1

A HANDOUT

Prepared by
Alek Andika, S.Pd.

ENGLISH FOR ECONOMICS

2015

Silabus
Mata Kuliah : Bahasa Inggris 1
Kredit

: 3 SKS

Prodi

: Manajemen

Semester

: Gasal 2015/2016

Main Theme : English for Academic Purposes (EAP) on Reading

Week 1

: Pengenalan materi / silabus, peraturan & ketentuan

perkuliah, persiapan perkuliahan, dll.

Week 2

: Reading technique: Topic of Reading Passages

Week 3

: Reading technique: Main Ideas of Reading Passages

Week 4

: Reading technique: Locating Referents

Week 5

: Reading technique: Locating Supporting Details

Week 6

: Reading technique: Paraphrasing

Week 7

: Reviews all previous topics and Quizzes

Week 8

: Mid term exam

Week 9

: Reading technique: Reading and presenting Table

Week 10

: Reading technique: Reading and presenting graphs (pie, bar and

line graphs.

Week 11

: Reading technique: Reading and presenting graphs (pie, bar and

line graphs.

Week 12

: Intensive Reading on Indonesian

Economics Week 13
Managerial Issues Week 14

: Intensive Reading on
: Presenting simple

business plan
Week 15

: Final Examination

Semarang, 17 September 2015

Pengampu Mata Kuliah
Alek Andika, S.Pd.

UNIT
1
TOPIC OF READING
PASSAGES
1
Locating Topic
Read the following
paragraphs! Paragraph 1

Most people work to earn a living, and produce goods and service.
Goods

are

either agricultural

(like

corn,

vegetable,

sugar)

or

manufactured (like cars, paper, machinery). Services are such things as

education, medicine and commerce. Some people provide goods; some
provide services. Other people provide both goods and services. For
example, in the same garage, a man may buy a car or some service which
helps him to maintain his car.
Can you guess what the paragraph is about? Or what
does it discuss? If you have problems, you may choose
one of the following:
a) people
b) goods and services
c) agricultural and manufactured product.
What
topic?
-

is

Topic is what the writer has chosen to be the subject matter or

what the writer is writing about. The topic of a paragraph tells us
what it is about.

The topic of a passage is a word or phrase that labels the subject

but does not reveal the specific contents of the passage.

How do we
the topic?

locate

To find the topic of a paragraph or a reading text ask yourself the

following questions:
-

What is the text about

-

What is being
discussed

What does the writer wants me to know

about the text. Read the following paragraph and

find the topic.

Paragrap
h2
Networking

is

a common synonym for developing and maintaining

contacts and personal connections with a variety of people who might be

helpful to you and your career. It is an especially important aspect of career
management; since it helps you keep abreast of career opportunities in
your own company, in other companies, and in industry trends. It is a
process which cannot be ignored by managers, salesman, consultants or
businessmen who want to have an extra effectiveness.
The topic of the
...........................

passage

is

Clues
for
locating topic
Some clues can be used to
identify topic:
-

It appears as heading or title.

It appears in a special type as bold print, italics, colors, as you

can check on the paragraph above.

It is repeated throughout the paragraph, as in the following:

Claustrophobia. Acrophobia. Xenophobia. Although these sound like
characters in a Greek tragedy, they are actually members of a class
of psychological disorders known as phobias. . . ."

It appears once and then referred to by pronouns or other words, as

in the following passage:

Paragrap
h3
Many people think that water is an infinite resource. There seems to be so
much of it around us. But in actual fact, only 0.65% of the water on earth
is actually available for us. More than
97% of it is salty ocean water; while more than 2% is inaccessible, sealed
deep underground or in glaciers and ice sheets. Water is actually all around
us.
2.
Vocabulary
Building
Read Paragraph 1 and 2 again and make lists of words or phrases that
you do not know the meaning very well. Then, consult your friends.

Passage
1

Passage
2

Match the following words or phrases on the left column with their synonyms
on the right one.

earn a living

stuf for making things

Manufactured

job vacancy

Commerce

keeping relationship

Provide

prepare things for others

maintaining contacts

ready for use

career opportunities

be ignored

Resource

can not be taken or

reached
do something to get
money
be neglected

Available

Trades

10

Inaccessible

produced in factories

Complete the following sentences with words or phrases from the above
column. Some of them need changing to suit the context.
1.

Televisions, radios, computers are examples of .................. products.

2.

