Academic Writing and Reported Speech
start
Contents
Welcome and Objectives
General Information
Reported Speech
Closing Practice
Direct Quotes
Paraphrasing
Welcome and Objectives
"Academic Writing and Reported Speech" is a self-study resource that provides basic information on both topics. Additionally, it offers recommendations regarding the appropriate words to use to adequately incorporate others' thoughts into one's own ideas. We hope that this material will help you gain a deeper understanding of the topics of Writing and Reported Speech, which are essential to your academic training and professional development.
Welcome
Objectives
04
01
02
03
To recognize the textual mechanisms that allow us to parahrase.
To identify the features of academic writing.
To differentiate between using a direct quote and paraphrasing.
To recognize the textual mechanisms that allow us to insert a direct quote into our own original text.
General Information
General information
The Academic Discourse Style
The set of oral and written non-fiction productions developed within the academic sphere is aimed to build knowledge by following the standards of a specific discourse community. Thus, significant differences in expression can be found among different discourse communities, i.e. those training to become lawyers, doctors, philologists, or engineers. In other words, in the academic environment, verbal exchanges occur in which students and teachers write and speak to share concepts, processes, and beliefs about a particular field of knowledge. Although the language that enables these verbal exchanges is the same as that used in social, family, or personal contexts, it adopts different conventions in the academic setting. The purpose of these conventions is to ensure that all members of a discourse community understand the knowledge and procedures of the discipline and to enable them to access the source of the ideas being exchanged. In this exercise, you will review the features of academic writing and become familiar with reported speech, which is essential in drafting academic discourse genres.
Photo by Windows on Unsplash
General Characteristics
Academic Writing Features
02
03
01
It uses technical language belonging to a particular field of knowledge.
It prefers the use of the third person.
It uses formal language.
05
06
04
It prefers the use of expository and argumentative patterns of organization.
It inserts other authors' words through direct quotes and paraphrasing.
It publishes the list of bibliographical references that underpin a piece of writing.
Reported Speech
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
Reported Speech
Definition
Reported Speech is a characteristic feature of academic writing. As part of the knowledge construction process, students, teachers, and researchers acknowledge the authors that have served as basis or support for their ideas. Reported speech is a discourse strategy employed in academic writing, which helps an author to incorporate the ideas of others into his/her work by using direct quotations (direct style) or paraphrasing (indirect style).
Reported speech is a language tool that allows writers to incorporate other authors' ideas into their own speeches and writings.
Reported Speech
Direct Quote
A direct quotation is the literal insertion of a passage from a text into one's own discourse. The passage is inserted word for word, without any modifications, and it is set off by quotation marks to indicate that these ideas belong to another author.
Paraphrasing or Indirect Quotes
Paraphrasing is the rewording of another author's ideas in order to adapt their discursive style to one's own.
Reported Speech
How to insert the words of others
Direct Quote
Acknowledging other authors necessarily involves using language resources to indicate to the reader that the following information is not one's own. Such resources can be:
- Discourse markers: Expressions such as according to, as stated by, in the words of, as ... explains, among others.
- Reporting verbs: affirm, acknowledge, add, argue, assert, claim, clarify, consider, describe, emphasize, explain, highlight, mention, note, point out, propose, suggest…
- In-text citations: before or after embedding another author's words, the writer must mention, at least, the author's surname and the publication date.
Examples are shown on the right.
example
Pharaphrase
EXAMPLE
Popoveniuc, B. (2023). Self-reflexivity, Recessivity and the Evolution of Psychology. BRAIN: Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence & Neuroscience, 14(4), 333–354. https://doi.org/10.18662/brain/14.4/509
Direct Quote
A direct quote inserts the exact words of an author into another writer’s text (National Autonomous University of Mexico, 2017). Including direct quotes in an academic text adds seriousness, traceability, and transparency in the face of criticism and allows the reader to delve deeper into the subject (University of Palermo, n.d., p. 2). Additionally, by citing directly, the writer demonstrates academic integrity as he explicitly acknowledges the source of the ideas underpinning his/her work.
Photo by Yannick Pulver on Unsplash
Reported speech
Direct quotes
How to cite
When quoting directly, the writer transcribes an excerpt exactly as it appears in the source, without altering its wording, punctuation, or syntax. It is possible to make minor modifications to the quoted material, as will be reviewed later.
