Responsible Paraphrasing and Citation | Learn Japanese in English

Japanese lesson set in a contemporary Tokyo everyday setting: During an academic tutoring session, a student and tutor discuss how to paraphrase sources responsibly and cite ideas even when wording changes..

EN → JA / Level: B2

About This Lesson

Use Responsible Paraphrasing and Citation to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

自分の言い換えが出典に近すぎるままではないかと心配しています。

jee-BOON noh ee-ee-KAH-eh gah SHOOT-ten nee chee-kah-SOO-gee-roo mah-mah deh-wah nah-ee kah toh sheem-pah-ee shee-teh-ee-MAHSS. I worry that my paraphrases stay too close to the sources.
B

役に立つ確認方法は、文の構造が変わっているかどうかを見ることです。

YAH-koo nee TAHT-soo kah-koo-NIN hoh-HOH wah BUN noh KOH-zoh gah kah-WAHT-teh ee-roo kah doh-KAH doh-KAH oh MEE-roo koh-toh dehss. A useful test is whether the sentence structure has changed.
A

語彙は変えても、元の論理はそのままにしてしまうことがあります。

goh-EE wah kah-eh-teh-moh MOH-toh noh ROHN-ree wah soh-noo mah-mah nee shee-teh shee-MAH-oo koh-toh gah ah-REE-mahss. Sometimes I change vocabulary but keep the original logic.
B

それでは、その言い換えはまだ出典に頼りすぎているかもしれません。

soh-reh deh-wah soh-noo ee-ee-KAH-eh wah mah-dah SHOOT-ten nee tah-yoh-ree-SOO-gee-teh ee-roo kah moh-shee-reh-MAH-sen. Then the paraphrase may still depend too heavily on the source.
A

下書きを始める前に、その論文を閉じたほうがよさそうです。

shee-TAH-gah-kee oh hah-jee-MEH-roo mae nee soh-noo ROHN-boon oh toh-JEE-tah hoh-GAH yoh-sah-SOH dehss. I should probably close the article before drafting.
B

そうすると、その考えを自分の言葉で組み立て直す必要が出てくるかもしれません。

soh-OO soo-ROO-toh soh-noo kahn-gah-eh oh jee-BOON noh KOH-toh-bah deh koo-mee-TAH-teh nah-oh-soo HEE-tsoo-yoh gah deh-teh KOO-roo kah moh-shee-reh-MAH-sen. That can force you to reconstruct the idea in your own terms.
A

表現が違っていても、主張には出典を示すべきです。

hyoh-GEN gah chee-GAHT-teh ee-teh-moh SHOO-choh nee-wah SHOOT-ten oh shee-soo beh-kee dehss. I should also cite claims even when the wording differs.
B

それは不可欠です。考えにも出典を示す必要があるからです。

soh-reh wah foo-kah-KEH-tsoo dehss kahn-gah-eh nee-moh SHOOT-ten oh shee-soo HEE-tsoo-yoh gah ah-roo kah-rah dehss. That is essential, because ideas require attribution too.

