Level 1 · Copilot in Word

1.3Rewrite & rephrase

Goal: rewrite a paragraph (shorter, more formal, simpler) and adapt the tone to the audience.

Estimated time: 12 min · self-paced reading · If you only have 5 min: read “The essentials in 30s” + the diagram.

The essentials in 30 seconds

Select then rewrite: highlighted passage + Copilot icon → Keep / Regenerate / Refine — the substance does not change, the form adapts.
4 everyday axes: conciseness ('halve it'), tone, audience ('for a non-specialist'), structure ('as a bullet list').
Accordion + vigilance: 3 lengths of the same idea depending on space — but compare the commitment nuances ('could' vs 'will') before adopting.

Threaded mini-case — Hicham makes a letter readable in Algiers

Hicham must send suppliers a letter about maintenance, drafted by the technical department in heavy jargon. He selects the paragraph, clicks the Copilot icon and asks: 'Rewrite for a non-technical audience: short sentences, zero jargon, reassuring tone. Also give a version twice as short.' He gets an accessible version and a condensed one, then turns a passage into 4 one-line bullets. Before sending, he compares sentence by sentence: a cautious 'we are considering' must not have become a promise 'we will'. The letter goes out clear, in the right tone, without betraying the substance.

Sequel to cases 1.1-1.2 — Hicham moves from producing and summarizing to editing.

1. Rewriting: the risk-free tool and its four axes

Rewrite (selection): select a passage, click the Copilot icon, choose among the proposed rewrites — to keep, regenerate or refine. Big advantage: rewriting does not change the substance, so it is the tool with no hallucination risk (but proofread anyway).

Four rewriting axes cover everyday needs: conciseness ('halve it'), tone (formal/warm/neutral), audience ('for a non-technical client'), structure ('as a bullet list'). Hicham tests them one after another on his technical letter.

2. The accordion, the structuring transformation and harmonization

The accordion technique answers the real constraint of documents: space. Ask for several lengths of the same idea — short version, paragraph version, expanded version — and choose according to the available space. Rewriting can also transform the structure: 'Turn this paragraph into a pros/cons table' — the substance does not move, readability soars.

Ask for several variants and compose: the final choice is yours, sentence by sentence. Star case in teams: harmonizing a document written by several hands — 'Rewrite in a consistent style: short sentences, active voice, formal you', section by section.

Common misinterpretation: 'Rewriting is totally risk-free, you can adopt without proofreading' or 'you must rewrite the whole document at once'. No. Even without hallucination, a commitment nuance can flip ('we could' → 'we will'): compare sentence by sentence on high-stakes texts. And proceed section by section, never the whole document in one block.

The substance does not change, the form adapts

Text version of the diagram (SEO / screen readers / translation): 1) Select: Hicham highlights his technical paragraph and invokes Copilot via the icon — Keep, Regenerate or Refine. 2) Vary: he applies the 4 axes (conciseness, tone, audience, structure) and asks for the accordion in 3 lengths depending on available space. 3) Validate: he compares the commitment nuances sentence by sentence and composes his final version. Lesson: the form adapts, the substance stays — and proofreading decides.

The magic 'improve' (never do this)

'I asked Improve this text on my whole 40-page report at once.'

Verdict: Copilot smoothed everything — including the nuances that committed your department. Section by section, always.

Moral: 'improve' with no instruction is handing your keys to a polite stranger.

🔎 Concrete example — 🔎 Concrete example — One technical paragraph, rewritten for a client

From jargon to clear — like Hicham for his suppliers.

Prompt: 'Rewrite this passage for a non-technical client: short sentences, zero jargon, reassuring tone. Also give a version twice as short.'

Reading: one accessible version + one condensed version, to choose from depending on space.

Lesson: compare the commitment nuances — simplifying must not turn a 'we are considering' into a 'we will'.

