Paraphrasing

Practice for a Research Essay

 6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing

1. Reread the original passage until you understand

its full meaning.

2. Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase.

3. Check your paraphrase with the original to make

sure it accurately expresses all the essential
information in a new form.
6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing (continued)

4. Use quotation marks to identify any phrase(s)

you cannot reword.

5. Record the source (including the page) on your

paraphrase using an internal citation.

6. Ask a friend or a teacher to check your work!

 The Original Passage
“To be born a Hindu in India is to enter the caste system,
one of the world's longest surviving forms of social
stratification. Embedded in Indian culture for the past 1,500
years, the caste system follows a basic precept: All men are
created unequal ” (O’Neill).

– O'Neill, Tom. "Untouchable @ National Geographic Magazine."

Untouchable @ National Geographic Magazine. National Geographic
Society, June 2003. Web. 03 Jan. 2014.
 A Summary
(why do this step?)

Hindus in India are typically born into a caste

system; they are socially classified under the
concept that certain individuals are born better
than others (O’Neill).
 A Plagiarized Paraphrase:
To be born a Hindu in India is to be born into the
caste system, one of the world's oldest forms of
social categorization. Part of the Indian culture
for the past 1,500 years, this system follows a
basic precept: All men are created unequal.
 Compare the Original and the
Plagiarized Version:
• Original:
“To be born a Hindu in India is to enter the caste system, one of
the world's longest surviving forms of social stratification.
Embedded in Indian culture for the past 1,500 years, the caste
system follows a basic precept: All men are created unequal ”
(O’Neill).

• Plagiarized Version:
To be born a Hindu in India is to be born into the caste system,
one of the world's oldest forms of social categorization. Part of
the Indian culture for the past 1,500 years, this system follows a
basic precept: All men are created unequal.
 An Acceptable Paraphrase:
Not everyone is created equal under the caste
system in India. Part of Hindu practice for nearly
2,000 years, the caste system classifies people in
such a way that certain groups and individuals
are treated better than others (O’Neill).
 Compare the Original and the
Acceptable Version:
• Original:
“To be born a Hindu in India is to enter the caste system, one of the
world's longest surviving forms of social stratification. Embedded in
Indian culture for the past 1,500 years, the caste system follows a
basic precept: All men are created unequal ” (O’Neill).

• Acceptable Version:
Not everyone is created equal under the caste system in India.
Part of Hindu practice for nearly 2,000 years, the caste
system classifies people in such a way that certain groups and
individuals are treated with more dignity than others (O’Neill).
 How Would You Paraphrase This?
“Untouchables are outcasts—people considered
too impure, too polluted, to rank as worthy
beings. Prejudice defines their lives, particularly in
the rural areas, where nearly three-quarters of
India's people live” (O’Neill).

On the paper, write 1-2 sentences to

paraphrase the excerpt above.
Be prepared to share and turn in your
paraphrase.
 Possible Paraphrases:
The Untouchables are considered scum; they are
considered to be so filthy and disgusting that
they are excluded from normal society. They are
particularly targeted for prejudice in the
countryside (O’Neill).