Word by Word

自分 自分 means the speaker's own in 自分の言い換え, referring to the student's own paraphrases. It commonly appears before の and a noun when identifying whose something is.
の の connects 自分 to 言い換え and shows that the paraphrases belong to or are associated with the speaker. A common reuse pattern is a noun or pronoun followed by の and another noun.
言い換え 言い換え means a paraphrase or rewording here, specifically the student's rewritten versions of the sources. It is useful when discussing how an idea or passage has been expressed differently.
が が marks 自分の言い換え as the subject of the concern in 自分の言い換えが出典に近すぎる. It commonly identifies what has a particular state or causes a reaction.
出典 出典 means the source from which an idea or information comes. In this lesson it is the source that a paraphrase may remain too close to, and 出典を示す is used for showing that source.
に に marks the source as the point of comparison in 出典に近すぎる. With expressions of closeness, it commonly identifies what something is close to or related to.
近すぎる 近すぎる means being too close, and here it describes a paraphrase that remains excessively close to 出典. The ending すぎる adds the meaning of exceeding an appropriate degree.
まま まま means remaining in the same state in 近すぎるままではないか. Here the concern is whether the paraphrases remain too close without that state changing; it is useful for describing an unchanged condition.
では では is part of 近すぎるままではないか, framing the state as the condition being questioned. It should be understood together with まま and ないか rather than as an independent translation here.
ない ない contributes negation inside 近すぎるままではないか, which asks whether the paraphrases are not remaining too close. In this embedded question, it helps express uncertainty about the situation.
か か marks the embedded uncertainty in 近すぎるままではないか. It is followed by と in the sentence because the uncertain thought is the content of the speaker's worry.
と と marks the thought or possibility being considered before 心配しています. In this sentence, the clause before と is the content of the worry.
心配 心配 means worry or concern, and in 心配しています it describes the speaker's concern about the paraphrases. It is commonly used with する to express being worried about something.
して して is the linking form of する in 心配しています. It connects 心配する with います so the sentence describes an ongoing state of being worried.
います います completes 心配しています and presents the worry as an ongoing state in polite language. This pattern is useful when a condition or activity is continuing at the relevant time.
役に立つ 役に立つ means to be useful or helpful, and here it describes a test that helps evaluate a paraphrase. 役 contributes the idea of a useful role, に marks the relation to that role, and 立つ contributes the idea of serving or standing in that role; together they form the expression meaning useful.
確認 確認 means a check or confirmation, and 確認方法 is a method for checking whether the sentence structure changed. It is useful when verifying a fact, condition, or result.
方法 方法 means a method or way of doing something. In 確認方法, it identifies the procedure used to check the paraphrase.
は は marks 確認方法 as the topic in 確認方法は文の構造が変わっているかどうかを見ることです. The sentence then explains what this method consists of.
文 文 means a sentence here, as part of 文の構造. It identifies the unit whose arrangement is being examined.
構造 構造 means structure or organization, and 文の構造 refers to how the sentence is arranged. In this lesson it is the feature that should change when paraphrasing.
変わって 変わって is the linking form of 変わる in 変わっている and means having changed or being different. It connects the change with いる to describe the resulting continuing state.
いる いる in 変わっている indicates that the changed state continues. The expression is used here to ask whether the sentence structure is currently different.
かどうか かどうか means whether or not in 文の構造が変わっているかどうか. か introduces the question and どうか completes the choice between the condition being true or not; this pattern is useful when checking an uncertain fact.
を を marks the action's object in 文の構造が変わっているかどうかを見る. The entire question clause is what the speaker checks.
見る 見る means to look at or check, and here it means checking whether the sentence structure has changed. It commonly takes を for the thing or condition being examined.
こと こと turns the action of checking into a noun-like idea in 見ることです. This lets the sentence define the useful test as the act of checking something.
です です gives the definition a polite copula ending in 方法は...ことです. It presents the checking action as what the useful method is.
語彙 語彙 means vocabulary, referring to the words used in the source or paraphrase. In 語彙は変えても, it is the part that the speaker changes while leaving the logic unchanged.
変えて 変えて is the linking form of 変える and means changing the vocabulary in 語彙は変えても. It connects that action with も to express that even after this change, another condition remains.
も も means even in 語彙は変えても, showing that changing the vocabulary alone is not enough. It commonly follows an action or condition to mark an unexpected or conceded result.
元 元 means original or former in 元の論理. It identifies the logic as belonging to the original source rather than being newly reconstructed.
論理 論理 means logic or reasoning, and 元の論理 refers to the original arrangement of ideas. In this lesson it is what may remain unchanged even when the vocabulary changes.
そのまま そのまま means as it is or unchanged in 元の論理はそのままにしてしまう. その points to the previously mentioned original logic, while まま marks leaving it in that state; together they describe no change to it.
しまう しまう in そのままにしてしまう shows that the speaker ends up leaving the original logic unchanged, with an unintended or regrettable nuance. It commonly follows a verb in this use to describe an eventual result the speaker did not intend.
あります あります in ことがあります means that something sometimes happens. Here it makes the statement a polite description of a recurring possibility: the speaker sometimes ends up keeping the original logic.
それ それ refers to the situation just described and leads into the consequence in それでは. It is useful for referring back to a matter already mentioned in the conversation.
その その points to the paraphrase already under discussion in その言い換え. It commonly appears before a noun when identifying a previously mentioned thing.
まだ まだ means still in まだ出典に頼りすぎているかもしれません. It shows that excessive dependence on the source may remain even after the vocabulary has been changed.
頼りすぎて 頼りすぎて means relying too heavily in 出典に頼りすぎている. The form connects the excessive reliance with いる, and 頼る commonly takes に for what someone relies on.
かもしれません かもしれません expresses a polite possibility, so the tutor says that the paraphrase may still depend too heavily on the source. かも signals possibility, しれ completes this fixed possibility expression, and ません gives it a polite form; it is useful when making a cautious judgment.
下書き 下書き means a draft, referring to the preliminary version the student is about to write. It is commonly used for an early version of an essay, article, or other written work.
始める 始める means to begin or start, and 下書きを始める means to start drafting. It commonly takes を for the activity that is started.
前 前 means before in 下書きを始める前に. Following an action phrase, it places one event earlier than another and is useful for describing preparation steps.
論文 論文 means an academic paper or thesis-like article. In this lesson it is the source article that the student should close before drafting.
閉じた 閉じた means closed in 論文を閉じたほうがよさそうです. It describes completing the action of closing the article before moving on to drafting.
ほうがよさそうです ほうがよさそうです means it seems better to or one should probably, giving a cautious recommendation in 論文を閉じたほうがよさそうです. ほう presents the preferable option, が marks it, よさそう expresses that it appears good, and です makes the recommendation polite.
そうすると そうすると means then or if that is done, linking the action of closing the article with its likely consequence. そう refers to that way or action, する means do, and と links the condition to the resulting outcome.
考え 考え means an idea or thought, referring here to the idea taken from the source. It is the object that the student must reconstruct in personal wording.
言葉 言葉 means words or wording in 自分の言葉で. The expression identifies the student's own wording as the means used to reconstruct the idea.
で で marks the means in 自分の言葉で組み立て直す, meaning that the idea is reconstructed using one's own words. It commonly follows a noun that describes the tool, language, or manner used for an action.
組み立て直す 組み立て直す means to reconstruct or build again, and here it means reorganizing the idea in one's own words. The ending 直す adds the sense of doing something again or anew.
必要 必要 means necessity or need, and 必要が出てくる describes a need that arises as a result of closing the article. It is useful for explaining that an action becomes required in a particular situation.
出てくる 出てくる means to come up or arise in 必要が出てくる. It presents the need as appearing because of the previous action, and it commonly follows a subject marked by が.
表現 表現 means expression or wording, referring to the way a claim is phrased. In 表現が違っていても, the wording may be different even though the underlying idea still requires attribution.
違って 違って is the linking form of 違う and means being different in 表現が違っていても. It connects the difference in wording with いても to express that the condition holds even so.
いて いて is part of 違っていても and presents the wording as remaining in a different state. Together with も, it means even when the expression is different.
主張 主張 means a claim or assertion, referring to a proposition made in a source. In 主張には出典を示す, it is the idea that should be accompanied by its source.
示す 示す means to show or indicate, and in 出典を示す it means to show or provide the source for a claim. It commonly takes を for the information or evidence being presented.
べき べき expresses what should or ought to be done in 出典を示すべきです. Here it presents citing claims as an academic responsibility, and it is useful for stating a strong recommendation or obligation.
不可欠 不可欠 means essential or indispensable in それは不可欠です. The tutor uses it to say that attribution is required even when the wording has changed.
から から means because in 必要があるからです and introduces the reason for calling attribution essential. It commonly follows a clause that explains why the preceding statement is true.
ある ある in 必要がある means that a need exists, so the clause says that attribution is necessary. It is commonly used with 必要がある to state that something is required.

