Paraphrase: Write it in Your Own Words

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.

a more detailed restatement than a summary, which focuses concisely on a single main idea.

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill because...

it is better than quoting information from an undistinguished passage.

it helps you control the temptation to quote too much.

the mental process required for successful paraphrasing helps you to grasp the full meaning of the
original.

6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing

1.

Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.

2.

Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.

3.

Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this
material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate the subject of your
paraphrase.

4.

Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the
essential information in a new form.

5.

Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the
source.

6.

Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can credit it easily if you decide
to incorporate the material into your paper.

Some examples to compare

The original passage:
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the
final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted
matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking
notes. Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47.
A legitimate paraphrase:
In research papers students often quote excessively, failing to keep quoted material down to a desirable level.
Since the problem usually originates during note taking, it is essential to minimize the material recorded
verbatim (Lester 46-47).
An acceptable summary:
Students should take just a few notes in direct quotation from sources to help minimize the amount of quoted
material in a research paper (Lester 46-47).

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A plagiarized version:
Students often use too many direct quotations when they take notes, resulting in too many of them in the final
research paper. In fact, probably only about 10% of the final copy should consist of directly quoted material.
So it is important to limit the amount of source material copied while taking notes.

Examples of Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing involves taking a set of facts or opinions and rewording them.
When paraphrasing, it is important to keep the original meaning and to present it
in a new form. Basically, you are simply writing something in your own words
that expresses the original idea.
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Paraphrasing Blocks of Text
Paraphrasing can be done with individual sentences or entire paragraphs. There
are several examples of paraphrasing listed below for both long and short blocks
of text.
Paraphrasing Sentences
Here are some sentences that have been paraphrased:

Original: Her life spanned years of incredible change for women.

Paraphrase: Mary lived through an era of liberating reform for women.

Original: Giraffes like Acacia leaves and hay and they can consume 75
pounds of food a day.

Paraphrase: A giraffe can eat up to 75 pounds of Acacia leaves and hay

everyday.

Original: Any trip to Italy should include a visit to Tuscany to sample their
exquisite wines.

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Paraphrase: Be sure to include a Tuscan wine-tasting experience when

visiting Italy.
Paraphrasing Paragraphs
Duke's online website provides many examples of paraphrasing in order to help
students understand the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarism.
Here is an example of paraphrasing of a longer passage taken from the Duke
website.
Original Passage:
In The Sopranos, the mob is besieged as much by inner infidelity as it is by the
federal government. Early in the series, the greatest threat to Tony's Family is his
own biological family. One of his closest associates turns witness for the FBI, his
mother colludes with his uncle to contract a hit on Tony, and his kids click
through Web sites that track the federal crackdown in Tony's gangland.
Paraphrased Passage:
In the first season of The Sopranos, Tony Sopranos mobster activities are more
threatened by members of his biological family than by agents of the federal
government. This familial betrayal is multi-pronged. Tonys closest friend and
associate is an FBI informant, his mother and uncle are conspiring to have him
killed, and his children are surfing the Web for information about his activities.
The main point of this passage is that problems within the family are as bad as or
even worse than problems caused by the federal government. Details about this
betrayal include one family member turning informant, a hit being put out on
Tony by family members, and Tonys kids tracking his activities.
Here is a summary of some of the changes made during the paraphrasing
process:

Early in the series = first season

More threatened = greatest threat

Closest friend and associate = one family member

His mother colludes with his uncle = his mother and uncle are conspiring

His kids click through Web sites = his children are surfing the Web

Avoiding Plagiarism

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There is a fine line between plagiarism and paraphrasing. If the wording of the
paraphrase is too close to the wording of the original content, then it is
plagiarism. The main ideas need to come through, but the wording has to be
your own.
To use another persons writing in your own can be accomplished with quotes
and citations. A quote will need to be the exact wording and the author and
source will need to be identified.
Paraphrasing usually makes the passage shorter than the original. Another
option is to use a summary that is much shorter than the original and is an
overview of the main points

How to Recognize Plagiarism

Examples
Word for Word | Paraphrasing

Example 1 of 5

A paraphrased example must be cited. You cite a paraphrased example as you would a word-for-word quote.
Paraphrasing is a condensed version of another author's work, or putting the author's words into your own
words.

Read the example carefully!

Original Source Material: Developing complex skills in the classroom

involves the key ingredients identified in teaching pigeons to play pingpong and to bowl. The key ingredients are: (1) inducing a response, (2)
reinforcing subtle improvements or refinements in the behavior, (3)
providing for the transfer of stimulus control by gradually withdrawing the
prompts or cues, and (4) scheduling reinforcements so that the ratio of
reinforcements in responses gradually increases and natural reinforcers
can maintain their behavior.

