Rephrasing
Strategies for Clear
Communication
Review
• Strategies we’ve learned so far for the final
group discussion:
(1) Checking Comprehension
(2) Asking For Clarification
Last Week
• Last week, we looked at asking for
clarification as a strategy for avoiding
misunderstandings.
• When we ask for clarification we followed
three steps:
Step (1) Interrupt
Step (2) State the problem.
Step (3) Ask speaker to clarify.
Last Week
• Step (1) We interrupted the speaker.
I’m sorry.
Excuse me.
Hang on a minute.
Just a minute.
Wait a minute.
Last Week
• Step 2: We stated the problem:
• If you didn’t hear:
I didn’t catch that.
I didn’t hear you
I didn’t hear what you said.
I missed that.
Last Week
• If you didn’t understand
I don’t follow you.
I don’t understand.
I didn’t understand that.
I don’t get it.
I’m not clear.
You lost me.
Last Week
• Step 3: We asked the speaker to clarify.
You can ask the speaker to clarify everything
again:
Can you repeat that?
Can you say that again?
Can you explain that again?
Can you rephrase that?
Can you clarify that for me?
You can ask your partner to clarify details:
He did what?
He went where?
He left when?
He did it because why?
He talked to who?
This Week
• We are going to look at another good strategy
for maintaining clear communication:
Rephrasing What You Say
Rephrasing means ‘to say something again.’
When you rephrase, you say what you said
again but you change the way you say it.
Rephrasing will help your partner understand
you because it gives your partner a second
chance to catch your drift.
• We usually rephrase in two steps (though
adding comprehension check is also a good
option):
Step 1: Indicate You Are About to Rephrase
Step 2: Rephrase
Step 3 Optional: Check Comprehension
Step 1: Indicate You
Are About to Rephrase
Indicating you are about to rephrase is an
important step. It allows your partner to
prepare for what you are about to say. You can
use the following phrases:
In other words, . .
To put it another way . . .
What I am saying is . . .
What I am trying to say is . . .
What I mean is . . .
• You can also use phrases like the following,
which are a little more formal:
Let me rephrase that.
Let me explain that another way.
Let me explain that again.
Let me put that (to you) differently.
Let me put that another way.
Step 2: Rephrase
Exactly what the title says! Rephrase what you
said. But here are some things that can help
you simplify your argument.
(1) Change/simplify Vocabulary
(2) Change/simply Sentence Structure
Vocabulary: Synonyms
• Perhaps, the easiest way to begin
paraphrasing is to find synonyms for key
words.
Smoking is forbidden in the building.
Smoking is prohibited on the premises.
Vocabulary: Synonyms
• However, there are two important points to
make about using synonyms to paraphrase.
(1) Make sure the synonym actually works in
that situation.
(2) Many technical terms should not be
paraphrased.
comprehensible input
understandable input
Vocabulary: Antonyms
• Antonyms can also be used when the
structure is changed from an affirmative
sentence to a negative sentence.
• Smoking is prohibited in the building.
• Smoking is not allowed in the building.
Vocabulary: Word Form
• You can also change the form of important
keyword from say a noun to a verb or
adjective.
• Chronic health problems have been linked to
industrialization.
• Chronic health problems have been linked to
the rise of industry.
Sentence Structure:
Affirmative/Negative
• As already mentioned above negative
sentences can be made affirmative or vice
versa. Note some vocabulary shift is usually
required to do this.
Few learners willingly participate.
Most learners do not willingly participate.
Sentence Structure:
Active/Passive Voice
• Another good structural change is changing
active to passive voice or vice versa.
Researchers have found compelling evidence
that smoking causes cancer.
Compelling evidence that smoking causes
cancer has been found.
Sentence Structure:
Gerund/Infinitive Structures
• Another good structural change is changing
active to passive voice or vice versa.
Speaking with married women is taboo in
some cultures.
It’s taboo to speak with married women in
some cultures.
Sentence Structure:
Other Structures
• The possibilities are endless for changing
structure. Modals for example can often be
rewritten.
He may have committed a fraud.
It is possible that he committed a fraud.
Paraphrasing Longer Works
• When paraphrasing longer works (as in doing
summaries) you should also consider changing
the sentence order when possible.
• Over grazing on the steppe lands of Asia has
resulted in a loss of ground cover. This in turn
has left soil exposed to the wind resulting in a
yellow dust that blows across China, Korea,
and Japan.
• The yellow dust that afflicts some East Asian
countries occurs as a result of soil being
exposed to winds. This is due to overgrazing
on the Asian steppe which erodes the ground
cover.
Here’s an example rephrasal:
Exercise
Complete the rephrasal writing exercise on
the handout.
In the next hour we will practice rephrasing in
a communication activity.