Unit 4 - Paraphrasing STUDENT Booklet

LZ036/Unit4
Unit4
USINGSOURCES/
PARAPHRASINGANDSUMMARIZING
REFERENCINGSKILLS
Focus
Inthisweekssessionsyouwill
understand what paraphrasing means
be aware of a range of paraphrasing techniques
learn how to avoid being accused of plagiarising
understand the difference between a paraphrase and a summary
learn how to report what others say
enhance your referencing skills
be able to evaluate and critique a source
Last Updated 23/06/2017 1

LZ036/Unit4
USINGSOURCESINYOURWRITING
Task 1: You spent the last session of last week considering source reliability. At this point, you
may be thinking, Whats the fuss? Information is information, isnt it? In any case, what do I need
sources for? Individually, complete the following questionnaire and then compare your answers
in a group of three to four.
Good academic practice means T/F
1. When youre asked to write an essay, writing down everything you know about a
subject to show your knowledge
2. Reading what other people say on the internet about a subject and including that in
your essay
3. Reading books, journal articles and other relevant material by academics in your field
of study to help you learn more about the subject
4. Copying this research and including the information in your essay
5. Using appropriate information from this research in your essay and acknowledging
the source
6. Developing your own ideas about the subject, based on what you have learned from
reading this research
7. Analysing research from different academics and possibly disagreeing with some of
them
8. Writing about a subject from your point of view and showing how you are right by
quoting all the arguments that agree with your perspective
Whyusesources?
When you make notes from your research into a particular topic, you will most likely use these
notes and the information from your readings in your assignment later. You use these to show
your knowledge of the discussions and research surrounding that particular topic. You also use
these to support your viewpoints, present a more balanced argument as well as to provide
evidence for claims that you are making.
You must acknowledge the work of others in your essay and this is done by referencing
the author:
To Reference To mention a particular writer or piece of work (Macmillan Dictionary, 2011)
You will look at referencing in more detail a little later on. However, at the moment we will focus
on how to incorporate the work of others in your essay.

LZ036/Unit4
QUOTINGDIRECTLY/
PARAPHRASING/SUMMARIZING
Task 2:Look again at the example essay on the Olympic Games. Sometimes the references
have quotation marks, some do not. Why?
Incorporatingsources
When you integrate ideas from your readings into your own work, you are borrowing someone
elses ideas. There are three ways to incorporate external sources into your work:
1. Quoting
2. Paraphrasing
3. Summarizing
Task 3: Quoting directly or citing1:
1. Briefly discuss with your neighbour why you should avoid quoting from an author directly.
2. Now think of any reasons why you would quote directly
PARAPHRASING
It is generally better to avoid quoting directly; in this lesson, we will focus on paraphrasing.
Whatisparaphrasing?
When you paraphrase, you use your own words or language to express someone elses ideas. It
is an acceptable, academic way of borrowing or using the information from a source. You will
find that you do not only paraphrase in academic contexts.
When we want to verify that we have understood what someone else has said to us, we often
repeat it, using our own words. For example;
Anne: Im going to have difficulty getting up to London tomorrow.
Jason: You mean its going to be a problem for you to come to London tomorrow?
This is paraphrasing.
1 To cite To give the exact words of something that has been written, especially in order to
support an opinion or prove an idea (Longman, 2010)

LZ036/Unit4
Whyparaphrase?
Task 4:Discussbrieflywithyourneighbourwhyyoumightparaphraseasourcein
youressay.Acoupleofreasonsarelistedbelow:
Your reader might find the original language difficult to understand.

You want to focus on the authors ideas rather than their style
3criteriaforagoodparaphrase
Repeating ideas from your research is not simply about changing words. Changing vocabulary is
only one aspect of paraphrasing.
A good paraphrase:
1. Has the same meaning as the original. All the main ideas of the original have been
included and no new ideas have been added.
2. Is different from the original, and can therefore be considered your own work, although
you must still acknowledge the original author as the idea is not yours. As far as possible,
make changes to grammar and vocabulary (although technical or specialist terms do not
need to be changed).
3. Cites or refers directly to the original source. The name(s) of the author(s) have been
included and the source has been referenced correctly.
Task 5: Compare this original passage from OBrien and Yar, M. (2008) Criminology the key
concepts. London: Routledge, and the three paraphrases, then answer the questions below.
Original
In the UK the period from about 1900 to the present has seen a steady decline in recorded crime
levels. However, the trend in prison numbers has continued upward, raising concerns the justice
system is becoming more punitive and placing too much emphasis on the use of imprisonment as
a form of punishment. In addition, there are now record numbers of juveniles held in detention in
Young Offender Institutions. (OBrien & Yar, 2008)
Paraphrase1
Britains crime rate has constantly decreased over the past 100 years or so, but the trend in
prison numbers has continued to rise, making people worried that the justice system is becoming
more retributive and placing too much importance on the use of imprisonment as a way to punish.
Statistics also show that Young Offender Institutions are now holding record number of juveniles
Paraphrase2
Britains crime rate has consistently fallen over the last 100 years or so, yet the number of people
living in prison has risen. This has led many to believe that the judicial system in the UK is
tending to rely solely on imprisonment to punish offenders. Furthermore, statistics show that there
are now more young people held in Youth Offender Institutions than ever before. (OBrien & Yar,
2008)

