Language term
Paraphrase
Restating a text's meaning in your own words, keeping the sense but changing the wording.
What it means
To paraphrase is to restate the meaning of a passage in your own words. You keep the original sense but change the wording and structure. A summary shortens a text and selects only the main points.
A paraphrase usually covers the same ground at a similar length and simply expresses it differently. Paraphrasing shows that you have understood a text. It lets you use ideas from a source without copying its exact words.
It is a key academic skill, closely tied to summary. It also helps you avoid lifting phrases directly from the material you work with.
Why it matters in the exam
In the summary and reading tasks, paraphrasing is essential. Marks depend on using your own words, not copying phrases from the passage. Being able to restate ideas in fresh wording proves you have genuinely understood them.
Paraphrasing also protects you from the common error of lifting, where large chunks are copied straight from the text. Examiners penalise this. It is a core skill for handling sources accurately and clearly.
Example
A passage says the scheme was abandoned owing to a shortage of funds. You might paraphrase this as the plan was dropped because there was not enough money.
How to use it
To paraphrase well, read the passage, cover it, and restate the meaning in your own words and sentence structure. Then check you have not slipped back into the original phrasing. Keep the meaning exactly the same.
In the summary task, paraphrase the points you select instead of copying them. Using your own words is rewarded directly, and lifting is penalised.
Knowing the term is the first step. In a paid one-hour trial, a teacher helps your child use "Paraphrase" accurately in an answer.