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Teaching Paraphrasing in Reading and English Classes

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Teaching Paraphrasing in Reading
and English Classes

MNADE Conference 2018

Jennifer Willcutt, Reading

Scott Stankey, English

Anoka-Ramsey CC
Our Goals for this Session
1. Collaborate on how we use or don’t use
paraphrasing in our developmental
Reading and English courses

2. Explore similarities, differences, and

connections among the skills of quoting,
paraphrasing, and summarizing

3. Provide concrete examples of instructional

approaches to teaching paraphrasing:
activities, lessons, and quiz/exam
questions

4. Discussion and other thoughts….

Our initial questions for research,
exploration, and collaboration…
-- how do people do it?
-- is it useful or effective?
-- how do we effectively
teach students how to do
it?
--what are the
consequences when
students are not successful
at paraphrasing?
 JENNIFER
READING & ELL
Why discuss paraphrasing?

• Oral or written paraphrases

or summaries can help an
instructor identify problem
areas in students’
comprehension
 Elements of a Paraphrase
• Correctly understanding the
original ideas and their context
• Maintaining the original meaning
• Re-stating using different words
(synonyms)
• Free from personal interpretation or
changing of voice
• Simplifying information
Common Problems Students Have
• Changing the original voice
• Inserting personal beliefs or
interpretations
• Changing only a few words
• Blurring quotation, paraphrasing, &
summarizing
Paraphrasing Activities I’ve
Tried
• Providing definitions of
paraphrasing and
quotation on
assignments/lecture notes
• Looking at the different
elements of citation
needed for each (“”, pg.#,
Author’s Name)
• Taking sample quotes from
the text and asking
students to re-phrase
READ 910 Lab Activity
Directions: Paraphrasing is a skill a reader uses to translate
an author’s words by keeping the same meaning but using
different words. Paraphrase – re-write using your own
words while keeping the same meaning – each of the
quotations below. Use an online dictionary such as
www.dictionary.com or www.m-w.com if you need to look
up words you don’t know. Submit to the Assignment folder
on D2L by the end of class today for lab credit.
• “I just want you to remember one thing. From the
moment you leave this house, don’t let anybody raise
you. Every time you get into a relationship you will
have to make concessions, compromises, and there’s
nothing wrong with that…Follow what’s right. You’ve
been raised.” p.74
• “I thought the Old Man blind to the wonders and
potentials of the real world; could not fathom how
current events or cultural habits so vital to my
contemporaries could be considered so frivolous – or
worse. In turn, The Old Man expected me to
obediently accept his own values: show more concern
over the ultimate disposition of my eternal soul,
eschew easy paths when walking tougher ones might
somehow purify, be not so inquisitive or damnfool
dreamy.”p.77
ELL 810 Lab Activity
Directions: Practice using quotation and paraphrasing.
Quote 5 sentences from American Ways Chapter 4. Then,
paraphrase each quote using your own words.
Here are the definitions of these terms from Merriam-
Webster’s online dictionary www.m-w.com:
• Quotation: something that a person says or writes that
is repeated or used by someone else in another piece
of writing or a speech
• Paraphrase: a restatement of a text, passage, or work
giving the meaning in another form
Here is an example of a quote: “Although the American
civilization took over and replaced the frontier more than
a century ago, the heritage of the frontier is still evident in
the United States today.” ( p. 73)
• Here is an example of a paraphrase of the quote:
Even though the frontier was settled a long time ago,
we still see the effects of the frontier idea in modern
society.
1.Quote:
2. Paraphrase:………..(repeat 5x)
READ 990 Paraphrasing
Lecture Notes
• Re-say or re-write an idea
using your own words
• You can paraphrase any
statement!
• Keeping the same idea(s)
only saying it with different
word choice
• To avoid plagiarizing, make
EVERY word different
ELL 870 Open-Book
Comprehension Quizzes
From Open Book Quiz 2:
• From HTWF&IP Chapter 1, what does the title “If
You Want to Gather Honey, Don’t Kick Over the
Beehive” mean when dealing with people?
• Paraphrase – explain in your own words – what
Lincoln meant by “with malice toward none, with
charity for all”.
• What is Principle 1 from Chapter 1 of HTWF& IP?
What is another saying or way to express Principle 1
in your own words?
From Test 1:
• What have you learned about being a successful
student from your reading in the WW book so far?
Give an example, quote it, include the page number
where you found your idea, and explain how you
could use this idea in your life as a college student.
 Implications for readers…
• Essential for good note-
taking
• Understanding citation and
plagiarism
• English Language Learners
– phrase structure rules, idiom
and vocabulary deficits
– Importance of a developed
lexicon (mental dictionary)
 SCOTT
ENGLISH
Scott – Introducing Paraphrase – part 1

