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How to Perfect Your Paraphrasing: Advice and Examples

So, you're finally getting around to writing that research paper for your biology class and need to gather some evidence to support your thesis . Or maybe you realized that you can't just simply skim through the textbook when preparing for your next history exam (you learned you lesson on the last one…). Or maybe you're just really confused about what a particular passage is saying in your book and you're looking for a way to simplify the meaning without losing the original ideas. If this is you, you might consider paraphrasing. What's paraphrasing? We're glad you asked!

Paraphrasing

Did your teacher ever tell you to cover a book and rewrite what you just read from memory? We can remember doing this as early as elementary school, when we were learning about how to incorporate evidence into our (appropriately) elementary-level paragraphs. Your teachers were introducing you to the process of paraphrasing!

Paraphrasing is the process of rewording something written or spoken by another source to provide a simplified, clearer meaning. Paraphrasing is done at all levels, and for several purposes: teachers paraphrase material for their students' benefit, and scholars often paraphrase the sources they use in their papers and other published research . Paraphrasing, therefore, is a great way for academics to better understand what it is they are reading, researching, or studying. After all, what better way to understand material than to put it into words you're familiar with?

Paraphrasing is useful in research papers or analytical essays because it allows you to bring external sources into your own work without relying too heavily direct quotations. This isn't to say that you can paraphrase a work without referencing the source (that would be plagiarism!), but it is a good way to make your work more coherent and independent.

Now, just because we might remember being introduced to this process so early in our academic careers does not mean that it's an easy process. On the contrary, paraphrasing can actually be quite challenging. Paraphrasing requires analytical and deductive thinking and great writing skills. You must be able to read and understand material and then reword it in your own words and style while maintaining the original meaning of the source.

Summarizing vs paraphrasing

You may be asking yourself, what's the difference between summarizing and paraphrasing? While they may seem quite similar at first glance, there is a difference between the two processes.

Summarizing is a much broader concept, literally. Summaries will present the material in a much more general fashion, rewording only the biggest main ideas from a source. Summaries are almost always be short and to the point.

Paraphrasing can be about any part of a source, not just the main ideas. Paraphrasing will expand beyond the main ideas to include all the source material, although special attention may be drawn to particular points, if that was the original source's intention. There is more attention to detail in paraphrasing. A paraphrase may be shorter, longer, or the same length as the original source.

When to paraphrase

Paraphrasing is widely used in academia because it is a way for academics to provide evidence towards their own arguments or to learn more about a particular subject. When you want to paraphrase is really up to you, but here are just a few instances where you may choose to paraphrase:

• To clarify short sentences or passages from a source
• To break down a larger passage or quote from a source for clarification
• When you want to use the source as evidence to prove your argument but do not want to use direct quotations
• When you want to reword someone else's ideas
• When you want to take notes on a certain source while maintaining the original meaning of the source
• When you want to explain images from research such as charts and graphs

How to paraphrase

Since paraphrasing can be difficult, we've devised a step-by-step guide for you to follow. This will help simplify the process as you simplify your source material.

• Read the section of text, carefully : This may seem like a no brainer, but you should always begin by selecting the section of the text you wish to paraphrase and reading it.
• Reread the source, carefully : We may sound a bit redundant with all this "reading carefully" instruction, but it's essential that you use close-reading skills to deduct what is being said. Have you ever read something without reading it, like when you're skimming a paragraph but you're thinking about something entirely different, so it's basically like you read nothing? Save the skimming for another day.
• Understand what you're reading : It's essential that you understand what you're reading. This why we keep directing you to read carefully. Again, this is not a time to get distracted. You can skim material without actually reading it, but this will lead to mistakes in paraphrasing and even potential plagiarism . This is why we said paraphrasing requires analytical thinking and writing skills. If you find that you're in over your head with the source material, we suggest looking at alternative sources you understand more readily, or you could read up more on the particular source you are determined to understand. Either way, understanding what you're reading is essential to paraphrasing. After all, how can you reword something you don't even understand?
• Identify the main points : You've selected a section of the source or text you wish to paraphrase and have read it over a couple of times, ensuring that you understand the meaning. Great! Now, you should pull out the main points of the section, including any specific vocabulary or references to particular points that are essential to what the source is saying. This is what you're going to want to include in your own paraphrasing. If you find these terms or points important, then you need to highlight them in your own words. This brings us to our next step in successful paraphrasing.
• Use similar (but not exact) language : Synonyms are your best friends here. They're a great way to retain the original intention behind certain words or phrases without using the exact language from the source. For example, if a source describes something as being "impactful", you may use the world "influential" as a synonym. "Impactful" and "influential" both allude to the noun as having some kind of effect on something else.
• Retain the original source's voice/attitude : If you're reading a source that conveys a positive attitude about the subject material, then you should also maintain a positive voice when rewording the material. You may be using this information to as evidence to prove or disprove your own paper's argument. Regardless of how you intend to use this source, you must maintain the integrity of the original source by maintaining a similar tone. Changing the voice of the source would mean altering the meaning behind what was already written, which is the very opposite of what you want to do when paraphrasing.
• Create your own sentence structure : For this, we don't mean simply putting the first sentence last and the last sentence first. Remember, paraphrasing is not just changing a few words here and then and switching around the sentence order. What we mean by this is that you can (and should!) play around with the syntax. This is a great way to paraphrase the original text without losing the original meaning. You can lengthen some sentences, shorten others, or combine similar ideas into one sentence. As long as the sentences are your own, you can experiment with how you present them.
• Use quotes for specific vocab : If you're reading something that has field-specific vocabulary, it's best to quote these terms or phrases instead of using synonyms. For example, it's easy and not harmful to the original text to change the word "impactful" to "influential", as we did above. However, it's not as easy to use synonyms for a field-specific vocabulary word like "biodiversity." You should use your best judgement when determining what you should keep in quotes and what you should change.
• Be concise : The whole point of paraphrasing is for you to break down what you have read and put it into your own words to better understand it. Don't complicate things by including new terminology or explanations. Model your paraphrasing after the original while remaining clear and concise in your language and sentence structure. If you read over your paraphrased work and it seems more complicated than the original text, then you've done something wrong.
• Check your work : Now that you've paraphrased the text, compare it to the original. You should ensure that you've accurately conveyed the original meaning of the text while maintaining a safe distance from the original. What we mean by this is you should check to ensure you've done an adequate job of rewording what was already written. Although you want what you have written to have a similar meaning to the original, make sure you have not unintentionally plagiarized.
• Cite the original source : Although this may not be your usual way of including evidence in your writing, such as providing direct quotations, you do still need to cite your source . These ideas are not originally yours. Since you got them from somewhere, make sure to give credit where credit is due. This will allow you to refer back to the source that helped you and it will provide another source for readers of your work to reference. Academia is all about sharing information to expand knowledge and resources.

Although we've provided you with a comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to paraphrase, you may still be scratching your head. That's okay! It's normal to struggle with paraphrasing. If you need additional help, you can use this tool . This paraphrasing tool allows you to insert a block of text from a source you're trying to paraphrase and to choose from a variety of tools that will best paraphrase the text. For example, you may be worried about paraphrasing because it can morph into plagiarism if you are not careful. Fear not, there is a tool for that! Simply paste the text into the tool and choose "Plagiarism Remover." This will paraphrase the original source to ensure you are not plagiarizing.

Examples of paraphrase

Now that you know how to paraphrase, we figured we would provide you with some of our own examples of paraphrase. We will show you the do's and don't's of paraphrasing, so you know if you failed or succeeded in your mission.

