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Teaching Students to Paraphrase

Ideas for scaffolding paraphrasing so that students correctly learn this valuable but difficult-to-master skill.

A teacher helping her middle school student with her writing

When discussing text in the classroom, it’s tough for students to shift from utilizing an author’s words (copying) to accepting the challenge to express that author’s idea in their own words (paraphrasing).

But teaching effective paraphrasing is necessary because the use of paraphrasing facilitates important literacy skills : It encourages repeated reading, develops note-taking habits as students track quotes and outline text details, and expands vocabulary as they consider appropriate ways to describe the original text. The skill may seem daunting to students because it takes time to find the appropriate words to reshape a sentence, but that is time well spent.

We also need to teach paraphrasing, of course, so that students develop the skill set required to avoid committing plagiarism unintentionally .

Student Tools

One way to support students is to make them aware of tools that may help when they’re paraphrasing. Think of these as training wheels—students won’t use them forever.

Academic Phrasebank : Ready-made phrases help students organize their sentences when they paraphrase. The site provides sentence starters for defining ideas, comparing and contrasting ideas, describing cause and effect, and explaining evidence to support statements.

For instance, if a student were paraphrasing vocabulary word X, they would be able to find sentence starters such as “The word X encompasses...,” “The word X is challenging to define because...,” and “The word X is intended to....”

Ashford University Writing Center : This website has a five-item quiz to review the paraphrasing process. It allows students to identify examples and non-examples of paraphrasing for a given text.

When examining non-examples, students are shown how replacing or rearranging words is akin to copying and pasting on a computer. Students see examples of effective paraphrasing, including a change of sentence structure or personal elaboration combined with limited quoted information.

Tone Analyzer : This tool allows students to enter a brief sample from a text and receive an analysis of the tone. When using this tool, students can request an assessment of whether the text illustrates anger, joy, sadness, etc. In addition to these emotions, the website includes language descriptors such as confident (used to describe texts that use active voice and/or words such as will , must , etc.) or tentative (texts with words such as seems , appears , might , etc.). This tool is useful in helping students successfully align the tone of their paraphrased material with the tone of the original text.

Student Self-Check Prompts

Students should outgrow the tools above, and teachers can encourage that growth by showing them how to monitor their own progress with paraphrasing. Students can self-check to determine how on track with paraphrasing they are by asking themselves these questions:

  • Can I identify elements of the text that are most significant (and thus appropriate to preserve) when I put it in my own words?
  • Can I recite elements of the text from memory in order to prepare to put it into my own words?
  • How can I adjust the sentence structure to preserve the meaning of the text?

Student Cautions

Because the journey to paraphrasing may involve a few hiccups, it’s a good idea to identify potential student challenges. When paraphrasing, remind students that they should:

  • Attempt to describe the text in their own words gradually, one component at a time (thanks to Doug Lemov and Maggie Johnson for this close reading strategy). For instance, they might first use their own words to describe significant phrases in the reading, and then make an effort to explain one or two key sentences, and finally attempt to paraphrase an entire paragraph.
  • Monitor the similarities between the text and the paraphrase. For instance, after describing specific sentences or paragraphs, they should note how many words are shared. Instead of using the same words as the author, focus on mirroring the same main idea. The Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning at Yale offers easy-to-follow models for how to achieve this.
  • Ensure that there is a sufficient number of word substitutions in the paraphrased material. (Substituting only a couple of words could constitute plagiarism.) Students should focus on changing the structure of the sentence . This may involve converting a simple sentence to a compound sentence or adding a prepositional phrase.
  • Avoid adjusting special language (acronyms, figurative language, jargon, etc.). These kinds of terms are considered common knowledge, so using them in a paraphrase doesn’t constitute plagiarism. Resources such as the Purdue Online Writing Lab can help students figure out whether a particular term is common knowledge.

Teachers can push students to move beyond copying by encouraging them to see paraphrasing as the go-to reading response. When we equip students with needed resources, we make student voice the rule instead of the exception.

