Paraphrasing
In this team discussion, you will practice your paraphrasing skills. These skills, which are essential for students and writers, will help you to more easily incorporate information and evidence from sources into your writing.
Step 1: Identify a short passage from a source that you want to paraphrase. For example, you could select a passage from one of your textbooks, a passage from a source in the library, or even part of the module notes in this course. Your passage should be at least 3-4 sentences long but no longer than a few paragraphs.
Step 2: Read the passage slowly and carefully, answering the following questions in your own words. (Don’t try to paraphrase the passage yet At this point simply answer the questions below.)
• What do you see as the most important idea of the passage as a whole? Try to write this in your own words using just 1-2 sentences.
• What other ideas, information, or evidence did the passage use to support the main idea? Make a list
Step 3: Put the passage away so that you are not looking at it. Now. using only your memory and your notes from Step 2. re-write the passage in your own words. Don’t try to re-create the passage word-for-word. Instead, try to capture the some ideas using your own words.
Step 4: Look at your paraphrase side by side with the original passage. Make sure it doesn’t match the original passage with only a few words changed. This may be unavoidable for a few key words or phrases, but it should not be true for the paraphrase as a whole. If it is too close to the original passage, return to Step 3 and try again.
Step 5: In your initial discussion post, submit your original passage, the notes you created in Step 2. and the final paraphrase you created in Step 3. Make sure to clearly label each part of your post (original passage, step 2, and step 3). In addition, write approximately 100 words describing what you learned from this process. Was the process helpful for you? If so. why? If not. why not?