The use of Paraphrasing (meaning to say something in another sentence) is very important for English writing for study abroad essays, especially when it comes to quoting other people’s ideas or literature. In this article, I will explain in detail how to appropriately use this type of technique to ensure that your research and writing has more depth and breadth.
Firstly, we need to understand that there are two main forms of Paraphrase. One is numbering, where the author’s surname and year of publication (e.g. Henninger (2016)) are added at the end of the quoted sentence, which can be linked to the sentence being paraphrased;
The second is a “paraphrased view”, which includes the author’s name and the year of publication (e.g. Henningers’ comprehensive definition of SFC (2016)).
A tip here is to use the numbering system more frequently if you need to increase the length of your sentences quickly.
Also, if you are citing a large number of documents, you should use the “paraphrased ideas” system.
Next, let’s look at some practical applications of citation methods. Below are some typical examples of citation methods:
– Single document, one author – Henninger (2016): The first comprehensive definition of SFC was proposed by Henninger in 2016.
– Monograph, two authors – Min & Ko (2017): The emergence of the SFC concept and industry in China began in 2015 as indicated by Min and Ko in their work published in 2017.
– Monographs, three or more authors – First A. surname et al. (year: publication): Castro-L6pez et al. (2021) highlighted the risks posed by the SFC for textile manufacturing’s effect on the environment.
– Integrated literature, multiple publications – Henninger et al., (2016; 2020; 2021): Henninger et al., (in their 2016, 2020 and 2021 publications) integrated the themes of eco-fashion , ethical fashion, and green fashion to explain the fundamentals of SFC.
A few points to note are:
1. Where to add citation symbols.
Generally speaking, both the numbering system and the “paraphrased idea” should be located at the end of the quoted statement; and if more than one reference is involved, then there should be a space between the symbol and the quoted content.
2. The difference between a “paraphrased view” and an indexed citation.
Paraphrased ideas are usually a general summary of the original text, focusing on conceptual elaboration, but also contains the author’s name and year of publication; while the index citation focuses on the precise citation of the original text, the citation part in square brackets, including the author’s last name, the year of publication and the page number of complete information.
3. Avoid excessive citation.
Although accuracy is essential in the citation process, excessive citation is actually not very meaningful, but will increase the reading burden of the reader. Generally speaking, each quotation should be used to illustrate a point succinctly or to add to the original point.
So, in short, Paraphrasing (in other words) mastered properly can add a lot of colour to your writing. Whether in the process of essay writing or in daily writing situations, it can give your expression more depth and breadth, and I believe these lessons will help you write authentic and professional English!
