METU / SFL Spring 2025

DBE 402 GROUP

PHO 1 (Student’s Copy)
PARAPHRASING AND NOMINALIZATION

WHAT IS PARAPHRASING?

Paraphrasing is the act of explaining a statement or remark in other words or in another way.
When you define a word, you are actually paraphrasing it. For example, “to appear or come out
from somewhere” is a paraphrase of the verb “emerge.”

A paraphrase is...
 your own interpretation of essential information and ideas expressed by someone else, presented
in a new form
 one of the appropriate ways to borrow from a source when accompanied by accurate
documentation

WHY DO YOU NEED TO PARAPHRASE?

In DBE, you need to gain the necessary language skills to rewrite sentences by using a variety of
appropriate language forms in order to:

 answer certain comprehension questions in reading and listening,

 take notes,
 fill in information-gap questions,
 understand and answer True/False questions,
 and summarize information from listening and reading, and thus produce writings.

In your departments, you will need paraphrasing skills to take notes and also to borrow information
from various sources while preparing assignments, presentations, etc.

HOW TO PARAPHRASE
There is a variety of ways that you can rewrite a sentence by keeping to the original meaning as
closely as possible. (There may be a slight shift in emphasis and focus.) You can paraphrase by
changing the word order, combining two or more sentences, and using synonyms and antonyms,
different forms of language and nominalization.

Study the examples below and notice the methods that are used:

 From the latter half of the 19th century into the present, the supporters of social Darwinism have
assimilated the natives of Australia in order to gain dominion over the Aborigines’ land.
Since the 1850s, the natives of Australia have been assimilated by the supporters of social
Darwinism so that they could gain control over their territories.

 Endorphins are natural painkillers that the body releases when it is suffering from stress or
injury.
Endorphins are natural painkillers that are released when the body is subjected to stress and
injury.
The body releases some natural painkillers called endorphins when it is subjected to stress and
injury.

1
 Anthropology aims to study its subjects without altering their way of life.
The purpose of anthropology is to study its subjects without interfering with their lifestyles.
Anthropologists try not to change their subjects’ lifestyles while studying them.

 Paraphrasing sentences using prepositional phrases

prepositional phrase + noun / noun phrase / Ving

To introduce a reason, we can use because of, due to, and owing to. They are used with nouns,
noun phrases, or gerunds. Compare the language after “because” and “because of/due to/owing
to” in the following examples:
 Language is a powerful tool because it is able to bring people together, which allows them to
exchange ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
Language is a powerful tool because of/due to/owing to its ability to bring people together,
allowing them to exchange ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

 Many high school students feel stressed because they take too many exams.
Because of/Due to/Owing to the high number of exams they take, many high school students
feel stressed.
Many high school students feel stressed because of taking too many exams.

 Paraphrasing sentences using adverb clauses of concession:

Other ways to introduce a concession sentence include using despite and in spite of. They are used
with nouns, noun phrases, or gerunds.
 Although there are challenges and pressures in university life, it remains a valuable and
transformative experience for many students.
Despite/In spite of the challenges and pressures in university life, it remains a valuable and
transformative experience for many students.

 Although they have heavy course loads and a wide range of extracurricular activities, many
university students demonstrate resilience and determination in their pursuit of success.
Despite/In spite of having heavy course loads and a wide range of extracurricular activities, many
university students demonstrate resilience and determination in their pursuit of success.

NOMINALIZATION
Nominalization is a term that refers to the process of making a noun or noun phrase from a clause,
verb, or adjective.

Read the following examples and notice how the language and form change while the meaning in
the sentence remains almost the same. However, there is likely to be a slight shift in emphasis and
focus, depending on how the writer wants to deliver the idea to the reader.
VERB →NOUN

1. Garlic has long been used as a natural antiseptic to prevent contagious diseases.

2
  Garlic has been used for a long time as a natural antiseptic in the prevention of contagious
diseases.
 Garlic, which is a natural antiseptic, has a long history in the prevention of contagious
diseases.
 The use of garlic as a natural antiseptic in the prevention of contagious diseases dates far
back in history.
2. Citizens should make joint efforts to create a better environment.
 Citizens should make joint efforts to ensure creation of a better environment.
 The creation of a better environment depends on the joint efforts of citizens.
 The joint efforts of citizens are important in the creation of a better environment.

