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• What is Paraphrasing? An Overview With Examples
• Learn English
• James Prior
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• Updated February 23, 2024

What is paraphrasing? Or should I say what is the definition of paraphrasing? If you want to restate something using different words whilst retaining the same meaning, this is paraphrasing.

In this article, we cover what paraphrasing is, why it’s important, and when you should do it. Plus, some benefits and examples.

Table of Contents

Paraphrase Definition: What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is when you restate the information from a source using your own words while maintaining the original meaning. It involves expressing the ideas in a different way, often to clarify or simplify the content, without directly quoting the source.

When you paraphrase, you are not only borrowing, clarifying, or expanding on the information but also ensuring that you do all of these actions without plagiarizing the original content. It’s therefore definitely worth learning how to paraphrase if you want to improve your writing skills.

Why is Paraphrasing Important?

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill that allows you to convey information in your unique writing style while still giving credit to someone else’s ideas. It’s important for several reasons, and it serves various functions in both academic and professional writing.

Here are some key reasons why you should paraphrase:

• Paraphrasing allows you to present information from sources in your own words, reducing the risk of plagiarism. Proper in-text citation is still necessary, but paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding and interpretation of the material.
• When you paraphrase, you are required to comprehend the original content fully. You actively engage with the information, helping you better understand complex concepts and ideas. This process of restating the information in your own words showcases your understanding of the subject matter.
• By paraphrasing, you can clarify complex ideas or technical language and convey information in a clearer, shorter, and simpler form. This makes it more accessible to your audience and ensures they grasp the key points. This is particularly important when communicating with readers who may not be familiar with specialized terminology.
• Paraphrasing is valuable when synthesizing information from various sources. It enables you to blend ideas cohesively while maintaining a consistent writing style throughout your work.
• Paraphrasing allows you to inject your unique writing style and voice into the content. It helps you present information in a way that is more aligned with your personal expression and perspective.
• In certain situations where you need to meet specific length requirements for assignments or publications, paraphrasing allows you to convey information more concisely while still preserving the essential meaning.
• Paraphrasing helps maintain a smooth flow and cohesiveness in your writing. It allows you to integrate information seamlessly, avoiding abrupt shifts between your own ideas and those from external sources.
• Depending on your audience, you may need to adapt the language and level of technicality of the information you present. Paraphrasing allows you to tailor the content to suit the needs of your specific readership.

Incorporating paraphrasing into your writing not only showcases your understanding of the material but also enhances the overall quality and originality of your work.

When Should You Paraphrase?

Knowing when to paraphrase is an important skill, especially in academic writing and professional communication. Here are some situations in which you should consider paraphrasing:

• To Avoid Plagiarism:  Whenever you want to incorporate information from source material into your own work, but don’t want to use a direct quotation, paraphrasing is necessary to present the ideas in your own words while still acknowledging the original source.
• To Express Understanding:  Paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding of a topic by rephrasing the information in a way that shows you have processed and comprehended the material.
• To Simplify Complex Information:  If you encounter complex or technical language that may be difficult for your audience to understand, paraphrasing can help you clarify and simplify the information to make it more accessible and digestible.
• To Integrate Multiple Sources:  When synthesizing information from multiple sources, paraphrasing allows you to blend the ideas cohesively while maintaining your own voice and perspective.
• To Maintain Consistency in Writing Style:  In academic writing or professional writing, paraphrasing can help you maintain a consistent writing style throughout your work. This helps to ensure that all sections flow smoothly and are coherent.
• To Meet Specific Requirements:  Some assignments or publications may have specific requirements. This could relate to the number of words or concern the use of direct quotations. In such cases, paraphrasing allows you to meet these requirements while still incorporating relevant information from your sources.

What Are the Benefits of Paraphrasing?

Rewriting information in a clearer, shorter, and simpler form is called paraphrasing, so one of the benefits of paraphrasing is already clear! However, it can also be a useful exercise for other reasons, which are outlined below:

Avoiding Plagiarism

One of the main benefits of paraphrasing is mastering the ability to present information from external sources in a way that is entirely your own. By restructuring the content and expressing it using your words, you create a distinct piece of writing that reflects your comprehension and interpretation of the original material. This not only showcases your academic or professional integrity but also safeguards against unintentional plagiarism.

Paraphrasing is a fundamental skill in academic and professional settings, where originality and proper attribution are highly valued. This is especially true when it comes to writing research papers, where you’ll often need to reference someone else’s ideas with appropriate citations.

When you paraphrase effectively, you communicate to your audience that you respect the intellectual property of others while contributing your unique insights. This ethical approach to information usage enhances your credibility as a writer or researcher and reinforces the integrity of your work.

Enhancing Understanding

When you engage in paraphrasing, you actively participate in the material you are working with. You are forced to consider the ideas presented in the source material. You need to discern the essential concepts, identify key phrases, and decide how best to convey the message in a way that resonates with you.

This active engagement not only aids in understanding the content but also encourages critical thinking as you evaluate and interpret the information from your own standpoint.

By expressing someone else’s ideas in your own words, you deepen your understanding of the content. This process requires you to dissect the original text, grasp its nuances, and then reconstruct it using your language and perspective. In this way, you go beyond mere memorization and truly internalize the information, fostering a more profound comprehension of the subject matter.

Tailoring Information for Your Audience

Paraphrasing empowers you to adapt the language and complexity of the information to suit the needs and understanding of your audience. As you rephrase the content, you have the flexibility to adjust the level of technicality, simplify complex terminology, or tailor the tone to make the information more accessible to your specific readership.

Consider your audience’s background, knowledge level, and interests. Paraphrasing allows you to bridge the gap between the original content and the understanding of your intended audience.

Whether you are communicating with experts in a particular field or a general audience, the ability to paraphrase ensures that the information is conveyed in a way that resonates with and is comprehensible to your readers. This skill not only facilitates effective communication but also demonstrates your awareness of the diverse needs of your audience.

Improves Writing Skills

Paraphrasing helps in the development and refinement of your writing skills. When you actively engage in the process of rephrasing someone else’s ideas, you hone your ability to express concepts in a clear, concise, and coherent manner.

This practice refines your language proficiency, encouraging you to explore different types of sentence structure, experiment with vocabulary, and ultimately develop a more sophisticated and nuanced writing style.

As you paraphrase, you gain a heightened awareness of grammar, syntax, and word choice. This translates into improved writing, helping you construct well-articulated sentences and paragraphs. Moreover, paraphrasing allows you to experiment with different writing tones and adapt your style to suit the context or purpose of your writing, fostering versatility and adaptability in your expression.

Saves Time and Energy

Paraphrasing can significantly reduce the time and energy spent on the writing process. Rather than grappling with the challenge of integrating lengthy direct quotations or struggling to find the perfect synonym, paraphrasing allows you to distill and convey information in a more streamlined way.

This becomes particularly advantageous when faced with strict deadlines. By mastering paraphrasing, you empower yourself to produce well-crafted, original content in a shorter timeframe, allowing you to meet deadlines without compromising the quality of your work.

Examples of Paraphrasing

Here are some examples of paraphrasing:

• Original:  “The advancements in technology have revolutionized the way we communicate with each other.”
• Paraphrased:  “Technological progress has transformed how we interact and communicate with one another.”
• Original:  “Deforestation poses a significant threat to global ecosystems and biodiversity.”
• Paraphrased:  “The impact of deforestation represents a substantial danger to ecosystems and the diversity of life on a global scale.”
• Original:  “Effective time management is essential for achieving productivity in both professional and personal spheres.”
• Paraphrased:  “Efficient management of time is crucial for attaining productivity in both professional and personal aspects of life.”
• Original:  “The restaurant offers a diverse selection of culinary choices, ranging from traditional dishes to modern fusion cuisine.”
• Paraphrased:  “The restaurant provides a variety of food options, including both traditional and modern fusion dishes.”
• Original:  “The novel explores the complexities of human relationships in a rapidly changing society.”
• Paraphrased:  “The book delves into the challenges of human connections in a fast-changing world.”
• Original:  “Regular exercise is crucial for maintaining optimal physical health and preventing various health issues.”
• Paraphrased:  “Exercising regularly is important for keeping your body healthy and avoiding health problems.”

In these examples, you can observe the use of different wording, sentence structure, and synonyms while preserving the core meaning of the original sentences. This is the essence of paraphrasing.

What Are the Differences Between Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Summarizing?

So, we’ve established that successful paraphrasing is a way of rewriting someone else’s words whilst retaining their meaning and still giving credit to the original author’s ideas. But how is this different from quoting and summarizing?

While paraphrasing, quoting, and summarizing are all ways of incorporating information from source material into your own writing, there are key differences between them:

Paraphrasing

• Definition:  Paraphrasing involves rephrasing someone else’s ideas or information in your own words while retaining the original meaning.
• Usage:  You use paraphrasing when you want to present the information in a way that suits your writing style or when you need to clarify complex ideas.
• Example:  Original: “The study found a significant correlation between sleep deprivation and decreased cognitive performance.” Paraphrased: “The research indicated a notable link between lack of sleep and a decline in cognitive function.”
• Definition:  Quoting involves directly using the exact words from a source and enclosing them in quotation marks.
• Usage:  You use quoting when the original wording is essential, either because of its precision or uniqueness, or when you want to highlight a specific phrase or concept.
• Example:  Original: “The author argues, ‘In the absence of clear guidelines, individual judgment becomes paramount in decision-making.'”

The use of quotation marks is vital when quoting.

Summarizing

• Definition:  Summarizing involves condensing the main ideas of a source or original passage in your own words, focusing on the most crucial points.
• Usage:  You use summarizing when you need to provide a concise overview of a longer piece of text or when you want to capture the key points without including all the details.
• Example:  Original: A lengthy article discussing various factors influencing climate change. Summary: “The article outlines key factors contributing to climate change, including human activities and natural processes.”

In summary, paraphrasing is about expressing someone else’s ideas in your own words, quoting involves directly using the original words, and summarizing is about condensing the main points of a source.

Each technique serves different purposes in writing and should be used based on your specific goals and the nature of the information you are incorporating. If you want to level up your writing skills you need to be able to do all three of these.

Conclusion (In Our Own Words)

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill with numerous benefits. It helps you understand complex ideas, refine your writing style, and demonstrate ethical information use. It also allows you to tailor information for different audiences and can save time in academic and professional writing.

So, if you want to incorporate information from external sources into your writing in a way that is clear, concise, and respectful of the original author’s work, it’s worth mastering the art of paraphrasing.

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Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is taking the ideas from a source and putting them in your own words. You won’t always be able or want to quote a source word-for-word, and paraphrasing is a way to relay the author’s ideas to your audience without relying on their actual language.

This skill is critical for your academic success. First, learning to paraphrase will help you better understand what you are reading. Moreover, some disciplines only use quotations rarely—and some not at all. In most academic writing, you’ll use paraphrasing more than quoting, and frankly, if you quote, you usually need to include a paraphrase anyway.

Using a Two-Part Process

First, you need to understand the passage. Of course, you need to understand the text as a whole, but to paraphrase well, you also have to make sure that you understand more precisely the ideas in the passage you want to reference. Careful reading will help you do this.

The second part is putting the passage in your own words, frequently the more difficult part. It is not enough to substitute a few synonyms—even really good ones—to paraphrase well. Instead, you have to both alter the vocabulary where possible and avoid using the same sentence structure.

Let’s unpack that a bit.

• Alter the vocabulary. To alter the vocabulary, you need to use different words to describe the author’s point except where the specific words are necessary. Specific words to hang onto would mostly be technical language: the word itself is the most appropriate word because it is the most accurate. (Usually, this applies to nouns, but it can also apply to verbs and less frequently to adjectives and adverbs.) If the technical terms are really long or uncommon phrases, sometimes it makes sense to quote those, just so your reader knows that the phrasing comes from the author. If the words aren’t technical, you should be looking for other language.
• Change the sentence structure. Ultimately, your sentence should not look like the original, even when you are using some of the technical language. If your reader were to read the two sentences side-by-side, they should be able to see the same idea, but not the same way of phrasing that idea.

How to do this?

To write a strong paraphrase, try the following steps:

• Make sure that you understand the passage.
• Close the book or put away the article.
• Do something else for five or ten minutes—perhaps work on the rest of the paragraph.
• Without looking back at the original text, write your paraphrase. Go ahead and add it directly to the paragraph you are working on. But DON’T look at the text again until you are ready to check your paraphrase.
• Check your paraphrase against the original both to make sure your paraphrase is accurate and to make sure that you haven’t written a paraphrase that is too close to the original.

Another trick I sometimes use is imagining that I am having to explain the idea in the passage to one of my sisters. Both of them are smart people, but neither of them has the kind of detailed knowledge of the topics I write about. So, I start writing my explanation to one of them. I have to put it in relatively plain language to start, but this also helps me confirm my understanding. And those explanations can produce some pretty solid paraphrases.

Here’s an example of a paraphrase that keeps the ideas in the original source, but not the language. Notice that the paraphrase also includes citation.

Original Text

“The average cost in 2017 to install solar systems ranged from a little over $2,000 per kilowatt (kilowatts are a measure of power capacity) for large-scale systems to almost $3,700 for residential systems. A new natural gas plant might have costs around $1,000/kW. Wind comes in around $1,200 to $1,700/kw.”

Though ultimately making the case that long-term savings outweigh initial costs, the Union of Concerned Scientists points out that it costs between $2000 and $3700 per kilowatt to install different types of solar systems and between $1200 and $1700 to install wind systems. Solar and wind systems might be better environmentally, but big companies think about the money spent, especially when natural gas plants are only $1000 per kilowatt (Union).

Union of Concerned Scientists. “Barriers to Renewable Energy Technologies.” Union of Concerned Scientists , 6 June 2014, www.ucsusa.org/resources/barriers-renewable-energy-technologies .

When a writer paraphrases by relying too heavily on the existing sentence structure and vocabulary of the original, this is called “patchwriting.” Patchwriting can be considered a form of plagiarism because the writer takes the wording of someone else and claims it as their own.

Patchwriting most commonly occurs when writers keep their sources open in front of them as they write a paraphrase. It can also happen when writers memorize passages or try to write paraphrases too soon after they have put away the text. Readers are influenced not just by the ideas of writers, but also by the words that authors use to explain those ideas.

