Paraphrasing Technique

I/ Definition of paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is restating information in your own words without changing its

original meaning.

Example:

The sentence: “I love playing basketball” can be paraphrased as:

–> Basketball is my favorite sport.
–> I am passionate about basketball.

- I am interested in/ I adore playing basketball/ I am addicted to playing

- Basketball is my passion
- I am a basketball fanatic.

II/ Paraphrasing in tests

In tests, paraphrasing skill is of great importance in all 4 sections: Listening,

Reading, Writing and Speaking.

– In Listening + Reading: Identify paraphrases

 For both Listening and Reading test: The key words in the
questions/answers are often the paraphrases of the words in the
recordings/texts.

 For Reading test: One question type asks examinees to identify correct
paraphrases.

Example:                                      

   Listening test

Tapescript:

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” This restaurant is famous for its high quality of food and reasonable prices.”

Question: What does this restaurant have a reputation for?

–> To correctly answer this question, we need to see that “have a reputation
for” is actually a paraphrase of “is famous for”.

Reading test

—Reading text:
“… Cities in the South may not see the first freeze until November…”

Question: When does the first freeze often arrive in the South?

A.Early September
B.Mid September
C.November
D.Before November

–> Realizing that the underlined parts in the reading text and the question are
paraphrases would help us to choose the correct answer (C).

– In Speaking + Writing: Create paraphrases

 Rule: NEVER repeat the words stated in the task questions.

Example:                        

Speaking test

Question: What are your difficulties in learning English?

Possible answers:
My difficulties in learning English are ….
∨ When studying English, I often find …. difficult (A1)
∨ In English, I tend to have difficulty in…. (A2)

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∨ When studying English, I often find….. a stumbling block (B1)

III/ Ways to paraphrase

1.Use different words

a/ Use synonyms

*Synonyms là những từ đồng nghĩa với nhau. Giả dụ như “complex” và

“complicated” (phức tạp) , “trouble” với “difficulty” (rắc rối), “essential” với
“necessary” (cần thiết)…

Example:

Learning  a new language requires regular practice. 

=> Picking up a new language demands frequent practice.

In these sentences:

+learning = picking up

+require = demand

+regular practice = frequent practice

b/ Use antonyms

*Antonyms là những từ trái nghĩa với nhau. Ví dụ: “kind” (tốt bụng) trái nghĩa
với “cruel” (độc ác), “increase” (làm tăng lên) trái nghĩa với “decrease” (làm
giảm đi)…

 Example:

It is difficult for students to be good at English pronunciation.

=> It is not easy for students to master English pronunciation.

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In these sentences:  “difficult” >< “easy”

2. Change the word order

Chú ý: Khi thay đổi thứ tự các mệnh đề trong câu cần chú ý thay đổi cả liên
từ (conjunctions) để đảm bảo tính logic của câu mới.

Example:

+ The job is well-paid so many people apply for it.

=> Many people apply for the job because it is well-paid.
+ Writing an essay is a challenging task.
=> Writing an essay is a task which is challenging. (câu này sử dụng mệnh đề
quan hệ thay cho 1 cụm danh từ)

3. Change the grammar

a/ Change the voice

*”Change the voice” là thay đổi thể/ dạng của động từ. Ví dụ: Chuyển từ dạng
chủ động sang dạng bị động và ngược lại.

Example:

People believe that love at first sight is a miracle.

=> Love at first sight is believed to be a miracle.

b/ Change the word forms

* Word forms là các dạng khác nhau của cùng 1 từ. Lấy ví dụ từ “beautiful”.
Tính từ: beautiful, danh từ: beauty, động từ: beautify, trạng từ: beautifully, …

Water (n) – A1 vs water (v) B2

Ex: It is easy to cook.

- It is simple to cook (synonym)

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 - It is not complicated/ challenging to cook. / It is not difficult to cook.
(antonym)
- Cooking is easy/ Cooking is as easy as pie. / Cooking is a piece of
cake. / Cooking isn’t a big deal. (word order)
- Cooking is never challenging to me. (word order + antonym)
- It is said that cooking is unchallenging/ it seems that cooking is
unchallenging to me. / (word voice)
- I can simply cook without difficulty./ I can cook easily./ I can cook
with ease (word form)
- Ease (v): relax, decrease
- At ease (adv): relaxingly

Example:

She has no difficulty watching movies in English.

