essay paraphrase example

How to Paraphrase in an Essay – Tutorial with Examples

Paraphrasing is expressing the contents of a passage in different words. It allows the student to use other people’s content without copying or plagiarizing. 

I’m Tutor Phil, and in this tutorial, I’ll show you a simple 5-step paraphrasing strategy and give you 10 examples of effective paraphrasing. 

Here are five steps to paraphrasing:

Step 1. Make sure you’re clear on your own argument or thesis

Before you use other people’s content in your essay or research paper, you need to make sure you’re crystal clear on what exactly you’re trying to express.

If you’re not perfectly clear on your own main and supporting arguments, then paraphrasing will be difficult. You’ll be struggling in every sentence because you’re not sure how another author’s passage will fit your argument.

In other words, before you lay a brick, make sure you know what the house will ultimately look like. 

To learn this skill, check out my tutorial on essay writing for beginners . 

Step 2. Pick a spot where you will use paraphrasing

Once you know exactly what you’re arguing, identify where in your essay, section, or paragraph you will use the paraphrased passage. 

The best spot for a paraphrase is usually in the Explanation and Example parts of a body paragraph.

This is where you will provide the bulk of your evidence or support. You can paraphrase a passage that will serve to explain a concept or describe a process. You can also paraphrase specific examples. 

Step 3. Read the passage you want to paraphrase

Take the time to read the original passage and make sure you understand it thoroughly. 

• Look for the main subject – what or whom is this passage about?
• Look for the main point – what is the author really trying to say?
• Look for any evidence the author is using to support his argument. 

Step 4. Rewrite the ideas of the passage in your own words

This is the trickiest part, and let me give you 4 techniques you can use now to complete this step. Keep in mind that I’ll give you 10 paraphrasing examples in a minute, and they will illustrate the use of these techniques. 

Technique 1. Begin your sentence or passage at a different point from that the author uses. 

For example, if the sentence starts with a cause and ends with an effect, start your sentence talking about the effect and then explain the cause. 

Technique 2. Use synonyms

Arm yourself with a thesaurus; this online version work just fine. A thesaurus is like a dictionary, only it provides you with alternatives for word choice. 

Technique 3. Rearrange the sentence or passage 

This is similar to technique 1, but in this one you can arrange the original sentence or even the entire passage any way you like, as long as it retains the original meaning.

For example, the original passage may contain general and specific statements located haphazardly. You can arrange the contents of the passage to flow from general to specific. 

An example of rearranging content within a sentence is to switch from active to passive voice or vice versa. 

Technique 4. Chunk up or down

What do I mean by this funny phrase? I mean that if the original sentence is very long, you can chunk it down into two or more sentences. 

If the passage contains two or more sentences that can be combined, chunk them up into one sentence. 

Step 5. Edit your paraphrased passage for flow

When you’re done paraphrasing, go back and read your whole paragraph, making sure it flows. If necessary, use one or more transitions to make it fit in nicely.

Here is my tutorial on how to use transitions in an essay . 

10 Paraphrasing Examples

Paraphrasing example 1.

“Carbs are the best way to fuel your body—but choose the right ones. Cutting back on carbs like the added sugars in soft drinks, candy and pastries will cut calories and is great for your overall health. Replacing those carbs with nutrient-rich choices like whole grains, fruits and vegetables will give you the nutrients you need for good health, along with the fuel your body craves to perform at its best.” (Thalheimer, 2015, p. 3). 

“The right carbohydrates are the best source of fuel for the human body. The best carbs for overall health come from whole foods, and added sugars are best avoided. In order to provide the body with high-quality fuel, it’s best to give preference to whole grains, fruits, and veggies over soda and sugary snacks.”  

What have we done?

In the first sentence, we used technique 1 – flipping the beginning and the ending of a sentence. The original ends with choosing the right carbs. We begin with it.

The next two sentences in the paraphrase are an example of using technique 3 – rearranging content. We took more general concepts and put them in sentence 2. And sentence 3 is more specific because it provides examples of the ideas in the previous sentence. 

To break this down, each of the original sentences 2 & 3 provides reasons to choose better foods and the foods to avoid and to choose instead. 

In the paraphrase, we listed the reasons in sentence 2 and provided examples in sentence 3. 

Paraphrasing Example 2

“For almost a full century, the mission of U.S. educational measurement has been to elicit test-takers’ scores so those scores can be compared with one another. This is a good and useful thing to do, particularly so in situations where the number of applicants exceeds the number of openings. To make a flock of important educational decisions, we need to identify our strongest and weakest performing students.” (Popham, 2014, p. 47). 

“Gathering and comparing the scores of test-takers has been the purpose of U.S. scholastic measurement for almost a hundred years. A viable strategy, it is especially useful when applicants outnumber the available openings. Students demonstrating the strongest and weakest performance should be identified in order to enable effective decision-making in education.”

In sentence 1, we used techniques 1 & 2. First, we flipped the beginning and the ending of the sentence. The paraphrased version feels as if we are reading the original from end to beginning.

Next, we used a bunch of synonyms:

• “Century” became “ hundred years ”
• “Mission” became “ purpose ”
• “Eliciting” became “ gathering ”

We also used synonymous language in sentence 2: “A good and useful thing to do” became “ A viable strategy .” “The number exceeds” became “ outnumber .”

And in sentence 3, we used technique 3 and switched the sentence from the active voice to the passive voice. You should do this only sparingly.

But feel free to switch from the passive to the active voice as often as you want. The active voice is better and more desirable. 

Paraphrasing Example 3

“Successfully confronting the topic of race is a constant struggle within the U.S. history curriculum. This shortcoming is not due to historians’ or practitioners’ inability to see the correlation between race and history, but instead is due to the innate nature in which history is told.” (Rochester & Heafner, 2020, pp. 319-320). 

“Teachers of U.S. history continuously struggle to effectively discuss the topic of race. The cause of the problem is not that historians or practitioners cannot see the race-history correlation. The real challenge is inherent in the way they tell the history.”

We again used synonyms throughout the passage. Since the subject in the first sentence is “history curriculum,” we know that it is about “ teachers of history .” 

Why? Because the word “curriculum” implies education. And educators are teachers. You can look for such clues in the original passage to come up with your own words and phrases that are synonymous with those used in the original. 

Next, we used technique 4 in the second sentence of the original passage. This sentence is long and can be easily broken down into two shorter ones. That’s exactly what we did here.

And we used technique 2 again – using synonyms. “Shortcoming” became “ cause of the problem .” “Innate” became “ inherent .”

Finally, we used technique 4 and turned “the nature history is told” to “ telling the history .” In effect, we switched from passive to active voice, which is an improvement. 

Paraphrasing Example 4

“Despite widespread disputes, no one has written an adequate history of legal statehood. The American public has ignored basic questions about how and when statehood developed, perhaps assuming that states arrived along with sailors’ luggage or developed through some kind of natural evolution.” (Green, 2020, p. 6). 

“Although historians have widely debated state formation, they still have not written a satisfactory history of the subject. Americans have overlooked the fundamentals of the process of state development. Maybe they tend to think that states came to the new world packed in sailors’ luggage or somehow evolved naturally.”

In sentence 1, we primarily used technique 2 – synonyms. Note that the phrase “no one” really refers to historians. Why? Because the sentence and the passage are really about the history of state formation. 

So, who else could be writing the history of the formation of American states if not historians? This is our opportunity to use a new word that is totally correct.

