Using

paraphrase
in writing

Adapted from:
Davies, M. Quoting, plagiarism and quoting. University of Melbourne. Retrieved from:
http://tlu.ecom.unimelb.edu.au/pdfs/crals/Lecture on 7th June 2008 and
Folse, K.S., Mahnke, M.K., Solomon E.V., and Williams L. (2003) Blueprints 2
Composition skills for academic writers. USA. Thomson Heinle.
 Learning outcomes
understand
identify a the introducing
good techniques an outside
paraphrase source
of
paraphrasing

understand apply the

the techniques
importance to of
paraphrasin
paraphrase g
 Definition of paraphrase

Paraphrase

Restate what has Use your own

been said or words to express
written in a another writer’s
different way words and ideas
The importance of paraphrasing

• To avoid plagiarism

• To report ideas and information which

belong to someone else

• As an alternative to quoting
 Five attributes of
a good paraphrase

1. The use of different words to convey the

same ideas and information as the original
writing

2. The length of the paraphrase is of almost

equal length to the original
 Five attributes of
a good paraphrase

3. The grammar and vocabulary are not the

same with the exception of technical terms

4. The use of multiple paraphrasing strategies

simultaneously

5. The use of varied paraphrasing strategies

 Why is
paraphrasin What are the
g attributes of a
important? good
paraphrase?

RECAP
 Techniques in paraphrasing
• Use synonyms

• Use varied sentence patterns

• Change the order of ideas

• Break long sentences into short ones

• Simplify abstract ideas

 Technique 1:
Using synonyms
Original Paraphrased

• miniscule • minute / small

• well equipped room • self-contained laboratory

with scientific equipment
for experiments

• more or less eight • about eight hundred

hundred

Have a good dictionary or thesaurus at hand

 Technique 2:
Varying sentence structure

• Original • Paraphrased
Development can Disasters as a result
cause disaster. of development is
possible.
 Technique 3:
Changing the order of ideas

• Original • Paraphrased
Development can Carefully forward
improve the quality of planning can ensure
life if we plan carefully that development will
for the future. meet our future
needs.
 Technique 4:
Breaking long sentence into short ones
• Original • Paraphrased
Throughout the The ASC Research
process, it became involved a course of
clear that many of the action. It was evident
people in the study as the research came
were having difficulty to an end that most
and were becoming of the research
frustrated as they participants faced
completed the ASC problems and felt
Research. annoyed.
 Technique 5:
Simplifying abstract ideas
• Original • Paraphrased
This model provides a This accounts for why
microeconomic theorists working in the
theoretical rational for area found the following:
why researchers have a student that is taught
failed to find consistent with Method A is as
evidence of the unprepared as he is
superiority of one taught with Method B.
teaching technique over The evidence does not
another in the production show that either A or B is
of learning in economics. better in terms of learning
outcomes.
 How many
techniques What are
are there in
they?
paraphrasing
?

RECAP
Introducing an outside source
• Use the phrase “According to…” followed by
the name of the author or the name of book.

• For example: According to Amin…

• In …(the name of the author or the name of

book) view…

• For example: In Amin’s view…

Introducing an outside source
• Use the name of the source with these verbs:
state, say, argue, believe, reveal, conclude,
report or suggest

• These verbs can be used in the present or

past tense.

• James stated the need to reassess the rate of

velocity of the Gyro-turbo H25000.
 On a final note

Always ensure
Use a
information
variety of
paraphrased
paraphrasing
is true to the
techniques
original
The end