As you practice paraphrasing, you will get better at it, and it can become an excellent way to improve your understanding of difficult material. In the meantime, put your sources away, and if you find yourself patchwriting anyway, try paraphrasing your patchwriting. Every time you do it, you should find yourself a little further away from the original text.

• Good paraphrasing keeps the author’s idea, but changes both the words used by the author and the sentence structure.
• If you struggle with paraphrasing, you can get better by following a few steps: make sure you understand the passage, close the source and do something else for a little while, and then write your paraphrase without looking back at the source.
• Once you have written your paraphrase, check it against the original to make sure that you have captured the idea without relying too heavily on the language and sentence structure of the original.
• You can add short quotations to paraphrases, particularly of technical terms.
• Patchwriting, attempts at paraphrasing that stick too close to the original text, can be considered a form of plagiarism. Don’t look at the text when you write a paraphrase!

Text Attribution

This chapter was revised with the help of Lando Concepcion and Jude Ejiofor, students in my class during Spring 2022. Jude also provided the example of good paraphrasing.

An area of study, very similar to a major in college.

Reading and Writing Successfully in College: A Guide for Students Copyright © 2023 by Patricia Lynne is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Paraphrase: Dos, Don'ts, and Strategies for Success

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Is It Considered Plagiarism If You Paraphrase?

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How to Paraphrase and Tips for Paraphrasing Correctly

Write Down Paraphrases of a Source on Notecards

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As if the research process isn't hard enough already—finding relevant and reliable sources, reading and interpreting material, and selecting key quotations/information to support your findings/arguments are all essential when writing a research essay.

Academic writers and students face the additional stress of ensuring that they have properly documented their sources. Failure to do so, whether intentionally or unintentionally, could result in plagiarism, which is a serious academic offense.

That's why we've written this article: to provide tips for proper paraphrasing. We'll start with an overview of the difference between paraphrasing and quoting, and then we'll provide a list of paraphrasing dos and don'ts, followed by strategies for proper paraphrasing. 

We will include paraphrasing examples throughout to illustrate best practices for paraphrasing and citing paraphrased material .

As mentioned in our previous article on plagiarism , "simply taking another writer's ideas and rephrasing them as one's own can be considered plagiarism as well." 

Paraphrasing words is acceptable if you interpret and synthesize the information from your sources, rephrase the ideas in your own words, and add citations at the sentence level. It is NOT acceptable if you simply copy and paste large chunks of an original source and modify them slightly, hoping that your teacher, editor, or reviewer won't notice. 

Passing off another's work as one's own is a form of intellectual theft, so researchers and students must learn how to paraphrase quotes and be scrupulous when reporting others' work.

You might be familiar with all this. Still, you might be concerned and find yourself asking, "How do I paraphrase a source correctly without running the risk of unintentional plagiarism?" 

For many writers, especially those who are unfamiliar with the concepts of a particular field, learning how to paraphrase a source or sentence is daunting.

To avoid charges of plagiarism, you must not only document your sources correctly using an appropriate style guide (e.g., APA, Harvard, or Vancouver) for your reference list or bibliography but also handle direct quotations and paraphrasing correctly.

Quoting uses the exact words and punctuation from your source, whereas paraphrasing involves synthesizing material from the source and putting things in your own words. Citing paraphrases is just as necessary as citing quotations.

Even if you understand quoting versus paraphrasing, you might still need some additional paraphrasing help or guidance on how to paraphrase a quote. 

Summarizing is when you're discussing the main point or overview of a piece, while paraphrasing is when you're translating a direct quote into language that will be easy for your readers to understand .

It's easy to see how the two are similar, given that the steps to paraphrasing and summarizing both include putting ideas into your own words. 

But summarizing and paraphrasing are distinctly different. Paraphrasing highlights a certain perspective from a source, and summarizing offers more of an overview of an entire subject, theme, or book.

You can usually tell the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing by the length of what you're writing abore writing about. If you’re writing about a quote, that would be a smaller theme inside a larger work, so you'd paraphrase. 

If you're writing about the themes or plot of an entire book, you'd summarize. Summaries are usually shorter than the original work.

Learn How to Format Quotation Marks here.

When learning how to paraphrase a quote, you first need to consider whether you should be paraphrasing a text or quoting it directly.

If you find the perfect quote from a reliable source that fits your main topic, supports your argument, and lends authority to your paper but is too long (40+ words) or complex, it should be paraphrased. Long/complex quotes can also be shortened with omissions and editorial changes (as discussed below).

Introduce the quote with a signal phrase (e.g., "According to Ahmad [2017] . . .") and insert the entire quotation, indicating the text with quotation marks or indentation (i.e., a block quote).

If you only need to use parts of a long quotation, you can insert an ellipsis (. . .) to indicate omissions. You can also make editorial changes in square brackets [like this]. 

Keep in mind that you need to reflect the author's intent accurately when using this strategy. Don't change important words in a quotation so that it better fits your argument, as this is a form of intellectual fraud.

Changes in square brackets should only be used to clarify the text without altering meaning in the context of the paper (e.g., clarifying antecedents and matching verb tense). They signal to the reader that these changes were made by the author of the essay and not by the author of the original text.

Paraphrasing

Demonstrate that you clearly understand the text by expressing the main ideas in your own unique style and language. Now, you might be asking yourself, "Do paraphrases need to be cited like quotes?" The answer is a resounding "yes."

When deciding whether to paraphrase or use a direct quote, it is essential to ask what is more important: the exact words of the source or the ideas.

If the former is important, consider quoting directly. If the latter is important, consider paraphrasing or summarizing.

Direct quotation is best for well-worded material that you cannot express any more clearly or succinctly in your own style. It's actually the preferred way of reporting sources in the arts, particularly in literary studies.

Shortening a long quote is a great way to retain the original phrasing while ensuring that the quote reads well in your paper. However, direct quotations are often discouraged in the sciences and social sciences, so keep that in mind when deciding whether to paraphrase or quote.

Paraphrasing is best used for long portions of text that you can synthesize into your own words. Think of paraphrasing as a form of translation; you are translating an idea in another "language" into your own language. The idea should be the same, but the words and sentence structure should be totally different.

The purpose of paraphrasing is to draw together ideas from multiple sources to convey information to your reader clearly and succinctly. 

As a student or researcher, your job is to demonstrate that you understand the material you've read by expressing ideas from other sources in your own style, adding citations to the paraphrased material as appropriate. 

If you think the purpose of paraphrasing is to help you avoid thinking for yourself, you are mistaken.

When you paraphrase, be sure that you understand the text clearly . The purpose of paraphrasing is to interpret the information you researched for your reader, explaining it as though you were speaking to a colleague or teacher. In short, paraphrasing is a skill that demonstrates one's comprehension of a text.

Yes, paraphrases always need to be cited. Citing paraphrased material helps you avoid plagiarism by giving explicit credit to the authors of the material you are discussing. 

Citing your paraphrases ensures academic integrity. When you sit down to write your paper, however, you might find yourself asking these questions: "Do paraphrases need to be cited? How do I paraphrase?"

Here is a quick paraphrase example that demonstrates how to cite paraphrased ideas. The opening lines to one of Juliet's most famous speeches are "O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? / Deny thy father and refuse thy name; / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, / And I'll no longer be a Capulet" (Romeo and Juliet, 2.2.880–884). 

If you needed to paraphrase these lines in an essay, you could do so as follows:

Juliet muses about why Romeo's family name is Montague and concludes that if either gave up their name (and thereby their family affiliations) for the other, they could be together (Romeo and Juliet, 2.2.880–884).

Generally speaking, you must include an in-text citation at the end of a paraphrased sentence. 

However, if your paraphrased material is several sentences long, then you should check with your preferred style guide. Some style guides (such as APA) call for a paraphrase citation after the first paraphrased sentence. Other style guides (such as MLA) call for a paraphrase citation after the last paraphrased sentence. 

Remember, no matter what style guide you use, it is not necessary to cite every single sentence of paraphrased material in a multi-sentence paraphrase.

Don't Start Paraphrasing by Picking Up a Thesaurus

This might shock you, but a thesaurus is NOT the answer to the problem of paraphrasing. Why? Using a thesaurus to swap out a few words here and there from an original source is a form of patchwriting, which is a type of plagiarism.

You shouldn't have to resort to a thesaurus unless you are completely unsure about what a word means—although, in that case, a dictionary might be a better tool. Ideally, you should be able to use clear, simple language that is familiar to you when reporting findings (or other information) from a study.

The problem with using a thesaurus is that you aren't really using your own words to paraphrase a text; you're using words from a book. Plus, if you're unfamiliar with a concept or if you have difficulty with English, you might choose the wrong synonym and end up with a paraphrase like this: "You may perhaps usage an erroneous word."

This is a common mistake among writers who are writing about a field with which they are unfamiliar or who do not have a thorough grasp of the English language or the purpose of paraphrasing.

If you choose to keep a few phrases from the original source but paraphrase the rest (i.e., combining quoting and paraphrasing), that's okay, but keep in mind that phrasing from the source text must be reproduced in an exact manner within quotation marks.

Direct quotations are more than three consecutive words copied from another source, and they should always be enclosed in quotation marks or offset as a block quotation.

A sentence that combines a direct quote with paraphrased material would look like this: 

In "The Laugh of the Medusa," Cixous highlights women's writing as a specific feat and speaks "about what it will do" when it has the same formal recognition as men's writing (Cixous 875).

The paraphrased paragraph of Cixous' essay includes a direct quote and a paraphrase citation.

Did you know that copying portions of a quote without quotation marks (i.e., patchwriting) is a form of plagiarism—even if you provide an in-text citation? If you've reworded sections of a quote in your own style, simply enclose any direct quotations (three or more words) in quotation marks to indicate that the writing is not your own.

When learning how to paraphrase, you need to distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate forms of paraphrasing. The Office of Research and Integrity , a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, puts it this way:

Taking portions of text from one or more sources, crediting the author/s, but only making 'cosmetic' changes to the borrowed material, such as changing one or two words, simply rearranging the order, voice (i.e., active vs. passive) and/or tense of the sentences is NOT paraphrasing.

What does paraphrasing too closely look like? Here is an overly close paraphrase example of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' description of plagiarizing:

Using sections of a source, citing it, but only making surface-level changes to the language (such as changing a few words, the verb tense, the voice, or word order) fails as a paraphrase. True paraphrasing involves changing the words and syntactical structure of the original source. Keep reading for strategies for paraphrasing properly.

Get Help with Proper Paraphrasing

Hire an expert academic editor , or get a free sample.

In an article on how to paraphrase , the Purdue University Online Writing Lab suggests that you read the source text carefully and write paraphrases on notecards. You can then compare your version with the original, ensuring that you've covered all the key information and noting any words or phrases that are too closely paraphrased.

Your notecards should be labeled with the author(s) and citation information of the source text so that you don't lose track of which source you used. You should also note how you plan to use the paraphrase in your essay.

If you are a visual learner, the benefit of this strategy is that you can visualize the content you intend to paraphrase. 

Because a notecard is a tangible object, you can physically arrange it in an essay outline, moving the right information to the appropriate paragraph so that your essay flows well. (If you're not sure how to write an outline , check out our article.)

Plus, having a physical copy of paraphrased information makes it harder for you to accidentally plagiarize by copying and pasting text from an original source and forgetting to paraphrase or quote it properly. Writing out your paraphrase allows you to distance yourself from the source text and express the idea in your own unique style.

For more paraphrasing help, Jerry Plotnick from the University College Writing Centre at the University of Toronto provides a similar strategy for paraphrasing.

Plotnick advises that you take point-form notes of text that you want to use in your paper. Don't use full sentences, but instead "capture the original idea" in a few words and record the name of the source.

This strategy is similar to the notecard idea, but it adds another step. Instead of just reading the source carefully and writing your complete paraphrase on a notecard, Plotnick recommends using point-form notes while researching your sources. These notes can then be used to paraphrase the source text when you are writing your paper.

Like handwriting your paraphrases on notecards, taking notes and coming back to them later will help you distance yourself from the source, allowing you to forget the original wording and use your own style.

The Plotnick method above describes how to use point-form notes while researching a paper to keep your paraphrasing original. To paraphrase in your paper using Plotnick's method above, look at your sources and try the following:

Write down the basic point(s) you want to discuss on a notecard (in your own words).

Take your notecard points and turn them into sentences when you write your essay.

Add the reference for the source.

Compare your paraphrase to the original source to make sure your words are your own.

Practice Two-Step Paraphrasing: Sentence Structure and Word Choice

In an article on how to paraphrase by the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the first two strategies are acknowledged—taking notes and looking away from the source before you write your paraphrase. 

The authors then suggest another two-step strategy for paraphrasing: change the structure first and then change the words. Let's break down this process a bit further.

Sentences in English have two main components: a subject and a predicate . The subject is who or what is performing an action (i.e., a noun or pronoun), and the predicate is what the subject is doing (i.e., a verb). Sentences can be simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex. 

Here are some paraphrase examples using different sentence structures:

Simple: It was difficult.

Compound: It was difficult, but she knew there was no going back.

Complex: Although it was difficult, she knew there was no going back.

Compound-complex: Although it was difficult, she knew there was no going back, so she kept calm and carried on.

Once you have identified the structure of the original sentence, you can reconstruct it using one of the different types of sentences illustrated above.

You can also change passive voice to active voice, or vice versa.

The active voice is structured like this: Subject + Verb + Object (e.g., She learned how to paraphrase.)

The passive voice is structured like this: Object + "To Be" Verb + Past Participle (e.g., How to paraphrase was learned by the girl.)

See how awkward the passive sentence example is? It's best not to force a sentence into an unnatural sentence structure. 

Otherwise, you'll end up with Yoda-speak: "Forced to learn how to paraphrase a sentence, the girl was." (Did you like the unintentional "force" pun?)

Another way to distinguish your paraphrase from the original source is to use different sentence lengths. Often, scholarly articles are written using long, compound, complex, or compound-complex sentences. Use short sentences instead. 

Break down complex ideas into easy-to-understand material. Alternatively, you can combine several ideas from the source text into one long sentence, synthesizing the material. Try to stick with your own style of writing so that the paraphrased text matches that of the rest of your document.

