| Help with Paraphrase | ||||
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Class directory Ensor Learning Resources Center
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The following are helpful paraphrasing hints (paraphrased from the
University of Minnesota web site, listed below): In order to paraphrase something,
you must understand what it says. You must convert the meaning
of the passage into your own words.Be sure all the central issues of
the passage you are paraphrasing are included in your paraphrase. Be sure to hit all the main points.
Take advantage of the fact that
good paraphrase makes complex, badly-written material simpler and
easier to read.Read the passage you intend to
paraphrase and genuine understand it. Then turn the note card over and
(without looking at the original) try to explain what it was saying in
your own words. Once you've written down the explanation, turn
the card back over and check to make sure you didn't unconsciously
borrow material or distort the original meaning.If you use any significant words
from the original passage, either find another word or put the
"borrowed" words in quotation marks.Avoid "thesaurus
paraphrase," where you simply insert a word from the thesaurus
that matches the word in the passage. This type of
"paraphrase" doesn't serve any of the purposes of
paraphrase. It doesn't show that you understand the passage, and it
doesn't integrate that passage into your own style and argument. Plus,
it's still plagiarism If you use a thesaurus, be very
cautious, since there is often a significant difference between the
denotation and the connotation of words.Don't rely too heavily on direct
quotation; such over-reliance weakens the reader's sense of the
content of your paper.
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