Step-by-step paraphrasing
1. Decide what the key information is, for the purposes of your discussion.
2. Change the order of the ideas and the words. This can help you to emphasise your
interpretation of the original text.
3. Change the word form/grammatical form if necessary.
4. Use synonyms if appropriate, but do not change any specific terminology. In the
example below, terms such as 'plagiarism management', 'universities', 'students' and
'distance' were not changed. The best place to find suitable synonyms will be elsewhere
in the same article.
5. If some words stay the same in the same order (three or more consecutive words), you
need to use quotation marks around these words.
6. Repeat the author's name or a pronoun through the paraphrase, so it is clear that we are
still reading a paraphrase.
7. Add a detail about where the information came from, if necessary. In the example
below, the information 'through her study of eighteen policies on plagiarism from
different universities' was added, to give some context to the claims.
8. Keep the author name and page number. (You may have been told that you do not need
the page number for a paraphrase, but if the idea came from one specific page, it is still
useful to include it. That way, you can check the information again if you need to.)
Text Comparison
Example Original Text
"Universities also place the burden of understanding plagiarism and attribution conventions on
students. There are myriad information-laden web-based self-help tutorials and workshops on
related sites for the universities in this study. Many are excellent resources and can be helpful.
Nevertheless, the lack of additional, detailed individual assistance about the techniques of
engaging in academic writing conventions, particularly for students studying in off-campus or
distance modes, raises issues of equity for plagiarism management policy makers." (Sutherland-
Smith, 2010:9).
References
Sutherland-Smith, W. (2010) 'Retribution, deterrence and reform: the dilemmas of plagiarism
management in universities', Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 32 (1) 5-16.
Available at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13600800903440519 Accessed on 19
January 2020.
1
Example Paraphrased Text
The responsibility for learning how to reference correctly and avoid plagiarism tends to be passed
from the university to the students, as Sutherland-Smith (2010:9) found, through her study of
eighteen policies on plagiarism from different universities. She also points out that although many
universities provide online self-access resources for students to try to learn more about this area,
the support provided is, on the whole, inadequate. Sutherland-Smith expands further to explain
that this inadequacy is partly because the advice provided is not specific enough for each student,
and partly because distance students will often receive even less support. She concludes that these
issues carry implications for the decisions around plagiarism management, as some students may
receive more assistance than others, leading to questions of inequity.
References
Sutherland-Smith, W. (2010) 'Retribution, deterrence and reform: the dilemmas of plagiarism
management in universities', Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 32 (1) 5-16.
Available at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13600800903440519 Accessed on 19
January 2020
Sentence Analysis
Sentence 1
Original: Universities also place the burden of understanding plagiarism and attribution
conventions on students.
Paraphrase: The responsibility for learning how to reference correctly and avoid plagiarism tends
to be passed from the university to the students, as Sutherland-Smith (2010:9) found.
Here, the following changes have been made:
Order of ideas or words (look for where 'university' appears)
Word form (active 'place the burden on' changed to passive 'to be passed to')
Synonyms ('understanding' changed to 'learning how to', 'plagiarism and attribution
conventions' changed to 'reference correctly and avoid plagiarism'). Note some key terms
have not been changed.
Sentence 2
Original: There are myriad information-laden web-based self-help tutorials and workshops on
related sites for the universities in this study.
Paraphrase: She also points out that [...] many universities provide online self-access resources
for students to try to learn more about this area,
2
Here, the following changes have been made:
Order of ideas or words (look for where 'university' appears)
Word form (descriptive 'There are' changed to active 'many universities provide')
Synonyms (' information-laden web-based self-help tutorials and workshops on related
sites' changed to 'online self-access resources', 'myriad' changed to 'many'). Note some key
terms have not been changed.
Some information has been added, to help explain the meaning ('for students to try to learn
more about this area')
Sentence 2
Original: There are myriad information-laden web-based self-help tutorials and workshops on
related sites for the universities in this study.
Paraphrase: She also points out that [...] many universities provide online self-access resources
for students to try to learn more about this area,
Here, the following changes have been made:
Order of ideas or words (look for where 'university' appears)
Word form (descriptive 'There are' changed to active 'many universities provide')
Synonyms (' information-laden web-based self-help tutorials and workshops on related
sites' changed to 'online self-access resources', 'myriad' changed to 'many'). Note some key
terms have not been changed.
Some information has been added, to help explain the meaning ('for students to try to learn
more about this area')
Sentence 3
Many are excellent resources and can be helpful.
Comment: This sentence was not included in the new paraphrase, as the writer felt it was not
important for their discussion.
