[1] The term itself is derived via Latin paraphrasis, from Ancient Greek παράφρασις (paráphrasis) 'additional manner of expression'.
In the Middle Ages, this tradition continued, with authors such as Geoffrey of Vinsauf developing schoolroom exercises that included both rhetorical manipulations and paraphrasing as a way of generating poems and speeches.
[5] Studies of English language students have found that ESL learners tend to rely on using synonyms rather than changing sentence structure when paraphrasing.
Extremes include changes that significantly alter the text, possibly introducing new information or omitting crucial details, thus pushing the boundaries of what might typically be considered a paraphrase.
For example, the granular understanding of the linguistic changes involved in paraphrase generation could be directly applied to support language learners.
A model can provide simpler paraphrases considering specific linguistic variations (e.g., syntax) to support students in learning new words and concepts.
Universities could create a linguistic profile of their students based on their assignments and better assess their thesis with content similarity detection for potential plagiarism cases.
[20] The paraphrase typically serves to put the source's statement into perspective or to clarify the context in which it appeared.
The phrase "in your own words" is often used within this context to imply that the writer has rewritten the text in their own writing style – how they would have written it if they had created the idea.