• Original : In some studies, coffee has been proven to expand the life of human beings.
• Bad paraphrase : In some studies, coffee has been proven to extend the life of humans.
• Good paraphrase : Studies have shown that coffee can extend human life.

So, what made the bad paraphrase bad? Notice how we only changed one word: "expand". We changed "expand" to "extend" but this is not enough. We plagiarized the rest of the sentence, so this is not paraphrasing. What makes the good paraphrase good? Notice how we maintained the point of the original sentence, that coffee has been shown to add years to human lives, but we did more than just change a single word. Let's take a look at another example.

• Original : Covid-19 is an airborne virus and may result in a stuffy nose, coughing, slow heartrate and breathing, and in some instances, a fever.
• Bad paraphrase : Covid-19 can be an airborne virus which results in a stuffy nose and cough, a fever, and breathing problems.
• Good paraphrase : Covid-19 can spread via airborne particles and can result in a variety of symptoms including, but not limited to, fever, respiratory issues, and nasal congestion.

Notice how our bad paraphrase changed a few words and terms but is mostly too similar to the original sentence. Also, the bad paraphrase creates ambiguity where there is none. The original states, "Covid-19 is an airborne virus" and the bad paraphrase states "Covid-19 can be an airborne virus." This is especially dangerous in medical/science writing!

Our good paraphrase changed the sentence structure, so our paraphrase ended up being longer than the original sentence, which is fine. We condensed symptoms like "coughing" and "slow heartrate and breathing" into "respiratory issues" and changed "stuffy nose" to "nasal congestion." This is an example of properly paraphrasing a source. We maintained the main ideas of the original sentence while using our own words and sentence structure.

Give it a try

Now it's your turn to try paraphrasing! Whether you're gathering evidence for your next English essay or jotting down notes to study for your next chemistry exam, try to paraphrase the source material. Not only will this help you simplify what you're reading, but it will also provide you with excellent practice for your analytical thinking and writing. It forces you to think analytically and creatively, stretching those mind muscles to think for yourself and reflect your own learning in what you write!

Header photo by SecondSide .

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How to paraphrase (including examples)

Jessica Malnik

Paraphrasing has gotten a bad reputation due to its association with plagiarism . However, when used correctly, paraphrasing has the potential to elevate your writing and give you a better understanding of the research.

In this post, we’ll discuss what paraphrasing is, why we do it, and 6 steps to walk you through the process. We’ll also share what not to do with paraphrasing, along with some examples.

Paraphrasing definition and rules

Paraphrasing is simply a way of summarizing someone else’s content in your own words. When you paraphrase, you keep the meaning or intent of the original work without copying it word for word. However, paraphrasing can quickly become a form of plagiarism if done incorrectly. This is why it’s crucial to follow the rules of paraphrasing.

When borrowing the ideas from someone else’s content, there’s one important rule to follow: you must correctly cite your source. This can be done in a number of ways depending on the style guide you use. 

Source citing is different for MLA and APA formatting and style guides. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with the citation formats for whichever one you follow. However, in some cases, simply hyperlinking the source will be sufficient.

Why do we paraphrase?

There are a number of reasons that professional writers and students alike choose to paraphrase content. Here are just a few of the common reasons that a writer would choose to paraphrase instead of including a quote or summarization.

Process information better 

One benefit of paraphrasing is that it helps you process the author’s ideas. When you have to rewrite the material in your own words, it makes you really think about the context and how it fits into your piece. If you want to really understand the material you’re citing, try rewriting it. If you were to quote the same information, you would miss out on the benefit of analyzing the source material.

For example, if you are writing a research paper all about Shakespeare’s influence on modern-day literature, you don’t want to just use a ton of direct quotes, instead by paraphrasing original passages, it can help you comprehend and analyze the material better.  

Improve your credibility with readers

You can also improve your credibility by association with the sources you decide to paraphrase. 

When you rewrite the material, you create a connection between your content and the knowledge from the source. 

Your audience will have a better understanding of the direction of your piece if you’re paraphrasing a reputable source with established authority on the subject.

Present data in an interesting way

If you’re referencing a data-heavy webpage or study, then paraphrasing is an engaging way to present the information in your own writing style. 

This allows you to tell a story with the source material instead of simply citing numbers or graphs.

Show that you understand the source

Another reason for paraphrasing that’s particularly important in academic writing is to demonstrate that you’ve read and comprehended the source material. 

For example, if all of you are doing is copying and pasting the original words of a textbook, you aren’t really learning anything new. When you summarize the material in your own words, it helps you to understand the material faster.  

How to paraphrase in 6 steps

Paraphrasing is simple when you break it down into a series of steps. 

Here are the 6 steps you can use to paraphrase your sources:

1. Choose a reputable source

First, you need to pick a credible source to paraphrase. A credible source will likely have ideas and concepts that are worth repeating. Be sure to research the author’s name and publisher’s credentials and endorsements (if applicable).

You’ll also want to check the date of the publication as well to make sure it’s current enough to include in your writing.

2. Read and re-read the source material

You want to be sure that you understand the context and information in the original source before you can begin to rework it into your own words. Read through it as many times as you need so you’re sure that you grasp the meaning.

3. Take some notes 

Once you have an understanding of the passage, you’ll want to jot down your initial thoughts. 

What are the key concepts in the source material? 

What are the most interesting parts? 

For this part, it helps to break up the content into different sections. This step will give you a sort of mini-outline before you proceed with rephrasing the material.

4. Write a rough draft

Write your version of the content without looking at the original source material. This part is important. 

With the source hidden, you’ll be less likely to pull phrasing and structure from the original. You are welcome to reference your notes, though. This will help you write the content in your own words without leaning on the source but still hit the key points you want to cover.

5. Compare and revise

Once you have your initial draft written, you should look at it side by side with the original source. Adjust as needed to ensure your version is written in a way that’s unique to your voice. 

This is a good time to break out a thesaurus if you notice you have used too many of the same words as the original source.

6. Cite your source

Whether you use MLA, APA, Chicago, or another style guide, now is the time to give proper credit to the original author or source. When posting content online, you may only need to hyperlink to the original source.

Keep in mind that the paraphrased text will not change depending on the citation style that you follow. It will just change how it’s cited.

What you shouldn’t do when paraphrasing

Now that you understand the process of paraphrasing and can follow the steps, it’s important that you know what to avoid. When paraphrasing, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Do NOT write while you’re still researching

You might be tempted to start writing during the research phase. However, this sets you up to miss information or restate the copy too closely to the source material. Be sure to do your research first, take notes, and then start writing the piece.

2. Do NOT skip the citations

When you pull a small amount of information from a paraphrased source, you may think you don’t need to cite it. However, any idea or copy that’s taken from another source is considered plagiarism if you don’t give it credit, even if it is only a little bit of information.

Paraphrasing examples

Here are some examples to help you understand what paraphrasing looks like when done correctly and incorrectly

Excerpt from LinkedIn’s Official Blog:

“When reaching out to connect with someone, share a personalized message telling the person why you would like to connect. If it’s someone you haven’t been in touch with in a while, mention a detail to jog that person’s memory for how you met, reinforce a mutual interest and kickstart a conversation.”

Here’s another example. This one is from the U.S. Department of Education:

“ The U.S. Department of Education does not accredit educational institutions and/or programs. However, the Department provides oversight over the postsecondary accreditation system through its review of all federally-recognized accrediting agencies. The Department holds accrediting agencies accountable by ensuring that they enforce their accreditation standards effectively. ”

Here’s one more example to show you how to paraphrase using a quote from Mark Twain as the source material:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.”