Once the paraphrased sentence structure is sufficiently different from the original sentence structure, you can replace the wording of the original text with words you understand and are comfortable with.

Paraphrasing isn't meant to hide the fact that you are copying someone else's idea using clever word-swapping techniques. Rather, it is meant to demonstrate that you are capable of explaining the text in your own language.

One handy article on word choice by the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill lists some strategies for successful word choice, such as eliminating jargon and simplifying unnecessary wordiness. While this applies to academic writing in general, the "questions to ask yourself" are also useful as great paraphrasing help.

Once you have completed a sentence-long paraphrase, you include an in-text citation at the end of that sentence. However, if your paraphrased material is several sentences long, then you should check with your preferred style guide. 

Some style guides (such as APA) call for a paraphrase citation after the first paraphrased sentence. Other style guides (such as MLA) call for a paraphrase citation after the last paraphrased sentence. 

To paraphrase properly, you need to explain a text in your own words without using a direct quote . Keep in mind, however, that different styles require different formats when it comes to documenting paraphrased sources. Some styles require a citation after the first paraphrased sentence, while others require a citation after the last.

For this reason, we've outlined examples of how to paraphrase in the APA, MLA, and Chicago styles below. Be sure to check with your professor to see which style your essay requires.

APA guidelines for paraphrasing include citing your source on the first mention in either the narrative or parenthetical format. Here's a refresher of both formats:

Narrative format: Koehler (2016) noted the dangers of false news.

Parenthetical format: The news can distort our perception of an issue (Koehler, 2016).

Here's an example of how to paraphrase from a primary source in APA:

Dudley (1999) states that "direct quote" or paraphrase (Page #).

Note: It's not always necessary to include the page number, but it's recommended if it'll help readers quickly find a passage in a book.

Below are a couple of examples of how to paraphrase in APA. Keep in mind that for longer paraphrases, you don't have to add the citation again if it's clear that the same work is being paraphrased.

Short paraphrase:

Stephenson (1992) outlined a case study of a young man who showed increasing signs of insecurity without his father (pp. 23–27).

Long paraphrase:

Johnson et al. (2013) discovered that for small-breed dogs of a certain age, possession aggression was associated with unstable living environments in earlier years, including fenced-in yards with multiple dogs all together for long periods of time. However, these effects were mediated over time. Additionally, with careful training, the dogs showed less possession aggression over time. These findings illustrate the importance of positive reinforcement over the length of a dog's life.

When paraphrasing in MLA, include an in-text citation at the end of the last paraphrased sentence. 

Your in-text citation can be done either parenthetically or in prose, and it requires the last name of the cited author and the page number of the source you're paraphrasing from. Here are MLA citation examples :

Parenthetical:

Paraphrase (Author's Last Name Page #)

Author's Last Name states that paraphrase (Page #)

In addition to adding a short in-text citation to the end of your last paraphrased sentence, MLA requires that this source be included in your Works Cited page, so don't forget to add it there as well.

Here are two examples of how to paraphrase in MLA:

In an attempt to communicate his love for Elizabeth, all Mr. Darcy did was communicate the ways in which he fought to hide his true feelings (Austen 390).

Rowling explains how happy Harry was after being reunited with his friends when he thought all was lost (17).

Paraphrasing correctly in Chicago style depends on whether you're using the notes and bibliography system or the author-date system.

The notes and bibliography system includes footnotes or endnotes, whereas the author-date system includes in-text citations.

Below, you'll find the correct way to format citations when paraphrasing in both the notes and bibliography and author-date systems.

Notes and Bibliography

For the notes and bibliography system, add a superscript at the end of your paraphrase that corresponds to your footnote or endnote.

Johnson explains that there was no proof in the pudding. 1

Author-Date

For the author-date style, include the page number of the text you're referencing at the end of your paraphrase. If you mention the author, include the year the source was published.

Johnson (1995) explains that there was no proof in the pudding (21).

In summary, the purpose of paraphrasing is not to simply swap a few words; rather, it is to take ideas and explain them using an entirely different sentence structure and choice of words. It has a greater objective; it shows that you've understood the literature on your subject and are able to express it clearly to your reader.

In other words, proper paraphrasing shows that you are familiar with the ideas in your field, and it enables you to support your own research with in-text citations. 

Knowing when to paraphrase or quote strengthens your research presentation and arguments. Asking for paraphrasing help before you accidentally plagiarize shows that you understand the value of academic integrity.

If you need help, you might consider an editing and proofreading service, such as Scribendi. While our editors cannot paraphrase your sources for you, they can check whether you've cited your sources correctly according to your target style guide via our Academic Editing service.

Even if you need more than just paraphrase citation checks, our editors can help you decide whether a direct quote is stronger as a paraphrase, and vice versa. Editors cannot paraphrase quotes for you, but they can help you learn how to paraphrase a quote correctly.

What Is the Meaning of "Paraphrase"?

Paraphrasing is when you write text from another source in your own words. It's a way of conveying to your reader or professor that you understand a specific source material well enough to describe it in your own style or language without quoting it directly. 

Paraphrasing (and citing your paraphrases) allows you to explain and share ideas you've learned from other sources without plagiarizing them.

You can write things in your own words by taking original notes on the sources you're reading and using those notes to write your paraphrase while keeping the source material out of sight. 

You can also practice putting things in your own words by changing sentences from passive to active, or vice versa, or by varying word choice and sentence length. You can also try Jeremy Plotnick's idea of paraphrasing from your own point-form notes.

When you're paraphrasing something, it means you are putting someone else's writing in your own words. You're not copying or quoting content directly. Instead, you are reading someone else's work and explaining their ideas in your own way. 

Paraphrasing demonstrates that you understand the material you're writing about and gives your reader the opportunity to understand the material in a simplified way that is different from how the original author explained it.

About the Author

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing turn into a great one after the editing process. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained nearly 20 degrees collectively. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

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Article • 12 min read

How to Paraphrase and Summarize Work

Summing up key ideas in your own words.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Imagine you're preparing a presentation for your CEO. You asked everyone in your team to contribute, and they all had plenty to say!

But now you have a dozen reports, all in different styles, and your CEO says that she can spare only 10 minutes to read the final version. What do you do?

The solution is to paraphrase and summarize the reports, so your boss gets only the key information that she needs, in a form that she can process quickly.

In this article, we explain how to paraphrase and how to summarize, and how to apply these techniques to text and the spoken word. We also explore the differences between the two skills, and point out the pitfalls to avoid.

What Is Paraphrasing?

When you paraphrase, you use your own words to express something that was written or said by another person.

Putting it into your own words can clarify the message, make it more relevant to your audience , or give it greater impact.

You might use paraphrased material to support your own argument or viewpoint. Or, if you're putting together a report , presentation or speech , you can use paraphrasing to maintain a consistent style, and to avoid lengthy quotations from the original text or conversation.

Paraphrased material should keep its original meaning and (approximate) length, but you can use it to pick out a single point from a longer discussion.

What Is Summarizing?

In contrast, a summary is a brief overview of an entire discussion or argument. You might summarize a whole research paper or conversation in a single paragraph, for example, or with a series of bullet points, using your own words and style.

People often summarize when the original material is long, or to emphasize key facts or points. Summaries leave out detail or examples that may distract the reader from the most important information, and they simplify complex arguments, grammar and vocabulary.

Used correctly, summarizing and paraphrasing can save time, increase understanding, and give authority and credibility to your work. Both tools are useful when the precise wording of the original communication is less important than its overall meaning.

How to Paraphrase Text

To paraphrase text, follow these four steps:

1. Read and Make Notes

Carefully read the text that you want to paraphrase. Highlight, underline or note down important terms and phrases that you need to remember.

2. Find Different Terms

Find equivalent words or phrases (synonyms) to use in place of the ones that you've picked out. A dictionary, thesaurus or online search can be useful here, but take care to preserve the meaning of the original text, particularly if you're dealing with technical or scientific terms.

3. Put the Text into Your Own Words

Rewrite the original text, line by line. Simplify the grammar and vocabulary, adjust the order of the words and sentences, and replace "passive" expressions with "active" ones (for example, you could change "The new supplier was contacted by Nusrat" to "Nusrat contacted the new supplier").

Remove complex clauses, and break longer sentences into shorter ones. All of this will make your new version easier to understand .

4. Check Your Work

Check your work by comparing it to the original. Your paraphrase should be clear and simple, and written in your own words. It may be shorter, but it should include all of the necessary detail.

Paraphrasing: an Example

Despite the undoubted fact that everyone's vision of what constitutes success is different, one should spend one's time establishing and finalizing one's personal vision of it. Otherwise, how can you possibly understand what your final destination might be, or whether or not your decisions are assisting you in moving in the direction of the goals which you've set yourself?

The two kinds of statement – mission and vision – can be invaluable to your approach, aiding you, as they do, in focusing on your primary goal, and quickly identifying possibilities that you might wish to exploit and explore.

We all have different ideas about success. What's important is that you spend time defining your version of success. That way, you'll understand what you should be working toward. You'll also know if your decisions are helping you to move toward your goals.

Used as part of your personal approach to goal-setting, mission and vision statements are useful for bringing sharp focus to your most important goal, and for helping you to quickly identify which opportunities you should pursue.

How to Paraphrase Speech

In a conversation – a meeting or coaching session, for example – paraphrasing is a good way to make sure that you have correctly understood what the other person has said.

This requires two additional skills: active listening and asking the right questions .

Useful questions include:

• If I hear you correctly, you're saying that…?
• So you mean that…? Is that right?
• Did I understand you when you said that…?

You can use questions like these to repeat the speaker's words back to them. For instance, if the person says, "We just don't have the funds available for these projects," you could reply: "If I understand you correctly, you're saying that our organization can't afford to pay for my team's projects?"

This may seem repetitive, but it gives the speaker the opportunity to highlight any misunderstandings, or to clarify their position.

When you're paraphrasing conversations in this way, take care not to introduce new ideas or information, and not to make judgments on what the other person has said, or to "spin" their words toward what you want to hear. Instead, simply restate their position as you understand it.

Sometimes, you may need to paraphrase a speech or a presentation. Perhaps you want to report back to your team, or write about it in a company blog, for example.

In these cases it's a good idea to make summary notes as you listen, and to work them up into a paraphrase later. (See How to Summarize Text or Speech, below.)

How to Summarize Text or Speech

Follow steps 1-5 below to summarize text. To summarize spoken material – a speech, a meeting, or a presentation, for example – start at step three.

1. Get a General Idea of the Original

First, speed read the text that you're summarizing to get a general impression of its content. Pay particular attention to the title, introduction, conclusion, and the headings and subheadings.

2. Check Your Understanding

Build your comprehension of the text by reading it again more carefully. Check that your initial interpretation of the content was correct.

3. Make Notes

Take notes on what you're reading or listening to. Use bullet points, and introduce each bullet with a key word or idea. Write down only one point or idea for each bullet.

If you're summarizing spoken material, you may not have much time on each point before the speaker moves on. If you can, obtain a meeting agenda, a copy of the presentation, or a transcript of the speech in advance, so you know what's coming.

Make sure your notes are concise, well-ordered, and include only the points that really matter.

The Cornell Note-Taking System is an effective way to organize your notes as you write them, so that you can easily identify key points and actions later. Our article, Writing Meeting Notes , also contains plenty of useful advice.

4. Write Your Summary

Bullet points or numbered lists are often an acceptable format for summaries – for example, on presentation slides, in the minutes of a meeting, or in Key Points sections like the one at the end of this article.

However, don't just use the bulleted notes that you took in step 3. They'll likely need editing or "polishing" if you want other people to understand them.

Some summaries, such as research paper abstracts, press releases, and marketing copy, require continuous prose. If this is the case, write your summary as a paragraph, turning each bullet point into a full sentence.

Aim to use only your own notes, and refer to original documents or recordings only if you really need to. This helps to ensure that you use your own words.

If you're summarizing speech, do so as soon as possible after the event, while it's still fresh in your mind.

5. Check Your Work

Your summary should be a brief but informative outline of the original. Check that you've expressed all of the most important points in your own words, and that you've left out any unnecessary detail.

Summarizing: an Example

So how do you go about identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and analyzing the opportunities and threats that flow from them? SWOT Analysis is a useful technique that helps you to do this.

What makes SWOT especially powerful is that, with a little thought, it can help you to uncover opportunities that you would not otherwise have spotted. And by understanding your weaknesses, you can manage and eliminate threats that might otherwise hurt your ability to move forward in your role.

If you look at yourself using the SWOT framework, you can start to separate yourself from your peers, and further develop the specialized talents and abilities that you need in order to advance your career and to help you achieve your personal goals.

SWOT Analysis is a technique that helps you identify strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats. Understanding and managing these factors helps you to develop the abilities you need to achieve your goals and progress in your career.

Permission and Citations

If you intend to publish or circulate your document, it's important to seek permission from the copyright holder of the material that you've paraphrased or summarized. Failure to do so can leave you open to allegations of plagiarism, or even legal action.

It's good practice to cite your sources with a footnote, or with a reference in the text to a list of sources at the end of your document. There are several standard citation styles – choose one and apply it consistently, or follow your organization's house style guidelines.

As well as acknowledging the original author, citations tell you, the reader, that you're reading paraphrased or summarized material. This enables you to check the original source if you think that someone else's words may have been misused or misinterpreted.

Some writers might use others' ideas to prop up their own, but include only what suits them, for instance. Others may have misunderstood the original arguments, or "twisted" them by adding their own material.

If you're wary, or you find problems with the work, you may prefer to seek more reliable sources of information. (See our article, How to Spot Real and Fake News , for more on this.)

Paraphrasing means rephrasing text or speech in your own words, without changing its meaning. Summarizing means cutting it down to its bare essentials. You can use both techniques to clarify and simplify complex information or ideas.

To paraphrase text:

• Read and make notes.
• Find different terms.
• Put the text into your own words.
• Check your work.

You can also use paraphrasing in a meeting or conversation, by listening carefully to what's being said and repeating it back to the speaker to check that you have understood it correctly.

To summarize text or speech:

• Get a general idea of the original.
• Check your understanding.
• Make notes.
• Write your summary.