LZ036/Unit4
Paraphrase3
In Britain the time from about 1900 to today has witnessed a steady fall in recorded crime.
However, there has been an uninterrupted rise in the number of convicted criminals held in
prison. According to many, this is a worrying trend indicating that the judicial system is becoming
overly vengeful and focusing too much on the use of imprisonment as a way of punishing those
who break the law. Furthermore, there is currently a higher number of young people detained in
Young Offender Institutions than ever before in British history. (OBrien & Yar, 2008)
1. Would you say one of the paraphrases is better than the others?
2. Does this paraphrase meet all the criteria for a good paraphrase?
3. Are any of these paraphrases unacceptable?
Howtoparaphrase
Mostacademicwritingcoursebooksandacademicskillslecturersagreeonthefollowing
stepstofollowinordertowriteaneffectiveparaphrase:
5 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing

1. Read the original text for comprehension
2. Highlight/underline the key content words (topic)

a. Separate technical / specialist terms from general vocabulary.
b. Keep the specialist terms.
c. Use a thesaurus to find synonyms or alternative expressions for the
general vocabulary.
3. Highlight / underline the key organisational words (what are these?).

Look for alternative words or expressions for these.
4. Change the order of the ideas; express the relationship between them
differently.
5. Re-write sentences, using different grammatical structures.

a. Change active verbs to passive.
b. Change verbs to nouns or noun phrases.
c. Change nouns to verbs.
d. Join sentences
e. Break sentences up.
Workingfromtheoriginal
Task 6: In groups, Read the excerpt below. Each colour represents a category of words
mentioned above. Match the colour with the category.
Now follow the rest of the steps outlined above and see if you can paraphrase it.

LZ036/Unit4
The development of modern cities has had an enormous impact not only on habits and
modes of behaviour, but on patterns of thought and feeling. From the time when large
urban agglomerations first formed, in the eighteenth century, views about the effects of
cities on social life have been polarised. Some saw cities as representing civilized
virtue, the fount of dynamism and cultural creativity.
(Taken from Giddens, A. (2001) Sociology (4th edn). Oxford, Blackwell, p. 573.)
Hereisthevocabulary/colourkey:
General vocabulary (including organisational words)
Specialised vocabulary
General vocabulary (less frequent)
Academic vocabulary
Now check your paraphrase against the original excerpt and as a group, answer the following
questions:
Does it still contain all the original information?

Have you found synonyms for all the words you could change?
Which ones did you leave because they were too specialised?
Did you manage to change the structure as well as the words?
Did you remember to reference your paraphrase? (Ha ha!)
Now write your group paraphrase on the sheet of paper your teacher will give you and put it up on
the wall to compare with others. Which group do
development: growth you think wrote the best paraphrase?
enormous: significant; great;
immense
habits: lifestyle; conduct
patterns of thought: ways of We have one specialist phrase and one specialist
thinking; attitudes word that we can keep. They are Urban
feeling: moods; emotions agglomeration and polarised. However, fount of
from the time when: (ever) since dynamism is a little unusual so should probably
large: sizable; significant substantial be used with quotation marks or should be
first: initially changed. Academic words may also be kept
city: metropolis although synonyms should be easily identifiable
formed: grew; were created; were
established
the eighteenth century: the 1700s
views: opinions
some saw: it23/06/2017
Last Updated was seen by some 6
fount: source; origin
dynamism: energy
LZ036/Unit4
and they should be change if possible. General vocabulary should be changed. Some
suggestions below:

IFPLZ036/Unit5 [Typetext]
Task 7:Bearing in mind the above, look at the paraphrase below. What other changes have been
made to the Text?
Paraphrased text: The Development of Modern Cities
The growth of the modern city has not only influenced customs and behavioural patterns, but also the
way we think and our moods. Division over the effects of cities on society have existed ever since the
modern metropolis emerged in the eighteenth century. Cities came to be seen by some as
representing civilised virtue, the source of vitality and inventiveness (Giddens, 2001, p.573).
How does it compare to your groups version?
Task 8:Paraphrasing tools
1. Work with synonyms
Original: The cutting down of trees is seen as very bad for the environment
Revised: Deforestation is considered destructive to the environment
Original: Adolescent employees sometimes argue with their employers.

