Paraphrasing Activity

Paraphrasing is hard work and takes time. You must re-write the thought or idea into your own words and your own sentence structure. Copying the sentence and changing two or three words is not acceptable. You must additionally acknowledge where the thought or idea came from with a reference notation.

A good way to paraphrase is to read the thought or idea you like two or three times.  Then set it aside and do not look at it.  Immediately say out loud what the thought or idea is.  Quickly write down what you said.  In all likelihood you will have used new language, new sentences and distilled the idea to exactly what you are interested in.

Try this approach to the following paragraph:

Some plagiarism is simply the result of ignorance. Explaining what plagiarism is and indicating why it is a serious offence not only may prevent the naïve student from plagiarizing but also may deter the intentional plagiarist. I discuss ways of preventing and handling plagiarism in the chapter “Teaching Student to Learn Through Writing.”

McKeachie, W.J. (2002). McKeachie's Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

For additional practice with paraphrasing, click here.