Though Indonesia has abundant natural .............., many of the

citizens are living in poverty.

3. If you work in a large company, you may have more

...............................
4.

A salesman ....................... by selling products of his / her company.

5. Telkom is a company which ........................ communication services

nationally.

3.

Practice

Read the following passage and answer the questions!

Paragrap
h4
The
Science
Economics

of

Economics is a science. This science is based upon the facts of our

everyday lives. Economists study our everyday lives. They study the
system which affects our lives. The economist tries to describe the facts of
the economy in which we live. He tries to explain how the system works.
His methods should be objective and scientific.
1.

What is the topic of the paragraph?

2.

What is economics based upon?

3.

What system do economists study?

4.

How should the method of an economist be?

5. Please explain the diferences of the word economics, economists,

and economy!
=== o0o
===

UNIT
2
MAIN IDEAS OF READING
PASSAGES
1
Reading
Comprehension
Read the following paragraphs and find the meaning of phrases
listed on the boxes! Paragraph 1

The Great Depression of the early 1930s surprised many people. They did
not think American business could have such terrible problems.

For a

long time, they could not believe the problems were serious.

Many

businessmen hoped for better times soon.

Even President Hoover did

not think the Depression was serious. He told American in 1930 that the
problems were already going away.

But this was not true.

Millions of

Americans did not have jobs. Many of these people did not have homes or
food. Life was hard for many Americans. And it
did not get
many years.

easier

for

surprised many people

terrible problems
better time
did not think
were already going
away
homes or food
get easier

Paragrap
h2
In states which have a communistic system, private property and
private enterprise are reduced to a minimum. They exist, but are limited
to a small area of the economy. Karl Marx conceived of a world in which
there would be no private property whatsoever.

Communism in theory

states that all property should belong to the State. In practice, however, the
citizens of states having a communistic system are permitted to have
personal effects.
a communistic system

private property and

1
0
private enterprise
conceived of a world
belong to the state
personal efects

Paragrap
h3
Black Thursday

is a day many Americans will never forget.

It was

October 24, 1929, the beginning of the Great Depression. Before that
day, business in America was going fast. Between 1914 and 1929, it
grew about 62%. But on Black Thursday everything changed.
day, American

business

suddenly

stopped

growing.

In

On that

fact, many

businesses stopped completely. The next few years of American history are
called the Great Depression. These were terrible years for business and for
people. Five thousand banks and 85,000 businesses failed.
Many people lost all their
Americans lost their jobs.

money.

About

12

million

black Thursday
going fast
grew about 62%.
american business
terrible years for
business
lost their jobs

Locating Main Ideas

What is main idea?
Main idea is the most important point the writer wants us to
understand about the topic of a paragraph. Usually the main idea
of a paragraph is on the topic sentence.
- Main idea contains both the topic and the authors single most
important point
about the topic.
- The main idea of a passage is the central message that the
-

author is trying to convey about the material.

How do we locate main idea?
To find the main idea of a paragraph, ask yourself the question:

1
-What is the most important point the author wants me to understand 1
about the topic?

Where can the main idea appear in a paragraph?

-

In the the beginning of a paragraph,

At the end of a paragraph,

Within a paragraph.

Main idea may also be stated but or implied.

Can you guess what the main idea of the above paragraphs are?
Or, can you find out the central message that the author wants to say to
you?
If you have problems, you may choose one of
the following: Paragraph 1:
a)

The Great Depression of the early 1930s surprised

many people. b)

Many businessmen hoped for better

times soon.
c)

Life was hard for many Americans.

Paragraph 2:
a) In a communistic system, private property and private enterprise
are reduced to a minimum.
b) In a communistic system, private property and private enterprise
are limited to a small area of the economy.
c)

The citizens of states having communistic system are permitted

to have personal efects.

Paragraph 3:
a) Black Thursday is a day many Americans will never forget.
b) On Black Thursday American business suddenly stopped growing.
c)

Black Thursday was a terrible day for many Americans.

1
2

3
Read the following paragraphs and locate the topic and
main idea of each of them.
Paragrap
h4
Finding a job is often dificult for a young person today. But it will be easier
if you follow these steps. First, you have to decide what kind of job you
want. Think about what kind of work you like to do. You should talk to
your friends and family about it. You can also talk to some people with
different kinds of jobs. Next, you need to write a resume. This tells about
your education and earlier jobs. It should be carefully typed. Then you are
ready to start looking for a job.
Topic
..............