We also changed “despite” to “ although ” and “adequate” to “ satisfactory .”

And, like in the previous example, sentence 2 in the original is really long and presents us with an opportunity to chunk it down, which is technique 4. We broke this sentence into two.

Note that a good place to break a sentence is at the appearance of the second verb. The first verb in the original sentence 2 is “ignored.” The public ignored questions. 

The second verb that refers to the subject is “assuming.” Meaning, the public “ignored” AND “assumed.” So, we made one sentence in the paraphrased version about ignoring and the other about assuming. 

Another pointer at a good spot to break up a sentence is a conjunction or a transition. I call these power words because they allow the writer to extend sentences. 

In the example above, the original sentence 2 really should have the word “and” connecting its two parts with the two verbs – “ignore” and “assume.” 

The writer simply chose to use a different verb form instead of using the word “and.” So, instead of writing “The public ignored X and assumed Y,” he wrote “The public ignored X, assuming Y.” 

In short, chunk the sentence down at conjunctions and additional verbs. 

Paraphrasing Example 5

“Compared to its European counterparts, Japan’s imperial family is at once more unassuming and more withdrawn from the people it represents. Nowhere are the affairs and scandals that feed the media machine around the Windsors. The top gossip in recent years has been a potential marriage between a royal granddaughter and a law school student with a (gasp) indebted mother.” (Surak, 2019, p. 31). 

“Unlike European royalty, the imperial family of Japan is rather quiet and withdrawn from the public eye. It is not prone to scandals and controversies, in contrast to the Windsors. The biggest talk of the town lately has been a possible marriage of the princess to a student of law whose mother has a debt.”

In this example, we primarily used synonyms:

• “Compared to” became “ unlike ”
• “Unassuming” became “ quiet ”
• “Nowhere” became “ not prone ”
• “Top gossip” became “ talk of the town ”

Other than that, you can detect slight changes in wording and phrasing but no major changes in sentence or paragraph structure. This approach works just fine.

Paraphrasing Example 6

“A recent survey found that more than 80 percent of Polish high-school seniors aspire to go abroad immediately following graduation, whether for short-term work in a service industry, on a temporary European educational exchange like Erasmus, or on merit scholarships to universities in France, the United Kingdom or the United States. As for the teens, twentysomethings and thirtysomethings who remain in Poland, so the argument goes, ideas like “democratic revolution” and “national freedom” mean nothing.” (Kosicki, 2015, p. 27). 

“According to a recent poll, over 80 percent of seniors in Polish high schools dream of going abroad as soon as they graduate. They may get short-term jobs in the service industry, seek placement in student exchange programs, or apply for university scholarships in Western Europe or the U.S. And when it comes to young people from teens to people in their thirties, they seem to hardly value high national political ideals.”

You may have noticed that we used technique 2 – synonyms – throughout the paraphrase. This is the most widely used technique that works every time. 

We also chunked down the first sentence because it is a really long one. We made the split at the word “whether,” which is a transition. 

Here are some of the synonyms we used:

• “Survey” became “ poll ”
• “Aspire” became “ dream ”
• “Work” became “ jobs ”
• “Merit” became “ apply for ”
• “So the argument goes” became “ seem ”

Note that it’s okay to sometimes use summarizing techniques while paraphrasing. If a phrase does not lend itself well to synonyms, it’s okay to slightly summarize occasionally. 

Thus, “democratic revolution” and “national freedom” became “ high national political ideals .”

Summarizing is not a paraphrasing technique per se, so use it with caution when paraphrasing because an important detail may become swallowed up in the process. 

Paraphrasing Example 7

“During the last months of her campaign leading up to the election, Dilma Rousseff, then candidate and now the first female elected president in Brazil, affirmed her position on favoring the legalization of abortion as a public policy initiative. Even though she was heavily favored to win the election, according to many political observers, making this declaration severely cost Rousseff support from pivotal voting blocs and was one of the principal factors that led to a runoff election.” (Ogland & Verona, 2011, p. 812). 

“Dilma Rousseff, former candidate and currently the first woman president elect in Brazil, asserted her stance on legalizing abortion as a part of her public policy during the concluding months of her election campaign. According to many pundits, although she was strongly positioned to win the race, affirming her position deprived her of crucial voting blocs and eventually resulted in a runoff election.”

In this paraphrase, we used techniques 1 and 2. We started both sentences at a point which occurs in the middle of the original sentence. This way, each sentence sounds different.

We used a lot of synonyms:

• “Last months” became “ concluding months ”
• “Female” became “ woman ”
• “Affirmed her position” became “ asserted her stance ”
• “Political observers” became “ pundits ”

If you look up these words and phrases, you’ll find that they are almost exact or perfectly exact equivalents of the original ones. Using synonyms is very powerful in paraphrasing. 

Paraphrasing Example 8

“During the Cold War, the relatively stable relationship between South Korea and Japan, which was backed by active United States military and diplomatic engagement, was a linchpin of peace and stability in Northeast Asia. Tied to the United States through bilateral military alliance pacts, the two countries not only coordinated their policies toward the communist bloc, but also served as a bulwark against the expansion of the communist Soviets and China.” (You & Kim, 2020, p. 53). 

“The relatively steady relations between South Korea and Japan backed by the United States by means of the military and diplomacy during the Cold War became a backbone of peace and security in Northeast Asia. Bound to the United States by two-sided military alliance agreements, the two nations managed their strategy of dealing with the communist countries and acted as a wall of protection from the Soviets and China.”

We mainly used technique 2 – the synonyms – in this example:

• “stable “ became “ steady ”
• “relationship” became “ relations ”
• “linchpin” became “ backbone ”
• “tied“ became “ bound ”
• “bilateral” became “ two-sided ”
• “bulwark” became “ wall of protection ”

You can achieve a great paraphrased passage just by using synonyms. This becomes especially useful when paraphrasing difficult passages. 

Sometimes the original is so tightly written that it’s hard to paraphrase it without making it wordy. Using synonyms with the help of a thesaurus can help you get the task done. 

Paraphrasing Example 9

“Bigger paychecks are just more good news for U.S. families. The average household debt-to-income ratio is the lowest since 2002. And falling food and gas prices are leaving more money in our pockets, cash that can boost consumer spending overall, which in turn accounts for 68% of the U.S. economy—setting up a virtuous circle of growth.” (Smith, 2015, p. 13). 

“Americans definitely welcome higher pay, and since 2002 the debt-to-income ratio for an average family has not been lower. An upward cycle of growth occurs as groceries and petroleum become cheaper and people have more money to spend. Consumer spending, which constitutes 68% of the U.S. economy, has experienced a boost.”

For the first time, we actually chunked up the first two sentences, which means that we put them together into one. 

And we chunked down the next, longer sentence of the original into two sentences. 

We also used technique 3 to rearrange the order in which parts of the sentence appear. You’ll notice that we used a lot fewer synonyms in this passage. Instead, we focused on chunking up and down and rearranging. 

Paraphrasing Example 10

“A new survey of Louisiana schools reveals a critical issue facing most states nationwide: schools are lacking the technology needed to conduct online testing required by the Common Core State Standards. Although the looming requirement that all testing be conducted online has been discussed, the degree to which states are unprepared has not been known. And only five school systems meet the requirements.” (Abrams, 2012, p. 73). 