Paraphrasing can be a beneficial tool for any writer. It can give you credibility and a deeper understanding of the topic. However, to successfully use paraphrasing, you must be careful to properly cite your sources and effectively put the material into your own words each time.

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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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Study Skills

Good academic practice and avoiding plagiarism.

• Introduction
• Taking good notes
• Managing your time

Paraphrasing

• Summarising
• Common knowledge
• Referencing styles
• Referencing tools
• Understanding plagiarism
• Final thoughts

Creative Commons

To write academic work successfully you need to read round the subject and organise your ideas into a coherent argument. It is very important to reference your sources each time you include an idea or an argument from your reading, whether you have summarised the information, quoted it directly or paraphrased it. Effective quotation and use of source materials can show credibility and authority in writing you produce, as well as providing opposing views against which you can comment. Anything you cite should clearly support your conclusions. A paraphrase should be a restatement of the meaning of the original text in your own words and not simply changing some words or sentences around. Expressing ideas in your own words will strongly support your argument and show your tutor how well you understand the original material.

• Arts and Humanities example
• Social Sciences example
• STEM example

Below is an excerpt from a book with two examples of paraphrasing, one good and one bad. Look at both examples and choose which is the good example and your reasons why. Click the button to reveal the answer.

Original text

From: butler, j. (2004) undoing gender . abington: routledge..

“If a decade or two ago, gender discrimination applied tacitly to women,, that no longer serves as the exclusive framework for understanding its contemporary usage. Discrimination against women continues - especially poor women and women of colour, if we consider the differential levels of poverty not only in the United States, but globally - so this dimension of gender discrimination remains crucial to acknowledge. But gender now also means gender identity, a particularly salient issue in the politics and theory of transgenderism and transsexuality." (Butler, 2004 p.28)

Below is an excerpt from a book with two examples of paraphrasing, one good and one bad. Look at both examples and decide which which is the good example and your reasons why. Click the button to reveal the answer.

From: Varian, H. (2014) Intermediate Microeconomics: a modern approach . 9 th ed. Norton.

“Another kind of tax or subsidy that the government might use is a lump-sum tax or subsidy. In the case of a tax, this means that the government takes away some fixed amount of money, regardless of the individual’s behavior. Thus a lump-sum tax means that the budget line of a consumer will shift inward because his money income has been reduced. Similarly, a lump-sum subsidy means that the budget line will shift outward. Quality taxes and value taxes tilt the budget line one way or the other depending on which good is being taxed, but a lump-sum tax shifts the budget line inward.” (Varian, 2014 p.28)

From: Simons, M. (1999) Model Aircraft Aerodynamics. 4 th ed. Special Interest Model Books.

“All aerodynamic theory depends on the laws of motion. These, originally worked out by Isaac Newton, remain entirely valid in engineering providing the matters under discussion are confined to velocities substantially less than the speed of light, and to objects and fluids of ordinary sizes and densities. Quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity, although fundamentally preferable to the Newtonian law in advanced physics and astronomy, are not necessary for the understanding of model aircraft aerodynamics.” (Simons, 1999 p. 1).

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A handbook for students, search form, avoiding plagiarism - paraphrasing.

In writing papers, you will paraphrase more than you will quote. For a report or research paper, you may need to gather background information that is important to the paper but not worthy of direct quotation. Indeed, in technical writing direct quotation is rarely used.

Exactly what does "paraphrase" mean?

It means taking the words of another source and restating them, using your own vocabulary. In this way, you keep the meaning of the original text, but do not copy its exact wording.

What strategies can I use to paraphrase?

Use synonyms for all words that are not generic. Words like world, food, or science are so basic to our vocabulary that is difficult to find a synonym.

Change the structure of the sentence.

Change the voice from active to passive and vice versa.    

Change clauses to phrases and vice versa.

Change parts of speech.

A good paraphrase combines a number of strategies: the goal is to rephrase the information so that it appears in your words, not those of the author.

Example 4: Using Multiple Strategies to Paraphrase

Example 5: Unacceptable Paraphrase

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Paraphrasing

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This resource introduces paraphrasing as a critical academic practice and provides examples to help you recognise what makes a good and bad paraphrase.

What is a paraphrase?

To paraphrase is to ‘reword’ text , so that the content information stays the same while other aspects of the communication are changed. From a learning perspective, paraphrasing is really the nuts and bolts of information 'processing', done as part of taking notes or drafting new text. It is the opposite of mindlessly copying information. It's core to the business of developing a personal understanding of something, as well as avoiding plagiarism. Plagiarism is not only about failing to acknowledge a source of information; it's also about failing to make sense of information in relation to a new purpose and context.

Being able to paraphrase well is a challenging and creative part of academic writing. Doing it well demonstrates:

• you have a sound understanding of the original source
• you have credibility as an independent intellect
• you are proficient and flexible in your use of English.

In contrast to a summary, which would be far shorter than the original text, a paraphrase might be the same length, or longer. What defines a good paraphrase is not the length, but the degree to which the original text has been reworded and referenced effectively and appropriately to accurately convey the original meaning and source in the context of the paraphraser’s argument.

Why is paraphrasing difficult?

Paraphrasing is often much more difficult than summarising, as paraphrasing requires you to reword the original text while still retaining the meaning and relating the information in the context of your writing.

If you don't paraphrase well, you might risk altering the meaning of the original text. For example:

Original text (from Jagtenberg & D’Alton’s Four Dimensional Social Space )

The education system has performed, on an even wider scale, a major task of social control, training the growing workforce in the discipline and work style necessary in a capitalist economy, and systematically conveying ‘acceptable’ — i.e. safe — social attitudes to the rising generations.

Bad paraphrasing attempt – misrepresenting the original meaning

According to Jagtenberg and D'Alton (1988), the education system is the major form of control in a capitalist economy.

Note that in this paraphrase the use of ‘the major form of control’ overstates and therefore misrepresents the argument in the original text.

Also, if your paraphrase is too close to the original, it is considered plagiarised. For example:

Bad paraphrasing attempt – close paraphrase

According to Jagtenberg and D'Alton (1988), the education system has performed social control in a capitalist society: training the growing workforce and work style, and teaching 'acceptable' social attitudes for the young generations.

Note that this paraphrase closely follows the structure of the original text and includes many of its phrases, and thus, can be considered plagiarism.

How do I paraphrase?

While there are a number of techniques you can use to put something into your own words, such as changing the sentence structure and noun phrases and using appropriate synonyms, the most important thing you need to focus on are the key ideas that you wish to convey to support your argument.

You can paraphrase a text in many different ways, depending on which idea or concept from the original text you want to use to support your argument. In the examples below, the underlined part is the main idea of each paraphrase.

Original (from Spiro's Tax Policy and the Underground Economy )

One of the considerations that is all too often ignored in discussions of tax policy is the way it affects the underground economy. Theoretical tax models almost always assume that everybody follows the rules. In reality, the behavioural response to tax changes has a wider range of variation than the choice between labour and leisure. Many otherwise honest citizens are prepared to break the law in order to evade taxes. Once the underground economy is taken into account – in effect, the proposition that individuals may decide to “opt out” of the tax system – there is a whole new layer of complexity to tax policy. Taxes that may seem to be optimal without the underground economy may no longer be optimal once it is taken into consideration.

