AI Tutor
If you told your best friend about a wild game-winning goal, you wouldn't read the referee's official rulebook word-for-word.
You would explain what happened in your everyday voice — and that is the exact skill of paraphrasing.
When we analyze stories, paraphrasing means restating an author's textual evidence (details, actions, or clues from the text) using your own words without changing the original meaning.
How do you translate an author's exact sentences into your own voice without accidentally changing what happened?

The 3-Step Strategy

To paraphrase story evidence cleanly, use the three-step RAP method: Read, Ask, and Put.
First, Read the line carefully. Second, Ask yourself what the main event or fact is. Third, look away from the page and Put that idea into your own words.
Let's put this three-step strategy to work on an actual passage from a story.

Worked Example: Escaping the Storm

Read this original excerpt: "Marcus sprinted across the muddy soccer field as thunder cracked overhead, clutching his backpack tightly to shield his science project from the downpour."
Next, ask what matters most: Marcus ran fast in bad weather, and his main goal was keeping his schoolwork dry.