Seek permission for any copyrighted material that you use, and cite it appropriately.

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What are the 4 types of paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is the act of restating information or text using your own words while maintaining the original meaning. There are generally four types of paraphrasing;

• Synonymic Paraphrasing: In this type, you replace certain words or phrases with their synonyms to convey the same idea. This method helps to maintain the context while presenting the information in a different way.
• General Paraphrasing: This involves restructuring the original text or sentence without changing the meaning. You might alter the sentence structure, change the order of words, or adjust the grammar to create a different sentence that conveys the same information.
• Paraphrasing with Simple Structure: Here, you simplify complex sentences or phrases by breaking them down into simpler and more easily understandable language. This type of paraphrasing is particularly useful when dealing with intricate or technical content.
• Paraphrasing with Extended Structure: This method involves expanding or elaborating on the original text to provide more context or depth. It allows you to delve deeper into the subject matter, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the information presented in the original text.

What are the 4 steps to paraphrasing using the 4R rules

The 4R rules for effective paraphrasing provide a structured approach to accurately rephrasing text. These steps include:

• Read: Understand the original text thoroughly before attempting to paraphrase. Identify the main points, key ideas, and supporting details to grasp the essence of the content.
• Reflect: Take a moment to contemplate the message and think about how you can restate it in your own words. Consider the context, purpose, and target audience to ensure your paraphrase aligns with the intended message.
• Restate: Rewrite the original text in your own words while maintaining the core meaning. Focus on expressing the concepts clearly and accurately without changing the intended message. Avoid using the same sentence structure and word choice as the original text.
• Review: After paraphrasing, compare your version with the original text to ensure that you have captured the main ideas accurately. Check for any unintentional similarities and make necessary adjustments to create a distinct paraphrased version.

What are the 5 steps of paraphrasing

The process of paraphrasing involves several key steps to effectively rephrase a piece of text while maintaining its original meaning. These steps include:

• Understand the Original Text: Read and comprehend the original content to grasp its main ideas and underlying message.
• Identify Key Points: Recognize the essential concepts, arguments, and points that form the foundation of the text.
• Create a New Structure: Rewrite the text using different sentence structures and word choices while retaining the core message.
• Use Synonyms and Different Phrasing: Replace words and phrases with suitable synonyms and alternate expressions to convey the same idea in a unique manner.
• Review and Compare: Compare your paraphrased version with the original text to ensure that it accurately represents the main points while providing a fresh perspective. Make necessary adjustments to maintain the original context and meaning.

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What is a good paraphrasing technique

A good paraphrasing technique involves more than simply replacing words with their synonyms. It requires a comprehensive understanding of the original text, the ability to restructure sentences, and the skill to convey the original meaning in a fresh, unique way. Here are some effective techniques to ensure successful paraphrasing;

• Understand the Context: Comprehend the context and purpose of the original text to accurately capture its essence.
• Use Different Sentence Structures: Vary the sentence structures while maintaining the original information and the logical flow of ideas.
• Change Word Choices: Replace certain words and phrases with synonyms or alternate expressions that convey the same message.
• Maintain the Tone and Style: Ensure that the paraphrased text reflects the appropriate tone and style suitable for the intended audience.
• Focus on Main Ideas: Identify the main ideas and key concepts and rephrase them in a way that retains their significance.
• Attribute Ideas: Properly attribute any unique ideas or concepts to the original author to avoid plagiarism.
• Verify Accuracy: Double-check the paraphrased content against the original text to confirm that the main ideas are accurately conveyed and that the context remains intact.

The 4R rules, also known as the four steps to paraphrasing, offer a structured approach to effectively rewording content. These steps ensure that you maintain the original meaning while using your own words. Let’s dive into each step in detail:

• Read:  Begin by thoroughly reading and understanding the original text. Pay close attention to the main ideas, key concepts, and any specific details that are crucial to the overall message. Take note of the author’s tone, style, and the context in which the information is presented.
• Reflect:  Once you have comprehended the content, take a moment to reflect on the main points and ideas. Think about how you can explain the same concepts using different words, sentence structures, or examples. Reflecting allows you to consider various ways to present the information while ensuring that the essence remains unchanged.
• Write (paraphrase):  With a clear understanding and reflection on the original text, proceed to rewrite the content using your own words and style. Focus on conveying the same meaning but in a distinct manner. Ensure that you maintain the original intent and context while expressing the ideas in a way that is clear and concise.
• Review:  Once you have completed your paraphrased version, review it carefully against the original text. Make sure that you have retained the main ideas and key points without distorting the original message. Check for any unintentional similarities in sentence structure, word choice, or overall structure that might closely resemble the original text. Ensure that the paraphrased content is entirely in your own words and reflects your understanding of the source material.

Following these 4R rules not only helps you maintain the integrity of the original content but also allows you to develop your own unique writing style and voice. By combining these steps with a keen focus on accuracy and clarity, you can effectively paraphrase content while upholding the original author’s ideas and perspectives.

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Paraphrasing: 3 Things You Need to Know (What, How and Why?)

Paraphrasing is an essential writing tool for conveying meaning of core concepts and ideas while avoiding plagiarism. In this article, we’ll cover exactly what paraphrasing is and isn’t, the five step approach for effective paraphrasing and finally, the importance of paraphrasing beyond issues of plagiarism.

What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is rewording another’s written or spoken words into your own words. This is done by presenting the meaning of the original statement with new words and an altered structure. For example, the above point could be paraphrased to: “Paraphrasing means to share another’s ideas in your own words, keeping the original meaning intact by simply changing the words used or structure involved”. The original point remains, but the wording and sentence structure has changed. 

The focus is to convey the meaning of the original idea using your own words. This writing technique is usually used for a short individual passage or idea, and is not to be confused with summarising. A paraphrase will often be similar in length to the original statement, and will focus on the core points of that idea. In contrast, summaries usually involve synthesising a wide range of information to share the core theme, or results of a piece of work. 

How to Paraphrase

There’s a five step approach to paraphrasing effectively. First, read the material carefully to extract meaning. It’s important to develop an understanding of the points being made in order to effectively convey this meaning to another. Second, note down the key concepts. What have you understood from the passage? What key points would you like someone else to understand? Third, attempt to paraphrase this information without looking at the original. You can do this using a range of methods:

• Use synonyms to keep some of the original content, without directly using the same words. “Teachers” could be replaced by “Educators”, or “Students” could become “Undergraduates”. This depends on the content, and it’s important to make sure you still convey the core points well. 
• Rearrange the content by switching the order of certain phrases or sentences. This might involve switching from an active to a passive voice. Although it's best to use the active voice, this is an ideal way to begin paraphrasing content, giving you a starting point to work on. You can continue editing the first paraphrase to ensure it’s written in a clear and concise way. 
• Utilise digital tools to get you started. In genei’s notepad, you can paraphrase your notes with the click of a button, giving you new words to work with. This is ideal because you can easily work with the notes made from your readings, and minimise your workflow to one space. 

Fourth, compare your paraphrased version to the original. Check if words, sentences or phrases are too similar and make edits. You can also ensure your paraphrase is effective by noting down the core ideas in your paraphrase. Do these match those originally noted from the source? Finally, be sure to cite the source! You must still acknowledge that you have paraphrased someone else’s ideas. 

The Importance of Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is an important academic skill for avoiding plagiarism . However, this isn’t the only reason paraphrasing can be important. The process of paraphrasing involves actively engaging with the material you want to rework. This can improve your own knowledge of the idea you’re working with, which can be more effective for long term understanding in comparison to simply memorising facts. Likewise, the ability to paraphrase well, is evidence that you understand the content and core ideas involved.

Beyond academia, paraphrasing still proves to be essential. This technique can act as a bridge and communication tool for sharing valuable information with a non-specialist audience. Original sources of information can be hard to digest if you’re not familiar with the subject area, however, sometimes this information still needs to be communicated. Paraphrasing allows you to tailor ideas to a particular audience, making it accessible, while still retaining the core message. For example, being able to convey important business information to a client, would require certain professional documents and plans to be paraphrased for clearer communication. 

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Paraphrasing and Summarizing

Summing up key ideas in your own words.

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Make complex information easier to digest!

Imagine you're preparing a presentation for your CEO. You asked everyone in your team to contribute, and they all had plenty to say!

But now you have a dozen reports, all in different styles, and your CEO says that she can spare only 10 minutes to read the final version. What do you do?

The solution is to paraphrase and summarize the reports, so your boss gets only the key information that she needs, in a form that she can process quickly.

In this article, we explain how to paraphrase and how to summarize, and how to apply these techniques to text and the spoken word. We also explore the differences between the two skills, and point out the pitfalls to avoid.

What Is Paraphrasing?

When you paraphrase, you use your own words to express something that was written or said by another person.

Putting it into your own words can clarify the message, make it more relevant to your audience   , or give it greater impact.

You might use paraphrased material to support your own argument or viewpoint. Or, if you're putting together a report   , presentation   or speech   , you can use paraphrasing to maintain a consistent style, and to avoid lengthy quotations from the original text or conversation.

Paraphrased material should keep its original meaning and (approximate) length, but you can use it to pick out a single point from a longer discussion.

What Is Summarizing?

In contrast, a summary is a brief overview of an entire discussion or argument. You might summarize a whole research paper or conversation in a single paragraph, for example, or with a series of bullet points, using your own words and style.

People often summarize when the original material is long, or to emphasize key facts or points. Summaries leave out detail or examples that may distract the reader from the most important information, and they simplify complex arguments, grammar and vocabulary.

Used correctly, summarizing and paraphrasing can save time, increase understanding, and give authority and credibility to your work. Both tools are useful when the precise wording of the original communication is less important than its overall meaning.

How to Paraphrase Text

To paraphrase text, follow these four steps:

1. Read and Make Notes

Carefully read the text that you want to paraphrase. Highlight, underline or note down important terms and phrases that you need to remember.

2. Find Different Terms

Find equivalent words or phrases (synonyms) to use in place of the ones that you've picked out. A dictionary, thesaurus or online search can be useful here, but take care to preserve the meaning of the original text, particularly if you're dealing with technical or scientific terms.

3. Put the Text into Your Own Words

Rewrite the original text, line by line. Simplify   the grammar and vocabulary, adjust the order of the words and sentences, and replace "passive" expressions with "active" ones (for example, you could change "The new supplier was contacted by Nusrat" to "Nusrat contacted the new supplier").

Remove complex clauses, and break longer sentences into shorter ones. All of this will make your new version easier to understand   .

4. Check Your Work

Check your work by comparing it to the original. Your paraphrase should be clear and simple, and written in your own words. It may be shorter, but it should include all of the necessary detail.

Paraphrasing: an Example

Despite the undoubted fact that everyone's vision of what constitutes success is different, one should spend one's time establishing and finalizing one's personal vision of it. Otherwise, how can you possibly understand what your final destination might be, or whether or not your decisions are assisting you in moving in the direction of the goals which you've set yourself?

The two kinds of statement – mission and vision – can be invaluable to your approach, aiding you, as they do, in focusing on your primary goal, and quickly identifying possibilities that you might wish to exploit and explore.

We all have different ideas about success. What's important is that you spend time defining your version of success. That way, you'll understand what you should be working toward. You'll also know if your decisions are helping you to move toward your goals.

Used as part of your personal approach to goal-setting, mission and vision statements are useful for bringing sharp focus to your most important goal, and for helping you to quickly identify which opportunities you should pursue.

How to Paraphrase Speech

In a conversation – a meeting or coaching session, for example – paraphrasing is a good way to make sure that you have correctly understood what the other person has said.

This requires two additional skills: active listening   and asking the right questions   .

Useful questions include:

• If I hear you correctly, you're saying that…?
• So you mean that…? Is that right?
• Did I understand you when you said that…?

You can use questions like these to repeat the speaker's words back to them. For instance, if the person says, "We just don't have the funds available for these projects," you could reply: "If I understand you correctly, you're saying that our organization can't afford to pay for my team's projects?"

This may seem repetitive, but it gives the speaker the opportunity to highlight any misunderstandings, or to clarify their position.

When you're paraphrasing conversations in this way, take care not to introduce new ideas or information, and not to make judgements on what the other person has said, or to "spin" their words toward what you want to hear. Instead, simply restate their position as you understand it.

Sometimes, you may need to paraphrase a speech or a presentation. Perhaps you want to report back to your team, or write about it in a company blog, for example.

In these cases it's a good idea to make summary notes as you listen, and to work them up into a paraphrase later. (See How to Summarize Text or Speech, below.)

How to Summarize Text or Speech

Follow steps 1-5 below to summarize text. To summarize spoken material – a speech, a meeting, or a presentation, for example – start at step 3.

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1. Get a General Idea of the Original

First, speed read   the text that you're summarizing to get a general impression of its content. Pay particular attention to the title, introduction, conclusion, and the headings and subheadings.

2. Check Your Understanding

Build your comprehension of the text by reading it again more carefully. Check that your initial interpretation of the content was correct.

3. Make Notes

Take notes on what you're reading or listening to. Use bullet points, and introduce each bullet with a key word or idea. Write down only one point or idea for each bullet.

If you're summarizing spoken material, you may not have much time on each point before the speaker moves on. If you can, obtain a meeting agenda, a copy of the presentation, or a transcript of the speech in advance, so you know what's coming.

Make sure your notes are concise, well-ordered, and include only the points that really matter.

The Cornell Note-Taking System   is an effective way to organize your notes as you write them, so that you can easily identify key points and actions later. Our article, Writing Meeting Notes   , also contains plenty of useful advice.

4. Write Your Summary

Bullet points or numbered lists are often an acceptable format for summaries – for example, on presentation slides, in the minutes of a meeting, or in Key Points sections like the one at the end of this article.

However, don't just use the bulleted notes that you took in step 3. They'll likely need editing or "polishing" if you want other people to understand them.

Some summaries, such as research paper abstracts, press releases, and marketing copy, require continuous prose. If this is the case, write your summary as a paragraph, turning each bullet point into a full sentence.

Aim to use only your own notes, and refer to original documents or recordings only if you really need to. This helps to ensure that you use your own words.

If you're summarizing speech, do so as soon as possible after the event, while it's still fresh in your mind.

