Universität Paderborn
How to exerpt complete texts
A text is read paragraph by paragraph. Continuing each paragraph is paraphrased and criticized.
Instructions:
1. Get a quick overview of your text.
You have 10 minutes.
2. Choose three paragraphs. Make notes on the site of the text:
 Which function does the paragraph have in regard to the structure of the text? (e. g. introducing,
defines, explains, giving examples, summarizes ...)
 What is the topic of the paragraph?? (Keywords are fine)
 What is said about the topic or which thesis are presented? (Please write in your own words and
full sentences.)
You have 5 minutes for each paragraph.
3. Read your text once again and check,
 wether your excerpt truely corresponds to the statements the author made
 in how far your own interpretation went into writing your excerpt.
You have 5 minutes.
4. Now choose a thesis from the text, that you think is questionable. Paraphrase the thesis so that is
becomes clear that the thesis was not written by the author.
Your paraphrased thesis could begin something like this:
 “The author represents the thesis...”
 “The authors comes to the conclusion ...”
You have 5 minutes.
5. Now formulate in few sentences your critique or opposite position. In your sentences ask questions,
question the thesis, give counterarguments and explain your position. Connect this part to your
paraphrased paragraph and draw the attention from the thesis of the author to your own thoughts.
You have 10 minutes.
Kruse, O. & Ruhmann, G. (2003). Aus Alt mach Neu: Vom Lesen zum Schreiben wissenschaftlicher Texte. In O. Kruse, E. M. Jakobs &
G. Ruhmann (Hrsg.), Schlüsselkompetenz Schreiben (S. 109-121). Bielefeld: UniversitätsverlagWebler.