A paraphrase (or paraphrasing) is a restatement of another piece of writing with new words or phrases while keeping the same meaning, usually to modify the language or simply avoid plagiarism. For example, Shakespeare’s famous line, “To be or not to be,” could be paraphrased as, “Is it better to exist or not exist at all?”
Paraphrasing is
an important communication technique, especially in research papers, to avoid
copying an original source verbatim. However, learning how to paraphrase can
take some practice, so below we explain what you need to know, starting with a
simple paraphrase definition.
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What is a
paraphrase?
Paraphrasing
takes an original passage and uses different words or phrases to express the
same meaning. Essentially, a paraphrase just rewrites the original text in its
own way.
A paraphrase
always uses unique wording, something you come up with that’s different from
the original source. Because they’re unique, paraphrases do not
require quotation marks as direct quotes do.
What is the
purpose of paraphrasing?
Why bother
paraphrasing when you can just quote the original source? With a variety of
benefits, paraphrasing comes in handy in quite a few different situations. In
particular, here are six common reasons to paraphrase:
1 Improve
word choice
Sometimes you just
want to rewrite the original text in your own words—maybe you want to fit it to
your personal writing style, or perhaps you just prefer your own word
choice. In any case, paraphrasing gives you the chance to pick your own words
or phrases while keeping the core of the message the same.
2 Change
subject matter
Paraphrasing is
very useful if you like the wording of the original passage but want to change
the subject to apply to something else. For example, Will Rogers’s famous
quote, “I never met a man I didn’t like,” is often paraphrased, sometimes
humorously, as in comedian Jim Gaffigan saying, “I never met a cheeseburger I
didn’t like.”
3 Avoid
plagiarizing
Rewriting
someone’s text without changing the words is plagiarism. If
you want to repeat a sentiment or cite another person’s research, you have to
at least put it into your own words or quote it directly, but overusing quotes
can also be problematic, as we see below.
4 Avoid
overusing quotes
Quotations are
great when the author said it best themselves, but use too many quotes and
you’re essentially just copying someone else’s work. If you’re constantly
referencing others’ works, it’s best to switch between paraphrasing and direct
quotes to make a piece of writing your own.
5 Avoid
problematic language
Occasionally,
the language in a direct quote won’t fit what you’re writing. Often this is a
mechanical mistake, such as a partial quote with the wrong subject-verb
agreement or gender pronoun.
Other times, it
could be insensitive or outdated language. For example, the famous (albeit
antiquated) line “a good man is hard to find” can be paraphrased more modernly
as “a good partner is hard to find.”
6 Shorten
lengthy quotes
Last,
paraphrasing works wonders when you need to condense a long, verbose quote to
make it more digestible. Some writers get paid by the word, so to speak, but if
you’re writing something meant to be concise, you can paraphrase their original
text more succinctly.
What is the
difference between paraphrasing and summarizing?
Paraphrasing
and summarizing are two similar and related ideas, so it makes sense that
they’re often confused with each other.
To tell them
apart, think of them like this: Paraphrasing is putting an individual passage
into your own words while summarizing is putting a text or passage’s main idea,
theme, or story into your own words.
Summarizing
deals with the big picture, such as an entire body of work or a complete
chapter, while paraphrasing deals with specific passages, from a few words to a
few paragraphs, but nothing terribly lengthy. Summaries are always shorter than
their original source, but paraphrases are typically around the same length as,
if not slightly shorter than, their source.
Another
distinction is that summaries tend to gloss over the details, as we mentioned
when explaining how to write a summary, whereas paraphrases can still
incorporate everything, as long as it’s reworded.
How to
paraphrase, with examples
Paraphrasing is
one of the five most effective methods for avoiding plagiarism, but how do
you say the same thing without using the same words? Here are some simple
strategies that we suggest in combination for effective paraphrasing:
1 Use
synonyms
Replace the
essential words of an original passage with other words that mean the same
thing, such as using “scientist” for “researcher,” or “seniors” for “the
elderly.” This is a common approach to paraphrasing, but it’s not sufficient on
its own. Combine this strategy with some of the others below to make your
writing appear fresh.
Original
text:
Some plants
release certain aromas to alert their plant neighbors that they’re under
attack.
Paraphrase:
Some
vegetation emits special scents to warn other plants that there’s danger
nearby.
2 Change
the parts of speech
Sometimes, you
can rephrase a sentence by changing the parts of speech, such as converting
a gerund into the operative verb, or turning an adjective into an
adverb. This strategy depends on the wording of the original passage, so you
may not always have the opportunity; we also suggest using this in combination
with other strategies here for more original writing.
Original
text:
Polar bears
are almost undetectable by infrared cameras because of how they conserve heat.
Paraphrase:
Polar bears
cannot be detected easily by infrared cameras due to their unique heat
conservation.
3 Rearrange
the structure
You can switch
around the order of certain phrases and clauses—or mix and match them from
other sentences—to create brand new sentences. Although it may be tempting to
use the passive voice when paraphrasing, try to avoid it unless
there’s no other option.
Original
text:
The
observable universe consists of 50,000,000,000 galaxies.
Paraphrase:
Fifty
billion galaxies comprise the known universe.
4 Add
or remove pieces
If a part of a
quote isn’t relevant to what you’re writing about, you can remove it and
paraphrase the remainder in your own words. Likewise, you can add your own
personal take to an existing quote to help contextualize it or adapt it to your
topic. In either case, make sure you still reword whatever comes from the
original source.
Original
text:
Human eyes
get used to darkness after an hour, but by then they’ll be 100,000 times more
sensitive to light.
Paraphrase:
If you sit
in a dark room, your eyes will eventually adjust and become 100,000 times more
sensitive to light—but be careful when you turn on the light again!
Paraphrasing
FAQs
Have specific
questions about paraphrasing and how to paraphrase? You’re not alone! Here are
some frequently asked questions about paraphrasing by others just like
you.
What is
paraphrasing?
Paraphrasing is
restating another author’s original text in your own words. In essence, it is a
new piece of writing with the same meaning, as opposed to a direct quotation
from an existing piece of writing.
What is an
example of paraphrasing?
The original
passage from the US Declaration of Independence, “All men are created equal,”
can be paraphrased in a more progressive way as “All people are created
equal.”
How do you
paraphrase a sentence?
Some common
techniques for paraphrasing involve using synonyms, changing the parts of
speech, rearranging the sentence structure, and adding/removing specific
sections.
What makes a
good paraphrase?
A good
paraphrase has the same meaning as the original source, but with new words or
phrases. It’s best for taking another author’s sentiments and expressing them
in your own personal style.
Ensure your
writing is original
When writing
essays, research papers, and other academic writing assignments, you’re
expected to turn in documents that are wholly original and in your own words.
However, unintentional plagiarism is a risk many students face. Enter
Grammarly’s plagiarism detector, which checks your writing against 90
billion online texts to flag any instances of unoriginal wording. Writing with
Grammarly helps you avoid plagiarism and get better grades in the process.
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