Paraphrasing Practice (shortened)

Original: The city is divided into five districts called boroughs. Each of these boroughs was a separate county until 1898, when the Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Queens were incorporated with Manhattan to form New York City.

Is this paraphrase acceptable?

Paraphrase: In 1898, New York City was created by the consolidation of five different counties, which were renamed boroughs. Today, Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island are the five boroughs making up New York City.

• Yes
• No

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Original: Queens is the largest borough in the area and the second most populous.

Is this paraphrase acceptable?

Paraphrase: Queens is the biggest borough in the area and the second biggest in number of residents.

• Yes
• No

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Original: While individual industries have undergone cycles of rise and fall, New York's position as the United States' corporate headquarters remains intact.

Is this paraphrase acceptable?

New York has seen its stature as the corporate headquarters of the nation diminish.

• Yes
• No

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Original: At the beginning of the 20th century, New York was the headquarters for more than two-thirds of the top 100 American corporations, and its 25,000 factories manufactured several hundred different industrial products.

Paraphrase: More than 67 percent of America's 100 most important companies had their main offices in New York in the early 1900s.

Which answer is best?

A. The paraphrase is acceptable.

B. The Paraphrase is not acceptable because too many direct words or phrases are taken from the original.

C. The Paraphrase is not acceptable because the original meaning is distorted.

• A
• B
• C

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Original: At the beginning of the 20th century, New York was the headquarters for more than two-thirds of the top 100 American corporations...

Paraphrase: At the start of the last century, New York was the home office to greater than 67 percent of America's 100 most important companies.

Which answer is best?

A. The paraphrase is acceptable.

B. The Paraphrase is not acceptable because too many direct words or phrases are taken from the original.

C. The Paraphrase is not acceptable because the original meaning is distorted.

• A
• B
• C

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Original: However, by the 1960s, several industrial giants pulled out of the city, pointing to such problems as crime, high taxes, and the high cost of living.

Paraphrase: Because of such problems as crime, high taxes, and the high cost of living, several industrial corporations pulled out of the city.

Which answer is best?

A. The paraphrase is acceptable.

B. The Paraphrase is not acceptable because too many direct words or phrases are taken from the original.

C. The Paraphrase is not acceptable because the orginal meaning is distorted.

• A
• B
• C

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Original: These much-publicized defections proved to be isolated incidents rather than the advance party of an exodus.

Paraphrase: When companies defected to other places, it was the beginning of a trend.

Which answer is best?

A. The paraphrase is acceptable.

B. The Paraphrase is not acceptable because too many direct words or phrases are taken from the original.

C. The Paraphrase is not acceptable because the original meaning is distorted.

• A
• B
• C

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2