: ..................

Main Idea
........................................................

Paragrap
h5
Budgeting is often viewed as an accounting function. This is perhaps due to
the fact a budget contains statements of income and expenses, assets and
liabilities and the like. The accounting function is very close to the budget
since, among other things, it provides the historical data needed
budget

preparation,

and

it

prepares

periodic

reports

for

showing

relationship budgeted figures and actual performance.

Topic
..............

: ..................

Main Idea
........................................................

4
Vocabulary Building:
Noun Phrase
In paragraph 1, you find phrase: Great Depression, terrible problem,
long time, better time. You balso find sentences as: the problems were
serious, life was hard.
If you have a noun (N)
by arranging the
words into Adj
+ N.

and adjective (Adj), you can make a Noun Phrase

Adjective
Grea
t
Terribl
e
Lon
g
Bette
r

nou
n
depression

1
3

problem
time
time

The above phrases can be presented in the form of sentence by rearranging

the sequence of

Noun + be +
Adjective

1
4
Nou
n
the depression

Be
was

the problem

is

the time

was

the time

is

Adjective
grea
t
terribl
e
long
bette
r

Practice:
-

Write down noun phrases from the following sentences:

1. The students are creative.

2. The living cost is expensive.
3. The mission is dificult.
4. The business competition is hard.
5. The income is small.

Read again Paragrap 2 and 3 carefully. Find the noun phrases there
and change the
constructions into sentences by using appropriate be.

Further Activity
Find 5 short paragraphs of diferent topics from internets and
locate the topic and main ideas of each of them.

===o0o
===

1
5

UNIT
3
LOCATING
REFERENTS
1
Referents

The words referent comes from the verb to refer which

means

mengacu, menunjuk.

Writers usually do not like to repeat the

same words or phrases every time they use them. Instead of repeating,
writers usually refer. Take a look at the example:
Text
1
The Dean of Economics Faculty gives a lecture on Tuesday morning.
The Dean of Economics Faculty usually asks The Dean of Economics
Facultys students to read the materials before coming to the classroom.
Text
2
The Dean of Economics Faculty gives a lecture on Tuesday morning.
He usually asks his
students to read the materials before coming to the classroom.

Text 1 uses the complete version in which The Dean of Economics Faculty
appears three times. Text 2 uses referent instead of repeating the phrases
with pronouns he and his. Text 1 is boring and clumsy, while text 2 is
dense and precise.
Recognizing reference words and being able to identify the words or
phrases which they refer to, will help you understand reading passages
better.

Reference words

are usually shorts and are very frequently

pronouns, such as she, her, hers, he, him, his, they, them, their, theirs etc.;
demonstrative articles as this, that, these, and those, etc.

Writers very

often also use synonyms or other words which contextually refer to the
same

meaning.

Reference

words

may

appear

unimportant,

but

understanding them is crucial. They help comprehend how the elements in

a sentence or a paragraph hold together.
How to
referent

find

To find referent, it is important to understand that a noun is generally used

1
first in a passage, and the pronoun or other words that refers to it comes
6
after. Whenever you are asked which noun a pronoun refers to, you should
look before the pronoun to find the noun.

1
7
2

Practice:

Recognize and identify the referents of the words in italic.

1.

In a news conference, the university announced that it intended to

make changes in budget allocation.

2.
Doctors treating patients with diets pill usually warn them of the
dangers of addiction.
3.

Whenever people who are willing to sell a commodity contact people

who are willing to buy it, a market for that commodity is created.

4.
The United States has capitalistic economic system. This system
gives freedom to the
citizens
to
properties.
5.

own

More and more women are now joining the paid labor force world-wide.
They represent the majority of the workforce in all sectors.

6.
Our library gets about 30 best-seller books every year. However
students do not read
them
all.
7.

When planning its advertising strategies, Procter & Gamble must

consider the three processes within the broader interpretation of
exposure, attention and comprehension.

8.
Since 1886, the Avon Lady has been a part of American culture.
For more than a
century the company thrived by sending its representatives door to
door, selling cosmetics.
9.

Three Frenchmen went up in a basket under a balloon. They built a

fire to make the air hot. This made the balloon stay up in the air.

10.
Another approach to demand estimation is consumer clinics.
These are laboratory
experiments in which the participants are given a sum of money and
asked to spend it in a simulated store to see how they react to changes
in the commodity prices, product packaging, displays, price of
competing products and other factors afecting demand.
11. Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and is one of the
emerging market economies of the world. The country is also a
member of G-20 major economies.
12. The yo-yo is, of course, a harmless toy. Children spend hours
perfecting their skill at making the wheel-like body descend the string
and rebound smoothly into the hand.