=> It is not difficult for her to watch movies in English.

c/ Change parts of speech

* Phần này đòi hỏi việc sử dụng linh hoạt to V và V-ing

Example:

The most effective way to improve your health is  taking exercise.

=> The most effective way of improving your health is to take exercise.

4. Combine sentences

a/ Use relative clauses

*Relative clauses là các mệnh đề quan hệ. Ví dụ: who, whom, whose, which,
that,…

Example:

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Bellydance is an enjoyable pastime. It is loved by many young people.
=> Bellydance is an enjoyable pastime that is loved by many youngsters.
=> An interesting hobby that is loved by many young people is bellydance.
(câu này kết hợp cả sử dụng mệnh đề quan hệ và thay đổi thứ tự từ)

b/ Use conjunctions

*Conjunctions là các liên từ, dùng để liên kết các mệnh đề trong cùng một câu.
Ví dụ: and (và), although (mặc dù), but (nhưng), because (bởi vì),…

Example:

The girl did not buy that expensive dress. She liked it very much.
=> The girl did not buy that expensive dress although she liked it very much.

IV/ Process of paraphrasing

+ Read/ listen carefully

+ Identify the key words
+ Consider these points as a whole
+ Apply the methods you have learned to paraphrase.
+ Reread your paraphrase and compare it to the original version.

Bài tập 1: Read the following passage and answer the question:

Two neighboring high schools had a huge sports rivalry. At the big football
game Friday night, the Eastern Eagles were ahead in the first quarter. They had
scored a touchdown and the Trenton Tigers had only scored a field goal. In the
second quarter, both teams scored a field goal. The third quarter was fought by
defense and there was no score for either team. Then came the most exciting
quarter of all, the fourth quarter. The Tigers took the lead after scoring a
touchdown. With one minute left in the game, the Eagles scored another field

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goal, and the game ended in a tie.

–> According to the recount of the game, which quarter was scoreless?

A. The first quarter
B. The second quarter
C. The third quarter
D. The fourth quarter

Bài tập 2: Read the following passage and answer the question:

Dinosaurs roamed the earth millions of years ago. The rise of the dinosaurs
began during the Triassic Period. The Jurassic Period was known as the age of
the ruling and huge dinosaurs. The Cretaceous Period was when there were
more dinosaurs than ever before, including Tyrannosaurus rex and triceratops.
By the end of this period, dinosaurs became extinct. Then came the Tertiary
Period, when mammals were present in great numbers.

-> According to the time line in this paragraph, when might you expect to see
the most dinosaurs?
A. The Triassic Period
B. The Jurassic Period
C. The Cretaceous Period
D. The Tertiary Period

(Nguồn:http://www.quia.com/pop/120024.html?AP_rand=2130072306)

Dạng 2: Câu hỏi yêu cầu tìm từ đồng nghĩa với từ cho trước.

Bước 1: Đọc kỹ câu hỏi và từ cho trước.

Bước 2: Xác định vị trí của từ đó trong văn bản.
Bước 3: Đọc những câu văn chứa từ đó, và cả những câu xung quanh để hiểu
chính xác nghĩa của từ. Lưu ý: kể cả khi từ cho trước là một từ mà các bạn đã
biết, các bạn vẫn nên đọc lại văn bản để xác thực sự lựa chọn của mình.

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 Ví dụ:
Read the following passage and answer the question:

Harry

I not only provide appearance for my client, I also do damage control. We’ve
had clients involved in lawsuits, divorces or drugs. One mistakenly took a gun
to an airport. On the red carpet – at the Academy Awards or the Golden Globes
– I’m the person making my client look good. The other day at an Oprah
Winfrey event, the carpet wasn’t put down properly and my clients almost went
flying – I had to catch them. They can make some strange requests, too. At
a black-tie gala at the White House, two clients hated the dinner and insisted
that we circle around Washington DC to find a KFC open at 1a.m. I had to go
in wearing a gown and order so they could eat it in the car.

