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

Effective paraphrasing involves completely rewriting the source's idea using your own vocabulary and sentence structure to demonstrate understanding. It is crucial to cite the original source to give credit to the author and avoid plagiarism.

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

Quoting is the act of using the exact words from a source. To do this correctly, the borrowed text must be enclosed in quotation marks and properly attributed to the original author with a citation.

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

Any information, idea, or concept that is not considered common knowledge and is taken from a source must be cited, whether you are quoting it directly or paraphrasing it in your own words.

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

Attributing information to a source that did not produce it is a form of academic dishonesty known as falsification. All cited material must be accurately attributed to the correct source.

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

A reference list should only include the sources that are directly cited in the text of the paper. Including uncited background reading is generally incorrect, as the purpose of the list is to allow readers to locate the specific sources mentioned.

EAP - English For Academic Purposes Practice Test

EAP - English For Academic Purposes Practice Test

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