Writing in English

How to Paraphrase
Lesson Objective
In this lesson, you will practice using your own words to present facts and
opinions of others. This is called paraphrasing. We paraphrase for a variety
of reasons in both speaking and writing. In this lesson, we will focus on
writing. Let’s start by exploring a block of written text.

Warm-Up
A. Writing

Find an excerpt of text (no more 1. What was the original piece mainly about?
than three sentences) and rewrite
2. W
 hat’s the one word or phrase you placed in quotations,
it in your own words. Choose
and why did you choose to include it in your version?
one exact word or phrase from
the original and place quotations 3. Who was the author and what was the source?
around it in your own version.

B. Vocabulary Preview

Match these words to their correct definitions.

1. excerpt a) to make shorter

2. paraphrase b) proof

3. condense c) a reference in round brackets that leads to the original source

4. original d) a person or source with experience or expertise

5. source e) to use one’s own words to share another’s information or research

6. plagiarism f) the first of its kind

7. evidence g) the copying and presenting of another’s work as if it were one’s own

8. authority h) to set apart or show as different

9. distinguish i) a small section of text, video, or audio

10. parenthetical citation j) the place that holds the original information (book, video, article, etc.)

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 How to Paraphrase
Writing in English

Introduction to Paraphrasing
A. What is Paraphrasing?

In writing, paraphrasing means rewording an excerpt (a block of text).

The excerpt is usually a single sentence or paragraph. You might also Parts of Speech
paraphrase something you hear or see, such as a lecture or a video.
paraphrase (n):
a reworded version
Paraphrasing is closely related to quoting and summarizing. of an original excerpt
A summary is an overview of a main idea. A quote is the exact
paraphrase (v):
wording of the original text in quotation marks. A paraphrase is
to rephrase an original
somewhere in the middle. excerpt into one’s own words

When you paraphrase, you use your own words to rephrase the
original thought or information. You also give credit where credit is due.

B. 3 Keys To Paraphrasing

1.  ephrase the excerpt or information in your

R Rule of Thumb
own words with a new structure and style.
When paraphrasing, avoid using more than two or
2. U
 se quotation marks around any unique three words in a row in the same way as the original.
If you want to use the exact phrasing for effect, place
phrasing copied directly from an original source.
the phrase in “quotation marks” and provide the
3. C
 redit the original source (unless it’s source. You will learn how to do that later in this lesson.
based on very common knowledge).

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 How to Paraphrase
Writing in English

Introduction to Paraphrasing cont.

C. 10 Paraphrasing Methods to Try

When paraphrasing in writing, it 1. Use synonyms to change some of the original words.
is not enough to change a few of
2. Change the parts of speech for some of the original words.
the original words. You also need
to change the sentence structure  hange information that is in the active voice to the
3. C
and style of the excerpt (syntax) passive voice (or third person to second or first person).
to make it your own.
4. Change the order of how the information is presented.

Here are some methods to try. 5. E

 liminate any unnecessary words (e.g., reduce clauses).
Make a few of these changes each
 urn simple sentences into complex
6. T
time you paraphrase. You will get
sentences (e.g., create relative clauses).
a chance to try some of these
throughout this lesson and in the 7. C
 ombine or divide thoughts or sentences to change the structure.
Writing Challenge at the end.
8. Use your own handwritten reading notes
(without looking at or listening to the original source).

9. I f possible, allow time to pass between

reading/researching and writing.

10. Don’t forget to mention the source of the original information.

D. Practice

Use the information from pages 2–3 to write your responses below.

1. Summarize the 3 Keys to Paraphrasing (page 2).

2. Quote a sentence from pages 2–3.

3. Paraphrase the first paragraph in 10 Paraphrasing Methods to Try (above).

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 How to Paraphrase
Writing in English

5 Reasons for Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing in spoken English is something that you do every day
without noticing. In conversation, you often reword or rephrase something
that you learned or heard from others. In writing, paraphrasing is similar.
Here are five reasons you may need to paraphrase in writing.

A. T
 o Explain B. T
 o Simplify and/or Condense

In an academic setting (e.g., answering comprehension Sometimes you paraphrase to make the original
questions on a test), you often need to prove that information easier for your readers. You use a
you understand what you read, heard, or saw by simpler structure and shorter words that are
explaining it in your own words. easier to understand.

Task 1
Note:
1. Look up some facts. Copy one full sentence When summarizing, we only include the main idea(s).
(word-for-word) about a fact that interests you. When paraphrasing, we can simplify but still include
most of the original details. This type of paraphrasing
is very common in speaking.

Task 2

Simplify/condense What is Paraphrasing? (page 2).

