Full Answer
Paraphrasing is about describing something without quoting it exactly the way it originally was, and instead giving a more general description of the language presented. “The weather was very rainy, so he decided to pack accordingly.
Paraphrases may sometimes include brief quotations, but most of the paraphrase should be in your own words. What might a paraphrase of this passage from Thoreau look like?
For example, using the Thoreau passage as an example, you might begin a paraphrase like this: Even though Thoreau (1854) praised the virtues of the intellectual life, he did not consider….
Paraphrases should begin by making it clear that the information to come is from your source. If you are using APA format, a year citation should follow your mention of the author. For example, using the Thoreau passage as an example, you might begin a paraphrase like this:
Example 1. 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.
Paraphrasing is ... Paraphrasing means 'to state something written or spoken in different words, especially in a shorter and simpler form to make the meaning clearer' (Cambridge Online Dictionary, 2022). Paraphrasing is 'a restating of someone else's thoughts or ideas in your own words.
The purpose of a paraphrase is to convey the meaning of the original message and, in doing so, to prove that you understand the passage well enough to restate it. The paraphrase should give the reader an accurate understanding of the author's position on the topic.
Paraphrasing is used when it's important to convey every idea in the original piece of writing. It does not use the author's words and structure.
A paraphrase is... your own rendition of essential information and ideas expressed by someone else, presented in a new form. · One legitimate way (when accompanied by accurate documentation) to borrow from a source.
Paraphrasing is a way of using different words and phrasing to present the same ideas. Paraphrasing is used with short sections of text, such as phrases and sentences. A paraphrase offers an alternative to using direct quotations and allows you to integrate evidence/source material into assignments.
Paraphrasing is when you state the ideas from another source in your own words. Even when you use your own words, if the ideas or facts came from another source, you need to cite where they came from.
Key Points Paraphrasing means rephrasing text or speech in your own words, without changing its meaning. Summarizing means cutting it down to its bare essentials. You can use both techniques to clarify and simplify complex information or ideas.
A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source. Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly. Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, including only the main point(s).
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.
STEP 1 - Read the passage several times to fully understand the meaning. STEP 2 - Note down key concepts. STEP 3 - Write your own version without looking at the original. STEP 4 - Compare your paraphrased text with the original one.
Summarizing and Paraphrasing It is important to be able to summarize and paraphrase correctly in order to effectively integrate your research into your essay without relying on direct quotation or committing plagiarism.
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 may also need to explain or define that idea.
Using the metaphor of a fruit to represent the pleasures of a thoughtful life, Thoreau suggests that men have become so traumatized by constant labor that their hands—as representative of their minds—have become unable to pick the fruits available to a less burdened life even when that fruit becomes available to them (p. 110).
It restates all the supporting points used by Thoreau to develop the idea that man is hurt by focusing too much on labor. The writer uses their own words for most of the paraphrase, allowing the writer to maintain a strong voice while sharing important information form the source.
Paraphrases may sometimes include brief quotations, but most of the paraphrase should be in your own words.
Be careful not to add information or commentary that isn’t part of the original passage in the midst of your paraphrase. You don’t want to add to or take away from the meaning of the passage you are paraphrasing. Save your comments and analysis until after you have finished your paraphrased and cited it appropriately.
Paraphrasing is likely the most common way you will integrate your source information. Quoting should be minimal in most research papers. Paraphrasing allows you to integrate sources without losing your voice as a writer to those sources. Paraphrasing can be tricky, however. You really have to make changes to the wording. Changing a few words here and there doesn’t count as a paraphrase, and, if you don’t quote those words, can get you into trouble with plagiarism.