Mastering Paraphrasing in English: How to rewrite without losing meaning.

 

Mastering Paraphrasing: How to Rewrite Without Losing Meaning

What Is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is the skill of rewriting a text in your own words while keeping the original meaning. It helps improve understanding, avoid plagiarism, and enhance writing skills.

Key Steps for Effective Paraphrasing

1. Read Carefully – Understand the meaning of the original text.
2. Identify Main Ideas – Highlight key points and supporting details.
3. Use Synonyms – Replace words with their synonyms while keeping the meaning intact.
4. Change Sentence Structure – Alter the order of words or clauses.
5. Keep the Original Meaning – Avoid adding new ideas or changing facts.
6. Check Your Work – Compare your version with the original to ensure accuracy.

Useful Expressions for Paraphrasing

• In other words…
• To put it differently…
• This means that…
• Another way to say this is…
• One could say that…
• A possible interpretation is…

Phrasal Verbs for Paraphrasing

• Sum up – To summarize information.
  Example: "The article sums up the main points about climate change."
• Point out – To highlight important details.
  Example: "The author points out the consequences of deforestation."
• Go over – To review information.
  Example: "Let’s go over the key points of the discussion."
• Break down – To simplify a complex idea.
  Example: "The teacher broke down the concept into smaller parts."

Paraphrasing Examples

Original Text:  "Technology has significantly changed the way people communicate, making it faster and more efficient."
Paraphrased Version:  "The advancement of technology has greatly improved communication, allowing people to interact more quickly and effectively."

Original Text:  "The senior citizens were honored with a bug parade."
Paraphrased Version:  "The elderly were celebrated with a grand procession."

Original Text:  "The diagram illustrates the way a model of te Solar System is made."
Paraphrased Version:  "The diagram demonstrates how a Solar System model is constructed."

Original Text:  "The students prepared all the decoration for the school festival."
Paraphrased Version:  "The students arranged all the decorations for the school festival."

Original Text:  "In the following vacation, my family and I will travel to the beach."
Paraphrased Version:  "During the next vacation, my family and I will go to the beach."

Original Text:  "The weather has changed because of pollution."
Paraphrased Version:  "Pollution has caused changes in the weather."