How to paraphrase

Claire Conroy Head of English Writing Lab

SLSC

What is Paraphrasing? Paraphrasing Summarizing Quoting

Use own words Use own words Same words

More or less same length as original

Much shorter than original

Same length as original

All ideas included

Only main idea included

Use quotation marks “ “

What is the purpose of paraphrasing?

To simplify

To clarify

Poor Paraphrasing= Patch-working

Patchwork Cushion

Scraps of fabric sewn together- Looks pretty…does it make sense????

What is Patch-working?

1. The reader is unfamiliar with the text 2. The reader takes some of the original words and patches them together with his/her own words 3. The reader only exchanges vocabulary items with

dictionary synonyms ( common in student writing) 4. The paraphrase reads like a note-taking device

How to Paraphrase Successfully

In order to paraphrase successfully, one has to have a

deep, solid understanding of the original text, so………..

Step 1

Read, read and reread the text/ passage. It is vital that you understand what the author is saying.

Step 2

Take notes ( in your own words) of the main ideas

Method 1

Replace synonyms ( use a dictionary/Thesaurus) if needed)

Example: Movies can be divided into three categories. Films can be divided into three types.

Method 2

Change plural nouns to singular ones (Remember subject/verb agreement)

Example: Overweight people usually do little exercise. An overweight person usually does little exercise.

Method 3

Restructure sentence(s) grammatically

Suggestions: Change Active Voice to Passive Voice or vice-versa

Example: The people of this country speak various languages. Various languages are spoken in this country.

Method 4 Use Negative or Opposite Expressions

Hamed was disappointed because the movie wasn’t

very good.

Hamed wasn’t satisfied because the movie wasn’t very good.

Method 5

Changing Word order

If you’re going to Russia in December, be sure to take warm clothes.

Be sure to take warm clothes if you are going to Russia in December.

Method 6

Changing Parts of Speech For example, changing a noun to a verb.

Example: The company needs to find a solution to this

problem. The company wants to solve this problem.

Method 7 Short sentences can be combined to make one

longer sentence

Example: Ireland is a wonderful country. It has beautiful scenery, friendly people and an interesting history.

Ireland, which is a wonderful country, has beautiful scenery, friendly people and an interesting history,

To recap, you can……..

Restructure sentence(s) grammatically

Suggestions: Change Active voice to passive Change plural subject to singular Change a noun to a verb or adjective,etc. Replace fractions with percentages( e.g. half →50%)

Finally…….

When you have finished your paraphrased draft, reread the original text and compare it to your paraphrase.

You can then check that you have retained the meaning and attitude (tone) of the original text.

Start with Paraphrasing Sentences Tip: Paraphrasing sentences helps students practise paraphrasing blocks of text

1. Original: Giraffes like Acacia leaves and hay and they can consume 75 pounds of food a day.

Paraphrase: A giraffe can eat up to 75 pounds of Acacia leaves and hay everyday. 2. Original: Any trip to Italy should include a visit to Tuscany to sample its exquisite food. Paraphrase: Be sure to include a Tuscan food-tasting experience when visiting Italy.

….and two more.

4. Original: Niagara Falls is viewed by thousands of tourists every year.( Passive Voice)

Paraphrase: Each year, thousands of people visit Niagara Falls. ( Active Voice)

5. Original: Qatar University shall be a model national university in the region, recognized for high-quality education.

Paraphrase: Qatar’s national university will serve as an example in the Gulf, and it will be known for top-class education.

More paraphrasing

3. Original: John set out to visit his friend on Saturday morning. He had a map, GPS and his friend’s mobile number, but he still could not find his friend’s house. By late afternoon, he gave up and returned home.

Paraphrase/ Summary?: Although John had lots of information to help him find his friend’s home, he still could not discover where his friend lived.

Avoiding Plagiarism There is a fine line between plagiarism and paraphrasing. If the wording of the paraphrase is too close to the wording of the original content, then it is plagiarism. The main ideas need to come through, but the wording has to be your own. A quote will need to be the exact wording and the author and source will need to be identified. Paraphrasing usually makes the passage a little shorter than the original.

Original 1 Paraphrase 1 Jacques Cousteau, in his book, The Oceans, reports that the Antarctic is a vast source of cold in our planet. The very icy water around the Antarctic flows north to mix with the warmer water from the tropics, which helps to cool both the surface water and the atmosphere. However, this cooling system is now being threatened by human activity.

According to Jacques Cousteau in his book, The Oceans, the Antarctic provides a huge supply of cold to our earth. This meeting of this very cold water from the north and the warmer water from the tropics, which assists in cooling our planet, is now in danger from human lifestyle.

Paraphrase

What changes did I make?

What changes did I make? Original Paraphrase Jacques Cousteau, in his book, The Oceans, reports that the Antarctic is a vast source of cold on our planet. The very icy water around the Antarctic flows north to mix with the warmer water from the tropics, which helps to cool both the surface water and the atmosphere. However, this cooling system is now being threatened by human activity

According to Jacques Cousteau in his book, The Oceans, the Antarctic provides a huge supply of cold to our earth. The meeting of this very cold water from the north and the warmer water from the tropics, which assists in cooling our planet, is now in danger from human lifestyle. (Passive to Active)

Sentence Structure

Synonyms

Synonyms

Original 2 Paraphrase 2

Of more than 1000 deaths in bicycling accidents each year, three-quarters are caused by head injuries. Half of those killed are school-age children. The latest study shows that wearing a helmet can reduce the danger of head injury by 85%. In an accident, a helmet absorbs the shock and protects the head. (Consumer Reports , May 1998)

According to Consumer Reports (1998), 75% of the 1000 fatal bike accidents annually are the result of head trauma. A recent study has shown that head injuries can be decreased by as much as 85% if the cyclist wears a helmet, which protects his/her head.

A Quotation Original 3 Paraphrase 3

“ Make books your companions; let your bookshelves be your gardens; bask in their beauty, gather their fruit, pluck their roses, take their spices and myrrh “ ( Ibn Khaldun, historian and philosopher)

Ibn Khaldun, the famous Arab historian and philosopher, advises us to become readers, to cherish our books as friends, to gather information from them about our daily life.

Original 4 Paraphrase 4

. Setsubun, a traditional holiday in

Japan marks the beginning of spring and is celebrated on February 3rd every year. While not a national holiday, foods commonly grown in that season are used. These include the throwing of beans, which means throwing roasted beans out from the house crying, “Out with the devils, in with good fortune.” Each person also consumes a number of beans according to his or her age.

Although Setsubun is not a

national Japanese holiday, it is celebrated every year in February to welcome the season of spring. People throw beans out of their homes to get rid of devils and bring in good luck. Everyone eats the number of beans according to his/her age.

A Japanese Holiday

Another Tip 1. Circle the specialized words, i.e. the words that cannot be changed. e.g. giraffe, Japan.. 2. Underline the keywords that can be changed—good starting point. 3. Find other words and phrases to replace the keywords (use a Thesaurus instead of a dictionary).

Presentation Worksheets

Student paraphrase Worksheet 2013.docx

Hard copies

Worksheet Answer Key

Presentation on Paraphrasing Worksheet Answer Key.docx

Thank you for your attention

Happy Paraphrasing !

Any questions?