I Used My Own Words! Paraphrasing Informational Texts

I Used My Own Words! Paraphrasing Informational Texts

  • Resources & Preparation
  • Instructional Plan
  • Related Resources

Paraphrasing helps students make connections with prior knowledge, demonstrate comprehension, and remember what they have read. Through careful explanation and thorough modeling by the teacher in this lesson, students learn to use paraphrasing to monitor their comprehension and acquire new information. They also realize that if they cannot paraphrase after reading, they need to go back and reread to clarify information. In pairs, students engage in guided practice so that they can learn to use the strategy independently. Students will need prompting and encouragement to use this strategy after the initial instruction is completed. The lesson can be extended to help students prepare to write reports about particular topics.

Featured Resources

  • San Diego Zoo: Animal Bytes  
  • National Geographic Kids: Creature Features  
  • Australia Zoo: Amazing Animals

From Theory to Practice

  • Paraphrasing helps readers monitor their comprehension.  
  • Paraphrasing encourages readers to make connections with prior knowledge.  
  • Paraphrasing helps readers remember what they have read.
  • In effective strategy instruction, the teacher explains the purpose of the strategy, how to use it, and when and where to use it  
  • In effective strategy instruction, the teacher models strategy use for students and provides guided practice before expecting students to use the strategy independently.

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

  • 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
  • 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).

Materials and Technology

  • Computers with Internet access  
  • Whiteboard (or overhead) for projection of text and shared writing  
  • Print or digital texts on instructional levels of students in the class  
  • Individual copies of texts (if computers are not available)

Preparation

1. Visit the listed websites so that you are familiar with their organization and content. Bookmark these on your classroom computers.
 
2. If all students do not have access to computers, print the texts that you will be using from the websites.
 
3. For students to be able to paraphrase effectively, material should be on instructional (or independent) level. This will mean that you may have to have various texts, either print or digital, available to match the instructional levels of your students.
 

Student Objectives

Students will

  • Demonstrate comprehension by paraphrasing facts from informational texts  
  • Gain knowledge and apply what they have learned about paraphrasing by reading information about three unusual animals

Session 1: Introduction of Paraphrasing

1. Use the following explanations when introducing paraphrasing to students:
a. Paraphrasing means putting what you have read into your own words.
b. You paraphrase by reading something, thinking about what it means, and then restating it in your own words.
c. Paraphrasing is a useful strategy to check to be sure that you have understood when reading something difficult or something that is important to remember.
d. If you cannot paraphrase after reading, it is important to go back and reread to clarify information.

Session 2: Review and Guided Practice With Paraphrasing

1. Review what paraphrasing is, how to do it, when to do it, and why it is important. This can be a brief review reminding students of what they have already learned.
 
2. Ask students what they know about the anaconda. Record their responses on the whiteboard. Direct them to look at the information about the anaconda from the website on the first screen. After everyone has had an opportunity to read the text with the first photograph, think aloud as you paraphrase it.

You might say, "Okay, I'm going to paraphrase this first paragraph by putting it in my own words. Remember that I do that to make sure that I have understood it and to help me remember the information. Let's see, the green anaconda is bigger than all other snakes in the world if you think about how long it is and how much it weighs. That must mean that some snakes are longer but don't weigh as much, and some snakes may weigh that much but aren't as long." Again, if you believe the length and weight are important, you could add: "It's 30 feet long and weighs 550 pounds."
 
3. Go to the second screen about the anaconda, and invite students to paraphrase it with you. You may want to write the paraphrase on the whiteboard. A possible paraphrase would be "The anaconda would be as long as 5 kids lying head to foot and would weigh as much as 11 kids all together. If you tried to reach around it, it would be like reaching around a man. There are other snakes like it that are big, too."
 
4. If students seem to get the idea of paraphrasing, ask them to get into pairs, go to the subsequent screens about the anaconda, read each of them, and paraphrase together. Walk around the classroom, checking the paraphrasing of each pair and providing support if needed.
 
5. If students are having difficulty, provide more guided practice as an entire group or group students who need more help into a small group and give more guided practice through the additional 10 screens about the anaconda.
 
6. At the end of the session, ask students to write what they have learned about the anaconda without referring to the computer screens. Ask if they remember more because they took time to paraphrase. Take the writing from them to check for content and whether they have used their own words.