“According to a new study, schools in Louisiana lack the technology necessary to administer online tests mandated by the Common Core State Standards. This is a problem common to most states. Despite the discussions of the online testing requirement, just how well states are prepared is unclear, with only five school systems fulfilling the requirement.”

We again used chunking up and chunking down in this example. We broke the original sentence 1 into two sentences. 

And then we chunked up by combining the next two sentences in the original into one. This is one way in which we made our paraphrase dissimilar, which is what we want.

We also used synonyms, which are, as you know, the main and most common technique used in paraphrasing:

• “A new survey reveals” became “ According to a new study ”
• “required” became “ mandated ”
• “Although” became “ despite ”
• “And” became “ with ”

Note that the last two items are transitions. Transitions can be used as splice points to either chunk up or chunk down, as we did in this example. 

And that’s all! Hope this was helpful. 

Now go ahead and write your own brilliant paraphrase!

Tutor Phil.

Abrams, S. (2012). The emergence of district social media managers. District Administration, 48 (7), 73-73.

Green, C. (2020). United/States: A revolutionary history of American statehood. Michigan Law Review, 119 (1), 1-69.

Kosicki, P. H. (2015). Apathy or anniversary? Nation, 300 (1), 27-37.

Ogland, C. P. & Verona, A. P. (2011). Religion and attitudes toward abortion and abortion policy in Brazil. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 50 (4), 812-821.

Popham, W. J. (2014). The right test for the wrong reason. Phi Delta Kappan, 96 (1), 46-52.

Rochester, A. & Heafner, T. L. (2020). An African American and Latinx history of the United States. Curriculum & Teaching Dialogue, 22 (1/2), 319-322.

Smith, A. K. (2015). U.S. Economy: Leader of the pack. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, 69 (1), 13-14.

Surak, K. (2019). Imperial hallucinations. New Statesman, 148 (5471), 30-33.

Thalheimer, J. (2015). Ketosis fad diet alert. Environmental Nutrition, 38 (9), 3. 

You, C. & Kim, W. (2020). Loss aversion and risk-seeking in Korea-Japan relations. Journal of East Asian Studies, 20 (1), 53-74.

Tutor Phil is an e-learning professional who helps adult learners finish their degrees by teaching them academic writing skills.

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How to Paraphrase in 5 Simple Steps (Without Plagiarizing)

Krystal N. Craiker

Paraphrasing is a tricky balance between using your own words and still getting the original message across.

Understanding what paraphrasing is, and how to do it well, takes the challenge out of paraphrasing and makes it a more user-friendly skill.

What Is Paraphrasing?

How to paraphrase in 5 easy steps, paraphrasing different types of content, paraphrasing examples, want to improve your essay writing skills.

The word paraphrase can be used as a noun or a verb .

A paraphrase (noun) is a restatement of someone else’s words into other words . If you’re reading a paraphrase, you’re reading someone else’s rephrasing of the original.

To paraphrase (verb) is the act of rephrasing a statement into your own words . When you paraphrase, you are essentially borrowing someone else’s ideas and putting them into your own words. Since you’re borrowing and not creating those ideas, be certain to give credit to the original source.

Paraphrasing vs. Plagiarism

Plagiarism is when you steal someone’s words or ideas. Some people think that it’s only plagiarizing when you use the exact words.

Paraphrasing isn’t a way to steal someone’s ideas by putting it in your own words. If you’re paraphrasing someone else’s ideas, you must give them credit.

If you don’t acknowledge that source, you’ve plagiarized, which has serious ethical, and even legal, implications.

ProWritingAid can help you keep your work plagiarism-free with its plagiarism checker , and will never store or resell your work as some other plagiarism checking services sometimes do.

How to Paraphrase Properly

Why paraphrase when you could just use direct quotations? Direct quotes in academic writing and research papers do not demonstrate that you understand the original material.

Proper paraphrasing doesn’t mean rewriting the original passage word for word. It’s more than just pulling out a thesaurus. You are rewriting the ideas in your own words.

Just as you would provide the source of a direct quote, provide the source of paraphrased information according to whatever style guide you’re following (e.g. APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) or by including the source within the paraphrase itself.

Typically, you’ll use an in-text citation alongside your paraphrased text, but sometimes you may use footnotes or endnotes.

When you use a direct quotation, it’s important to put the original passage or statement in quotation marks. But paraphrased text does not require quotation marks.

Paraphrasing is translating someone else’s words into your words. If you were to translate a sentence from one language into another going word-by-word, you’d end up with nonsense.

The same thing happens when you paraphrase. You’re performing a translation of sorts.

If you try to translate each word, you’ll end up with a paraphrase that reads more like a “word salad” than an intelligent rephrasing.

Why? When you isolate words, you take them out of their context.

The meaning of a word can change based on its context, so respect that context. Keep ideas whole to keep the original meanings intact.

Here’s what it looks like when you translate word for word.

Original Text: “Life expectancy isn’t set in stone: Both public policy and personal responsibility can tip the scales, experts said.” (Craig Schneider, Newsday)

If I paraphrase that text word-by-word, I could end up with something like this:

Word-by-Word Paraphrase: Human existences are not put in rocks. The pair of non-private systems and individual duty can point the measures, professionals uttered.

That makes no sense. Here’s a more effective paraphrase:

Proper Paraphrase: According to experts, public policy and individual choices can affect life expectancy.

This makes much more sense. Keep the entire context in mind when you paraphrase.

There are some practical steps you can follow to ensure skillful paraphrasing. It might take some practice at first.

As you become more experienced with paraphrasing, you’ll notice that you follow these steps naturally.

Step 1: Read, Reread, Then Read It Again

You can’t properly paraphrase if you don’t fully understand the original passage. For effective paraphrasing, reread the original text multiple times.

Pay attention to word choice and tone, as those contribute to the overarching message. Be sure that you know exactly what the original author was trying to get across before you move on.

Step 2: Determine the Big Idea

There’s a difference between paraphrasing and summarizing, but a quick summary is a great starting point for a paraphrase.

A summary is the main idea. What is the big idea of the original passage?

Try to sum up the big idea in one sentence using your own words.

If you’re only paraphrasing a short chunk of text, this might be the extent of your work and you can skip to step five. For longer quotes, start with the gist.

Step 3: Break It Down

Once you have the big idea, you can start looking at the individual ideas. A good paraphrase includes all the essential information. This is the step where you determine which pieces are essential.

You can start breaking it down sentence by sentence, but keep in mind that you’re really trying to understand it idea by idea.

There might be one idea in two or three sentences or two ideas in one long sentence!

Step 4: Rewrite, Idea by Idea

Once you know all the essential information, it’s time to rewrite. Use your own words and phrasing as much as possible.

Of course, sometimes you will have to use some of the same words. For example, if you’re paraphrasing a quote about the economy, you don’t need to find a new word for “economy.”

Plagiarism isn’t just the words you use, but also the order those words are in.

If you do use more than two of the same words as the original in a row, place them in quotation marks . Avoid this as much as possible for a good paraphrase.

Once you’ve rewritten each idea with the important information, it’s time to make sure your paraphrased version accurately expresses the intent of the original passage.

That leads us to the final step.

Step 5: Check and Cite

Have you ever heard the phrase “lost in translation?” It’s true for paraphrasing, too. Sometimes, when we rewrite something in our own words, we lose the intent and meaning of the original.

