Paraphrasing tips
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To paraphrase a passage effectively, reread the original text thoroughly to understand its full meaning. Then set the text aside and rewrite the paraphrase on notecards without looking at the original. Define any unfamiliar words and use synonyms. When paraphrasing, focus on complete thoughts rather than individual lines, and maintain the voice and perspective of the original speaker. Paraphrasing aims to rewrite the text in your own words at a similar length, while summarizing condenses the key points into a shorter response.
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Paraphrasing tips
- 1. Paraphrasing Tips Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
- 2. Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.
- 3. Look up the meaning of unfamiliar words and write synonyms for them.
- 4. Try taking a complete thought, and paraphrasing that. Do not try to paraphrase one line at a time, since it may not be a complete thought.
- 5. For example, the following is a complete sentence and therefore a complete thought. “If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well/It were done quickly.” Sample Paraphrase: If we’re going to kill him then it’s better to do it quickly. Or If we’re going to do it, it’s better that it’s done quickly.
- 6. Maintain the voice of the speaker. That is, speak as if you are Macbeth in this case.
- 7. Above all, don’t confuse paraphrasing with summarizing. Summaries are shorter, while paraphrasing is about the same length of the original text.