How to Paraphrase and Summarize Effectively

Writing: Argumentative Writing

B2 Lesson 9: How to Paraphrase and Summarize Effectively

Listen to key concepts and examples.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to tell the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing, and use both techniques to avoid plagiarism and show your understanding of a text.

Before You Start 🧠

Key Vocabulary (Click 🔊)

Let's learn these important academic words for this lesson.

Paraphrase

| បកស្រាយ

To restate someone else's idea in your own words, keeping the same length and meaning.

Summarize

| សង្ខេប

To state only the main, most important ideas of a text, making it much shorter.

Plagiarism

| ការលួចចម្លង

Using someone else's words or ideas as your own without giving credit. This is a very serious academic mistake.

Synonym

| សទិសន័យ

A word that has the same, or nearly the same, meaning as another word (e.g., big / large).

Paraphrase vs. Summary: What's the Difference?

This is the most important rule. If you get this wrong, you might accidentally plagiarize!

Paraphrasing (បកស្រាយ)

Goal: To restate the *exact same information* in a new way.

Length: About the same length as the original text.

Method: Change vocabulary (synonyms) AND change the sentence structure.

Summarizing (សង្ខេប)

Goal: To give only the *main idea* in as few words as possible.

Length: Much shorter than the original text (e.g., one sentence).

Method: Read, find the main point, and ignore the small details and examples.

How to Paraphrase (The Right Way)

At a B2 level, just changing a few words is not paraphrasing—it's plagiarism. You must change the sentence structure.

Original Text

"Because the company's profits declined sharply, the CEO decided to reduce the number of staff by 10%."

BAD Paraphrase (Plagiarism plag)

"Because the company's earnings fell quickly, the boss chose to cut the number of employees by 10%."

(This is bad because it only swaps words but keeps the exact same sentence structure.)

GOOD Paraphrase (New Structure ✅)

"A 10% reduction in staff was implemented by the CEO as a direct result of the company's sharp decline in profits."

(This is good because it changes the structure from Active to Passive and rearranges the ideas.)

How to Summarize (Finding the Main Idea)

To summarize, you must read an entire paragraph and ask, "What is the *one* main point the author wants me to know?" Then, write *only* that one point.

Original Text

Social media has fundamentally changed how businesses communicate. In the past, companies used expensive television ads or radio spots to send one-way messages. Today, platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram allow for immediate two-way conversations with customers. This "engagement model" lets brands build a community, get instant feedback, and solve customer service problems in public, which builds trust in a way that old media never could.

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One-Sentence Summary (Main Idea)

Social media has transformed business communication from one-way advertising into a two-way, community-building conversation.

Practice What You Learned 🎯

Quiz: Paraphrase or Summarize?

Read the original text, then choose the best answer. Click "Check Answers" when done.

1. Original Text: "Despite the economic downturn, the government has announced it will proceed with its ambitious new infrastructure project."

Which is the BEST paraphrase?

• A) The government will build infrastructure.
• B) Even though the economy is struggling, the government has declared it will continue with its large-scale new building plan.
• C) Despite the bad economy, the government said it will continue with its ambitious new infrastructure plan.

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2. Original Text: "A recent study from Oxford University found that students who ate a healthy breakfast, which included fruits and whole grains, performed, on average, 15% better on their morning exams than students who skipped breakfast entirely."

Which is the BEST summary?

• A) The Oxford study said eating a healthy breakfast with fruit improved exam scores by 15% over students who ate nothing.
• B) Eating fruit and whole grains is good for you.
• C) A new study suggests a link between eating a healthy breakfast and better academic performance in the morning.

Key Vocabulary Reference (Click 🔊)

• Paraphrase | បកស្រាយ
  To restate an idea in your own words and sentence structure.
• Summarize | សង្ខេប
  To state only the main, most important ideas of a text.
• Plagiarism | ការលួចចម្លង
  Using someone else's words or ideas as your own without giving credit.
• Concise / Brevity | συντομία
  Being brief, short, and to the point; not using unnecessary words.
• Omit | លុបចោល
  To leave something out or exclude it.

Your Writing Mission ⭐

Practice Paraphrasing and Summarizing

This is a B2-level challenge. Find a short news article (1-3 paragraphs) online in English.

1. Summarize: Read the entire article. In your notebook, write one single sentence that states the main idea of the whole article.
2. Paraphrase: Choose the most interesting paragraph from the article. In your notebook, write a new paragraph that includes all the same details but uses your own words and your own sentence structure.

Remember: Your summary should be short. Your paraphrase should be about the same length as the original paragraph.