PARAPHRASE

PARAPHRASE
PARAPHRASING involves taking a set of

facts or opinions and rewording them.
When paraphrasing, it is important to
keep the original meaning and to
present it in a new form. Basically, you
are simply writing something in your
own words that expresses the original
idea.
Examples of Paraphrasing
Original: Her life spanned years of

incredible change for woman.
Paraphrased: Mary lived through an
era of liberating reform for woman.
Original: Giraffes like Acacia leaves and

hay and they can consume 75 pounds
of food a day.
Paraphrased: A giraffe can eat up to 75
pounds of acacia leaves and hay
everyday.
Original: Any trip to Italy should

include a visit to Tuscany to sample
their exquisite wines.
Paraphrased: Be sure to include a
Tuscan wine-tasting experience when
visiting Italy.
Paraphrasing Paragraphs
Original passage: In the Sopranos, the mob is
besieged as much by inner infidelity by the
federal government. Early in the series, the
greatest threat to Tony’s family is his own
biological family. One of his closest
associates turns witness for the FBI, his
mother colludes with his uncle to a hit on
Tony, and his kids click through web sites
that track the federal crackdown on Tony’s
gangland.
Paraphrasing Paragraphs
Paraphrased Passage: In the first season of
The Sopranos, Tony Soprano’s mobster
activities are more threatened by members
of his biological family than by agents of the
federal government. This familial betrayal is
multi-pronged. Tony’s closest friend and
associate is an FBI informant, his mother and
uncle are conspiring to have him killed, and
his children are surfing the Web for
information about his activities.
Summary of some of the changes
made.
• Early in the series= first season
• More threatened= greatest threat
• Closest friend and associate= one family
member
• His mother colludes with his uncle= his
mother and uncle are conspiring
• His kids click through websites= his
children are surfing the web
Paraphrasing is a valuable skill because…
• It is better than quoting information

from an undistinguished passage;
• It helps you control the temptation to
quote too much; and
• The mental process required for
successful paraphrasing helps you
grasp the full meaning of the original.
6 steps to effective paraphrasing
1. Reread the original passage until

you understand its full meaning.
2. Set the original aside, and write
your paraphrase on a note card.
3. Jot down a few words below your

paraphrase to remind you later
how you envision using this
material. At the top of the note
card, write a key word or phrase
to indicate the subject of your
paraphrased.
Check your rendition with the
original to make sure that
your version accurately
expresses all the essential
information in a new form.
5. Use quotation marks to
identify any unique term or
phraseology you have
borrowed exactly from the
source.
6. Record the source (including
the page) on your note card
so that you can credit it
easily if you decide to
incorporate the material in
your paper.
The original passage:
Students frequently overuse direct quotation
in taking notes, and as a result they
overuse quotations in the final result
(research) paper. Probably only about
10% of your final manuscript should
appear as directly quoted matter.
Therefore, you should strive to limit the
amount of exact transcribing of source
materials while taking notes. Lester,
James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed.
(1976): 46-47.
A legitimate paraphrase:
In research papers students often
quote excessively, failing to
keep quoted material down to
a desirable level. Since the
problem usually originates
during note taking, it is
essential to minimize the
material recorded verbatim.
(Lester 46-47).
An accepted summary:
Students should take just a few
notes in direct quotation
from sources to help
minimize the amount of
quoted material in a research
paper (Lester 46-47).
A plagiarized version.
Students often use too many
quotations when they take
notes, resulting

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PARAPHRASE

PARAPHRASING involves taking a set of

Original: Her life spanned years of

Original: Giraffes like Acacia leaves and

Original: Any trip to Italy should

• It is better than quoting information

1. Reread the original passage until

3. Jot down a few words below your

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