Response to Plagiarizing

The student most likely was lazy and did not feel like writing an entire response, so they simply copied an actual response either forgot or didn't want to cite the source. What the student should have done was put quotation marks around the writing, cited it, then elaborated on the quotation. Then they couldn't be accused of plagiarizing.  

 Many people try to find the deeper meaning in the Starry Night Painting: "There is a peaceful essence flowing from the structures. Perhaps the cool dark colors and the fiery windows spark memories of our own warm childhood years filled with imagination of what exists in the night and dark starry skies. The center point of the town is the tall steeple of the church, reigning largely over the smaller buildings. This steeple casts down a sense of stability onto the town, and also creates a sense of size and seclusion" (A Brief Understanding of the Starry Night Paintings). 

To avoid plagiarizing, you can do at least 3 things: you can cite the source of the writing, paraphrase the writing and cite the original source, or simply summarize it in your own words. It's as simple as that.