PARAPHRASING
A. Dùng từ đồng nghĩa (synonyms) thay cho các từ chủ chốt (keywords) là bước đầu của paraphrasing.
I. Fill in the blanks in the rewritten sentences with synonyms of the words in bold in
the original sentences so that they do not change their meanings.
1. There was a very serious car crash on the expressway yesterday.
= There was a horrible _____________ _____________ on the expressway yesterday.
2. The typhoon terrified many sailors who were at sea on their ships.
= The typhoon _____________ many sailors who were at sea on their ships.
3. The adolescents showed great enthusiasm for the festival.
= The _____________ demonstrated great _____________ in the festival.
4. The two companies signed a contract to cooperate in their businesses.
= The two companies signed a contract to _____________ _____________in their businesses.
5. The student placed more emphasis on entertainment than on school work.
= The student placed more _____________ on amusements than on _____________.
6. The man went on holiday to the coastal area after completing his project.
= The man went on holiday to the _____________ after _____________ his work.
7. The team had to adjust their schedule due to heavy rain all yesterday.
= The team had to change their schedule _____________ _____________ heavy rain all yesterday.
8. Looking at a computer monitor for too long can injure your eyes.
= _____________ a computer _____________ for a long time can _____________ your eyes.
9. Vitamin C is very important in enhancing the effectiveness of the immune system.
= Vitamin C plays _________ _____________ _____________ in boosting the
effectiveness of the immune system.
10. Doing Qi Gong everyday helps the bodily organs function amazingly better.
= Doing Qi Gong _________ helps the bodily organs work amazingly better. 1
II. 1. Complete the passage below with the given information in the box. Make any
changes to the phrases if necessary to ensure the sentences are grammatically completed.  go on field trips
 subjects are applied in the real world
 take a trip to the mountains to study plants
 understand what they have learned
_________ _________ _________ _________ is an important part of education for
students. Not everything that a student needs to learn can be taught in the
classroom. Field trips give students the chance to see how the subjects they learn
about in school _________ _________ in the real world. For example, a student can
study the environment in school, but actually _________ _________ _________ to
the mountains to study the plants and wildlife there will give that student a much
better understanding of what he or she _________ _________.
2. Paraphrase the above passage using synonyms to fill in the blanks.
Field trips are _________ _________ _________ of education for students. Not
everything that a student needs to learn can be taught in the classroom. Field trips
allow students _________ _________ how the academic knowledge works in the
real world. _________ _________, a student can study the environment in school,
but actually field trips to the mountains to study the plants and _________ there will
help that student understand more clearly about the knowledge taught in the classroom. 2
B. Một trong những phương pháp paraphrasing nữa là thay đổi từ loại (word class).
Khi thay đổi từ loại thường dẫn đến việc thay đổi mạo từ và / hoặc trật tự từ trong câu.
I. Rewrite the words or phrases in bold with their equivalents so that they do not
change their meanings. Remember to change the word class of the words or phrases in bold.
1. The professor names a number of reasons for the rising levels of pollution.
= The professor names _____________reasons for the rising levels of pollution.
2. The government says the usage of this preservative within the acceptable daily
intake (ADI) is not a hazard.
= The government says _____________this preservative within the acceptable daily
intake (ADI) is not _____________.
3. Severe weather conditions made the completion of the voyage impossible.
= Severe weather conditions made _____________ the voyage impossible.
4. We reserved a twin bedroom at the Grand Hyatt for our trip to Hong Kong that lasted five days.
= We booked a twin bedroom at the Grand Hyatt for our _____________ trip to Hong Kong.
5. Cars are designed for the protection of the lives of people in them.
= Cars are designed to _____________ the lives of people in them.
6. The knowledge of how to organise one’s time is an essential element of success.
= _____________ how to organise one’s time is an essential element of success.
7. Doctors are generally more interested in the prevention of diseases than in their cure.
= Doctors are generally more interested in _____________diseases than in _____________ them.
8. A careful check of all equipment is of critical importance before launching a rocket.
= _____________ _____________all equipment is _____________ _____________ before launching a rocket. 3
II. 1. Complete the passage below with the given information in the box. Make any
changes to the phrases if necessary to ensure the sentences are grammatically completed.  great strength on the sea
 begin to colonise North and South America
 France and Spain grew wealthy
 The role of England was limited in the colonisation
In the early 1500s England was one of the weaker nations in Europe. Both France
and Spain had much _________ _________ militarily than England, especially on
the sea. This was critically important because Europeans were just _________
_________ _________ North and South America. Both France and Spain were
_________ _________ from their South American colonies, but England’s role
_________ _________ _________ of the Americas was limited due to its weak
navy. This changed in 1588, when England’s navy defeated the Spanish navy and
emerged as the most powerful navy in the world.
2. Paraphrase the above passage using the equivalents of the phrases or words in it to fill in the blanks.
In the early 1500s England was among the weaker countries in Europe. Both France
and Spain had much stronger military than England, particularly on the sea. This
was _________ _________ _________ as Europeans were just beginning
_________ _________ of North and South America. France and Spain were both
becoming rich nations from their South American colonies while England’s role in
_________ _________ _________ was limited because of its weak navy. This
changed in 1588, when England’s navy defeated the Spanish navy and emerged as
the mightiest navy in the world. 4
C. Một kỹ thuật paraphrasing thường được sự dụng là đổi câu có hai lần phủ định sang
câu khẳng định hoặc sang câu phủ định một lần, câu so sánh hơn thành so sánh kém;
biến từ mang nghĩa phủ định thành phủ định của câu; và ngược lại.
I. Rewrite the words or phrases in bold with another wording so that they do not change their meanings.
1. It is not uncommon for members of the same pride of lions to challenge each other for control of the pride.
= It is _________ for members of the same pride of lions to challenge each other for control of the pride.
