Rewriting Sentences: 6 Easy Ways to Do So

Change the sentence structure

When it comes to writing, sentence structure plays a crucial role in conveying your message effectively. By changing the sentence structure, you can add variety and depth to your writing, making it more engaging and interesting for readers.

One simple way to change the sentence structure is by rearranging words and phrases. This can be done by moving adjectives, adverbs, or prepositional phrases to different positions within the sentence.

Examples of how to change the sentence structure

Original: The big dog barked loudly in the park.
Rearranged: In the park, the big dog barked loudly.

Original Sentence: The little girl carefully painted a colorful picture with her tiny brush.
Rearranged Sentence: Carefully, with her tiny brush, the little girl painted a colorful picture.

Original Sentence: John eagerly opened his birthday present from his best friend.
Rearranged Sentence: Eagerly, John opened his birthday present from his best friend.

Another way to change sentence structure is by altering the order of clauses or phrases. This technique can be used to create suspense or highlight important information.

Examples of changing the order of clauses or phrases

Original: John studied hard for his exams because he wanted to get good grades.
Altered: Because he wanted to get good grades, John studied hard for his exams.

Original: The team won the championship after months of rigorous training and dedication.
Altered: After months of rigorous training and dedication, the team won the championship.

Original: Peter bought a new car because his old one kept breaking down.
Altered: Because his old one kept breaking down, Peter bought a new car.

Replace words with synonyms

One way to add variety and rewrite your sentences is by replacing words with synonyms or different expressions. By using a thesaurus, you can easily find alternative words that have similar meanings to the ones you want to replace. 

For example, instead of repeatedly using the word "happy," you can use "joyful," "ecstatic," or "delighted." This not only adds variety but also enhances the overall impact of your writing.

In addition to finding synonyms, you can also replace verbs, adjectives, and nouns with different expressions that convey the same meaning. This allows you to avoid repetition and engage your readers in a fresh way.

For instance, instead of saying "John ran quickly," you could write "John sprinted rapidly" or "John dashed swiftly." 

By making these subtle changes, you create a more vivid image in the reader's mind while maintaining the essence of what you want to convey. 

Use reported speech or indirect quotation

When it comes to conveying someone else's words or ideas in your writing, it is important to use reported speech or indirect quotation. This not only adds credibility to your work, but also allows you to summarize the author's ideas in your own words.

Examples of using reported speech to rewrite sentences

Original: "I love reading books," said Sarah.
Altered: Sarah expressed her love for reading books.

Original: "The company will be launching a new product next month," stated the CEO.
Altered: The CEO announced that the company would be launching a new product the following month.

Original: "I believe that education is the key to success," explained John.
Altered: John emphasized the importance of education as the key to achieving success.

In each of these examples, the original direct quotations have been transformed into reported speech. This technique allows you to convey the same information without copying verbatim. 

Maintaining clarity and coherence in your writing

When rewriting your sentences, maintaining clarity and coherence is essential for effectively conveying your message. Use paraphrasing tools to present information in your own words while still maintaining the original meaning. 

Examples of using clarity and coherence to rewrite sentences

Original sentence: "The company experienced a significant increase in sales last quarter."
Paraphrased sentence: "Sales witnessed a substantial surge during the previous quarter."

Original sentence: "The team members were commendable in their efforts."
Paraphrased sentence: "The dedication and hard work exhibited by the team members were praiseworthy."

Original sentence: "She possesses exceptional leadership skills."
Paraphrased sentence: "Her leadership abilities are extraordinary."

To maintain clarity and coherence, it's important to be consistent with your use of tense, person, and voice throughout your writing. 

Examples of using consistent tense to rewrite sentences

Inconsistent tense: "The article discusses the benefits of exercise but then talks about how it will improve cardiovascular health." (Change 'will' to 'can')
Corrected Sentence: "The article discusses the benefits of exercise but then talks about how it can improve cardiovascular health."

Inconsistent person: "The writer believes that one should always proofread their work." (Change 'one' to 'writers')
Corrected Sentence: "The writer believes that writers should always proofread their work."

Inconsistent voice: "The report was written by me." (Change to active voice)
Corrected Sentence: "I wrote the report."

Change passive voice to active

Using an active voice while rewriting your sentences to make them more concise, engaging, and impactful. This way it emphasizes the doer of an action, while passive voice focuses on the receiver.

Examples of changing passive voice to active to rewrite your sentences

Passive: The cake was baked by Mary.
Active: Mary baked the cake.

Passive: The report will be reviewed by our manager.
Active: Our manager will review the report.

Passive: The car was repaired by John yesterday.
Active: John repaired the car yesterday.

As you can see, this makes the sentence more concise and effective in conveying the message. 

Practice makes perfect

Regularly practicing paraphrasing exercises can greatly enhance your writing and communication skills. Restate ideas in your own words to develop a unique voice as a writer and understand the material on a deeper level. 

This also improves vocabulary, linguistic flexibility, and reading comprehension. Consistent practice is key to mastering this skill, so dedicate time to challenge yourself with passages from various genres and topics. Incorporating regular paraphrasing exercises into your routine will lead to significant improvements in expressing ideas clearly and effectively.

To sum it all up

Rewriting sentences may not always be easy. But using methods like altering sentence structures, using synonyms,  incorporating reported speech, using the right voice and practicing them can make your writing engaging, vibrant, and credible.

As you continue to explore, apply these methods to your writing and become a more accomplished and impactful communicator.

To make things even easier,  you can rewrite your sentences using the paraphrase and rewriting template at Typetone AI to generate the perfect sentence structure for your content.

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