To paraphrase is to take any spoken or written words and rewrite them to be your own, not exactly as they were originally. Example, if I were to paraphrase the Gettysburg Address, instead of saying; "Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent, a
new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men
are created equal.", I would say; "87 years ago, the founding fathers founded the United States of America. It was based on ideas of liberty, and that no man is more important than another."
Now these should be really simple to paraphrase. For example, I'll paraphrase the first line for you, and have you do the rest on your own.
"I steal by lawns and grassy plots"
I'll paraphrase this as;
"I walk by yards and grassy fields"
Hope this helps.
