Speaking: Fluency & Coherence B2 - Lesson 4: Paraphrasing & Reformulating Effectively

Speaking: Fluency & Coherence B2 - Lesson 4: Paraphrasing & Reformulating Effectively

Welcome! Have you ever been speaking, forgotten a key word, and your fluency just stops? A crucial skill for advanced speakers is the ability to paraphrase¹ and reformulate². This means saying things in a different way to keep the conversation moving. Mastering this skill will make you a more confident and resilient speaker.

Your Paraphrasing Toolbox

When you get stuck, you don't have to stop. You have options! Here are three techniques to use.

Three Key Techniques:

1. Use Synonyms³ or Antonyms

The simplest way. Swap a word for one with a similar meaning, or express the opposite idea.

Original: "The report was very comprehensive."

Paraphrase: "The report was very thorough / detailed." OR "The report wasn't missing anything."

2. Change the Sentence Structure

Change the grammar. For example, switch from an active to a passive voice, or change a verb to a noun.

Original: "We must solve this problem quickly."

Paraphrase: "We must find a quick solution to this problem." (Verb → Noun)

3. Use a Defining Phrase (When You Forget a Word)

This is a fluency lifesaver. If you forget a noun, just describe it.

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."

Scenario: Clarifying an Idea

Listen to this conversation. Sothea is explaining a concept to her foreign friend, Ben. Ben looks confused, so Sothea paraphrases to clarify⁴ her meaning.

Sothea: "When you negotiate in a Cambodian market, it's not just about the price, it's about showing a bit of playful antagonism."

Ben: "Antagonism? That sounds very negative."

Sothea: "Ah, maybe that's not the best word. Let me rephrase that. It's a kind of friendly, teasing argument. In other words, both the seller and the buyer enjoy the process of negotiating itself. What I mean is, it's like a game where you build a connection, not a real fight over money."

Signaling Your Paraphrase

When you rephrase an idea, it's helpful to use a "signpost" phrase to tell your listener what you are doing. This makes your speech more coherent.

When you get stuck and need to restart your own sentence:

• "Sorry, let me start again..."
• "What I'm trying to say is..."
• "Let me put that differently..."

When you are clarifying a point for someone else:

• "In other words,..."
• "To put it another way,..."
• "Basically,..."

Practice Quiz: Choose the Best Paraphrase

Read the sentence and choose the most effective paraphrase.

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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.

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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 smoothly.

Your Mission: The "Forbidden Word" Game

Your mission is to practice the most important paraphrasing skill: describing a word you have forgotten.

1. Choose a simple topic, like "Describe your bedroom."
2. Give yourself a challenge: You must describe it without using three key nouns. For example, you cannot use the words: bed, window, wardrobe.
3. 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**..."
   • Instead of 'wardrobe', you could say: "...and my clothes are in the big wooden cupboard, **the place where you hang things up**."
4. This game directly trains the skill of reformulating in real time, making you a much more flexible and fluent speaker.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Paraphrase: (Verb) - ធ្វើអ្វីមួយឡើងវិញដោយប្រើពាក្យផ្សេងគ្នា - To repeat something using different words, often in a simpler or shorter form, to make the meaning clearer. ↩
2. Reformulate: (Verb) - ផ្លាស់ប្តូរ / រៀបចំឡើងវិញ - To change the structure of what you are saying to express it in a new or better way. ↩
3. Synonym: (Noun) - មានន័យដូច / សទិសសព្ទ - A word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word. ↩
4. Clarify: (Verb) - ធ្វើឱ្យវាច្បាស់លាស់ / បញ្ជាក់ - To make something easier to understand by providing more details or a simpler explanation. ↩
5. Effectively: (Adverb) - ប្រកបដោយប្រសិទ្ធភាព / យ៉ាងមានប្រសិទ្ធភាព - In a way that works well and produces the result you intended. ↩