Example Paraphrase

• The underground economy is heavily influenced by tax policy. This is, however, often neglected by theoretical tax models, who usually assume that everyone follows the rule. In fact, as responses to tax changes vary, many honest citizens are prepared to commit tax crime (Spiro, 2013).
• According to Spiro (2013), even honest citizens are likely to break the law to evade taxes when faced with changes in tax policy, as responses to tax changes vary between individuals. Despite this, many theoretical tax models often neglect the importance of the effect of tax policy change over the economy.
• Spiro, in Tax Policy and the Underground Economy (2013), argues that theoretical tax models are wrong to overlook the effect that tax policy has on the underground economy because they unrealistically assume that every taxpayer follows the rules. In fact, different people respond differently to tax changes, and many may even commit tax crime when faced with such a problem.

Note in these examples, the key message to be conveyed from the original text is captured in the opening sentence or phrase.

Further resources

• Note taking
• Concept mapping
• Literature review
• Essay writing
• Jagtenberg, T & D’Alton, P 1988, Four Dimensional Social Space , Harper & Row, Sydney.
• Spiro, P 2013, ‘Tax Policy and the Underground Economy’, in C Bajada & F Schneider (eds.), The Shadow Economy: An International Survey , 2nd edn, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Paraphrasing

Putting someone else’s idea into your own words is a key academic skill. It demonstrates you have understood the idea and can communicate it clearly in a way that links to your own points. 

Scroll down for our recommended strategies and resources.  

What is paraphrasing?

People often explain paraphrasing as, "Just write it in your own words", as if this is an easy thing to do. In fact, paraphrasing can take more time, thought, and practice than people give it credit for. Don't be discouraged if you find paraphrasing challenging, because it is a complex process but it will get easier with practice and understanding. For a good clear overview of how to paraphrase see this short guide:

Writing in your own words (Open University)

Sentence structure

Don’t just change a few words. This can lead to paraphrases that are far too close to the original text, and which will be considered as plagiarism. Cover over the original and write using a different sentence structure that is more like your natural style.  Look at these examples explaining acceptable and unacceptable paraphrases:

Good and bad paraphrasing examples (MIT)

Reference it!

You must always reference a paraphrase as the idea is still someone else’s even though you have written it in your own words. See our guides to referencing and academic integrity for more on good practice.

Referencing resources (Centre for Academic Development)

Academic integrity resources (Centre for Academic Development)

Understanding

It’s almost impossible to paraphrase something if you don’t understand it fully. Avoid paraphrasing a text line-by-line as you read it, because this could result in you just changing a few words without really understanding what you are reading. Instead, read a longer section and get more of an overview of the main points and how they fit with your own purpose before starting to paraphrase the text. Then you can make an informed choice about how to paraphrase what you have read. 

People often worry that they can’t express the idea any better than the original author. But remember your own purpose. You will be using the information in a different way and this will shape the parts you choose to paraphrase and the unique emphasis you put on it. See this video for more on paraphrasing with purpose:

Effective paraphrasing [video] (University of Reading)

Using reporting verbs

The language you use when introducing the paraphrased ideas of other people indicates what you think about that idea. Selecting an appropriate reporting verb can help you focus on your own voice and stance towards the source which can, in turn, give you the confidence to write the ideas in your own words. For example, the verb ‘speculates’ in the phrase, ‘Ahmed (2021) speculates that wearing green shoes is illegal’ suggests you think their evidence for this claim is weak and possibly based on guesswork. Compare this with the effect of using the verb ‘demonstrates’. See this list of more reporting verbs and the stances they signal:

Reporting verbs (Newcastle University)

We say ‘put it in your own words’ as if this was easy, but it is a skill that takes practice. Avoid copying or cutting and pasting text into your notes. Instead, take the opportunity to practice your paraphrasing. See our page on how to make effective notes:

Note-making resources (Centre for Academic Development)

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What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing involves restating the ideas in an existing work while retaining the original meaning and level of detail.

(It is not a phrase with a parachute.)

Why Do We Paraphrase?

In academic writing, it is important to incorporate outside ideas into your arguments.

But how can you use the ideas in books or articles without plagiarizing?

There are two methods:

• Directly quoting the text

“In Your Own Words”

You are often told to express ideas “in your own words” when paraphrasing. While this sounds simple, there is more to it than just re-writing someone else’s ideas.

A writer must express the original idea in the context of their own writing.

A good paraphrase should:

• Change the sentence structure
• Change the language
• Maintain the same level of detail

But how do you know you are paraphrasing enough?

Bad Paraphrasing

Not paraphrasing enough makes for a bad paraphrase

Two types of bad paraphrasing:

• Replacing words

Patch Writing

Replacing Words

Paraphrasing ≠ replacing words

It is plagiarism to cut and replace words in the original text with synonyms.

Charles Darwin: “The tortoise is very fond of water, drinking large quantities, and wallowing in the mud”

Giant Tortoise: “I am quite enamoured  of water, consuming significant amounts, and relaxing in the mud”

This is plagiarism!

Patch writing is a form of bad paraphrasing where the paraphrase is too similar to the original text. Patch writing involves “patching” together direct quotations or pieces of information without changing them enough.

Patch writing occurs when a student does not understand what they are reading well enough to synthesize it in their own way.

To avoid patch writing, read the text carefully and make sure you understand it.

Long-finned pilot whales ( Globicephala melas ) are rare visitors to the southern North Sea, but recently two individual strandings occurred on the Dutch coast. Both animals shared the same, unusual cause of death: asphyxiation from a common sole ( Solea solea ) stuck in their nasal cavity.

Patch Writing:

Recently, two long-finned pilot whales were found stranded on the Dutch coast, even though they rarely visit the southern North Sea. The unusual cause of death for both whales was asphyxiation from a sole found in the nasal cavity.

IJsseldijk, L. L., Leopold, M. F., Rebolledo, E. L. B., Deaville, R., Haelters, J., IJzer, J., … Gröne, A. (2015). Fatal asphyxiation in two long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) caused by common soles (Solea solea). PLOS ONE , 10 (11), 1-12.

Summarizing

A paraphrase is different from a summary.

Summarizing involves picking out the central idea from an original work and expressing that idea concisely.

A paraphrase should have the same level of detail as the original source

Good Paraphrasing

Now that we know what makes a bad paraphrase, how do we make a good paraphrase?

Next we’ll go over the steps to a good paraphrase.

Steps to a Good Paraphrase

• Read the paragraph you would like to paraphrase from and make sure you understand the full meaning
• Take notes about the important ideas expressed in this paragraph
• Put the original work aside and write a paraphrased sentence from your notes
• Look over the original paragraph to make sure that you have conveyed the same meaning in a different way
• Cite the original source

Avoiding Plagiarism

Don’t forget to cite! Paraphrasing without citing the original source is plagiarism.

Remember: Always cite your sources when you quote, summarize or paraphrase

Paraphrasing Example

“It appears that the colossal squid is not a voracious predator capable of high-speed predator-prey interactions. We speculate that it is, rather, an ambush or sit-and-float predator that uses the hooks on its arms and tentacles to ensnare prey that unwittingly approach.”

– Rosa & Seibel (2010)

Rosa, R., & Seibel, B. A. (2010). Slow pace of life of the Antarctic colossal squid. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 90(7), 1375–1378.

Bad Paraphrase:

It seems that colossal squid are not insatiable predators with high-speed predator-prey interplay. They appear to be passive predators instead, who use the hooks on their tentacles and arms to capture prey that pass them by.

Reasons: This keeps the structure of the passage the same, substitutes synonyms and does not cite the source.

