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Lpe2501 Academic Writing: Lecture Notes 3 (Week 7 - 9)
Lpe2501 Academic Writing: Lecture Notes 3 (Week 7 - 9)
LECTURE NOTES 3
[WEEK 7 – 9]
Topics:
1. Paraphrasing Sources
2. Paraphrasing Strategies
3. Paraphrasing Method
4. Successful vs Unsuccessful
Paraphrases
1. PARAPHRASING SOURCES
When you describe something you have heard, you often repeat the same idea but
use different words. For example, if you hear the TV announcer say, “There is an 80%
chance of rain tomorrow,” you may tell a friend, “It will probably rain tomorrow.” This
last statement is a paraphrase. A paraphrase is a restatement of another person’s
ideas using your own words.
You can use paraphrasing in writing as well. Repeating the author’s ideas in your own
words shows that you truly comprehend the original ideas.
Paraphrase Example
Original excerpt:
The people in the country will support the new policy. It will bring a lot of good to
the poor.
(Benjamin Atkinson, 2005)
Paraphrase:
Atkinson (2005) states that the citizens shall be in favour of the new scheme as
it will benefit the less fortunate.
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EXERCISE 1
Paraphrase the following sentences and add in-text citations.
1. At present, students are poor writers because they lack ideas and have poor
writing skills.
(Mark Hall & Joe Leemann, 2013)
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2. The clearing of rain forest has brought about catastrophic consequences to the
environment.
(Bryan Freeman, 2010)
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3. Since animals share many features with humans, scientists use animals to test
the safety and effectiveness of newly developed drugs before pilot testing them
on small groups of patients.
(Diana Smith, 2015)
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2. PARAPHRASING STRATEGIES
An effective paraphrase includes more than one of the following strategies. Read and
analyse the following examples of paraphrases. Take note of the various strategies
used to paraphrase the original excerpts. When you paraphrase, you may use more
than one of these strategies to paraphrase effectively.
1. Use synonyms
Original The U.S. government declared that the AIDS crisis poses a national
security threat. The announcement followed an intelligence report that
found high rates of HIV infection could lead to widespread political
destabilisation.
Paraphrase The government of the United States announced that AIDS could harm
the nation's security. The government warned the population after an
important governmental study concluded that political problems could
result from large numbers of people infected with HIV (Marshall, 2015).
Original Medical professor John Swanson says that global changes are
influencing the spread (noun) of disease.
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3. Change numbers and percentages to different forms
Original Minority groups in the United States have been hit hardest by the
epidemic. African Americans, who make up 13 percent of the U.S.
population, accounted for 46 percent of the AIDS cases diagnosed in
1998.
Paraphrase The AIDS epidemic has mostly affected minorities in the United
States. For example, in 1998, less than 15 percent of the total
population was African, but almost half of the people diagnosed with
AIDS in the United States that year were African America (Jensen,
2000).
4. Change word order: this might include changing from active voice to passive
voice
Original Malaria kills more than one million people annually, the overwhelming
majority of them are children in sub-Saharan Africa.
Paraphrase Every year, more than a million people are killed by malaria, and most
of the victims are children who live in sub-Saharan Africa (Angier, 2016).
Original Although only about one-tenth of the world’s population lives there,
sub-Saharan Africa remains the hardest hit region, accounting for
72 percent of the people infected with HIV during the year 2000.
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****Caution: When paraphrasing, do not change key terms, proper nouns or
technical terms*****
Original In the northeastern United States, people are building homes on the
edge of woods, where ticks that carry Lyme disease hitch rides on
deer. In addition, in Africa, hunters bring back the meat of animals that
scientists think may transmit Ebola, a usually fatal disease that causes
massive hemorrhaging in its victims.
Paraphrase In the United States, residential areas are being built near wooded areas
in the northeast. These areas are also the homes of ticks carrying Lyme
disease. Also, according to scientists, hunters in Africa kill animals that
may carry the Ebola virus, an often fatal virus that leads to serious
hemorrhaging (Yaya, 2013).
EXERCISE 2
Replace the words in bold with an appropriate synonym.
1. A computer science lecturer helped the students in winning the National Robotics
Competition 2019.
Synonym: _________________
3. There are a few important steps to consider when starting a new business.
Synonym: _________________
4. The student could not speak properly in public as she was terrified.
Synonym: _________________
5. Thilmany et al. (2015) have done research into the buying habits of consumers of
organic food.