1
8

Complete the following paragraphs with the words provided, then

1
9

identify
what
Paragraph
1 they refer to!
Economics is a science.
everyday lives.

science is based upon the facts of our

Economists study our everyday lives.

study the system which

afects our lives. They also try to explain how

works.

methods

should be objective and scientific.

( their

this

it

they )

Paragraph 2
Not all economic systems are the same. The economic system of the USA
difers greatly from
of the USSR.

The American system is based on private

enterprise with private ownership of the means of production, while the

Russian system is communistic and

is
th

upon the principles of Karl Marx.

is the 19 century political economist.
The economic
ideologies of
two nations contrast
very strongly. ( he

the system

it

these)
Paragrap
h3
Over times, if firms continue to take losses,
industry. As

will leave the

do this, the supply of the product will decrease, and the

price of

will rise.

the point where

Firms will continue to leave until price rises to

is at least equal to average cost, and the

remaining firms in the industry are breaking even.

( it
they)

they

it

Find the reference words of the

words in italics.
Paragrap
h4
If a person can do what he wishes with his own property, time and energy,
then economists say that he is economically free. In all communities, of
course, limits are imposed upon the personal freedom of their citizens and
these limits are in some cases very complex but in others relatively
simple. All individuals are required to conform to the laws made by their
government.
Paragrap
h5

2
0
Budgeting is often viewed as an accounting function. This is perhaps due to
the fact that it contains statements of income and expenses, assets and
liabilities and the like. The accounting function is very close to the budget
since, among other things, it provides the historical data
needed for budget preparation, and it prepares periodic reports showing
relationship between budgeted figures and actual performance.

Paragrap
h6
The important thing about the communist system is its central planning.
The State organizes the whole economic eforts of the nation. A central
authority with complete power decides what goods and services will be
produced. The authority decides what quantities of goods will be produced,
and also controls their quality, deciding how they will be distributed, and
what prices will be charged for them.

In addition, the States provide all

(or most of) the services which the citizens require. It is responsible for the
economy, and is therefore concerned with methods of production as well as
with quality and quantity.

3
Vocabulary
Building
As it was mentioned earlier, the word referent or reference comes from
the verb to refer. From this point we can understand that in some cases
English verbs can be put into nouns. With the help of dictionary, complete
the following noun-verb pairs. The missing forms have already mentioned
somewhere in the paragraphs.

Reread the paragraphs carefully to find

them.
no
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Nou
ns
Explanation
..............................
...
Freedo
m
requirement
..............................
...
..............................
...
..............................
...

verb
s
................................
.
produc
e
................................
.
................................
.
gover
n
stat
e
prepar
e

8
9
10
11
12

..............................
...
organization
decisio
n
distribution
provisio
n

perfor
m
................................
.
................................
.
................................
.
................................
.

2
1

Choose the correct form of the words in the bracket to complete

the sentences.
1.

2
2

How can you (explain / explanation) that problem, Sir?

2. (Freedom / Free) of speech is an important aspect in a democratic

country.
3.

Have you made (prepare / preparation) for that ceremony?

4. The company wants to (distribute / distribution) the products

nationally.
5. A company is (organize / organization) of people having the same
vision and mission.
6.

(Performance / perform) evaluation is necessary at least once in a year.

7.

What (require / requirement) do I need to apply the job?

8.

In the vision, the company (states / statements) what it wants to be.

9. The companys (produce / the production) is under the optimum

capacity.
10. Who made this (decide / decision)? Why didnt they discuss openly
first?

===o0o
===

2
3

UNIT
4
SUPPORTING
DETAILS
Another reading skill that is also very important is the ability to locate
supporting details. Supporting details provide the added information that is
needed to make sense of a main idea.
1
What are
supporting details?
Supporting details are sentences in the paragraph which tell the readers
more about main idea. They can be reasons, examples, steps or other kinds
of factual evidence that explain main ideas.
there are major and minor details.

In reading passages, usually

Major supporting details are the

separate, primary points that support the main idea.

more information about the main ideas.