01
APA (2010) dictates that each quote should be followed by a parenthesis including the author, year, and specific page from which the quote was obtained (p. 170).
02
Sometimes, the material used does not have page numbers. In this case, such information can be omitted or replaced with the paragraph number, signaled by the abbreviation "para." or the section symbol (§).
EXAMPLE
03
Quotes of fewer than 40 words are incorporated into the text, enclosed in quotation marks (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 170).
04
If the quote is inserted within the sentence, the reference should be noted in parentheses after closing the quotation marks, and the sentence should be continued (p. 170).
Reported speech
Direct Quotes
05
No other punctuation marks should be used unless the meaning of the sentence requires them (p. 170).
06
If the quote is placed at the end of the sentence, close the quotation marks, include the parenthetical reference, and then place the period outside the parentheses (p. 171).
EXAMPLE
07
If the quote contains 40 or more words, the excerpt must stand alone as a separate block quote paragraph without quotation marks (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 171).
08
A one-inch left margin indentation should be left. If the block quote consists of multiple paragraphs, each paragraph should have an additional indentation of 1/5 of an inch (p. 171).
09
The parenthetical reference is included after the final period of the block quote.
EXAMPLE
Reported Speech
Direct Quotes
When to use a direct quotation
APA (2010, p. 169) recommends citing the works of authors who have influenced the work being prepared. Citations are useful for:
- Supporting an idea or argument
- Providing evidence for a statement
- Illustrating or defining a concept
- Establishing a specific position that supports the one intended in the work
Citations should not be used to replace one’s own words nor to avoid presenting personal proposals or conclusions on the subject. Citations should not be used to increase the length of the text.
Reported Speech
Direct Quotes
Changes to the original source
Introducing another author’s words into your own text may involve making some changes to the original source. The following modifications do not constitute a drastic alteration of the quoted material and do not need to be indicated in the text:
- The first letter of the first word of the quoted fragment can be changed to uppercase or lowercase as necessary (APA, 2010, p. 172).
- The punctuation mark that ends the quoted sentence can be modified to fit the syntax (p. 172).
Reported Speech
Direct Quotes
Changes to the original source
Sometimes it is necessary to modify the quote either due to its length or to clarify or emphasize a specific part of it:
Use ellipses (...) when you want to omit information in a lengthy quote and leave only specific parts (p. 172).
Use brackets ([ ]) to add information that explains or clarifies the content of the quote (p. 173).
Use italics to emphasize a word or words. Clarify within brackets that the emphasis does not belong to the original source (p. 173).
Reported Speech
Direct Quotes
Secondary citations
These involve extracting direct quotes from an author who has cited another adding their words to the quoted fragment.
Bartha-Mitchell, K. (2024). Cosmological Readings of Contemporary Australian Literature : Unsettling the Anthropocene. Routledge.
Paraphrasing
According to the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy, 2017), paraphrasing is the explanation or interpretation of a text to expand it, illustrate it or make it clearer. It is a technique for handling written information, which enables the use personal expression to convey what another author has said (UDLA, 2012).
Closing
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
Closing
Summary
- Reported speech is the way in which the words of another are introduced into personal, academic, and professional discourse.
- There are two ways to incorporate others' words: direct quotes and paraphrasing.
- A direct quote involves inserting the exact words of an author or group of authors, along with providing a clear and precise reference to the source.
- A paraphrase is a specific form of direct quotation: it uses the way of expression of the writer or speaker, but the ideas belong to another.
- Introducing direct quotes or paraphrasing adds seriousness, transparency, and integrity to the documentary work.
- Both citing and paraphrasing ensure the support and credibility of the work, yet they should not be used to avoid presenting original ideas, save words, or achieve the required length.
- APA specifies the formal characteristics of direct quotes and paraphrases, which provides uniformity and enables methodical work.
Closing Test
The following test can only be completed by the Tecnológico de Monterrey community. Please identify yourself with your institutional email account.