Session 3: Review and Guided Practice With Paraphrasing

1. Remind students what paraphrasing is, how to do it, when to do it, and why it is useful. This explanation should be brief.
 
2. Tell students that you are going to use paraphrasing to find out more about another animal that may not be well-known to them. Show a picture of the echidna from the website, and ask students if they know what the animal is. Discuss what they already know about the echidna or what they could guess from looking at its picture. List the information on the whiteboard.
 
3. Read the first paragraph about the echidna together. This text is more difficult than the texts about the okapi and the anaconda, so you can use it to model your thought process as if you did not understand on the first read. Think aloud, modeling what you would do if you did not remember or understand what was in the paragraph and then reread.

For example, you might say, "Okay, I'm going to put this into my own words so I can be sure I have understood it and can remember it. The echidna has a long tongue and it has spines. Uh-oh, that's all I remember; there was something about curling inside, but I don't remember what. I'd better read it again!" Reread and then start again, "The echidna has a narrow nose and long tongue to catch insects. Its spines protect it from enemies, and it curls up when it's scared."
 
4. Have students read in pairs and paraphrase subsequent paragraphs about the echidna. For each paragraph, have both students read the paragraph. As one student paraphrases, the other student checks for "using your own words" and remembering the points in the paragraph. As pairs of students are practicing, listen to them to be certain that they have the idea. If there are some students who are having trouble, gather them into a small group and provide more guidance for their practice.
 
5. At the end of the session, ask students to write what they now know about the echidna without referring to the computer screens. Collect their writing to check to be sure that they have used their own words and that they have understood the information correctly.

Session 4: Review and Independent Practice With Paraphrasing

1. Ask students what paraphrasing is, how to do it, when to do it, and why it is useful. If one student responds, repeat the explanation so that all students understand.
 
2. Explain to students that they have practiced paraphrasing as a way to monitor whether they have understood what they are reading and as a way to help them remember what they read. In this session, students will read and paraphrase independently. At the end of the session, they will share what they have learned with the other students.
 
3. At the website, each student will choose an animal to read about. If all students do not have access to a computer at the same time, you can print the information ahead of time and have students read the hard copy. Or, if students have access to computers but not all at the same time in the classroom, you can ask them to complete this assignment when their turn at the computer comes. You could also have students work in pairs if there isn't enough time for each of them to have a turn at the computer.
 
4. Students will read the text about an animal of their choice, paraphrase as they read, and write down what they have learned. Remind students not to write until they have orally (or silently) paraphrased the information. At the end of the session, students can share their information either in small groups or with the entire class. Take the written information from students to check both accuracy and that they have used their own words.

Paraphrasing is a good way to prepare students to write written reports. When students put information into their own words, they are not copying directly from a text. After the previous four sessions, a possible extension would be to identify another topic (such as countries, planets, plants), have students brainstorm what kind of questions would be interesting to answer about these, assign print materials or websites for students to read and paraphrase, take notes to answer the questions, and prepare written reports. These would be more formal than the quick writes that were done in the paraphrasing sessions.

Student Assessment / Reflections

  • Throughout the sessions, when students are working in pairs or independently, make note of whether or not they are using their own words in paraphrasing. Be ready to intervene with additional modeling and practice if students are having difficulty paraphrasing.  
  • The quick writes at the end of the sessions should be collected to see whether students are using their own words, whether they have understood the text they read, and what information they have learned about the animals. Compare the prior knowledge that you assessed at the beginning of each session with the information included in the quick writes to see what new information has been learned.

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  • What is Paraphrasing? An Overview With Examples
  • Learn English
  • James Prior
  • No Comments
  • Updated February 23, 2024

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

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

Paraphrasing

Table of Contents

Paraphrase Definition: What is Paraphrasing?

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

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

Why is Paraphrasing Important?

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

Here are some key reasons why you should paraphrase:

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

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

When Should You Paraphrase?

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

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

What Are the Benefits of Paraphrasing?

