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explanation was clear,” one could say “He explained it clearly.” One can also break
long sentences into shorter ones for easier understanding. For example, the sentence,
“Because it was raining, they stayed inside and watched a film” can be rewritten as
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“It was raining. So, they stayed inside, watching a film.”

When paraphrasing, it is vital to consider the principle of maintaining the original
meaning. If a sentence states, “The teacher explained the lesson patiently,” it would
be incorrect to paraphrase it as “The teacher explained the lesson quickly,” as this

alters the meaning. Furthermore, it is important to use your own words rather than
simply replacing a few terms. For example, “The lion, the king of the jungle,” could
be rewritten as “The lion is considered the ruler of the wild.”

Another key principle is maintaining the same tone and level of formality as the
original text. If a sentence is formal, the paraphrased version should also be formal.
For example, ‘The research findings were groundbreaking’ could be paraphrased as

‘The study results were revolutionary.’ After paraphrasing, always compare your
version with the original to ensure the meaning has been preserved.

Finally, consistent practice is essential. Working with various texts, including short

passages, dialogues, and real-life examples, can help develop strong paraphrasing
skills. One can improve their ability to express ideas in their own words while
maintaining the original message by following these principles.

Questions

1. Why is paraphrasing considered an important skill?
2. Based on the text, what are the two techniques that can be used to change
a sentence structure while paraphrasing?
3. According to the text, what is one mistake one should avoid when
paraphrasing?
4. In what ways can paraphrasing benefit your daily communication?
5. What words are referred to as synonyms?
6. How is a paraphrase different from a summary?

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