Paraphrasing, is saying someone else’s ideas, but using your own words. We can use synonyms, change the sentence structure, but always have to remember not changing the idea. It’s not that complicated, and to practice we have some exercises here:
Exercise 1. Paraphrase each sentence:
1._ “Despite their massive size, elephants are known for being agile”.
- People know that elephants are agile, even with their massive size.
2._” Because elephants consume up to 500 pounds of food a day, they are able to strip a forest bare in no time”.
- Elephants are able to strip a forest bare in no time because they eat 500 pounds of food a day.
3._” Over the centuries, lions have been used in art to represent power and magnificence”.
- Power and majesty have been represented in art with lions, over the centuries.
4._”Lions are social animals with one dominant male in each pride”.
- In every Lion’s herd, there is a dominant male.
5._”George Washington Carver was a dedicated teacher, in addition, he was known as a talented artist, musician, and researcher who made valuable contributions to his people and his country”.
- The teacher George Washington Carver who was an excellent artist, musician and researcher, made big contributions to his people and country.
6._”Archibald McLeish, known for his poetry, was appointed head of the Library of Congress by President Roosevelt in 1939”.
- The President Roosevelt selected the poet Archibald McLeish to be the head of the Library of Congress in 1939.
Exercise 2. Read each paragraph and state the main idea in your own words:
1._There is plenty of water on the earth. In fact, there is enough water in this planet for everyone to have a huge lake. The trouble is that the water is not always found in the place where it is needed. In addition, much of the water is polluted or salty. Because of these problems, there are many people without sufficient water.
Main Idea: The water crisis on Earth.
2._New oil supplies need to be found to replace those that have been used up. There is a constant search for new oil fields. Oil hunters sink their wells wherever there are signs of oil. Each of these drillings costs thousands and thousands of dollars, and often there is not enough oil to make it profitable. Nevertheless the search for the new oil never ends.
Main Idea: The need of oil fields.
3._Quakers, a religious group known as the Society of Friends, have always worked for human causes. Before the Civil War in the United States, they were against slavery and led the movement to help slaves escape from the southern part of the United States and seek freedom in the northern part. Today, they fight hunger and disease around the globe and still aid people fleeing tyranny and war. Their beliefs are based on the principles of pacifism and simple living.
Main Idea: There is a religious group named Quakers, that have always worked for human causes and it is known as the Society of Friends.
3._ Write a 100 words summary about the text: “Students Rights”.
Why 40 years ago, students stood up and joined together for their rights, and nowadays that is almost impossible to see? It is time for students to wake up and realize that their lives are being directed by other people who do not know about their needs. Students should have the right to participate in the professors’ selection, they should be capable to get the most convenient schedule and, to finish, curriculum planners should not exist. Students are supposed to be allowed to participate in everything concerning to their University, and something has to be done!
Edit the following paragraph to make any wordy sentence as short as possible without changing their meaning. Rule numbers in the margin refer to a appropiate strategies in section 16. The first wordy sentence has been revised for you.