START
References
American Psychological Association. (2010). Manual de publicaciones de la American Psychological Association (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association) (3.ª ed.). Editorial El Manual Moderno. Calsamiglia, H. y Tusón, A. (2007). Las cosas del decir (The nuances of speech). Manual de análisis del discurso (Discourse analysis manual). Ariel. Leal Isida, R.; Barranco Ortega, P. y Flores Guajardo, M. (2016). Expresión verbal con fines específicos (Oral expression for specific purposes) [versión Kindle]. amazon.com.mx Montolío, E. (2014). Manual de escritura académica y profesional (Academic and professional writing manual). Ariel. Sáenz, D. (2012). Investigación con apoyo de Tecnologías de la Información (IT-supported research) [versión Kindle]. amazon.com.mx Universidad de Palermo, Biblioteca Central. (s. f.). Las citas de fuentes de información y algunas normas de estilo en las tesis y en los trabajos de investigación (Citations from information sources and some style guidelines for theses and research papers) [Material complementario (Supplementary material)]. ttps://wwws.palermo.edu/homer/Intranet/biblioteca/Archivos/bibilioteca_guia_de_citas.pdf Universidad de las Américas (2012). Fichas para el estudiante. Paráfrasis. (Notes for the student. Paraphrasing.) [Documento PDF]. http://www.udla.cl/portales/tp6c6191b55q52/uploadImg/File/evaluaciones/ficha-2-parafrasis.pdf Universidad de Palermo, Biblioteca Central. (s. f.). Las citas de fuentes de información y algunas normas de estilo en las tesis y en los trabajos de investigación (Citations from information sources and some style guidelines for theses and research papers) [Material complementario (Supplementary material)]. https://wwws.palermo.edu/homer/Intranet/biblioteca/Archivos/bibilioteca_guia_de_citas.pdf Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades. (2017). Citas textuales. En Taller de lectura, redacción e iniciación a la investigación documental 2 (In the Reading, Writing, and Introduction to Documental Research Workshop 2). http://portalacademico.cch.unam.mx/alumno/tlriid2/unidad2/operacionestextuales/citastextuales
¡Gracias!
Créditos: Centro de Escritura del Tecnológico de Monterrey
- Robertha Leal Isida.Coordination and Curriculum Design.
- Robertha Leal Isida, Yazmín Carrizales Guerra y Edith Jaramillo Ramírez. Activity Design.
- Alejandra González Barranco. Digital Edition.
- Leslie Yaratzed Cedeño Castillo. Translation.
The argumentative sequence is organized as follows:1. Observed situation or premises 2. Thesis or position to be demonstrated 3. Presentation of evidence 4. Closing in which the thesis is reaffirmed, reformulated or denied
The argumentative sequence is organized as follows:
1. bserved situation or premises
2. Thesis or position to be demonstrated
3. Presentation of evidence
4. Closing in which the thesis is reaffirmed, reformulated or denied
The argumentative sequence is organized as follows:
1. Observed situation or premises
2. Thesis or position to be demonstrated
3. Presentation of evidence
4. Closing in which the thesis is reaffirmed, reformulated or denied
Contraste: formal/informal
Contraste: formal/informal
The expository sequence has these structural elements:
1. Framework or context
Central idea
2. Explanation
3. Closing that reaffirms the central idea
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Transcript
Academic Writing and Reported Speech
start
Contents
Welcome and Objectives
General Information
Reported Speech
Closing Practice
Direct Quotes
Paraphrasing
Welcome and Objectives
"Academic Writing and Reported Speech" is a self-study resource that provides basic information on both topics. Additionally, it offers recommendations regarding the appropriate words to use to adequately incorporate others' thoughts into one's own ideas. We hope that this material will help you gain a deeper understanding of the topics of Writing and Reported Speech, which are essential to your academic training and professional development.
Welcome
Objectives
04
01
02
03
To recognize the textual mechanisms that allow us to parahrase.
To identify the features of academic writing.
To differentiate between using a direct quote and paraphrasing.
To recognize the textual mechanisms that allow us to insert a direct quote into our own original text.
General Information
General information
The Academic Discourse Style
The set of oral and written non-fiction productions developed within the academic sphere is aimed to build knowledge by following the standards of a specific discourse community. Thus, significant differences in expression can be found among different discourse communities, i.e. those training to become lawyers, doctors, philologists, or engineers. In other words, in the academic environment, verbal exchanges occur in which students and teachers write and speak to share concepts, processes, and beliefs about a particular field of knowledge. Although the language that enables these verbal exchanges is the same as that used in social, family, or personal contexts, it adopts different conventions in the academic setting. The purpose of these conventions is to ensure that all members of a discourse community understand the knowledge and procedures of the discipline and to enable them to access the source of the ideas being exchanged. In this exercise, you will review the features of academic writing and become familiar with reported speech, which is essential in drafting academic discourse genres.
