40 ACTIVITIES FOR PARAPHRASING PRACTICE

Paraphrase the following sentences by using your own words:

Activity 1: She is 15 years old.
Activity 2: The percentage of students who used the Internet at the
university was about 35%.
Activity 3: The percentage of people who were unemployed in
India was around 25% in 2000.
Activity 4: In May, expenditure on mobile phones rose to around
$1200.
Activity 5: Approximately 500 people went to his birthday party on
Saturday.
About 500 people attended his birthday party on Saturday.
Activity 6: EBay is one of the biggest online shops in the world.
EBay is one of the largest stores on the planet.
Activity 7: The number of seats prepared will be according to the
number of guests participating in the event.
Activity 8: Our living room is cleaned by my mom every morning.
Activity 9: Tom will buy a new car tomorrow.
Activity 10: My father’s friend loves to make Korean food. He is a
professional chef.
Activity 11: Paris has beautiful churches. It's a capital of France.
Activity 12: Sally studied very hard. Her test score was 95%.
Activity 13: You can't play computer games. You have to finish
your essay first.
Activity 14: I took pictures of the zebra. The zebra was drinking
water from a lake.
Activity 15: Several students are taking pictures of themselves in
front of the Harvard University.
Activity 16: Many well-known multinational companies are located
in London.
Activity 17: International cooperation is needed to solve the
problems resulting from world water scarcity.
Activity 18: Processing mail takes up too much time of many
employees.
Activity 19: It is not easy to manage stressful situations.
Activity 20: Information is required to complete a Job Application.
Activity 21: There are many dangers when it comes to teens using
drugs.
Activity 22: Being poor often results in a person being broke.
Activity 23: It is illegal to sell heroin in Canada.
Activity 24: Many people do not know the effect of antibiotics.
Activity 25: If he studied hard, he wouldn't fail the exam.
Activity 26: Computers can process information faster and with
fewer mistakes than humans.
Activity 27: The process of a large number of people migrating
from rural to urban areas in search of work means that the number
of hospitals, schools, housing, roading, electricity, and water has to
improve.
Activity 28: London is the capital city of England.
Activity 29: A university student usually has a lot of homework to
do.
Activity 30: Hidden-video cameras can give people a sense of
safety.
Activity 31: The doctors said that he may get cancer if he is not
urgently treated.
Activity 32: The police have to put their lives in danger to keep
people safe.
Activity 33: The entire city was devastated by the earthquake.
Activity 34: There has been a significant growth in the number of
single person households recently.
Activity 35: The inadequacy of the water supply affects people’s
health adversely both directly and indirectly.
Activity 36: Only 10% of the college students who have part-time
jobs make enough
Activity 37: Rises in the cost of air travel have had a negative
effect on tourism.
Activity 38: Pizza is a popular food in America.
Activity 39: She is very talkative.
Activity 40: Tom desires to have a job with high salary.
ANSWERS
Activity 1: She is 15 years old.
The paraphrased sentence:
- She is a 15-year-old.
- She is aged 15.
Activity 2: The percentage of students who used the Internet at the
university was about 35%.
The paraphrased sentence:
- The proportion of students using the Internet at the university was
about 35%.
- The proportion of students who had access to the Internet at the
university was about 35%.
- The proportion of Internet users at the university was about 35%.
Activity 3: The percentage of people who were unemployed in
India was around 25% in 2000.
The paraphrased sentence:
- The proportion of people who were jobless in India was around
25% in 2000.
- The unemployment rate in India was around 25% in 2000.
- The proportion of people without job in India was around 25% in
2000.
Activity 4: In May, expenditure on mobile phones rose to around
$1200.
The paraphrased sentence: In May, spending on mobile phones
increased to around $750.
Activity 5: Approximately 500 people went to his birthday party on
Saturday.
The paraphrased sentence: About 500 people attended his birthday
party on Saturday.
Activity 6: EBay is one of the biggest online shops in the world.
The paraphrased sentence: EBay is one of the largest online stores
on the planet.
Activity 7: The number of seats prepared will be according to the
number of guests participating in the event.
The paraphrased sentence: The number of seats prepared will be
based on the number of people attending the event.
Activity 8: Our living room is cleaned by my mom every morning.
The paraphrased sentence: My mom cleans our living room every
morning.
Activity 9: Tom will buy a new car tomorrow.
The paraphrased sentence: A new car will be bought by Tom
tomorrow.
