EAP - English For Academic Purposes Paraphrasing and Citing Sources Questions and Answers

Question 1

Which of the following is the MOST effective and ethical way to paraphrase a sentence from a source in an academic paper?

Accepted Answer

Restating the original idea in your own words and sentence structure, followed by a proper citation.

Answer

Replacing a few key words with synonyms but keeping the original sentence structure.

Answer

Using the exact same sentence from the source but putting it in quotation marks.

Answer

Summarizing the main idea of the entire article in one sentence without a specific citation.

Question 2

A student is writing a research paper and finds a paragraph that perfectly supports their argument. The student copies the paragraph verbatim into their paper, encloses it in quotation marks, and adds a citation at the end. Which aspect of using sources does this represent?

Accepted Answer

Quoting

Answer

Summarizing

Answer

Paraphrasing

Answer

Plagiarizing

Question 3

When is it necessary to provide an in-text citation in academic writing?

Accepted Answer

Only when you use an idea that is not common knowledge, regardless of whether it is quoted or paraphrased.

Answer

Only when you use a direct quotation from a source.

Answer

Only when the source is a published book or academic journal.

Answer

Only for statistics and data, but not for general ideas or concepts.

Question 4

A student, Alex, is working on a group project. Another group member, Ben, suggests including a statistic he remembers from an article but cannot recall the source. Ben suggests they just attribute it to a well-known researcher in the field. What is the main ethical issue with this suggestion?

Accepted Answer

It constitutes falsification and improper attribution of a source.

Answer

The statistic might be outdated.

Answer

The other group members might not agree with the statistic.

Answer

It is inefficient to use a statistic without knowing the full context.

Question 5

Which of the following describes a common mistake in creating a reference list or bibliography?

Accepted Answer

Including sources that were read for background but not explicitly cited in the text.

Answer

Alphabetizing the entries by the author's last name.

Answer

Using a consistent citation style throughout the list.

Answer

Ensuring every in-text citation has a corresponding entry in the reference list.

Question 6

What is the primary purpose of paraphrasing in academic writing, as opposed to direct quoting?

Accepted Answer

To show a deeper understanding of the source material and integrate it smoothly into your own writing.

Answer

To make the paper longer by using different wording.

Answer

To avoid the need for an in-text citation.

Answer

To change the original author's meaning to better fit your argument.