Lesson 25: Proper Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is the answer for us not to fall to any type of plagiarism (Wallwork, 2011).

However, this needs your attention to learn the competencies in achieving  proper paraphrasing. Careful reading, in-depth comprehension, and good writing are the skills you need to improve for you to come up with good paraphrased sentences. 

The big question now is how to paraphrase? There is no perfect way of paraphrasing a sentence or paragraph. It is because it will depend on the manner you understand what you have read. So, what you need is a better understanding. Below is the suggested way for you to come up with good paraphrasing.

Five (5) Ways to Paraphrase 

1.     Take time to read. Careful reading of the text enables you to grasp the meaning of the sentence you are going to paraphrase. It is recommended to read it three times or even more. This is to give you enough time to comprehend the meaning of what you are reading (University of New England, 2020).  

2.     Take note of the key points. This is done through highlighting or listing the points or ideas presented in the text that you are reading. Through this, you will see the things that the author wanted to impart in his or her write ups. However, for you as a reader, those will also be the bases on how you will explain the ideas that were presented (Chi & Nguyen, 2017). 

3.     Rewrite what you have read but use your own words. Rewriting what you have read does not mean you will just copy it. Nevertheless, you are going to write what you have read based from what you have understood from it. However, you need to be careful not to eliminate the ideas of what you have paraphrased (Oshima, 1999).  

4.     Compare what you have written with the original text. Through this, you may be able to see the similarities and difference between the original text and what you have paraphrased. You need to remember that the paraphrased sentence or paragraph has structural difference from the original even the choice of words. However, the thought presented in the original text must not be different from the paraphrased text. 

5.     Make citation. There are so many citation styles available to you. But, always refer back to what is prescribed to you by the organization or institution you are writing. If they prescribe you to use a particular citation style, then you need to follow that standard. For example, many colleges and universities in the Philippines use American Psychological Association (APA) 6th edition citation style. On the other hand, in the Department of Education (DepEd), they use DepEd Manual of Style and Chicago Manual of Style.  

Example

Original 

The occurrence of verbal bullying was a typical scenario in middle school. This kind of abuse was commonly committed by students towards their peers.

Paraphrase 

Verbal bullying is common in high school. Students usually commit this towards their classmates. 

Example

Original 

The interview was directed to the five (5) novice teachers who were identified through criterion sampling. 

Paraphrase 

Five new teachers are chosen to be participants through criterion sampling.