Activity 10: My father’s friend loves to make Korean food. He is a
professional chef.
The paraphrased sentence: My father’s friend, a professional chef,
enjoys making Korean food.
Activity 11: Paris has beautiful churches. It's a capital of France.
The paraphrased sentence: Paris, a capital of France, has beautiful
churches.
Activity 12: Sally studied very hard. Her test score was 95%.
The paraphrased sentence: Because Sally studied very hard, her
test score was 95%.
Activity 13: You can't play computer games. You have to finish
your essay first.
The paraphrased sentence: If you don't finish your essay first, you
can't play computer games.
Activity 14: I took pictures of the zebra. The zebra was drinking
water from a lake.
The paraphrased sentence: While the zebra was drinking water
from a lake, I took pictures.
Activity 15: Several students are taking pictures of themselves in
front of the Harvard University.
The paraphrased sentence: Quite a few students are taking selfies
in front of the Harvard University.
Activity 16: Many well-known multinational companies are located
in London.
The paraphrased sentence: Many famous multinational companies
are situated in London.
Activity 17: International cooperation is needed to solve the
problems resulting from world water scarcity.
The paraphrased sentence: International cooperation is necessary
to find solutions for global water scarcity.
Activity 18: Processing mail takes up too much time of many
employees.
The paraphrased sentence: Processing mail wastes too much time
of many workers.
Activity 19: It is not easy to manage stressful situations.
The paraphrased sentence: The management of stressful situations
is difficult.
Activity 20: Information is required to complete a Job Application.
The paraphrased sentence: The completion of information is
required on a Job Application.
Activity 21: There are many dangers when it comes to teens using
drugs.
The paraphrased sentence: It is dangerous when it comes to
adolescents using drugs.
Activity 22: Being poor often results in a person being broke.
The paraphrased sentence: A person who is broke often results
from poverty.
Activity 23: It is illegal to sell heroin in Canada.
The paraphrased sentence: Selling heroin in Canada is illegal.
Activity 24: Many people do not know the effects of antibiotics.
The paraphrased sentence: The effects of antibiotics are not known
by many people.
Activity 25: If he studied hard, he wouldn't fail the exam.
He wouldn't fail the exam if he studied hard.
Activity 26: Computers can process information faster and with
fewer mistakes than humans.
The paraphrased sentence: Computers are more efficient than
humans.
Activity 27: The process of a large number of people migrating
from rural to urban areas in search of work means that the number
of hospitals, schools, housing, roading, electricity, and water has to
improve.
The paraphrased sentence: Increased urbanization requires well-
developed facilities.
Activity 28: London is the capital city of England.
The paraphrased sentence: The capital city of England is London.
Activity 29: A university student usually has a lot of homework to
do.
The paraphrased sentence:
- A person going to university usually has a lot of assignments to
do.
- People taking college frequently has a lot of assignments to do.
Activity 30: Hidden-video cameras can give people a sense of
safety.
The paraphrased sentence: Hidden-video cameras can make
people feel safe.
Activity 31: The doctors said that he may get cancer if he is not
urgently treated.
The paraphrased sentence: According to the doctors, he may suffer
from cancer if he is not immediately treated.
Activity 32: The police have to put their lives in danger to keep
people safe.
The paraphrased sentence: The police have to risk their lives
keeping people safe.
Activity 33: The entire city was devastated by the earthquake.
The paraphrased sentence: The earthquake destroyed the whole
city.
Activity 34: There has been a significant growth in the number of
single person households recently.
The paraphrased sentence: The number of single-person
households has significantly grown these days.
Activity 35: The inadequacy of the water supply affects people’s
health adversely both directly and indirectly.
The paraphrased sentence: The shortage of the water supply has a
negative impact on people’s health both directly and indirectly.
Activity 36: Only 10% of the college students who have part-time
jobs make enough money to support themselves.
The paraphrased sentence: Of all the students who work part-time,
no more than 10% earn sufficient income to make a living.
Activity 37: Rises in the cost of air travel have had a negative
effect on tourism.
The paraphrased sentence: The tourist industry has been adversely
affected by increases in airfare.
Activity 38: Pizza is a popular food in America.
The paraphrased sentence: In the United States, many people love
to eat pizza.
Activity 39: She is very talkative.
The paraphrased sentence: She is very chatty.
Activity 40: Tom desires to have a job with high salary.
The paraphrased sentence: Tom is such an ambitious person who
would like to get a high-paid job.