Information on how to paraphrase an essay
including a list of tips.
An overview of how to paraphrase an essay
The essay paraphrasing process is often misunderstood. Many
students consider rewriting a matter of correcting mistakes and changing the
order of a few words or sentences. Paraphrasing and paraphrasing an essay
is a crucial part of the writing process, and is creative in nature as much as
a mechanical function. Ideas and concepts are refined, added or removed
depending on what works best. When you paraphrase an essay, you should begin
with the paper as a whole and work your way down. Paraphrasing can be broken
down into the following stages:
●
Revising for substance – Taking a look at the “big
picture” is how it is often put. This is the idea or concept of the essay.
●
Revising for structure – How the essay is presented
such as the sequence of ideas and supporting arguments.
●
Revising for style – Basically ensuring the essay reads
well and is easily understood.
●
Proofreading – Correcting mechanical errors such as
mistakes in spelling and grammar.
●
Revision is done in this order as each stage can affect
all of the following stages. Revising for structure and style can be done
without affecting the substance, but if you change the very idea/thesis of an
essay then structure and style changes will have to be made.
Paraphrasing essays for substance
Substance is essentially what your essay is about. A stance
has been taken in the form of a thesis statement and an argument presented to
support the thesis. Essay revisions involving substance are the ones most
likely to involve big changes and major rewriting. When paraphrasing for
substance you should ask yourself the following questions:
●
Is the thesis clearly stated so that the reader will
know exactly your position?
●
Does the paper address the intended audience?
●
Is there specific evidence provided to support your
thesis, and is there enough evidence?
●
Is the evidence analyzed and explained?
●
Are there gaps in your argument or unanswered
questions?
●
Have you achieved the purpose you intended?
No matter how well written an essay is stylistically, if it
fails to support the thesis then it has not achieved its purpose and has failed
at the most basic level.
Paraphrasing essays for structure
Essay structure deals with how the information in the essay
is presented. A commonly used method is to make one point supporting the thesis
statement in each of the main body paragraphs. The first sentence serves as a
topic sentence in support of the thesis statement, and the rest of the
paragraph supports the topic sentence. Elements to look at when revising an
essay for structure include:
●
A clear and logical pattern in the presentation of
points or ideas. There should be a logical progression in your argument.
●
Check the introduction and make sure that it clearly
states what the paper is about.
●
Make sure each paragraph has a strong and clear topic sentence,
and that the rest of the paragraph supports the topic sentence.
●
Each topic sentence should relate to and support the
thesis statement.
●
Check the transitions between paragraphs. They should
be smooth and logical.
●
Examine the conclusion. It should be well reasoned, tie
everything together and not be to abrupt or leave the reader hanging.
Paraphrasing essays for style
Substance and structure have to do with presenting your
ideas and making your points in the best and most logical way. Once you have
done that it is time to revise for style to make the essay more readable and
easy to understand. Rewriting awkward sentences and making sure ideas are
presented clearly and concisely is the general idea. Some of the things to
consider are:
●
Is the language you used clear and concise? Avoid long
rambling sentences and get rid of excess words that don't serve a purpose.
●
Make sure you haven't used the passive voice too much.
●
Check that you have used gender neutral language.
●
Look for repetitive language and consider other words
and phrases.
Your target is to produce a paper that is easily read and
understood without any awkward sentences or confusion as to what you intended
to say.
Proofreading essays
Proofreading is the final stage of the revision process. It
is the step where mechanical type errors are corrected. When proofreading
things to check for include:
●
Spelling mistakes. Don't depend on a spellchecker to
catch everything.
●
Grammatical errors. As with spelling, don't depend on
software to find everything.
●
Punctuation mistakes
●
Correct documentation and bibliography
The importance of proofreading should not be overlooked.
Take the time to do a thorough proofreading. Mechanical errors such as mistakes
in spelling and punctuation are the easiest to correct. It would be a shame to
have put hard work into every other part of the process, only to see that
effort wasted because an essay wasn't thoroughly proofread.
Helpful tips for essay revisions
For many students it is more difficult to paraphrase an
essay than it is to write the first draft. The following tips on how to revise
an essay may make the process easier:
●
Give yourself plenty of time. Underestimating the time
needed is one of the most common problems students run into
●
Take a break in between writing the first draft and
starting the revision. If possible its good to wait a day, but even an hour or
so is better than nothing.
●
Be objective. Don't get too attached to anything you
have written
●
Read your essay out loud. It often highlights errors
that might not have been as obvious otherwise.
●
Write down the thesis statement and the first sentence
in each paragraph to form a paragraph. If the resulting paragraph makes sense
then your essay likely has a pretty sound structure. If it is confusing or
illogical there will need to be some changes made.
There is no exactly one right way to do essay paraphrase.
Every paper will be different, with its own problem areas. Use the information
provided here as a general guideline and with practice you will develop a style
and system that works best for you.
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