Brief intro to paraphrasing

1. Tips & Examples

2.  Structure
 Meaning
 Vocabulary/Word Choice
 Length
 Style

3.  Change the grammatical structure if you can
do so without changing the meaning.
 Change the word order.
 Change active to passive voice.
 Change key words from one part of speech to
another

4. 1. “A group of concerned citizens founded the
school in 1853.”
 Paraphrase: In 1852, the school was founded by a
group of concerned citizens.
2. “The recipe called for tequila from Mexico.”
 Paraphrase: The recipe uses Mexican tequila.

5.  Use different vocabulary when possible.
 Use more common synonyms or expressions and
simpler phrases.
 Keep specialized vocabulary that has no synonyms,
proper nouns/names, and numbers/formulae
▪ E.g., calcium, Chicano, the World Health Organization, 50%,
200 KW/m, 2007
 Keep the meaning the same as the original.
Keep the relationship between the main idea
and supporting details the same.

6. 3. “Originally the college offered only
undergraduate degrees.”
 Paraphrase 1: In the beginning, the college offered
only B.A. and B.S. degrees.
 Paraphrase 2: Graduate degrees were not offered by
the college in the beginning
4. “President Lincoln was assassinated in 1864.”
 Paraphrase: In 1864, Abraham Lincoln was shot and
killed by an assassin.
 BUT NOT: Abraham Lincoln died in 1864.