2. S
 how your sentence above to your partner. Use a few synonyms to change the original wording.
Your partner will paraphrase it below to explain
it in his/her own words.

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 How to Paraphrase
Writing in English

5 Reasons for Paraphrasing cont.

C. To Provide Evidence

Paraphrasing is commonly used

to provide evidence for your Example
argument or thesis in an essay
ORIGINAL PASSAGE: PAR APHR ASED PASSAGE:
or article. You rephrase the
information you learned from “I believe in hard work and luck Even J.K. Rowling believes success
and that the first often leads requires a bit of luck. She believes that
a trusted source. This type of
to the second.” —J.K. Rowling “hard work” typically comes first, though.
paraphrasing is very common
in academic writing. Notice how
the source is credited in the
paraphrased version.

D. T
 o Distinguish/Share Opinions

Paraphrasing is also used

to compare and share the Example
opinions of different experts or
ORIGINAL PASSAGE #1: ORIGINAL PASSAGE #2:
authors. You also paraphrase
to differentiate between your “I believe in hard work and luck “The only thing that overcomes hard
and that the first often leads luck is hard work.” —Garry Holden
own thoughts and opinions and
to the second.” J.K. Rowling
those of others. This type of
paraphrasing is also essential PAR APHR ASED:
in academic writing. J.K. Rowling often reminds writers that success is tied to luck. She believes
that “hard work” typically comes first, though. Jewish writer Garry Holden
said it another away. He said that to “overcome hard luck,” you need to work
harder. In my opinion, bad luck can be a good teacher. After losing my first
draft of this essay, I learned the importance of saving my work. The second
draft was better anyway.

Task 3

Ask two classmates their feelings about “the secret to success.” Take notes.
Paraphrase their answers below or in your notebook. Add your own opinion.

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 How to Paraphrase
Writing in English

5 Reasons for Paraphrasing cont.

E. To Avoid Plagiarism

Plagiarism is using another

person’s words or research Example
and presenting it as your own.
ORIGINAL PASSAGE:
When you paraphrase correctly,
you use your own words and “When you combine word endings with sentence patterns, the English
style and provide credit to the language makes sense in a whole new way. Students can guess at a word’s
function, and therefore sentence position, even if they don’t yet know the
original source.
meaning of the word.” —Tanya Trusler, ESL Library blog (Oct 6, 2016)

PLAGIARIZED PASSAGE:
Reminder: If you look at word endings and sentence patterns at the same time,
Many students and writers English makes a lot more sense. Students can try to guess the function and
do not plagiarize on purpose. sentence position of the words even if they don’t know the word meanings.
Accidental plagiarism is still
plagiarism. Try taking notes by PAR APHR ASED PASSAGE:
hand in your own words when
Teaching suffixes can help students gain a much better grasp of
you do your research. Do your
the language. On her grammar teaching blog, editor Tanya Trusler
writing on another day and
recommends combining word endings with sentence patterns. This
use your notes instead of the
encourages students to predict the function of a word (e.g., noun, verb,
original source.
adjective) without even knowing the meaning. (Trusler, ESL Library)

Task 4

Answer the following questions based on the example from Part E above.

1. What is the original source?

2. Why is the second excerpt an example of plagiarism?

3. How does the third example differ from the example of plagiarism?

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 How to Paraphrase
Writing in English

Quoting
At times when paraphrasing, you may want to use the exact word
or phrasing from the original source because you think it works best.
If you want to use the exact word or phrase within your paraphrased
version, use quotation marks around it and credit the source.

Example
ORIGINAL PASSAGE: PAR APHR ASED PASSAGE:

“To help students remember what an embedded Are your students struggling to understand embedded
question is, think of ‘embed’ as ‘in bed.’ When questions? On the ESL Library blog, editor Tanya Trusler suggests
you’re in bed, you’re tucked in between the sharing the analogy of a bed. First, explain to your students
sheets. An embedded question is simply a that when they get into their beds, they are “tucked in between
question tucked inside another one!” the sheets.” Then demonstrate how an embedded question
—Tanya Trusler, ESL Library blog (Nov 21, 2016) is basically one question resting within another question.

Task 5
Note:
Choose an English grammar target (e.g., conditionals) that you find difficult.
In some specialized fields
Go online (or use a textbook) and find an excerpt about this grammar (e.g., linguistics), there are
target. Paraphrase the information and use quotation marks around certain words and phrases
at least two words or phrases from the original. that are specific to the industry
(e.g., embedded questions).
This is called “shared language.”
When paraphrasing, you don’t
need to place shared language
in quotation marks. Don’t try to
put industry-specific words into
your own words either.