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

Avoiding Plagiarism

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

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

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

Enhancing Understanding

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

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

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

Tailoring Information for Your Audience

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

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

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

Improves Writing Skills

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

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

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

Saves Time and Energy

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

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

Examples of Paraphrasing

Here are some examples of paraphrasing:

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

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

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

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

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

Paraphrasing

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

The use of quotation marks is vital when quoting.

Summarizing

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

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

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

Conclusion (In Our Own Words)

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

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

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Paraphrasing

the popular poster, "keep calm and carry on," next to a paraphrased version that says, "stay relaxed and keep going"

Paraphrasing is another way of presenting ideas from source material in your own words, but without the condensing that happens in a summary. Instead, paraphrases stay approximately the same length as the original source material being paraphrased.

Why paraphrase?

To demonstrate understanding.

Paraphrasing can demonstrate your understanding of a text, including its more complex details and connections between its main points, and can also help you double-check the depth of your understanding of a text.

To Provide Support

You might paraphrase a section from a source (unlike summary, it is unlikely that you will ever need to paraphrase an entire source) when an idea or point in that source is important to an assignment you are working on and you feel it needs to be included, but you can rephrase it in a way that fits your work without losing any key information.

the words "pro tip" in a speech bubble

For example, let’s look at the last paragraph of the Scientific American article (found at www.scientificamerican.com) “ Are you a Magnet for Mosquitoes? ,” about why mosquitoes are more attracted to some humans than others. The sentence, “Scientists that study human odors and genetics have previously suggested scent cues associated with genetics are likely controlled via the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes” could be a good candidate for a direct quote because I wouldn’t know how to paraphrase the part about MHC genes.

The sentence that follows, though, says this:

“Those genes appear to play a role in odor production and also in mammals’ mating choices—because humans and mice alike appear to prefer mates that smell less similar to themselves, which scientists have theorized may be a natural control against inbreeding.”

Since there isn’t particularly specialized or original language in here that must be preserved, this second sentence is a good candidate for paraphrase. One way (of many possibilities!) this might look is like this:

These same genes that might be attracting mosquitoes more to some of us than to others could also be helping us choose partners that we aren’t likely to be related to.

What Makes Something a Paraphrase?

A paraphrase

  • Is in your own words.
  • Is not condensed.
  • Avoids personal opinion.
  • Is completely rephrased from the original.

Like summary, a paraphrase is someone else’s ideas rewritten in your own words. Unlike summary, though, paraphrase should not be condensed—the ideas as you write them should take up about the same amount of space as they do in the original text. A paraphrase should not include your own opinions about the topic, what the author of the text is saying about it, or how that author is presenting their point

It can be easy, when writing a paraphrase, to rely on some of the original author’s phrasing or direct synonyms for the author’s original words. Remember that a paraphrase must be entirely your own writing, not just phrases or words substituted in the same sentence structure, length, etc. used by the original text. Write paraphrases in sentence structures that are natural to you and true to your own writing voice. The only job of a paraphrase is to accurately and completely represent the relevant idea presented in the text you are paraphrasing.

How Should I Organize a Paraphrase?

It is not likely that you will encounter an assignment that solely requires you to paraphrase a text. Instead, you will use paraphrase to support your own points and ideas in work with a wide range of goals. That said, there are still some guidelines for incorporating paraphrase into your work:

  • Introduce the author and original text, just as you would for a summary.
  • If there is relevant context, mention that as well.
  • Then, restate the part of the original text that you want to use into your own original language and sentence structures.
  • Include a parenthetical citation (if appropriate) at the end of the paraphrased material. (To learn how to do this correctly, see the discussion of in-text citation in “ Crediting and Citing Your Sources ,” part of the “Using Sources Correctly” section of this text.)
  • After delivering and citing the paraphrased material, reconnect that information to your own topic and point.

Check Your Understanding: Creating a Paraphrase

Here is a brief passage from Sarah Boxer’s article in The Atlantic, “ An Artist for the Instagram Age ”: “The fact that some folks have managed to make the scene while others get left out in the cold is integral to the excitement of participatory art. The thrill is akin to exotic travel, or getting to see Hamilton. Because not everyone who wants the experience actually gets the experience, these works, even if their intentions and messages are democratic, tend to become exclusive affairs.”

