PARAPHRASING SKILL

By. Ulfa Rahmi, S. Si, M. Ed

 Paraphrasing is rewriting others
people work in your own words
The paraphrasing must have the
same meaning as the original work
Authors must be cited for every
paraphrase
 How to paraphrase?
It involves:
Change words
Change structures
 Changing Words
Read the sentence to be
paraphrased a number of times
Circle the specialised words
Underline keywords that can be
changed
Find alternative words for the
keywords
 The problem was hazardous for the
townsfolk .

Possible answer:
The issue was dangerous for the
citizens.
 Although the operation was
somewhat dangerous, the team was
triumphant .

Possible answer:
Despite the fact that the operation
was risky, the group was very
successful .
 Therefore, the effect will be a
reduction in production .

Possible answer:
Consequently, the outcome will be a
fall in output .
 Excercise
Fitri is an A students
Roni is hungry, so that, he go looking for a food
My mother got a flu, however, she didnt want to take a medicine.
Langsa people love to go to Lapangan Merdeka
Ebola virus is so dangerous.
That boy is so handsome
Ina gave her candy to her sister
Eventhough those soldier is not in a good condition, they still
have to practice their skill
As Water is good for our body, we need to drink as many as we
can
After finishing her med school, she want to work at the hospital.
Furthermore, she want to have her own clinic.
 Change Structure
1) Read and understand the
paragraph
2) Write down the main ideas &
concepts
Do not copy down entire
sentences.
3) Put the original away
4) Write your paraphrase from
memory.
5) Check your version against the
 Active Vs Passive
Change active sentences to passive forms,
or passive sentences to active forms.

Active
The Japanese government offered new homes
to homeless people in Tokyo.

Passive
Homeless people in Tokyo were offered new
homes by the Japanese government.
 Example Active to Passive
Humidity, temperature, air pressure
and cloud cover all affect the process

The process is affected by humidity,

temperature and cloud cover
 Example Passive to Active
Change the sentence below from
passive to active

The lecture on Egyptology was

attended by all the History students.

All the history students attended the

lecture on Egyptology
 Two teenagers were caught by the
police for armed robbery.

The police caught two teenagers for

armed robbery
 REMEMBER!!!
It is not enough to change only the
structure or only the words.

You must change

BOTH
WORDS AND STRUCTURE
 Excercise
Read the following passage and paraphrase it by
putting it intoyour own words.

Of the more than 1000 bicycling deaths each year,

three-fourths are caused by head injuries. Half of
those killed are school-age children. One study
concluded that wearing a bike helmet can reduce the
risk of head injury by 85 percent. In an accident, a
bike helmet absorbs the shock and cushions the head.

Source: Bike Helmets: Unused Lifesavers. (1990,

May). Consumer Reports, 55,p.348-353
 Read the following passage and paraphrase it by
putting it into your own words.

Language is the main means of communication

between people. But so many different languages have
developed that language has often been a barrier
rather than an aid to understanding among people. For
many years, people have dreamed of setting up a
universal language which is simple and obvious to all
people. If all people spoke the same tongue, cultural
and economic ties might be much closer, and better
relationship will increase between countries

Source: Kispert, J. (2004). Language and Its Barriers.

USA: Pearson Education,Inc.
 Read the following passage and paraphrase it by
putting it into your own words.

Cigarettes are well known to suppress appetite and

weight. So, it is hardly surprising that women who have
trouble managing their weight or are dissatisfied with
their bodies are drawn to smoking. It was reported that
75 percent of all women smokers say they would be
unwilling to gain more than five pounds if they were to
quit smoking, and nearly half said they would not
tolerate any weight gain. In fact, many women started
smoking in the first place because they thought it might
help them stay slim.

Source: Eric, L. (2008, April). Female Smoking. Health

Today, p. 17-18.
 Read the following passage and paraphrase it by putting it
intoyour own words.

According to recent statistics, the average American,

including children, watches four hours of television a day. This
cannot be beneficial for the children. Among the many
consequences of this situation are the rising levels of obesity
among children and the increasing risk of heart disease and
diabetes. The fact of spending much time in front of
television also means that they read less than in the past and
this has negatively affected their level of achievement in
school. Furthermore, the violence in many programs viewed
by children has led to an increase in violent behaviour on the
part of children.

Source: Mikulecky, B. & Jeffries, L. (2008). Children and

Television. Advanced Reading Power. (p.226). USA: Longman
 Read the following passage and paraphrase it by putting it
into your own words.

Social work is a profession for those with a strong desire to

help improve peoples lives. Social workers help people
function the best way they can in their environment, deal
with their relationships, and solve personal and family
problems. Social workers often see clients who face a life-
threatening disease or a social problem, such as inadequate
housing, unemployment, a serious illness, a disability, or
substance abuse. Social workers also assist families that
have serious domestic conflicts, sometimes involving child
or spousal abuse.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2009). Social Workers:

Nature of the work. Retrieved August 26, 2010, from
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos060.htm.