PARAPHRASING

Mikael Sandino T. Andrey

SHSMT I - QSHS

Definition: Paraphrasing means changing the wording of a text so that it is significantly different
from the original source, without changing the meaning. A more detailed restatement and not just
a summary of what others have written, which focuses concisely on a single main idea. Effective
paraphrasing is a key academic skill needed to avoid the risk of plagiarism: it demonstrates your
understanding of a source.
Although you are re-presenting the writer’s ideas using your own words, you need to reference
the source/s from which you gathered the material.

Example: Mona: I cannot teach today as I am not well.

Paraphrased: As Mona is not feeling well today she is unable to teach

Using information from written material

• Read the text to gain an overall understanding of the article or section

• Write down pertinent points without looking at the original
• Make sure your interpretation is accurate by re-reading the text
• Write in sentence format and indicate your source using parenthetical citations or
endnotes/footnotes, depending on the style guide you are using

PARAphrasing
 Putting the text in our own words.
 Avoiding copy-pasting the text.
 Rearranging the text.
 Asking ourselves if we have included all the essential points and information.

5C Rules in Paraphrasing
 Comprehend - understand the text
 Change - change the words and the structure of the sentence
 Combine - combine ideas
 Check - check if the meaning has not changed
 Cite - cite the reference/source of the information

Elements of Effective Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing and summarizing are normally used together in essay writing, but while
summarizing aims to reduce information to a suitable length, paraphrasing attempts to restate
the relevant information. For example, the following sentence:

There has been much debate about the reasons for the industrial revolution happening in
eighteenth-century Britain, rather than in France or Germany.

could be paraphrased as:

Why the industrial revolution occurred in Britain in the eighteenth century, instead of on the
continent, has been the subject of considerable discussion.

Note that an effective paraphrase usually:

• has a different structure to the original
• has mainly different vocabulary
• retains the same meaning
• keeps some phrases from the original that are in common use
e.g. ‘industrial revolution’ or ‘eighteenth century’
 Samples of Paraphrases
Original Version Poor Paraphrase Better Paraphrase Best Paraphrase
"Because building on Because working Incorporating others' Academic writing follows
the work of others is with the text of others ideas into academic established rules and
one of the defining is one of the key writing is part of conventions for citing
characteristics of characteristics of what makes it source material so that
academic writing, academic writing, different from other authors can acknowledge
academic writers have academic writers writing; for this their intellectual debts to
developed standard have created standard reason, specific ways their peers and readers
systems that clearly systems that identify of citing sources have can further their research
identify where specific where key ideas been established to in the same field (Taylor,
ideas came from, and come from, and that help readers to know 2003, p. 186). Taylor
that direct other point other interested where ideas have considers this reliance on
interested persons to people to these same come from and how other scholars to be a
these same sources" sources (Taylor, to locate original hallmark of academic
(Taylor, 2003, p. 186). 2003). texts (Taylor, 2003). writing.
Note:
Poor Paraphrase - The structure is similar with that of the original version. This example
could be considered to be plagiarism since it uses the same structure as the original quote.

Better Paraphrase - The writer uses his/her own language effectively but retains the sentence
structure of the original. This could also be considered plagiarism.

Best Paraphrase - The writer uses her own language and employs her own sentence
structure to express Taylor’s ideas.

Techniques for Paraphrasing

(a) Changing vocabulary by using synonyms:

argues > claims/ eighteenth century > 1700s/ wages > labor costs/ economize > saving

NB. Do not attempt to paraphrase every word, since some have no true synonym, e.g. demand,
economy, energy

(b) Changing word class:

explanation (n.) > explain (v.) / mechanical (adj.) > mechanize

(v.) / profitable (adj.) > profitability (n.)

(c) Changing word order:

. . . the best explanation for the British location of the industrial revolution is found by studying
demand factors.

> A focus on demand may help explain the UK origin of the industrial revolution.

Sources:
Bailey, S. (2011). Academic writing: a handbook for international students (3rd ed.). New York,
NY: Routledge.
Paraphrasing. (n.d.). Retrieved August 4, 2018, from University of Manitoba, Academic
Learning Centre website, www.umanitoba.ca/student/academiclearning
Warsy, A. (n.d.). The basic steps in paraphrasing when writing thesis and research articles.
Retrieved August 4, 2018 from
https://dsrs.ksu.edu.sa/sites/dsrs.ksu.edu.sa/files/imce_images/the_basic_steps_in_the_para
phrasing_when_writing1_arjmand9.pdf