Reread what you’ve written and ask yourself the following questions:

• Does this portray the same big idea?
• Have I included all relevant information and ideas?
• Does my paraphrase maintain the integrity of the original’s intent?
• Are all sentences written in my own voice and my own words?

If you can answer yes to all four questions, you’ve successfully paraphrased! If not, return to the quoted material and go through each step again.

Finally, add your citation. Always credit the original source so you don’t plagiarize.

While the same basic steps apply no matter what you’re paraphrasing, it will look a little different depending on the type of text and why you’re paraphrasing.

Let’s take a look at three common situations that require paraphrasing.

How to Paraphrase in an Essay

Essays require paraphrases of many different quotes and sources.

While the occasional quote is fine, frequent direct quotes suggest that you don’t fully understand the material.

Your professor wants to know that you comprehend the subject and have thoughts of your own about it.

To paraphrase in an essay, start with a reasonable sized quote.

If the entire quotation is too long, your essay will become one giant paraphrase. You can always paraphrase another piece of the original text later in your paper.

Make sure the quote you are paraphrasing fits your thesis statement and is in the correct section of your essay.

Then, follow the five steps above to write a paraphrase. Don’t forget to cite your source material!

After you’ve paraphrased and cited the original text, offer your own commentary or thoughts.

How does that paraphrase answer the prompt of your research paper or support your argument? Original thoughts are crucial so your whole essay isn’t a paraphrase. That would be a form of plagiarism!

How to Paraphrase a Quote

Paraphrasing a quote requires you to pay special attention to the tone. Quoted material for academic writing often has a dry, informative tone. Spoken quotes usually don’t.

When you’re determining the big idea (step two), also determine the tone. You can note the tone in your paraphrase by saying the speaker was impassioned, angry, nostalgic, optimistic, etc.

When you move to step three and break down the ideas, pay attention to where the speaker placed emphasis. That’s a clue that you’ve found essential information to include in your paraphrase.

How to Paraphrase Complex Text

Complex and highly technical text can be difficult to paraphrase. All the same steps apply, but pay special attention to your words and sentence structure when you rewrite.

Whenever possible, simplify the complex text in your paraphrase.

Paraphrases are useful because they can make something easier to understand. Imagine that you are explaining the complex text to a middle school student.

Use simplified terms and explain any jargon in layman’s terms. Avoid clichés or idioms and focus only on the most essential pieces of information.

You can also use ProWritingAid’s editing tool to run a Jargon Report and a Cliché Report, as well as readability.

We use the Flesch-Kincaid Scale for readability , which is based on U.S. grade levels. You can see how old someone needs to be to understand your paraphrasing.

Your level of readability might change depending on the purpose of the paraphrase.

If you are paraphrasing complex text for a college-level essay, your readability score can be higher. If you are paraphrasing for a technical audience, some jargon is appropriate.

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples of properly paraphrased material.

Original Text : “Life expectancy isn’t set in stone: Both public policy and personal responsibility can tip the scales, experts said. Everyone can make choices that increase the odds of a longer life, said Cantor, of the Center for Socio-Economic Policy. Eating well, exercising, not smoking, getting enough sleep and staying in school are decisions made by each and every one of us, he said.” (Craig Schneider, Newsday )

Paraphrase: People do have some control over their life expectancy. While public policies matter, experts say personal choices can also affect how long you live and that making healthy lifestyle choices about food, sleep, education, and smoking is up to each individual.

Here’s another example from a speech.

Original Text: “We’ve got to accelerate the transition away from dirty energy. Rather than subsidize the past, we should invest in the future—especially in communities that rely on fossil fuels. That’s why I’m going to push to change the way we manage our oil and coal resources, so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet.” (President Barack Obama, State of the Union Address, January 12, 2016)

Paraphrase: President Obama emphasized the importance of investing in clean energy. He supports a shift in the way the country manages non-renewable resources to match the impact they have on both American citizens and the planet.

Remember, when you paraphrase, focus on the ideas, not rewriting word for word. Always cite your original source material even though you are using your own words.

(This article is an update to a previous version by Allison Bressmer.)

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Krystal N. Craiker is the Writing Pirate, an indie romance author and blog manager at ProWritingAid. She sails the seven internet seas, breaking tropes and bending genres. She has a background in anthropology and education, which brings fresh perspectives to her romance novels. When she’s not daydreaming about her next book or article, you can find her cooking gourmet gluten-free cuisine, laughing at memes, and playing board games. Krystal lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, child, and basset hound.

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Paraphrasing Examples: Top 5 Ways to Use Paraphrasing

Study these 5 paraphrasing examples to learn how to paraphrase when writing research papers and essays.

When writing a research paper or other project, you often need to work with other people’s writing. While you could easily put together a piece using many direct quotations, learning how to take someone else’s work and paraphrase it in your own words is valuable in your writing toolbox.

A good paraphrase keeps the author’s main ideas intact but says them differently. It shows that you have fully understood the information and can rephrase it to fit your overall piece’s writing style and tone.

As you learn to paraphrase, remember that you must still cite the original author. Unless the idea you are referencing is common knowledge in the field you are writing about, you must tell where the idea came from. In-text citations , as well as a bibliography page, are both essential.

As you consider how to change the wording of the original piece to fit your writing, looking at different paraphrasing examples will help you get a feel for what this rewriting looks like.

1. Paraphrasing Sentences by Changing Verb Tense

2. paraphrasing sentences by using synonyms, 3. paraphrasing an original work by changing the writing style, 4. paraphrasing paragraphs, 5. paraphrasing an entire work.

One way to paraphrase is to change the verb tense of the source material. For example, if it is written in passive voice, you could change it to active voice. If written in the past tense, you could change it to present or future tense.

Here are some examples:

• Original: Giraffes will eat Acacia leaves and hay, eating up to 75 pounds a day. (future tense)
• Paraphrase: A giraffe eats up to 75 pounds daily, including Acacia leaves and hay. (present tense)
• Original: Influenza can cause a runny nose and fever. (active voice)
• Paraphrase: People with influenza have experienced fevers and runny noses. (passive voice)

Changing the tense of the verbs may be all you need to do to adjust the sentence enough for it to be a paraphrase.

Another way to paraphrase your original passage for your research paper is to use synonyms for words. This will convey the same meaning without using the original author’s exact words. Remember that you still need to provide a citation using MLA or APA formatting to avoid plagiarism if the idea is the same as the source, but using synonyms is a great restatement option. Here are some examples:

• Original: In Santiago, COVID-19 dealt the hardest blow to people with low socioeconomic status, because of factors such as crowded households, a lack of health care, and an inability to work from home.
• Paraphrase: Because few people could telecommute, medical care was hard to get, and homes were crowded with people, the coronavirus pandemic hurt Santiago’s poorer people worse than other economic groups.
• Original: Paul McCrory, a prominent researcher whose work on concussions has shaped much of the sporting world’s current policies on diagnosing and treating head injuries, resigned March 5 from his role as chair of the Concussion in Sport Group following allegations of plagiarism.
• Paraphrase: Paul McCrory, concussion researcher who put a lot of work into the athletic world’s policies on head injury diagnostics and treatment, left his position as head of the Concussion in Sport Group on March 5 after accusations of plagiarism.

As long as the source is properly cited, these are appropriate paraphrases in academic writing.

Sometimes the goal of paraphrasing is to improve the accessibility of the work. You can take a scientific research study, for instance, and boil it down into its main points, using a more accessible tone and writing style in your own words to present the information. Again, as long as you use the APA pr MLA format to cite the paraphrased text, you can use this technique to present ideas in your writing.

