What is Paraphrasing?
Whether you’re writing for school or working as a freelance writer, knowing what is paraphrasing is crucial to the success of your work.
Paraphrasing is the process of putting facts and figures into your own words. The process is important for several reasons, but it mainly helps avoid plagiarism.
To begin paraphrasing, try to break down the entire text into shorter ones. Try to be as concise as possible without changing the original meaning. When paraphrasing, make sure that your text is as clear and concise as possible.
If you’re paraphrasing a specific word or phrase, you’ll need to enclose it in quotation marks and document the source. Make sure you document all relevant detail. The paraphrase should be as close to the original as possible without changing the meaning or tone.
Paraphrasing in Academic Writing
In academic writing, paraphrasing can be a useful technique in breaking down complex ideas into more manageable chunks. It allows you to avoid plagiarism by breaking down the source text into a series of small ideas.
In a scholarly article, for example, many sentences are compound, making it difficult for readers to understand the main idea. During the paraphrasing process, break down the source text into its parts. If possible, make use of notes to make the paraphrase more readable.
In contrast to quoting, paraphrasing is a more effective method of communicating a message. It allows the writer to use their own words while keeping the core idea in the original text. Paraphrasing is more complex than simple word substitution, as it involves maintaining logical connections and substituting synonyms for the original words. In addition, paraphrasing allows writers to pick out a single point from a more lengthy discussion.
Examples of good paraphrasing
In some cases, it is not enough to merely copy-paste from a source. Effective paraphrasing demonstrates a shift in sentence structure, personalized elaboration, and paraphrased information.
To start paraphrasing, write your paraphrase on a note card, identifying key phrases and words that reflect the original’s meaning. It’s important to entact the meaning of original text. Also, add the name of the original author or the source if it is available.
Paraphrasing Example 1
The following paragraph offer an example of paraphrasing.
| Original Paragraph | Paraphrased Paragraph |
|---|---|
| To be effective, paraphrasing should be based on the source’s main idea. This requires a mental process, and it’s important to understand the original fully. Write your paraphrase on a note card, identifying key phrases and words that reflect the original’s meaning. It’s important to make the paraphrase match the original text, and use quotation marks to differentiate it from the source. This can save you time in the end! | In order to be effective, rephrases should take into account the main idea of the source. This requires a mental process, and it is necessary to fully understand the original. Write your information on note, search for key versions and words that show the value of nature. It is important to prepare a paraphrase to take original text and use the sign of the proposal to distinguish from the source. At the end you can save time! |
Paraphrasing Example 2:
When you are writing a paper, it’s critical to follow all the paraphrasing rules to keep it as a legal process. In addition, you should also be mindful of the tone and style of the piece. If you are unsure of how to phrase a sentence, use an academic phrasebank to find sentences you can modify into your own.
An effective paraphrasing tool will provide you multiple examples to help you refine your writing.
| Original Paragraph | Paraphrased Paragraph |
|---|---|
| The viruses have the attention of the World Health Organization (WHO) because, according to laboratory studies, their mutations might enable them to evade immunity gained from COVID-19 vaccines or prior infections more strongly than existing versions of Omicron. De Oliveira is clear, however, that he isn’t panicked by BA.4 and BA.5. Although the subvariants have rapidly gained ground in South Africa during the past month, rates of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are stable in the country. He’s also unruffled because he’s been through this before — his team has made similar discoveries during the pandemic and knows the drill. Right now, he says, “it’s just time to work carefully and diligently, but calmly.” | The virus has been brought to the attention of the World Health Organization (WHO) because laboratory studies have shown that mutations in the virus, unlike current versions of Omicron, can prevent a COVID-19 vaccine or immunity to previous infections. But it is clear that De Oliveira is not afraid of BA.4 and BA.5. Despite the rapid development of adverse events in South Africa in recent months, the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in South Africa remains stable. It’s also uncomfortable because he’s experienced this before. His team noticed such news during the pandemic and knows how to move. Now is the time to “work diligently, diligently, but calmly.” |
Remember that your paraphrased text should accurately convey the source’s meaning without copyright violations. If it’s not, you might be accused of plagiarism. To avoid plagiarism, you need to know how to create plagiarism free content.
It’s important to check for plagiarism before including the paraphrased text in your writing. We checked the plagiarism for original source before and after paraphrasing. Here are the results:
Plagiarism before paraphrasing
No plagiarism after paraphrasing
Steps to paraphrase
- Understande the source material.
- Write down key points and phrases that describe the original text and compare them to your own words.
- Use quotation marks when necessary and include relevant keywords or phrases to avoid confusion.
- If you’re paraphrasing a work by someone else, include in-text citations to ensure the author’s words are acknowledged.
- In addition, make sure you use synonyms and related terms.
Benefits of paraphrasing
The foremost benefit of paraphrasing is that it helps you retain information. Besides, the process of paraphrasing helps you avoid plagiarism and double-check your understanding of content. Moreover, it makes you more aware of content and enables you to express your ideas clearly. And if you’re a student, paraphrasing will improve your writing skills.
Another benefit of paraphrasing is that it promotes repeated reading, helps develop note-taking habits, and broadens your vocabulary. Unlike plagiarism, paraphrasing requires time to research words and phrases. You can also practice this skill through online resources, which make it easy to learn anytime. Once you’ve mastered the basics of paraphrasing, you’ll be on your way to producing quality articles.
Common mistakes made in paraphrasing
Check duplicate content
When paraphrasing, remember that plagiarism is a major issue. If you do not use citations correctly, you are committing plagiarism.
Cite original source
The original source is required, even if you paraphrased the text. Link to the original source confirms your point of view.
For this reason, it is important to follow all citation guidelines, whether they are online or in printed publications. Remember that paraphrasing requires attention to detail, and that using a plagiarism checker and citation generator is always a good idea.
Asad Shehzad is the founder of Paraphrasingtool.ai, a cutting-edge AI website providing text rewriting services. He has a deep understanding of NLP-related AI technologies and a decade of experience in the field. Under his leadership, the company has become a leader in its field, delivering high-quality and accurate services to customers worldwide. Asad is also a sought-after speaker and consultant on the topic of AI and its applications.
