Practice
Paraphrasing: express the same idea differently
Sign in to saveA coworker says, "The meeting was moved because two people could not attend." You can report the same information as, "Because two people were unavailable, the meeting was rescheduled." The wording changes, but the reason and result stay the same.
Paraphrase a short English sentence by preserving its main meaning, changing its wording or structure, and keeping important limits and relationships accurate.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
A paraphrase keeps the meaning but changes the wording. /ə ˈpærəfreɪz kiːps ðə ˈmiːnɪŋ bət ˈtʃeɪndʒɪz ðə ˈwɜːdɪŋ/
The short answer
Read for the main idea first. Then change the sentence structure, choose suitable wording, or combine both. Compare your version with the original and check that the people, action, time, degree, and relationship still match.
The store will close early on Friday.
Why it works: A clear paraphrase is: The store has shorter hours this Friday. Both sentences say that Friday's usual closing time will change.
6 more examples
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The team postponed the presentation because the data was incomplete.
The reason is essential. A paraphrase must keep the link between incomplete data and the later presentation.
Not this:The team postponed the presentation
after reviewing the data. What changes: This version loses the reason that the data was incomplete. It gives a different explanation for the delay. -
Most visitors said that the instructions were easy to follow.
Most means more than half, but it does not mean every visitor.
Not this:
All visitorsfound the instructions easy to follow. What changes: All is stronger than most, so this is not an accurate paraphrase. -
The manager approved the request yesterday.
A passive form can keep the same event while changing the sentence structure.
Not this:The request
was consideredby the manager yesterday. What changes: Considered does not mean approved. The result is no longer certain. -
The app may need an update before the workshop.
May shows possibility. Keep that uncertainty when you paraphrase the sentence.
Not this:The app
needsan update before the workshop. What changes: This version changes a possible need into a definite one. -
The library extended its opening hours during exam week.
The time limit belongs to the meaning. The longer hours are not presented as permanent.
Not this:The library
now haslonger opening hours. What changes: This version suggests an ongoing change and removes the exam-week limit. -
The report recommends reducing travel costs where possible.
The recommendation is limited. It does not require every travel cost to disappear.
Not this:The report
requires the company to stop all travel. What changes: This version makes the recommendation much stronger and changes its scope.
Read the full guide
Begin with meaning, not individual words. Ask who did what, when it happened, and why it matters. Keep those parts in your new sentence. Then choose one useful change, such as moving a reason to the beginning, using a related verb, or turning an active sentence into a passive one. Do not change every word if a change would make the sentence less accurate.
Find the message before changing words
Read the whole sentence before you rewrite it. Identify the person or thing, the action, and the detail that explains when, why, or how the action happened. Those parts form the message that your paraphrase must carry.
The supplier delivered the parts late because of a transport problem.
The main message is that the delivery was late. The cause is a transport problem, so both ideas need to remain.
Which detail would be lost if you wrote only, The supplier delivered the parts late?
You would lose the cause. The original says that a transport problem led to the late delivery.
Change the structure when it helps
You can often keep the meaning by changing the order of information or the grammatical form. Move a reason to the beginning, change a noun phrase into a verb phrase, or use a passive sentence when the receiver of the action is the useful starting point.
Because the road was flooded, the bus service stopped.
The same cause and result can be expressed as: The bus service stopped because the road was flooded.
The committee approved the proposal.
The proposal was approved by the committee. The structure changes, but the approval and the committee remain.
Can you begin the sentence The train was delayed because of heavy rain with the cause?
Yes. Write: Because of heavy rain, the train was delayed.
Choose related words with care
A synonym can help, but two similar words are not always interchangeable. Check the meaning, the grammar around the word, and the strength of the claim. A word that sounds more formal can still be wrong if it changes what happened.
The guide explains how to reset a password.
The guide describes how to reset a password can work because explains and describes have similar roles in this context.
The guide guarantees that a password can be reset.
Guarantees is stronger than explains. It adds a promise that the original sentence did not make.
Does postponed always mean canceled?
No. Postponed means moved to a later time. Canceled means the event will not happen.
Keep limits and relationships
Small words often carry an important limit. Watch for quantities such as most and a few, modal verbs such as may and must, time phrases, negatives, and linking words such as because or although. Keep each one if it affects what the sentence claims.
A few customers asked for a printed receipt.
Some customers requested a paper receipt keeps the limited quantity. All customers requested a paper receipt does not.
The team may finish the project by June.
The team expects to finish the project by June can preserve the uncertainty. The team will finish by June makes the claim definite.
What must a paraphrase keep from the phrase only after the safety check?
It must keep the order. The action can happen after the safety check, not before it.
Check your version against the original
When you finish, place both sentences side by side. Check the subject, action, time, amount, certainty, cause, result, and any negative statement. Read your sentence as if you knew only the paraphrase. If it suggests more, less, earlier, later, or something else, revise it.
Original: The office will remain closed until Monday.
Accurate paraphrase: The office will reopen on Monday. Both sentences place the reopening after the closure and identify Monday as the next opening day.
Inaccurate paraphrase: The office will be closed on Monday.
This reverses the timing. The original says that the closure ends before Monday's opening.
What should you check after replacing a word with a synonym?
Check that the new word has the same meaning, fits the grammar, and does not make the claim stronger or weaker.
Before you go
Remember this
Find the central claim and protect its important details. Change wording or structure only where the new form keeps the same meaning. Then compare the two sentences for changes in certainty, amount, time, cause, and result. If one of those has changed, revise the paraphrase.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "Paraphrasing: express the same idea differently"
What is paraphrasing in English?
Paraphrasing means stating the same main idea in different words or a different sentence structure. A good paraphrase keeps the original facts and relationships, even when the wording changes.
The team postponed the presentation because the data was incomplete.
Is changing a few words enough to paraphrase?
Usually, no. Replacing a few words may leave most of the original sentence unchanged, and a synonym can alter the meaning. Change the structure when it helps, then check that every important detail still matches.
The team postponed the presentation after reviewing the data.
How can I check whether my paraphrase is accurate?
Compare the original and your version for the subject, action, time, quantity, certainty, reason, and result. Revise your sentence if it adds a claim, removes a condition, or changes the strength of the statement.
Most visitors said that the instructions were easy to follow.
Can a paraphrase be longer than the original?
Yes. A paraphrase may be longer if a different structure needs more words. It can also be shorter. What matters is that the new wording keeps the original meaning without adding an explanation that was not there.
All visitors found the instructions easy to follow.
Do I need to name the source when I paraphrase?
Paraphrasing changes the wording, not the ownership of an idea. In academic, professional, or published work, follow the relevant rules for naming or citing the source.
The manager approved the request yesterday.