So, they provide

While minor supporting details

provide more information about the major details. They clarify the major
details for example by giving more illustration about the major details.
Read
the
examples:

following

Paragrap
h1
Some colleges today offer two active learning programs for students.
First, students can do independent research. For example, one senior did a
traffic and parking study for a small town. And an art major did research on
cataloging the works of the well-known painter.
serve in any various internships.

Secondly, students can

A major in agriculture, for instance,

held an internship with a grain company,

and a journalism student was

an intern with a public- television station.

-

Main idea: Some colleges today ofer two active learning

programs for students.

Main supporting details:

1)
2)

Students can do independent research.

Students can serve in various
internships.

Minor Supporting details for the main supporting detail 1:

For example, one senior did a traffic and parking study for a

2
4

small town. And an art major did research on cataloging the works
of the well-known painter.
Minor Supporting details for the main supporting detail 2:
A major in agriculture, for instance, held an internship with a

grain company, and a journalism student was an intern with a

public-television station.

Here
is
example:

another

Paragrap
h2
The hospitality industry is one that is open for business 365 days a year.
For this reason, it depends heavily on shift work. The industry is also
dependent upon good customer service that will encourage guests to come
back again and again. Another characteristic of the hospitality industry is
the perishability of its products, for instance, hotel rooms. Rooms that are
vacant for the night are financial loss to the hotel owner. These are some of
the characteristics of the hospitality industry that make it a challenging
industry to work.
-

Topic: Hospitality
industry.
Main idea: These are some of the characteristics of the hospitality

industry that make it a challenging industry in which to work.

-

Major supporting
details:
1) The hospitality industry is one that is open for business 365 days
a year.
Minor supporting detail: For this reason, it depends heavily on
shift work.
2)

The industry is also dependent upon good customer service

that will encourage guests to come back again and again.

3) Another characteristic of the hospitality industry is the

perishability of its products, for instance, hotel rooms.
Minor supporting detail: Rooms that are vacant for the night
are a financial loss to the hotel owner.

2.
How Supporting
Details Work:

2
5

MAIN IDEA

MAJOR
DETAILS
Supports the
MINOR
DETAILS
supports the major detail

2
6
Main idea is supported by major details, and the major details are
supported by minor details.
Paragrap
h3
Bianca wants to own her own travel agency for several reasons. First, she
would like to be independent and not have to worry about relying on an
employer for her income. If things slow down in the travel industry, she
could be laid of. Second, she would like to have the opportunity to make as
much money as she wants and not be limited to an hourly wage. Instead
of making just a weekly salary, she wants to get commissions from every
booking she makes. Third, she wants flexible hours that let her decide
when she wants to work. With a child at home and another one on the
way, she would like to work at her home computer and on the phone. Notice
how the minor details tell us more about each major detail:
Main idea: Bianca wants to own her own travel agency for
several reasons.
Major supporting detail 1: She would like to be independent and not
have to worry about relying on an employer for her
income.
Minor supporting detail: If things slow down in the travel industry,
she could be laid of.
Major supporting detail 2: She would like to have the opportunity to
make as much money as she wants and not be
limited to an hourly wage.
Minor supporting detail: Instead of making just a weekly salary, she
wants to get commissions from every booking she
makes.
Major supporting detail 3: She wants flexible hours that let her
decide when she wants to
work.
Minor supporting detail: With a child at home and another one on the
way, she would like to work at her home computer and
on the phone.
3.
Practice 1
Read each of the following sentences and label them as follows (each set
will contain one of each):
T
topic

TS
= topic sentence /
Main idea

2
7

MA = major supporting
detail
MI = minor supporting
detail

Exampl
e:
TS

a. Technology helps the restaurant business in many ways.

b. Technology in the restaurant business.

MA_ c. Palm-sized computers are used by servers to send an order to the

kitchen.
MI

d. The chef can see these orders on a large computer in the kitchen.

Set 1
a. Executive chefs
b. If they order too much food, it will spoil, but if they order too
little, the restaurant
cannot meet its clients
needs.
c. Executive chefs must estimate how much food to order.
d. Among their many tasks, executive chefs are responsible for
ordering food.
Set 2
a. The training and education of food service managers is
important to health and safety.
b. Food that is not stored correctly will rot quickly.
c. Food service managers must know the correct procedures for
storing food and keeping it fresh.
d. Food service manager training
Set 3
a. Except for schools, most of these places are open seven days a
week and require shift work and sometimes long hours.
b. Places where food service managers work

