If you're asked to paraphrase a paragraph, but aren't sure how, don't worry. Paraphrasing is simply taking the original text and using your own choice of words and structure to rewrite the text, while still conveying the same message. Scroll down to Step 1 to learn the basics of paraphrasing, or skip to Method 2 if you just need a refresher on what you need to change from the original paragraph (along with some helpful examples).
Step
Method 1 of 2: Understanding the Basics
Step 1. Know the meaning of 'paraphrase'
“Paraphrasing” is saying something someone else has already said in your own words. You're still conveying the same idea, just in a different way. Paraphrasing is a useful skill to have, especially if you're trying to write an essay or article.
You certainly respect other people when you use their ideas, but paraphrasing gives you the opportunity to express the idea in your own words without using direct quotes. By stating it your way, the information may better fit with what you're writing about, allowing your writing to flow more smoothly from one idea to another
Step 2. Know the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing
Paraphrasing may sound almost the same as summarizing, but they are actually two different ways to rewrite text. In both of these ways, you write the text in your own words, although summarizing sometimes uses some of the same phrases as the original, depending on your ultimate goal.
- For example, say the original text was: “The fox follows its prey in the moonlight. Its big ears and sparkling eyes are very wary of the rabbit's next movements."
- Example of a paraphrased sentence: "The rabbit is silent in the moonlight, while the fox looks around with his great hearing and night vision."
- Example summary: “Foxes hunt rabbits at night using their ears and eyes.”
Step 3. Understand that paraphrasing doesn't have to make the text shorter
When you are summarizing, you are trying to take a longer text and make it shorter and more concise using your own words. However, this is not the same as paraphrasing. In fact, sometimes your paraphrased paragraphs may be slightly longer than the original, depending on the words you choose.
Method 2 of 2: Paraphrasing Correctly
Step 1. Change the original word choice
When paraphrasing, you must change the words used. As a writer, you have your own unique way of explaining an idea, and as such, your diction is very important. “Diction” means the words you choose to convey your ideas. When paraphrasing, you should choose words that are different from the words in the original text to explain the same idea.
Example: The words you would choose to tell someone how to ride a bicycle are different from the words another writer would choose. The other person might say “Get on the bike”, while you might say, “Sit in the saddle”. They actually mean the same thing – “Ride the bike” – but they are spelled differently
Step 2. Use a thesaurus to help you with word choice
You can use a thesaurus if you can't think of any other words to convey the same idea because using a thesaurus can help you remember similar words that you already know (these words are called synonyms). However, be careful to only use words that you feel are appropriate because a word you don't know may have an inappropriate connotation for a paragraph. “Connotation” is the feeling that a word has.
For example, “to grumble” and “to protest” have almost the same meaning, and they are considered synonyms in thesaurus. However, the two have different connotations. For example, "protesting" is often associated with politics, while "grinding" is not
Step 3. Create your own syntax for your paraphrased paragraphs
Paraphrasing isn't just about word choice; but also related to syntax and structure. “Syntax” is the way you structure your words to form a sentence.
For example, "Jane looks at the sunset while eating oranges" is syntactically different from the sentence "Jane eats oranges while looking at the sunset"
Step 4. Try changing the paragraph structure
“Structure” is the way sentences and paragraphs are structured. Of course, you have to structure the sentences in your paragraphs in a way that makes sense. You want to lead your readers to the idea you are writing about. However, you still have some wiggle room to compose a paragraph. When paraphrasing, you can't just replace words in the text with their synonyms (words that mean the same thing) and assume they're done. In fact, you need to rearrange the text into completely new paragraphs, which convey the same idea.
- The paragraph you want to paraphrase: “Jane swerved into the road to avoid hitting a deer. As the car veered off the road, Jane couldn't help but think that today might be her last day. Her mind pictured her children and husband. The car hit a tree with a loud clunk, and Jane passed out. However, he woke up after a few seconds, bruised and sore, and still alive.”
- Example of paraphrased paragraph 1: “Jane saw a deer on the road, so she turned her car to avoid the animal. The car is headed for a tree. His mind was filled with images of his family, and he wondered if he would die today. When the front of the car hit a tree, he lost consciousness for a while, although he is grateful that he survived the crash with only a few bumps.”
Step 5. Remember that there is more than one way to paraphrase a paragraph
It is important to note that there are several ways to rewrite a paragraph, as many as there are authors. For example, the same paragraph used in the previous step can be paraphrased in a different way, which is not as clear and detailed as before. Even so, this paragraph still provides the same information to the reader using different words.
Example of paraphrased paragraph 2: “While driving, Jane hit a tree because she swerved to avoid a deer. He thought about his family who would miss him if he died when his car crashed into a tree. He had minor injuries, although the impact knocked him out for a while.”
Tips
- Don't worry if you don't understand it the first time you try; as you practice paraphrasing, you will be able to do it better.
- Remember to keep a thesaurus to help you when paraphrasing.
