporting verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|
| gives information | explains, describes, reports | The author explains that schedules often change. |
| takes a position | argues, claims, believes | The author argues that time is the real problem. |
| offers an idea carefully | suggests, notes | The author suggests that employers could help. |
| reports research | found, shows | The study found that students who work long hours leave more often. |
After a reporting verb, use that + a complete sentence: The author argues that time is the problem. Do not write “The author argues about that time is the problem.”
Use the present tense for what an author says (argues, explains). See Verb tense for when a class uses the past tense instead.
Sentence starters
Fill in each blank with your own words.
- To quoteAs writes, “.”According to , “.”
- To paraphrase explains that .
- To summarizeIn this article, argues that .The main idea of is that .
- To respondThis idea is important because .I agree with , but .
Practice
Use this original sentence: “Community colleges serve many adult students who return to school after years in the workforce.”
- Is this a quote, a paraphrase, or a summary? The author notes that many adults go back to school at community colleges after working for years.
- Is this a real paraphrase or too close? Community colleges help many adult students who go back to school after years in the workforce.
- Choose the best reporting verb for an author who takes a position: The author (describes / argues) that colleges should offer evening classes.
- Correct this sentence: “The author explains about that adults return to school.”
Show suggested answers
- A paraphrase. It gives the same idea in new words and a new structure, at about the same length. It has no quotation marks.
- Too close. It keeps the structure and most of the words. Only two words changed.
- argues Should shows a position. Describes is for information.
- The author explains that adults return to school. After a reporting verb, use that + a complete sentence, with no about.
Next step
Before you use a source in your writing
- Decide: do I need the exact words, one idea, or the main idea?
- If I paraphrase, did I close the source and write from memory?
- Did I start with a signal phrase and a reporting verb?
- Did I cite the source in the style my instructor asks for?
More practice
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a writing site from Purdue University. Many college classes use it.