• Original: When we go to the zoo, we may see penguins if the exhibit is open.
• Paraphrase: If the penguin house is open, we may be able to observe the birds on our visit to the zoo.
• Original: Many people reported symptoms of anxiety after the terrorist attack.
• Paraphrase: The terrorist attack caused anxiety symptoms in a number of the people.
• Original: For example, one study showed that food insufficiency was independently associated with all symptoms of poor mental health, but that association was mitigated for those who received free groceries or meals.
• Paraphrase: People who do not have enough to eat may struggle with their mental health, but free groceries or meals can help limit this problem.

These examples keep the sentence’s meaning but change the writing style to make it the writer’s own.

When you need to paraphrase an entire paragraph, you will likely use a combination of these techniques to rewrite the passage in your own words. Keep in mind that without citation, this is still considered plagiarism. Here are some examples:

• Original: The adolescent finds himself faced with multiple questions, contradictory demands, and ideas, which force him to deal with multiple conflicts, especially in light of physical, mental, social, psychological, emotional, and family changes. If these changes are negative, it will result in the failure of the adolescent to successfully form his identity, in addition to facing many problems such as social role disorder, identity confusion, or the adoption of negative identity, harming the adolescent’s life and future.
• Paraphrase: According to a 2021 Heliyon study, teenagers often face questions of identity, and they can have conflicting ideas about who they are and where they fit in society. The changes they face as they grow and develop, if they are negative, can cause them to have a poor identity formation. This problem can lead to challenges as the adolescent grows into adulthood.
• Original: In the immediate wake of a traumatic experience, large numbers of affected people report distress, including new or worsening symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Most people will recover, though that recovery can take some time. A notable fraction of people will develop chronic symptoms severe enough to meet criteria for a mental illness, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depressive disorder.
• Paraphrase: The National Institutes of Health warms that a traumatic experience, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, will cause a large number of mental health problems. People often report their symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, getting worse. Though recovery happens for many, it does take time, and some people will have problems like PTSD or major depressive disorder that require mental health treatment.

In these examples, the paraphrased writing seems easier for the average reader to understand, with less industry-specific jargon.

Finally, you can paraphrase an entire work by boiling its main points into a more concise format. If you shorten the work significantly, you are summarizing, not paraphrasing. However, this idea deserves a spot on this list because it is a way to use a source in your writing without using direct quotes. Here are some examples:

• Original: The first book in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
• Paraphrase: In this classic piece of children’s literature, a young boy wizard named Harry must go to battle against an enemy, Voldemort, who has been trying to kill him since birth.
• Original: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
• Paraphrase: Two star-crossed lovers from opposing families try to find a life together, only to end in tragic death because of their warring families.

When paraphrasing in this way, you can cite by stating the name of the work and the author at the beginning of the passage, then including the work on your bibliography page.

To learn more about paraphrasing, check out our guide on plagiarism vs. paraphrasing .

Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. She specializes in education content and real estate writing but enjoys a wide gamut of topics. Her goal is to connect with the reader in an engaging, but informative way. Her work has been featured on USA Today, and she ghostwrites for many high-profile companies. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today's online marketing world.

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Sample Essay for Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting

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The following is a sample essay you can practice quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. Examples of each task are provided at the end of the essay for further reference. Here is the citation for Sipher's essay:

Sipher, Roger. “So That Nobody Has to Go to School If They Don't Want To.” The New York Times , 19 Dec. 1977, p. 31.

So That Nobody Has To Go To School If They Don't Want To

by Roger Sipher

A decline in standardized test scores is but the most recent indicator that American education is in trouble.

One reason for the crisis is that present mandatory-attendance laws force many to attend school who have no wish to be there. Such children have little desire to learn and are so antagonistic to school that neither they nor more highly motivated students receive the quality education that is the birthright of every American.

The solution to this problem is simple: Abolish compulsory-attendance laws and allow only those who are committed to getting an education to attend.

This will not end public education. Contrary to conventional belief, legislators enacted compulsory-attendance laws to legalize what already existed. William Landes and Lewis Solomon, economists, found little evidence that mandatory-attendance laws increased the number of children in school. They found, too, that school systems have never effectively enforced such laws, usually because of the expense involved.

There is no contradiction between the assertion that compulsory attendance has had little effect on the number of children attending school and the argument that repeal would be a positive step toward improving education. Most parents want a high school education for their children. Unfortunately, compulsory attendance hampers the ability of public school officials to enforce legitimate educational and disciplinary policies and thereby make the education a good one.

Private schools have no such problem. They can fail or dismiss students, knowing such students can attend public school. Without compulsory attendance, public schools would be freer to oust students whose academic or personal behavior undermines the educational mission of the institution.

Has not the noble experiment of a formal education for everyone failed? While we pay homage to the homily, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink," we have pretended it is not true in education.

Ask high school teachers if recalcitrant students learn anything of value. Ask teachers if these students do any homework. Quite the contrary, these students know they will be passed from grade to grade until they are old enough to quit or until, as is more likely, they receive a high school diploma. At the point when students could legally quit, most choose to remain since they know they are likely to be allowed to graduate whether they do acceptable work or not.

Abolition of archaic attendance laws would produce enormous dividends.

First, it would alert everyone that school is a serious place where one goes to learn. Schools are neither day-care centers nor indoor street corners. Young people who resist learning should stay away; indeed, an end to compulsory schooling would require them to stay away.

Second, students opposed to learning would not be able to pollute the educational atmosphere for those who want to learn. Teachers could stop policing recalcitrant students and start educating.

Third, grades would show what they are supposed to: how well a student is learning. Parents could again read report cards and know if their children were making progress.

Fourth, public esteem for schools would increase. People would stop regarding them as way stations for adolescents and start thinking of them as institutions for educating America's youth.

Fifth, elementary schools would change because students would find out early they had better learn something or risk flunking out later. Elementary teachers would no longer have to pass their failures on to junior high and high school.

Sixth, the cost of enforcing compulsory education would be eliminated. Despite enforcement efforts, nearly 15 percent of the school-age children in our largest cities are almost permanently absent from school.

Communities could use these savings to support institutions to deal with young people not in school. If, in the long run, these institutions prove more costly, at least we would not confuse their mission with that of schools.

Schools should be for education. At present, they are only tangentially so. They have attempted to serve an all-encompassing social function, trying to be all things to all people. In the process they have failed miserably at what they were originally formed to accomplish.

Example Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation from the Essay:

Example summary: Roger Sipher makes his case for getting rid of compulsory-attendance laws in primary and secondary schools with six arguments. These fall into three groups—first that education is for those who want to learn and by including those that don't want to learn, everyone suffers. Second, that grades would be reflective of effort and elementary school teachers wouldn't feel compelled to pass failing students. Third, that schools would both save money and save face with the elimination of compulsory-attendance laws.

Example paraphrase of the essay's conclusion: Roger Sipher concludes his essay by insisting that schools have failed to fulfill their primary duty of education because they try to fill multiple social functions (par. 17).

Example quotation: According to Roger Sipher, a solution to the perceived crisis of American education is to "[a]bolish compulsory-attendance laws and allow only those who are committed to getting an education to attend" (par. 3).