Revised: _______________
2. Change positive to negative
Original: The nervous student was awake all night.

Revised: The nervous student didnt sleep all night
Original: In times of crisis, politicians may ignore public opinion.

Revised: ______________
3. Change voice: passive -> active, active -> passive
Original: The voucher was sent by the testing service on August 3rd.
Revised: The testing service sent the voucher on August 3rd.
Original: Dieting can cause poor nutrition.

Revised: ______________
4. Change word classes*: nouns -> verbs, verbs -> nouns, etc.
Original: The teacher helped the student finish her class registration form.
Revised: The teacher helped the student register for classes.
Original: Everyone attended the summit meeting.

Revised: _____________________________
*See the section below called nominalisation for more work on this
5. Combine sentences: Use new connecting words to combine shorter phrases and sentences.
Original: The movie was filmed in Toronto. Scenes set in New York are often shot in Toronto.
Revised: The movie was filmed in Toronto where scenes set in New York are often shot.

Original: Paraphrasing is a skill students need to learn. It is an important part of academic

writing.
Revised: _____________________________
6. Move phrases: Move parts of a sentence to change the sentence structure.
Original: Yesterday, I stayed in the library until midnight and finished my homework.
Revised: I finished my homework at midnight in the library yesterday.
Original: In order to fight a damaging disease, the farmers began to grow genetically modified
crops.
Revised: _________________________________
Task 9: Lookatthepassagebelow.Paraphrasethepassageusingavarietyof
techniques.
Young people nowadays watch more television than preceding generations. However, as far as
television programmers and advertisers are concerned, youth audiences are potentially the most
elusive segment of the population in this country, for although television may play an influential role in
the identities of British young people, they generally spend less time watching television than people
over 25 or under 12 (that the older generation are expected to stay in explains the prevalence of
nostalgia shows on Saturday nights). British youth, implicitly, are less likely than any other section of
the population to be seen as inhabitants of the domestic environment. In response to this, there has
been a growing movement towards Youth Television in Britain, which aims to catch young people
either before or after they go out socialising. Youth Television was famously pioneered in the 1980s by
the cockney TV producer Janet Street Porter and sometimes satirically referred to as Yoof TV. The
kinds of programme that fall into this category tend to have a fast-moving magazine format with
young, fashionably dressed presenters, often speaking in non-standard English.
(Taken from Storry, M. & Childs, P. (2007) British Cultural Identities. London: Routledge)

AcademicwritingtipNominalisation
To nominalise means to change a word from a verb or adjective to a noun. For example:
Instead of:
This information helps us to prepare focused questions.
We could write:
This information helps in the preparation of focused questions.
Whynominalise?
Nominalising helps when you are trying to paraphrase. It also helps you write in a more formal,
academic and objective way. Look at the second sentence above again the use of us is no longer
necessary. You can also change some of the other words to make the sentence sound even more
formal:
This information assists in the preparation of precise questions.
More examples are:
There appeared to be evidence of poor treatment of children from deprived backgrounds.

Support for the Paralympics reflected the countrys admiration for people who have overcome
difficulties in their lives.
Sometimes unfair judgment of the unemployed leads to prejudice.
The development of new aircraft is essential to the success of all major airlines
Adapted from Gillett, A. (1999) Using English for Academic Purposes. A Guide for Students in Higher Education (last updated
8th January 2012). [Online]. Available at: http://www.uefap.com/index.htm [Accessed: 9th January 2012]
Quite often, when we nominalise, we have to use the and of with the noun (see the main example
sentence and the fourth example above).
Nounendingscanvary:
produce production
commence commencement
meet meeting
avoid avoidance
aware awareness
sufficient sufficiency
appropriate Appropriacy/appropriateness
Thereisanexerciseattheendofthenextsessiononnominalisingreportingverbs.

Homework
Consider what good academic practice means. Do the rules
governing academic work also apply outside of academic
contexts? Read the sources uploaded on Moodle and do your
own research as well. Come to the assessed seminar
prepared to discuss your ideas.
LECTURETHISWEEKALLMUSTATTEND
On Wednesday 8th February 1pm in KLT5 there will be a lecture

examining good academic practice.
Come to the lecture prepared to take notes as these will help

you in your assessed seminar discussion.

