Paraphrasing is restating something. It is very similar to a summary; the

Paraphrasing Paraphrasing is restating something. It is very similar to a summary; the most obvious difference between them is length. You typically use summaries for text that is too long to paraphrase. A paraphrase will usually be approximately the same length as the original source text. The page number is not required in the in-text citation for a paraphrase, but it is encouraged.An effective paraphrase— • is written in your own words.• keeps the original meaning (does not add or take away important ideas or relationships).• does not keep the structure of the original while only changing some words for synonyms.• is approximately the same length as the original.Below is an excerpt from a website article that describes how technology is influencing our language. It was written by Jeffery Van Camp in December 2016.Example Source You can reach anyone, anywhere, instantly, and you can communicate with them in ways we didn't imagine even a decade ago.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/features/dt10-language-and-tech/

Example: Paraphrase

Communication today is very different from communication ten years ago and it is not limited by person, place, or time (Van Camp, 2016).Here are some general steps for writing a paraphrase.

• Read or listen to what you will paraphrase.
• Divide the sentence into parts and make sure you understand what

each part means.

• Identify any logical connectors (e.g., because, and, while, in

contrast, etc.).

• Rephrase each of the parts of the sentence (using synonyms, word

forms, etc.).

• Put the sentence back together.
• Compare the paraphrase to the original.

Read/Listen to source As with a summary, before you can write an effective paraphrase, you need to have a solid understanding of the source text. You should look up any new words in the original text if possible.Divide the sentence Many English sentences combine clauses and phrases together, and you will need to understand each of the clauses before you can paraphrase a sentence. Start by dividing the sentence into clauses (a clause has a subject and a verb).

Example: Sentence to Paraphrase

You can reach anyone, anywhere, instantly, and you can communicate with them in ways we didn't imagine even a decade ago" (Van Camp,

2016).

Example: Sentence Divided into Clauses

"You can reach anyone, anywhere, instantly / and / you can communicate with them in ways [we didn't imagine even a decade ago]" (Van Camp, 2016).

Now you can clearly see that this sentence has two main parts. The second part has an embedded relative clause (it describes which ways we communicate now). You need to make sure you understand each part of the sentence (e.g., new words, the pronoun references, etc.).This step becomes more important (and more difficult) when the

sentence is more complicated. Consider this more complex example:

Example Source Every new mode of communication — be it Facebook, Twitter, or new visual sharing apps like Instagram, Periscope, Reddit, or Snapchat — has its own rules and style, and we're creating sophisticated new language rules for each of them.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/features/dt10-language-and-tech/

How many main parts are there in this example? Can you identify the clauses? Start by identifying the main verb(s). Every clause has to have a verb, so this can help you locate the clauses.If you can't look at the sentence and find the main verbs quickly, you can try crossing out or simplifying phrases that don't have verbs or that you can identify as adjective clauses. Remember that your goal is to find the verbs so you can find the clauses.Here are some examples of phrases you could cross out if you are

trying to identify the main verb:

• An appositive (words that rename or give extra, grammatically

unnecessary information)

Example: My teacher, a recent college graduate, loves grammar.

• Phrases that show when, where, and how

Examples: A few years ago, I took a class.

Throughout the history of the country, the United States has fought for freedom.The scientist studied the dangerous animal with extreme caution.We can use this approach with the more complicated quote we looked at before.Every new mode of communication — be it Facebook, Twitter, or new visual sharing apps like Instagram, Periscope, Reddit, or Snapchat — has its own rules and style, and we're creating sophisticated new language rules for each of them.The verbs are has and are creating. Now it is easier to see that there are

two clauses:

Every new mode of communication has its own rules and style.We're creating sophisticated new language rules for each of them.Dividing the sentence into clauses will be easier now.

Example: Sentence Divided into Clauses

Every new mode of communication...has its own rules and style / and / we're creating sophisticated new language rules for each of them.Identify any logical connectors The way that two clauses are joined shows you the relationship that they have. For example, if two clauses are joined with because, you know that there is a cause/ effect relationship. This step is usually simple if you are familiar with some of these relationships.Here are some common connectors and their general relationships.