5. Check Your Work

Your summary should be a brief but informative outline of the original. Check that you've expressed all of the most important points in your own words, and that you've left out any unnecessary detail.

Summarizing: an Example

So how do you go about identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and analyzing the opportunities and threats that flow from them? SWOT Analysis is a useful technique that helps you to do this.

What makes SWOT especially powerful is that, with a little thought, it can help you to uncover opportunities that you would not otherwise have spotted. And by understanding your weaknesses, you can manage and eliminate threats that might otherwise hurt your ability to move forward in your role.

If you look at yourself using the SWOT framework, you can start to separate yourself from your peers, and further develop the specialized talents and abilities that you need in order to advance your career and to help you achieve your personal goals.

SWOT Analysis is a technique that helps you identify strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats. Understanding and managing these factors helps you to develop the abilities you need to achieve your goals and progress in your career.

Permission and Citations

If you intend to publish or circulate your document, it's important to seek permission from the copyright holder of the material that you've paraphrased or summarized. Failure to do so can leave you open to allegations of plagiarism, or even legal action.

It's good practice to cite your sources with a footnote, or with a reference in the text to a list of sources at the end of your document. There are several standard citation styles – choose one and apply it consistently, or follow your organization's house style guidelines.

As well as acknowledging the original author, citations tell you, the reader, that you're reading paraphrased or summarized material. This enables you to check the original source if you think that someone else's words may have been misused or misinterpreted.

Some writers might use others' ideas to prop up their own, but include only what suits them, for instance. Others may have misunderstood the original arguments, or "twisted" them by adding their own material.

If you're wary, or you find problems with the work, you may prefer to seek more reliable sources of information. (See our article, How to Spot Real and Fake News   , for more on this.)

Paraphrasing means rephrasing text or speech in your own words, without changing its meaning. Summarizing means cutting it down to its bare essentials. You can use both techniques to clarify and simplify complex information or ideas.

To paraphrase text:

• Read and make notes.
• Find different terms.
• Put the text into your own words.
• Check your work.

You can also use paraphrasing in a meeting or conversation, by listening carefully to what's being said and repeating it back to the speaker to check that you have understood it correctly.

To summarize text or speech:

• Get a general idea of the original.
• Check your understanding.
• Make notes.
• Write your summary.

Seek permission for any copyrighted material that you use, and cite it appropriately.

This site teaches you the skills you need for a happy and successful career; and this is just one of many tools and resources that you'll find here at Mind Tools. Subscribe to our free newsletter , or join the Mind Tools Club and really supercharge your career!

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Comments (10)

• Over a month ago Midgie wrote Hi sahibaMehry, My view is that we paraphrase the meaning and essence of what has been said, rather than sentence by sentence or word for word. If you are to use the exact words, that would be 'quoting' someone. Hope that helps. Midgie Mind Tools Team
• Over a month ago sahibaMehry wrote Hello could you please answer my question do we need to paraphrase sentences in summarizing or not we should summarize it word to word?
• Over a month ago Michele wrote Hi SabrinaSeo, You are most welcome. We hope the information in the article was helpful. Michele Mind Tools Team

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What Is Paraphrasing? 4 Types And Examples

Paraphrasing is a valuable writing skill that goes beyond the rewording of text. It's about capturing the essence of an idea and presenting it in a new and engaging manner. 

This writing technique helps you avoid plagiarism and create content that resonates with your audience and ranks well on search engines.

In this article, we will explore what paraphrasing is and how you can apply it to your content writing

What you will learn

• What paraphrasing is and its importance in content writing.
• How paraphrasing can help you reference someone else's ideas and research papers in your writing, using your own words.
• 4 paraphrasing techniques you can leverage.
• The difference between paraphrasing, summarizing, and rephrasing.

What is paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is when you rewrite something in your own words while maintaining the original meaning.

It is a writing technique that requires a deep understanding of the original text. You must fully grasp the concepts and nuances to reframe them without altering the intended meaning.

Paraphrasing is commonly used in content writing to use a piece of information without committing plagiarism or when trying to make it more understandable and relatable to your audience.

Here’s an example of how we’ve used paraphrasing in the Surfer blog to define the Pareto Principle.

Here is the text from the original Wikipedia source.

The paraphrased text conveys the same point using different words and phrases. It has simplified the concept, and it mentions the original source material. You can see that this is effective paraphrasing.

Why is paraphrasing important?

Paraphrasing is important because it allows you to use existing information and avoid plagiarism, create unique content, and tailor content to resonate with your audience.

Paraphrasing can help you contextualize information that you may not have created, but that is still relevant to your readers. It can help you use external material to validate your claims and prove your point.

If you’re publishing articles on the web, know that search engines value original content and penalize websites for plagiarism or duplicating content from other sources. By paraphrasing effectively, you can reference someone else's ideas or research in your own writing and avoid plagiarism.

Beyond avoiding plagiarism, paraphrasing can also help you present information in a way that resonates with your audience. 

For instance, if you're dealing with technical content, you might paraphrase it to make it more accessible to the average reader. 

Or, you might adapt a piece to better align with your brand's voice or your audience's cultural context.

Additionally, paraphrasing can enhance your copywriting skills by promoting a deeper understanding of the text and helping you articulate thoughts in your unique voice.

This way, paraphrasing can improve the overall readability and effectiveness of your writing. 

4 types of paraphrasing

There are four types of paraphrasing techniques you can apply when you write. Here’s an overview of each type with examples and tips on how to use it.

1. Rewriting text

The rewriting approach involves restructuring the original passage without changing its meaning. You can use this approach to improve the credibility of your writing.

This type of paraphrasing can be useful when referencing a statistic or a direct quotation in your writing. 

Here’s an example of Sprout Social using the rewriting approach to paraphrase one of their study statistics.

When rewriting, you can use synonyms or alter the sentence order to convey the same idea in your own way. 

Or you can use an AI writing assistant like Surfy to do the rewriting for you. 

Simply highlight the text and ask Surfy to rewrite it.

Surfy will give you a properly rewritten sentence.

The rewritten sentence conveys the same point, using a different sentence structure and words.

2. Expand and clarify

This paraphrasing technique entails adding information to aid readers' comprehension of the main ideas you want to focus on. 

You can use this approach when the original passage requires additional explanation. 

This technique is also useful when you want to clarify how the original text fits into a specific situation or cultural context. 

For instance, you can rephrase a quote using this approach to ensure the audience understands it.

In this case, Surfy rephrased the text and added extra information to clarify the meaning of the highlighted sentence.

3. Condense and focus

The condense and focus paraphrasing technique involves cutting out the non-essential information to focus on what matters. This is the opposite of the expand and clarify approach.

Remove redundant or irrelevant details to make your writing more concise and easier to read. 

Let’s look at an example of how Surfy achieves this.

Here’s the paraphrased text using the condense and focus approach.

The paraphrased text uses shorter sentences and simpler words.

This way you highlight the essential information you wish to focus on and also improve the readability of your content.

4. Adapt your tone

Every audience is different, with unique preferences and levels of understanding. 

This paraphrasing technique allows you to present information in a way that is more accessible, engaging, and relevant to your specific audience. 

It involves restating text to match your brand voice or suit your audience. 

You can use different words or alter the level of technicality of a text to adapt your tone of voice and tailor the information to your intended audience. 

Here’s how Code Wizards uses paraphrasing to adapt the definition of coding to fit its audience of young kids. 

This paraphrased definition of coding uses simple language to explain a technical concept to a group of young, non-technical people.

You can achieve such results with Surfy by asking it to simplify a concept or a sentence.

And here are the results.

What is the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing?

Paraphrasing involves rewriting someone else's ideas in your own words, while summarizing entails condensing the essential points of someone else's work.

The paraphrased content has the same meaning and is close to the same length as the original text. 

Summarizing, on the other hand, involves extracting the main points of a text and presenting them in a brief, concise manner. 

A summary is significantly shorter than the original text, often omitting specific details and examples. 

Here’s an example of a summary that sums up a whole Harry Potter book in a few sentences.

Summarizing is useful when you need to give an overview of a topic, or when you want to highlight the main points of a lengthy article, report, or study. 

Paraphrasing is useful when you want to retell something in your own words.

Paraphrasing and summarizing are writing techniques that differ in their purpose and level of detail. 

Both paraphrasing and summarizing require a deep understanding of the original text to ensure that the essence is accurately conveyed.

What is the difference between paraphrasing and rephrasing?

Paraphrasing involves taking a piece of text and rewriting it in your own words while rephrasing relies on tweaking words and structure to improve readability. 

Paraphrasing and rephrasing are writing techniques that differ in their level of complexity. 

Paraphrasing is not just about changing a few words here and there; it's about reworking the text while retaining the original meaning and context. 

Rephrasing, on the other hand, is often a simpler process. It involves making smaller changes to a text to improve clarity, readability, or style.

For instance, when rephrasing, you can change the wording of sentences and the sentence structure.

Let’s put this into practice with the help of Surfy.

We will use Surfy to rephrase and paraphrase the same sentence.

As you can see, when rephrasing, Surfy has relied on synonyms, like replacing “well-crafted” with “well-orchestrated” and “analogy” with "principle.” The main idea remains the same.

The paraphrased version goes a step beyond using different words and phrases. It expresses the same sentence in a completely different voice. 

As you can see, paraphrasing is a more complex technique than rephrasing.

Key takeaways

• Paraphrasing is a technique used to restate text in a different way using your own words, while maintaining the original meaning of the text.
• Effective paraphrasing improves readability, avoids plagiarism, and reduces the overuse of quotes in content writing.
• It involves identifying the central ideas, using synonyms, rewording, and changing sentence structures.
• There are four main paraphrasing techniques: rewriting text, expanding and clarifying, condensing and focusing, and adapting your tone.
• Summarizing condenses an original text to its main ideas, whereas paraphrasing restates the text without losing its intended meaning.
• Rephrasing and paraphrasing differ in their level of complexity. 

Paraphrasing is a writing technique that helps you ensure originality in your content, engage the audience, and comply with writing best practices. 

Effective paraphrasing requires a deep understanding of the source material in order to be able to rewrite it in your own words, while preserving the original meaning. 

There are four paraphrasing techniques you can use when paraphrasing. By learning these techniques, you can improve your copywriting skills and the effectiveness of your content. 

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UMGC Effective Writing Center Paraphrases and Plagiarism

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• Writing Resources
• A paraphrase translates a direct quotation into your own sentences.
• A paraphrase often repeats key words from the original quotation.
• A paraphrase improves the flow of your writing and helps you avoid relying on too many quotations.

Actual student email: "I am totally confused. I do not understand paraphrasing. When I read something, I should try to change the sentence to my own words, right? Then use a citation. But when I use my own words, what if they still sound like something someone else wrote? (This is what scares me the most and it made me lose my focus on the paper)."

Sound familiar?

First, you will be delighted to learn that much of the confusion about paraphrasing comes from a simple misuse of words. You've been told many times that to paraphrase something is to "put it into your own words."

Well, that is not exactly the case.

To paraphrase something means to "put it into your own phrases," not your own words. If the source you are paraphrasing is describing the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927, which covered 14% of the entire state of Louisiana, guess what? There is only one word for:

• Mississippi

Obviously, paraphrasing isn't about "putting things in your own words" since you have no choice but to use those exact words. Paraphrasing is about putting things into your own phrases. Matter of fact, if you "put things into your own words" and don't change the basic sentence structure, you are still guilty of plagiarism. It is called " mosaic plagiarism. " Here is what it looks like:

Original: "The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927--which covered large portions of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee under 30 feet of water--is considered the most destructive river flood in United States history." (Source: “Fatal Flood,” http://www.pbs.org, 1999)

Incorrect Paraphrase (mosaic plagiarism): The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927-- which inundated great patches of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee under 10 meters of water-- is often called the most devastating flood in American history (“Fatal Flood,” 1999).

See how 9 out of 20 words were changed (those not bolded)! And yet it's  STILL PLAGIARISM!  Even though a source citation is given.

Yes, lots of words were changed—

• covered -> inundated
• large portions -> great patches
• is considered -> is often called
• most destructive -> most devastating
• United States -> American

But the phrasing didn't change; therefore, the writer has committed plagiarism—even though there is a citation and even though nearly half the words were changed. However, the author’s sentence structure or phrasing is repeated.  Guilty .

To avoid plagiarism when paraphrasing/summarizing: 

• read the source closely
• put the source away, then 
• rewrite the information from memory, phrasing it in your own way so that it fits into the paragraph you are writing and the point you're trying to make. When done, make sure that you compare your version to the original to check facts and to weed out any unintentional borrowing of phrases.

Let’s take a look at the correct way of doing it:

Original : "The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927--which covered large portions of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee under 30 feet of water--is considered the most destructive river flood in United States history." (Source: “Fatal Flood,” http://www.pbs.org, 1999)

Good Paraphrase : In 1927, The Great Mississippi Flood drowned large portions of six states, including Louisiana, and is still remembered as the worst our country has ever known (“Fatal Flood,” 1999).

But wait! Many of the same words were used! Isn't this writer guilty of plagiarism?? Just look at all the words the writer “stole”:

• The Great Mississippi Flood
• large portions

No, the paraphrase is not plagiarized. The information from the source has been clearly translated into the writer's own phrasing. Repeating key words from a source is necessary and permissible so long as you create your own sentences for the words to be used in.

The only other change needed, just to be on the safe side, would be to revise "large portions" in the paraphrase to "massive areas." This shows the importance of the last step of paraphrasing: compare your version to the original to check facts and to weed out any phrasing ("large portions" is a phrase) that you unintentionally borrowed.

Paraphrase Exercise

Step 1:  Find a brief section from a source that you could possibly use in the project you are working on. 

Step 2:  Quote the section in full, providing an in-text citation, as if you were using it in your paper.

Step 3:  Paraphrase the section, providing an in-text citation, as if you were using it in your paper.

Step 4:  Provide a reference citation to the source you are using.

Quotation (Author’s Exact Words)

Direct Quote in My Paper: 

According to Raymond (2017), “Deaths from colon cancer occur twice as often in women as in men, but the media have made it seem that breast cancer is the number one killer of women" (p. 12). This misrepresentation is but one example of how the mass media distort our view women.