• Literary Terms
• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Use Paraphrase

I. What is a Paraphrase?

A paraphrase (pronounced par – uh -freyz) is a restatement or rewording of a paragraph  or text,  in order to borrow, clarify, or expand on information without plagiarizing. Paraphrasing is an important tool to use when writing research papers, essays , and pieces of journalism.

II. Examples of Paraphrasing

For examples of paraphrasing, consider these possible re-wordings of the same statement:

She angered me with her inappropriate comments, rumor-spreading, and disrespectfulness at the formal dinner table.

She made me angry when she was rude at dinner.

This paraphrase is an example of a rewording which shortens and simplifies while maintaining the same meaning.

Her impoliteness, gossiping, and general lack of respect at dinner infuriated me.

This rephrasing maintains the same meaning but is rearranged in a creative way.

I was mad when she started spreading rumors, making inappropriate comments, and disrespecting other guests at our dinner.

Another paraphrase, this rewording properly and interestingly rearranges the information provided in the original sentence.

III. Types of Paraphrasing

A. change of parts of speech.

Parts of speech ranging from verbs and nouns to adjectives and adverbs are replaced with new parts of speech in this type of paraphrasing. Here is an example:

Original Sentence:

The boy quickly ran across the finish line, seizing yet another victory.

Paraphrase:

The quick boy seized yet another victory when he ran across the finish line.

In this example, many parts of speech are changed: the adverb quickly becomes the adjective quick, and the verb phrase with the gerund seizing becomes the verb seized.

B.  Change of Structure

This type of paraphrasing involves changing the sentence’s structure, sometimes creating a passive voice from an active voice and vice versa. The change in structure can be used to reflect the writer’s interpretation of the original quote. Here is an example of change of structure paraphrasing:

Puppies were adopted by numerous kind souls at the puppy drive.

Many kind souls adopted puppies during the puppy drive.

In this example, the object of the sentence (kind souls) becomes the subject with an active voice (adopted) rather than a passive voice (were adopted).

C. Reduction of Clauses

Reduction of clauses paraphrases reduce the number of clauses in a sentence, which can be interruptive or confusing, by incorporating the phrases into the sentence. Here is an example of reduction of clauses paraphrasing:

While I understand where you’re coming from, and truly respect your opinion, I wish you would express yourself more clearly, like Clara does.

I understand where you’re coming from and respect your opinion, but I wish you would be more like Clara and express yourself more clearly.

D. Synonym Replacement

Synonym replacement paraphrasing is one of the simplest forms of paraphrasing: replacing words with similar words, or synonyms. Here is an example:

The older citizens were honored with a parade for those once in the military.

Senior citizens were honored with a march for veterans.

In this example, many synonyms are used: older citizens are senior citizens, a parade becomes a march, and those once in the military refers to veterans.

IV. The Importance of Using Paraphrase

Paraphrasing is a way of referencing a source without directly quoting it or of further explaining a selected quote. Correct paraphrasing is important in that poor paraphrasing can result in accusations of plagiarism, or copying from a source without correctly citing it. Paraphrasing allows writers to examine the meaning of others’ work, creatively rephrase their statements, and craft information to suit an essay or composition’s goal or focus.

V. Paraphrase in Literature

Paraphrasing can be found in a variety of journalistic sources from newspapers to film documentaries to literary journals. Here are a few examples of paraphrasing in literature:

Someone once wrote that musicians are touched on the shoulder by God, and I think it’s true. You can make other people happy with music, but you can make yourself happy too.

In John Berendt’s nonfiction novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil , a character references what someone has once written by paraphrasing their message.

I’m going to paraphrase Thoreau here… rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness… give me truth.

In this example from the nonfiction novel Into the Wild , Jon Krakauer paraphrases Thoreau’s larger message of transcendence.

So far, Laurance’s critiques of new road-building schemes have been well received, but he expects that to change.

In Michelle Nijhuis’ article “What Roads Have Wrought,” William Laurance is paraphrased rather than quoted to express his general viewpoint.

VI. Paraphrase in Pop Culture

Paraphrasing is often found in pop culture when attempting to translate the language of older plays, poems, and stories, such as Shakespeare’s works. Here are a few examples of paraphrasing in pop culture:

10 Things I Hate About You (1999):

Just a minor encounter with the shrew… the mewling, rampalian wretch herself.

In the modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew , many characters ’ lines paraphrase Shakespeare’s originals. Here is Shakespeare’s version:

A meacock wretch can make the curstest shrew.

A Different World: Romeo, Oh Romeo

First, the student reads Shakespeare’s original words:

Oh gentle Romeo. If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully. Or if thou thinkest I’m too quickly won, I’ll frown and be perverse and say thee nay, so thou wilt woo.

Then, she paraphrases to translate its meaning for modern ears:

It’s all about translation. Oh, sweet thang Romeo. If you think I’m all that, then step to me correctly. But if you think I’m a skeeze, I’ll be dissin’ and dismissin’, then you’ll be workin’ overtime getting’ me back.

VII. Related Terms

Like paraphrases, summaries are rewordings of original statements. Whereas paraphrases are precise and specific, summaries are brief and selective. Summaries report main points in a shortened version of the original, whereas paraphrases simply restate the original statement in a new way. Here is an example of summary versus paraphrase:

Original Statement:

At the party we had delicious red punch, a bunch of different appetizers, and a cookout. Since it was at the park, we played volleyball, went swimming, and sunbathed for fun.

At the party we enjoyed food and drink and various outdoor activities.

Here, the summary purposefully shortens the original statement while covering its major points.

At the party we drank some punch, ate a handful of appetizers, and had a cookout. The park allowed us to enjoy a number of enjoyable activities from volleyball to swimming to sunbathing.

As this example shows, the paraphrase rephrases the original statement and keeps more of its original content than the summary.

Translation

Although paraphrase sometimes translates difficult phrasing into more understandable phrasing, it is not literally considered translation. For something to be a translation, it must change writing in one language to another language. Here is an example of translation versus paraphrasing:

Original Phrase:

That’s life.

Translation into French:

C’est la vie.

That’s just how life goes sometimes.

Although we loosely may refer to paraphrase as translating ideas, technically it is not a tool of translation.

VIII. In Closing

Paraphrasing is an important tool for nonfiction writers, journalists, and essayists alike. It is a common proponent of news and reporting. Correct paraphrasing protects writers from plagiarism and allows them to creatively rephrase original works, incorporating them into their own compositions.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website

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• Writing Tips

Essay Tips: How to Paraphrase Effectively

5-minute read

• 25th December 2022

Writing an essay or research paper is no simple task. It’s hard enough to gather research and write your paper within a tight deadline, but you also have to ensure that you aren’t plagiarizing somebody else’s work. This means you’ll need to give credit to all sources that you used to support your claims with appropriate citations and references.

However, submitting a paper filled with citations isn’t the way to go. Many professors will reject papers with chunks of quoted sources – even if you cite them properly. Conversely, you can’t submit a paper without citations. A professor will either question your knowledge or accuse you of plagiarism.

Therefore, you need to have a healthy balance of your ideas and supporting claims (citations) in your paper. One way of doing this is by paraphrasing . However, many students don’t fully understand this concept or how to do it effectively. That’s where this post comes in!

What Is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is taking the ideas or research of other authors and putting them into your own words. It demonstrates your understanding of what you’ve read and helps you to ensure that your entire text is written in a cohesive style. Paraphrasing is a legitimate academic writing skill that can easily boost your grades when it’s done effectively. It’s better than quoting sources.