It is plagiarism.

Good Paraphrase:

Though colossal squid were previously thought to be high-speed attack predators, new evidence indicates that they may be ambush predators, waiting patiently for prey to approach before capturing prey with their hooked arms and tentacles (Rosa & Seibel, 2010).

Reasons: This sentence changes the structure of the original, uses different terminology and the source is cited.

Review Paraphrasing Do and Do Nots

• Cite the source
• Substitute words
• Patch together sentences (patch writing)

Question 1: Choose the best paraphrase of this passage:

Sea otters consume a wide variety of invertebrate species with varying degrees of defensive armoring. To overcome the protective shells, sea otters sometime use rocks, shells, human debris (such as bottles), and other prey items as either hammers or anvils to crack open invertebrate prey

Fujii, J. A., Ralls, K., & Tinker, M. T. (2017). Food abundance, prey morphology, and diet specialization influence individual sea otter tool use. Behavioral Ecology , 28 (5), 1206–1216.

• Sea otters eat a variety of invertebrates featuring varying degrees of protective armor. To defeat these defensive casings, sea otters occasionally use tools, such as shells, stones and discarded bottles, to open these invertebrate victims.
• Many invertebrate species consumed by sea otters feature a varying degree of defensive armoring. They have been studied using human debris, shells and rocks as anvils or hammers to overcome the protective shells of their prey (Fujii et al., 2017).
• The diet of sea otters includes many invertebrates with protective shells or armoring; sea otters have been knows to use tools, such as rocks, debris or shells, to break through these defensive shells (Fujii et al., 2017).
• This substitutes synonyms which is plagiarism. There is also no citation.
• This is patch writing. It is not different enough from the source, so it is plagiarism.
• This is a good paraphrase.

Question 2: Choose the best paraphrase of this passage:

Considering the large aggregation of belugas in Barrow Strait and the high numbers of narwhals frequenting the coastline of Somerset Island, it is surprising to us that polar bears do not appear to be exploiting this large summer food resource to any significant extent.

Smith, T. G., & Sjare, B. (1990). Predation of belugas and narwhals by polar bears in nearshore areas of the Canadian high arctic. ARCTIC, 43(2), 99–102.

• A study of polar bear predation in the Barrow Straight was surprised to find that polar bears rarely take advantage of the abundance of belugas and narwhals available in the area during the summer (Smith & Sjare, 1990).
• Given the large number of narwhals visiting the Somerset Island coastline and abundant gathering of belugas in the Barrow Strait, it is unexpected that polar bears do not take advantage of this food wealth to any meaningful degree (Smith & Sjare, 1990).
• Scientists wonder why polar bears do not exploit the large summer food resource available with the large number of belugas in Barrow Strait and the high number of narwhals frequenting the coastline of Somerset Island (Smith & Sjare, 1990).
• This just substitutes synonyms. Even though it cites the source this is still plagiarism.
• This directly quotes the original source without indicating by quotation marks so it is plagiarism.

Question 3: Choose the best paraphrase of this passage:

We trained eight sheep (Ovis aries) to recognize the faces of four celebrities from photographic portraits displayed on computer screens. After training, the sheep chose the ‘learned-familiar’ faces rather than the unfamiliar faces significantly above chance.

 Knolle, F., Goncalves, R. P., & Morton, A. J. (2017). Sheep recognize familiar and unfamiliar human faces from two-dimensional images. Open Science , 4 (11), 171-228.

• Researchers trained sheep in facial-recognition using four celebrity photographs (Knolle et al., 2017).
• A recent study demonstrated the ability of sheep to recognize familiar faces after training eight sheep to identify images of four celebrities from photographs shown on computer screens (Knolle et al., 2017).
• Sheep can be trained to choose the ‘learned-familiar’ faces of four celebrities from photographic portraits rather than the unfamiliar faces (Knolle et al., 2017).
• This is a summary
• This is a good paraphrase as the sentence structure is changed.
• This is plagiarism as parts of the original quotation are used without quotation marks

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Paraphrasing Examples

Paraphrasing, what does a good and bad paraphrase look like.

Quote: “Panting is normally associated with thermo-regulation in dogs, but appeared to be rarer in the dogs trained in the warmer spring collection period” ( Cooper, 2014, p. 10).

Good Paraphrase:

There was a contradiction in Cooper’s study from 2014. When they collected their samples, the dogs that participated in the warmer months panted less than those throughout the rest of the collection, although we would assume that the opposite would be true because the warmer the weather, the more the dogs should pant, in theory. (Cooper, 2014).

Bad Paraphrase:

Panting is ordinarily connected with thermo-regulation in canines, but appeared to be infrequent in the canines taught in the warmer spring gathering period.

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Using Evidence: Examples of Paraphrasing

Examples of paraphrasing.

Here is the original source an author might use in a paper:

Differentiation as an instructional approach promotes a balance between a student's style and a student's ability. Differentiated instruction provides the student with options for processing and internalizing the content, and for constructing new learning in order to progress academically.

Here is an example of bad paraphrasing of the source. Even though the student is citing correctly, underlined words are simply synonyms of words used in the original source. You can also see how the sentence structure is the same for both the original source and this paraphrase.

Differentiation is a way to encourage equality between the approach and talent of the student (Thompson, 2009). This type of instruction gives students different ways to deal with and grasp information , and for establishing new learning to move on in education (Thompson, 2009).

Here is an example of a better way to paraphrase the source. In this example, the author has taken the essential ideas and information from the original source, but has worded it in her own way, using unique word choice and sentence structure. The author has condensed Thompson's (2009) information, including what is relevant to her paper, but leaving out extra details that she does not needed.

Teachers use differentiated instruction to help students learn, allowing the teacher to cater lessons to the way each student learns and each student's skill (Thompson, 2009).

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Paraphrasing - an overview

• What is Paraphrasing?
• Why Paraphrase?
• Paraphrasing versus Plagiarism
• The Do's and Don'ts of Paraphrasing
• Further Information

This is an example of poor paraphrasing from Western Libraries (2021). 

• This is plagiarism - some words have been changed but the paraphrased text too closely resembles the original.
• The author has not been acknowledged (no in-text citation is provided). 

This is an example of good paraphrasing from Flowers (2016).

• The paraphrased text is significantly different from the original, and the original meaning has been retained.
• The author has been acknowledged (an in-text citation is provided), however, to make this paraphrase perfect, the date of publication must also be included, for example, (Phillips, 2001). 

This example, from Hull Library (2019) illustrates how a poor paraphrase can become a perfect one. 

• The words are too similar to the original text.
• The author has not been acknowledged.  
• The paraphrased text is significantly different from the original, yet the original meaning is retained.
• The main ideas are expressed in the student's own words in a clear and simple style.
• The author has been acknowledged (an in-text citation is provided).
• << Previous: The Do's and Don'ts of Paraphrasing
• Next: Further Information >>
• Last Updated: Apr 10, 2024 3:42 PM
• URL: https://lit.libguides.com/paraphrasing

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• How to Paraphrase | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

How to Paraphrase | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

Published on 8 April 2022 by Courtney Gahan and Jack Caulfield. Revised on 15 May 2023.

Paraphrasing means putting someone else’s ideas into your own words. Paraphrasing a source involves changing the wording while preserving the original meaning.

Paraphrasing is an alternative to  quoting (copying someone’s exact words and putting them in quotation marks ). In academic writing, it’s usually better to paraphrase instead of quoting. It shows that you have understood the source, reads more smoothly, and keeps your own voice front and center.