 -> The word ‘circle’ could be best replaced by

A. drive
B. look
C. walk
D. ride

(Nguồn: Đề thi mẫu VSTEP. http://vstep.vnu.edu.vn/tcko/bieu-mau)

Bài tập 3: Read the passage and answer the questions

Modern tourism began with the transition from a rural to an industrial society,
the rise of the automobile, and the expansion of road and highway systems.
Before the Second World War, travel for pleasure was limited to the wealthy,
but since then, improved standards of living and the availability of
transportation have allowed more people toindulge. In the 1960s, improvements
in aircraft technology and the development of commercial jet airlines enabled
fast international travel. The tourism industry exploded. Today, airports in

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nearly every country can accommodate jumbo jets full of tourists seeking exotic
destinations.

1. The word indulge in the passage is closest in meaning to

A. Participate
B. Migrate
C. Survive
D. Change

2. The word exploded in the passage is closest in meaning to

A. was competitive
B. expanded rapidly
C. was expensive
D. became dangerous

(Nguồn: Gallagher, N. (n.d.). Delta’s Key to the TOEFL iBT: Advanced Skill

Practice)

Dạng 3: Đề bài đưa ra một câu trong văn bản, yêu cầu chọn câu có nghĩa tương
đương (chọn paraphrase)

Bước 1: Đọc kỹ câu mà đề bài đưa ra và các lựa chọn trong phần trả lời.
Bước 2: Nhận diện các phương pháp paraphrasing được áp dụng ở các lựa chọn
trong phần trả lời. VD: Dùng từ đồng nghĩa, trái nghĩa, thay đổi cấu trúc câu,…
Bước 3: So sánh nghĩa của câu gốc với nghĩa của các câu trong phần trả lời để
chọn đáp án đúng. Các lựa chọn là sai khi:
+ Có nghĩa khác với câu gốc.
+ Thiếu/ thêm ý so với câu gốc.

Ví dụ:

 My day typically starts with a business person going to the airport, and
nearly always ends with a drunk. I don’t mind drunk people. Sometimes I

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think they’re the better version of themselves: more relaxed, happier, honest.
Only once have I feared for my life. A guy ran out at a traffic light and so I sped
up before his brother could run, too. He seemed embarrassed and made me drop
him at a car park. When we arrived, the first guy was waiting with a boulder,
which went through the windscreen, narrowly missing my head. But the worst
people are the ones who call me “Driver!”

–> What best paraphrases the sentence ‘My day typically starts with a
business person going to the airport, and nearly always ends with a drunk’?
A.Normally, I will take a business person and a drunk at the airport.
B.Normally, I will go to the airport in the morning and come back with a drunk.
C. Normally, my first passenger will be a businessman and my last one a drunk.
D. Normally, I will drive a businessman to the airport and come back almost
drunk.

(Nguồn: Đề thi mẫu VSTEP. http://vstep.vnu.edu.vn/tcko/bieu-mau)

Đáp án đúng: C. Đoạn văn nói về người tài xế và những hành khách của ông.
“My day typically starts with a business person going to the airport, and
nearly always ends with a drunk. I don’t mind drunk people. But the worst
people are the ones who call me “Driver!”

Bài tập 4: Read the passage and answer the question:

Because they absorb heat from the environment rather than generate much of
their own, reptiles are said to be ectotherms, a term in identifying their major
source of body heat as being external. Ectotherms heat directly with solar
energy by basking in the sun, rather than through the metabolic breakdown of
food, as in mammals and birds. This means that a reptile can survive on less
than 10 percent of the calories required by a mammal of equivalent size.

-> Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the

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underlined sentence?
A. Because a reptile heats with solar energy, it requires less than 10 percent of
the calories that a mammal of the same size needs.
B. A reptile obtains only 10 percent of its calories from the metabolic
breakdown of food; it obtains the rest by basking in the sun.
C. Some reptiles and mammals are equal in size, but they require vastly
different quantities of calories for survival.
D. Reptiles need to spend only 10 percent of their time eating because they do
not need as many calories as mammals of equal size.

(Nguồn: Gallagher, N. (n.d.). Delta’s Key to the TOEFL iBT: Advanced Skill

Practice)

————————————————————-

Practice paraphrasing the following sentences:

1. I like listening to music -> How often do you listen to music?

Listening to music is my cup of tea.

Every time I could, listening to music is the first thing that crosses my mind

to relax/ chill./ Every time I could, listening to music is the first thing I do to

put my mind/ soul at ease.

I listen to music everyday. = on a daily basis.

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Hardly does a day pass without my listening to music.