Session2
SUMMARIZING
Usingsourcessummarizing
It is unlikely that you will paraphrase a source (paragraph, article extract, book chapter, etc.) entirely
for an assignment. Most of the paraphrasing you do will be in the form of summaries. You will then
incorporate these summaries into your writing as support.
A summary:
Acknowledges the original author using appropriate citation and referencing
Contains only the most important information. This will include:
o The general subject of the source
o The authors thesis about the topic
o Important supporting details that elaborate on the thesis
Is much shorter than the original writing
Paraphrases any information from the original source.
How is this different from a paraphrase?
Task 10: Think of a story you have read that you liked or a film you have seen recently. Tell your
neighbour about it as briefly as possible. Your neighbour will write it down.
Task 11: Normally, if you want to include a summary of a source in your essay, you would not rely on
your memory alone. What would you do?
Read the following passage and try to summarise it. Then compare it with your neighbours attempt.
The invention of the process of printing from movable type, which occurred in Germany about the
middle of the fifteenth century, was destined to exercise a far-reaching influence on all the vernacular
languages of Europe. Introduced into England about 1476 by William Caxton, who had learned the art
on the continent, printing made such rapid progress that a scant century later it was observed that
manuscript books were seldom to be met with and almost never used. Some idea of the rapidity with
which the new process swept forward may be had from the fact that in Europe the number of books
printed before the year 1500 reached the surprising figure of 35,000. The majority of these, it is true,
were in Latin, whereas it is in the modern languages that the effect of the printing press is chiefly felt.
But in England over 20,000 titles in English had appeared by 1640, ranging all the way from mere
pamphlets to massive folios. The result was to bring books, which had formerly been the expensive
luxury of the few, within the reach of all. More important, however, was the fact, so obvious today, that
it was possible to reproduce a book in a thousand copies or a hundred thousand, every one exactly
like the other. A powerful force thus existed for promoting a standard uniform language, and the

means were now available for spreading that language throughout the territory in which it was
understood. (Taken from Baugh, A. & Cable, T. (1993) History of the English Language. London: Routledge)
Task 12: Now compare your summary with the two summaries below. Which do you prefer and why?
Consider, for example, conciseness, clarity, and accuracy in the sentences, and the selection of
information (major points and qualifications).
SUMMARY 1
Printing from movable type, invented in Germany about 1450 and brought to England about
1476, had a far-reaching influence on all European languages. Within a hundred years,
manuscript books had become rare. Though at first most printed books were in Latin, over
20,000 titles in English had appeared by 1640. Books were now within the reach of everyone
and could exert a powerful standardizing influence upon the language. (67 words)
SUMMARY 2
Printing, invented in Germany in the mid-fifteenth century, was introduced into England in
1476 by William Caxton. A century later manuscript books had almost disappeared. Before
1500, 35,000 books, most in Latin, were printed in Europe, but in England over 20,000 books
in English had appeared by 1640. Books, within reach of poor and rich alike, promoted the
spread of standardized English throughout the English linguistic territory. (68 words)
Task 13: Sometimes, you will need to paraphrase and summarise other types of information, not
necessarily in block text in the original source. In this task, you need to paraphrase key information
and summarise this information to write a about key events in the history of medicine.
Medicine timeline
Year Event
1951 A chemical company in Mexico City develops the first oral contraceptive
1953 Crick and Watson discover the double-helix structure of DNA
1953 The discovery of a polio vaccine is announced by Jonas Salk
1962 British surgeon John Charnley pioneers the technique of joint replacement
1967 Christiaan Barnard carries out the first successful heart transplant
1978 The first test-tube baby is born in Britain
1979 Smallpox is officially declared to be eradicated
1981 Medical reports describe AIDS for the first time
1985 The Human Genome Project begins in the US Department of Energy
1986 AZT, a drug inhibiting the progression from HIV to AIDS, is produced
1986 The first cases of Mad Cow Disease (BSE) occur in Britain
1996 Dolly the sheep becomes the first animal cloned from adult cells
2000 More than 35 million people world-wide are infected with HIV

REFERENCINGSKILLS
Anoteonplagiarism
Points 2 and 4 in the questionnaire at the beginning of session 1 this week suggested:
2. Reading what other people say on the internet about a subject and including that in
your essay.
4. Copying this research and including the information in your essay
In these cases, a student is likely to be accused of plagiarising.
Task 14: From the following definitions for the term plagiarism(n), choose which one you think is
correct (individually, then compare with your neighbour):
Plagiarism is the representation of another person's work as the student's own, either
by extensive unacknowledged quotation, paraphrasing or direct copying.
Plagiarism is submitting an essay that demonstrates a sophisticated ability to

synthesise (combine) the work of other authors.
Plagiarism is showing the ability to cut and paste the work of others skilfully, and
without detection.
Now, what about the following situation:
Put together a combination of quotations and summaries from other authors, making sure to reference
the works, and present this as your essay?
In this case, the student would probably be accused of bad academic practice. What do you think this
means?
Please remember, if you use the authors exact words, you must use
quotationmarksandreferencethequote.Otherwise,youmusteither
paraphrase or summarise but you still need to acknowledge the
source!