Please note:

• A signal phrase such as "According to ..." or "Raymond states, . . . " is used to introduce a direct quote. The quote is followed by the student author's own words that integrate the quote into the paragraph.
• The author’s last name together with (2009) constitute the in-text citation, which refers to the source listed alphabetically on the last page of your paper. Since the author's name ("Raymond") is mentioned in the sentence, it is not repeated inside the parentheses.
• Any direct wording from the original source must be in quotation marks.
• In-text citations use only the author's last name, not any initials.

Paraphrase (Rewritten in My Phrasing)

Paraphrase in My Paper: 

Although twice as many women die from colon cancer as men, the media choose to focus on breast cancer as the main threat to women's health (Raymond, 2017, p. 12). This misrepresentation is but one example of how the mass media distort our view women.

• Key words of the original have been repeated ("women," "media," "colon cancer," "breast cancer") but the quote has been successfully translated into the author's own phrasing.
• The in-text citation appears at end of the sentence with the author's name inside parentheses.
• The period for the sentence goes after the citation.
• The paraphrase is followed by the student author's own words that integrate the source material into the paragraph.

Reference Citation

Raymond, P. (2017). Colon cancer: Healthy women. Retrieved October 21, 2017 from http://www.healthywomen.org/condition/colon-cancer

Help with reference citation formats: Perhaps the best list of citation formats on the web can be found on this page of the UMGC Library:  https://libguides.umgc.edu/apa-examples

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Paraphrasing Explained: Definition, Techniques, and Examples for Effective Writing

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While researching for your article or essay, you might have encountered a sentence or a paragraph that's so intriguing that you thought you must include it in your content! But you can't use those exact words, right?

Well, paraphrasing is the way to do that. However, the idea is not to steal someone's content but to capitalize on it by drafting a much better version while adding your input and research.

You can always have your own piece written and make it more intuitive to your audience while using the original one as a reference.

'It's easier said than done'

'Although the idea sounds like a good one in theory, it will still be difficult to actually execute it.'

Both the above sentences have similar meanings, but they appear different. That's a classic example of paraphrasing.

But how do you paraphrase while keeping the essence of the original sentence intact and still not plagiarising?

That calls for some tips and tricks! And here, we have got you covered.

In this blog, we will explain what is paraphrasing, why you might need to paraphrase, how to paraphrase, and the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing.

Let's dive in.

What is paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is the process of restructuring or tweaking a paragraph so that it represents the same meaning or idea from the original statement but with different sentence construction, choice of words, formats, or, possibly, tone or voice.

It means making the meaning clearer, especially in a shorter and simpler form, along with your thoughts/comments. In addition to borrowing, clarifying, or expanding on information and your comments, paraphrasing is doing all the above-stated actions without plagiarizing the information.

Why do people paraphrase?

There are several reasons why people paraphrase. Following are some of the reasons for paraphrasing.

• Paraphrasing helps avoid plagiarism.
• It also provides support for claims or adds credibility to the writing.
• It demonstrates your understanding and provides an alternative method to using indirect and direct quotes in your own words (referenced) infrequently.
• Paraphrasing in academic research helps utilize source material for writing essays, providing evidence that the essay is appropriately referenced.
• Paraphrasing in writing helps you ensure that you use sources to communicate something important to your readers.

What is paraphrasing plagiarism?

Plagiarism is stealing someone else’s ideas without acknowledgment. Plagiarism can come in several forms: global, verbatim, patchwork, paraphrase, and self-plagiarism. However, apart from global plagiarism, other types of plagiarism are often accidental.

Although paraphrasing is accepted , rephrasing sentences or paraphrasing someone else’s idea without citing or acknowledgment is considered paraphrasing plagiarism. Even when translating someone else’s words, if the translated text from another language is not cited, this is also a type of paraphrasing plagiarism.

How to paraphrase?

When it comes to paraphrasing, you can either do it manually or use an AI-powered tool like Writesonic to rephrase your content. While we will guide you through both processes, here is how to paraphrase with Writesonic Content Rephrase v2.

Check out the steps below:

• Log in to Writesonic or sign up (if you haven't already done so!).
• Search for Content Rephrase and select Content Rephrase v2 from the result.

• On the Content Rephrase v2 window, put the text in the Content box.
• Select the Words Length from the drop-down for the rephrased content.
• Select your Brand Voice / Tone of Voice from the list.
• Finally, hit the Generate button.

If you want, you can also paraphrase manually without using any tool.  Here is a guide on different techniques to paraphrase effectively,

What is the difference between summarizing and paraphrasing?

Summarizing is a concise statement that briefs the contents of the passage, whereas paraphrasing is when you rewrite sentences using your own words. There is more than one difference between summarizing and paraphrasing.

Refer to the following comparison chart to learn the differences between summarizing and paraphrasing, besides their definition.

Top 5 tips and tricks to follow while paraphrasing

Following are 5 digestible paraphrasing tips you can incorporate when paraphrasing your sentences.

Identify the important parts

Since paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding of the original material, you must know the meaning of the passage you are trying to paraphrase. To do so, read and re-read the original content until you know the idea enough to explain it in your own words.

Once you get the original concept, reduce it to the key ideas or points, and don't focus on the sentence structures at the start. Another way to rewrite or reword the source without losing your key points is by using a paraphrasing tool .

Change up the words

While noting down the concepts or key points, change up the words by using synonyms. But if you face writer's block and can’t find the right words, which can make your content incompetent, make use of rewording tools .

AI rewording tools can come up with synonyms, organize your phrases, and enhance your sentence structure. Moreover, an AI wording tool ensures the content is unique, original, and plagiarism-free.

Make sure meaning is preserved

Although paraphrasing requires rewording and changing the words, ensure that the same meaning must be maintained along with the ideas. In addition to that, keep your word choices lucid and simple to convey the relevant information from the source without sticking too close to the original source.

One way to keep your writing consistent when paraphrasing is by using paraphrasing tools . The AI tool can alter the sentence structure while maintaining the original meaning.

Double-check for grammar and punctuation

When paraphrasing, ensure to double-check and compare them with the original passage. Make adjustments to ensure it’s completely rewritten and that the grammar and punctuation are on point.

Double-checking your work for grammar and punctuation by reviewing it more than once improves the quality of your work. Paragraph rewriters use AI for paraphrasing, which can tweak the tonality and narrative, ensure a grammar check, and make the content concise and conceivable.

Use an online paraphrasing tool like Writesonic

As stated previously in the article, using a paraphrasing tool is the fastest and fool-proof way to paraphrase your sources without plagiarizing them. One such creative AI writing tool that assists you with paraphrasing is Writesonic .

Writersonic is trained on billions of parameters. It refines the grammar, spelling, and style to generate original, paraphrased content. In addition to that, Writersonic generates unique and plagiarism-free content that resonates with the target audience with just one click.

With AI chatbots like ChatGPT by Open AI and ChatSonic by Writesonic taking away all the limelight in 2023, they can also be used effectively for paraphrasing text.

Different strategies for paraphrasing

Even though there are AI paraphrasing tools to make the work easier, the following are different strategies you can use to paraphrase your sentence.

Understanding the main ideas

One of the strategies for successful paraphrasing is understanding the source's main idea and writing style. When you understand the idea behind the sentence, it becomes easier to explain in your own words.

After taking note of the important nouns and verbs, see which synonyms might be appropriate to replace. You can use a synonym that expresses the same meaning for the key concepts or points in the original sentence.

Making connections

When you use synonyms, it is given that the structure may also need a little changing. So, instead of just swapping a single word, make appropriate changes around the words to make sense of the sentence. Here, your paraphrasing skills come into play.

Here is an example of paraphrasing: “ According to scientists, there is another method to achieve a pollution-free environment.”

The paraphrased content would say something like - “Scientists found an alternate way to attain a pollution-free environment.”

In the above sentence, the adjective ‘according to’ is swapped with the verb ‘found’ along with other necessary changes. These changes are made to maintain a harmonious connection between the words and to make the sentence sensible while retaining its meaning and avoiding plagiarism.

Focusing on syntax

The syntax is the arrangement of words in a specific order written in well-formed phrases or sentences. While paraphrasing is about restating or rewording, ensure to focus on the well-structured and grammatically correct sentences by making appropriate connections or paraphrases.

Benefits of paraphrasing

Paraphrasing has some benefits that you can reap in aspects of your writing skills and learning abilities.

Improves writing skills

As discovered, paraphrasing requires you to paraphrase the passages in your own words, which may help refurbish your writing skills. Rewriting or paraphrasing is a favorable writing skill in writing essays or research papers.

Paraphrasing allows you to express ideas or information in a refreshing and simple manner. It provides an opportunity to enhance your writing skills and stop plagiarizing someone else’s work. This includes rewriting and expressing the ideas in your own voice.

Increases comprehension

Comprehension is understanding the written material and explaining what is read. As stated previously, paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding of the complex details from the source and your ability to explain the connections between main points.

Moreover, it was found that paraphrasing for comprehension is an excellent tool for reinforcing reading skills. It can assist by identifying the main ideas, finding supporting details, and identifying the original author's voice.

So when you rewrite the sentence in your own words, you can double-check your comprehension. This helps improve your awareness and allows you to gain a better understanding of the content, and allows you to write better.

Enhances understanding

To paraphrase words or phrases, you must extract their meaning by reading the material again and again and fully understanding the context. This allows the reader to understand the original statement more clearly by adding more clarity to it. So, when you paraphrase the original phrase, you articulate your thoughts and ideas more clearly and come up with new insights and perspectives on the topic.

Saves time & energy

Creating content from scratch is difficult and requires much time and energy. It requires you to do proper research, which is both time and energy-consuming.

An easy solution to the painstaking process is paraphrasing your sentence with appropriate citations. This will allow you to create the content without spending much time on research and ideation, saving much of your time and energy.

Helps avoid plagiarism

Among all the benefits, the most favorable benefit of paraphrasing is that it helps you avoid the accusation of plagiarism. You are simply committing plagiarism (an offense as stated by the federal government) when you use the same idea and speech from the original text, word by word.

However, by rewording the original source, you can present the ideas in your own words and easily avoid plagiarism. What’s more, paraphrasing can save you in both accidental and deliberate cases of plagiarism.

Paraphrasing examples

Now that we have known all about paraphrasing, its reasons for use, and its benefits, let’s look at some examples of paraphrasing and how exactly you can paraphrase.

#1 Example of Paraphrasing

#2 example of paraphrasing, final words.

Once you grasp the concept of paraphrasing, it can be a powerful tool for writers. It provides several benefits in aspects of writing and learning skills. The correct way and right use of paraphrasing can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism.

However, note that successful and correct paraphrasing requires the use of multiple techniques each time. So, it is not sufficient to simply replace the keywords or the main concepts with synonyms.

One of the easiest ways to reword the original source is by using an AI writing tool. Writersonic is a well-known AI paraphrasing tool that can refine grammar, spelling, and style to generate original plagiarism-free AI content .

Manvi Agarwal

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8 Key Points: Discuss the Importance of Paraphrasing

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It is necessary to discuss the importance of paraphrasing because it is a skill that students need to write clear and precise writings.

When people write, they often use information from published sources to learn something new. This is an essential part of research. Paraphrasing is a useful tool to find new and unique ways to get a message across .

Plagiarizing a text that already exists while claiming to add new information is one of the worst things anyone can do. That’s why it’s important to learn how to make your content or text that isn’t copied. 

This article will answer the question “What is paraphrasing?” and tell you why it’s important. Let’s jump in!

Can We Discuss the Importance of Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is the process of taking what the original author has written or said and putting it in your own words . Paraphrasing helps you write in your style and focus on the most crucial text elements.

If you use someone else’s idea in an essay, you must credit the person who came up with it.

To discuss the importance of paraphrasing is to show that creativity and originality are not all that make good writing.

Eight Important Reasons to Paraphrase

Without further ado, here are some of the top notch reasons why we paraphrase:

1. Enhances Memory Performance

People tend to forget a lot of things. Our brains can only hold so many memories before they start to discard old information to make room for new ones.

We write to make sure we don’t forget. Notes are taken in class to help us remember all the essential things we have learned. No matter how well we listen and understand, we are bound to forget some things.

The exciting thing is that we don’t write down what we hear word for word. Instead, we take notes by using our own words and phrases.

Our subconscious mind knows that altering phrases gets our brains active, therefore writing them in our way helps us remember them.

And that’s the divine power of paraphrasing. It helps us remember things that we might forget otherwise.

2. Organizes the Mind

A person needs to be able to figure out what he’s thinking to put it into words. But the words that come to mind aren’t always the best ones. It’s essential to change how we say things to make ourselves and what we mean more explicit.

Paraphrasing helps us write our thoughts more clearly. We organize our minds first to communicate our ideas and researched works in writing.

3. to Drive Home the Point

Students get involved in a lot of debates. Debating is a game of wordplay. If you use the right words correctly, it’s easier for you to win.

So, you need to know how to back up your argument with the right words. Precise, well-chosen terms give our line of argument more strength.

4. Acts As a Confidence Booster

We feel like we’ve done something good when we say things more clearly. This is true both when we speak and when we write. Making the notes in our way also makes us feel like we have more freedom to say what we want.

Writing well gives you a way to put your thoughts to rest and helps logical reasoning. You can use the rewording method to work on your writing and improve it.

5. Enhances Good Communication

Writing helps people talk to each other better. When you write, you can choose your words more carefully than you would if you just said them without thinking. If you keep using the restatement technique, you will notice a clear difference in how you talk.

A well-written CV, email, etc., can go a long way toward making sure your point gets across.

6. Decreases the Need for Quotes

Quotes are an excellent way to get specific information across, but too many of them can make text boring and repetitive.

Quotes may also indicate that one doesn’t understand the original document well enough. By paraphrasing a text, a writer cuts down on the number of quotes in their work, making it easier to read.

7. Puts an Argument in Its Proper Place

You can set the stage for your ideas when you paraphrase. When you rework another author’s words, you can guide the reader and frame your argument. So, a reader can see how an idea or concept has changed from one author or setting to another.

