Study Skills & Language for Life
Lesson 1: Paraphrasing
Did You Write That?
How to use sources and paraphrase effectively
Remember the lesson
on summarizing and
paraphrasing? I think
I need to practice
paraphrasing.
Yes, me too! It’s so
important. We always
need it when we write
assignments.
How do you paraphrase? Here are the guidelines!
Read the passage about paraphrasing and answer the questions.
Paraphrasing is when you take the facts and/or opinions from a particular source - a
book or an article on the Internet - and reword them. It is essential to keep the original
meaning the same, but present it in a new way. Use different words (synonyms) and
phrases, change the grammar, alter the length of sentences and change the order of
content. You should use your own words to express the original idea. It is possible and
acceptable to paraphrase both single sentences and whole paragraphs. Sometimes you
can paraphrase and summarize at the same time, by using your own words, changing
the order of the content and making your passage shorter than the original.
Are these sentences TRUE or FALSE?
1. You can change the words but not the meaning. _______
2. You should not change the grammar. _______
3. You must keep sentences the same length as in the original source. _______
4. It is wrong to paraphrase just one sentence; you should keep the original. _______
5. You must always keep the facts and opinions in the same order. ______
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Study Skills & Language for Life
Lesson 1: Paraphrasing
And here’s an example!
Read the the two texts about William Shakespeare – the Original and
Paraphrased versions– and answer the questions.
1) Original
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is known across the world as one of the greatest writers ever
to have lived. He is best known for the plays he wrote for the theatre, but he also wrote
poetry too. He grew up in Tudor England in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, and his plays
often portray events from history. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon,
England in 1564 and although he later went to London to be an actor, he actually became
famous for writing plays. Theatergoers, readers and critics then said he was the best
writer of that era. Nowadays most people say he was the best writer of all time.
2) Paraphrased
William Shakespeare
Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England in the Elizabethan era of the mid-16th
century, William Shakespeare moved to London to become one of the best-known and
most-loved creators of literary and theatrical work in history. Although renowned for
his plays which often represent historical events, Shakespeare also wrote poetry, for
which he is less well-known. At that time, the literary and theatre-loving community
praised him as the finest playwright and poet of the age; now he is almost universally
acknowledged as the greatest writer ever.
Find ONE example of each of these aspects of paraphrasing:
1. The writer sometimes puts things in a different order.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. The writer uses different words (synonyms).
____________________________________________________________
Answer by ticking () the correct option.
The paraphrased passage generally uses shorter__ / longer__ sentences.
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Study Skills & Language for Life
Lesson 1: Paraphrasing
Find the synonyms in the the paraphrased passage (text 2) for these
words or phrases in the original passage (text 1). The synonym can be
ONE WORD, or a PHRASE (two, three or more words)
Original
Paraphrased
1.
famous
2.
portray
3.
the time of
4.
the best writer of all time.
5.
theatregoers, readers and critics
6.
one of the greatest writers
ever to have lived
Now it’s your turn!
Read the passage A Brief History of London and answer the questions.
A Brief History of London
London is the capital of England and is situated on the River Thames. It is one of the
largest cities in Europe and is famous for business, culture and entertainment. In fact,
London is made up of two separate cities: London and Westminster. The City of
London is the oldest part, going back two thousand years to the days of the Roman
Empire. In the modern city this area is the financial district. To the west, is the City of
Westminster, where you can find the houses of parliament, art galleries and the many
shopping streets that attract so many visitors.
Find SYNONYMS in the passage for these words:
1) located -___________________
4) actually -___________________
2) numerous -_________________
5) tourists -___________________
3) biggest - ___________________
6) well-known - _________________
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Study Skills & Language for Life
Lesson 1: Paraphrasing
It’s time to paraphrase a passage
Paraphrase the passage A Brief History of London. Remember to…
1. use different words and phrases (synonyms).
2. keep the meaning the same.
3. change the grammar and sentence structure.
4. put things in a different order.
5. change the length of the sentences.
A _______ History of London
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Work in pairs. Swap your work. What are the positives points? Help your
partner to improve.
This is great! You’ve paraphrased really well.
… ‘..biggest European cities’! Excellent!
You too! It’s brilliant. Maybe you
could join these two sentences….
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