Writing: Summarizing & Paraphrasing (Basic) (B1) - Lesson 3: Basic Paraphrasing of Simple Sentences
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Hello B1 Learners! 👋
Sometimes when you write, you need to use information from another source, but you can't just copy it word-for-word. This is where paraphrasing comes in! Paraphrasing means expressing someone else's idea or information in your own words while keeping the original meaning.
In this lesson, you will:
- Understand what paraphrasing is and why it's important (especially to avoid plagiarism).
- Learn basic techniques for paraphrasing simple sentences.
- Practice paraphrasing.
What is Paraphrasing?
To paraphrase means to take information that you read or heard from someone else and rewrite it in your own words and your own sentence structure, without changing the original meaning.
Why is Paraphrasing Important?
- To Avoid Plagiarism: Plagiarism is copying someone else's work and saying it's your own. Paraphrasing (and citing your source, which you'll learn later) helps you use information ethically.
- To Show Understanding: When you can paraphrase an idea, it shows you truly understand it.
- To Integrate Information: It helps you fit information from other sources smoothly into your own writing style.
- To Simplify: You can paraphrase complex ideas to make them easier for your readers to understand.
Paraphrasing is different from summarizing. A summary gives the main points of a longer text in a short form. A paraphrase can be about the same length as the original piece of information but is in different words.
Basic Techniques for Paraphrasing Simple Sentences
For B1 level, we'll focus on these simple techniques. Often, you'll use more than one at the same time!
1. Use Synonyms:
Replace some of the keywords in the original sentence with synonyms (words that have a similar meaning). Don't just change one or two words; try to change several if possible.
Original: The weather was extremely cold.
Paraphrase: The temperature was very chilly.
2. Change Sentence Structure:
Alter the order of words, phrases, or clauses in the sentence. You might change an active sentence to a passive one (though this is more advanced), or change the order of clauses.
Original: Because the traffic was heavy, he arrived late for the meeting.
Paraphrase: He was late for the meeting due to the heavy traffic.
3. Change Word Forms:
Change a word from one form to another, for example, a noun to a verb, or an adjective to an adverb (if it fits grammatically).
Original: The quick growth of the company was impressive.
Paraphrase: The company grew quickly, which was impressive.
4. Combine Sentences or Break Them Up:
Sometimes you might combine two short original sentences into one longer paraphrased sentence, or break a long original sentence into shorter ones, as long as the meaning is kept.
Important: A good paraphrase should not sound too similar to the original. Aim to change both vocabulary and sentence structure significantly while keeping the meaning the same.
Examples of Paraphrasing
Original Sentence 1: Many students find it difficult to manage their time effectively.
Good Paraphrase: A lot of learners struggle with organizing their schedules well.
Techniques used: Synonyms ("many" → "a lot of"; "students" → "learners"; "difficult" → "struggle"; "manage" → "organizing"; "effectively" → "well"). Sentence structure is similar but key vocabulary is changed.
Original Sentence 2: The old library building needs urgent repairs because its roof is leaking.
Good Paraphrase: Due to a leaking roof, the historic library structure requires immediate fixing.
Techniques used: Synonyms ("old" → "historic"; "building" → "structure"; "needs" → "requires"; "urgent" → "immediate"; "repairs" → "fixing"). Changed sentence structure (reason clause moved to the beginning as a phrase).
Original Sentence 3: Learning a new language can open up many opportunities for young people.
Bad Paraphrase (Too close to original): Studying a different language might offer various chances for youths.
Why it's bad: Only a few words are changed. The sentence structure is almost identical. This is too similar and could be plagiarism.
Practice Paraphrasing!
Activity 1: Choose the Best Paraphrase
Read the original sentence. Then choose the option that is the best paraphrase (keeps the meaning, uses different words/structure).
Activity 2: Paraphrase a Simple Sentence
Read the original sentence. Rewrite it in your own words in the box below. Try to change keywords and the sentence structure if you can, but keep the meaning the same.
✨ Tips for Good Paraphrasing ✨
- Understand the Original: Make sure you fully understand the meaning of the sentence or passage before you try to paraphrase it.
- Change Keywords: Use synonyms for important words. A thesaurus can help, but make sure the synonym fits the context.
- Change Sentence Structure: Don't just replace words in the same order. Try starting the sentence differently, or changing active to passive (if you know how).
- Focus on Meaning, Not Words: Think about the idea, then express that idea in your own way.
- Compare with the Original: After you paraphrase, check it against the original. Is the meaning the same? Are the words and structure different enough?
- Cite Your Source (Important for Academic Work): If you are using someone else's idea, even if you paraphrase it, you usually need to say where you got the information from. (We'll learn more about this later!).
Using Your Own Voice! 🎉
Paraphrasing is a key skill for good writing. It helps you to use information from others effectively while developing your own writing style and avoiding plagiarism.