One of the most common instructions in Descriptive Reading Comprehension is to answer questions in your own words. It sounds simple, but many aspirants struggle with it.
Some candidates copy complete sentences from the passage. Others try so hard to avoid copying that they replace ordinary words with complicated synonyms and accidentally change the meaning. A third group understands the answer but cannot express it clearly and concisely.
The correct approach lies between these extremes.
Writing in your own words means:
Understand the Idea → Retain the Meaning → Reconstruct the Answer Naturally
It does not mean changing every word in the original sentence.
For aspirants preparing for examinations such as PFRDA Grade A Descriptive English, mastering this skill can improve not only Reading Comprehension but also Precis Writing and overall written expression.
In this Bank Whizz guide, we will learn a practical method for converting passage-based information into clear, accurate and independent answers.
What Does “Write in Your Own Words” Actually Mean?
Suppose a passage states:
Financial literacy enables individuals to understand financial products, evaluate potential risks and make decisions appropriate to their financial requirements.
A question asks:
Why is financial literacy important?
Simply copying the same sentence does not demonstrate much independent expression.
You could instead write:
Financial literacy helps people understand financial products and their risks, enabling them to make suitable financial decisions.
The idea remains the same.
The wording and sentence construction have changed.
That is effective paraphrasing.
The golden rule is:
Change the expression, not the meaning.
Why Candidates Copy from the Passage
Copying often happens because candidates are afraid of making mistakes.
They think:
“The sentence in the passage is already correct. Why should I change it?”
The problem is that descriptive comprehension is not merely a search-and-copy exercise. It tests whether you have understood the information well enough to communicate it yourself.
Another reason is weak paraphrasing ability.
Candidates may understand the sentence but cannot quickly think of another way to express it.
This is why paraphrasing should be practised as a separate skill.
Step 1: Understand Before Rewriting
Never paraphrase a sentence that you do not fully understand.
Suppose the passage says:
Inflation gradually erodes the purchasing power of accumulated retirement savings.
Before changing the words, ask:
What does this actually mean?
The core idea is:
As prices rise, the same amount of retirement savings can buy fewer goods and services.
Now you can write:
Inflation reduces the real purchasing power of retirement savings over time.
You have preserved the idea without mechanically copying the sentence.
Always follow:
Read → Understand → Rephrase
not:
Read → Replace Words
Step 2: Identify the Core Information
Many passage sentences contain more information than the question requires.
Suppose the passage states:
The rapid expansion of digital financial platforms has enabled millions of consumers, including those residing in geographically remote regions, to access financial services more conveniently.
Question:
How has digitalisation improved financial inclusion?
What is the essential information?
Digital platforms → Better access → Remote consumers
Possible answer:
Digitalisation has improved financial inclusion by making financial services more accessible to people, including those living in remote areas.
You do not need to reproduce every expression from the original sentence.
First extract the information unit; then reconstruct it.
Step 3: Change the Sentence Structure
One of the easiest ways to write in your own words is to change the structure instead of searching for difficult synonyms.
Passage
Greater financial awareness can protect consumers from unsuitable financial products.
Possible Answer
Consumers are less likely to choose unsuitable financial products when they possess adequate financial awareness.
The vocabulary has not changed dramatically.
But the sentence structure has.
This is much safer than replacing every word with an unusual synonym.
Step 4: Combine Related Ideas
Sometimes the answer is spread across two or three sentences.
Instead of copying all of them, combine the relevant ideas.
Passage
Retirement planning requires long-term financial discipline. Individuals who begin saving early have more time to accumulate an adequate corpus. They can also benefit from the long-term effect of compounding.
Question
Why should retirement planning begin early?
Weak Answer
Retirement planning requires long-term financial discipline. Individuals who begin saving early have more time to accumulate an adequate corpus. They can also benefit from the long-term effect of compounding.
Better Answer
Starting retirement planning early gives individuals more time to build an adequate corpus and benefit from long-term compounding.
Three sentences have effectively become one focused answer.
That is excellent descriptive comprehension technique.
Step 5: Remove Information the Question Does Not Need
Writing in your own words also involves selection.
Suppose a paragraph discusses five benefits of technology, but the question asks:
How does technology improve accessibility?
Your answer should focus on accessibility.
Do not summarise the whole paragraph.
Remember:
Comprehension Answer ≠ Passage Summary
Your task is to answer the question, not demonstrate everything you understood from the passage.
Before writing, ask:
“Exactly what information does this question require?”
Step 6: Use Simple Synonyms Where Appropriate
Synonyms can help, but use them naturally.
For example:
Increase → Rise
Important → Significant
Help → Assist/Enable
Problem → Challenge
Reduce → Decrease
Need → Requirement
However, never force synonyms.
Suppose the passage uses the term financial inclusion.
You do not need to replace it with an awkward phrase merely because you want to use “your own words.”
Similarly, technical expressions such as:
Artificial Intelligence
Pension Coverage
Financial Literacy
Cybersecurity
Inflation
may need to remain unchanged.