Which of the following is an appropriate paraphrase of this passage? Why is that one “good” and the other one less functional as a paraphrase?

  • The truth that many people have been able to attend these events as others have been shut out of them is key to what makes this kind of art appealing. The excitement is similar to visiting foreign countries or attending a showing of a sold-out musical. Since some people who wish to attend can’t do so, these art forms, despite not necessarily wanting to, often end up denying access to many would-be attendees.
  • Boxer notes that this kind of art only maintains its appeal as long as there are more people clamoring to view it than can possibly actually view it. This reliance on scarcity means these artists are ultimately relying on elitist principles to find their success and remain in demand.

See the Appendix, Results for the “Check Your Understanding” Activities , for answers.

The Word on College Reading and Writing Copyright © by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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What Is Paraphrasing? 4 Types And Examples

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

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

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

What you will learn

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

What is paraphrasing?

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

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

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

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

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Here is the text from the original Wikipedia source.

activity 4 paraphrasing time brainly

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

You can use Surfer’s paraphrasing tool to improve the readability and flow of your writing.

The free paraphraser can help you rephrase paragraphs and sentences to ensure they are clear, engaging, and professional without losing their original message.

Why is paraphrasing important?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4 types of paraphrasing

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

1. Rewriting text

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

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

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

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

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

Simply highlight the text and ask Surfy to rewrite it.

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Surfy will give you a properly rewritten sentence.

activity 4 paraphrasing time brainly

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

2. Expand and clarify

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

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

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

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

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

activity 4 paraphrasing time brainly

3. Condense and focus

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

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

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

activity 4 paraphrasing time brainly

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

activity 4 paraphrasing time brainly

The paraphrased text uses shorter sentences and simpler words.

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

4. Adapt your tone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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And here are the results.

activity 4 paraphrasing time brainly

What is the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing?

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

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

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

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

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

activity 4 paraphrasing time brainly

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

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

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

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

What is the difference between paraphrasing and rephrasing?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

activity 4 paraphrasing time brainly

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

activity 4 paraphrasing time brainly

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

activity 4 paraphrasing time brainly

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

Key takeaways

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

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

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

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

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Advanced Paraphrasing Tool

Elevate your writing with our free and ai-powered paraphraser. instantly correct or rephrase your sentences in different tones., paraphrasing tool, please rewrite my sentence, what is paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing is the art of rewriting text into other words. This includes using synonyms, restructuring phrases, and connecting ideas in different ways. A state-of-the-art paraphraser provides automatic and simple-to-use rephrasing of complete sentences.

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Why Should I Paraphrase My Sentences?

By paraphrasing existing sentences, you can elevate your writing and achieve different goals as a writer. That’s why rephrasing is helpful in plenty of cases: rewriting citations, strengthening the message of your text, and rewording your ideas while improving style.

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How Does Rephrasing Help Me Become a Better Writer?

This feature is highly customizable, meaning you’re in control. Choose from five different categories—general, formal, concise, fluent, or simple—to transform your writing to better suit the context and tone. Paraphrasing helps you by refining and perfecting your masterpieces.

Where Can I Use the Paraphrasing Tool?

Rephrasing is available wherever and whenever! All you need is a LanguageTool account and a stable internet connection to rewrite your sentences in almost all of LanguageTool's extensions. The feature is easily accessible for everyone that aims to improve their writing.

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What exactly does an online paraphraser do.

LanguageTool’s paraphrasing feature does so much more than just rewrite sentences. Not only does it check for stronger, more suitable word choice, but it also corrects your sentence as a whole to ensure high-quality writing. With its intuitive and user-friendly interface, everyone can leverage Artificial Intelligence to achieve the best results possible.

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What Other Features Does LanguageTool’s Paraphraser Provide?

The best part of using A.I. to paraphrase your writing is that the suggested sentences come free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Want to also improve style? Simply go back to the general correction to view stylistic suggestions.