How to Take Notes:

• Quotation
• Summary
• Paraphrase
• A combination of Q, S, P

• NOTE: each note you take

should include the author’s
name and/or the title of the
source and, if applicable, the
page number(s) from which the
note was taken.
Scott – Introducing Paraphrase – part 1

• The Preamble to the

Constitution (an example which
shows changing words and
structures)
• A passage from Henry David
Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience
(an example which focuses on
replacing synonyms)
• Selected sentences from
various sources on well-known
topics (as practice)
Scott – Introducing Paraphrase – part 2

A Paraphrase Paper:
• A one-paragraph paraphrase
of a difficult paragraph
Scott – Introducing Paraphrase – part 2

• The Declaration of
Independence
• The Gettysburg Address (by
Abraham Lincoln)
• One paragraph from
“Wilderness” (by John Muir)
• One paragraph from “Pollution
Control: Costs and Benefits”
(from The Congressional
Quarterly)
How I Introduce Paraphrasing Currently

• Paper #1 – a response and

synthesis essay
– I introduce all three methods
(Q, S, P) but we focus on
quotation
• Paper #2 – stand-alone”
summaries
– Several one-sentence
summaries and one one-
paragraph summary
• Paper #3 – a collection of
paraphrases
My Newest Assignment
• I select passages from the
sources/essays we’ve been
reading and using for the
previous assignments.

Handouts:
• The assignment sheet
• Sample formatting
• The grading rubric
Student Reactions
• When they get the
assignment
– It’s unusual, challenging, etc.
– They continue to confuse
paraphrase with summary
• When they have
completed the assignment
– They like that it’s not a typical
“paper” (essay)
– They report improvement in close-
reading and critical-thinking skills
– I see better paraphrases in their
essays
When to Choose Quotation
• Use for wording that is so memorable or
expresses a point so perfectly that you
cannot improve or shorten it without
weakening the effect you need
• Use for an author’s opinions you wish to
emphasize
• Use for respected authorities whose
opinions support your ideas
• Use for authors whose opinions
challenge or vary from others in the
field
• Use for any text that you are going to
analyze, evaluate, directly comment
on, etc.
Notes on Quotation
• Quotation is NOT to be a
shortcut for lack of time!
• Quotation is to be used
sparingly – “no more than ___
quotes per page” – or “no
more than ___% similarity index
on TurnItIn.com.”
• Always prefer summary and
paraphrase over quotation!
• What is the effect on the
reader when reading a paper
with too many quotes?
Quoting Too Much
• Sometimes called the “scotch-tape
special” or the “cut-and-paste job”
• “Too many ‘voices’ talking in the paper”
• Readers will begin to skip over quotations,
especially if there are too many of them,
and especially if there are several “long”
quotations (block quotes)
• Readers might also (perhaps mistakenly)
assume:
– The writer doesn’t have any ideas of his
or her own
– The writer is lazy and does not want to,
or is unwilling to, do the hard work of
reading, thinking, and writing
– The writer is incapable of critical
reading, thinking, and writing
Rules for Quotation
• Everything must be copied accurately –
capital letters, spellings, punctuation, etc.
• “Quotation marks” must be used.
• ALL quotations must be introduced with a
“signal phrase” (a.k.a. “attribution phrase”).
Sometimes, a complete sentence with a
colon (:) at the end can also do this.
• Most quotations will also require a
parenthetical citation.
• Things can be removed from a quotation by
using . . . ellipses dots (3 spaced periods).
• Things can be changed within a quotation,
but [square brackets] must be used to
indicate these changes.
• No changes can be made which alter the
meaning of the quotation.
Summary
• Use summary when you just
want to highlight the “gist” of a
passage – the “central idea”
(the thesis) – or the “main
point(s)” (the main ideas, the
topic sentences) – or both – in a
text.
• Do not include examples and
details.
Paraphrase
• Use paraphrase for passages
that you do not wish or need to
quote but whose examples or
details you wish to note fully
• Or, think about paraphrase as a
“translation” (or a
“clarification”) of the original
passage – you might be taking
a complex or technical
passage and rewriting it in
easier-to-understand language
Notes on Paraphrasing
• Paraphrasing is hard work and
takes time. You must read very
closely and understand what you
are reading.
• It is NOT enough to simply
substitute synonyms into a passage
– it is also NOT enough to simply
change the sentence structures –
both will be considered
PLAGIARISM
• A good paraphrase will change
BOTH the words AND the sentence
structures of the original passage.
Summary/Paraphrase –
Similarities
• Both are in your own words
• Both can contain brief quotations of
significant language (varies by
instructor)
• Both are “selective” – you are
focusing on what you need most for
your purpose and audience
• Both do not distort the meaning of the
original passage
• Both must be documented – even
though they are in your own words,
the original ideas are not yours
Summary/Paraphrase –
Differences
• A summary is a brief
restatement of the content of a
passage, focusing on the
central idea and/or the main
idea(s)
• A paraphrase is a precise
restatement, in your own words,
of the content of a passage,
focusing on the main idea(s)
and the example(s) and/or
details(s)
Summary/Paraphrase –
Differences
• A summary “condenses” information:
– A summary of an entire book  a
10-page paper
– A summary of an article or chapter
 1-2 paragraphs
– A summary of paragraph  1-2
sentences
• A paraphrase is roughly the same
length as the original passage:
– A paraphrase of a paragraph = a
paragraph
– A paraphrase of 2-3 sentences = 2-
3 sentences
Summary/Paraphrase –
Differences
• A summary usually follows the
same order of ideas as the
original passage
• A paraphrase changes not only
the words but also the sentence
structures of the original
passage
How to Paraphrase – Step 1
• Read and study the original:

• In 1968 the Kerner Commission

released a report that talked of
two Americas, one black, one
white, separate and unequal.
How to Paraphrase – Step 2
• Change the sentence structure:

• In 1968 the Kerner Commission

released a report that talked of
two Americas, one black, one
white, separate and unequal.

• There were two Americas, one

black, one white, separate and
unequal, according to the 1968
Kerner Commission report.
How to Paraphrase – Step 3
• Change the wording:

• There were two Americas, one

black, one white, separate and
unequal, according to the 1968
Kerner Commission report.

• There were two very different

and unequal Americas, a white
America and a black America,
according to the Kerner
Commission’s 1968 report.
How to Paraphrase – Step 4
• Review your work, and then
document the paraphrase:

• There were two very different and

unequal Americas, a white America
and a black America, according to
the Kerner Commission’s 1968 report
(Quindlen E17).

• Quindlen reminds us that there were

two very different and unequal
Americas, a white America and a
black America, according to the
Kerner Commission’s 1968 report (E17).
Discussion
• Questions?
• Comments?
• What works for you?
 References
• Allison, D. et al. (1994). Pig in the Middle? Effects of Mediating Tasks on
Cognitive Processing of Text. Paper presented at the Annual International
Language in Education Conference.
• Brown, A.L. & Day, J.D. (1983). Macrorules for Summarizing Texts: The
Development of Expertise. NICHHD Technical Report No. 270.
• Dansereau, D. et al. (1975). Learning Strategy Training Program:
Paraphrasing Strategy for Effective Learning. ERIC Report # ED 111 742.
• Ghosn, Irma K. (1996). “What Do You Mean in Your OWN Words?” The
Problem of Paraphrasing. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
• Lee, S.W. & Von Colin, T. (2003). The Effect of Instruction in the Paraphrasing
Strategy on Reading Fluency and Comprehension. ERIC Report # ED 476 287.
• McClelland, J. L., & Rumelhart, D.E. (1988). Explorations in parallel distributed
processing: A handbook of models, programs, and exercises. Cambridge,
MA, US: The MIT Press.
• Torrance, N. et al. (1992). The Development of the Distinction between
Paraphrase and Exact Wording in the Recognition of Utterances.

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