2
c. Food service mangers may work in restaurants, cafeterias, schools,8
factories, casinos, and cruise ships.
d. There are a variety of places where food service managers can
work.
Set 4
a. Franchising allows a hotel business to use the name brand and
financing of a large corporation.
b. The hotel owner must agree to the terms of the contract with
the franchising company.
c. Franchising.
d. For example, the hotel must agree to use the franchise
companys name and meet its
standards.
Set
5
a. Resort
hotels.
b. Some resort hotels have package
deals for skiers.
c. A resort hotel ofers more than rooms; it ofers activities such as
golf, swimming, tennis, and skiing.
d. Guests can get a ski ticket and a hotel room for less than
the cost of each one
separately.
4.
Practice 2
Read the paragraph and find the topic, main idea, major as well as minor
supporting details.
Paragrap
h4
Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and is one of the
emerging market economies of the world. The country is also a member
of G-20 major economies. It has a market economy in which the
government plays a significant role. The government owns more than 164
enterprises and administers prices on several basic goods, including fuel,
rice, and electricity. In the aftermath of the financial and economic crisis
that began in mid-1997, the government took custody of a significant
portion of private sector assets. It made acquisition of nonperforming
bank loans and corporate assets through the debt restructuring process.

2
Since 2004, the national economy has recovered and undergone another
9
period of rapid economic growth.
Topic

Main Idea:
Major supporting detail 1:
Major supporting detail 2:
Other major supporting detail (s):
Minor supporting detail(s):

3
0
Paragrap
h5
When you want to buy a car, use the following strategies when you
negotiate.

In the first place, dont mention that you have a car to trade in

until you have agreed on a price for the car you want to buy. If the
salespersons know in advance, they may quote you a high price for the
trade-in, but the price of the new car may be adjusted to include the added
amount. In addition, buy a car that is already on the dealers lot instead of
ordering it. The dealer has to pay insurance and finance charges for every
car in the inventory and he is usually willing to sell one for less money in
order to reduce the overhead expenses.
Topic

Main Idea:
Major supporting detail 1:
Major supporting detail 2:
Minor supporting detail(s):
Paragrap
h6
The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member
states which are located primarily in Europe. Its de facto capital is Brussels,
the capital of Belgium. The EU operates through a system of supranational
independent institutions and intergovernmental negotiated decisions by the
member states. Important institutions of the EU include the European
Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the
Court of Justice of the European Union, and the European Central Bank. The
European Parliament is elected every five years by EU citizens.
Topic

Main Idea:
Major supporting detail 1:
Major supporting detail 2:
Other major supporting detail (s):

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UNIT
5
PARAPHRAS
ING

3
1

What
is
paraphrasing?
The verb paraphrase means re-writing a phrase, a sentence, or a
paragraph. Paraphrasing, then, is a method of presenting information from
texts or passages in a diferent way without changing the substance of the
original information. A good paraphrase is accurate
that is, true to the authors meaning and complete. Paraphrasing
involves knowledge of
English grammar, vocabulary and comprehension of a text. Paraphrasing is
useful in studying information through texts or passages.
Some common ideas to make paraphrasing easier are as follows:
1)
Paraphrasing Method 1: Use Diferent Vocabulary
with the Same Meaning
Since the essence of paraphrasing is retelling information diferently, using
other words for some of those in the original source is possible. Using
the other words having the same meaning will also help retell the
information without changing the ideas of the original information. See the
following examples:
a.

- The manager do esn t a g r ee to raise the price.

The manager disagrees to increase the price.

b. The manager thinks that the price of the product is not

expensive.
The manager thinks that the price of the product is inexpensive.
c.

The company sued the bank for a fictitious check.

The company sued the bank for a false check.

d.

Price is increasing day by day.

Price is getting higher day by day.

e. The employees promotion is not possible to be awarded this

month.
The employees promotion is impossible to be given this month.
f.

It is sometimes difficult to choose a really good product.

- It is sometimes not easy to select a really good product.

Most students try to use this method, but actually it can be dificult to
use. The reason is that although English has many synonyms such as
large or big, it is unusual for these words to have exactly the same
meaning. So, if you try to use a lot of synonyms when you paraphrase, you
might produce English sentences that are not natural.
For example, look at this original sentence and two paraphrased

equivalents:

3
2

1. "It can be dificult to choose a suitable place to

study English."
2. "It is often a challenge to pick up (x) a relevant (x) school
to learn English."
3. "It is sometimes hard to select an appropriate place to learn English."

