English A/ Help/FAQ Tips |
"Accidental" or "Swenglish" copyingWhat is accidental copying?If you work from a text it can be hard to "escape" from the original words, particularly if you are not so good at English. You read the text, perhaps written by a professional writer, and then try to put it into your own words while the original words are still fresh in your mind. Sometimes this copying is accidental. Sometimes it is deliberate. If you copy someone else's words and do not credit them this is plagiarism - a serious offence! A similar problem can happen if you are working from a Swedish text. It can be hard to think in Swedish as you read the text and then in English a few seconds later as you use the information you have just looked at. How do you avoid these problems? The problem in both cases is that the original text is too fresh in your mind. If you collect your information from these texts, then let some time go by, then write your own words, the problem will disappear!
Here is a short example using some information about Iceland, found on Internet: Iceland, the second largest island in Europe
The landscape
is mountainous in character, typified by rugged and uninhabited interior
highlands with sharp and deep fjords on the north and east coast, and
plains and sands on its south shore. Keith's key words Then I can write
Now the writing uses Keith Bryant's words and not someone else's! If you want to read more you could download "What
is Plagiarism" from Mantex.
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