3) Why and how you should quote

In writing an essay, you may be tempted to copy straight from the ‘sources’ – materials or evidence you need for your argument – because you do not think you can write as well as the original writer, or you think that the reader might not know the original source. Copying directly from another author is called ‘plagiarism’. You must avoid this as it is a form of intellectual theft. You can avoid plagiarism by using the correct methods of quoting, paraphrasing, and referencing.

When you quote someone, you state their exact words in your text, using quotation marks (inverted commas) and providing the reference. Keep quotations as short as possible by quoting only the essential part of what the author says. Try to restrict yourself to quoting only if the original statement is forceful, well written, or contains ideas that are so controversial that you feel it is best to use the exact words of the author, so that there can be no misunderstanding.

Whereas quoting means using the exact words of another author, paraphrasing means restating the words or ideas from a book or article in your own words. You can make the ideas fit into your writing style. You should follow the rules of paraphrasing carefully in order to avoid being accused of plagiarism.

Make sure that you include the reference directly after the paraphrase in your text so that it is clear where you got the information from. There are many ways of showing that you are reporting the words of others.

In-text referencing is used when you are quoting or paraphrasing sources in your essay. A bibliography is a list at the end of your paper that shows which sources you have read or used to help you prepare your work.

4) Editing your writing

Editing is the process you go through when revising drafts of your essay. It can take a long time so you need to include proofreading and editing in your timetable. All essays need revising at least once. It is easier to proofread a printed page than text on a computer screen.

2. Précis

A summary of a passage from a book, report, newspaper, article etc, which conveys the main idea of the original is called a précis. The word “précis” which is French and the English “precise” both come from the same Latin verb meaning “to cut short”. “To be precise” is to be accurate, definite, exact, brief and to the point.

A well-written précis should be a serviceable substitute for the original work. The goal is to preserve the core essence of the work in a manner that is both clear and concise. At a minimum, the précis should include the topic or main thesis, the purpose of the research, what was studied, what methods were used, what results (or insight) were gained, and a conclusion.

A précis is normally made in about ONE THIRD (or less) of the original. So, compress and clarify a lengthy passage, article, or book, while retaining important concepts, key words, and important data.

- Remove what is superfluous and retain the core essence of the work.

- Give a brief description of key terms.

- Give a brief description of methods ­ an idea of the general approach used by the researchers.

- State the purpose of the research or piece of writing (why was it important to conduct this research or write on this topic?)

Do not forget that a précis is NOT a personal interpretation of a work or an expression of your opinion of the idea; it is, rather, an exact replica in miniature of the work, in which you express the complete argument! So, the writer is not supposed to introduce his own judgement or comments, nor can he use direct speech, conversations or dialogues in précis writing. These should be paraphrased before being condensed. Thus, paraphrase is a first practical step to précis writing.