8. Shortens a Long Read

Paraphrasing is a great way to cut out fluff in a piece of writing into a few lines or pages. When paraphrasing, we go straight to the primary idea and aim and do not utilize extraneous language.

Paraphrasing is a means to summarize or re-create what has already been said and written. When done well, paraphrasing adds value to the original text and encourages deeper thought .

Pam is an expert grammarian with years of experience teaching English, writing and ESL Grammar courses at the university level. She is enamored with all things language and fascinated with how we use words to shape our world.

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Rewording Made Simple: What is Paraphrasing?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you needed to express someone else’s ideas or concepts without using their exact words? Chances are, you have had to paraphrase, consciously or unconsciously. But what exactly is paraphrasing, and how do writers use it effectively? In this comprehensive guide to rewording made simple, we will delve deep into paraphrasing by discussing its definition, purpose, techniques, and much more. 

What is paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is restating someone else’s ideas or text using your unique wording and sentence structure while maintaining the original message. Often used in academic writing to support arguments or claims without directly quoting a source, paraphrasing aids writers in integrating outside knowledge seamlessly into their work.

What is the meaning of the word paraphrase?

The term ‘paraphrase’ has its roots in ancient Greek and Latin languages from which it originates – “para,” meaning “beside,” and “phrase,” meaning “to tell” – combining to encompass “telling beside.” It implies telling an idea alongside or parallel its original form but altering its wording and organization for clarity or emphasis. Through proficient paraphrasing, writers can demonstrate that they have understood a text and have the skill set to communicate complex information effectively.

Purpose of Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing plays an essential role in writing by helping to convey information more effectively, personalize your work, and ensure originality. In this section, I will discuss several reasons for using paraphrasing skills.

Improve Word Choice

Using effective word choice is one reason for paraphrasing. What does it mean to paraphrase a text with improved word choice? It means finding synonyms or alternative phrases that enhance clarity and make the content more engaging. Diverse vocabulary enriches your writing while maintaining its cohesiveness and making it easier to understand.

Change Subject Matter

Paraphrasing allows you to adapt information from various sources while remaining relevant to your target audience. Rephrasing concepts or data can connect seemingly unrelated topics within a coherent narrative. It helps keep readers interested in what is being communicated and facilitates smooth transitions between different subjects.

Avoid Plagiarizing

One vital purpose of paraphrasing is avoiding plagiarism – presenting someone else’s work as your own without proper attribution. Careful paraphrasing ensures that you borrow ideas responsibly while putting them into your own words. This ethical approach signifies respect for others’ intellectual property rights and promotes academic integrity.

Avoid Overusing Quotes

While quoting can be helpful, overuse can hinder readability and weaken the writer’s voice in a text. Instead, opt for paraphrased versions when conveying important points from the source material without losing their essence. Balancing quotes with well-executed paraphrases contributes to more substantial content that engages readers more effectively.

Avoid Problematic Language

Sometimes, original texts may contain jargon or offensive language inappropriate for your audience or context (such as sensitive cultural references). In such cases, knowing how to paraphrase correctly helps make alterations ensuring inclusive, respectful communication without changing the message’s original meaning.

Shorten Lengthy Quotes

Lengthy quotes run the risk of overwhelming readers or diluting your key points. By paraphrasing, you can convey essential information from long passages in a more concise and focused manner without losing their core meaning. Skillful rephrasing allows for brevity and precision while simultaneously improving overall readability.

The process of paraphrasing, step by step

Much like preparing dishes from a cookbook without duplicating the imagery, paraphrasing requires understanding, distilling essential ideas, restructuring text, and sprucing up with synonyms while keeping the flavor true to the original.

Understanding the original text

Before training your hands to rewrite or “paraphrase in English,” you must first sic your mind unto comprehending what lies beneath the words of any given piece. Read meticulously until you can comfortably explain what each sentence means –– unmasking subtleties hidden in phrases, nuances lurking behind punctuation marks and intentions buried within context.

Identifying key ideas and main points

The next step down this path of paraphrasing writing spirals around plucking key notions from your comprehension exercise above. Embrace a keen eye for dividing sentences into clear-cut chunks—each standing for an individual thought tied to your overall understanding. That’s precisely how you start to decipher how you might render these “texts for paraphrasing.”

Restructuring the sentence structure and word choice

Armed with salient points jotted perhaps mentally or annotated on paper beside each paragraph line by line, navigate towards provoking new life into them through restyling their appearances –– an art often dubbed as ‘rephrase’ or ‘rewrite a paraphrase’.

Start by experimenting with rearranging elements within sentences – shuffling subjects, predicates and objects, as long as you don’t alter the message. Introduce different conjunctions or transition words to foster textual dynamism but preserve semantic authenticity.

Using synonyms, rephrasing, and changing sentence structure

One of the prime facets of ‘how to paraphrase’ lies in implementing synonimization effectively. It’s easy enough to swap random nouns or adjectives with their Thesaurus-listed siblings; however, not every synonymous pair shares the same dimensionality within various contexts. So select wisely from your repertoire of alternative words that keep your context intact while also varying your sentence pattern –– parallelism one time, antithesis another!

Maintaining the original meaning while expressing it in different words

This forms the crux of ‘what is paraphrase’ and truly separates skilful paraphrasers from novice ones––this ability to interweave changes without losing essence. The whole point of reshaping a text is showcasing information under new garments without twisting its meanings inside out. What’s penned down at last should maintain homogeneity with what started this metamorphosis.

So there you have it: An insightful deep dive into decoding how “to paraphrase.” Following these steps for each ‘paraphrasing an article’ instance will help straddle that fine line between plagiarism and genius remodeling adeptly.

Different Strategies for Paraphrasing

To effectively paraphrase a text, it’s essential to employ various tactics that help in producing an accurate and meaningful interpretation of the original passage. In this section, we’ll explore three key strategies that can aid you in mastering the art of paraphrasing: understanding the main ideas, making connections, and focusing on syntax.

Understand the Main Ideas

One crucial aspect of successful paraphrasing is grasping the core concepts conveyed by the source material. To do this:

• Thoroughly read through the original text to fully comprehend its message.
• Identify central points and supporting details.
• Note down essential information such as facts, figures, or examples provided within the context.
• Remember these main ideas while accurately recreating your version highlighting these primary elements and their subsidiary components.

Grasping this fundamental understanding before attempting to rewrite helps preserve the intended meaning when putting it into your own words.

Make Connections

Another important strategy for effective paraphrasing is establishing connections between ideas presented in a text. This approach aids you with maintaining coherence throughout your rewritten piece when representing related concepts from the original work. Here are some tips for connecting thoughts efficiently:

• Analyze how distinct sections relate to each other – Are they contrasting views? Do they emphasize different aspects of a subject?
• Identify transitional phrases and signals conveying these relationships (e.g., ‘however,’ ‘in contrast,’ ‘additionally,’ etc.)
• Use similar or alternative expressions to indicate links between ideas during restructuring without repeating exact terms verbatim.
• Create smooth transitions by naturally integrating connected points into your interpretation.

Emphasizing transparent relationships amidst diverse notions promotes consistency in flow, imparting stability even when altering wording or sequence within rewritten passages.

Focus on Syntax

To achieve satisfactory outcomes while rewording content requires attention to vocabulary and sentence structure – or syntax. Devoting the right amount of focus to sentence arrangement permits you to recreate ideas in fresh, distinct ways without plagiarizing the initial vocabulary. Below are their steps for altering syntax as part of your paraphrasing process:

• Change active voice constructs into passive ones (or vice versa) wherever appropriate.
• Switch around parts of paragraphing, ensuring logical development and clarity.
• Modify sentence length or construction to create variation without compromising comprehension.
• Maintain proper grammar usage throughout.

By incorporating alterations in syntax, you achieve a natural text flow that avoids duplicating pre-existing wording while preserving essential information-contributing elements towards a skillful paraphrase execution.

Tips for Effective Paraphrasing

If you’re wondering, “What is paraphrasing?” and how to effectively apply it in your writing practices. Hold tight as we venture into the riveting realm of rewording, showing you how a thread of ingenuity can weave simplicity and clarity from even the most tangled textual input

Rephrase Without Changing Meaning or Losing Context

Paraphrasing isn’t just about swapping words—It’s an artful ballet of retaining ideas while altering expressions. When you write a paraphrase, remember that your goal isn’t merely to create something different from the original text but to echo its essence through a new lens. Be careful not poke holes in this ‘essence-bubble’ by omitting crucial details or distorting themes – that’ll deflate your whole message!

To do this successfully, you need to comprehend what’s being conveyed deeply. Read attentively then give yourself a moment before crafting out your version—an approach that often presents fresh perspectives yet maintains alignment with the core idea.

Avoiding Word-for-Word substitutions or Synonyms

Yes, using synonyms is part of paraphrase in English; however, leaning heavily on them can lead us astray! Replacing every word with a synonym may change sentence syntax and semantic quality inadvertently leading to deviations from intended messaging making communication confusing.

Instead ensure you understand the context around each phrase or idiom so when you ‘reword’, meaningful continuity prevails. This method keeps both ‘content fidelity’ intact while beautifying discourse with diversity – much like adding various flavored spice rubs on savory roasts instead of plain salt!

Rearranging Sentence Structure And Using Different Sentence Patterns

When learning how to paraphrase, understanding varied sentence structures plays an instrumental role—the key here lies not in reinventing the wheel but simply modifying its rims.

Suppose consider turning declarative sentences into interrogative ones, passive phrases into active ones, complex sentences into easy-to-understand compound ones. Also don’t hesitate to break paragraph long statements into simpler individualized sentences ensuring tangle-free readability.

Properly Incorporating In-Text Citations Within Paraphrased Sentences

Citations form a cornerstone of ethical paraphrasing—an integral element differentiating the art of rephrasing from the sin of plagiarism. Remember, even your most creatively-crafted paraphrase demands exact credit attribution towards original authorship.

An exquisitely-woven tapestry of idea gathering and expression refinement can disintegrate in both reputation and relevance without correct citations. The process is simple: once you’ve concluded sharing your interpretation, provide an in-text citation as per your specific style guide (APA, MLA, etc.). This hones reworked text’s credibility while foregrounding due respect for source creators.

Referencing the Original Source Material in the Bibliography or Reference List

Even with paraphrasing deftly applied all through your piece; it’s vital to provide a complete reference list at its conclusion—think of it like honoring ‘behind-the-scenes’ brilliance illuminating every great performance on stage!

While this doesn’t involve putting words under transformation magic, it surely contributes to safeguard conceptual integrity via rightful acknowledgment. Include every referenced material meticulously; never unintentionally overlook any document at risk compromising content transparency and authority.

With these thoughtful tips at hand, you’re ready! Dive straight into mood-led interpretation, explore the expressive flexibility this technique offers–all while preserving core message accuracy. Embark on transforming mere pieces of text for paraphrasing; emerge weaving symphonies that ‘sing-speak’ distinctively yet harmoniously curation.

The Don’ts of Paraphrasing

• Don’t overuse direct quotes : Too many direct quotations make for a dull read. Try to balance quoting and paraphrasing instead, ensuring that both are used strategically throughout your work for optimal impact.
• Avoid using copy-pasting techniques : Directly copying text from a source and replacing just a few words will not constitute proper paraphrasing – this approach veers dangerously close to plagiarism territory.
• Steer clear of unnecessary wordiness : Avoid adding extra words or lengthy explanations during paraphrasing simply because it makes your piece appear more comprehensive – quality trumps quantity every time.
• Don’t change meaning : While rephrasing is a vital aspect of paraphrasing, be careful not to alter the intended idea conveyed by the source.
• Don’t rely solely on paraphrasing tools : While certain paraphrasing tools can be helpful, they should act as supplementary aids rather than primary resources. Overreliance on these technologies can lead to poorly constructed text and potential misunderstandings.

By following these guidelines for effective paraphrasing, you’ll be well on your way to producing engaging, informative pieces that retain essential information from your sources while conveying it in a refreshingly original manner. Always remember that the key to successful paraphrasing is striking an optimal balance between maintaining meaning and injecting your unique take on the material.

What is an Example of Paraphrasing?

Before diving into specific examples, let’s first revisit the meaning of paraphrasing. In essence, paraphrasing involves rewriting a passage or text in your own words without altering its original purpose. It’s important to note that merely replacing individual words with synonyms won’t suffice; instead, you must understand the core concepts and present them in a new way.

Now, let us examine a few instances where paraphrasing comes into play:

Original Text

“The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.”

Paraphrased Version

“The speedy tan-colored fox leaped across the sluggish canine.”

In this example, various techniques are employed to paraphrase the sentence effectively:

• Synonyms: “quick” has been replaced by “speedy,” “brown” by “tan-colored,” and “lazy” by “sluggish.”
• Change parts of speech: The verb “jumped” has been altered to “leaped.”
• Rearrange structure: Instead of saying “…the lazy dog,” we now have “…the sluggish canine.”

Another more complex example would be:

Original Text (Excerpt from  1984  by George Orwell)

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”

“On an April day marked by piercing chilliness, the clocks chimed their unusual thirteenth strike.”

In this instance, the paraphrase modifies significant elements but retains the key ideas:

• Understanding main concepts: The weather is mentioned as being both bright and cold.
• Use synonyms: Words such as “bright,” “cold,” and “striking” are changed to “piercing chilliness” and “chimed.”
• Focusing on syntax: The sentence structure has been shifted entirely yet still communicates identical information.

Original text

“To be or not to be—that is the question.” (William Shakespeare’s  Hamlet )

Considering whether one should exist remains the crucial inquiry.

In this example, we have rephrased a famous line from Shakespeare’s  Hamlet  using different words while maintaining its essence. Although the meaning stays intact, our paraphrased sentence uses a different vocabulary and structure.

Education is vital for personal development and career success because it provides individuals with the knowledge, skills, confidence, and adaptability needed in today’s complex world.

Paraphrased Version :

Acquiring education plays a crucial role in an individual’s growth and prosperity since it equips them with essential understanding, abilities, self-assurance, and flexibility required for navigating our intricate society.

In this instance, we preserved the importance of education while altering word choice and rearranging sentence structure.

Animals such as dogs can sense human emotions effectively, making them excellent companions who contribute positively to their owners’ mental health.