Task 15: For most students, understanding how to be original and when to reference is the problem.
Read the following extract with a neighbour and see if you can detect the students own voice.
Pickton and Broderick (2005) emphasise that word-of-mouth advertising

can be negative if the consumer is dissatisfied with the product or service.
It is unpredictable and uncontrolled. Furthermore, it is not only spread
among consumers but also to the manufacturer and retailer. Kotler et al
(2009) also confirm that the consumer can spread negative word-of
mouth advertising about the product on social networking sites, such as
Facebook or MySpace, where the message can be seen by a large group
of people. For example, after purchasing the product, dissatisfaction with it
might be raised. Naturally, when others see the negative message that
dissatisfied customers have posted, they will forward that message to their
friends. (Adapted from Pre-Sessional Student, 2010)
Why has the student chose to cite the phrase word-of-mouth?
In pairs, consider the following extract from the same essay. Why has the student included a page
number for one of the references but not for the other?
Although Standing, Benson and Karjaluoto (2005, p.140) confirm that the
consumers would prefer not to be overloaded with message, Scharl,
Dickinger and Murphy (2005) emphasise that consumers are likely to
receive advertising text messages after giving permission.
(Adapted from Pre-Sessional Student, 2010)
Reportingwhatotherssay
Very often, you will need to introduce your summary by referring to your source. Look at this example.
According to Giddens (2001: 573), the growth of the modern city has not only influenced customs and
behavioural patterns, but also the way we think and our moods. Division over the effects of cities on
society have existed ever since the modern metropolis emerged in the eighteenth century. He states
that cities came to be seen by some as representing civilised virtue, the source of vitality and
inventiveness.
In the first part of the summary, the author uses the phrase according to Giddens to refer to the
source. Later in the summary, the reporting verb to state is used. Good writers use a selection of

reporting verbs to refer to sources. These reporting verbs are often more precise than to state or
according to..
The reporting verb you choose is another way of allowing you to express your own voice. How?
The following is a list of reporting verbs and the ideas they express. They are not exact definitions and
one definition could apply to several verbs.
1 To say something directly state

2 To give particular importance to emphasise / highlight /
stresse
3 To express doubts about question
4 To say something indirectly or tentatively suggest
5 To simply mention or state but no development of the observe / note / comment /
argument follows point out
6 To refer to briefly imply

7 To be direct and firm about the truth of something claim / assert / contend /
maintain / declare
8 To focus in on pinpoint
9 To suggest indirectly imply
10 An idea, theory or hypothesis is presented advance / put forward /
propose
11 To suggest that something is inaccurate cast doubt on
12 To show that something must be true prove
13 To give an explanation explain
14 To describe with details describe / demonstrate /
show how
Task 16: Another use for nominalisation (see session 1) is to vary the way you report what an author
says by nominalising the reporting verb. Try to avoid using according to all the time!
Look at these sentences. Fill in the blanks with the correct noun versions of verbs in the list above.
When you are finished, check your answers with your partner.
1. In her latest article, Morton provides an _ _________as to how information technology is

changing society.
2. Schmidt gives a _ ________of the process of language change.
3. Kons _ ______that all poets are strongly influenced by their childhood is uncontroversial.
4. Lees _ __________hat problems arose earlier than was previously thought has been
challenged.
5. Uvarovs ___________ that the causes of the revolution can be traced back to the 18th
century is worth considering in some depth.
6. Van Eks _____________that other historians have misinterpreted the period has caused
some controversy.
7. Patels ________ that governments should continue to fund space research is convincing.
8. Greenbergs ________on the importance of taking a liberal approach is not new.

9. Levacks _______ that there are contradictions in Days interpretation of the poem has been
supported by a number of other scholars.
10. Kims _____________ of the way Bachs music draws considerably on earlier composers
work is fascinating.
11. Grays _____ of the link between obesity and genes is of considerable interest.
Homework
Using what you have learned this week on summarising and
using sources, summarise the following Greenpeace article.
You must complete this task before the next lesson and bring
it to class with you. You will upload the summary as a Word
document on Turnitin. Your teacher will advise you on how
and when to do this.

