Reading Comprehension SkillsReading Comprehension Skills

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing means putting Paraphrasing means putting informationinformation into your own words into your own words

You can paraphrase: ◦A single word ◦A phrase or group of words◦A sentence or sentences◦An image ◦A chart◦A table or graph

WhyWhy paraphrase?paraphrase?

When we paraphrase…◦we demonstrate our comprehension

of a written text◦we demonstrate our comprehension

of a spoken text◦we enhance our understanding of a

text by putting it in our own wordsIf you can explain something in your

own words, then you have a good understanding of a topic

Characteristics Characteristics of a Good Paraphraseof a Good Paraphrase

A paraphrase must be correct.✓

A paraphrase must include your own words

A paraphrase must make sense.

Example Paragraph from a Example Paragraph from a Newspaper ArticleNewspaper Article

Notice key wordsNotice key words

Let’s look at our article again, but we will highlight key words and phrases:

The information at the bottom of the page is details

How to paraphrase?How to paraphrase?

Here are some ideas for creating your own words for the headline:

“Vancouver company creates GPS-enabled goggles to deliver instant feedback for skiing and snowboarding”

Synonyms

A synonym is a word that has the same meaning or a very close

meaning to the original word.Examples:

A synonym for Vancouver company is a local company. A synonym for GPS-enabled goggles is goggles with GPS A synonym for instant is immediate.

You do not have to change every word – certain key words cannot be changed

Our paraphrase now reads:

A local company creates goggles with GPS to deliver immediate feedback for skiing and snowboarding

How else do I paraphrase?How else do I paraphrase?

Grammar and Word Form Another idea is to change the grammar or word form:“Skiing and snowboarding has taken on a new high tech twist.”Could become:A new high tech innovation has been developed for skiers and

snowboarders

Note the active to the passive voice and the verb change: has taken on = has been developed

Note the the synonym for twist = innovation Note the word form change for skiing = skiers Note the word form change for snowboarding = snowboarders

Other Types of Documents: Graph Other Types of Documents: Graph ExampleExample

Highlighted InformationHighlighted Information

Paraphrased InformationParaphrased Information

Employment statistics remained fairly constant in September with a slight drop

Decrease in part time work was balanced with an increase in full time jobs

Young people aged 15-24 were especially affected.

Highlighted InformationHighlighted Information

ConclusionConclusion

When we paraphrase, we put parts of a text into our own words

Paraphrasing demonstrates understanding– if you can explain it in your own words, you have a good understanding of an idea or phrase

To paraphrase, use such techniques as synonyms, changing grammar and word forms

SourcesSources

http://www.slideworld.com/slideshows.aspx/The-Fundamentals-of-Summarizing-and-Paraphrasing-ppt-968465

www.quia.com http://www.statcan.gc.ca/subjects-sujets/labour-travail/lfs-epa/lfs-epa-

eng.htm http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/techsense/archive/

2010/10/01/gps-enabled-goggles-deliver-instant-feedback-on-your-skiing-and-snowboarding.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+canada%2FiWCa+%28Digital+Life%29

www.esu.edu/~bsockman/PPT/paraphrasing.ppt

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