*pride of lions: đàn sư tử (tiếng Anh có rất nhiều chữ chỉ một đàn động vật và chúng
ta phải thuộc vì đó là những cụm từ cố định. e.g. a school of fish (đàn cá), a flock of
birds (đàn chim), a flock of goats (đàn dê), a flock of sheep (đàn cừu), a herd of cattle
(đàn gia súc), a colony of ants (đàn kiến), a swarm of bees (đàn ong), a pack of dogs (đàn chó), ect.
2. The role of foreign invasions in the decline of the Roman Empire was not insignificant.
= The role of foreign invasions in the decline of the Roman Empire was _____________.
3. Unmanned space missions are hardly as risky as manned space missions.
= Unmanned space missions are _____________ _____________ manned space missions.
* unmanned space missions: phóng tàu vũ trụ không người lái
* manned space missions: phóng tàu vũ trụ có người lái
4. The hikers found the passage over the mountain less easy than they expected.
= The hikers found the passage over the mountain _____________ _____________ than they expected.
5. The results of the experiment were not as unambiguous as some researchers had hoped.
= The results of the experiment were not as _____________ _____________some researchers had hoped.
6. The company’s advertising campaign was less costly than it had been in earlier years.
= The company’s advertising campaign was _____________ than it had been in earlier years.
7. Her story is not as improbable as it first seems.
= Her story is _____________ _____________ than it first seems.
8. The jobs ten years ago were not as insecure as they are now.
= The jobs ten years ago were much _____________ _____________ than they are now. 5
9. It is not insurmountable to deal with the school violence, which is a worrying problem.
= It is quite _____________ to deal with the school violence, which is a worrying problem.
10. An automobile manufactured by domestic factories costs an inexpensive price than one produced abroad.
= An automobile manufactured by domestic factories is not _____________
_____________ _____________ one produced abroad. 6
II. 1. Complete the passage below with the given information in the box. Make any
changes to the phrases if necessary to ensure the sentences are grammatically completed.  less volcanically active
 less inactive volcano in the past  less abundant water
 Mars may be still capable of supporting life.
Although Mars is not as large as the Earth, the two planets are in reality quite
similar. Mars is _________ _________ _________ than the Earth is now, but there
is evidence that it was _________ _________ in the past. Mars has water, mostly in
the form of ice. Water is _________ _________ than on Earth, but its presence is not
insignificant. It suggests the possible capability of Mars for supporting life. In fact, it
is not completely impossible that Mars may still _________ _________ although
most researchers think it is unlikely.
2. Paraphrase the above passage using the equivalents of the phrases or words in it to fill in the blanks.
Although Mars is _________ _________ than the Earth, the two planets are in
reality quite similar. Mars is _________ _________ volcanically active as the Earth
is now, but there is evidence that it was _________ _________ in the past. Mars has
water, mostly in the form of ice. Water is _________ than on Earth, but its presence
is extremely _____________. It suggests Mars may once have been capable of
sustaining life. As a matter of fact, it is _____________ that Mars may still have the
capability of sustaining life despite the fact that most researchers think it is unlikely. 7
D. Một trong những phương pháp paraphrasing khác là thay đổi cấu trúc ngữ pháp – từ
câu có “but” sang câu có although, từ cầu “so...that” sang câu “such...that”, v.v.; hoặc
cấu trúc câu – từ chủ động sang bị động và ngược lại; thay đổi trật từ từ trong câu. Tuy
nhiên, tốt nhất nên vừa chuyển vị trí, vừa thay đổi từ vựng, cấu trúc.
I. Fill in the blanks so that the rewritten sentences have the same meaning with their original sentences.
1. The major failure of the Neanderthals was their inability to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
= The inability to adapt to changing environmental conditions was _____________
_____________ _____________ of the Neanderthals.
2. Physics is both a science and an art at the same time, or so they say.
= _____________ _____________ that physics is both a science and an art at the same time.
3. Many animal species that are in danger of extinction are protected by governments and international laws.
= Governments and international laws protect _____________ _____________ animal species.
4. Capable of pumping more than 11,000 gallons of blood a day, the human heart is a miracle of evolution.
= The human heart, _____________ _____________ _____________ over 11,000
gallons of blood per day, is a miracle of evolution.
5. Bargain items are always quick to go, but people are not sure of their quality.
= _____________ people are unsure of the quality of bargain items, they are always quick to go.
6. Unless we stop polluting the air, global warming may cause an environmental collapse in the near future.
= The environment may collapse in the near future as a result of global warming
_________ _________ _________ _________ _________ air pollution.
7. With the advance of technology, a college education has become more important than ever.
= A college education has had _a _____________ _____________ role than ever
_________ _________ the advance of technology. 8
II. 1. Complete the passage below with the given information in the box. Make any
changes to the phrases if necessary to ensure the sentences are grammatically completed.
 importance of global warming  clean water problem  advances in technology  change their lifestyle
Although _________ _________ is a significant problem, it is not the only problem
that humanity faces. Population growth, the lack of good farming land, and a need
for more _________ _________ are all problems that must be solved in the near
future. _________ _________ _________ alone will not be enough to solve these
problems. People must _________ _________ _________ so that they are not as
destructive to the environment. This means that people must become less wasteful if
they are to solve the problems they face.
2. Paraphrase the above passage using equivalents of the words or phrases in the
original passage to fill in the blanks.
While global warming is a serious problem, it is not the only problem faced
_________ _________. A growing population, _________ _________ _________
more good farming land and clean water are all problems that we must cope with in
the near future. _____________ _____________ alone will be insufficient to deal
with these problems. People have to alter their way of life so that they are
_________ _________ to the environement. This means that unless we become
more environmentally aware, we will be unable to solve the problems we encounter. 9