Synonym: _________________
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3. PARAPHRASING METHOD – CHUNKING METHOD
One way to paraphrase is to divide the original sentences into phrases or “chunk” and
concentrate on explaining the meaning of each chunk. A chunk is a group of words
that expresses a key idea in the excerpt or passage you are working with. This method
can be especially helpful when you are working with longer passages. Here is how
chunking works.
2. Divide the passage into chunks by underlining the main ideas. As you divide the
passage, focus on phrases rather than on words.
3. Explain each chunk using your own words. Here you will need to use
paraphrasing techniques which will be discussed in the next section.
5. Cite the source of the original passage using proper in-text citation (APA style).
Example 1:
Original excerpt:
The poor students’ achievements surprised their teacher (chunk #1). She
attributed her students’ success (chunk #2) to their diligence and the
support given by the school. (chunk #3)
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Explanation of chunks:
Paraphrase:
Bell (2004) reports that the teacher was astonished by her less fortunate pupils’
accomplishments. She explained that her pupils’ key factor of success were
their hard work and the school’s assistance.
Example 2 shows a paraphrase in which the chunks have been arranged in an order
that is different from the original.
Example 2:
Original excerpt:
Explanation of chunks:
Paraphrase:
After they get married, women must give up time and energy for
themselves because they are expected to focus on taking care of their
husband, home and children (Wark, 2003).
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4. SUCCESSFUL vs UNSUCCESSFUL PARAPHRASES
Paraphrasing is often defined as putting a passage from an author into “your own
words.” But what are your own words? How different must your paraphrase be from
the original?
The excerpt below is taken from a book. Read and understand the ideas in the excerpt.
Statements that appear pleasing in one context may be inappropriate in another. For
example, women in business are usually uncomfortable if male colleagues or
superiors compliment them on their appearance. The remarks suggest that the
women are being regarded as decorative items rather than as contributing workers.
The following two paraphrases are examples of unsuccessful paraphrases which are
plagiarised.
Word-for-Word Plagiarism
Statements that look pleasing in one context may be unsuitable in another. For
instance, women in business are usually uncomfortable if their male colleagues or
superiors praise them over their appearance. The remarks imply that the women are
being regarded as decoration but not as contributing workers.
Even if the writer had acknowledged Maxwell as the source of the content, the
language would be considered plagiarised because (Ashraf ,Learning
the writer Etiquette,
did not 2004)
include quotation
marks to indicate the phrases or words that come directly from Maxwell. However, if
there were quotation marks around all the “borrowed” phrases and words, the
paragraph would be so cluttered that it could be unreadable.
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A Patchwork Paraphrase
Paraphrase:
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EXERCISE 3
Paraphrase the following excerpts using the chunking method and the
paraphrasing techniques you have learned. Add an in-text citation. Follow the
instructions provided to help you paraphrase the excerpt.
Original excerpt:
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they
overuse quotations in the final research paper. Probably only about 10 percent of
the final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, students
should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking
notes.
1. How would you divide the sentences into smaller chunks? Underline each chunk.
As you divide the sentences into chunks, remember to focus on phrases rather than
single words.
2. Explain the meaning of each chunk using your own words. Use the paraphrasing
techniques you have learned.
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3. Using your explanations, write a paraphrase of the excerpt. You may arrange your
sentences in a different order than they appear in the original excerpt. As you put
the chunks together, remember to consider how they are related to each other.
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EXERCISE 4
Original excerpt:
Of the more than 1000 bicycling deaths each year, three-fourths are caused by
head injuries. Half of those killed are school-age children. One study concluded
that wearing a bike helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent. In
an accident, a bike helmet absorbs the shock and cushions the head.
1. How would you divide the sentences into smaller chunks? Underline each chunk.
As you divide the sentences into chunks, remember to focus on phrases rather than
single words.
2. Explain the meaning of each chunk using your own words. Use the paraphrasing
techniques you have learned.
________________________________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________
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3. Using your explanations, write a paraphrase of the excerpt. You may arrange your
sentences in a different order than they appear in the original excerpt. As you put
the chunks together, remember to consider how they are related to each other.
________________________________________________________________
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EXERCISE 5
Excerpt
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EXERCISE 6
Paraphrase the following excerpt on how green tea can help in weight loss.
Include an in-text citation according to the APA style and the citation format given.
Excerpt
Studies have shown that green tea can increase fat burning and help people
lose weight. It is loaded with antioxidants and various substances that are
beneficial for health. The active compounds in green tea can aid in this process
by enhancing the effects of some fat burning hormones. In addition, the
substances in the tea leaves can support weight loss efforts by reducing
appetite and boosting metabolism.
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