How to paraphrase a paragraph

'Paraphrasing' means rewriting the same information in a different way. It helps you better to integrate the ideas into the particular piece you are writing.

1. Step-by-step paraphrasing
2. Text Comparison: Example original text and paraphrased text
3. Sentence Analysis

Decide what the key information is, for the purposes of your discussion.
Change the order of the ideas and the words. This can help you to emphasise your interpretation of the original text.
Change the word form/grammatical form if necessary.
Use synonyms if appropriate, but do not change any specific terminology. In the example below, terms such as 'plagiarism management', 'universities', 'students' and 'distance' were not changed. The best place to find suitable synonyms will be elsewhere in the same article.
If some words stay the same in the same order (three or more consecutive words), you need to use quotation marks around these words.
Repeat the author's name or a pronoun through the paraphrase, so it is clear that we are still reading a paraphrase.
Add a detail about where the information came from, if necessary. In the example below, the information 'through her study of eighteen policies on plagiarism from different universities' was added, to give some context to the claims.
Keep the author name and page number. (You may have been told that you do not need the page number for a paraphrase, but if the idea came from one specific page, it is still useful to include it. That way, you can check the information again if you need to.)

"Universities also place the burden of understanding plagiarism and attribution conventions on students. There are myriad information-laden web-based self-help tutorials and workshops on related sites for the universities in this study. Many are excellent resources and can be helpful. Nevertheless, the lack of additional, detailed individual assistance about the techniques of engaging in academic writing conventions, particularly for students studying in off-campus or distance modes, raises issues of equity for plagiarism management policy makers." (Sutherland-Smith, 2010:9).

References
Sutherland-Smith, W. (2010) 'Retribution, deterrence and reform: the dilemmas of plagiarism management in universities', Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 32 (1) 5-16. Available at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13600800903440519 Accessed on 19 January 2020.

The responsibility for learning how to reference correctly and avoid plagiarism tends to be passed from the university to the students, as Sutherland-Smith (2010:9) found, through her study of eighteen policies on plagiarism from different universities. She also points out that although many universities provide online self-access resources for students to try to learn more about this area, the support provided is, on the whole, inadequate. Sutherland-Smith expands further to explain that this inadequacy is partly because the advice provided is not specific enough for each student, and partly because distance students will often receive even less support. She concludes that these issues carry implications for the decisions around plagiarism management, as some students may receive more assistance than others, leading to questions of inequity.

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Original: Universities also place the burden of understanding plagiarism and attribution conventions on students.
Paraphrase: The responsibility for learning how to reference correctly and avoid plagiarism tends to be passed from the university to the students, as Sutherland-Smith (2010:9) found.

Here, the following changes have been made:

Order of ideas or words (look for where 'university' appears)
Word form (active 'place the burden on' changed to passive 'to be passed to')
Synonyms ('understanding' changed to 'learning how to', 'plagiarism and attribution conventions' changed to 'reference correctly and avoid plagiarism'). Note some key terms have not been changed.

Original: There are myriad information-laden web-based self-help tutorials and workshops on related sites for the universities in this study.
Paraphrase: She also points out that [...] many universities provide online self-access resources for students to try to learn more about this area,

Here, the following changes have been made:

Order of ideas or words (look for where 'university' appears)
Word form (descriptive 'There are' changed to active 'many universities provide')
Synonyms (' information-laden web-based self-help tutorials and workshops on related sites' changed to 'online self-access resources', 'myriad' changed to 'many'). Note some key terms have not been changed.
Some information has been added, to help explain the meaning ('for students to try to learn more about this area')

Many are excellent resources and can be helpful.

Comment: This sentence was not included in the new paraphrase, as the writer felt it was not important for their discussion.

Original: Nevertheless, the lack of additional, detailed individual assistance about the techniques of engaging in academic writing conventions, particularly for students studying in off-campus or distance modes, raises issues of equity for plagiarism management policy makers.

Paraphrase: ...the support provided is, on the whole, inadequate. Sutherland-Smith expands further to explain that this inadequacy is partly because the advice provided is not specific enough for each student, and partly because distance students will often receive even less support. She concludes that these issues carry implications for the decisions around plagiarism management, as some students may receive more assistance than others, leading to questions of inequity.

Here, the following changes have been made:

The information has been divided into sub-points, to try to express the point more clearly. Some explanatory words and linking words have been added, to help explain the meaning and to show that it is the original author who has made these claims ('Sutherland-Smith expands further to explain that...')
Synonyms ('issues of equity' changed to 'questions of inequity', 'raises issues' changed to 'carry implications'). Note some key terms have not been changed.

