Paraphrasing and Quoting
When you write, you can use ideas from sources, but you must avoid plagiarism—presenting others’ words as your own. Use one of these strategies:
- Paraphrasing is using your own words to express the ideas from a text.
- Quoting is using a text’s exact words in quotation marks and naming the source.
Listen to "Flying Fish, Ocean Acrobats"
Hide audio
Flying Fish, Ocean Acrobats
Flying fish are called the dragonflies of the deep, but flying fish don’t have wings like dragonflies or birds. They use two sets of pectoral fins as wings to fly. Their front fins lift them out of the water, and their back fins help them soar over the surface.
-
Paraphrase: Flying fish use sets of fins to glide above water.
-
Quote: The article “Flying Fish, Ocean Acrobats” points out that “flying fish are called the dragonflies of the deep.”
Teaching Tip
Students may paraphrase well known ideas and established facts without giving credit to a specific source. When students quote a source, however, they must give credit. Students can cite sources by naming the author and title.