LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET WEEK 4

Subject: English for Academic and Professional Purposes (Grade 11)

Name:_____________________________ Date__________
Section:___________________________ Score_________

Learning Content : Reading Academic Texts

Learning Outcomes: 1. Paraphrase/explains a text using one’s own words

References :https://www.une.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/13458/WE_Paraphrasing-
and-summarising.pdf /

Illustration :
 Paraphrasing
Writing information in your own words is a highly acceptable way to include the ideas of other
people in your writing. There are two ways you can do this: paraphrasing and summarising. It is
very important, however, to paraphrase and summarise correctly because there is a fine balance
between acceptable and unacceptable paraphrasing and summarising (plagiarism). You need to
learn the rules so you are able:
1. To paraphrase information NOTE: APA referencing
2. To summarise information style is used in used in this
fact sheet.
1. To paraphrase information
To paraphrase is to rewrite something using different words without changing the original
meaning. This is what is usually meant by the phrase ‘in your own words’. The paraphrase should
be clearer and more easily understood than the original and is often about the same length.
Paraphrases are a good alternative to using direct quotations.
In your writing, you may make a paraphrase of:
● short sections of text (e.g. phrases, sentences)
● longer sections of text (e.g. a paragraph)
● information that explains tables or figures.

STEPS FOR PARAPHRASING

1. Read the text carefully. Underline, or note, any important subject-specific words.
2. Look up any difficult words, and try to find synonyms for them.
3. Try to find different ways of expressing the information in the groups of words (phrases).
4. Rewrite each sentence. Try to simplify the sentence structure and the vocabulary without changing
the meaning.
5. Put you text out of sight and write your paraphrase from memory.
6. Revise what you have written, comparing it to the original. Your paraphrase should clarify the
original, but be written clearly in your own words.
7. Do not forget to use an in-text reference at the start or end of your paraphrase.

EXAMPLE OF CORRECTLY PARAPHRASED INFORMATION

ORIGINAL TEXT ACCEPTABLE PARAPHRASED TEXT

(45 words) (56 words)

Traditionally, in oral and written discourses, the
masculine pronoun 'he' was used as a pronoun to
refer to a person whose gender was unknown or
irrelevant to the context. Recently, this usage has
come under criticism for supporting gender-based
stereotypes and is increasingly considered
inappropriate (Smith, 2010, p. 24).
If the gender of a person was not known or was
unimportant to the meaning of oral or written texts, it
was customary to use the masculine form of 'he'
when a pronoun was required; however, there has
been growing concern about this practice in modern
usage because it appears to privilege stereotypes
based on gender (Smith, 2010, p. 24).

ASSESS YOUR PARAPHRASE

 The MEANING is the same.

 Most of the words have been changed.
 The sentences have been significantly restructured.
 This is about the same length as the original writing
 The information is correctly referenced.
Exercise 1

Directions: Paraphrase each sentence. There may be more than one way to rewrite each one.
Remember to change vocabulary, phrases and sentence structure wherever you can.

1. Despite their massive size, elephants are known for being agile.

2. Because elephants consume up to 500 pounds of food a day, they are able to strip a forest
bare in no time.

3. Over the centuries, lions have been used in art to represent power and magnificence.

5. George Washington Carver was a dedicated teacher, in addition, he was known as a talented
artist, musician, and researcher who made valuable contributions to his people and his
country.

6. Archibald McLeish, known for his poetry, was appointed head of the library of congress by
President Roosevelt in 1939.

Exercise 2

Read each paragraph and state the main idea in your own words. If you find the main idea stated
directly in the paragraph, be sure to use the paraphrasing techniques that you practice in exercise
one.

1. There is plenty of water on the earth. In fact, there is enough water in this planet for
everyone to have a huge lake. The trouble is that the water is not always found in the place
where is needed. In addition much of the water is polluted or salty. Because of these
problems, there are many people without sufficient water.
2. Deciding which university to attend can be a difficult decision for many high school
students. First of all, one must decide where to study. Small towns and big cities both have
advantages and disadvantages. High schools must also consider how many students attend
the university and if they like the degree programs offered.

3. Language is the main means of communication between peoples. But so many different
languages have developed that language has often been a barrier rather than an aid to
understanding among peoples. For many years, people have dreamed of setting up an
international universal language which all people are simple and obvious. If all people spoke
the same tongue, cultural and economic ties might be much closer, and good will increase
between countries (Kispert, 2004).