Paraphrasing with attribution

The idea

Read the source, restate its meaning with a fresh sentence structure, and name the author or source. Give a full citation as required by your context.

Examples

• According to the town council, the new park will open in spring.
• Maya Chen argues that shorter meetings give teams more time to work.
• The museum report suggests that visitors prefer smaller groups.
• In her article, Leila Hassan explains how trees cool city streets.
• The survey found that most students travelled by bus.
• A local guide notes that the market closes early on Sundays.

Watch out

Changing a few words is not enough; do not present a tentative claim as a proven fact.

Try it yourself

1. Complete with the specified word: The report says: “Some residents cycle to work.” Complete with according: ___ to the report, some residents cycle to work.

   Show answer or example answer

   According

   According introduces the report as the source.

2. Complete with the specified word: The article says: “Rain may reduce attendance.” Complete with suggests: The article ___ that rain may reduce attendance.

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   suggests

   suggests preserves the possibility expressed in the source.

3. Complete with the specified word: The author says: “The plan is too costly.” Complete with argues: The author ___ that the plan costs too much.

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   argues

   argues identifies the author’s position on the plan.

Use it today

Complete each attribution with the specified word, then compare the source and restatement.