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As multilingual as you

Make your text sound professional and avoid embarrassing style, punctuation, and grammar mistakes

It’s an online tool that rewrites texts in a new (stylistically different) way by using alternative wording and a rephrased sentence structure.

This function is recommended for all types of texts, including professional, academic, and creative writing. It’s available for all LanguageTool users, but unlimited paraphrasing is only available in Premium.

A paraphrasing tool can easily enhance your writing by improving the tone and style of your text. Moreover, it helps you avoid having to write direct citations by rewriting copy-and-pasted text.

Premium accounts offer even more useful and powerful features:

Only with Premium

Sentence correction of longer texts

Style guide for customizing individual rules

Team features for companies

More in-depth suggestions, especially for word choice and style

How Can I Effectively Use the Rephrasing Tool?

For basic users, the paraphrasing feature is limited to three times daily. If you need more rephrased sentences, you can upgrade to LanguageTool Premium to get access to unlimited paraphrasing in six languages and several English dialects. Remember: No personal data is stored (ever) and privacy guidelines are strictly followed (always).

Strengthen Your Communication Skills

Try out the best paraphrasing tool for free and discover how LanguageTool can elevate your writing.

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IMAGES

  1. Paraphrasing Worksheets

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  2. Paraphrasing Worksheets 4th Grade

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  3. Paraphrasing And Summarizing Exercises

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  4. Paraphrasing Worksheets

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  5. Paraphrasing Worksheets 4th Grade First Grade Workshe

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  6. Paraphrasing Practice Activity by ReAnna Laney Gailes

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VIDEO

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  6. Class 8 English 4.4.1,describe the graph and paraphrase it,Class 8 English Chapter 4.4.1

COMMENTS

  1. Paraphrasing

    Some tips for paraphrasing acceptably: 1. Be sure to look at the original text as you paraphrase it. 2. Be sure to write signal phrase and an in-text citation for each paraphrase. 4. Focus on the meaning of the original text. 5. Read and re-read the passage to make sure you understand it.. What is paraphrasing? A paraphrase is a restatement of a text or passage's meaning using different terms.

  2. Teaching Students to Paraphrase

    But teaching effective paraphrasing is necessary because the use of paraphrasing facilitates important literacy skills: It encourages repeated reading, develops note-taking habits as students track quotes and outline text details, and expands vocabulary as they consider appropriate ways to describe the original text.The skill may seem daunting to students because it takes time to find the ...

  3. I Used My Own Words! Paraphrasing Informational Texts

    Ask if they remember more because they took time to paraphrase. Take the writing from them to check for content and whether they have used their own words. ... I do wish there were more strategies and examples to show the different methods of paraphrasing, but the activity and tips are quite useful. Thanks! Tim Crider. K-12 Teacher. This lesson ...

  4. Activity 4 Directions: Read the original text below and make ...

    Activity 4 Directions: Read the original text below and make a paraphrase from the selection of phrases provided on the next page. Information systems make it possible for business to adopt flatter, more decentralized structures, and more flexible arrangements for employees and management.

  5. What is Paraphrasing? An Overview With Examples

    Example 6. Original: "Regular exercise is crucial for maintaining optimal physical health and preventing various health issues.". Paraphrased: "Exercising regularly is important for keeping your body healthy and avoiding health problems.". In these examples, you can observe the use of different wording, sentence structure, and synonyms ...

  6. Master Paraphrasing a Paragraph: Tips, Techniques & Tools

    1 Read the source paragraph thoroughly. Don't jump into rewriting a paragraph. First, take time to review the original carefully. Read and reread the paragraph until you're sure you understand each part. Otherwise, you may misinterpret something in your paraphrase, or forget to include it completely.

  7. Brainly

    Brainly is the knowledge-sharing community where hundreds of millions of students and experts put their heads together to crack their toughest homework questions. Brainly - Learning, Your Way. - Homework Help, AI Tutor & Test Prep

  8. Paraphrasing

    1:34. Paraphrasing is easier if you follow these tips: 1:38. Identify the exact passage you want to paraphrase. 1:43. Look away from the text when paraphrasing so that you don't repeat the author's words. 1:48. Restate the author's ideas in different words that are equally specific. 1:53.