Paraphrasing concerns the overall expression, not compulsory replacement of every term.
Step 7: Preserve Cause and Effect
While paraphrasing, be careful not to alter logical relationships.
Passage
Lack of financial awareness may expose consumers to fraud.
Correct paraphrase:
Consumers with inadequate financial awareness may be more vulnerable to fraud.
Incorrect paraphrase:
Financial fraud causes consumers to become financially illiterate.
The second sentence has reversed the relationship.
Always check:
Who causes what?
What leads to what?
What is the author’s actual claim?
Meaning is more important than originality of vocabulary.
Step 8: Don’t Add Your Own Opinion
Suppose a passage says that Artificial Intelligence can improve efficiency but may create concerns regarding privacy and bias.
Question:
What concerns associated with AI does the author identify?
Your answer should remain limited to the passage:
The author identifies privacy risks and potential bias as important concerns associated with AI.
Do not add:
AI may eventually destroy millions of jobs and become dangerous for humanity.
Even if you personally believe this, it is outside the information required by the question.
In comprehension:
Your Own Words ≠ Your Own Ideas
This distinction is extremely important.
Step 9: Use the “Close and Recall” Technique
This is one of the most effective exercises for beginners.
Read the relevant portion of the passage.
Understand it.
Then, temporarily look away from the passage and explain the idea mentally in simple language.
Now write your answer.
Why does this work?
Because when you keep staring at the original sentence while writing, your mind naturally reproduces its vocabulary and structure.
The method is:
Read → Understand → Look Away → Recall Meaning → Write
Then return to the passage and check whether your answer preserves the original meaning.
Step 10: Compress While Paraphrasing
A strong comprehension answer is often shorter than the source material.
Passage
People who begin investing for retirement during the early years of their employment generally have a longer period available to accumulate savings and may therefore find it easier to create an adequate retirement corpus.
Better Answer
Starting retirement investment early provides more time to accumulate an adequate corpus.
Notice:
Meaning retained
Sentence shortened
Structure changed
No unnecessary vocabulary
That is the kind of paraphrasing you should develop.
A Practical Bank Whizz Formula
Whenever you need to answer in your own words, use:
1. LOCATE
Find the relevant portion.
2. UNDERSTAND
Determine exactly what it means.
3. EXTRACT
Identify only the information required.
4. RESTRUCTURE
Change the sentence construction naturally.
5. PARAPHRASE
Use your own clear expression.
6. COMPRESS
Remove unnecessary wording.
7. VERIFY
Compare your answer with the passage to ensure the meaning has not changed.
Remember:
LOCATE → UNDERSTAND → EXTRACT → RESTRUCTURE → PARAPHRASE → COMPRESS → VERIFY
Common Paraphrasing Mistakes
Avoid these common errors:
Word-for-word copying — demonstrates little independent expression.
Synonym replacement only — often produces unnatural sentences.
Changing the meaning — the most serious mistake.
Adding personal knowledge — makes the answer passage-independent.
Overwriting — introduces unnecessary details.
Removing essential information — creates an incomplete answer.
Using complicated vocabulary — increases the risk of incorrect usage.
Changing technical terminology unnecessarily — can reduce accuracy.
The goal is not to make your answer look completely different.
The goal is to make it independently expressed but meaningfully identical.
How to Practise Daily
Take five sentences from a quality article.
For each sentence:
Step 1: Read it carefully.
Step 2: Identify its core message.
Step 3: Look away.
Step 4: Rewrite the idea in simpler language.
Step 5: Compare both versions.
Then ask:
Did I preserve the meaning?
Did I change the structure?
Did I remove unnecessary words?
Does my version sound natural?
Practising just five sentences daily can gradually make paraphrasing much more automatic.
Use the Skill Across Descriptive English
This ability is not limited to Reading Comprehension.
It directly supports Precis Writing, where you must understand, paraphrase and compress an entire passage.
It also improves Essay Writing, because stronger sentence construction helps you communicate ideas more effectively.
Therefore:
Better Paraphrasing → Better Comprehension + Better Precis + Better Written Expression
It is one of the most transferable skills in Descriptive English preparation.
Final Strategy
Writing answers in your own words does not mean making the original sentence unrecognisable.
It means proving that you have understood the information well enough to express it independently.
Remember three principles:
Preserve the Meaning
Change the Expression
Answer Only What Is Asked
Use the Bank Whizz method:
LOCATE → UNDERSTAND → EXTRACT → RESTRUCTURE → PARAPHRASE → COMPRESS → VERIFY
Never sacrifice accuracy merely to sound different.
Never use complicated vocabulary merely to impress.
And never add information simply because you know more about the subject.
The best descriptive comprehension answers are often surprisingly simple:
Accurate in meaning. Direct in approach. Natural in language. Complete in content.
That is what writing in your own words really means.
Don’t replace words mechanically. Understand the idea—and then make the expression yours.
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