Check out the following tips for paraphrasing the right way . Once you finish reading this post, you’ll hopefully feel more confident in your paraphrasing ability and ready to tackle your next essay with ease!

1. Understand What You’ve Read

Make sure you understand the quotation or sentence you want to paraphrase. If there’s one thing we want you to remember from this post, it’s this! If you don’t fully understand it, you won’t be able to rewrite it in your own words .

Imagine having to explain the original passage to a friend. How would you tell them in your own words? We recommend reading the original sentence several times and even a few times aloud. We also recommend highlighting keywords, which are needed to ensure that the meaning remains the same. Let’s look at an example of a sentence that we want to paraphrase:

Notice that the bold words are necessary for the meaning, so in your paraphrase, you should use those exact words or synonyms of them. Try finding a few synonyms first, and then decide which one resonates with your own words.

2. Restructure the Sentence

Rewriting a sentence by changing one or two words isn’t proper paraphrasing. Many students erroneously use a “copy and paste” method to change a few words in their paraphrased version. However, you need to change the sentence structure as well.

It would also help if you did this without looking at the original text, which is why we encourage reading the original multiple times. Here is an example of paraphrasing the sentence from our first tip with bolded words as synonyms:

As you can see, the sentence has been restructured, making it significantly different from the original text. However, the meaning remains the same.

3. Compare Your Paraphrase with the Original Text

This might seem simple, but there are a few things to consider when comparing your paraphrase with the original sentence:

●  Have you used synonyms for necessary words?

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●  Is the sentence structure significantly different?

●  Is the basic meaning still the same?

The goal is to create a significantly different sentence structure while maintaining the original meaning. Of course, if you changed the meaning, you’ll need to correct the paraphrase!

4. Make Sure the Paraphrased Text Makes Sense

A common error associated with paraphrasing is an incoherent paraphrased text. This often happens because the writer hasn’t properly understood the original text or has used an online paraphrasing tool. Take this example of a paraphrase without a clear meaning:

The attempted paraphrase is entirely different from the original. The writer has likely used a thesaurus or paraphrasing tool to find a synonym for each word. Paraphrasing doesn’t mean substituting every word with a synonym!

Remember the following to ensure coherent paraphrasing:

●  Focus on the overall point of the original text.

●  Avoid using paraphrasing tools, as they often change the meaning of a text.

●  Use simple language instead of complex words.

5. Cite and Reference the Original Text

Yes, you must provide an in-text citation and reference list entry for each paraphrased sentence or passage! Just because you have paraphrased an idea doesn’t mean you don’t have to provide a citation . Otherwise, you’ll be subjected to the perils of plagiarism ! Here is an example of a properly cited paraphrase:

Omitting citations can happen accidentally. For example, you might rush to finish the paper or be worried about citing a source too frequently. However, it’s important to know that many institutions use plagiarism detection software , and therefore, a paraphrased text without an in-text citation won’t go unnoticed. So, cite for your sake (and the sake of your grade).

Are you currently working on an essay or research paper? Don’t forget to proofread it once it’s done. Our team of experts can ensure perfect spelling, punctuation, and grammar. We can also check for proper citation and referencing. Submit a 500-word document today, and we’ll proofread it for free!

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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!

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / Paraphrasing in MLA

Paraphrasing in MLA

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill. It allows you to seamlessly integrate another person’s ideas into your work, and it is the preferred way to integrate most research information into a paper.

In addition to writing a good paraphrase, you must also include a citation with the paraphrase. One effective way to do this is by using MLA in-text citations .

But first, let’s define paraphrasing.

What is a paraphrase? Why is it beneficial?

• A paraphrase is a piece of information written in a new way after reading and analyzing a source.
• A paraphrase translates the main ideas of a passage into a new passage that uses your own words and perspective.
• A paraphrase lets you control what point or information is highlighted.
• A paraphrase allows you turn a long passage into a condensed, focused passage.
• Direct quotes are helpful, but paraphrasing allows you show that you truly understand a work. Think about it: Is it easier to quote a source or paraphrase?

What does MLA have to do with it?

Academic integrity is extremely important, and a paraphrase allows you to use someone’s ideas efficiently in your work…but that is only part of the work. In order to stay ethical, you’ll also need include an in-text citation. That’s where MLA style comes in.

An MLA in-text citation gives appropriate credit to the original source. By following the guidelines of the MLA style and including an accurate citation, you can avoid accusations of plagiarism.

MLA stands for the Modern Language Association, which is a scholarly association dedicated to the study and advancement of languages. The MLA style comes from their published MLA Handbook , which provides rules and guidelines on research and writing. The latest update to the MLA style occurred in 2021, and careful consideration needs to be paid to these guidelines.

Although there are other styles of research and writing, MLA is the primary style guide for humanities, language, and literature in the United States.

How to paraphrase

Steps in paraphrasing.

• Read the original source material carefully. It is always a good idea to read it more than once so you can paraphrase accurately.
• Consider why the source was written, when it was written, who it was written by, and who the target audience was.
• What were the key ideas or points communicated?
• What is the key point you want to highlight from the source?
• What other contextual facts about the source do you think are important to include?
• Based on your notes, put together a paraphrase.
• Next, take a minute to double check your paraphrase against the original to ensure that you have used your own writing style.
• Finally, add an MLA in-text citation.

How to add an MLA in-text citation

In order to give credit for ideas that are not yours, citing is key. According the MLA, after you create a paraphrase, you should include an in-text citation with the paraphrase. In addition to the short, in-text citation, a full reference of the source should be included on your Works Cited page. This article will focus only on the in-text citation, but see this guide for more information on MLA works cited citations.

An MLA in-text citation can be done in two ways:

• Parenthetical

Both approaches require you to know the following:

• Last name of the author
• Page number

Parenthetical citation

One way to cite in the text is to use a parenthetical citation after the paraphrase. This includes putting the author’s last name and page number where you found the information at the end of the sentence, before the final period.

Using a website as a source? Note that if a source does not have page numbers, you do not have to include the page number in your parenthetical citation.

Parenthetical in-text citation structure:

Paraphrase (Author Last Name Page #)

Parenthetical example:

I kept pounding on the doors ’til my hands hurt and I woke up the dogs (Bronte 12).

Place that end punctuation carefully! Note that there is no period at the end of the sentence, but the period is outside the parentheses. Also, there is no comma between the author’s last name and the page number.

Citation in prose

A citation in prose means that you include the author’s last name within the page text and the page number at the end of the sentence in parentheses. A citation in prose would look like this:

Citation in prose citation structure:

Paraphrase with Author Last Name (Page #)

In-prose example:

Bronte explains how Lockwood kept pounding on the doors until his hands began to hurt and he woke up the dogs (12).

Example of how to paraphrase

Here is a piece of text taken from the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen:

“In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”

Elizabeth’s astonishment was beyond expression. She stared, coloured, doubted, and was silent. This he considered sufficient encouragement; and the avowal of all that he felt, and had long felt for her, immediately followed. He spoke well; but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed; and he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. His sense of her inferiority—of its being a degradation—of the family obstacles which had always opposed to inclination, were dwelt on with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very unlikely to recommend his suit.

A paraphrase of the above would go something like this:

Mr. Darcy had meant to communicate that he loved Elizabeth, but in the end all he managed to do was communicate all the reasons he had fought against his feelings for her (Austen 390).

Notice the benefits of paraphrasing here?

