PARAPHRASING

Perpared by/ Amal Abdulhaleem Al-

Hakimy
Do Task one
What is paraphrasing?
 Paraphrasing
 In simple words: to write other people’s ideas
in your own words.
 A legitimate way to borrow from a source, as
long as you document the source.
 Paraphrasing involves changing a text so that
it is quite different from the source, while
retaining the meaning.
 paraphrasing attempts to restate the
relevant information.
 A more detailed restatement than a summary
What did you notice?
Note that an effective paraphrase usually:
• has a different structure to the original
• has mainly different vocabulary
• retains the same meaning
• concentrate on the concept rather than the
actual words used by the original author.
• keeps some phrases from the original that
are in common use (e.g. ‘Industrial
Revolution’ or ‘eighteenth century’)of
considerable
Steps for a good paraphrase

Step 1
 Read the original passage several times until you
understand it fully.
 Look up unfamiliar words and find synonyms for
them
 Use the original word if could not find synonyms,
especially technical vocabulary.
Step 2
 Take notes
 Write down only a few words for each idea not
complete sentences.
Here is an example
Step 3
 Write your paraphrase from your notes. Don't look at
the original while you are writing.
Step 4
Check your paraphrase against the original
to make sure you have not copied
vocabulary or the sentence structure too
closely.
Make sure that you have not changed the

meaning of the original or given any wrong

information.
Step 5
 Add an in-text citation at the end.
Techniques for
paraphrasing
How to paraphrase
Use synonyms
Change the verb form

Change the part of speech

Reverse positive and negatives

Reverse the order of information

Use Synonyms
This means that you use a word which has
the same meaning as a word in the
original text.
Example
Anderson (2007) observed that the

circumstances had changed.

Anderson (2007) found that the situation
had altered.
Use Synonyms
1. Clovis (2008) argued that significant
improvements were required.
Clovis (2008) stated that substantial
progress was needed.
2. Students’ responses to the
questionnaire were collected quickly.
Students’ answers to the survey were
obtained rapidly.
Exercise
Answers
Important things to note
about synonyms
•It is not always possible to find a
synonym.
•It may be a synonym in one context but
not another.
•The synonyms may have different
connotations.
•A good thesaurus is essential.
Change the verb form
Active <-> Passive
Example

Students taking a Cambridge IELTS test

are examined in reading, listening,

speaking and writing.
A Cambridge IELTS test examines

students’ reading, listening, speaking and

writing.
Change the verb form
1. Nineteen-Eighty-Four was written by George
Orwell in 1948 and was published by Secker &
Warburg the following year.
George Orwell wrote Nineteen-Eighty-Four in 1948
and Secker & Warburg published it the following
year.
2. Six countries founded the European Economic
Community when they signed the Treaties of Rome
in 1957.
The European Economic Community was founded
when the Treaties of Rome were signed by six
countries in 1957.
Important things to note
about changing the verb
form
Variety in grammar is as important as
variety in vocabulary!
Change the part of
speech
Noun <-> verb
Noun <-> adjective
Adjective <-> adverb
(etc.)
Example
Lecturers who use colloquial vocabulary can
cause problems for international students.
The use of colloquial vocabulary by lecturers
can be problematic for international students.
Change the part of
speech
1. It is often argued that the growth of the
Internet has made it more difficult for
universities to prevent plagiarism.
A common argument is that the growth of
the Internet has made the prevention of
plagiarism more difficult for universities.
2. Students frequently complain about their
workload.
A frequent complaint of students concerns
how much work they have to do.
Exercise
Answers
Important things to note
about changing the part
of speech
Changing verb phrases to noun phrases

lots of abstract nouns

meaning can become ‘slippery’

So make sure you use plenty of concrete

nouns too
Reverse positives and
negatives
Example
It is not unusual for many international
students to experience culture shock when
they first arrive in the UK.
It is relatively common for many
international students to experience
culture shock when they first arrive in the
UK.
Reverse positives and
negatives
1. The economic crisis which began in the USA in
2007 has affected not only Americans, but people in
the rest of the world too.
The economic crisis which began in the USA in 2007
affected both Americans and people in the rest of
the world.
2. British law requires universities to make
reasonable adjustments in order to accommodate
disabled students.
British law does not require universities to make
unreasonable adjustments in order to
accommodate disabled students.
Important things to note
about reversing
positives and negatives
Use this technique only when you are sure
it would not make the paraphrase too
long: another key skill in academic writing
is conciseness.
Reverse the order of
information
Example
Churchill met President Roosevelt for the
first time on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean in
1941.
In 1941, on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean,
Churchill met President Roosevelt for the
first time.
Reverse the order of
information
1. Before a British Bill of Parliament becomes
law, the Queen signs it.
After the Queen has signed it, a British Bill of
Parliament becomes law.
2. Signs outside British pubs traditionally
have colorful pictures on them because in the
past many people could not read.
Since in the past many people could not
read, signs outside British pubs traditionally
have colourful pictures on them.
Exercise
Answers
Important things to note
about reversing the
order of information
Don’t use this technique on its own!
If you just reverse the order of the
information without changing any of the
language, you will probably be
plagiarizing.
In short, use the four R’s
Tricks for good
paraphrasing:
• Reword – replace words and phrases with synonyms
whenever you can.
• Rearrange – rearrange words within sentences to make
new sentences. You can even rearrange the ideas
presented within the paragraph.
• Realize that some words and phrases cannot be changed –
names, dates, titles etc. cannot be replaced, but you can
present them differently in your paraphrase.
• Recheck – make sure that your paraphrase conveys the
same meaning as the original text.
Paraphrasing is a valuable
skill
 Paraphrasing is used supporting material in
writing
 Paraphrasing is usually preferred over quotation
in academic wring because it shows that the
writer truly understands the information, and it
is easier to understand how the information
relates to the writer’s points.
 It helps you control the temptation to quote too
much.
 If done correctly and the source is documented,
you avoid plagiarism.
Paraphrasing and
Plagiarism
 Learning to paraphrase properly can help use
information from out-side sources accurately and
ethically. It is essential to avoid committing
plagiarism.
 There are two kinds of plagiarism that you need to
consider when paraphrasing
 When you use information from an outside source
without citing the source(telling where you get the
information), you are guilty of plagiarism.
 Even when you cite your source, if your paraphrase
is too similar to the original, you are guilty of
plagiarism.
Do Task Two
Reference List
 You need to give a comprehensive
reference list at the end of your
research.
 It contains of all sources you have
written in your essay.
Paraphrase the following
passage:
Original
 “Although he was born in a poor family, Benjamin Franklin
made a fortune as a printer in Philadelphia. By the age of
42, Franklin was one of the richest men in the colonies. He
chose to retire from active business and become a
“gentleman.” He began to pursue “philosophical studies and
amusements.” He was especially curious about electricity,
and his experiments made him famous.”
 Another Example

Suggested Paraphrase
 Benjamin Franklin is well-known as both a businessman
and a scientist. Franklin’s successful printing business in
Philadelphia led him to become one of the most wealthy
men in the area. When he was only 42, he decided to
retire from business and spend more time doing things he
loved, such as electrical experiments and philosophical
studies.
References
Wallwork, A.(2016). English for academic
research:
Writing exercises. Springer.
Baily, S. (2015). Academic writing(4th ed.).
Routledge.
Oshima, A. & Hogue, A (2014). Longman for
academic writing 4. Longman.
Swales, J. & Feak, C. (2012). Academic Writing for
Graduate Students. Michigan: EAPP.
Baily, S. (2003). Academic writing(2nd ed.).
Routledge.
Thank you