  9. Paraphrasing

    To paraphrase is to restate someone else's writing in your own words at the same level of detail and often the same overall length of the original work. In a paraphrase, you use your own words to explain the specific points another writer has made. If the original text refers to an idea or term discussed earlier in the text, your paraphrase ...

  10. Paraphrasing

    A paraphrase. Is in your own words. Is not condensed. Avoids personal opinion. Is completely rephrased from the original. Like summary, a paraphrase is someone else's ideas rewritten in your own words. Unlike summary, though, paraphrase should not be condensed—the ideas as you write them should take up about the same amount of space as they ...

  11. PDF Principles of Paraphrasing

    In education and psychology , the use of long quotes is not preferred. Paraphrasing allows you to succinctly compare, contrast, and synthesize the ideas of scholars in your field. Paraphrasing allows you to represent the ideas of others and demonstrate how your own ideas relate to and build on the ideas of other scholars.

  12. Homework Answers from Subject Matter Experts

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  13. Paraphrasing & Summarizing

    There are two ways. First of all, you can paraphrase. When you paraphrase, you say the same thing someone else said, but using different words. The other thing you can do is to summarize what someone else has said. When you summarize, you use different words and state the main idea. Your summary will be shorter than the original text.

  14. 1.8: Paraphrasing and Summarizing

    Figure 1.8.1 1.8. 1: "DACA protest" by vpickering is marked with CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. Look at the example quotation, paraphrase, and summary from the article "What the Supreme Court's DACA Ruling Means for Undocumented Students and the Colleges and Universities They Attend, Today" in Table 1.8.1 below.

  15. What Is Paraphrasing? 4 Types And Examples

    There are four main paraphrasing techniques: rewriting text, expanding and clarifying, condensing and focusing, and adapting your tone. Summarizing condenses an original text to its main ideas, whereas paraphrasing restates the text without losing its intended meaning.

  16. PDF PARAPHRASING ACTIVITIES

    ACTIVITY 4 . Build a paraphrase. Read the original text below and build a paraphrase from the selection of phrases provided on the next page. Information systems make it possible for business to adopt flatter, more decentralised structures and more flexible arrangements for employees and management. Organisations

  17. What is paraphrasing

    Answer. 15 people found it helpful. Ammimochi. report flag outlined. To express the meaning of the writer by using different words. Paraphrasing is usually used to clarify the meaning of a word, paragraph, sentence, etc. Advertisement.

  18. Paraphrasing Tool (Ad-Free and No Sign-up Required)

    Our Paraphraser is free to use. You can rephrase up to 125 words at a time, as many times as you'd like. There are no daily limits on free paraphrases. We also offer two free modes: Standard and Fluency. If you'd like to paraphrase more text at once and unlock additional modes, check out QuillBot Premium. Premium offers you unlimited inputs ...

  19. PDF Paraphrasing and Citation Activities, APA Style 7th Edition

    Activity 3: Writing a Long Paraphrase. This activity consists of three steps: Read the following published paragraphs and summarize them in your own words in two to three sentences (a long paraphrase). Do not repeat every idea. Instead, highlight important findings and accurately represent the meaning of the original.

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  21. Which illegal activity do summarizing and paraphrasing help

    When summarizing, you concisely restate the main ideas of a source in your own words, whereas paraphrasing involves restating the ideas from a source using new words and sentence structures. To avoid plagiarism, it is crucial to ensure that any paraphrased or summarized material accurately represents the original source, and that you do not ...

  22. PDF Paraphrasing Exercises With Answers (PDF)

    addictive mentality that often continues throughout adulthood Paraphrasing Strategies Henry Chuong,2017-04-18 Hurry up and get YOUR copy today for 2 99 only Regular price at 4 99 One of the most common questions my students ask

  23. Summarizing and paraphrasing help prevent which illegal activity?

    AI-generated answer. Summarizing and paraphrasing help prevent plagiarism, which is an illegal activity. Plagiarism refers to using someone else's work, ideas, or words without giving them proper credit. By summarizing and paraphrasing, you are rephrasing information in your own words while still acknowledging the original source.