Grammar Points

～てしまう

元の論理をそのままにしてしまう。

MOH-toh noh ROHN-ree oh soh-noo mah-mah nee shee-teh shee-MAH-oo.

End up keeping the original logic unchanged.

This pattern shows that an action happens completely or unintentionally, often with a sense of regret.

～べきです

自分の言葉で主張を示すべきです。

jee-BOON noh KOH-toh-bah deh SHOO-choh oh shee-soo beh-kee dehss.

You should indicate the claim in your own words.

This pattern expresses advice or what someone is expected to do.

Japanese Vocabulary

そのままにしてしまう phrase
soh-noo mah-mah nee shee-teh shee-MAH-oo end up keeping unchanged
確認方法 noun
kah-koo-NIN hoh-HOH way to check
近すぎる adj
chee-kah-SOO-gee-roo too close
元の論理 noun
MOH-toh noh ROHN-ree original logic
言い換え noun
ee-ee-KAH-eh paraphrase
語彙 noun
goh-EE vocabulary
出典 noun
SHOOT-ten source
心配しています verb
sheem-pah-ee shee-teh-ee-MAHSS am worried
文の構造 noun
BUN noh KOH-zoh sentence structure
変わっている verb
kah-WAHT-teh ee-roo has changed
役に立つ verb
YAH-koo nee TAHT-soo useful
頼りすぎている verb
tah-yoh-ree-SOO-gee-teh ee-roo depend too heavily

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

paraphrase

Show Answer言い換え

useful

Show Answer役に立つ

sentence structure

Show Answer文の構造

way to check

Show Answer確認方法