Research & Citing Sources — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
The rainforest has many animals and plants that live together in a complex ecosystem she wrote copying the sentence from the book.
Corrected: She paraphrased the book by writing: Many species of animals and plants share the rainforest habitat.
The corrected sentence is: "She paraphrased the book by writing: Many species of animals and plants share the rainforest habitat.". The original sentence "The rainforest has many animals and plants that live together in a complex ecosystem she wrote copying the sentence from the book." contained an error that needed to be fixed.
2. Fix the sentence:
Plagiarism is when you change just two words in a sentence and call it your own work.
Corrected: Paraphrasing means completely restating an idea in your own words and sentence structure, not just swapping a few words.
The corrected sentence is: "Paraphrasing means completely restating an idea in your own words and sentence structure, not just swapping a few words.". The original sentence "Plagiarism is when you change just two words in a sentence and call it your own work." contained an error that needed to be fixed.
3. Fix the sentence:
I don't need to write down where I found my facts because I will remember later.
Corrected: I should always record the title, author, and page number of each source while I take notes.
The corrected sentence is: "I should always record the title, author, and page number of each source while I take notes.". The original sentence "I don't need to write down where I found my facts because I will remember later." contained an error that needed to be fixed.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Plagiarism means using someone else's words or ideas without giving them credit.
Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person's words, ideas, or work as your own without proper attribution. It is considered academic dishonesty.
2. When you paraphrase, you restate information in your own words.
Paraphrasing means restating information in your own words to show understanding. Even when paraphrasing, you still need to cite the original source.
3. Good notes include key words and short phrases, not full sentences copied from the source.
Keywords are specific terms related to your topic. Using targeted keywords — rather than vague terms — returns more useful search results.
4. If you use the exact words from a source, you must place them inside quotation marks.
Quotation marks signal that the words are taken directly from a source. Without them — and a citation — using someone else's exact words is plagiarism.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. What is the difference between paraphrasing and copying? Give an example of each.
Sample answer: Copying is writing the exact same words from a source, such as "The Amazon is the largest rainforest." Paraphrasing is restating it in your own words, such as "The biggest rainforest in the world is the Amazon."
Paraphrasing shows understanding by expressing ideas in new words; copying duplicates the author's exact language. Both need citations, but copying also requires quotation marks.
2. Why should you write notes in your own words instead of copying full sentences from a book?
Sample answer: Writing notes in your own words helps you understand the information better and prevents accidental plagiarism when you write your final report.
Own-words notes force active understanding and naturally produce paraphrased material, protecting against accidental plagiarism during the writing process.