End the nuclear age

Nastya, from Belarus was only three years old when she was diagnosed with cancer of the uterus and
lungs. According to local doctors the region has seen a huge increase in childhood cancer cases
since the Chernobyl disaster.
Greenpeace has always fought - and will continue to fight - vigorously against nuclear power because
it is an unacceptable risk to the environment and to humanity. The only solution is to halt the
expansion of all nuclear power, and for the shutdown of existing plants. We need an energy system
that can fight climate change, based on renewable energy and energy efficiency. Nuclear power
already delivers less energy globally than renewable energy, and the share will continue to decrease
in the coming years.
Despite what the nuclear industry tells us, building enough nuclear power stations to make a
meaningful reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would cost trillions of dollars, create tens of
thousands of tons of lethal high-level radioactive waste, contribute to further proliferation of nuclear
weapons materials, and result in a Chernobyl-scale accident once every decade.
Perhaps most significantly, it will squander the resources necessary to implement meaningful climate
change solutions. (Briefing: Climate change - Nuclear not the answer.)
"Nuclear power plants are, next to nuclear warheads themselves, the most dangerous devices that
man has ever created. Their construction and proliferation is the most irresponsible, in fact the most
criminal, act ever to have taken place on this planet." Patrick Moore, Assault on Future Generations,
1976
The Nuclear Age began in July 1945 when the US tested their first nuclear bomb near
Alamogordo, New Mexico. A few years later, in 1953, President Eisenhower launched his "Atoms for
Peace" Programme at the UN amid a wave of unbridled atomic optimism.
But as we know there is nothing "peaceful" about all things nuclear. More than half a century after
Eisenhower's speech the planet is left with the legacy of nuclear waste. This legacy is beginning to be
recognised for what it truly is.
Things are moving slowly in the right direction. In November 2000 the world recognised nuclear power
as a dirty, dangerous and unnecessary technology by refusing to give it greenhouse gas credits
during the UN Climate Change talks in The Hague. Nuclear power was dealt a further blow when a
UN Sustainable Development Conference refused to label nuclear a sustainable technology in April
2001.
The risks from nuclear energy are real, inherent and long-lasting.
Safety:
No reactor in the world is inherently safe. All operational reactors have inherent safety flaws, which
cannot be eliminated by safety upgrading. Highly radioactive spent fuel requires constant cooling. If
this fails, it could lead to a catastrophic release of radioactivity. They are also highly vulnerable to
deliberate acts of sabotage, including terrorist attack.
Waste:
From the moment uranium is mined nuclear waste on a massive scale is produced. There is no
secure, risk free way to store nuclear waste. No country in the world has a solution for high- level
waste that stays radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years. The least damaging option at this
current time is for waste to be stored above ground, in dry storage at the site of origin, but this option
also presents major challenges and the threats.

Weapons proliferation:
The possession of nuclear weapons by the US, Russia, France, the UK and China has encouraged
the further proliferation of nuclear technology and materials. Every state that has a nuclear power
capability, has the means to obtain nuclear material usable in a nuclear weapon. Basically this means
that the 44 nuclear power states could become 44 nuclear weapons states. Many nations that have
active commercial nuclear power programs, began their research with two objectives - electricity
generation and the option to develop nuclear weapons.
Also nuclear programs based on reprocessing plutonium from spent fuel have dramatically increased
the risk of proliferation as the creation of more plutonium, means more nuclear waste which in turn
means more materials available for the creation of dirty bombs.
Greenpeace (2009) End the Nuclear Age [Online] Available at:

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/nuclear [Accessed 30 Nov 09]

Session3
EVALUATIONANDCRITIQUE
Whomshouldyoubelieve?Consideringdifferentperspectives
An important aspect of working with sources is being able to assess the biases and credentials of the
experts quoted. When someone feels passionate about a subject, they do not necessarily lie to
support their argument but they often deliberately ignore other truths about a topic some which go
against their argument. This week, you will learn to develop an awareness of the different
perspectives that various people may have on a particular topic.
Why do you think this skill is important for you as a student when -
You are researching a topic
You are writing an essay?
Discuss the above point briefly in groups.
Task 1: What is the debate that these images illustrate? Which side are you on?
?
Task 2: We will now use the Greenpeace article you were asked to summarise on nuclear power for
homework in the last session.
Compare your summary with your neighbours. How similar are they? Did you both focus on the same
key points? Which one do you think is better?
Task 3: Imagine you are doing some research for the following essay:
Nuclear power is the cleanest, safest and best solution to the Worlds growing need for energy
supply. Discuss
Remembering the opinion you expressed in the discussion in task 1 and bearing in mind the following
points, do you think this source would be appropriate to use in the essay to support either side of the
argument? In groups, discuss your opinions justifying your reasons.

