Summary vs paraphrase

• A summary is short. It captures the main idea and a few essential points, leaving out details.
• A paraphrase is roughly the same length as the original, but in your own words.

Why both matter

On standardized reading tests, you will be asked to choose the answer that best paraphrases a sentence — not the one that copies its words. The trick is to keep the meaning while changing the wording.

Example

Original: "Despite heavy rain, the marathon went ahead as planned."

• Summary: "The marathon happened anyway." ✅
• Paraphrase: "The marathon was held as scheduled, even though it rained heavily." ✅
• Wrong: "The marathon was cancelled because of rain." ❌ (Changes the meaning.)