NOUN →VERB

1. Although industrial sales have decreased, there has been a significant increase in the
manufacture of metal products.
 More metal products have been manufactured despite the decrease in industrial sales.
 Companies that manufacture metal products have increased their production at a time when
industrial sales are going down.
2. The use of advanced materials in sports equipment leads to better performance.
 Using advanced materials in sports equipment can improve performance.
 Performance can be improved when advanced materials are used in sports equipment.
 It is possible to enhance performance by using advanced materials in sports equipment.

TASK 1. Fill in the blanks with the noun forms of the verbs and adjectives and the verb forms of
the nouns. Use a dictionary if you need to.

VERB NOUN NOUN VERB

1. add addition 1. competition compete
2. affect effect 2. decoration decorate
3. apply ___________ 3. discussion ___________
4. deny ___________ 4. evaluation ___________
5. discover ___________ 5. graduation ___________
6. explore ___________ 6. imagination ___________
7. invite ___________ 7. insistence ___________
8. organize ___________ 8. occupation ___________
9. perform ___________ 9. permission ___________
10. reduce ___________ 10. repetition ___________
11. solve ___________ 11. response ___________
12. walk ___________ 12. sleep ___________
13. refuse ___________ 13. dismissal ___________
14. fail ___________ 14. loss ___________

3
 ADJECTIVE NOUN
1. creative creativity
2. difficult difficulty
3. easy ___________
4. good ___________
5. hesitant ___________
6. high ___________
7. long ___________
8. resistant ___________
9. responsible ___________
10. successful ___________
11. wide ___________
12. wise ___________
13. safe ___________
14. short ___________

TASK 2. Use the noun form of the verbs below to fill in the blanks in the sentences. Use each verb
only once.

suggest revise discuss explode explain

depress hesitate demonstrate attract perform

1. The idea of working for state-owned enterprises has little ___________ for young people
nowadays.
2. After some ___________ in deciding between music and philosophy, he chose the latter as his
career.
3. He couldn’t give the court any ___________ for his strange behavior.
4. Dean laughed at first at his wife's ___________, but the more he thought about it,
the better the idea sounded.
5. The students decided to hold a ___________ against the higher fees.
6. On Saturday, we had a long ___________ about where to go for our summer holiday.
7. Many unemployed people experience feelings of isolation and ___________.
8. The ___________ of the bomb was heard several kilometers away.
9. If you don’t do more ___________ before the exam, you may fail it.
10. The audience warmly applauded when the ___________ came to an end.

4
TASK 3. Fill in the blanks with the noun forms of the verbs and adjectives given in the box. There
are more verbs and adjectives than you need.

succeed easy responsible difficult revise

perform occupy apply solve permit

It is the (1) ___________ of every teacher to contribute as much as possible to the effective

learning of students. Teachers can help them to learn with (2) ___________. This can be

possible through the (3) ___________, or use, of different methods. One of the most well-

known methods is regular (4) ___________. By regularly going over the covered subjects

again and again, students can consolidate the new knowledge that they have acquired and

achieve academic (5) ___________. This is a technique that would be helpful for all

students. However, there may be some students who have special learning (6)

___________, such as poor concentration, or lack of interest. Such problems affect the

students’ (7) ___________ negatively and may require special ways of coping. It is,

therefore, important for teachers to know what (8) ___________ to implement in order to

tackle such issues.

TASK 4. Practice rewriting the following sentences by keeping as close to the original meaning as
possible. Change the underlined parts (e.g., nouns to verbs, adjectives to nouns, etc.) and use the
clues in brackets.
e.g., The consumption of fizzy drinks among teens has steadily decreased in the past decade.
(fewer / consume / over)
Teens have been consuming fewer fizzy drinks over the past decade.

e.g., The consumption of fizzy drinks among teens has steadily decreased in the past decade.
(steady decrease / for)
There has been a steady decrease in the consumption of fizzy drinks among teenagers for a decade.

1. People should not make the assumption that disabled people seek help. (assume)
_______________________________________________________________________________

2. The number of fatal plane accidents has been seriously reduced during the past decades because
air-traffic control and pilot training have improved. (because of)
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

5
3. Bridge construction involves huge projects that employ several engineering disciplines. These are
geological, civil, electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering. (which)
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

4. If television didn’t influence our society, life would be quite different from what it is today.
(influence / without)
_______________________________________________________________________________

5. Although international efforts are being made to find a peaceful solution to the political crisis in
Ukraine, the war continues in the region. (despite)
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

6. People have been migrating continuously from rural to urban areas. As a result, agricultural
output has greatly decreased. (as a result of)
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

6
7