Emotional sensitivity of creatures like dogs results in great companionship that greatly benefits the psychological well-being of their caretakers.

By employing synonyms—like “creatures” instead of “animals”—and reordering phrases within the sentence—this example illustrates effective paraphrasing without changing the underlying meaning of the original statement about pets and their benefits.

For sustainable development and progress, countries need to adopt a more environmentally friendly approach to industrial production practices, such as using renewable energy sources, reducing pollutants emissions, and fostering a recycling culture.

To ensure stable growth, nations must embrace eco-friendly measures in their industries by incorporating clean energy alternatives, lowering contaminant output, and promoting recycling habits.

Again, we have maintained the key message about environmental responsibility while using different words and slightly revising the sentence structure for variation.

Remember that incorporating examples of paraphrasing into your work — without overusing direct quotes or committing plagiarism—is a valuable writing method. Following these instances can lead to mastery of this crucial skill set and ultimately elevate your writing prowess.

Avoid Plagiarism When You Paraphrase

Plagiarism is a serious academic offense that can lead to severe consequences. Not only does it damage credibility and intellectual integrity, but it can also have lasting implications on your professional career or academic record. To avoid plagiarism while paraphrasing research papers, adhere to the following strategies and recommendations to give proper credit to the original author’s ideas.

Understand the Concept of Plagiarism

Before delving into how to avoid plagiarism when paraphrasing, it is crucial to understand what constitutes plagiarism. Essentially, it involves presenting someone else’s words, ideas, or work as one’s own without providing sufficient acknowledgment or providing evidence of citation. Remember that even unintentional instances of plagiarism are still considered problematic.

Cite Your Sources Appropriately

Ensure you properly cite all sources throughout your text by following the correct citation styles required (e.g., APA, MLA, Harvard). This includes citing both direct quotes and paraphrased material from other authors. Providing accurate citations helps clarify which portions of the text are yours and which originate from other sources.

Practice Proper Paraphrasing Techniques

Employ effective paraphrasing techniques that alter not just words but sentence structures too. Simply replacing synonyms or reordering sentences isn’t enough; instead, aim for a comprehensive approach:

• Use synonyms thoughtfully.
• Consider changing parts of speech.
• Rearrange structure within context.
• Add or remove relevant information if necessary.
• Always ensure the preservation of meaning found in the source material.

These practices will help create distinct content while still acknowledging the original idea.

Express content in your own voice

When paraphrasing, try reproducing the concept using your own writing style and voice instead of merely replicating patterns found in source texts. The resulting outcome should effectively communicate ideas within a broader context while showcasing understanding and empathy towards matters discussed.

Compare Original Text with Paraphrased Version

To avoid plagiarizing, compare your paraphrased version against the original and ensure there isn’t too much similarity in structure, key phrases, or ideas. This process helps safeguard against unintentional copying.

After paraphrasing a section, take a moment to cross-check with the original text. This step ensures that you have successfully put the idea across without duplicating any parts of the source’s wording or sentence structure.

Utilize Paraphrasing Tools with Caution

Although several online paraphrasing tools are available, rely on them sparingly as they may generate content that still resembles the original text or could risk changing the meaning entirely. Reviewing and refining generated output is crucial for producing an adequate final draft.

By considering these strategies while paraphrasing material, you can maintain originality and integrity throughout written work, avoiding plagiarism and fostering a deep understanding of subjects that reflect your voice.

Use Plagiarism Checker Tools

Leverage plagiarism checkers available online (e.g., Turnitin, Grammarly) to confirm your content’s uniqueness. These tools help identify similarities between your work and other existing material.

Difference Between Paraphrasing and Summarizing

As you explore the world of rewording and restructuring text, you may wonder how paraphrasing differs from summarizing. Both techniques involve rephrasing text sections or conveying information from a source in your own words. However, there are distinct differences between these two methods, mainly concerning their purposes, scope, and length. This section will delve into the key distinctions between paraphrasing and summarizing.

Both paraphrasing and summarizing convey another author’s ideas accurately without using their original wording. But their primary objectives differ:

• Paraphrasing  aims to rewrite a specific part of the source material more clearly or concisely while preserving its essential meaning and structure.
• Summarizing  involves distilling a more significant passage or even an entire work into its most important points or ideas.

The target material is another aspect that differentiates these two techniques:

• When  paraphrasing , you focus on rendering a relatively small text—an idea, sentence, phrase, or paragraph—in your own words.
• During  summarizing , you condense broader segments, such as chapters or whole articles, into brief overviews that capture the gist of the content.

Length is also a crucial factor when distinguishing between paraphrasing and summarization:

• A successful  paraphrase  should not considerably alter the original passage’s word count—it may be slightly longer or shorter than the original text but remains close in length overall.
• A good  summary , by contrast, must be notably shorter than the source materials; it presents only core concepts without getting bogged down in details or examples.

Now that we’ve highlighted these critical differences—purpose, scope, and length—you can more easily recognize when to use each technique based on your intended goal within academic writing tasks or other communication contexts. Essentially,  paraphrasing  is the reworking of specific content to clarify its meaning or convey it more effectively, while  summarizing  is a condensed version that briefly covers the main ideas in a broader text.

Difference Between Paraphrasing and Quoting

Understanding the differences between paraphrasing and quoting is essential for effective communication in both written and spoken language. These two methods of incorporating sources into your work have distinct purposes, benefits, and limitations.

Paraphrasing: A Brief Recap

As discussed earlier, paraphrasing involves rewording and rewriting a text or speech to interpret the source while maintaining its meaning accurately. When paraphrasing, you translate someone’s ideas using your own words but give them credit by acknowledging the original quote and author. This ensures that you:

• Exhibit a deeper understanding of the material
• Avoid plagiarism
• Synthesize information effectively
• Improve word choice and sentence structure

Quoting: An Overview

On the other hand, quoting refers to using the exact words from a source verbatim within quotation marks to support arguments or provide evidence in your work. When quoting a text or speech, it’s crucial to maintain accuracy and cite your sources correctly so that readers can trace the information back to the original document. Utilizing quotes is beneficial when:

• The original wording has a significant impact on understanding
• The writer or speaker has unique authority on a topic
• The phrasing conveys distinctive eloquence or persuasiveness

Paraphrasing vs Quoting

Now that we’ve outlined both techniques, let’s delve into their differences.

• Wording : While paraphrasing restructures an idea using different language, quoting retains the exact words in the original text.
• Purpose : Paraphrasing demonstrates understanding and engagement with a topic by expressing it through personal language choices; however, quoting aims at providing direct evidence from reputable authorities to validate claims.
• Length : As paraphrases condense extensive knowledge into digestible readouts without altering meaning significantly, utilizing quotes often requires context establishment due to word-for-word replication.
• Flexibility : Paraphrasing provides greater freedom for incorporating diverse perspectives, enabling writers to synthesize information seamlessly. Quoting, conversely, involves direct adherence to the original text while actively justifying its contribution within a larger context.
• Citations : Both techniques require citations to avoid plagiarism. However, quotes demand precise records of exact wording and page numbers – whereas paraphrasing accounts for general source references.

Understanding the differences between paraphrasing and quoting is crucial for effective research and proficient writing skills. Use these techniques purposefully depending on the situation: paraphrase to convey comprehension and adapt material fittingly or quote verbatim when an author’s language proves critical for supporting arguments.

Paraphrasing FAQs

Is paraphrasing just using different words?

Paraphrasing is not merely changing the words in a text. It involves understanding the original message, then presenting the same idea in your own words while maintaining the core meaning. When paraphrasing, you might change the sentence structure and use synonyms. Still, your main goal should always be to communicate effectively while maintaining crucial information from the source material.

How do You Paraphrase a Sentence?

To paraphrase a sentence effectively, follow these steps:

• Read and understand the original sentence thoroughly.
• Identify and note down the most important points or ideas.
• Begin crafting your sentence using different words that convey similar meanings (use synonyms).
• Change parts of speech as necessary to fit within your new sentence structure.
• Rearrange elements of the sentence to enhance readability or flow.
• Review your new sentence for accuracy by ensuring it conveys the same meaning as the original.
• Edit for grammar and punctuation.

What Makes a Good Paraphrase?

A good paraphrase should meet these criteria:

• Accurately captures the essence of the original text without altering its meaning
• Uses significantly different wording and structure from the source material
• Integrates seamlessly into your writing style, with proper grammar and punctuation
• Acknowledges and cites its source to avoid plagiarism

Paraphrasing vs. Quoting and Summarizing

Paraphrasing, quoting, and summarizing all serve unique purposes in conveying information from sources:

• Paraphrasing  enables you to express someone else’s thoughts or ideas using your own words while maintaining their intended meaning. It focuses on specific passages or details from a source without using quotation marks around copied phrases.
• Quoting  involves copying an author’s exact words while enclosing them within quotation marks when incorporating them into your work. A quote retains both language and syntax used by the author and should be employed sparingly for maximum impact.
• Summarizing  involves briefly summarizing the source’s main points or ideas. A summary condenses the original material into a shorter format, highlighting critical aspects without copying exact wording or structure.

What are various types of paraphrasing?

There are different approaches to paraphrasing depending on your needs and desired outcomes:

• Concept-driven paraphrasing : Involves focusing on understanding and conveying the core concepts of the original text.
• Structure-based paraphrasing : Requires restructuring sentences while maintaining their core meaning. This can include changing word order or simplifying complex sentence structures.
• Language-focused paraphrasing : Emphasizes changes in vocabulary by replacing words with synonyms or using different parts of speech.
• Integrative paraphrasing : Combines multiple strategies (concept-driven, structure-based, and language-focused) to create well-rounded rewording that closely mimics the original text’s meaning but uses new language and syntax.

Each type of paraphrase serves unique purposes depending on your goals, such as improving clarity or incorporating expert insights into your writing more effectively.

Importance of Using Paraphrases

Paraphrasing is an essential skill in various fields, and incorporating this technique into your writing has several benefits. This section will delve into the importance of using paraphrasing to improve communication, refine critical thinking skills, foster learning, maintain originality, and avoid plagiarism.

Enhance Communication Skills

Integrating paraphrasing into your repertoire can significantly improve your communication abilities. By rewording complex or technical concepts into more accessible language, you can convey ideas effectively to a broader audience. Furthermore, effective paraphrasing promotes active listening and fosters better understanding among individuals with different backgrounds or levels of expertise.

Develop Critical Thinking Skills

Paraphrasing requires a deep comprehension of the source material, as you must first understand the author’s intent before translating their ideas into your own words. This process helps refine critical thinking abilities by encouraging you to analyze information critically and discern its essential aspects.

Foster Learning and Retention

Implementing paraphrasing techniques allows for concise content digestion when engaging with new material. Restating concepts in your own words reinforces memory retention by encouraging active involvement with the subject matter rather than passive absorption.

Maintain Originality

Incorporating paraphrased content into your writing ensures that it remains fresh and distinctive. By conveying unique interpretations of previously discussed ideas or presenting common notions from a novel perspective, you can make your work stand out amongst similar texts.

Prevent Plagiarism

Lastly —and perhaps most crucially— utilizing accurate paraphrasing prevents plagiarism within your work. Rewording passages while preserving their original meaning demonstrates intellectual integrity by crediting source authors for their insights without directly copying their phrasing. Avoiding plagiarism is imperative because it maintains academic honesty and enables personal growth through independent engagement with the source material.

Paraphrasing in Literature and Pop Culture

Paraphrasing plays a crucial role in academic writing, professional fields, literature, and pop culture. In these creative domains, paraphrasing is often applied to convey similar ideas or emotions while presenting them uniquely. Let’s explore various instances of paraphrasing within the realms of literature and popular culture.

Retellings and Adaptations

One noticeable manifestation of paraphrasing in literature can be found in retellings or adaptations of classic tales and stories. Modern authors craft their versions of well-known narratives by using different techniques such as:

• Altering perspectives (e.g., Gregory Maguire’s  Wicked , which provides an alternative viewpoint on the story from  The Wizard of Oz )
• Changing settings (e.g., Shakespeare’s modernized renderings like Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of  Romeo + Juliet )
• Modifying characters (e.g., gender-swapped versions like Stephenie Meyer’s  Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined )

These variations turn familiar stories into fresh creations through reworded descriptions, altered contexts, or revamped plots.

Song Covers and Remixes

In music, paraphrasis becomes evident through song covers and remixes. Artists perform renowned tracks with personalized renditions that showcase their distinctive styles while retaining the original melody or lyrics. Here are some examples:

• Marilyn Manson’s version of “Sweet Dreams,” originally by Eurythmics
• Johnny Cash’s cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.”
• Postmodern Jukebox’s vintage twist on contemporary hits like Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop.”

Through unique reinterpretations, musicians keep the essence of well-loved songs alive for new audiences while adding their creative flair.

Parodies in Film and Television

Another paraphrasing application is seen within parodies across film and television, primarily through witty or satirical takes on well-known movies or TV shows. Examples include:

• Airplane! , a parody of disaster films like  Airport
• Young Frankenstein , Mel Brooks’ comedic spin on Mary Shelley’s classic
• “Weird Al” Yankovic’s song parodies that ingeniously adapt lyrics to make listeners laugh

These artistic expressions rely on audiences recognizing the original content while appreciating the humorous twist skilled creators provide.

Seasoned SaaS and agency growth expert with deep expertise in AI, content marketing, and SEO. With SEOwind, he crafts AI-powered content that tops Google searches and magnetizes clicks. With a track record of rocketing startups to global reach and coaching teams to smash growth, Tom's all about sharing his rich arsenal of strategies through engaging podcasts and webinars. He's your go-to guy for transforming organic traffic, supercharging content creation, and driving sales through the roof.

Table of Contents

• 1 What is paraphrasing?
• 2 Purpose of Paraphrasing
• 3 The process of paraphrasing, step by step
• 4 Different Strategies for Paraphrasing
• 5 Tips for Effective Paraphrasing
• 6 What is an Example of Paraphrasing?
• 7 Avoid Plagiarism When You Paraphrase
• 8 Difference Between Paraphrasing and Summarizing
• 9 Difference Between Paraphrasing and Quoting
• 10 Paraphrasing FAQs
• 11 Importance of Using Paraphrases
• 12 Paraphrasing in Literature and Pop Culture

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