PARAPHRASING

reading thinking

understandingrewriting

Developed by: Professor Jean Van Meter

What?

By current scientific reckoning, our planet is 4.54billion years old, give or take a few million years.

(All of the following sentences were taken from The Washington Post)

By current scientific reckoning, our planet is 4.54billion years old, give or take a few million years.

What about it?What?

By current scientific reckoning, our planet is 4.54billion years old, give or take a few million years

What?

What about it?

Who says?

What about it?What?

Who says?

By current scientific reckoning, our planet is 4.54billion years old, give or take a few million years

Sample:Scientists say the earth is about 4 1/2 billion years old.

When it comes to momentous events in U.S. history, the War of 1812 ranks low in the minds of many - a forgettable hiccup in history.

What?

When it comes to momentous events in U.S. history, the War of 1812 ranks low in the minds of many - a forgettable hiccup in history.

What?

What about it?

When it comes to momentous events in U.S. history, the War of 1812 ranks low in the minds of many - a forgettable hiccup in history.

What?

What about it?

Sample:The War of 1812 is not a very memorable part of U.S. history.

Within six years, Marie Curie’s findings had wowed her dissertationcommittee, won her and her husband, Pierre, the 1903 Nobel prize inphysics, and put Marie on course for a solo Nobel prize in chemistryin 1911.

What? (not who)

Within six years, Marie Curie’s findings had wowed her dissertationcommittee, won her and her husband, Pierre, the 1903 Nobel prize inphysics, and put Marie on course for a solo Nobel prize in chemistryin 1911.

What? (not who)

Did what? (3 things)

Within six years, Marie Curie’s findings had wowed her dissertationcommittee, won her and her husband, Pierre, the 1903 Nobel prize inphysics, and put Marie on course for a solo Nobel prize in chemistryin 1911.

What? (not who)

Did what? (3 things)

Within six years, Marie Curie’s findings had wowed her dissertationcommittee, won her and her husband, Pierre, the 1903 Nobel prize inphysics, and put Marie on course for a solo Nobel prize in chemistryin 1911.

What? (not who)

Did what? (3 things)

Within six years, Marie Curie’s findings had wowed her dissertationcommittee, won her and her husband, Pierre, the 1903 Nobel prize inphysics, and put Marie on course for a solo Nobel prize in chemistryin 1911.

What? (not who)

Did what? (3 things)

Sample:Marie Curie’s discoveries over just a few years amazed her professorshelped her and her husband Pierre win the 1903 Nobel prize inphysics, and led her to win the 1911 Nobel prize in chemistry.

Until about a decade ago, doctors knew so little about the sense ofsmell that patients who complained that they could no longer smellthings - a condition known as anosmia - were brushed aside.

Who?

Until about a decade ago, doctors knew so little about the sense ofsmell that patients who complained that they could no longer smellthings - a condition known as anosmia - were brushed aside.

Who?

What happened to them?

Until about a decade ago, doctors knew so little about the sense ofsmell that patients who complained that they could no longer smellthings - a condition known as anosmia - were brushed aside.

Who?

What happened to them?

Why?

Until about a decade ago, doctors knew so little about the sense ofsmell that patients who complained that they could no longer smellthings - a condition known as anosmia - were brushed aside.

Who?

What happened to them?

Why?

When?

Until about a decade ago, doctors knew so little about the sense ofsmell that patients who complained that they could no longer smellthings - a condition known as anosmia - were brushed aside.

Who?

What happened to them?

Why?

Sample:Until the late 1980’s, doctors ignored patients with anosmia -aninability to smell things -because they didn’t know much about thesense of smell.

When?

Whose nose is it? Backstreet Boys - Brian’s nose

Movie studios, record companies and video game producers areaggressively marketing violent entertainment products to children even as they label the material inappropriate for young audiences, a year long Federal Trade Commission investigation had found.

Who? - 3 groups

Movie studios, record companies and video game producers areaggressively marketing violent entertainment products to children even as they label the material inappropriate for young audiences, a year long Federal Trade Commission investigation had found.

Who? - 3 groups

Are doing what?

Movie studios, record companies and video game producers areaggressively marketing violent entertainment products to children even as they label the material inappropriate for young audiences, a year long Federal Trade Commission investigation had found.

Who? - 3 groups

Are doing what?

Who says?

Movie studios, record companies and video game producers areaggressively marketing violent entertainment products to children even as they label the material inappropriate for young audiences, a year long Federal Trade Commission investigation had found.

Sample:The Federal Trade Commission discovered that the entertainmentcompanies are trying hard to get children to buy their violent productseven though they say those products are not for children.

Who? - 3 groups

Are doing what?

Who says?

The most important factor in long-term accumulation of wealth is the act of saving itself.

What?

The most important factor in long-term accumulation of wealth is the act of saving itself.

What?

What about it?

The most important factor in long-term accumulation of wealth is the act of saving itself.

What?

What about it?

Sample: The best way to get rich over a long period of time is to save.

Practice paraphrasing the following:

1. Initially college financial aid was meant to assist the deserving poor, but now aid programs have been expanded to help the middle class as costs soared beyond many families’ reach.Sample:Sample: At first, financial aid for college was to go to the poor, but now the cost of college has increased so much that many middle class families also need financial aid.

2. Bill Joy, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, looks at modern genetics, robotics, and the ability to build molecule-size machines and sees technology exploding beyond our ability to control it.

Sample:Sample:Bill Joy, who helped start Sun Microsystems, believes modern technology is quickly growing out of control.