Every time you paraphrase, it’s important to cite the source . Also take care not to use wording that is too similar to the original. Otherwise, you could be at risk of committing plagiarism .

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Table of contents

How to paraphrase in five easy steps, how to paraphrase correctly, examples of paraphrasing, how to cite a paraphrase, paraphrasing vs quoting, paraphrasing vs summarising, avoiding plagiarism when you paraphrase, frequently asked questions about paraphrasing.

If you’re struggling to get to grips with the process of paraphrasing, check out our easy step-by-step guide in the video below.

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Putting an idea into your own words can be easier said than done. Let’s say you want to paraphrase the text below, about population decline in a particular species of sea snails.

Incorrect paraphrasing

You might make a first attempt to paraphrase it by swapping out a few words for  synonyms .

Like other sea creatures inhabiting the vicinity of highly populated coasts, horse conchs have lost substantial territory to advancement and contamination , including preferred breeding grounds along mud flats and seagrass beds. Their Gulf home is also heating up due to global warming , which scientists think further puts pressure on the creatures , predicated upon the harmful effects extra warmth has on other large mollusks (Barnett, 2022).

This attempt at paraphrasing doesn’t change the sentence structure or order of information, only some of the word choices. And the synonyms chosen are poor:

• ‘Advancement and contamination’ doesn’t really convey the same meaning as ‘development and pollution’.
• Sometimes the changes make the tone less academic: ‘home’ for ‘habitat’ and ‘sea creatures’ for ‘marine animals’.
• Adding phrases like ‘inhabiting the vicinity of’ and ‘puts pressure on’ makes the text needlessly long-winded.
• Global warming is related to climate change, but they don’t mean exactly the same thing.

Because of this, the text reads awkwardly, is longer than it needs to be, and remains too close to the original phrasing. This means you risk being accused of plagiarism .

Correct paraphrasing

Let’s look at a more effective way of paraphrasing the same text.

Here, we’ve:

• Only included the information that’s relevant to our argument (note that the paraphrase is shorter than the original)
• Retained key terms like ‘development and pollution’, since changing them could alter the meaning
• Structured sentences in our own way instead of copying the structure of the original
• Started from a different point, presenting information in a different order

Because of this, we’re able to clearly convey the relevant information from the source without sticking too close to the original phrasing.

Explore the tabs below to see examples of paraphrasing in action.

• Journal article
• Newspaper article
• Magazine article

Once you have your perfectly paraphrased text, you need to ensure you credit the original author. You’ll always paraphrase sources in the same way, but you’ll have to use a different type of in-text citation depending on what citation style you follow.

Generate accurate citations with Scribbr

It’s a good idea to paraphrase instead of quoting in most cases because:

• Paraphrasing shows that you fully understand the meaning of a text
• Your own voice remains dominant throughout your paper
• Quotes reduce the readability of your text

But that doesn’t mean you should never quote. Quotes are appropriate when:

• Giving a precise definition
• Saying something about the author’s language or style (e.g., in a literary analysis paper)
• Providing evidence in support of an argument
• Critiquing or analysing a specific claim

A paraphrase puts a specific passage into your own words. It’s typically a similar length to the original text, or slightly shorter.

When you boil a longer piece of writing down to the key points, so that the result is a lot shorter than the original, this is called summarising .

Paraphrasing and quoting are important tools for presenting specific information from sources. But if the information you want to include is more general (e.g., the overarching argument of a whole article), summarising is more appropriate.

When paraphrasing, you have to be careful to avoid accidental plagiarism .

Students frequently use paraphrasing tools , which can be especially helpful for non-native speakers who might have trouble with academic writing. While these can be useful for a little extra inspiration, use them sparingly while maintaining academic integrity.

This can happen if the paraphrase is too similar to the original quote, with phrases or whole sentences that are identical (and should therefore be in quotation marks). It can also happen if you fail to properly cite the source.

To make sure you’ve properly paraphrased and cited all your sources, you could elect to run a plagiarism check before submitting your paper.

To paraphrase effectively, don’t just take the original sentence and swap out some of the words for synonyms. Instead, try:

• Reformulating the sentence (e.g., change active to passive , or start from a different point)
• Combining information from multiple sentences into one
• Leaving out information from the original that isn’t relevant to your point
• Using synonyms where they don’t distort the meaning

The main point is to ensure you don’t just copy the structure of the original text, but instead reformulate the idea in your own words.

Paraphrasing without crediting the original author is a form of plagiarism , because you’re presenting someone else’s ideas as if they were your own.

However, paraphrasing is not plagiarism if you correctly reference the source . This means including an in-text referencing and a full reference , formatted according to your required citation style (e.g., Harvard , Vancouver ).

As well as referencing your source, make sure that any paraphrased text is completely rewritten in your own words.

Plagiarism means using someone else’s words or ideas and passing them off as your own. Paraphrasing means putting someone else’s ideas into your own words.

So when does paraphrasing count as plagiarism?

• Paraphrasing is plagiarism if you don’t properly credit the original author.
• Paraphrasing is plagiarism if your text is too close to the original wording (even if you cite the source). If you directly copy a sentence or phrase, you should quote it instead.
• Paraphrasing  is not plagiarism if you put the author’s ideas completely into your own words and properly reference the source .

To present information from other sources in academic writing , it’s best to paraphrase in most cases. This shows that you’ve understood the ideas you’re discussing and incorporates them into your text smoothly.

It’s appropriate to quote when:

• Changing the phrasing would distort the meaning of the original text
• You want to discuss the author’s language choices (e.g., in literary analysis )
• You’re presenting a precise definition
• You’re looking in depth at a specific claim

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

Gahan, C. & Caulfield, J. (2023, May 15). How to Paraphrase | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 13 May 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/working-sources/paraphrasing/

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Other students also liked, harvard in-text citation | a complete guide & examples, how to avoid plagiarism | tips on citing sources, apa referencing (7th ed.) quick guide | in-text citations & references.

What does a "good" paraphrase look like? What are the qualities of a well-written paraphrase?

Academic writing often requires students to integrate information found in source material.  There are various ways to do this; quotations, summaries, or paraphrases.  A paraphrase is a restatement of information taken from source material written in your own words.

Creating a well-written paraphrase can be a challenging skill to learn.  Understanding the qualities of a "good" paraphrase can help.  A well-written paraphrase includes the following qualities:

• All of the main details in the original appear in the paraphrase
• The paraphrase does not change the original author's meaning.
• ​The paraphrase is roughly the same length or shorter than the original. 
• ​ The paraphrase is written using language, tone, and style that is your own.
• ​ Paraphrased material must include both an in-text citation and a reference in the References list.

Example of a well-written paraphrase:

Original Passage:

University of Tulsa psychologist Judy Berry studied seventy-three Oklahoma eighth graders who had taken a parenting course.  For ten days, each student had to care for a ten-pound sack of flour as if it were a baby.  Berry's research on her young subjects suggests the course worked.  The teenagers in the study had a sounder sense of parental responsibility than they did before they took the course.

Harper, K. S. (1996). 'Flour babies' surrogacy teaches eight-graders parenting skills.  Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25 (4), 25-28.

Example of a Good Paraphrase:

Extended parental role-playing can actually increase an adolescent's awareness of parental responsibilities as shown by psychologist Judy Berry's study involving eighth grade students (Harper, 1996).

Avoid Patch Writing!

