Question

paraphrase She started off the class by asking one of the students to paraphrase the Tennyson poem, to make sure everyone understood its basic meaning. ˈpɛrəˌfreɪz

Accepted Answer

To restate the meaning (of something written or spoken) in different words. When we paraphrase, we provide a version that can exist beside the original (rather than replace it). We paraphrase all the time. When you tell a friend what someone else has said, you're almost always paraphrasing, since you're not repeating the exact words. If you go to hear a talk, you might paraphrase the speaker's main points afterward for your friends. And when writing a paper on a short story, you might start off your essay with a paraphrase of the plot. Paraphrasing is especially useful when dealing with poetry, since poetic language is often difficult and poems may have meanings that are hard to pin down.

word	paraphrase
definition	To restate the meaning (of something written or spoken) in different words.
eg_sentence	She started off the class by asking one of the students to paraphrase the Tennyson poem, to make sure everyone understood its basic meaning.
explanation	When we paraphrase, we provide a version that can exist beside the original (rather than replace it). We paraphrase all the time. When you tell a friend what someone else has said, you're almost always paraphrasing, since you're not repeating the exact words. If you go to hear a talk, you might paraphrase the speaker's main points afterward for your friends. And when writing a paper on a short story, you might start off your essay with a paraphrase of the plot. Paraphrasing is especially useful when dealing with poetry, since poetic language is often difficult and poems may have meanings that are hard to pin down.
IPA	ˈpɛrəˌfreɪz

Paraphrase Words Restate Meaning Written Spoken Started Class