Speaking: Fluency & Coherence B2
Paraphrasing & Reformulating Effectively
Your Paraphrasing Toolbox 🧰
When you get stuck on a word, you don't have to stop! You have options. Here are three key techniques to use.
The simplest way. Swap a word for one with a similar meaning (a synonym), or express the opposite idea (with an antonym).
Original: "The report was very comprehensive."
→ Paraphrase: "The report was very thorough." / "The report wasn't missing anything."
Change the grammar. For example, switch from a verb to a noun.
Original: "We must solve this problem quickly."
→ Paraphrase: "We must find a quick solution to this problem."
If you forget a noun, don't panic. Just describe what it is.
Forget 'a telescope':
→ "It's that thing you use for looking at the stars."
Forget 'a colleague':
→ "She's a person who I work with."
Paraphrasing in Action: A Scenario
Listen to this conversation. Ben looks confused, so Sothea paraphrases to clarify her meaning.
Useful Signposting Phrases
💡 Signaling Your Paraphrase
Use a "signpost" phrase to tell your listener that you are about to rephrase your idea. This makes your speech much more coherent.
When you get stuck and need to restart:
- "Sorry, let me start again..."
- "What I'm trying to say is..."
- "Let me put that differently..."
When you are clarifying for your listener:
- "In other words,..."
- "To put it another way,..."
- "Basically,..."
Practice Your Skills 🎯
Practice Quiz: Choose the Best Paraphrase
1. Original Sentence: "The journey to Mondulkiri was arduous."
A) "The journey to Mondulkiri was fast."
B) "The journey to Mondulkiri was long and required a lot of effort."
C) "I did not like the journey to Mondulkiri."
→ Answer: B. This accurately explains the meaning of "arduous" using simpler words.
2. You are telling a story about cooking and you forget the word "spatula." What is the best way to keep your fluency?
A) Stop talking and try to remember the word.
B) "I used the... uh... thing... you know..."
C) "I used the flat kitchen tool, the one you use for flipping pancakes."
→ Answer: C. This uses a defining phrase perfectly. It's clear, descriptive, and keeps the conversation moving.
Key Vocabulary
- Paraphrase To repeat something using different words to make the meaning clearer.
- Reformulate To change the structure of what you are saying to express it in a new way.
- Synonym A word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word.
- Clarify To make something easier to understand.
Your Mission: The "Forbidden Word" Game ⭐
Your mission is to practice the most important paraphrasing skill: describing a word you have forgotten.
- Choose a simple topic, like "Describe your bedroom."
- Give yourself a challenge: You cannot use three key nouns. For example, forbid yourself from using the words: bed, window, wardrobe.
- Record yourself speaking for 60 seconds. You will be forced to paraphrase!
- Instead of 'bed', you might say: "...the big piece of furniture that I sleep on..."
- Instead of 'window', you could say: "...the opening in the wall made of glass that lets the sunlight in..."
- This game trains the skill of reformulating in real time, making you a more flexible and fluent speaker.