Knowing how to plagiarize is an invaluable skill. Plagiarism can:

• speed up your writing
• eliminate your grammar worries
• get you kicked out of some of the nicest schools in the country.

So how exactly do you do it? If you are like most students, it's what a priest might call a "sin of omission," that is, it's not so much what you do that matters, but rather what you don't do.

5.1

Below is a paragraph from a published source on the left, and a piece of student writing on the right. Has this student documented appropriately? What do you think?

Published Source  Anyone who is skilled at making pancakes. . . . will have the griddle very hot so that the batter solidifies quickly after being poured. Not having a thermostat on the griddle, one tests the griddle's temperature by sprinkling water on it.  If the griddle is hot but not hot enough, the water drops spread out, wet the surface and evaporate within about two seconds. If the griddle is ready for the batter, the sprinkled drops dance, vibrate and skim over the surface for from 30 to 100 seconds. How can drops last longer on a hotter griddle?

Student Writing Sample  If you have ever made pancakes, you might have noticed that if the griddle is hot but not quite ready for the batter, a drop of water sprinkled on the griddle will thin out and disappear in about two seconds. When the surface becomes hot enough, however, the droplets will bounce, wriggle and skip above the griddle for anywhere from half a minute to over a minute and a half. How can this be?  Bibliography  Walker, Jearl. 1977. Drops of water dance.... The American Scientist. 237: 126-131.

5.1: Is this student writing sample acceptable?

1. Yes! The writer of the passage has not used any of the original author's exact words.
2. Yes! The writer of the passage has credited the original source in the bibliography.
3. Both A and B.
4. No! The writer of the passage has not documented this source properly.

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