PARAPHRASING EXERCISES BY TECHNIQUE

PARAPHRASING SKILL 1: USING SYNONYMS

In this exercise you will learn one paraphrasing skill: using synonyms to rewrite
sentences. Here is an example.

More than half of the women who attended the one-day meeting were in business
with their spouses.

Some of the words are underlined. Use a dictionary or thesaurus to find synonyms
for these words and phrases. Now rewrite this sentence with these new words and
phrases. Here is one possible answer.

The majority of the women who went to the one-day conference were in business
with their husbands.

Paraphrase Writing Questions – by changing the word to its synonym

1. Approximately 30,000 students may be assisted by the proposed “free lunch”

program.
- About 30,000 students may be helped by the planned “free lunch” program.

2. With the development of flash memory cards, the market for portable music
players jumped sharply.
- With the evolution of flash memory cards, the demand for portable music players
rocketed highly.

3. Although the coach’s strategy was a little dangerous, the team was successful.
- Even the coach’s plan was a bit risky, the team was successful.

4. Therefore, the effect was an increase in student examination results.

- So, the outcome was an increase in student exam scores.

5. In addition, a strong typhoon is expected to batter the coast over the next few
days.

6. The expenditure needed to combat climate change will require changes to the
federal government’s budget.
- The spending needed to fight climate change will require changes to the federal
government’s financial plan.

7. The engineer must judge how much dynamite to use according to the volume of
material to be removed from the tunnel.
- The engineer must analysis how much dynamite to use based to the volume of
material to be removed from the tunnel.

8. Two of the students were expelled for violating the school’s “no fighting” policy.
-Two of the students were kicked out for breaking the school’s “no fighting”
procedure.
PARAPHRASING SKILL 2: CHANGING THE SENTENCE FROM ACTIVE VOICE
TO PASSIVE

In this lesson, you will rewrite sentences by changing them into the passive form.
Most sentences are written in active form. So, if you can rewrite sentences in a
passive form you will learn a good paraphrasing skill.

What is a Passive Sentence?

A sentence that begins with an object, and the main verb is in past participle form

e.g: The cat ate the fish.

The fish was eaten by the cat.

The first sentence is active. Subject + verb + object

The second sentence is passive. Object + verb to be + past participle verb + subject

Paraphrase Writing Questions – by changing voice

1. My mother washes the floor every Saturday.

- The floor will be washed by my mom every Saturday.

2. The policewoman is delivering the food to an orphanage.

- The food is being delivered to an orphanage by the policewoman.

3. That tall man in the corner mailed our package.

- Our package has been mailed by that tall man in the corner.

4. The professor was helping a student when the bell sounded.

- A student was being helped by the professor when the bell sounded.

5. Millions of tourists have visited the Eiffel Tower.

- The Eiffel Tower has been visited by millions of tourists.

6. John and George have been filling the on-line orders.

- The online orders have been filled by John and George.

7. Jim had been tutoring the twins for six months before he decided to go to Tibet.
- The twins have been tutored by Jim for six months before he decided to go to Tibet.

8. The green team will finish the new truck design by next week.
- The new truck design will be finished by the green team by next week.
9. In 2011, the columnist is going to be writing a book about Albert Einstein.
- A book about Albert Einstein is going to be write by the columnist.

10. Next month, John will write a story about European hockey players.
- European hockey players will be written by John next month.

11. My son will have earned enough high school credits by next semester.
- By next semester, high school credits will be earned by my son.

12. The French professors used to teach students in the East Building.
- Students used to be teach by the French professors in the East Building.

13. My teachers would always assign spring break homework.

- Spring break homework would always be assign by my teacher.

14. We all knew the team would finish the project on time.
- We all knew the project would be finished by the team on time.

15. I thought Jennifer was going to make the travel arrangements.

- I thought the travel arrangements was going to be made by Jennifer.

PARAPHRASING SKILL 3: CHANGE WORD FORMS/ NOMINALIZATION

(CHANGING NOUNS TO VERBS or VICE VERSA)

In doing Nominalization, some verbs are changed into nouns. There are many
reasons to write like this. Generally, it is a report style that makes the writing seem
more objective. To paraphrase well, you have to know this writing style and, you
have to be able to change the nouns back into verbs.
e.g:
1. Long and wordy: You have to give us your decision by tomorrow.
Better: You have to decide by tomorrow.

2. Long and wordy: Researchers conducted an investigation into the problem.

Better: Researchers investigated the problem.

The first sentences use a verb that was changed into a noun (i.e. nominalization).
These sentence are long. We can paraphrase the sentence by making it shorter. In
the second sentences. The noun was changed to verbs. This is one of the benefits of
learning this paraphrasing skill. Your sentences will be shorter but they will have the
same idea as the original sentence.