Source: Gredler, M. E.
(2001). Learning and
instruction: Theory into
practice (4th ed.).
Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Plagiarized Version

Correct Version

Inducing a response, providing for the transfer

According to Gredler (2001), the same factors

of stimulus control by gradually withdrawing

apply to developing complex skills in a classroom

prompts or cues, reinforcing subtle

setting as to developing complex skills in any

improvements in the behavior, and scheduling

setting. A response must be induced, then

reinforcements so that natural reinforcers can

reinforced as it gets closer to the desired

maintain their behavior are the key ingredients

behavior. Reinforcers have to be scheduled

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identified both in teaching pigeons to play ping-

carefully, and cues have to be withdrawn

pong and in developing complex skills in the

gradually so that the new behaviors can be

classroom.

transferred and maintained.

References: Gredler, M. E. (2001). Learning

References: Gredler, M. E. (2001). Learning and

and instruction: Theory into practice (4th ed.).

instruction: Theory into practice (4th ed.). Upper

Upper Saddle, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Explanation: This example has been

Explanation: This example has been

plagiarized. The student has only moved the

paraphrased and is not considered plagiarized.

original author's words around, inserting and

The author was cited at the end of the passage

deleting small portions as needed. The student

as well as in the bibliographic section. Since

has not used quotation marks for the portions

paraphrasing occurred, quotation marks are not

that are still identical to the original, and has not

used. Nothing was directly quoted.

credited the original author.

Tips on Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing can be tricky. You need to make sure that you don't copy the
original author's style or wording. Even if you have a citation, such borrowing
would be considered plagiarism. Paraphrases should sound like you, using
vocabulary and sentence structures that your reader would recognize as your
work. To make sure you are not plagiarizing unintentionally, think about and jot
down the source's main points. Then, write your paraphrase without looking at
the original. When you have finished, compare your paraphrase with the
original:

Have you simply changed a few words to synonyms? Try again. Being
handy with a thesaurus is not enough to make the sentence yours.

Have you included exact sequences of words from the original? If so,
make sure to put quotation marks around those phrases, or re-write until
the entire paraphrase is your words.

Have you retained the meaning of the original? Changing the author's
meaning is not plagiarism, but academic honesty requires you to
represent other's work accurately in your writing.

Here's an example of a paraphrase in Josie's paper:

Original

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In the third season, Giles was officially relieved from his Watcher duties, but he
ignores that and continues as Buffy's trainer, confidant, and father-figure.
Paraphrase in Paper (MLA)
Despite his termination by the Watcher's Council in season three, Giles persists
to teach and counsel Buffy while playing a "father-figure" role (DeCandido 44).

And this complete citation appears in her "Works Cited" list.

DeCandido, Graceanne A. "Bibliographic Good vs. Evil in Buffy the Vampire
Slayer." American Libraries Sept. 1999: 44-47.

Paraphrasing

S. Kathleen Kitao
Kenji Kitao

When you write a paper, you use some information that you have read in books,
journals, on the Internet, etc. Your teacher might have told you, Use your own
words. In other words, even when you use someone elses information, you are
not allowed to use the words they wrote. You have to use your own. You have to
say the same thing in a different way. This is called paraphrasing.

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For example, if the book you are reading from says, John Adams, who was
involved in winning independence for the United States, was the second
President. You cannot write those words in your paper. You cannot even write,
John Adams, a man involved in winning independence for the United States, was
its second President. One way that you could re-write it is to say, The second
American President, John Adams, was also influential in gaining freedom for the
country.

However, in spite of being told to use your own words, you might not know how
to do it. There are a variety of techniques you can use. You can change the words
for words of similar meaning; you can change the grammar; you can change the
grammar or grammatical forms. In this reading, you will learn about ways that
you can paraphrase.

Methods of Paraphrasing

Before you even begin to paraphrase, you need to make certain that you
understand what you are reading. If you do not understand what you read, you
cannot paraphrase it.

There are six ways that you can change sentences to paraphrase the
information. You will probably not use all of them in the same sentence, but you
can use ones that are appropriate. (In each of the examples, only one change is
made. This is not enough if you are actually paraphrasing.) Read about each type
of change, and look at the examples. Then make that type of change in the
sample sentences that follow.

Changing Word Order

One way you can change a sentence for paraphrasing is to change the word
order. For example, you might change Because I slept too late, I missed my first
class to I missed my first class because I slept too late, or In order to pass
that class, I had to study very hard to I had to study very hard in order to pass
that class. It is sometimes necessary to change the wording of the parts of the
sentences. For example, Terry wanted more books, but he couldnt afford them,
can be changed to Terry couldnt afford more books, even though he wanted
them.