Section vocabulary

Rewrite (selection)

Select a passage → Copilot icon → proposed rewrites, to keep, regenerate or refine.

Simple example: The technical paragraph reworked by Hicham for his suppliers.

What it is not: regenerating a whole document at once with no control.

Reflex: short selection, icon, choice — section by section.

Rewriting axes

Conciseness ('halve it'), tone (formal/warm/neutral), audience ('for a non-technical client'), structure ('as a bullet list').

Simple example: The 'halve it' then 'for a non-specialist' tested by Hicham.

What it is not: a single generic axis 'improve this text' with no instruction.

Reflex: name the targeted axis in each request.

The accordion

Ask for several lengths of the same idea: short version, paragraph version, expanded version.

Simple example: The short and expanded versions of Hicham's letter depending on space.

What it is not: a single imposed length for all media.

Reflex: 3 lengths requested, 1 kept depending on space.

Turn into table/list

'Turn this paragraph into a pros/cons table': structuring rewriting, very effective in reports.

Simple example: Hicham's passage turned into 4 one-line bullets.

What it is not: an 8-line block left as is in a summary.

Reflex: as soon as you compare or list: table or bullets.

In practice — Hands-on — Rewrite along the four axes

Take a real paragraph to rework, select it and invoke Copilot.
Test the four axes: 'halve it', 'more formal tone', 'for a non-specialist reader', 'as a bullet list'.
Use the accordion: ask for a short, a medium and an expanded version of the same idea.
On a high-stakes text, compare the commitment nuances sentence by sentence before adopting the rewrite.

You adapt any text to its constraint (space, tone, audience, structure) without betraying its substance.

Ready-to-say script — request a targeted rewrite (30 s)

'I select the passage, I click the Copilot icon: Rewrite for a non-technical audience — short sentences, zero jargon — and give a version twice as short. Then I compare the commitment nuances sentence by sentence before adopting.'

Say while showing the selection; stress comparing before adopting.

Copy-paste template — rewriting prompts per axis

CONCISENESS: 'Rewrite twice as short, without losing information.'
TONE: 'Very formal version for an official letter.'
AUDIENCE: 'Version for a non-technical audience: short sentences, zero jargon.'
STRUCTURE: 'Turn into 4 one-line bullets.'
ACCORDION: 'Give 3 versions: 20 words, 50 words, 150 words.'

Technical letter in Algiers

Like Hicham: jargon → clear + condensed version — suppliers understand, the technical substance does not move.

Multi-author document

'Rewrite in a consistent style: short sentences, active voice, formal you', section by section: the document regains a single voice.

Constrained space

The accordion in 3 lengths for the hook, the summary, the box: the same idea at the right size everywhere.

High-stakes text

Compare 'we will' vs 'we could' sentence by sentence: caution never becomes a promise without a decision.

Caution: On a binding text (official letter, contractual commitment, external communication), compare the rewrite with the original sentence by sentence and have the commitment wording validated before sending.

✓ Best practices

Use rewriting to harmonize a document written by several people: one single style, section by section.
Ask for several variants and compose: the best text is often an assembly of your choices.
Reserve the accordion (3 lengths) for passages constrained by space: hook, summary, box.

✗ Common pitfalls

Adopting a rewrite without proofreading: even without hallucination, a commitment nuance may have changed.
Rewriting a whole long document at once: proceed section by section to keep consistency.
Letting simplification turn caution ('we could') into a promise ('we will').

Key takeaways

Rewriting does not change the substance: it is the tool with no hallucination risk (but proofread anyway).
The 4 everyday axes: shorter, different tone, different audience, different structure.
The accordion (3 lengths) answers the real constraint of documents: space.
Ask for several variants and compose: the final choice is yours.

48h challenge — apply tomorrow

Take one real heavy paragraph: apply the 4 axes of the template above, ask for the accordion in 3 lengths, then compose your final version by comparing the commitment nuances. Keep the before/after.

Section exit checklist