How to Paraphrase and Quote, Lesson 1

with The Glass Castle

Purpose

• Paraphrasing and quoting the published work requires going back into the text. Checking the text ensures that my own writing will be specific and accurate.

• Paraphrasing is an efficient way to sum up material.

• Quotes are evidence. I refer to a published writer’s specific words to support my own ideas.

The job: Analyze a Symbol

Students are assigned to one of 5 symbols and will become experts on it. You will DISCUSS, WRITE and then PRESENT the following:

• Explain when the symbol appears—describe it clearly.

• Explain why Jeannette remembers it by explaining how she feels about it.

Practice topic: Arrival in NYC

When Jeannette Walls moves to NYC, her life changes dramatically. We will review and discuss the actual event of her arrival.

Step 1. Find the best quote in the text.

Answer: the excerpt

“It was dusk when I got my first glimpse of it off in the distance, beyond a ridge. All I could see were the spires and blocky tops of buildings. And then we reached the crest of the ridge, and there, across a wide river, was a huge island jammed tip to tip with skyscrapers, their glass glowing like fire in the setting sun.”

from The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls, page 245

Step 2: Decide which part of the quote is relevant.

“It was dusk when I got my first glimpse of it off in the distance, beyond a ridge. All I could see were the spires and blocky tops of buildings. And then we reached the crest of the ridge, and there, across a wide river, was a huge island jammed tip to tip with skyscrapers, their glass glowing like fire in the setting sun.”

Answer: The whole quote is relevant because it’s all description of NYC.

“It was dusk when I got my first glimpse of it off in the distance, beyond a ridge. All I could see were the spires and blocky tops of buildings. And then we reached the crest of the ridge, and there, across a wide river, was a huge island jammed tip to tip with skyscrapers, their glass glowing like fire in the setting sun.”

Step 3: Analyze the textDifferent people may interpret the mood, or underlying emotion, of this passage differently. What do you think Jeannette is feeling? What’s the mood?

“It was dusk when I got my first glimpse of it off in the distance, beyond a ridge. All I could see were the spires and blocky tops of buildings. And then we reached the crest of the ridge, and there, across a wide river, was a huge island jammed tip to tip with skyscrapers, their glass glowing like fire in the setting sun.”

Answer: There is more than one correct answer. Some answers will be better than others; some will be too off-base to be considered. For the most part, when I analyze, I can say almost anything as long as I provide good evidence.

Step 4: Choose evidence.

Decide which words are really important, and should be included in my own writing. I need to choose words and phrases that support my own ideas.“It was dusk when I got my first glimpse of it off in the distance, beyond a ridge. All I could see were the spires and blocky tops of buildings. And then we reached the crest of the ridge, and there, across a wide river, was a huge island jammed tip to tip with skyscrapers, their glass glowing like fire in the setting sun.”

Answer: Most people mark these parts; some people mark differently.

“It was dusk when I got my first glimpse of it off in the distance, beyond a ridge. All I could see were the spires and blocky tops of buildings. And then we reached the crest of the ridge, and there, across a wide river, was a huge island jammed tip to tip with skyscrapers, their glass glowing like fire in the setting sun.”

Step 5: Write.

When my writing purpose is to analyze another author’s text, I need to

•paraphrase the relevant text

•weave important words and phrases of the text into my writing

•include my own analysis, too

Note: this basically sums up what you have to do in an essay paragraph.

Step 5: Do it! Actually use the highlighted words, or most of them, and paraphrase the

rest. Your job is to describe the symbol when it appears & tell how Jeannette feels

about it. (1-3 sentences) “It was dusk when I got my first glimpse of it

off in the distance, beyond a ridge. All I could see were the spires and blocky tops of buildings. And then we reached the crest of the ridge, and there, across a wide river, was a huge island jammed tip to tip with skyscrapers, their glass glowing like fire in the setting sun.”

My writing. Notice where I paraphrase, weave quotes, and analyze. Identify what’s missing.When Jeannette Walls approaches NYC at “dusk,” she sees only the “tops of buildings.” She is excited and amazed when she can finally see the whole city, and remembers always “a huge island jammed tip to tip with skyscrapers, their glass glowing like fire in the setting sun.”

The excerpt: “It was dusk when I got my first glimpse of it off in the distance,

beyond a ridge. All I could see were the spires and blocky tops of buildings. And then we reached the crest of the ridge, and there, across a wide river, was a huge island jammed tip to tip with skyscrapers, their glass glowing like fire in the setting sun.”

Purpose of MLA in-text citation

• to carefully identify someone else’s words and ideas, and not claim them as my own

• to use someone else’s words and ideas to support my own ideas

• to identify the original source of the quoted material– to refer the reader to the correct entry on the

Works Cited page; entries begin with the author’s last name

– to refer the reader to the exact page of the quotation in the original text

How To

• In parenthesis, give the author’s last name, 1 space, and the page number.– Example: (Walls 245)

• Put this after the quote and before the period.

• There are, of course, all kinds of special rules. For now, we’ll include author & page # in every sentence with a quote, for practice.

Some special rules• If a sentence has more than 1 quote from

the same page, I only need 1 citation after the last quote. If a sentence has more than 1 quote and they come from different pages, each quote will need its own citation.

• If the author’s name is given in the sentence that includes a quote, I don’t have to include the author’s last name in the parenthesis; I just include the page number.

My writing, with MLA citations

When Jeannette Walls approaches NYC at “dusk,” she sees only the “tops of buildings” (245). She is excited and amazed when she finally can see the whole city, and remembers always “a huge island jammed tip to tip with skyscrapers, their glass glowing like fire in the setting sun” (Walls 245).

Your turn: Analyze a SymbolDISCUSS, WRITE 1-3 sentences,

and then PRESENT the following:

• Explain when the symbol appears – describe it clearly.

• Explain why Jeannette remembers it by explaining how she feels about it.– fire (15, 33-4)– Joshua tree (35, 38)– Venus (39-41)– braces (201-2)– cheetah (106-9)

Remember to•paraphrase relevant text•weave important words and phrases into your writing•include analysis

Homework

Using A Published Author’s Text

In Your Own Writing

20 points

(hand-out)