PARAPHRASE: • Put key ideas into

your own words

• TRANSLATE (using synonyms or short phrases) into other words to prove you understand

• Chunk big picture into PIECES of puzzle

Paraphrasing Pointers

You need to capture • MAIN IDEAS ( a “TITLE” for the section that sums up

the point of ALL the examples and explanation in the section)

• 1-2 examples (evidence/detail/explanation) that the writer used to support and explain the main idea

DON’T USE COMPLETE SENTENCES!• Bullet point and boil the idea down to the MOST

significant nouns and verbs• Put complex terms into your OWN words and pictures• Don’t include EVERY example/detail Choose the supporting detail or two that will help you

remember the info (personal connection) OR that seem to be the strongest examples.

EXAMPLE OF PARAPHRASE OF ONE SECTION OF SPEECH:

Bottom of page 4

KIDS HAVE succeeded despite BIG obstacles

• Jazmin Perez-no English, town without college goals, BROWN DR!

• Andoni Shulz—BRAIN cancer, spent 100s hours on hw, college!

• Shantell Steve, no parents, job at health center in HS, helping kids stay out of gangs college

• CA, TX, IL

An acceptable shorter version paraphrase of the bottom half of pg. 4 of the speech:

KIDS HAVE succeeded despite BIG obstacles

• girl-no English, now DR.!• boy—BRAIN cancer, now @college!

• CA, TX, IL-no matter WHERE kid is from—boy or girl-work + good attitude=success

HOW OFTEN you stop to capture a shift to a new idea depends on the length of the piece: • 1 page—look for 2-3 main ideas• 7 pages—chunk each page into

1-3 main topics• 20 pages– look for shifts in main

ideas every 3-4 pages• Entire book—look for 1-2 main

ideas each CHAPTER or two