Paraphrase & Re-casting in Comprehension

What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing involves rewording a sentence or passage using different words while retaining the original meaning. It's a key skill in comprehension to demonstrate understanding.

Steps to Paraphrase

1. Read Carefully: Understand the original text fully.
2. Identify Key Ideas: Note the main points you need to convey.
3. Use Synonyms: Replace words with their synonyms where appropriate.
4. Change Sentence Structure: Alter the order of information or use different grammatical structures.
5. Check Your Work: Ensure the meaning remains the same and that it's in your own words.

Re-casting Sentences

Re-casting involves changing the form of a sentence, such as from active to passive voice, or altering its structure to fit a different grammatical pattern.

Examples of Re-casting

• Active to Passive: "The cat chased the mouse." becomes "The mouse was chased by the cat."
• Direct to Indirect Speech: "He said, 'I am coming.'" becomes "He said that he was coming."
• Changing Tenses: "She writes a letter." becomes "She wrote a letter."

Finding Equivalents

Finding equivalents means identifying words or phrases that have the same or similar meanings. This is crucial for understanding and paraphrasing texts.

Examples of Equivalents

• Happy: Joyful, content, pleased
• Quickly: Rapidly, swiftly, promptly
• Important: Significant, crucial, vital