Meaning of Paraphrase

What is Paraphrase:

The paraphrase is explanation or interpretation of a text to achieve a better understanding of it. The word paraphrase is of Latin origin paraphrasis which in turn comes from the Greek παράφρασις.

Paraphrasing is based on freely translating a text that does not fit the original exactly to facilitate better understanding. The fundamental characteristic of paraphrase It is the use of the individual’s own language, it is based on the use of simple words, in order to achieve a better understanding of the original text, likewise, the opinions or comments of the reader himself are added, expanding the original text.

The term paraphrasing is paraphrasing a text or writing. The paraphrase is not the exact reproduction of the text, it is a clarification or explanation of the content under analysis. The reader who aims to paraphrase a text must read it carefully, underline the main and secondary ideas and, finally, write the paraphrase based on the interpretation of the main ideas contained in the text. Another way to perform a paraphrase is to use of synonymy to change words without altering the syntax of the text.

There are different types of paraphrases: mechanical paraphrase is responsible for the use of synonyms, or replacement of phrases or expressions with minimal syntactic changes, constructive paraphrase Another announcement is written, with very different characteristics but maintaining the main idea of ​​the text under study.

Some examples of paraphrasing are: when poetry is converted into prose, what is known as prosification or, when a story or novel is put into verse, the translation of a text from one language to another. Paraphrasing is a technique used mainly by students when they want to understand the topic under study in an easier and more practical way. The book that has been the subject of the most paraphrases is the Bible.

However, it must be taken into account while paraphrasing that it is a useful tool to more easily understand the original text, so the content must be written in a clear, precise and simple manner. Likewise, paraphrasing while accompanied by a bibliography can use an author’s ideas within quotation marks.

On the other hand, The expression paraphrase is used as a synonym for: explanation, amplification, comments, exegesis, among others. Also, Some antonyms of the word paraphrase are: imitation, parody.