How would you paraphrase this sentence?
Justices argued that a lack of uniform standards for hand recounts of ballots in Florida violated the equal protection of all the state’s voters.
Justices argued that a lack of uniform standards for hand recounts of ballots in Florida violated the equal protection of all the state’s voters.
1 Answer
Judges asserted that the absence of consistent rules for hand recounts of Floridians' ballots infringed on the equal protection guaranteed to the state's voters.
Explanation:
Generally, when paraphrasing, ensure that your tense is consistent with the tense originally used and use appropriate synonyms to convey the statement's meaning with clarity.
We use "judges" instead of "justices" as the former may be easier to understand.
For "argued," we can substitute "asserted." Both words convey assuredness.
"Absence" can be substituted for "lack." These words share the same meaning. Using one in lieu of the other won't cause a loss of clarity.
"Uniform standards" can be replaced with "consistent rules." The latter may be easier to understand and therefore ensures clarity.
"Ballots in Florida" can be replaced with "Floridians' ballots." The latter is more concise and emphasizes the importance of voters in this situation.
"Violated" can be replaced with "infringed." Both words describe a wrongful transgression.