Students learning how to paraphrase may inadvertently "patch write."  Patch writing occurs when a writer uses a passage from source material and changes a few words and phrases before including the passage in a paper or assignment.  Not only is this  "bad" paraphrasing but it is also a form of plagiarism.  View the example below to gain a better understanding of patch writing:

University of Tulsa psychologist Judy Berry studied seventy-three Oklahoma eighth graders who had taken a parenting course.  For ten days, each student had to care for a ten-pound sack of flour as if it were a baby.  Berry's research on her young subjects suggests the course worked.  The teenagers in the study had a sounder sense of parental responsibility than they did before they took the course.

Patch Writing Example:

University of Tulsa psychologist Judy Berry  conducted a study of eighth graders who had taken a parenting course.  Students had to treat a ten-pound sack of flour as if it were a baby.  The results of Berry's study suggested that teenagers in the study had a better understanding of parental responsibility than they did before they took the course  (Harper, 1996).

TIP:   Notice how the bolded phrases are identical to the original.  Even though there is an in-text citation, patch writing is still a form of plagiarism. 

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Paraphrasing – Techniques for Rephrasing, Rewording, and Rewriting.

Plagiarism | Plagiarism Checkers | Paraphrasing Techniques | Scholarly Paraphraser

Paraphrasing is the process of rewriting text into a different form but still retaining the core meaning of the text. Most people misunderstand the term paraphrasing and think it simply involves either rewording or rephrasing the text. Rewording is a simple process of swapping words with synonyms, whereas rephrasing involves changing the order of words in the text. In an academic context paraphrasing means conveying somebody else’s ideas or work in your own words in your essay paper.

When writing an academic paper or a research article, you should be very conscious about using text from other’s work and even your own previously published works. The use of text from other papers without proper referencing will constitute plagiarism , and the use of your own previous work will constitute self-plagiarism . If you are using text from your own articles then simple rewording and rephrasing will do, however, if you are using text from other’s work then the core idea should be rewritten in your own words.

In this blog, we discuss the importance of paraphrasing and highlight good paraphrasing techniques. We also discuss how academic paraphrasing tools and rewording tools can be used to rewrite your text. The blog concludes with a brief discussion on plagiarism checkers and how they can be used to avoid academic misconduct .

1. Paraphrasing Examples – Good and Bad Samples

Following are some examples of good and bad paraphrasing. The original text that is to be paraphrased is given below.  

Mammography is the most common screening technique used for breast cancer screening. However, the technique has many limitations. Original Text

In the example below, the text has been paraphrased by selectively rewording the text. The word ‘technique’ has been replaced by the word ‘method’, and the word ‘limitation’ has been replaced by the word ‘drawback’. Furthermore, no part of the text has been rephrased and rewritten.

Mammography is the most popular screening method used for breast cancer screening. However, the method has many drawbacks. Bad Paraphrasing

In the following example, the user has just taking the idea from the original text and rewritten using completely new language. This qualifies as good paraphrasing as it goes beyond simple rewording and rephrasing.

Mammography is considered the gold standard technique for detecting breast cancers. Despite its widespread usage, it suffers from numerous shortcomings. Good Paraphrasing

2. Good Paraphrasing Techniques

In most cases paraphrasing in academic text involves explaining somebody else’s work or technique in your paper. One way to do this would be to use ‘think aloud’ technique. This approach involves you explaining the technique aloud as you would to a colleague or a friend in everyday language and simultaneously typing it in a text editor or writing in a piece of paper.

When you look at the text, you will notice three things  (1) the choice of words will be much simpler than the original source; (2) the order of words and ideas would have been changed and (3) the text will be a bit shorter than the original as it is more of a summary now. In the  video below, the instructor explains how to paraphrase a piece of technical text using a practical example. 

3. Citing the Source

If you are using direct quotes from previously published documents. Then, the text should be enclosed in quotes followed by the reference.

“I have copied this text word to word from the source document and hence enclosing in quotes” (Author et al., 2013)

It is very important to cite the source wherever appropriate even if the text has been fully paraphrased. Following examples show how to give credits to the author even if the text has been completely rewritten by you.

According to Author et al. (2013), this method is …. Author et al. (2013) states that ….

4. Paraphrasing Software

There are many paraphrasing tools , article rewriters and rewording tools available that allow users to quickly rewrite large chunks of text to produce unique content for websites. These tools simply replace the words in the text with their synonyms and some tools reorder the words. These tools are not suitable for academic writing since students are required to understand the meaning of the text and then rewrite the text in their own words.

When dealing with scientific and academic documents, it is very important to use a paraphrasing tool that has been specifically designed for academic writing. Ref-n-write software comes with scholarly paraphrasing tools and proofreading features. The tool will automatically rewrite your text into scientific language and also fix grammatical errors in your text. The tool is being used by millions of academics and many universities worldwide. The tool also contains the world’s largest academic phrasebank and provides users with writing ideas in the form of phrase templates extracted from high-quality scientific documents. The students can use these phrase templates as guidance to reword and rewrite their text. Following is a screenshot from the REF-N-WRITE software that demonstrates the scholarly paraphrasing tool feature.

5. Plagiarism Checkers and Detectors

It is a good practice to run your academic essays and papers through plagiarism detection tools to check if your text is unique. There are many paid and free plagiarism checkers available. Most universities require essays to have less than 10% overlap with previous documents. However, it is good practice to use a plagiarism-checking tool during writing so that you can check for text overlap and fix the issues while writing rather than checking for plagiarism after finishing your work. This will save you a lot of time and effort.

Ref-n-write software comes with a plagiarism feature that will enable you to check for plagiarism while writing on the fly within Microsoft Word. A lot of students find it very handy. Ref-n-write is the only tool that checks for text overlap against local documents on your computer. It means that none of your text will be uploaded to the internet for checking purposes and everything stays on your computer. Following is a screenshot from the REF-N-WRITE software that demonstrates the plagiarism checking feature.

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The 5 best and 5 worst Dua Lipa songs of all time

• Dua Lipa has released countless pop gems throughout her career, from "Be The One" to "Levitating."
• These include two tracks from her latest album, "Radical Optimism" ("Houdini" and "Maria").
• Lipa has also released songs that don't meet her potential, like "Boys Will Be Boys" and "Homesick."

Dua Lipa has released three studio albums throughout her career — most recently "Radical Optimism," a fizzy journey through Lipa's dating life .

Lipa has proven herself to be a formidable force in pop music, though all three of her albums contain both gems and duds. Business Insider's senior music reporter broke down the five best and five worst cuts in her catalog.

"Houdini" is the best song from "Radical Optimism."

Lipa has a knack for selecting lead singles for her albums, and the "Radical Optimism" era is no exception.

Coproduced by Kevin Parker and Danny L Harle, "Houdini" is an irresistible dancefloor anthem that's sure to stand the test of time. To paraphrase New York City club scholar Stefon , this song has everything: Tame Impala-esque synths, a fuzzy guitar riff in the bridge, a compact three-minute length that leaves you wanting more, and a sticky, rave-friendly remix by Harle that's almost as good as the original.

Song highlight: "Catch me or I go, Houdini" is such a brilliantly succinct pop hook that I can't believe it didn't exist until 2023.

If you like this, listen to: "Illusion," "Whatcha Doing," "Happy for You"

"Maria" is another album highlight that critics have praised for "emotional richness."

In her measured "Radical Optimism" review, Laura Snapes made a point to praise the late-album gem "Maria," particularly Harle's avant-garde touch.

