Paraphrase

How to & Practice

A paraphrase is an extract from

another source re-written by
another person. A paraphrase
contains all or most of the points
of the original text and is around
the same length. A reference
must be provided.
Davies, W. M. And Beaumont, T. J. (2007), Paraphrasing, Teaching
and Learning Unit, Faculty of Business and Economics, the
University of Melbourne

In a nutshell
To rewrite the idea from the original
text in your very own words
Why?
To avoid plagiarism, copying and
infringing on others works

How to paraphrase
You need to understand what the
original text conveys
What is the topic and main message?
Stumble upon unknown vocabulary? Consult a
good dictionary

Write down what you understand in

your own words

Paraphrasing
Techniques
Mix several techniques to
give paraphrasing an
effective effect

Use Synonyms
My friend has many cats.
A friend of mine owns several feline
companions.

The working team forecasted a

big increase in sales.
Forecast: predict, expect
Big: major, huge, sizable, considerable
Increase: rise, growth, boost

Change Order
Her name is Jane.
Jane is her name.

She looks so cute

when she has a flower
in her hand.
When she holds a flower in
her hand, she looks very
adorable.

Combine Sentences
When it rains heavily,
dont forget your
umbrella.
You shouldnt be in an
open area.
Be sure to bring an umbrella,
and avoid an open area during
the heavy rain.

Van Gogh was a

great Dutch.
painter.
He became famous
posthumously.
Van Gogh, who was a
great Dutch painter,
became well-known
after his death.

Change Part of
Speech
Verb Noun Adjective Adverb
The departments summary shows
the continuous increase in sale.
The department summarizes that sale
increases continuously.

Change Sentence
Type
She studies hard, for she wants to
get a scholarship. [compound]
Because she wishes to receive a scholarship,
she spends a lot of time studying. [complex]

The news reported that monsoon

was coming to the north. [s/v]
According to the news, the monsoon was
approaching the northern part. [phrase]

A TV commercial is expensive;
however, it is not effective.
However: although, but, despite
Although a TVC is costly, it is not effective.
[complex sentence]
A TVC is pricey, but it does not work.
[compound sentence]
Despite the high price, a TVC does not
work. [simple sentence]

The Voice
Thomas Jefferson
wrote the
Declaration of
Independence.
The Declaration of
Independence was
written by Thomas
Jefferson.