Strategy 1:ÊUse the most important words
Strategy 2: ÊUse synonyms
Strategy 3:ÊHighlight and cross out words
Strategy 1: Use the most important words |
Directions
a. Read the information carefully.
b. Pick out and highlight the most important part of each sentence.
c. Write the information in your own words.
|
Example from an online aticle about contamination of food (Works Cited):
ÒCross-contamination is the transfer of harmful bacteria to food from other foods, cutting boards, utensils, etc., if they are not handled properly. This is especially true when handling raw meat, poultry, and seafood, so keep these these foods and their juices away from already cooked or ready-to-eat foods and fresh produceÓ (FDA 1).
Possible paraphrase:
The transfer of harmful germs from one food to another is called cross-contamination, and is a major problem when handling meat and seafood.
Return to top
Directions
a. Use synonyms: other words that mean the same thing.
b. Look the words up in a thesaurus to find synonyms.
ÊÊÊ Note: Synonyms were not a part of the original quote.
c. Never use a word if you donÕt know what it means.
|
Example from the Research Defense Society
home page (Works Cited):
ÒRDS believes
that research using animals should be well regulated [legally controlled],
conducted
ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ
humanely [in a caring manner] and only when there is no alternative [other choice]Ó ("Welcome to" 1).
ÊÊÊÊ
Possible paraphrase:
Animals should be used in
research only when there is no other choice, and then there should be specific
legal controls and the animals should be treated in a caring manner.
Return to top
Strategy 3:ÊÊHighlight and cross out words |
Directions
If you are having trouble figuring out what is most important:
a. Go through the information and cross out all the words with 4 letters or fewer and unimportant words, such as connectors.
b. Circle or highlight the words that seem most important.
c. Consider nouns and verbs as more important than adjectives and adverbs.
d. Put in synonyms to help you write in your own words. Use the thesaurus, if needed.
ÊÊÊÊNote: Synonyms were not a part of the original quote.
e. Now write your sentence.
|
Example from an online article about
skin cancer (Works Cited):
"Very simply, sunburn and UV light [harmful rays from the sun] can damage [harm]your skin, and this damage can lead to skin cancer. There are of course other determining factors, including your heredity [characteristics from parents] and the environment [surroundings you live in] you live in. However, both the total amount of sun received over the years, and overexposure resulting in sunburn can cause skin cancer. Most people receive 80% of their lifetime exposure to the sun by 18 years of age. The message to parents from this is to protect your children" ("Introduction to" 1).
Possible paraphrase:
Getting skin cancer can be affected by the characteristics you inherit from your parents and by the surroundings you live in, but the biggest risk is harmful rays from the sun. Parents should make sure their children are protected, since 80% of the harmful sun rays are received by the time kids are 18 years old.
Return to top
Works Cited
Return to top
copyright 2005 Carolyn Jackson
ÊÊÊÊÊ