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Many students do a “copy and paste” method of paraphrasing, where they basically copy the original text into their assignment and then change a few words.

For example:

Original text: Selecting key information when taking notes is essential for ensuring a well-structured essay.

Attempted paraphrase: Selecting main information when note-taking is vital to ensure a well-structured essay (Strongman, 2013).

Although a few words have been changed, it hasn’t been properly rewritten and this is considered plagiarism. Turnitin will usually highlight a sentence if most of the words are the same as the original text.

Avoid this by ensuring you completely rewrite the sentence, including changing the sentence structure and most of the words.

Paraphrasing is common when writing an essay or research paper. It allows you to explain important ideas in your own writing style and focus on the information that is most useful in making your point. Even when you put someone else's ideas into your own words, you must cite the source of your information. This gives credit to the original author for their ideas.

Paraphrasing is slightly different than summarizing. When you summarize a passage, you focus on restating only the main idea in your own words. Paraphrasing, on the other hand, aims to provide most of the information in a slightly condensed form. Summaries are much shorter than the original passage, while paraphrasing can be shorter, longer or the same length.

Paraphrasing Sentences

Sometimes you only need to paraphrase the information from one sentence. Here are some examples of paraphrasing individual sentences:

Original: Her life spanned years of incredible change for women as they gained more rights than ever before.
Paraphrase: She lived through the exciting era of women's liberation.

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 daily.

Original: Any trip to Italy should include a visit to Tuscany to sample the region's exquisite wines.
Paraphrase: Be sure to make time for a Tuscan wine-tasting experience when visiting Italy.

Original: Symptoms of influenza include fever and nasal congestion.
Paraphrase: A stuffy nose and elevated temperature are signs you may have the flu.

Original: The price of a resort vacation typically includes meals, tips and equipment rentals, which makes your trip more cost-effective.
Paraphrase: All-inclusive resort vacations can make for an economical trip.

Original: He has tons of stuff to throw away.
Paraphrase: He needs to get rid of a lot of junk.

Paraphrasing Paragraphs

Paraphrasing a longer passage can take a little more effort, as you have to ensure it is different enough from the original to be classed as your own work.

Here is an example of paraphrasing a paragraph from “Family Values and Feudal Codes: The Social Politics of America’s Twenty-First Century Gangster.” Journal of Popular Culture 37.4 (2004) by Ingrid Field Walker, taken from Duke University Libraries.

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 Soprano’s mobster activities are more threatened by members of his biological family than by agents of the federal government. This familial betrayal is multi-pronged. Tony’s 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, if not worse than, problems caused by the federal government. Details about this betrayal include someone close turning informant, a hit being put out on Tony by family members, and Tony’s kids tracking his activities. As you can see, the main idea and important details are included in the paraphrased version, though the wording is quite different.

Here is a summary of some of the main changes made during the paraphrasing process:

Early in the series = first season
Greatest threat = more threatened
One of his closest associates = closest friend and associate
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

There is a fine line between plagiarism and paraphrasing. If the wording, or even the sentence structure, of the paraphrased text is too close to the wording of the original content, it will look like you are trying to pass off someone else's words as your own. This is plagiarism, which is unethical and even illegal in some cases. The main ideas need to come through, but the wording has to be your own.

If you don't think you can paraphrase a sentence or passage and have the meaning come across as clearly, you can use the original author's exact words if you put them in quotation marks. You will also need to identify the source of the material by giving the author's name. For example:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

In this example, Dr. King's exact words are quoted, and he is given credit for them in the sentence.

If you choose to paraphrase information and put it into your own words instead, you will still need to give credit to the original author for ideas that are unique and not common knowledge. For example:

According to New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, the economy is doing well based on GDP and falling unemployment.

In this case, the writer put Paul Krugman's ideas into their own words, but still gave credit for them by naming him as the source. This is required when the ideas aren't considered general knowledge available to all. Because Krugman is an expert in economics, these ideas are his and should be cited as such.

On the other hand, common facts like historical dates and basic information do not need to be cited. For example, you would not need to find an encyclopedia article to back you up if you wrote that the Battle of Gettysburg ended on July 3, 1863, or that the earth revolves around the sun. These are well-known facts accepted by all and do not require sources.

Be Clear and Concise

When writing a report or a research paper, you'll need to master paraphrasing to present relevant information in a clear, concise way. Practice putting facts and figures into your own words, and be sure to cite sources in the format required by your instructor, and you'll have no trouble getting your point across without worrying about plagiarism.

Now you know how to successfully paraphrase, we can show you how to correctly cite your sources with some bibliography examples.