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Example Paragraph with a Paraphrase

Here's an example of a paragraph with a paraphrase. Note: the paragraph contains a quote and a

paraphrase. Notice the extensive "sandwiching" around the quotes.

Lastly, Kimberly translates situations. She tries to understand situations based on her own past

experience, and she makes decisions based on her translations. For example, Kimberly and Matt's

relationship really develops around the time that Kimberly is applying to college. She and Matt

have been friends for years because they both work at the same factory alongside their mothers.

Because of this shared experience, they develop a close friendship. Then the close friendship turns

into romance. When Matt's mother dies, Matt seeks out Kimberly at her school. Then they go back

to her apartment, and one thing leads to another, and they have sex for the first time. Because the

condom breaks, Kimberly becomes pregnant. However, she decides not to tell Matt. She tells her

reasoning to her friend Annette: "'...But if I tell him, he'll never let me... you know. He'll want to

keep it and get married. He'll want us to stay in Chinatown" (280). In her translation of the

situation, she believes that Matt wants traditional roles for himself and Kimberly. She believes that

not only will she be stuck in Chinatown with Matt for the rest of their lives, but also the resulting

child would have a similar future. So, she decides not to tell Matt so that she and her child can

create a different future. Years later, she reflects on the decision. She has moved back to near

Chinatown, and she works as a doctor. One day, she sees Matt and follows him to the bridal shop

that Matt and Vivian (Matt's wife) own together. She even sees their daughter through the window.

She recalls: At the time, Kimberly doesn’t want her son’s future to be like Matt’s daughter’s future

—just staying in the bridal shop. That's why she doesn't tell Matt about the pregnancy so many

years ago. However, Kimberly thinks she can’t predict what will happen to this child in the future,

so she may have been wrong (290). She admits to herself that her translation may have even been a

mistranslation. This shows the general idea that translating is difficult and may result in

misunderstanding.