Methods & strategies: Paraphrasing content Paraphrasing content, or saying things in your own words, is a very important skill, both in writing and in speaking situations. Paraphrasing is actually “a form of translation; you are translating an idea in another ‘language’ into your own language. The idea should be the same, but the words and sentence structure should be totally different.” To be able to do this, you need two things: a large vocabulary so that you can easily replace a word with an appropriate synonym; and a firm grasp of grammar so that you can change the structure of a sentence and still end up with a correct new sentence. One important method for paraphrasing is turning active sentences into passive ones, and vice versa. The extract from the article “7 Words & 7 Rules for Eating” below includes the sentence, “In the U.S., 20% of food is eaten in the car.” It’s not difficult to paraphrase this sentence. We could simply say, “Americans eat a significant amount of food in their cars – about a fifth, according to Michael Pollan.” Strictly speaking, we have overstepped the boundaries of paraphrasing here because we have added new information. The original sentence did not mention that this statistic came from Michael Pollan. However, in a speaking situation, especially during your exam, this will certainly not be a problem. Your teacher will probably be impressed if you turn a couple of active sentences into passive ones. This might impact your grade, too, as the passive voice is one of the “complex structures” mentioned in the analytic scale (1 0.2). If you feel that using the passive voice is not your forte1, please study 1 4.9. Paraphrasing content ■■ Read the extract from the article “7 Words & 7 Rules for Eating” below, which was originally published on WebMD.com, one of the most popular American health websites. ■■ In addition, read at least one of the following texts (search for them online or scan this page with the QuickMedia app): − − “Healthy Eating”, published on HelpGuide.org, which includes very good information on essential nutrients such as protein, fat, fibre, calcium, carbohydrates, etc. − − “25 Simple Tips to Make Your Diet Healthier”, published on Healthline.com − − “An Animal’s Place” by Michael Pollan (as well as his other books and articles on food, culture, and ethics, especially The Omnivore’s Dilemma). ■■ Translate unknown words and learn how to pronounce them (1 5.4). Look up concepts you don’t understand. ■■ Try to remember three to five main points covered in the text(s) you read. Write down only one or two words for each of these main points. Then cover the article or put it away and try to talk about it in your own words, using only your notes. ■■ Record yourself, then listen back to what you said and compare it with the original to check whether you really did use your own words and structures. 7 Words & 7 Rules for Eating [Food author Michael] Pollan says everything he’s learned about food and health can be summed up in seven words: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” Probably the first two words are most important. “Eat food” means to eat real food – vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and, yes, fish and meat – and to avoid what Pollan calls “edible food-like substances.” Here’s how: 1. Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food. “When you pick up that box of portable yogurt tubes, or eat something with 15 ingredients you can’t pronounce, ask yourself, “What are those things doing there?” Pollan says. 2. Don’t eat anything with more than five ingredients, or ingredients you can’t pronounce. How-to [H] 4.7 To do [H] 4.8 1 not someone’s forte: nicht jemandes Stärke 40 Key aspects Strategies Sample task 4 Food & health Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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