Sentence 4
Original: Nevertheless, the lack of additional, detailed individual assistance about the techniques
of engaging in academic writing conventions, particularly for students studying in off-campus or
distance modes, raises issues of equity for plagiarism management policy makers.
Paraphrase: ...the support provided is, on the whole, inadequate. Sutherland-Smith expands
further to explain that this inadequacy is partly because the advice provided is not specific enough
for each student, and partly because distance students will often receive even less support. She
concludes that these issues carry implications for the decisions around plagiarism management, as
some students may receive more assistance than others, leading to questions of inequity.
3
Here, the following changes have been made:
The information has been divided into sub-points, to try to express the point more clearly.
Some explanatory words and linking words have been added, to help explain the meaning
and to show that it is the original author who has made these claims ('Sutherland-Smith
expands further to explain that...')
Synonyms ('issues of equity' changed to 'questions of inequity', 'raises issues' changed to
'carry implications'). Note some key terms have not been changed.
4
PARAPHRASING 1 Exercise
A. Make a different word, using the prompt in brackets.
e.g. development (change to verb) - to develop
e.g. economise (change to noun) - economy
1. To analyse (change to noun) ________________________
2. To analyse (change to adjective) ________________________
3. Evaluation (change to verb) ________________________
4. Theoretical (change to verb) ________________________
5. Problem (change to adjective) ________________________
6. To expect (change to noun) ________________________
7. To agree (change to opposite verb) ________________________
8. Organised (change to opposite adjective) ________________________
9. To prove (change to noun) ________________________
10. To prove (change to opposite verb) ________________________
B. Finish these paraphrased sentences by changing the word/word type and grammar.
e.g. We studied the statistics then applied for funding.
- After _________ the statistics, we made an _________ for funding.
- After studying the statistics, we made an application for funding.
1. We were concerned about her health.
We had some ___________ about her health.
2. The council cut funding so we could not provide free parking.
Because of council funding ____________, there was no____________ for free parking.
3. His proposal was a failure as it was too theoretical.
His proposal___________ because it relied too much on ___________ .
4. As the emphasis was only on the UK, there were weaknesses in the evidence.
By ___________ the UK only, the evidence was ___________ .
5
5. As the emphasis was only on the UK, there were weaknesses in the evidence.
As the emphasis was only on the UK, the evidence was not___________ .
C. Decide which paraphrase is better. (NB! Remember, your essay should not just be one
long paraphrase, even a good paraphrase!) Tick (✔) the better paraphrase
1. Adverts are a major part of everyday life.
Paraphrase 1 ( ____ )
Advertising is an important feature of daily life.
Paraphrase 2 ( ____ )
The influence of adverts can be felt in all aspects of our lives.
2. Adverts for the soft drink, Tango, have recently been banned for possibly encouraging
playground bullying.
Paraphrase 1 ( ____ )
Advertising for the fizzy drink, Tango, have been disallowed recently for potentially
leading to school bullying.
Paraphrase 2 ( ____ )
A ban on Tango adverts has been implemented recently, as some felt the content could
encourage school bullies.
3. Opinion is divided over what impact, if any, advertising has on children. What is beyond
question is that many people, parents in particular are worried about its effects. 88% of
Swedes supported their government’s ban on children’s TV adverts in 1991 (Willows,
2009) while 36% of adults in the UK thought that advertising was damaging to their
children (Sidle, 2011).
Paraphrase 1 ( ____ )
There is little agreement on the effect of advertising on children, though it is undoubtedly
a concern, especially for parents. When Sweden banned children’s TV adverts in 1991,
88% of the population supported the decision (Willows, 2009), while in the UK, over a
third of adults thought advertising could damage their children (Sidle, 2011).
6
Paraphrase 2 ( ____ )
Views vary on what possible effect advertising can have on the young. What is without
doubt is that most people, especially parents, are concerned about the impact. 88% of
Swedish people were in favour of their government’s ban on advertising on children’s
television (Willows, 2009), and in the UK, 36% of adults believed adverts were harmful
to their offspring (Sidle, 2011).
D. Paraphrase the following.
1. For many people across Europe, the introduction of the Euro has lead to price rises in many
everyday goods.
2. Women have traditionally been seen as mothers and home makers and it is only in recent
years that they have been making significant inroads into the job market. There is still a
long way to go before they achieve complete equality with men but the situation has
definitely improved.
3. In the 1920s, an American academic, Elton Mayo, researched the effects of the physical
environment on the productivity of workers. The result, known as the Hawthorne Studies,
named after the electrics company where it took place, showed that workers could be
motivated to work harder by making small changes to the workplace, such as altering the
lighting or the layout of a room.
7
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
8
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
