MODULE SUPPORT
R-ALI 110
Diploma in Grade R Teaching
ACADEMIC LITERACY: Unit 3, Academic Writing,
Section 2c (Academic Writing Conventions and
Plagiarism: Paraphrasing Tips)
Lecturer: Mr J.C. Rademeyer
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OVERVIEW: PARAPHRASING
5R PARAPHRASING STRATEGY
READ
RESTATE
RECHECK
REPAIR
REFERENCE
PARAPHRASING EXERCISE
OVERVIEW: PARAPHRASING
(writing ideas in your own words)
Paraphrasing is an essential academic literacy skill (reading and writing).
It helps you to refine or improve your understanding of an idea.
Paraphrasing is also a strategy to bring ideas from a text you have read into
your own writing without copying large chunks of information from the
original text.
Thus, paraphrasing is when you take the main idea from an original text and
rewrite it with your own wording.
However, you must not change the original text's meaning while illustrating
your understanding of someone else's idea(s).
5R PARAPHRASING STRATEGY
The 5R paraphrasing strategy may seem straightforward, but writing an idea
differently from the original text can be challenging.
Therefore, applying the 5R paraphrasing strategy can help you paraphrase
effectively.
5R paraphrasing strategy stands for:
Read
Restate
Recheck
Repair
Reference
1. READ THE TEXT
Ask yourself: Did you understand the passage?
If not, read the text several times to fully understand the meaning.
Suppose you do not understand the meaning of certain words; in that case, use
a dictionary to look up the word's meaning.
Remember, a dictionary can help develop reading and writing skills and improve
vocabulary.
You can access Collins' free online English dictionary here.
Then, while you are reading, also note down keynotes.
2. RESTATE (part 1)
Ask yourself: Did you restate important points in your writing?
A helpful tip is to close your eyes and think about what you have read.
Then, write your version without looking at the original text.
RESTATE (part 2)
According to Gahan (2021), the following tips might help you when you restate the
information.
Start your first sentence at a different point from that of the original text. Thus, you have
to mention the key information points in a completely different order.
Use synonyms (words that are similar in meaning). Remember, a dictionary or thesaurus
can be a helpful tool if you find it challenging to think of synonyms. However, please do
not overdo it! It is acceptable and often necessary to use the exact words as the original
text. An example would be unnecessarily confusing your reader by constantly using
synonyms for words such as "literacy".
Change the sentence structure. For example, if the sentence was initially in the active
voice, change it to passive voice. The active voice is when a sentence is led by the subject
(the thing doing the action). When the object (the thing receiving the action) leads the
sentence, that sentence is written in the passive voice. An example of active voice: The
dog was chasing the cat. In this sentence, 'the dog' is the subject, 'was chasing' is the verb,
and 'the cat' is the object. Thus, the passive voice will be: The cat was being chased by
the dog.
Break the information into separate sentences. Although paraphrasing will usually result
in a word count roughly the same as an original text, you may be able to play with the
number of sentences to make the text different.
3. RECHECK
Ask yourself: Did you include all the important points in your
paraphrased text?
You should compare your paraphrased text with the original passage to
determine if you have included all the important points.
4. REPAIR
Ask yourself: Did you correct the misinformation?
It would be best to make minor adjustments to phrases that
remain too similar.
5. REFERENCE
Ask yourself: Did you insert an in-text citation?
When paraphrasing, you have to be careful to avoid accidental plagiarism.
This can happen if the paraphrase is too similar to the original quote, with
phrases or whole sentences that are identical (and should therefore be in
quotation marks).
It can also happen if you fail to reference the paraphrased source properly.
PARAPHRASING EXERCISE (part 1)
Read the passage that follows. Then decide which of the two paraphrased versions
is acceptable (and why) and which is plagiarised from the original text.
Original passage
Language is the main means of communication between people. However, 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 an
international, universal language that all people could speak and understand. The arguments
in favour of a universal language are simple and obvious. If every person spoke the same
tongue, cultural and economic ties might be much closer and goodwill might increase
between countries.
1
Adapted from Dison and Evans (2020, p. 93) in Seligmann (2012, p. 295)
1 Dison, L. & Evans, R. (2022). B-ALI 110. Academic Literacy. SANTS Private Higher Education Institution. Pretoria, BussinessPrint.
PARAPHRASING EXERCISE (part 2)
Paraphrase 1
Language is the principle means of communication between people. However, because there are
numerous languages, language itself has frequently been a barrier rather than an aid to
understanding among the world population. For many years people have envisioned a common
universal language that everyone in the world could communicate. The reasons for having a
universal language are clearly understandable. If the same tongue were spoken by all countries,
they would undoubtedly become closer culturally and economically. It would probably also create
goodwill among nations.
PARAPHRASING EXERCISE (part 3)
Paraphrase 2
Humans communicate through language. However, because there are so many languages globally,
language is an obstacle rather than a communication aid. People have wished for an international
language that speakers worldwide could understand for a long time. A universal language would
certainly build cultural and economic bonds. It would also create better relations among
countries.
Why is Paraphrase 2 better?
✓ The author identified the main idea from the original text.
✓ The author used the main ideas to write a paragraph by using their own style, sentence
structure, and your own words.
✓ The author did not copy bits of information from the original text.
✓ The author did not change the meaning of the original text.
✓ The author left out ideas that have been repeated and unnecessary detail.
THANK YOU
