LENG3043 (ERP): Four Paraphrasing Strategies

Adapted from: Williams, J. (2012). LEAP: Learning English for academic purposes high intermediate (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.

As you know, plagiarism is a serious academic offense, and you can avoid accusations of plagiarism by paraphrasing well
and including an in-text citation and a reference to the original source. A good paraphrase has the following
characteristics:

 It has the same meaning as the original writing.

 It is roughly the same length as the original writing.
 The original words and structures of the source, except for technical words or very common “public domain”
words, have been rephrased.

The following techniques will help you paraphrase successfully. Usually, you will need to use more than one of these
techniques to paraphrase well.

1. Use appropriate synonyms.

syringe → needle eliminate a disease → eradicate a disease

disease → sickness develop immunity → acquire resistance
vaccination → immunization immune from → protected against

Some words from the original text, such as the names of people, countries, religions, diseases and scientific terms,
cannot be changed because they have no synonyms.

2. Change the sentence type.

To use this technique you must ask yourself, “What’s the sentence structure of the original writing?” Once you have
answered this question, you can change the sentence structure to avoid plagiarism.

Original source with a single independent clause.

The successful use of vaccines in preventing disease means most people in Canada today have never seen a life-
threatening case of diphtheria, polio, or even measles.

Change the structure to independent clause + dependent clause.

Most people in Canada today have never seen a life-threatening case of diphtheria, polio, or even measles
because the use of vaccines in preventing disease has been successful.

Next, add appropriate synonyms to form a paraphrased sentence.

The majority of Canadians these days do not experience dangerous diseases like diphtheria, polio, or measles as
immunizations to eliminate sickness have worked.
3. Change from active voice to passive voice or from passive voice to active voice.

Original source in active voice:

Unfortunately, a small minority of people actively oppose immunization.

Change from active voice to passive voice.

Unfortunately, immunization is actively opposed by a small minority of people.

Next, add appropriate synonyms.

It is disappointing that vaccination is rejected by a tiny segment of the population.

4. Change the parts of speech (e.g. nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc.).

To use this technique, change nouns into verbs, adjectives into adverbs, verbs into adjectives, adjectives into nouns,
and so on.

Original source
Vaccines strengthen the immune system to protect children and adults from specific diseases.
(noun) (verb) (verb)

Change the parts of speech wherever possible.

Vaccination makes the immune system stronger for the protection of children and adults against specific
diseases.
(noun) (adj.) (noun)

Next, add appropriate synonyms.

Immunization creates a strong immune system in order to resist certain sicknesses that may harm people.

Remember these additional tips to help you paraphrase successfully:

 You have to understand the original writing before you try to paraphrase it.
 You will need to use more than one technique to paraphrase successfully.
 Your finished paraphrase must make sense, be grammatically correct, and include an in-text citation.

Practice One: With a partner, paraphrase the following sentences in writing.

1. Vaccines are safe for almost everyone although, very rarely, there are people who experience adverse reactions.
Even though vaccines are nearly universally safe, there are cases of patients that suffer
from negative side effects.
2. Some mild side effects are experienced by most people after they are immunized.
Immunized patients go through a variety of minor reactions.
Now compare your paraphrase with another pair of classmates. Whose paraphrase is more effective? Why?
Practice Two: For a greater challenge, now paraphrase the following paragraphs with a partner.

1. Vaccination – and especially mass childhood immunization – is acclaimed as the most successful and effective form
of public health intervention that there has ever been. It has acquired a special character, symbolizing high hopes of
lives saved, diseases eradicated and the power of medical technology in an apparent triumph of science over nature
… From the smallpox vaccination campaigns of nineteenth-century Europe to the international community’s growing
investments in mass childhood immunization across the world, this technology offers a universal promise of disease
control that can appear to trump national and local interests.

2. Vaccines link the most global with the most local and personal. Aiming to reach every child on the planet,
vaccination technology has a uniquely global character. Vaccines are produced, distributed and monitored within
systems that are equally globalized. Yet vaccination reaches from the global into the most intimate world of
parenting and care. As a technology, it enters the intense social world in which parents and caregivers seek to help
their children flourish, spanning genders and generations, comrades and communities and advice givers. These are
everyday worlds that vary enormously across the globe, and over time.

In order for every child to receive proper vaccination, it must connect a global operation with a
local procedure. . Vaccinations are produced, distributed, and monitored on systems that are
uniformly globalized. Likewise, the familiar sphere of parenting and care is reached by