From Democracy in America Questions
5. (a) Paraphrase content.
Write a paraphrase of the second sentence of paragraph 8. Why is this idea
pertinent to de Tocqueville's discussion?

(b) Paraphrase to support understanding.
Choose a paragraph you found challenging or confusing in the text. Write a
paraphrase to clarify the ideas. Check your paraphrase against the original text to
make sure you captured the correct meaning.

6. (a) Analyze overall structure.
What is the overall structure of this text? Why do you think the author chose this
organizing structure?

(b) Analyze multiple text structures.
De Tocqueville uses underlying, supporting, text structures in this excerpt. Locate
examples of comparison-and-contrast, chronological order, and cause-and-effect
structures within this section. What aspects of his meaning do these multiple text
structures help to convey?

7. When you analyze literature or write an argument, it is important to cite text
evidence to support your claims. Sometimes, you might directly quote the source,
picking up the text word for word; other times you will need to paraphrase the key
ideas, using your own words to explain details in the source. (In either case, it is
important to give credit to the author.) Paraphrasing is an important skill that
allows a writer to relate ideas clearly and concisely to the audience.

Support this claim with evidence from the text, "The desire for popular
sovereignty was the impetus that spawned America." Paraphrase two or three key
ideas from the text and explain how those ideas relate to this claim.
Use these guidelines in your writing or discussion.
Look for specific points related to the desire for popular sovereignty and
consider which ones support the claim.
Think about how the United States came to be an independent country. What
events does de Tocqueville outline in the process of the birth of the nation?
Choose the best evidence and restate it in your own words. Be sure to explain
how the author's ideas are connected to the given claim.
TIP FOR WRITTEN RESPONSE
As you paraphrase, consider naming the author and the page or paragraph number from
the text. For example, you might write,
"In paragraph 3, de Tocqueville explains that .
TIP FOR DISCUSSION
Before engaging in the discussion, take a few minutes to identify pertinent evidence from
the text. Jot down notes about the key ideas you will paraphrase in support of the claim.