• The paraphrase is (thankfully) much shorter than the full excerpt.
• The paraphrase writer could have mentioned several different ideas and points. Instead, paraphrasing allowed the writer to focus on the main point they wanted to highlight.
• The paraphrase demonstrates the writer’s deep understanding of what was communicated in the original passage.

Also, as mentioned previously, every in-text citation needs to have a matching, full citation in the Works Cited page. Here is the full citation for the above example:

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice . 1813. Project Gutenberg , 2008, www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42671.

How NOT to paraphrase

When you paraphrase, do not do the follow:

• Use most of the same words and switch out a few words for synonyms.
• Use most of the same words and change the sentence order a little.
• Take key phrases from the sentences and put them into a new paragraph without quoting them.
• Create a good paraphrase but forget to include an in-text citation.
• Create a good paraphrase but cite the wrong source.

Other MLA considerations

The Modern Language Association advises that summaries, paraphrases, and direct quotations can all be used to back up your argument. However, direct quotations should be used infrequently. Try to save them for experts who are speaking on the topic.

Although you are putting a paraphrase into your own words, you still need to cite it because the ideas are not your own. MLA style asks for the author’s last name and the page number where you found the information.

Key takeaways

• The ability to paraphrase is of the utmost importance in regard to academic integrity.
• To paraphrase well, read the original a few times, consider the context, jot down the key ideas, compose your paraphrase, compare your paraphrase to the original, and add an in-text citation.
• The MLA advises using in-text citations in order to give proper credit to a paraphrase’s original source.

Published October 28, 2020. Updated July 18, 2021.

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8+ Paraphrasing and Summarizing Examples For Students

Published on: Feb 24, 2024

Last updated on: Feb 27, 2024

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Paraphrasing and summarizing are essential tools for effective communication. These techniques allow writers to convey information accurately and concisely in their own words, while maintaining the original meaning. 

Understanding the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing is key to becoming a proficient communicator. This blog aims to provide practical examples of both techniques, helping writers sharpen their skills and enhance the clarity of their writing.

Paraphrasing Examples

Let's look at some real examples of paraphrasing . We'll show you how to rewrite text in your own words while keeping it clear and still conveying the same meaning. All of the examples below have been generated by the AI paraphrasing tool from MyEssayWriter.ai .

Example 1: Technological Advancement - Paraphrased Perspectives

Original text: 

“ The rapid advancement of technology has revolutionized the way we communicate with each other. From traditional forms of communication such as letters and telegrams to modern digital platforms like social media and email, technology has greatly enhanced our ability to connect and interact with people around the world.”

Paraphrased version: 

“The fast progression of technology has transformed the methods through which we interact with one another. While we once relied on conventional means like written letters and telegrams, contemporary digital channels such as social networking sites and email have significantly amplified our capacity to engage with individuals globally.

Explanation of The Paraphrasing Process

Here is how we paraphrased the original text:

• The original passage main ideas about technology and communication are preserved
• Language and sentence structure are changed to express the message differently
• “Rapid advancement” is rephrased as “fast progression”
• “Revolutionized” is replaced with “transformed”
• The essence of the original statement is maintained, providing a new viewpoint

Example 2: Simplified Insights on Artificial Intelligence

Original text:

“The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly prevalent in various industries. Through machine learning algorithms and data analysis, AI systems have the capability to automate tasks, optimize processes, and improve decision-making.”

Paraphrased text: 

“Artificial intelligence (AI) has gained prominence across diverse sectors due to its capacity for automation, process enhancement, and data-driven decision-making facilitated by machine learning algorithms and analytical tools.”

The following key points explain the paraphrasing process of Example 2:

• The essence of the original text about the growing importance of artificial intelligence and its capabilities remains unaltered
• The wording and structure have been adjusted to convey the same meaning using varied phrasing
• Terms like “increasingly prevalent” have been paraphrased as “gained prominence”
• “Optimize processes” has been simplified to “process enhancement” while preserving the core message

If you’re interested in exploring more paraphrasing examples, we encourage you to check out the following resources available on our website:

• The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Technology
• Artificial Intelligence: Unveiling Its Power and Potential

Summarizing Examples

Summarizing is the act of condensing the main ideas of a text or communication to convey the key information concisely. You only include the most important parts and leave out the rest. 

Here are some examples to help you understand summarization better. These examples have been generated by the AI content summarizer from MyEssayWrtier.ai .

Example 1: Harry Potter's Journey - A Summarized Adventure

“The novel follows the journey of a young orphan named Harry Potter who discovers he is a wizard on his eleventh birthday. He attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he learns about the magical world and battles the dark wizard Voldemort, ultimately defeating him and saving the wizarding world from evil.”

Summarized version:

“Harry Potter, an orphaned wizard, attends Hogwarts School, learns about magic, and confronts Voldemort, ultimately triumphing over evil.”

Summarizing Process

In the above summary of the example, we:

• Simplified the story to include only the most important parts
• Left out small details and extra storylines to keep it short
• Kept the main focus on Harry Potter's story: finding out he's a wizard, going to Hogwarts, and fighting Voldemort

Example 2: The Industrial Revolution - A Condensed Overview

“The Industrial Revolution, which began in the late 18th century, marked a significant shift in human history. It brought about mechanization, urbanization, and social transformation. The invention of steam engines and the rise of factories revolutionized manufacturing processes, leading to economic growth and societal changes.”

“The Industrial Revolution, starting in the late 18th century, transformed society through mechanization, urbanization, and economic growth driven by steam engines and factories.”

• Highlighted key historical period and its impact.
• Condensed the description of mechanization, urbanization, and economic changes.
• Focused on major technological advancements like steam engines and factories as driving forces behind societal transformation.

If you’re interested in exploring more summarizing examples, check out the following resources available on our website:

• Technological Landscape with AI
• Applications of Artificial Intelligence

Here are some short examples to show how brief sentences can be said in different ways. Each original sentence is rephrased and then summarized to make it shorter.

In summary, this blog has helped you understand the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing with some great examples. Both techniques help simplify complex ideas. With the practical examples included, we have shown how language can be reshaped while keeping the meaning intact. 

If you require a quick and easy solution for your academic writing worries, we have the perfect solution for you. MyEssayWriter.ai has a suite of features designed to enhance your productivity. Enhance your writing easily and clearly with the best AI Essay Writer available today!

Frequently Asked Questions

How are quotations, paraphrases, and summaries different.

Quoting means copying the exact words. Paraphrasing means saying the same thing in your own words. Summarizing means shortening the main points.

What could be some paraphrase quote examples?

For example, instead of saying, “The sky is blue,” you can say, “The sky looks blue today.”

What are some examples of paraphrasing and summarizing in counseling?

In counseling, paraphrasing means repeating what someone said using different words, like saying “You seem worried” instead of “You look anxious.” Summarizing means summing up what was talked about in the session.

What do summarizing and paraphrasing have in common?

Summarizing and paraphrasing both mean simplifying ideas. They help people understand better by putting things in simpler words.

Caleb S. (Mass Literature and Linguistics, Masters )

Caleb S. is an accomplished author with over five years of experience and a Master's degree from Oxford University. He excels in various writing forms, including articles, press releases, blog posts, and whitepapers. As a valued author at MyEssayWriter.ai, Caleb assists students and professionals by providing practical tips on research, citation, sentence structure, and style enhancement.

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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 22 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/working-sources/paraphrasing/

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