Paraphrasing and Paragraph writing: Week 5

Task 1 (Suggested Answers)

1. To avoid having too many direct quotations in your essay - this could have a negative effect on the coherence of your argument.

2. To express a writer's ideas in a clearer, shorter or more suitable way that allows them to support the argument of your essay rather than distract from it.

3. To express something more concisely. Even native speaker writers of English do not always write clearly or concisely, and sometimes you can express their ideas more effectively.

4. To create the effect of a more impersonal style, which is often preferred for academic writing.

Task 2Anna’s paragraph is a good paraphrase.

Anna:• Removes unusual (or possibly distracting) words – Yes• Uses the same sentence structure of the original paragraph - No • Keeps it as simple as possible – Yes• Keeps it concise - Yes • Always uses the same words as the original - No • Expresses the main ideas in their own words - Yes • Does not copy pieces of text - Yes

Although David’s paraphrase contains a source reference [According to Welsh (1994)...], his paraphrase is too similar to the original text. He does not try to express the main points in his own words; instead, he simply replaces some words. This does not make the text any easier to understand and he could have written this without necessarily understanding the text fully.

Task 3

Anna chose to organise her paragraph as a list of points. Here is the paragraph that she wrote:

There are a number of points that people should consider before deciding to study a Master's course. Firstly, postgraduate Master's programmes normally provide a wide view of the subject; however, they may not cover in any depth certain aspects of the field. Secondly, most Master's courses provide training which is suitable for students who already have several years of work experience. These students will more easily be able to apply the theory to their practical situation. Thirdly, the tuition fees for Master's courses are normally very expensive, which means that students should also consider the amount needed for living expenses. Therefore, people should think very carefully about the choice of course before deciding to take one.

Task 4 Anna chose to organise her paragraph by comparing and contrasting the

points for and against exams. Here is the paragraph that she wrote:

The use of examinations is a much debated topic. It has often been suggested that examinations are an unfair means of testing a student's knowledge and ability. One reason for this is that they measure only a small part of what a student knows about a subject. Moreover, they provide a very limited idea of a student's ability. For instance, a good student may perform poorly in an examination for unavoidable health reasons. On the other hand, it has been argued that examinations are fair because they are the same for everyone, and that they are the most convenient means of testing large numbers of students. However, these arguments have not persuaded those who are against examinations. Consequently, it seems that examinations may gradually disappear.