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 How to Paraphrase
Writing in English

Parenthetical Citations
Within an academic piece of Examples:
writing, you must provide (in-text)
1. “ Where we come from influences both
parenthetical citations when a
what we write and how we write” (Goldberg 90).
thought is not your own (including
paraphrased information and any 2. Our origin helps shape “what” and “how” we write (Goldberg 90).
direct quotations).
3. B
 onni Goldberg, an expert in creative writing, notes that our
background influences the content and style of our writing (90).
In-text citations allow the reader
to locate the full citation in the 4. A
 re you curious about what drives the content and
reference page at the end of your style of your favorite writer? You can start by looking
paper. An in-text citation has at “where they come from” (Goldberg, Room to Write).
very brief information, such as an
author’s last name and the page
number of a book. Occasionally, an *Note:
in-text citation includes a title or
Learn how to format and punctuate different types of in-text citations
abbreviated title of the source.* (including electronic sources) and reference pages in our lesson
on How to Cite a Source.

Task 6

Work with a partner. Discuss the answers to these questions.

1.  hat is the purpose of an in-text (parenthetical) citation?

W
Paraphrase the information in your answer.

2. What type of writing is the first example above?

3. W
 hy are the words “what” and “how”
in quotations in the second example?

4. W
 hy do you think the format of the parenthetical citation
looks a bit different in the paraphrased versions (ex. 2, 3, & 4)?

5. How does the syntax vary in the paraphrased versions?

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 How to Paraphrase
Writing in English

Reference
USEFUL PHR ASES FOR PAR APHR ASING

Transitional words and phrases are used in many types of writing,

including paraphrasing. They help your writing flow and keep your reader
on track. Here are some useful words and phrases to introduce your
paraphrased text:

A. E
 xplanation & Clarification

• In other words, • To put it another way,

• In short, • To begin,
• To simplify, • First,
• As I see it,

Useful Verbs
B. Evidence & Opinions
HE/SHE...

• According to... • agrees • maintains

• As notes... • believes • notes
• claims • observes
• A recent study by suggests...
• demonstrates • reminds
• In article/book name, expert proves that... • ensures • reports
• A report about claims that... • emphasizes • says
• insists • states
• informs • suggests
C. Analysis & Examples

• It has been demonstrated that • Again,

• As mentioned, • For example,
• As has been noted, • For instance,
• Given that... • To give an example/illustration,
• Granted that...

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 How to Paraphrase
Writing in English

Comprehension Check-In
Work with a partner and answer the
following questions based on the lesson so far.

1. What part of speech is the word “paraphrase”?

2. How is paraphrasing different from quoting and summarizing?

3. What five reasons for paraphrasing in writing are given in the lesson?

4. What is a good way to avoid accidental plagiarism?

5. W
 hat should writers use to provide a reference
to an original source within a body of academic text?

6. What is “shared language”?

A Checklist
PAR APHR ASING

� Did I take notes in my own words?

� Did I leave some time between reading/researching and writing?

� Did I note any original sources to use on my reference page?

� Did I change the wording and syntax when paraphrasing?

� Did I use quotation marks when borrowing exact wording from an original source?

� Did I provide parenthetical citation for anything that is not common knowledge?

� Did I use transitional words and phrases to help my writing flow?

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 How to Paraphrase
Writing in English

Writing Challenge
PAR APHR ASING

1. Choose a news article to work with. Cut or print it out.

2. C
 hoose an excerpt to work with within the article (approximately
one paragraph with no more than five sentences). Highlight it.

3. Take notes on the excerpt in your own words. For Fun

4. Note the source and the author. After your teacher hands back
your writing, cut off the titles.
5. Imagine you know nothing about paraphrasing. Ask a partner to check all three.
Plagiarize the excerpt. Really! Make a few small changes Can he/she figure out which
and use the title “Paraphrase #1 (Plagiarism)” at the top. version is which? Was there
any accidental plagiarism in
6. Now, paraphrase the text correctly. Use a few ideas from #2 and #3?
pages 3 and 9. Write “Paraphrase #2” at the top of this writing.

7. Get an envelope. Seal the original article in an envelope with

“Paraphrase #1 and #2.” Write your name on the envelope,
and give it to your teacher.

8. A day later (or for homework) paraphrase the original

text a third time using only your reading notes.
Write “Paraphrase #3” at the top. Hand it to your teacher.

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 How to Paraphrase
Writing in English

Writing Assessment Tool

Student:

Date Level Assessed By Target Task Skill

� Self
� Partner Paraphrasing Reading, Writing
� Teacher

Criteria Rating Notes

follows instructions properly

comprehends what plagiarism is

shows evidence of
effective note-taking

paraphrases effectively
using a variety of methods

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