Language Arts: Summarizing and Paraphrasing
Finding key ideas and restating them clearly
Language Arts: Summarizing and Paraphrasing
Finding key ideas and restating them clearly
Language Arts - Grade 6-8
- 1
Read this passage: 'Every autumn, thousands of monarch butterflies travel from Canada and the United States to forests in Mexico. The trip can be more than 2,000 miles long. Along the way, the butterflies stop to rest and feed. Scientists study this migration to learn how monarchs survive such a long journey.' Write one or two sentences that summarize the passage.
Include only the main ideas, not every detail.
The passage explains that monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles each autumn from Canada and the United States to Mexico. It also says that scientists study this journey to understand how the butterflies survive it. - 2
Read this sentence: 'The student was exhausted after staying up late to finish her science project.' Paraphrase the sentence in your own words.
The student felt very tired because she had stayed up late completing her science project. - 3
Read this passage: 'The school garden began as a small class project. At first, students planted only tomatoes and lettuce. Over time, the garden grew to include carrots, peppers, and herbs. Now the produce is used in the cafeteria, and students learn about nutrition and responsibility by caring for the plants.' Write a summary of the passage in two sentences or fewer.
Think about how the garden changed and why it matters.
The passage describes how a small school garden project grew into a larger garden with many types of plants. It also explains that the garden helps students learn and provides food for the cafeteria. - 4
Read this sentence: 'Because the roads were icy, the bus arrived much later than usual.' Paraphrase the sentence in your own words.
The bus was delayed and arrived late because the roads were covered with ice. - 5
Read this passage: 'Many cities are adding bike lanes to make streets safer for cyclists. Bike lanes can also reduce traffic because more people may choose to ride instead of drive. In addition, biking does not produce air pollution, so it can help the environment.' What is the best summary of this passage?
Combine the main benefits into one sentence.
The best summary is that cities add bike lanes because they improve safety, can reduce traffic, and help the environment. - 6
Read this sentence: 'The author used vivid sensory details to help readers imagine the storm.' Paraphrase the sentence in your own words.
The writer included strong details that appealed to the senses so readers could picture the storm more clearly. - 7
Read this passage: 'A local library started a reading challenge during the summer. Children earned points for each book they finished and could attend special events. By the end of the program, participation had doubled, and many families said their children were reading more at home.' Write a summary of the passage.
State the program and the result.
The passage explains that a library created a summer reading challenge with rewards and events for children. As a result, more children joined and many families reported increased reading at home. - 8
Read this sentence: 'Instead of throwing away the old chair, Maya repaired it and painted it bright blue.' Paraphrase the sentence in your own words.
Maya fixed the old chair and painted it bright blue rather than getting rid of it. - 9
Read this passage: 'Volcanoes form when melted rock from deep inside Earth rises to the surface. Some volcanoes erupt gently, while others explode violently. These eruptions can create new land, but they can also be dangerous to people living nearby.' Summarize the passage in one or two sentences.
The passage explains that volcanoes form when melted rock rises from inside Earth to the surface. It also says that eruptions can vary in strength and can both create land and cause danger. - 10
Read this sentence: 'The coach praised the team for communicating well during the game.' Paraphrase the sentence in your own words.
Replace praised and communicating with your own words.
The coach complimented the team because the players worked well together and communicated clearly during the game. - 11
Read this passage: 'When the power went out, the family lit candles and used flashlights to see. They played card games together and talked instead of watching television. Although the outage was inconvenient, they ended up enjoying the quiet evening.' Write a summary of the passage.
The passage describes a family dealing with a power outage by using candles and flashlights and spending time together. Even though the outage caused problems, they enjoyed the evening. - 12
Explain the difference between summarizing and paraphrasing in two or three complete sentences.
Think about length and purpose.
Summarizing means giving the main ideas of a passage in a shorter form. Paraphrasing means restating a sentence or passage in your own words while keeping the original meaning. A summary is usually much shorter than the original, while a paraphrase can be about the same length.