Paraphrase facts for kids

A paraphrase is when you explain something you've read or heard using your own words. It's like retelling a story but making sure you keep the original meaning. The word "paraphrase" comes from old Latin and Greek words that mean "an additional way of expressing something."

A Look Back in Time

People have been paraphrasing for a very long time! Even in ancient Roman times, a writer named Quintilian suggested that students should paraphrase. He thought it would help them become better at using language.

During the Middle Ages, this idea continued. Teachers used paraphrasing exercises to help students write poems and speeches. Today, understanding paraphrasing is important. It helps us avoid plagiarism, which is when you use someone else's words or ideas without giving them credit.

Different Ways to Paraphrase

There are different ways to paraphrase, from simple to more complex. Here are five levels of paraphrasing that can help you:

• Swap words: You can replace some words with synonyms (words that mean the same thing).
• Change sentences: You can change how sentences are put together.
• Rearrange information: You can put the information in a different order.
• Adjust sentence length: You can make long sentences shorter, or combine short ones into longer ones.
• Explain ideas clearly: You can take big, abstract ideas and explain them in a simpler, more concrete way.

When you are learning to paraphrase, just swapping words with synonyms is a good start. But to truly avoid plagiarism, you also need to change the sentence structure. Students learning English as a second language (ESL) sometimes prefer just using synonyms. They might worry that changing the sentence structure will change the meaning. Teachers can help by giving students different activities. These activities should encourage them to change how sentences are built. It also helps if students understand the original text very well before they try to paraphrase it.

"In Your Own Words"

When a teacher asks you to write something "in your own words," they want you to show that you understand the original text. They want you to explain it as if you had thought of the idea yourself.

Today, computers can even help with paraphrasing! There are special programs that can rewrite sentences automatically. This is often called text simplification software.

See also

In Spanish: Paráfrasis para niños

• Automated paraphrasing
• Text simplification
• Rogeting