What is Paraphrasing?
Paraphrasing means rewriting someone else’s ideas using your own words. It should be
accurate and complete, not leaving out important details.
Why Do We Paraphrase?
1. To make complex ideas easier to understand.
2. To avoid using too many quotes, which can make your writing choppy.
3. To show that you understand the topic well.
When Should You Paraphrase?
When the ideas are more important than the author's exact words.
When the original text uses difficult language.
How to Paraphrase
1. Understand the original text—Read it carefully.
2. Take notes in simple bullet points.
3. Rewrite the idea in your own words.
4. Check your version against the original to make sure you didn’t miss anything.
5. Use quotes for unique words or phrases.
6. Always cite the source of the original idea.
Example of Good Paraphrasing
Original: "Students often use too many direct quotations when they take notes, leading to too
many quotations in the final paper."
Paraphrase: "Students sometimes rely too much on direct quotes when taking notes, which results
in overusing them in their research papers."
Tips for Paraphrasing
Change the sentence structure. For example, turn passive sentences into active ones.
Use synonyms, but be careful not to change the meaning.
Don’t change technical terms or specific ideas.
Keep the meaning the same, but use your own style.
Would you like further assistance with any specific part of the presentation?
4o
You said:
Since the time of Descartes, it is estimated that no fewer than five hundred attempts have been
made to create artificial languages for international use. The most successful by far has been
Esperanto, a language constructed around the end of the nineteenth century by Dr. Zamenhof of
Poland. (Pei 1993: 3) Changing words/ terms Since the early seventeenth century, an estimated
five hundred artificial languages have been invented for international communication. The most
used is Esperanto, invented by a Polish linguist during the late 19th century.
.
Here's a breakdown for a weaker student:
Original Text:
"Since the time of Descartes, it is estimated that no fewer than five hundred attempts have been
made to create artificial languages for international use. The most successful by far has been
Esperanto, a language constructed around the end of the nineteenth century by Dr. Zamenhof of
Poland."
Paraphrased Version:
"Since the early seventeenth century, an estimated five hundred artificial languages have been
invented for international communication. The most used is Esperanto, invented by a Polish
linguist during the late 19th century."
Key Differences:
1. Time period change:
o "Since the time of Descartes" becomes "Since the early seventeenth century."
2. Rewording of phrases:
o "Attempts have been made to create" becomes "artificial languages have been
invented."
3. Simplification of terms:
o "A language constructed" becomes "invented."
o "By Dr. Zamenhof of Poland" becomes "by a Polish linguist."
The paraphrased version keeps the same meaning but uses different words and structure to
express the ideas. It also keeps the important details like the time period, the number of
languages, and the mention of Esperanto.
This is a good example of changing words while keeping the original meaning intact.
4o
You said:
any other hints for paraphrasing?
ChatGPT said:
ChatGPT
Here are a few more helpful hints for paraphrasing effectively:
1. Understand the Meaning First
Before paraphrasing, make sure you fully understand the original text. If you’re unsure of
the meaning, you could accidentally change the meaning when you rewrite it.
2. Use Synonyms
Replace key words with synonyms, but be cautious of specialized terms. Don’t change
words that are specific to the subject or are technical.
Example:
Original: "The sun is the primary source of energy for life on Earth."
Paraphrase: "The sun provides the main energy needed for life on our planet."
3. Change Sentence Structure
Rearrange the sentence structure. You can change the order of the clauses or start the
sentence in a different way.
Example:
Original: "It is estimated that over 500 species of birds live in the Amazon rainforest."
Paraphrase: "Over 500 bird species are believed to inhabit the Amazon rainforest."
4. Break Long Sentences into Shorter Ones (and vice versa)
Simplify long sentences by breaking them into smaller ones or combine shorter sentences
for a more complex structure.
Example:
Original: "The development of artificial intelligence is progressing rapidly, leading to
innovations in many industries."
Paraphrase: "AI development is moving fast. It is creating new advancements across
various industries."
5. Change Word Forms
Change nouns to verbs, verbs to adjectives, or adjectives to adverbs, etc.
Example:
Original: "The company is preparing for the launch of a new product."
Paraphrase: "The company is getting ready to launch a new product."
6. Change Voice (Active ↔ Passive)
Switch between active and passive voice to alter the sentence structure while keeping the
meaning the same.
Example:
Original: "Scientists discovered the new species in the rainforest."
Paraphrase: "The new species was discovered by scientists in the rainforest."
7. Avoid Copying Unique Phrases
If there’s a unique term or phrase in the original, either put it in quotation marks or leave
it as it is (with proper citation). These are often things you can’t change.
8. Don’t Just Swap Words
Simply replacing each word with a synonym isn’t enough. Make sure you truly reword
the sentence in a new way while keeping the same meaning.
9. Cite the Source
Always give credit to the original author. Even if you paraphrase, you still need to cite
where the idea came from.
