Paraphrasing is when you put an idea from a source into your own words. Sometimes you may read something in a source that is important, but you don’t want to put it into your paper as a direct quote. So you rewrite the passage in your own words. That’s perfectly fine, as long as you are careful about citations.

Question

If the information you are paraphrasing is common knowledge, or known by most people, you don’t need to cite the source. But if the information is not common knowledge, you must cite it. Even if the words are your own because you’ve paraphrased, the idea is not. How do you know what ideas are common knowledge and what ideas are original? It can be tricky. Facts that are common knowledge are easy to verify and can be found in multiple sources. A single author’s original research, image or argument is not common knowledge. If you’re unsure whether or not to cite, cite!

Which of the following sentences would be considered plagiarism if you did not cite Isaacson’s work?

Read the following passage from “A Short Walk Around the Pyramids & Through the World of Art” by Philip M. Isaacson:

This is a place called Saqqara. It is on the edge of a great desert an hour’s drive from Cairo. You could reach it by camel, but that would take much longer. As you approach Saqqara, a line of walls and a strange pyramid rise from the sand like a golden mirage. But they are not a mirage. They are among the oldest works of art in the world. They were built more than 4,600 years ago by an Egyptian king with a wonderful imagination. His name was Zoser.

A
When you first see the walls and pyramid at Saqqara, you may think they are a mirage. But they are not.

B
The great pyramid of Saqqara was built by the Egyptian king Zoser.

C
The pyramid at Saqqara was built over 4,600 years ago.

D
Saqqara is about an hour outside of Cairo.

Answer 1

To determine which of the sentences would be considered plagiarism without citing Isaacson's work, we need to analyze how each sentence relates to the original passage and whether it presents unique ideas or commonly known facts.

A. "When you first see the walls and pyramid at Saqqara, you may think they are a mirage. But they are not."

• This paraphrases Isaacson's idea about the visual impression of the pyramid and walls but does not use his exact wording. However, it closely follows the structure and concept of the original passage, which makes it potentially problematic without a citation.

B. "The great pyramid of Saqqara was built by the Egyptian king Zoser."

• This statement includes unique information about the construction of the pyramid and the identity of the king, Zoser. It is derived directly from Isaacson's text, so it would also be considered plagiarism if not cited.

C. "The pyramid at Saqqara was built over 4,600 years ago."

• This information is specific and was directly taken from Isaacson’s work, making it not common knowledge. Thus, it would also be considered plagiarism without proper citation.

D. "Saqqara is about an hour outside of Cairo."

• While this statement presents location information, it is general enough to be considered common knowledge that could be easily verified in various sources. Therefore, it would not necessarily be considered plagiarism without citation.

In summary, sentences A, B, and C would be considered plagiarism if Isaacson's work was not cited, while sentence D likely would not.