The ability to paraphrase—to express an idea using different words—is a valuable academic skill. In terms of comprehension, paraphrasing lets you or others know that you have understood a text. In addition, it demonstrates your command of the language (range of vocabulary and grammatical structures), and allows you to restate an important point without becoming dull or repetitive.

How can we paraphrase this sentence?

According to research, more than half of all injuries at work happen because employees are not following safety rules.

Change Individual Words—Use Synonyms

Search the text for content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc) that you can replace with words of similar meaning. Use words you are already familiar with; using a thesaurus for synonyms can result in awkward sentences and can be an obvious sign that you have not understood the material.

According to studies, over 50% of all on-the-job injuries occur because workers are not following safety regulations.

Change Word Order

Rearrange the order of information within the sentence or paragraph without changing the meaning. For example, change the position of adverbs, phrases, or clauses, if possible. However, be aware that changing the order of words or clauses alone would be a weak paraphrase.

Weak Paraphrase:

According to investigations, above 50% of all on-the-employment sufferings exist because labourers are not supporting safety guidance.

Change Grammatical Forms


Unlock full access by logging in. Registered users can explore the entire lesson and more.

Exercise

keyboard_arrow_up