Paraphrasing
While summarising aims to reduce information to a suitable length, paraphrasing attempts to restate the
relevant information.
Example:
Original text
There has been much debate about the reasons for the Industrial Revolution happening in eighteenth-
century Britain, rather than in France or Germany.
Paraphrase
Why the Industrial Revolution occurred in Britain in the eighteenth century, instead of on the continent,
has been the subject of considerable discussion.
Skills in paraphrasing
1. Word choice
Skillfully addressing this aspect often requires the use of synonyms and antonyms. A synonym is a word
with a similar or almost identical meaning to another word, while an antonym expresses the opposite
meaning of a word. You can use a thesaurus to find synonyms and antonyms, or consult online
dictionaries such as the Oxford Dictionaries or Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
2. Grammatical units (i.e. part of speech/word class)
The second aspect involves not only using synonyms and antonyms, but also altering the grammatical
units (i.e. part of speech/word class); otherwise, you are simply plugging in similar words while keeping
the same basic structure.
3. Sequence of the words
The third aspect involves modifying the sequence of the words in the original text. By changing the
words, units and sequence of the sentence components, your paraphrase is likely to be far more effective
than a paraphrase addressing only one of the three aspects.
Activity 5F – Which paraphrase is best?
Read the text below and rank the three paraphrases in order of accuracy and clarity, giving reasons.
The Causes of the Industrial Revolution
Allen (2009) argues that the best explanation for the British location of the Industrial Revolution is found
by studying demand factors. By the early eighteenth century high wages and cheap energy were both
features of the British economy. Consequently, the mechanisation of industry through such inventions as
the steam engine and mechanical spinning was profitable because employers were able to economise on
labour by spending on coal. At that time, no other country had this particular combination of expensive
labour and abundant fuel.
Paraphrase 1:
A focus on demand may help to explain the UK origin of the industrial revolution. At that time, workers’
pay was high, but energy from coal was inexpensive. This encouraged the development of mechanical
inventions based on steam power, which enabled bosses to save money by mechanising production
(Allen, 2009).
Paraphrase 2:
The reason why Britain was the birthplace of the industrial revolution can be understood by analysing
demand in the early 1700s, according to Allen (2009). He maintains that, uniquely, Britain had the critical
combination of cheap energy from coal and high labour costs. This encouraged the adoption of steam
power to mechanise production, thus saving on wages and increasing profitability.
Paraphrase 3:
Allen (2009) claims that the clearest explanation for the UK location of the Industrial Revolution is seen
by examining demand factors. By the eighteenth century, cheap energy and high wages were both aspects
of the British economy. As a result, the mechanisation of industry through inventions such as the steam
engine and mechanical spinning was profitable because employers were able to save money on employees
by spending on coal. At that time, Britain was the only country with significant deposits of coal.
Rank the three paraphrases from the best to the worst: _________ > _____________ > ____________
Comments:
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Second text:
Brains and Sex
It is widely agreed that men and women think and act in different ways. Women appear to have better
memories, better social skills and are more competent at multi- tasking. Men, in contrast, seem to focus
better on issues and have superior motor and spatial skills, although clearly many people are exceptions to
these patterns.
These differences have been explained as behaviour adopted thousands of years ago, when the men went
hunting while the women stayed at home and cared for their children. But another approach is to see the
behaviour as a result of the way our brains function.
Recent research by Ragini Verma’s team at the University of Pennsylvania has used brain scans to
compare 428 men and 521 women. They tracked the pathways of water molecules around the brain area,
and found fascinating differences.
The top half of the brain is called the cerebrum, and it is divided into a left and a right half. The left
hemisphere is thought to be the home of logic and the right is the centre of intuition. Dr Verma found that
with women most of the pathways went between the two halves, while with men they stayed inside the
hemispheres. She believes that these results explain the gender differences in ability, such as women’s
social competence compared to men’s more intense focus.
Rewrite the first paragraph by substituting the underlined words with their synonyms.
It is widely agreed that men and women think and act in different ways. Women appear to have better
memories, better social skills and are more competent at multi-tasking. Men, in contrast, seem to focus
better on issues and have superior motor and spatial skills, although clearly many people are exceptions to
these patterns.
It is ________________ that ______________ think and ___________ in different ways. Women
____________ to have ____________ memories, better social ____________ and are more
____________ at multi-tasking. Men, _____________, seem to focus better on _____________ and have
superior motor and spatial ___________, although ___________ many people are ______________ to
these patterns.
Rewrite the second paragraph by changing the word class of the underlined words.
These differences have been explained as behaviour adopted thousands of years ago, when the men
went hunting while the women stayed at home and cared for their children. But another approach is
to see the behaviour as a result of the way our brains function.
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