Full Variation

So our first exercise will be something similar to what we did in the previous lesson but a bit different because this is a full variation.

We looked before it how we could say things a little bit differently and also reduce the redundancy and any repetition that we could cut out to make it simpler.

Well we can do the same thing but just go for a full variation.

In other words we can take some creative liberties we can do what we want but it has to stay in the general area and the events pretty much have to be the same although maybe we can do it from a different a different perspective.

But basically what we’re going to do is rewrite the whole thing and you can do this with a maybe two paragraphs from a book that you’re reading.

You might try to do it with a big paragraph from an article that you’re reading.

Whatever as long as it’s something that’s long enough and has enough detail so that you can really explore it and do a really good variation or rephrase it can also say that we’re rephrasing it and now we’re going to look at a short story very short story and see if we can rephrase it.

So let’s just read through this.

Something unusual happened as Alex made his way home from class.

He had been walking through campus when suddenly a stranger wearing a black mask holding a small knife stepped out from behind a tree and demanded that Alex hand over his wallet.

Of course Alex valued his life more than his money and it seemed like the mugger meant business.

But as he was taking out his wallet the stranger lowered the knife and said You’re a coward before running away into the darkness.

OK now I think you can probably get the idea.

The meaning of that story wallet is where you keep your money.

The mugger is the person who may steal your money on the street.

They’ll say Hey give me your wallet.

That is a mugger and to mean business means that you’re not joking around.

It’s serious.

You really intend to.

If you don’t give me your wallet I will stab you with this knife.

All right.

Now I’ve written a variation of this.

I’ve basically taken this story which I also wrote and I wrote it again in a different way.

And I’ve written it from the perspective of the mugger.

So that is a creative liberty that I have taken.

So what you can do is try to write it from different perspectives in different ways and really explore the event.

It’s a very good creative exercise.

OK.

Now let’s look at my variation of this.

And notice that it’s from the perspective of Alex’s friend who I’ve decided is the one who was mugging Alex.

It was fake.

He was just playing a joke on his friend his roommate.

He wanted to scare him.

That’s why he said You’re a coward.

In my mind OK so I’m writing it from his perspective Alex’s roommate played a horrible prank on him last night.

He put on a ski mask and hid behind a tree until dark.

Then when he spotted Alex walking back to the dorm he jumped out.

He realized he might be taking things a little far with the pocket knife in his hand.

But Alex is petrified face made it all worthwhile just to see what would happen.

He demanded Alex’s wallet feeling the joke had gone far enough.

He said You’re a coward before disappearing into the shadows.

He laughed all the way back to the dorm.

OK.

So basically it’s the same story two different perspectives.

You get the idea.

The point is exploring within the constraints or the limits of the original story and the events that happen so keep the events the same.

Keep the basic story the same.

Explore what’s possible within that play with the language tell a couple of versions of it doesn’t have to be from another perspective but it’s a great exercise if you want to be a better writer and it’s a great exercise to help you think in English a little bit differently and develop your basic habits and and your skills in how you put sentences together.

So you practice this a lot.

You’re going to get really good at that and you’re gonna become a much better writer as well because each version should be better than the last.

And then you can go back and look at it and see how can I improve.

OK.

So that is the sentence variation or the rephrasing exercise.

Now let’s go on and do another one which is also really really useful.