EIGHT TECHNIQUES

TO PARAPHRASE EFFECTIVELY
BY MAISARAH AHMAD KAMIL
WHY PARAPHRASE?
EIGHT TECHNIQUES FOR PARAPHRASING

1 USE
2 CONVERT
3 USE
SYNONYMS ACTIVE/PASSIVE OPPOSITES

4 CHANGE
5 CATEGORIZE /
6 DEFINE
STRUCTURE BREAK CATEGORY THE WORD

7 USE SENTENCE 8 CHANGE

LINKERS PART OF SPEECH
 1 USE
SYNONYMS

Find words that are similar in meaning to key words

or phrases in the original text

ORIGINAL SENTENCE

Two students went to the teacher to ask questions about the lesson.

PARAPHRASED SENTENCE
A couple of pupils went to the instructor to inquire about the class.
 2 CONVERT
ACTIVE/PASSIVE

Change active sentences to passive, or vice versa

ORIGINAL SENTENCE

The book was written by the English lecturer.

PARAPHRASED SENTENCE
The English lecturer wrote the book.
 3 USE
OPPOSITES

Rewrite the text using an opposite view, or change

the perspective

ORIGINAL SENTENCE

Until the 1990s, AIDS was a major plague.

PARAPHRASED SENTENCE
Towards the end of the 20th century, AIDS stopped becoming a
major plague.
 4 CHANGE
STRUCTURE

Move parts of the sentence to change the sentence

structure

ORIGINAL SENTENCE

Until the 1990s, AIDS was a major plague.

PARAPHRASED SENTENCE
AIDS was a major plague until the 1990s.
 5 CATEGORIZE /
BREAK CATEGORY

Categorize similar items under the same heading,

or break a category into individual items

ORIGINAL SENTENCE

Cyclists face danger from the cars, buses and trucks on the road.

PARAPHRASED SENTENCE
Cyclists face danger from major road vehicles.
 6 DEFINE
THE WORD

Define key terms or phrases into common language

ORIGINAL SENTENCE

Until the 1990s, AIDS was a major plague.

PARAPHRASED SENTENCE
Until the 1990s, AIDS stopped becoming a widely spread and
uncontrollable disease.
 7 USE SENTENCE
LINKERS

Use linkers to combine phrases and sentences

together

ORIGINAL SENTENCE

My friend loves to play games. I love to read books.

PARAPHRASED SENTENCE
My friend loves to play games, but I love to read books.
 8 CHANGE
PART OF SPEECH

1 NOUN
2 VERBS
TO TO
VERBS NOUNS

3 ADVERBS
4 ADJECTIVES
TO TO
ADJECTIVES ADVERBS
 VERB-NOUN
EXCHANGE

Change verbs to nouns, or vice versa.

ORIGINAL SENTENCE

The incorporation of IT in universities is a big step forward.

PARAPHRASED SENTENCE
It is a big step forward for universities to incorporate IT.
 ADJECTIVE-ADVE
RB
EXCHANGE

Change adjectives to adverbs, and vice versa.

ORIGINAL SENTENCE

The manager was quiet when he left the room.

PARAPHRASED SENTENCE
The manager left the room quietly.
 PARAPHRASING 5 DIFFERENT
PRACTICE WAYS
Migrant workers move to California in large numbers during harvest
season.

The drug epidemic is a cancer which threatens the nation’s survival.

Overcrowding, because it threatens the stability of the population, is

a prison’s greatest problem.

The best fiction comes from writers who have a sensitive vision of
the world.