1. If youre going to New York for Christmas, be sure to take warm clothes.
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__Be sure to take warm clothes, if youre going to New York for
Christmas.___________
________________________________________________________________________________
2. Even though the weather was good, Joan was in a bad mood.
___Joan was in a bad mood, even though the weather was
good._____________________
________________________________________________________________________________
3. I had no money, so I borrowed some.
__I borrowed some money, because I had
none._____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Changing Parts of Speech

You can also change parts of speech. If the sentence uses a noun, you can
rewrite the sentence to use the verb or adjective form of the word, for example.
You can change Fifty-four men signed the Declaration of Independence to
Fifty-four men put their signatures on the Declaration of Independence.

1. The company needs to find a solution for this problem.

__The company needs to solve this
problem.______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
2. The poor economy has been the cause of high unemployment.
___The poor economy has caused high
unemployment.______________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
3. If you eat rabbit, you will find its taste like chicken.
__If you eat rabbit, you will find it tastes like
chicken.______________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Using Synonyms
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English has many synonyms -- words that have the same or similar meanings -so another way you can paraphrase is to change one word for a synonym. For
example, you could change Movies can be divided into three categories to
Movies can be divided into three types.

1. The way a person dresses affects the impression that other people have.
__ The way a person dresses influences the image that other people have.___
________________________________________________________________________________
2. That phrase means in a happy way.
___That expression means in a cheerful
way._____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
3. There is little chance that the situation will improve.
___There is little possibility that the circumstances will get
better.__________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Using Negatives or Opposite Expressions

Another way to paraphrase is to change a positive expression into a negative
expression, or a negative expression into a positive expression. You could change
Rather than building a traditional memorial, the city built a park to The city
did not build a traditional memorial; instead it built a park.

1. Shaun was disappointed, because the movie wasnt very good.

___Shaun wasnt satisfied, because the movie wasnt very
good.______________________
________________________________________________________________________________
2. Japan is not a small country, compared to European countries.
__Japan is a large country, compared to European
countries.________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
3. Geri wanted some candy, but there wasnt any in the bowl.

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__Geri wanted some candy, but the bowl was

empty.________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Combining or Separating Sentences

Long sentences can be divided, and short sentences can be combined with other
short sentences. You can change Ireland is a wonderful country, which has
beautiful scenery, friendly people, and an interesting history to Ireland is a
wonderful country. It has beautiful scenery, friendly people, and an interesting
history. You can also change Ireland is a wonderful country. It has beautiful
scenery, friendly people, and an interesting history to Ireland, which is a
wonderful country, has beautiful scenery, friendly people, and an interesting
history.

1. Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII. She is one of Englands most
famous queens.
__Elizabeth I, who was the daughter of Henry VIII, was one of Englands
most________
__famous queens.________________________________________________________________
2. This book is about a woman who pretended to be a man to join the army in
World War II. It is one of Lynns favorite books.
___This book, which is one of Lynns favorites, is about a woman who pretended
to___
___be a man to join the army in World War
II.______________________________________
3. If you go to London, you should be sure to visit Westminster Abbey, where
many of the kings and queens of England, as well as other famous people, are
buried.
__If you go to London, you should be sure to visit Westminster Abbey. Many kings
and_
__queens of England are buried there. Other famous people are buried there,
too.______

Using Different Grammar Structure, Voice

You can paraphrase by changing the grammar of a sentence, for example, but
changing from active voice (The dog bit the man) to passive voice (The man
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was bitten by the dog) or by making other changes in the grammar. You can
change It is not unusual for June to be a rainy month here to June is often a
rainy month here, or It is thought that this new plan will save money to Many
people think that this new plan will save money.

1. Various languages are spoken in this country.

__The people of this country speak various
languages._______________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
2. Frank studied French, and, as a result, he translated for our visitors from
France.
__Frank could translate for our visitors from France, because he had studied
French.__
________________________________________________________________________________
3. Tom McGovern got married three times and had five children.
___Tom McGovern had three wives and was the father of
five._______________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Exercise
Read the following sentences and paraphrase them, combining the techniques
that you learned in this article.
1. Gone with the Wind, which was published in 1936, covered 12 years of the life
of a woman named Scarlett OHara during and after the Civil War. It began when
she was 16 year old and tells the story of her love for two men.
___Published in 1936, Gone with the Wind was the story of Scarlett OHara and
the___
___two men she loved. It covers Scarletts life from the time she was 16 until she
was__
___28, during the Civil War and the years that
followed.____________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

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2. While Californias cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco are probably better
known, California is fortunate enough to have a great deal of beautiful scenery,
both in its mountains and along its coast.
___California might be well known for its cities, but it also has beautiful
mountain____
___and ocean
landscapes._________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

3. The Internet is a vast treasure house of knowledge, but it does not have any
central organization, and so it can be difficult to find information, if you are not
familiar with it.
___A great deal of information is available on the Internet. However, because
the_____
___information is not well organized, people who are not used to using the
Internet___
___may have difficulty finding the information they
want.__________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

