Paraphrasing and Summarising

Paraphrasing and Summarising
Paraphrasing
What is paraphrasing? Paraphrasing is not producing a direct copy of another persons’

ideas or work. Paraphrasing is re-writing another person’s words so that the original
meaning of their idea is maintained, but the structure and words you use are quite
different to theirs.
Practice activity
Test your ability to distinguish between a quotation, a paraphrase and a summary. Begin by
reading this extract.
In your notebook...
1. paraphrase the following extract:
a. Alexander Graham Bell is the man credited with inventing the telephone. He was
born in Scotland in 1847, but later moved to Canada, where he taught deaf people.
His invention was based o his discovery that sound waves could travel through wire;
once electricity was added to his listening contraption it was possible to extend the
distances that the sound waves could be sent. He registered his invention in 1876,
thereby, ensuring his position in history as the man who invented the telephone.
Now compare these three statements
After you have read the above passage, do the following:

• Write down just three key words.
• Cover the page and look away.
• Write your own version of what you just read, using just the three words as a
guide.
In your version, try to use a differentstructure or ordering of ideas within sentences
and in the piece as a whole.
• Look back at the passage and check it against your version. In this last exercise, did
you: • Cover the main ideas?
• Were most of the words your own?
• Was the order or structure of your passage different to the one above? If you did
all of these things, (and you remember to always reference the original correctly)
then you have paraphrased successfully! You can try this exercise in your own
reading and research.
b. “There has been a dramatic increase in the number of Australian children taking
an interest in cooking in the last two years. Researchers speculate that this may be
due to the rising popularity of reality based television cooking shows aimed at a
young audience. These shows often feature children who are very skilled at
preparing, cooking and presenting food. The shows present the idea that the levels
of skill such children possess in the kitchen can be reached by any child, as long as
they are determined and have family support. Cooking products and games have
also started to line the shelves of toy stores. These products are frequently packaged
so as to reinforce their links to the popular television shows and the promise of
success and celebrity status such shows confer upon the child who cooks.”
What is a summary? How do I summarise?
A summary is an overview of the main points and key themes of a text.

Summarising incorporates all of the author’s main ideas rather than focusing on
one aspect.
1. Identify the topic. Review images, introductions, abstracts, and conclusions to

help you understand the overall themes of the text. If the text has several
paragraphs, identify the topic sentence/s of each paragraph to help you form an
overview of the main points.
2. . Read the text in full, ensuring you understand the content, and make notes or
highlight the main points as you read. Leave out examples and details.
3. 3. Organise your notes into logical order with the main idea first and then the
major points. Your summary might conclude by referring back to the central
theme. In your own words, present the points in full sentences. Wherever
possible, simplify sentences, leaving out all unnecessary words and phrases
2.Summarise the following extract:
“Studentsfrequently overuse direct quotationin taking notes, and as a resultthey

overuse quotationsin the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of
yourfinal manuscriptshouldappear as directly quotedmatter. Therefore, you
shouldstrive tolimitthe amount of exacttranscribing ofsource materials while taking
notes.”
Now paraphrase and then summarise the following text:

a. Bias may not be obvious, and it does not necessarily mean that your source was
being ‘dishonest’ or ‘prejudiced’. If somebody has a strong interest in the survival of
a particular hospital, for example, the evidence they present may be accurate, yet
not the whole story. When thinking critically, we need to be continually questioning
in our minds whether there may be hidden agendas, or reasons why the evidence
appears to point one way rather than another. It is always worth considering what
political or economic interests might prevent the whole truth from emerging.
Consider also how easy it would be, or would have been, for alternative views to be
printed and circulated. For example, in some societies, such as sixteenth-century
Britain, people who spoke, printed or sold certain viewpoints could be punished by
death or loss of limb. Today, it can be difficult for small organisations or individuals
to get the funding they need to research and validate an alternative viewpoint. The
overall picture may be distorted if not all the evidence has come to light. Whilst it is
not necessary for you to write about issues of economics, politics and media access
in every essay, it is important to be aware of who has access to power, resources
and information, who does not, and the possible implications. (p. 192)
b. Electric trolley cars or trams were once the chief mode of public transportation in
the United States. Though they required tracks and electric cables to run, these
trolley cars were clean and comfortable. In 1922, auto manufacturer General Motors
created a special unit to replace electric trolleys with cars, trucks, and buses. Over
the next decade, this group successfully lobbied for laws and regulations that made
operating trams more difficult and less profitable. In 1936 General Motors created
several front companies for the purpose of purchasing and dismantling the trolley
car system. They received substantial investments from Firestone Tire, Standard Oil
of California, Phillips Petroleum, and other parties invested in the automotive
industry. Some people suspect that these parties wanted to replace trolley cars with
buses to make public transportation less popular, which would then increase
automobile sales. The decline of the tram system in North America could be
attributed to many things—labor strikes, the Great Depression, regulations that
were unfavorable to operators—but perhaps the primary cause was having a group
of powerful men from rival sectors of the auto industry working together to ensure
its destruction.

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Paraphrasing and Summarising

What is paraphrasing? Paraphrasing is not producing a direct copy of another persons’

1. paraphrase the following extract:

After you have read the above passage, do the following:

What is a summary? How do I summarise?

A summary is an overview of the main points and key themes of a text.

1. Identify the topic. Review images, introductions, abstracts, and conclusions to

2.Summarise the following extract:

“Studentsfrequently overuse direct quotationin taking notes, and as a resultthey

Now paraphrase and then summarise the following text:

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