Photo by Windows on Unsplash
General Characteristics
Academic Writing Features
02
03
01
It uses technical language belonging to a particular field of knowledge.
It prefers the use of the third person.
It uses formal language.
05
06
04
It prefers the use of expository and argumentative patterns of organization.
It inserts other authors' words through direct quotes and paraphrasing.
It publishes the list of bibliographical references that underpin a piece of writing.
Reported Speech
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
Reported Speech
Definition
Reported Speech is a characteristic feature of academic writing. As part of the knowledge construction process, students, teachers, and researchers acknowledge the authors that have served as basis or support for their ideas. Reported speech is a discourse strategy employed in academic writing, which helps an author to incorporate the ideas of others into his/her work by using direct quotations (direct style) or paraphrasing (indirect style).
Reported speech is a language tool that allows writers to incorporate other authors' ideas into their own speeches and writings.
Reported Speech
Direct Quote
A direct quotation is the literal insertion of a passage from a text into one's own discourse. The passage is inserted word for word, without any modifications, and it is set off by quotation marks to indicate that these ideas belong to another author.
Paraphrasing or Indirect Quotes
Paraphrasing is the rewording of another author's ideas in order to adapt their discursive style to one's own.
Reported Speech
How to insert the words of others
Direct Quote
Acknowledging other authors necessarily involves using language resources to indicate to the reader that the following information is not one's own. Such resources can be:
- Discourse markers: Expressions such as according to, as stated by, in the words of, as ... explains, among others.
- Reporting verbs: affirm, acknowledge, add, argue, assert, claim, clarify, consider, describe, emphasize, explain, highlight, mention, note, point out, propose, suggest…
- In-text citations: before or after embedding another author's words, the writer must mention, at least, the author's surname and the publication date.
Examples are shown on the right.example
Pharaphrase
EXAMPLE
Popoveniuc, B. (2023). Self-reflexivity, Recessivity and the Evolution of Psychology. BRAIN: Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence & Neuroscience, 14(4), 333–354. https://doi.org/10.18662/brain/14.4/509
Direct Quote
A direct quote inserts the exact words of an author into another writer’s text (National Autonomous University of Mexico, 2017). Including direct quotes in an academic text adds seriousness, traceability, and transparency in the face of criticism and allows the reader to delve deeper into the subject (University of Palermo, n.d., p. 2). Additionally, by citing directly, the writer demonstrates academic integrity as he explicitly acknowledges the source of the ideas underpinning his/her work.
Photo by Yannick Pulver on Unsplash
Reported speech
Direct quotes
How to cite
When quoting directly, the writer transcribes an excerpt exactly as it appears in the source, without altering its wording, punctuation, or syntax. It is possible to make minor modifications to the quoted material, as will be reviewed later.
01
APA (2010) dictates that each quote should be followed by a parenthesis including the author, year, and specific page from which the quote was obtained (p. 170).
02
Sometimes, the material used does not have page numbers. In this case, such information can be omitted or replaced with the paragraph number, signaled by the abbreviation "para." or the section symbol (§).
EXAMPLE
03
Quotes of fewer than 40 words are incorporated into the text, enclosed in quotation marks (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 170).
04
If the quote is inserted within the sentence, the reference should be noted in parentheses after closing the quotation marks, and the sentence should be continued (p. 170).
Reported speech
Direct Quotes
05
No other punctuation marks should be used unless the meaning of the sentence requires them (p. 170).
06
If the quote is placed at the end of the sentence, close the quotation marks, include the parenthetical reference, and then place the period outside the parentheses (p. 171).
EXAMPLE
07
If the quote contains 40 or more words, the excerpt must stand alone as a separate block quote paragraph without quotation marks (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 171).
08
A one-inch left margin indentation should be left. If the block quote consists of multiple paragraphs, each paragraph should have an additional indentation of 1/5 of an inch (p. 171).
09
The parenthetical reference is included after the final period of the block quote.