4. Americans consider someone who looks them in the eye to be honest. A

person who looks down or looks away, in contrast, is suspected of being
dishonest.
___For people from the US, not looking someone in the eye is an indication
of_________
___ not telling the truth, while meeting a persons eyes is a sign that they are
telling__
___the truth.____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Paraphrasing exercise: ANSWERS

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Some young people who enrol in post-compulsory education and

training are discouraged workers who would be in employment if

jobs were available. However, the vanishing youth labour market is
not the sole reason for the upward extension of education. This
trend has been in process throughout the twentieth century. There
has been a generation ratchet effect: every generation of parents
wants its children to at least equal and preferably exceed its own
educational attainments. Hence the progressively rising levels of
educational aspiration which, in recent years, have interacted with
the decline in job opportunities.
(Roberts, 1997 pp.148-149)

1. Are any of these NOT acceptable as a paraphrase of the first sentence?

a) A percentage of young people in post-compulsory education and training
would prefer to be working but are unable to find jobs.

b) Some young people whoare in post-compulsory education and training

are disappointed employees who would prefer tohave jobs if employment
was available.
Some young people who enrol in post-compulsory education (and training)
are discouraged workers who would rather bein employment if jobs were
available.

This one is too close to the original: it follows exactly the same sentence structure
and changes only a few vocabulary items (and some of these changes are simply
swapping around the position of certain words).

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c) If there were sufficient jobs, some of the young people in postcompulsory education and training would rather be in work.

2. How could you paraphrase the second sentence?

However, the vanishing youth labour market is not the sole

reason for the upward extension of education.

Possible paraphrase:

However, the fact that there are fewer jobs for young people is not the
only reason why more of them are entering post-compulsory education.

This is the next paragraph:

It is often said that present-day high-tech economies need more skilled and
less unskilled labour than before, and that Britains and Europes
competitiveness depend on educating and training their young people to
rising world standards. This pull from the economy has certainly been one of
the forces behind the expansion of education, but it has been exceeded by
the push from underneath. The pace at which more young people have been
gaining qualifications at all levels, from GCSEs to degrees, has outpaced the
growth in the number of jobs for which these qualifications were formerly
required. Hence the devaluation of qualifications in terms of their labour
market returns. This has affected young people at all levels in the qualification
hierarchy, from 16-year-old job seekers to university graduates..

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(Roberts, 1997
p.149)

3. Look at these three essay titles:

Title 1

Account for the recent increase in the numbers of young people in post
compulsory education.
Paraphrase a) has been written to suit this title because it focuses on the reasons
why there is an increase therefore answering the instruction to account for it.
a)Roberts (1997) argues that although the demand for a skilled workforce has
contributed to the increasing number of young people in post-compulsory
education, a second factor is more significant. In a limited job market, as the
number of people with qualifications increases, employers can fill vacancies with
more highly qualified applicants than they could before. This, in turn, puts
pressure on young people to seek further qualifications and they therefore
remain in education.

Title 2

Todays high-tech world requires a highly skilled workforce. How

effectively does post-compulsory education in Britain meet this need?
Neither paragraph evaluates whether post-compulsory education gives people the
skills required by high-tech employers.

Title 3

Discuss the governments policy of encouraging more young people to go

into post-compulsory education.
Paraphrase b) has been written to answer this title because the writer is discussing
the effects of the policy. The writer wants to point out a disadvantage of the policy so
she has made her point clearly and then used only the part of the paragraph that is
relevant to support her point.

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b) Although the governments policy has resulted in more young people in postcompulsory education, this has not necessarily been to the advantage of the
young people themselves. As Roberts (1997) points out, when the number of
qualified applicants exceeds the number of jobs available, the qualifications
themselves become worth less in terms of the kind of job they enable people to
get. A job previously requiring A-levels, for example, might now be taken by
someone with a degree.

Reference
Roberts, K. (1997) Work and leisure in young peoples lives. in Haworth, J. (ed.) Work, Leisure and
well-being. London: Routledge

QUOTING, PARAPHRASING, SUMMARISING.

What are the differences among quoting, paraphrasing,?

These three ways of incorporating other writers' work into your own writing differ
according to the closeness of your writing to the source writing.
Quotations must be identical to the original, using a narrow segment of the source.
They must match the source document word for word and must be attributed to the
original author.
Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. 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). Once again, it is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to the original
source. Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview
of the source material.

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Why use quotations, paraphrases, and summaries?

Quotations, paraphrases, and summaries serve many purposes. You might use
them to . . .

Provide support for claims or add credibility to your writing

Refer to work that leads up to the work you are now doing

Give examples of several points of view on a subject

Call attention to a position that you wish to agree or disagree with

Highlight a particularly striking phrase, sentence, or passage by quoting the

original

Distance yourself from the original by quoting it in order to cue readers that the
words are not your own

Expand the breadth or depth of your writing

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