Citation & Academic Integrity — Practice · Grade 11 English

Chapter: Research & Source-Based Writing

What this practice covers

By the end of Citation & Academic Integrity you should be able to:

11 questions, multiple choice and written answer, each with a worked explanation.

Vocabulary used: MLA format, in-text citation, Works Cited, paraphrase, patchwriting, plagiarism.

Problem 1

Which is a correctly formatted MLA in-text citation for information on page 142 of a book by author Amara Okafor?
  1. (Okafor: 142)
  2. (Okafor, p. 142)
  3. (Amara 142)
  4. (Okafor 142)
Answer and explanation

(Okafor 142)

MLA in-text citations use the author's last name followed directly by the page number — no comma, no 'p.', and no colon: (Okafor 142).

Problem 2

When should a writer QUOTE a source directly instead of paraphrasing it? Give a specific criterion.
Answer and explanation

Quote directly only when the exact wording matters — for example, a strikingly memorable phrase, a precise technical definition, or a claim whose specific language carries weight or could be disputed. For most evidence, paraphrasing in your own words keeps your voice in control, so quotations should be reserved for those special cases.

Problem 3

A student copies a source's sentence, changes three words to synonyms, keeps the original sentence structure, and adds a citation. How should this be classified?
  1. Patchwriting — a form of plagiarism — because the source's structure was kept, even though a citation is present.
  2. A direct quotation, since some of the original words remain.
  3. Perfectly fine, because a citation excuses any wording.
  4. A correct paraphrase, since the words were changed and a citation was added.
Answer and explanation

Patchwriting — a form of plagiarism — because the source's structure was kept, even though a citation is present.

Keeping the source's sentence structure and swapping only synonyms is patchwriting, which counts as plagiarism even with a citation; genuine paraphrase rebuilds the idea in the writer's own structure.

Problem 4

A student restates an idea from a source in genuinely original words and sentence structure, but includes no citation at all. Is this plagiarism? Explain.
Answer and explanation

Yes. Even a genuine paraphrase uses someone else's idea, so it must be cited. Without a citation, the reader assumes the idea is the student's own, which presents another person's thinking as original work — the definition of plagiarism, whether or not it was intended.

Problem 5

A student includes correct in-text citations throughout the essay but forgets to include a Works Cited page. Why is this a real problem?
  1. It is not a problem; in-text citations alone are always sufficient.
  2. The in-text citations are pointers that only work with a matching Works Cited list, so without it a reader cannot identify or locate the actual sources.
  3. The in-text citations should have used the authors' first names instead.
  4. The essay now carries no risk of plagiarism at all.
Answer and explanation

The in-text citations are pointers that only work with a matching Works Cited list, so without it a reader cannot identify or locate the actual sources.

In-text citations and the Works Cited page function only as a pair; a short pointer with no full entry to match leaves the reader unable to find the source it names.

Problem 6

Explain why this is not yet a sound paraphrase. Give a detail and explain its relevance.
Answer and explanation

The wording remains nearly identical. Quote the phrase accurately, or recast the idea genuinely: Lee argues that labels should indicate where the evidence remains incomplete. Attribution is still needed.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 7

A learner writes: “Changing three words means I no longer need a citation.” Explain the problem and produce a better response.
Answer and explanation

Borrowed ideas still need attribution, and borrowed distinctive wording needs quotation marks. Rewriting is not a numerical word-substitution rule.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 8

Compare what you must inspect in these two cases. What can transfer, and what must be checked again?
Answer and explanation

A citation allows readers to trace borrowed words and ideas. MLA in-text references direct readers to a Works Cited entry, adding an available locator such as a page number when appropriate. The method transfers, but the particular detail, scope, and context must be read again. The wording remains nearly identical. Quote the phrase accurately, or recast the idea genuinely: Lee argues that labels should indicate where the evidence remains incomplete. Attribution is still needed.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 9

Using an assigned reading or one exercise source, write a developed response applying citation & academic integrity. Aim for 260–380 words; name the reading or reproduce the sentence you revise.
Answer and explanation

If Lee is not named in the sentence, use (Lee); if the prose already names Lee, do not repeat it without a locator. The entry uses Lee, the article title, the site title, date, and URL. Do not add a made-up page. A complete response supplies context, a focused claim, a brief supporting detail, explanation, and a relevant qualification. Do not simply repeat this model.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 10

Write two specific feedback comments on a response to this unit: one on accuracy or meaning and one on evidence or language. Then state a revision priority.
Answer and explanation

Check whether the response explains a citation allows readers to trace borrowed words and ideas. mla in-text references direct readers to a works cited entry, adding an available locator such as a page number when appropriate. Ask for a relevant detail and the reason it supports the conclusion. Prioritize the mistaken assumption shown here: “Changing three words means I no longer need a citation.”

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

Problem 11

Choose a fresh sentence or detail from the assigned selection. Explain how this unit’s method applies, and identify one uncertainty or limitation.
Answer and explanation

The museum memo values welcome, the historian demands agency, and the donor asks for precise attribution. An evidence panel can answer part of each concern, but favorable appearance ratings do not establish historical accuracy. The response must supply its own precise detail and explain it; copying the model without fresh evidence is insufficient.

Use the criteria to compare your reasoning, not to copy the model’s wording. A supported alternative interpretation may earn full credit.

Response criteria

  • Make an accurate, focused claim or revision.
  • Use a relevant detail or a clearly explained language choice.
  • Explain the relationship and recognize a relevant limit.

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