EXAMPLE
Reported Speech
Direct Quotes
When to use a direct quotation
APA (2010, p. 169) recommends citing the works of authors who have influenced the work being prepared. Citations are useful for:
- Supporting an idea or argument
- Providing evidence for a statement
- Illustrating or defining a concept
- Establishing a specific position that supports the one intended in the work
Citations should not be used to replace one’s own words nor to avoid presenting personal proposals or conclusions on the subject. Citations should not be used to increase the length of the text.Reported Speech
Direct Quotes
Changes to the original source
Introducing another author’s words into your own text may involve making some changes to the original source. The following modifications do not constitute a drastic alteration of the quoted material and do not need to be indicated in the text:
Reported Speech
Direct Quotes
Changes to the original source
Sometimes it is necessary to modify the quote either due to its length or to clarify or emphasize a specific part of it:
Use ellipses (...) when you want to omit information in a lengthy quote and leave only specific parts (p. 172). Use brackets ([ ]) to add information that explains or clarifies the content of the quote (p. 173). Use italics to emphasize a word or words. Clarify within brackets that the emphasis does not belong to the original source (p. 173).
Reported Speech
Direct Quotes
Secondary citations
These involve extracting direct quotes from an author who has cited another adding their words to the quoted fragment.
Bartha-Mitchell, K. (2024). Cosmological Readings of Contemporary Australian Literature : Unsettling the Anthropocene. Routledge.
Paraphrasing
According to the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy, 2017), paraphrasing is the explanation or interpretation of a text to expand it, illustrate it or make it clearer. It is a technique for handling written information, which enables the use personal expression to convey what another author has said (UDLA, 2012).
Closing
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
Closing
Summary
Closing Test
The following test can only be completed by the Tecnológico de Monterrey community. Please identify yourself with your institutional email account.
START
References
American Psychological Association. (2010). Manual de publicaciones de la American Psychological Association (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association) (3.ª ed.). Editorial El Manual Moderno. Calsamiglia, H. y Tusón, A. (2007). Las cosas del decir (The nuances of speech). Manual de análisis del discurso (Discourse analysis manual). Ariel. Leal Isida, R.; Barranco Ortega, P. y Flores Guajardo, M. (2016). Expresión verbal con fines específicos (Oral expression for specific purposes) [versión Kindle]. amazon.com.mx Montolío, E. (2014). Manual de escritura académica y profesional (Academic and professional writing manual). Ariel. Sáenz, D. (2012). Investigación con apoyo de Tecnologías de la Información (IT-supported research) [versión Kindle]. amazon.com.mx Universidad de Palermo, Biblioteca Central. (s. f.). Las citas de fuentes de información y algunas normas de estilo en las tesis y en los trabajos de investigación (Citations from information sources and some style guidelines for theses and research papers) [Material complementario (Supplementary material)]. ttps://wwws.palermo.edu/homer/Intranet/biblioteca/Archivos/bibilioteca_guia_de_citas.pdf Universidad de las Américas (2012). Fichas para el estudiante. Paráfrasis. (Notes for the student. Paraphrasing.) [Documento PDF]. http://www.udla.cl/portales/tp6c6191b55q52/uploadImg/File/evaluaciones/ficha-2-parafrasis.pdf Universidad de Palermo, Biblioteca Central. (s. f.). Las citas de fuentes de información y algunas normas de estilo en las tesis y en los trabajos de investigación (Citations from information sources and some style guidelines for theses and research papers) [Material complementario (Supplementary material)]. https://wwws.palermo.edu/homer/Intranet/biblioteca/Archivos/bibilioteca_guia_de_citas.pdf Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades. (2017). Citas textuales. En Taller de lectura, redacción e iniciación a la investigación documental 2 (In the Reading, Writing, and Introduction to Documental Research Workshop 2). http://portalacademico.cch.unam.mx/alumno/tlriid2/unidad2/operacionestextuales/citastextuales
¡Gracias!
Créditos: Centro de Escritura del Tecnológico de Monterrey
The argumentative sequence is organized as follows:1. Observed situation or premises 2. Thesis or position to be demonstrated 3. Presentation of evidence 4. Closing in which the thesis is reaffirmed, reformulated or denied
The argumentative sequence is organized as follows: 1. bserved situation or premises 2. Thesis or position to be demonstrated 3. Presentation of evidence 4. Closing in which the thesis is reaffirmed, reformulated or denied
The argumentative sequence is organized as follows: 1. Observed situation or premises 2. Thesis or position to be demonstrated 3. Presentation of evidence 4. Closing in which the thesis is reaffirmed, reformulated or denied
Contraste: formal/informal
Contraste: formal/informal
The expository sequence has these structural elements: 1. Framework or context Central idea 2. Explanation 3. Closing that reaffirms the central idea