Paraphrase Writing Questions – by changing word forms

1. This essay gives an analysis of the problem of climate change and describes a
potential solution.
- This essay analyses the problem of climate change and describes a potential
solution.
2. The Korean President did not give an explanation for the pardon of his business
friend.
- The Korean President did not give explanation about his business friend.
3. Our class debate concerned the issue of nuclear weapons.
- Our class is debating the issue of nuclear weapons.
4. We performed a review of the company’s annual reports.
- We make a company’s annual reports review.
5. The school club of actors did a performance of Romeo and Juliet on the second of
June.
- The school club’s actors perform Romeo and Juliet on the second of June.
6. There is a need for further study of this Master’s program.
- It is important to further study of this Master’s program.
7. It is necessary for political candidates to give a good performance during a TV
debate.
- It is necessary for political candidates to perform good during a TV debate.
8. There is a need in our city for an assessment of the recycling system.
- It is important for our city to have an assessment for recycling system.
9. It is my hope that students will use this material.
- I hope my students will use this material.
10. The police conducted an investigation of the robbery.
- The police conduct an investigation of the robbery.

PARAPHRASING SKILL 4: COMBINING TWO SENTENCES WITH

CONJUNCTIONS

Before starting, there are two grammar phrases you need to know for this lesson:
- coordinating conjunctions
- subordinate conjunctions

Sentence Combining 1: Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions are small words that join two sentences without changing
the sentences very much. These conjunctions go in between two sentences; they
usually don’t go at the beginning or end of a sentence.

There are seven conjunctions: FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Each
FANBOYS word has a different purpose.

For tells us the reason. They love music, for it is exhilarating.

And means in addition. My father likes to drink coffee and read the
newspaper.
 Nor is negative. John doesn’t do his homework nor does he
want to study.
But and yet show contrast. Sally is good at diving but she prefers
soccer.
Or gives another reason or choice. I need a break or I will go nuts.
So tells us the result. My student’s family doesn’t have much
money so he dropped out of school.
e.g:
- The students went to school. They did not want to go to school.
- The students went to school but they did not want to.

Sentence Combining 2: Subordinate Conjunctions

Subordinate conjunctions words join two clauses. They are similar to the coordinating
conjunctions but there are two differences.

1. Subordinate conjunctions can go at the front of the sentence or in the middle.

2. You have to change some words in one of the sentences.

There are lots of words which can be used to join sentences with subordination. Here
are some of these words.
- after, although, as, as if, because, before, even if, even though
- for, if, if only, rather than, since, that, though, unless, until,
- when, where, whereas, wherever, whether, which, while

Here is an example of how two sentences can be combined with a subordination

word.

The computer was making a loud noise. The computer was broken.

1. The computer was making a loud noise because it was broken.

2. As/Since the computer was broken, it was making a loud noise.
Paraphrase Writing Questions – by combining sentences using conjunctions

1. This movie is particularly interesting to feminist film theorist. The screenplay was
written by Mae West.
-This movie is particularly interesting to feminist film theorist because it was
written by Mae West.

2. Lilacs are usually purple. Violets are usually purple.

- Lilacs and violets are usually purple.

3. She had learnt to drive, Dewi felt more independent.

- She had learnt to drive so Dewi felt more independent
4. The paperwork arrives on time, your cheque will be mailed on Tuesday
- The paperwork arrives on time but your cheque will be mailed on Tuesday.
5. Harry looks nice, he is actually a bad-tempered man.
- Harry looks nice but he is actually a bad-tempered man.
PARAPHRASING SKILL 5: PARAPHRASING BY COMBINING SENTENCES

Now you will combine sentences by using two kinds of clauses: relative clauses and
appositives.

Sentence Combining 3: Relative Clause

Relative clauses provide extra information about something. In this lesson, we use
relative clauses to talk about nouns. Hence in this lesson, a relative clause acts like
an adjective. These relative clauses begin with three relative pronouns: “which, that
or who.” Here are three examples.

- Motorcycle racing is a dangerous sport. It is enjoyed by many young people.

Motorcycle racing is a dangerous sport which is enjoyed by many young people.

- The cat loved the mouse. The mouse looked tasty.

The cat loved the mouse that looked tasty.

- Alfred Einstein was a famous scientist. He won a Noble prize for his work in
theoretical physics.
Alfred Einstein was a famous scientist who won a Noble prize for his work in
theoretical physics.

Sentence Combining 4: Appositives

An appositive is a noun that describes another noun. Appositives can be a single

word or many words (a phrase).

An appositive looks like a relative clause but there are no words like ‘which, who or
that’ at the beginning of the clause. Here are three examples; the appositives are in
red.

The appositive can go at the front of the sentence. Like this:

- A skilled but wild hockey player, Jack, skated to the referee and punched him in the
nose.

An appositive can go in the middle of the sentence, usually with lots of commas. Like
this:
- Jack, a skilled but wild hockey player, skated to the referee and punched him in the
nose.

Or an appositive can go at the end of the sentence. Like this:

- The fans cheered Jack, a skilled but wild hockey player, who skated to the referee
and punched him in the nose.
Paraphrase Writing Questions – by combining sentences using conjunctions

1. Louis, took part in the race. He was disqualified because he cheated.

- Louis who took part in the race was disqualified because he cheated.

2. That is the girl. The girl steals my ring.

- That is the girl who steals my ring.

3. A thermometer is an instrument. It measures temperature.

- A thermometer is an instrument that measures temperature.