For non-native speakers, these three sentences might look like they
have the same meaning. For native speakers, however, sentence 2 is
unnatural. The first problem is "pick up". This expression does NOT have the
same meaning as "choose", so this part of the paraphrased sentence is
actually wrong. The second problem is the word "relevant". In some cases,
"relevant" and "suitable" are good synonyms but in this example they are
not close in meaning at all. Sentence 3 is a much better paraphrase of
sentence 1 because all of the words have the same meaning.
The best advice is to follow the 100% rule for using synonyms:
only use a synonym for a word if you are 100% certain that the new word
has 100% the same meaning as the original word. If you are less than
100% certain, keep the same word and use either method two or method
three to paraphrase your sentence.

2)

Paraphrasing Method 2: Change the

Order of Words
Changing the word order of a phrase or sentence is usually safer than

using synonyms because the words are the same, so the meaning must be
the same. However, it is not always easy to decide which words to move
or to decide to which position the words should be moved Also, when you
move a word you might need to change some other words, add some other
words or cut some other words to ensure that the new sentence is
grammatically correct. Here are two suggestions for how to change the word
order without making errors:
a. If the original sentence has two or more clauses, change the order of the
clauses.
My brother finally got a good job after he completed the long process
of recruitment.
3)

After my brother completed a long process of recruitment, he

finally got a job.

4) If they have some help, most people can paraphrase efectively.

However, practice is important because paraphrasing is dificult.

5)

Most people can paraphrase efectively, if they have some

3
3

help. Paraphrasing is dificult, however, practice is important.

b. If the original sentence has an adjective and noun, change the
adjective into a relative clause.
-

Writing essays can be a challenging task.

Writing essays can be a task which is challenging.

Low income people are suffering from in the increasing prices of

staple foods.
-

The people who have low income are suffering from the increasing
prices of staple foods.

Low income people are suffering from in the prices of staple foods
which are
increasing.

3. Paraphrasing Method 3: Changing the Voice (Active to Passive

vice versa).
Retelling information diferently is also possible by changing the voice of
the sentence of the original information. Active voice can be changed into
passive voice and vice versa. See the following examples:
a.

The manager raises the price of the product.

The price of the product is raised by

the manager. b.

The job can be done in a

few days by the staff.

The staff can do the job in a few days.
c. The company cannot be saved by the owner
because of monetary crisis.
The owner cannot save the company because of monetary crisis.
d.

The report must be submitted tomorrow by the employees.

The employees must submit the report tomorrow.

e.

The manager is waiting for the report until tomorrow morning

The report is being waited by the manager until tomorrow
morning.

4. Paraphrasing Method 4: Simplifying or Summarizing

Simplifying the information (sentences) from texts is widely used by most of
readers. It is used when changing the voice of the sentences will likely
change the complete or some of the ideas. Substituting the vocabularies,
however, is possible and in some cases helps much. The way simplification
is conducted is actually what the reader of a text understands about what he

3
reads. Then, in some simpler sentences, he retells the idea of the text.
4
Technically, simplifying can be done by moving the supporting details out of
the text so only the main ideas and a few very important ideas are left.
Please refresh understanding on this by reviewing again the topic of
Locating Details.
Examples:
a. There are many differences between a professional manager and an
owner-manager.
A professional manager works for others. He must attempt to achieve
goals that others
establish. He is responsible to others for his actions. His performance
is judged by those who employ him.
b. The financing function includes the day-to-day concern for the use
and control of funds as well as the long-range planning which is
involved

with

determining

future

requirements for funds and

optimum uses to which they may be put.

c. A business strategy, sometimes termed a competitive strategy or
simply strategy, is here defined by six elements or dimensions. The
first four apply to any business, even if it exists by itself. The
remaining

two

are

introduced

when

the

business

exists

in

organization with other business units.

Please simplify the above paragraphs by omitting the details.
PRACTICE
Paraphrase the following sentences.
1. Some students were invited by the committee to participate in the
contest.
2. The manager doesnt think that raising the price of the product is a
good choice.
3. Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United last year because he was
too old.
4.

Many shopping stores ofer year-end sales this December.

5. Indonesian Economy will become the second biggest economy in

Asia.
6.

Small scale businesses are promoted by the government

because they can absorb employment.

7.

Many companies import the raw materials for industries from abroad.

8.

Many people in our country do not have jobs today.

9.

Corruption in our country is a very serious problem.

10. I study management because I want to be an entrepreneur one day.

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