"'Maria' dabbles in the pacy acoustica of French DJ Bob Sinclair's ' Love Generation ' and Alizée's ' Moi… Lolita ' as Lipa sings a paean to her lover's ex for making him the man he is today," Snapes wrote for Pitchfork. "'Faintly Sapphic fixation with the other woman' is a well-worn pop trope by this point, but the force of Lipa's cries in the chorus — 'Maria! / I know you're gone / But I feel ya / When we're alone' — resounds with a curiosity and emotional richness that's all but absent elsewhere."

While I disagree with the addendum "all but absent elsewhere," it's true that "Maria" is an unexpected, thrilling departure from Lipa's usual palette. The brisk guitar strums and chorus' cheerful flute give the song an exotic, sunny edge — perfect for Lipa's favored vacation spot in Ibiza, Spain.

Song highlight: " Deepest effect always comes from a cause / I'm better too from the ones that I've lost."

If you like this, listen to: "End of an Era," "These Walls," "French Exit"

"Don't Start Now" is Lipa's crown jewel.

In June 2023, Nine Inch Nails rocker Trent Reznor (also known as one-half of the genius team behind movie scores like "The Social Network," "Soul," and, of late, " Challengers ") shared that he had recently "teared up listening to a Dua Lipa track."

"It really reminded me of the art of writing a well-crafted song," he said. "It was clever. It felt good. It's difficult!"

Reacting to this quote, Stereogum's Tom Breihan wrote: "So what Dua Lipa track got Trent Reznor all misty? 'Levitating'? 'New Rules'? 'Don't Start Now'? I bet it was 'Don't Start Now.'"

I do, too. The lead single from "Future Nostalgia" is still the finest hit Lipa has ever produced — a three-minute onslaught of pop perfection. Anything else I could write here would not do it justice.

Song highlight: "If you don't wanna see me dancing with somebody … Don't show up, don't come out" is a deliciously ruthless post-breakup mantra.

If you like this, listen to: "Pretty Please," "Love Again," "Break My Heart"

"Levitating" deserves every bit of its commercial success.

This is one of those rare times when an artist's biggest hit is also one of their most acclaimed, interesting, and exhilarating tracks.

"Levitating" was not initially appointed as a "Future Nostalgia" primer. But upon the album's release, it was established as an early favorite among fans and critics; Laura Snapes said the song "blooms like a row of tropical flowers," NPR's Ken Tucker praised "the crisp authority that runs beneath the dance-floor theatrics," and Vulture's Craig Jenkins hailed Lipa for the "anxiousness and sexual tension in her vocal delivery."

By the time "Levitating" landed on year-end music rankings , it was being promoted as the album's fifth single. One year later, it was soaring among the very stars that Lipa sings about, when Billboard crowned "Levitating" as the top-performing hit of 2021 .

Song highlight: Upon first listen, I was irked by Lipa's gleeful, shameless use of the pet name "sugaboo." Now, it's my favorite part of the song and continues to tickle me to this day — a testament to Lipa's knack for crafting pop songs with staying power.

If you like this, listen to: "One Kiss," "Hallucinate," "If It Ain't Me"

"Be The One" is an early example of Lipa's pop prowess.

"New Rules" may be the breakout hit from Dua Lipa's self-titled debut album, but its true highlight is "Be The One," a wistful, glittering club track that Troye Sivan loved so much , he was inspired to invite Lipa — a then-burgeoning pop star with only a handful of songs to her name — to open for his 2017 Suburbia Tour . (Seven years and many smash hits later, Lipa and Sivan remain close friends .)

Song highlight: Lipa's raspy belt at the end of the bridge: " Will you be mi-i-ine?"

If you like this, listen to: "Genesis," "Blow Your Mind (Mwah)," "Room For 2"

"Anything For Love" is the only true skip on "Radical Optimism."

Despite the impetus for this article, I'd like to go on the record to say that Lipa has never released a "bad" song. Her discography is remarkably consistent, largely thanks to her rich vocals and keen ear for pop melodies.

But even the most discerning musicians have their low points — songs that can't compete with their career's highest peaks. "Anything For Love" is one such example.

"Anything For Love" is slotted at track nine on "Radical Optimism," bringing an anticlimactic lull to the back half of the album. Flanked by robust, soaring tracks "Falling Forever" and "Maria," it simply pales in comparison.

Worst offense: The song's titular phrase (" Remember when we used to do anything for love?") doesn't make sense within the album's narrative, which celebrates Lipa's confidence and hard-earned discernment in the dating world.

Saving grace: "Anything For Love" kicks off with a cute audio recording of Lipa teasing her key album collaborators, whom she has affectionately described as her "band."

"Sweetest Pie" (with Megan Thee Stallion) doesn't measure up to its potential.

Again, it's not that "Sweetest Pie" is a "bad" song, per se. It's that Lipa has an exceptional track record with collaborative singles ("One Kiss" with Calvin Harris, "Electricity" with Mark Ronson and Diplo, "Prisoner" with Miley Cyrus, just to name a few), so the fandom's hopes were much higher for this release.

Megan Thee Stallion is one of the most formidable rappers working today, and much like Lipa, she tends to bring a jolt of energy to her duets. "Sweetest Pie" should've been so much better, so it ends up being forgettable.

Worst offense: Squandering a collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion.

Saving grace: Lipa's swooning delivery of the following line: " I might take you hooome with this, I might give you aaall of it."

"Boys Will Be Boys" is an underwhelming end to Lipa's classic pop album.

"Future Nostalgia" would be a skip-less pop classic if it weren't for its closing track. The intent behind "Boys Will Be Boys" is undeniably admirable: Lipa chastizes our misogynistic culture, which puts the onus on girls to grow up faster and shoulder the burden of boys' immaturity. She even drove this home by performing "Boys Will Be Boys" at the 2020 Billboard Women In Music event .

Indeed, the problem lies not in the song's ambition, but in its heavy-handedness. I have to believe there were more effective ways to make Lipa's point than spelling it out in the most obvious terms.

Worst offense: Taken out of context, "Boys will be boys / But girls will be women" sounds like a justification for that very double standard.

Saving grace: " If you're offended by this song / You're clearly doing something wrong."

"Begging" doesn't play to Lipa's strengths.

This "Dua Lipa" deep cut doesn't quite suit the singer, who shines brightest while smirking her way through a kiss-off bop — not while sinking to her knees.

"All my bones / Are begging me to beg for you / Begging me to beg for your love," she sings in the massive, thumping chorus, which is trying a little too hard to be anthemic. The whole thing comes across as forced. Lipa doesn't sound persuasive; she sounds like a young woman still finding her footing in a crowded pop landscape.

Worst offense: I don't know who this song is about, but I can pretty much guarantee he's not worth all that. In the immortal words of Chrissy Chlapecka, " He is literally just a guy ."

Saving grace: " All of these highs / And all of these lows / Don't keep me company."

"Homesick" is a boring piano ballad.

"Dua Lipa" is a notably strong debut album — but alas, much like "Future Nostalgia," it ends on a low note. "Homesick," the closing track on the standard edition, is a rare moment of cloying, wounded balladry in Lipa's catalog.

Lipa duets with an uncredited male vocalist, who adds such a thick sheen of soppiness that I'm forced to assume "Homesick" was salvaged from Coldplay's cutting room floor — and I'm only partly wrong. That male voice belongs to Chris Martin, who also cowrote the track.

Worst offense: Chris Martin, what are you doing here?

Saving grace: The deluxe version of "Dua Lipa" ends with the aptly titled "Last Dance," so "Homesick" is transformed from an unworthy closer to an inoffensive mid-tracklist skip.

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