Listening to music is my favourite daily routine./ a part of my daily routine.

2. The Internet is useful to students -> How are the apps useful to you?

Students/ learners take many/ manifold benefits of the Internet. For example,

they can use the Internet to relax/ put their minds at ease.

Students can utilize/ leverage the Internet for manifold/ multiple purposes

(educational and recreational purposes).

Basically, I take advantages of the apps regularly. For instance, Instagram is

one of the recreational apps I would choose to relax./ Instagram is a means

of entertainment that I would choose. / Instagram is always my go-to app

when I need to relax. In educational aspect, Zoom is the ultimate option to

learn far from school= for remote learning/ for distance learning, especially

in the peak of this pandemic/ amidst the pandemic in this day and age.

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3. You should stop smoking because it is bad for your health -> What do

you do to keep a healthy and active lifestyle?

The limit of /(limited) smoking is the way to prevent harming your health./

self-destruction of your health. / Being a non-smoker is the way to prevent

self-destruction of your health.

In order to keep your life healthy and energetic/ In order to stay healthy and

active/ In order to adopt a healthy and energetic life, it is advisable to take up

salutary habit such as cycling ad yoga to get rid of your smoking addiction.

4. The Internet is now more common than ever -> How do you think

technology will change how we study in the future?

Never before has the Internet become as prevalent as it is today.

The Internet has gained more and more popularity over recent decades.

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Technology will make our study more effective and easier.

We can take a lot of advantages of technology in our study.

Thanks to technology, our study will become more effective and easier.

Obviously/ Clearly/ Evidently/ Irrefutably, Apparently, technology will

enable us to attain our learning goals more effectively and easily.

Technology will not only ease the workload/ burden but also enhance/

optimize our study.

5. There were more vegetarians in 2010 than those in 2005 ->

6. “Fast food is now universally in most countries and is becoming

increasingly popular. Some feel that this is a positive trend, while others
do not.” ->

SPEECHLESS (ALLADIN OST)

Here comes a wave
Meant to wash me away
A tide that is taking me under
Broken again
Left with nothing to say (v)
My voice drowned out (v) in the thunder
But I can't cry
And I can’t start to crumble
Whenever they try
To shut me (v) or cut me down
[Chorus]
I won't be silenced (v)
You can't keep me quiet
Won't tremble when you try it
All I know is I won't go speechless
Speechless
Let the storm in
I cannot be broken
No, I won't live unspoken (a)
'Cause I know that I won't go speechless
Try to lock me in this cage

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[Chorus]
I can't stay silent (a)
Though they wanna keep me quiet (v)
And I tremble when they try it
All I know is I won't go speechless
Written in stone
Every rule, every word
Centuries old and unbending
Stay in your place
Better seen and not heard
But now that story is ending
[Pre-Chorus]
'Cause I
I cannot start to crumble
So come on and try
Try to shut me and cut me down
I won't just lay me down and die
I will take these broken wings
And watch me burn across the sky
And it echoes saying–
[Chorus]
I won't be silenced
No you will not see me tremble when you
try it
All I know is I won't go speechless
Speechless
'Cause I'll breathe
When they try to suffocate (v) me
Don't you underestimate me
'Cause I know that I won't go speechless
All I know is I won't go speechless
Speechless

Homework: Paraphrase these answers

Question 1: Do you like art?

Yes, I love art, and I have loved it since I was a child. I think art is
everywhere and in everything: a building or a painting or even a dish. I
believe art is a beautiful thing and it can express our creativity and
uniqueness.

Question 2: Do you think going to museums and art galleries is beneficial

for children?

Answer 1: Yes I believe going to museums is very beneficial for children in

terms of education. They can learn more about history and culture. Art can
provide a lot of knowledge and make you see life from many angles.
Besides, in a place filled with artefacts and antiques like museum, they can
understand things better and may be feel motivated to draw things and be
more creative.

Answer 2: No, I think children won’t get many benefits from just going to
art gallery. Because they are too small, it is difficult to understand what the

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pictures mean and what the color represent and why the artworks are
important. I think only when they understand the answers to the questions, it
makes sense to make children visit art gallery.

Question 3: What kind of expensive things do people like to buy?

Well, people like different kinds of expensive things such as branded

phones, clothes, footwear, cars, bikes, electronics, jewellery and many more.

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