Paraphrasing

araphrasing: an Example
Original
Despite the undoubted fact that everyone's vision of what constitutes success is different, one should
spend one's time establishing and finalizing one's personal vision of it. Otherwise, how can you possibly
understand what your final destination might be, or whether or not your decisions are assisting you in
moving in the direction of the goals which you've set yourself?
The two kinds of statement – mission and vision – can be invaluable to your approach, aiding you, as
they do, in focusing on your primary goal, and quickly identifying possibilities that you might wish to
exploit and explore.
Paraphrase
We all have different ideas about success. What's important is that you spend time defining your version
of success. That way, you'll understand what you should be working toward. You'll also know if your
decisions are helping you to move toward your goals.
Used as part of your personal approach to goal-setting, mission and vision statements are useful for
bringing sharp focus to your most important goal, and for helping you to quickly identify which
opportunities you should pursue.
How to Paraphrase Speech

In a conversation – a meeting or coaching session, for example – paraphrasing is a good way to make
sure that you have correctly understood what the other person has said.
This requires two additional skills: active listening and asking the right questions .
Useful questions include:
If I hear you correctly, you're saying that…?

So you mean that…? Is that right?
Did I understand you when you said that…?
You can use questions like these to repeat the speaker's words back to them. For instance, if the person
says, "We just don't have the funds available for these projects," you could reply: "If I understand you
correctly, you're saying that our organization can't afford to pay for my team's projects?"
This may seem repetitive, but it gives the speaker the opportunity to highlight any misunderstandings,
or to clarify their position.
Note:
When you're paraphrasing conversations in this way, take care not to introduce new ideas or
information, and not to make judgements on what the other person has said, or to "spin" their words
toward what you want to hear. Instead, simply restate their position as you understand it.
Sometimes, you may need to paraphrase a speech or a presentation. Perhaps you want to report back
to your team, or write about it in a company blog, for example.
In these cases it's a good idea to make summary notes as you listen, and to work them up into a
paraphrase later. (See How to Summarize Text or Speech, below.)
How to Summarize Text or Speech
Follow steps 1-5 below to summarize text. To summarize spoken material – a speech, a meeting, or a
presentation, for example – start at step 3.
1. Get a General Idea of the Original

First, speed read the text that you're summarizing to get a general impression of its content. Pay
particular attention to the title, introduction, conclusion, and the headings and subheadings.
2. Check Your Understanding

Build your comprehension of the text by reading it again more carefully. Check that your initial
interpretation of the content was correct.
3. Make Notes
Take notes on what you're reading or listening to. Use bullet points, and introduce each bullet with a key
word or idea. Write down only one point or idea for each bullet.
If you're summarizing spoken material, you may not have much time on each point before the speaker
moves on. If you can, obtain a meeting agenda, a copy of the presentation, or a transcript of the speech
in advance, so you know what's coming.
Make sure your notes are concise, well-ordered, and include only the points that really matter.
Tip:
The Cornell Note-Taking System is an effective way to organize your notes as you write them, so that
you can easily identify key points and actions later. Our article, Writing Meeting Notes , also contains
plenty of useful advice.
4. Write Your Summary

Bullet points or numbered lists are often an acceptable format for summaries – for example, on
presentation slides, in the minutes of a meeting, or in Key Points sections like the one at the end of this
article.
However, don't just use the bulleted notes that you took in step 3. They'll likely need editing or
"polishing" if you want other people to understand them.
Some summaries, such as research paper abstracts, press releases, and marketing copy, require
continuous prose. If this is the case, write your summary as a paragraph, turning each bullet point into a
full sentence.
Aim to use only your own notes, and refer to original documents or recordings only if you really need to.
This helps to ensure that you use your own words.
If you're summarizing speech, do so as soon as possible after the event, while it's still fresh in your mind.
5. Check Your Work

Your summary should be a brief but informative outline of the original. Check that you've expressed all
of the most important points in your own words, and that you've left out any unnecessary detail.
Summarizing: an Example
Original
So how do you go about identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and analyzing the opportunities and
threats that flow from them? SWOT Analysis is a useful technique that helps you to do this.
What makes SWOT especially powerful is that, with a little thought, it can help you to uncover
opportunities that you would not otherwise have spotted. And by understanding your weaknesses, you
can manage and eliminate threats that might otherwise hurt your ability to move forward in your role.
If you look at yourself using the SWOT framework, you can start to separate yourself from your peers,
and further develop the specialized talents and abilities that you need in order to advance your career
and to help you achieve your personal goals.
Summary
SWOT Analysis is a technique that helps you identify strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats.
Understanding and managing these factors helps you to develop the abilities you need to achieve your
goals and progress in your career.

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araphrasing: an Example

How to Paraphrase Speech

Useful questions include:

If I hear you correctly, you're saying that…?

1. Get a General Idea of the Original

2. Check Your Understanding

4. Write Your Summary

5. Check Your Work

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