a. What do you know about the corporate author?

b. Who is the article written for?
c. What is the purpose of the article?
d. Is there a clear line of reasoning, with supporting evidence?
e. Are there clear in-text references to the texts sources of information?
f. Does the text include a detailed list of references, or a bibliography, indicating thorough
research?
g. If so, do the source materials look reputable, such as journals and relevant books, rather than
the popular press?
h. Is the article objective and un-emotional about the topic?
Task 4: If the following was an extract from your essay and you wanted to use part of this source
(from your summary) to support the point being made, which part would you use? How would you
introduce the reference? How would you evaluate it?
...Despite the concerns about the dangers and unpredictability of nuclear power, it still remains the
cleanest, and safest option we have in a world of diminishing fossil fuels. Although it cannot be
denied that accidents do sometimes happen, for example, at Chernobyl in the 1980s and more
recently, the Fukushima power plant in Japan, the damage caused has been far less, and
casualties have been considerably fewer than expected. However, some organisations are
determined to broadcast the negative aspects of nuclear power and to exaggerate the impact of
such accidents
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

LZ036/Unit4
AnalysingArguments
As you will have seen from the previous tasks, much of the reading was related to a question, or an
argument. On the basis of that question, you evaluated the responses of others to that question.
Likewise, in your other subjects, and later on in your degree, much of the writing you do for your
assignments include responses to what you have read, before presenting your own arguments.
These responses will often be an analysis of the sources you have read, in particular an analysis of
the arguments in those sources.
In task 3 we looked at evaluating sources and determining the reliability of the sources themselves.
We also briefly looked at evaluating an authors arguments and their sources. In this section, we will
look at how to analyse an argument in more detail.
When we analyse an argument, we:

a. Examine the authors thesis
b. Examine the authors purpose
c. Examine the authors method
d. Examine the authors persona
Task 5: Analysing arguments on nuclear power:
Examiningathesis
Look at the text below. What is the point the author is trying to make? What is the author trying to
prove? What is their opinion? Do they strengthen their own points through concession and refutation?
It is indeed conceivable that at some stage in the future new reactor designs could prove to be
so superior that we would be mad not to take advantage of such breakthroughs in the supply
mix. We should continue to keep that door open. However, I've heard so many promises of
"better things to come" from the nuclear industry over the past 40 years that I attach very
little significance to the current wave of similar promises. Right now (and for at least the next
decade I would argue) proven renewable technologies offer a much more secure supply-side
strategy.
Porritt, J. (2011) Guardian Blog: Why the UK must choose renewables over nuclear: an answer to Monbiot [Online] Available at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/aug/08/greens-renewables-climate-change. [Accessed 6/10/11].
Examiningpurpose
Try to form a clear idea of the authors purpose.
Look at the text below. Is the author trying to persuade? Or is the author simply reporting?

LZ036/Unit4
Nuclear power remains an object of deep public suspicion. The advantage it has over
renewables is that production takes place on a compact site, rather than being spread over the
countryside, and that new power lines are not required in places where they haven't been built
before. The disadvantage it shares with coal and gas is that it depends upon the extraction of
uranium, which, like mining fossil fuels, imposes a high environmental cost. In principle this
could be overcome by moving to fourth-generation nuclear technologies. Not only do they
not require fresh supplies of uranium, but some of the proposed technologies consume
existing nuclear waste. None of them has yet been demonstrated at scale, however.
Monbiot, G. (2011) Guardian Blog: George Monbiot: Why must UK have to choose between nuclear and renewable energy? [Online]
Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/aug/08/greens-renewables-climate-change. [Accessed 6/10/11].
Examiningmethod
Analyse the strategies or methods of argument that the author uses to support the thesis.
Look at the text below and consider the following questions:
a. Does the author quote authorities? Are they really competent in this field? Are equally
competent authorities who take different views ignored?
b. Does the author use statistics? If yes, how appropriate are they to the point being argued?
Can these statistics be interpreted in a different way?
c. How does the author build the argument? Does the author use examples or analogies? Are
they satisfactory?
d. Are the authors assumptions acceptable?
e. Have all relevant factors been considered, or have some points been omitted (eg. opposing
positions)?
There are a growing number of voices arguing that we can indeed provide almost all the
energy we need from renewable resources. The report from the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (adopted by 194 governments on 9th May 2011) shows how we could get up
to 80% of the energy we need from renewable energy sources. A 100% renewable supply
strategy for the UK is feasible by 2050 at the latest, assuming only that we succeed in
reducing total energy consumption in the UK by at least 40% by 2030 through a wholly
different approach to energy efficiency than any government has ever demonstrated before.
Porritt, J. (2011) Guardian Blog: Why the UK must choose renewables over nuclear: an answer to Monbiot [Online] Available at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/aug/08/greens-renewables-climate-change. [Accessed 6/10/11].
Examiningpersona
Sometimes, you will read something where the authors persona and ideas are blended. Look at the
text below and decide to what extent the personality of the author is visible. How does it affect the
text?
If we shut the door on nuclear power, we create a generation gap. As the committee points
out, the maximum likely contribution to our electricity supply from renewables by 2030 is
45%, and the maximum likely contribution from carbon capture and storage is 15%. Where
will the balance come from? To my utter amazement, Mr Porritt's answer appears to be
unabated fossil fuel.

