Paraphrasing

What is a paraphrase?

• a restatement of the information in a text

• a persuasive argument about the information in a text

• a genre of storytelling

• an essay about a specific topic

Choose the correct paraphrase of the following sentence:

During the Industrial Revolution, children as young as three worked in factories.

• In the time of the Industrial Revolution, children as young as three worked in the factories.

• Factories employed children-even three-year-olds-in the Industrial Revolution.

• During the Industrial Revolution, children as young as three worked in factories.

Paraphrasing, or restating ideas in your own words, helps you check your understanding of what you hear and read.

Read the passage below and decide which sentence best restates the ideas presented:

"Although television was not widely used in American homes until the 1950s, small, experimental television images were broadcast in the 1920s."

• Television was not widely used in American homes until the 1950s.

• Television became popular in the 1950s, but the first televisions were used thirty years earlier.

• Television became popular in the 1920s, and again in the 1950s.

In ancient times, pigeons were used to carry mail.

• Pigeons were used to carry mail in ancient times.

• Long ago, pigeons delivered the mail.

• Pigeons received the mail in ancient times.

In general, female birds are less colorful than male birds.

• In general, male birds are more attractive than female birds.

• On the whole, the feathers of the female birds are not as striking as that of their counterpart.

• Generally speaking, female birds are less colorful than male birds.

A handshake does not mean the same thing around the world.

• A handshake means something different around the world.

• Internationally, a greeting by shaking hands is not the same.

• A handshake does not mean the same thing around the world.

What is the best synonym for "paraphrase"?

• Restate

• Invent

• Copy

Dragonflies have six legs, but they can’t walk.

• Dragonflies have six legs but cannot walk, and I think that this is odd.

• Dragonflies have six legs.

• Although Dragonflies have six legs, they cannot walk at all.

• Even though they have six legs, dragonflies can’t walk.

Donald’s car is $1.000.000, while mine is only $35.000.

Donald’s car is ……………………… more expensive than my car.

• less

• far

• nowhere near

• not

Paraphrase the phrase by putting it into your own words: a wonderful aroma

• a terrible stench
• an odor wonderful
• a wonderful aroma
• a pleasant scent