In-sessional English
Topic: Paraphrasing
Introduction
The first text might have appeared in a
book or journal. The second is a
paraphrase of it that could be used in an
essay. Find the phrases in the second text
that paraphrase the underlined words or
phrases in the first text. Then find four
words or phrases that are in both texts,
and say why this repetition is acceptable.
Humans have many Iways of genetically
manipulating the life around us 2in order
to suit our needs. 3For millennia we have
engaged in selective breeding of plants
and animals useful to us; in fact, 4this is a
large part of what traditional farming is
about. In the 5twentieth century 6we
developed ways of speeding up the
process such as mutagenesis by chemical
agents or radiation. 7Within the past
generation, genetic engineering, or
genetic modification, has begun to
develop into a fully-fledged technology.
(Davis, 2009: 93)
As Davis (2009) explains, there are many
techniques for creating a living organism
with the characteristics we want to see,
and to ensure these changes are passed
on to its offspring. The most basic of these
is selective breeding, which for thousands
of years was the way in which agriculture
developed. In the last century scientists
created more efficient techniques, as
Davis demonstrates, using chemicals and
radiation to trigger long-lasting change in
the genetic structure. The latest form of
these manipulations of life is genetic
Source: Oxford Grammar for EAP - Paterson
2020-21
modification, also known as genetic
engineering.
A paraphrase is an alternative to a direct
quote. In rewriting an author's idea in
your own words, you avoid plagiarism and
show that you understand the original
text. Paraphrases are normally a similar
length to the original text, and always
acknowledge the source. Although the
style of writing should be your own, most
paraphrases feature a combination of
some the following techniques.
1. A reference to the author with a
reporting verb such as indicate or claim.
• Stafford concludes that a golfer's
familiarity with a course is not always a
psychological advantage.
2. The use of synonyms such as a
business instead of a company or depend
on to replace rely on.
3. A change in word form (i.e. part of
speech, such as verb to noun).
• The rate of crime rises (verb) in inverse
proportion to the standard of living.
A rise (noun) in the level of crime follows a
fall in living standards (Bridges, 2007).
4. A change in the structure of sentences.
• In most extended droughts, farm
animals begin to die of dehydration.
Dehydration causes the death of farm
animals as droughts worsen, as Miller
points out.
 In-sessional English
Topic: Paraphrasing
Reporting Verbs
A common way of referring to the original
author in your paraphrase is to use his or her
name with a reporting verb and sometimes
with the word as.
1. Believe, consider, say, suggest, think
The verbs in this first group all mean that the
paraphrased writer is making a case.
• First contact with a company in the service
sector, as Willows has suggested, is crucial in
terms of the image that the consumer will
build. (or Willows suggests that first contact.)
2. Argue, assert, claim, conclude, confirm,
contend, insist, maintain, state, warn
The verbs in this second group have the same
meaning but are a little more emphatic.
• Selig maintains that within all group
situations, leaders identify themselves first of
all through body language.
3. Demonstrate, explain, indicate, note,
prove, reveal, show
The verbs in this third group are all connected
with the idea of showing.
• As Hartner explains, we have to take into
account in polling that the more personally-
focused the questions are, the greater the
likelihood that the respondent may not be
telling the truth.
Note that demonstrate, indicate, prove,
reveal, and show are often associated with
statistical or other firm evidence.
Figures released by the government in March
show that unemployment is at its highest level
for seven years.
Source: Oxford Grammar for EAP - Paterson
2020-21
4. Accept, agree, deny, doubt
In this fourth group, the paraphrased writer is
normally commenting on someone else's
work or opinions.
• Howard, in her work on Shakespeare,
doubts that the wide range of learning on
display is an appropriate basis on which to
question his authorship of the histories or
tragedies.
5. Blame, condemn, criticise
In this fifth group the paraphrased author
takes a negative or critical position.
• Davidoff, in his article on Thatcher,
condemns commentators for basing their
analysis of some of her key decisions on her
background as the daughter of a shopkeeper.
TIP The normal pattern for the verbs in this
fifth group is to blame/condemn/criticize
someone or something for (doing) something.
6. Characterize, classify, define, evaluate,
identify, portray, present
In this final group, the verbs are all connected
with the idea of describing.
• In his essays, Lawrence often seems to
portray post-industrial society as a kind of
destructive machine.
TIP The normal pattern for the verbs in this
sixth group is to characterize/classify, etc.
someone or something as (doing) something.
Test yourself
Highlight the correct option.
1. Milthorp doubts/criticizes the police for the
length of time that protestors were contained
in one place.
2. Markham has concluded/identified the
poor performance of some schools as a key
factor in youth unemployment.
 In-sessional English
Topic: Paraphrasing
3. The authors of the report
demonstrate/evaluate that health and safety
standards have risen on North Sea oil rigs.
4. As Rumisek states/classifies in the
introduction to her book, the design of a
hospital can have a positive effect on the
health of its patients.
5. Barlow characterizes/contends Liverpool as
a city where small regeneration projects have
produced impressive returns on their initial
costs.
6. Heller and Golding have believed/argued
that the concept of the garden city as
conceived by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the 19th
century needs to be revisited.
Words or phrases that you don't
change
There are two types of word or phrase that
you should repeat in your paraphrase, even if
synonyms exist, because you don't need to
demonstrate that you know what they mean
and using them won't leave you open to
charges of plagiarism. Normally these words
are single nouns, or nouns in pairs.
1. Conventional words or phrases (language
that we all use for specific things) such as
passport, pension, house; annual holiday,
residential area, processed foods.
• The accepted tradition whereby junior
doctors in hospitals may spend up to twelve
hours a day on duty during a working week
needs to be reconsidered as a matter of
urgency.