LZ036/Unit4
Monbiot, G. (2011) Guardian Blog: George Monbiot: Why must UK have to choose between nuclear and renewable energy? [Online]
Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/aug/08/greens-renewables-climate-change. [Accessed 6/10/11].
Task 6: In the following text, identify the language that is used to be critical (both positively and
negatively) of an authors argument:
Monbiotjustifieshisargumentagainstrenewableenergyresourcesastheanswerto
theescalatingneedforelectricitybycitingtheimpracticalnatureoftheirlikely
contributionintheshortterm.However,thisdoesdirectlycontradictthefindingsof
theIPCCandfailstotaketotallyintoaccounttheenvironmentalimpactofnuclear
waste,thereuseofwhich,byhisownadmission,hasnotbeenprovenasyet.

Unit 4 - Paraphrasing STUDENT Booklet

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Unit 4 - Paraphrasing STUDENT Booklet

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

LZ036/Unit4

understand what paraphrasing means

be aware of a range of paraphrasing techniques

learn how to avoid being accused of plagiarising

understand the difference between a paraphrase and a summary

learn how to report what others say

enhance your referencing skills

be able to evaluate and critique a source

Last Updated 23/06/2017 1

Good academic practice means T/F

To Reference To mention a particular writer or piece of work (Macmillan Dictionary, 2011)

Last Updated 23/06/2017 2

Task 3: Quoting directly or citing1:

Anne: Im going to have difficulty getting up to London tomorrow.

Last Updated 23/06/2017 3

Your reader might find the original language difficult to understand.

Last Updated 23/06/2017 4

5 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing

2. Highlight/underline the key content words (topic)

3. Highlight / underline the key organisational words (what are these?).

5. Re-write sentences, using different grammatical structures.

Last Updated 23/06/2017 5

General vocabulary (including organisational words)

General vocabulary (less frequent)

Does it still contain all the original information?

Last Updated 23/06/2017 7

Paraphrased text: The Development of Modern Cities

How does it compare to your groups version?

Task 8:Paraphrasing tools

1. Work with synonyms

Original: Adolescent employees sometimes argue with their employers.

2. Change positive to negative

Original: The nervous student was awake all night.

Original: In times of crisis, politicians may ignore public opinion.

3. Change voice: passive -> active, active -> passive

Original: Dieting can cause poor nutrition.

Original: Everyone attended the summit meeting.

Last Updated 23/06/2017 8

Original: Paraphrasing is a skill students need to learn. It is an important part of academic

6. Move phrases: Move parts of a sentence to change the sentence structure.

Last Updated 23/06/2017 9

This information helps us to prepare focused questions.

This information helps in the preparation of focused questions.

This information assists in the preparation of precise questions.

More examples are:

There appeared to be evidence of poor treatment of children from deprived backgrounds.

Last Updated 23/06/2017 10

On Wednesday 8th February 1pm in KLT5 there will be a lecture

Come to the lecture prepared to take notes as these will help

Last Updated 23/06/2017 11

How is this different from a paraphrase?

Last Updated 23/06/2017 12

Last Updated 23/06/2017 13

In these cases, a student is likely to be accused of plagiarising.

Plagiarism is submitting an essay that demonstrates a sophisticated ability to

Now, what about the following situation:

Last Updated 23/06/2017 14

Last Updated 23/06/2017 15

Pickton and Broderick (2005) emphasise that word-of-mouth advertising

Why has the student chose to cite the phrase word-of-mouth?

(Adapted from Pre-Sessional Student, 2010)

Last Updated 23/06/2017 16

1 To say something directly state