According to Steele, we should question as a
matter of priority the established practice of
young physicians junior doctors working
eighty-hour weeks in medical facilities
hospitals.
Source: Oxford Grammar for EAP - Paterson
2020-21
2. Specialized words or phrases within a
particular subject area such as barrister, plea
bargain (law); asset, business plan (business
studies); director, proscenium arch (theatre
studies).
• Small and medium enterprises can fail
because they simply lack cash when it matters.
Carling warns that a shortage of available
money cash at a critical time can undermine
successful medium sized companies small and
medium enterprises.
Note that in some cases, whether or not you
can repeat a word will be a matter of personal
judgment.
Test yourself
Highlight the words or phrases that you do
not need to paraphrase.
1. High-speed trains are a prerequisite for a
thriving modern economy.
2. The Asian tiger is under threat as a trophy
for hunters on safari; as a source of parts for
traditional medicine; and for its skin.
3. The share price dropped to an all-time low
in January but bounced back at the end of the
financial year.
4. Reaching agreement over copyright issues
is the single most pressing issue that the
music industry faces.
5. If they accomplish nothing else, water
meters remind the consumer that this
precious liquid is, ultimately, a limited
resource.
6. Acting as a school governor allows a
member of the public to put their specific
expertise at the service of their local school.
 In-sessional English
Topic: Paraphrasing
Synonyms
An ordinary dictionary, a thesaurus, or a
specialized dictionary of synonyms
(sometimes with their opposites, antonyms)
will provide you with synonyms, but you need
to ensure that the synonym you choose
represents the meaning of the original word
in its particular context.
• Original text: Incorrect versions of meetings
were supplied to the committee on several
occasions.
Paraphrase: Grierson argues that the
committee was given fake false accounts of
meetings a number of times. (Fake might
suggest that the meetings themselves were
invented, or that true reports exist
elsewhere.)
In this section, some examples of good
synonyms are listed in brackets, with enough
context to show you the meaning. Remember,
however, that a single synonym in a sentence
is only one element of a paraphrase; it will
need to be combined with some of the other
changes described in this unit. Note also that
there are times, particularly when a writer
uses an idiomatic expression, that you may
need to provide a synonymous phrase to
avoid repeating the idiom.
• These days, very few investors keep all their
eggs in one basket.
 As Burnstone concludes, investors
nowadays rarely place all their assets
in a single financial institution.
TIP Thesauruses are available in book form or
online. All of them will offer you synonyms,
but the important thing, once you have
chosen one or two synonyms, is to check their
meaning in context either in the thesaurus
itself, if it provides that facility, or in a good
English-English dictionary.
Source: Oxford Grammar for EAP - Paterson
2020-21
1 Noun synonyms
The wealth (affluence) of the area was
highlighted by the number of gated
communities.
Rachel Stevens won the prize (award) seven
times.
The theatre company had to look for a new
sponsor (backer).
Laws exist to prevent a state of anarchy
(chaos).
Fortunately, no harm (damage) was done to
the nuclear reactor.
The chair of the enquiry asked for a full
account (explanation) of the events.
A fine (financial penalty) was imposed on all
three companies found guilty of polluting the
river.
A degree of tolerance (open-mindedness) is
required when people live in close proximity to
each other.
There was an immediate backlash (negative
reaction) against the law.
2 Verb synonyms
Mixing (combining) business with corporate
entertainment can lead to poor decision-
making.
A loss of confidence in corporate governance
can reduce (decrease) a company's share
value quite quickly.
Such problems will only go away (disappear)
if they are tackled at source.
You can often find out (discover) the style of a
holiday through knowing the destination.
There was a great deal of pressure to expand
(enlarge) the scope of the enquiry.
 In-sessional English
Topic: Paraphrasing
The kingdom is ruled (governed) by the prince
and a small council of elders.
This was an interesting attempt to explore
(investigate) the effects of long-term isolation.
At this point the family controlled (managed)
seven separate businesses.
A great deal can be learned simply by
watching (observing) senior managers at
work.
3 Adjective synonyms
But the juvenile (childish) behaviour of some
disc jockeys does not help their case.
The severity of the cuts is likely to have a
negative (harmful) effect on the economy.
At most they can be accused of a naive
(innocent) trust in the good faith of their
partners.
Fruitful (productive) talks do not always lead
to sweeping (extensive) changes.
The company has shown a genuine (real)
interest in charitable (non-profit-making)
activities.
But this form of cursory (superficial)
investigation is unlikely to lead to a fair (just)
outcome.
4 Adverb synonyms
At that point there was practically (almost)
nothing left in the budget.
Some of the prisoners at the camp were
treated harshly (cruelly).
The proposed designs for the factory were
wholeheartedly (enthusiastically) welcomed
by the board.
It is an extraordinarily (extremely) difficult
festival to organize.
Source: Oxford Grammar for EAP - Paterson
2020-21
The difficulties lie chiefly (principally) in the
design.
The events surrounding the preparation of the
contract were not handled properly
(professionally).
Short-term goals that are recklessly (rashly)
pursued
Test yourself
Replace the underlined words with a
synonym. You may need to use a
dictionary. There is usually more than
one possible answer.
1 The designers assured the board of
directors that the heating ducts on the
roof of the building would not be
noticeable from the ground.
2 A company may sometimes need
to print brochures for some of their
clients, rather than simply referring
them to a website.
3 The speech from an honoured
guest can be the highlight of a
graduation ceremony.
4 Even the most astute investors
were momentarily blinded by the light
of the dotcom boom.
5 The strain produced by long-term
debt may lead to forms of drug abuse,
both legal and illegal.
6 Pacific salmon consistently die
within a few days of spawning.
7 Not all employees respond well to
being complimented.
8 The announcement of the
acquisition produced an
unenthusiastic response from
shareholders.