Whether you’re writing a paper, article, or story, most of the time, you need to use your own original ideas. But sometimes, the only option is to borrow ideas from specific sources and use them in your work. How can you avoid plagiarism in these situations? The workaround is to use good paraphrasing. It lets you convey the same point and won’t count as copying. But you need to know how to paraphrase correctly so that plagiarism won’t be a problem in your work.
This guide explores the art of rewording and how to use this technique to improve your academic writing. Furthermore, you’ll learn about the different types of paraphrasing to ensure zero accidental plagiarism while keeping your content engaging.
Paraphrasing Meaning
Paraphrasing is a writing technique where you convey existing ideas by changing words and phrases. It is another way to include the original source in your work without directly quoting the content. Writers use this technique on shorter text forms to ensure they don’t copy the material.
Example: There’s a blanket on the sofa. The cat is sleeping under the blanket.
Here is one way to paraphrase these sentences:
- The cat is napping under the quilt on the sofa.
There are two primary reasons why writers use this technique:
- To avoid any type of plagiarism accusations.
- To convey a point using fewer words.
Simple Paraphrasing Examples & Methods
Moving on, let’s understand simple ways to paraphrase existing work. There are also examples of each method to give you an idea of how to use them.
1. Rearrange Sentence Structure
How can you keep the idea or meaning of a sentence the same while rewording an original text? One way is to change the sentence’s structure, which involves moving words around. By the end, you should have a new sentence, but there are no changes to the core meaning.
Example: Duncan is a business management student who plays basketball for a semi-pro team. He was born in London but came to New York after his father got a new job. His father supports his desire to become a professional basketball player.
Paraphrased: Duncan plays basketball semi-professionally while studying business management. He’s originally from London but moved to New York when his father joined another company. His father backs his dream to play basketball professionally.
2. Use Synonyms
Synonyms allow you to swap out words from the quote without changing the original meaning. It’s like modifying a car’s body and changing its color, but the engine and the internals remain the same.
Example: The book explains the idea in an interesting way.
Paraphrased: The guide describes the concept in an engaging manner.
3. Change Parts of Speech
Changing the parts of speech lets you paraphrase anything without copying the source word-for-word. For example, you use adverbs instead of adjectives and verbs in place of nouns.
This lets you convey an idea by changing the vocabulary and sentences.
Example: Jack is a diligent employee. He is proactive and helps solve problems in his organization.
Paraphrased: Jack works diligently and proactively solves problems in his organization.
4. Use Idioms
Idioms are phrases whose meaning changes when considering the entire sentence instead of the individual words. For example, a piece of cake indicates it is extremely easy. However, the meaning changes completely if you look at each word individually.
Idioms let you paraphrase and change several words while keeping the material engaging. However, the meaning remains the same.
Example: The manufacturer used cheap materials to make this phone.
Paraphrased: The company cut corners while manufacturing this phone.
5. Shorten or Combine Sentences
Shortening or combining sentences is a simple way to paraphrase and improve readability. It helps you get to the point and make the content interesting. You can use transitional words to combine sentences and maintain the flow.
Example: Pulisic is taking his golden retriever for a walk. He will be back in 30 minutes.
Paraphrased: Pulisic is walking his dog and will return in half an hour.
6. Turn Quotes To Indirect Speech
What if you have no option but to include a quote? In this situation, you can convert the quote into indirect speech, saving you from the headache of plagiarism. You can change pronouns and verb tenses while keeping the meaning intact.
Example: Sean said, “I want to go to the dog park sometime during the day.”
Paraphrased: Sean informed everyone about his desire to visit the dog park today.
7. Use a Paraphrasing Tool
Remembering all these techniques and tips can be challenging. What should you do if you come across a phrase or group of sentences you can’t paraphrase? No matter how much you try, it seems next to impossible.
A paraphrasing tool, like the one from Smodin, is invaluable in situations like this. It can transform a sentence or multiple sentences instantly. It relies on artificial intelligence (AI) and extensive training data to reword your work.
You can always use this knowledge on paraphrasing in research to improve a rewriter tool’s output further.
How to Paraphrase a Sentence: A 5-Step Guide
Here are the steps to paraphrase a sentence to avoid plagiarism:
- Understand the sentence’s core meaning: You need to learn its message or the meaning it conveys to the reader. This way, you know what should remain the same so you can focus on changing other parts of the sentence.
- Rewrite the sentence from memory: After you know the core meaning, you need to rewrite the sentence. Although this makes it harder to copy accidentally, it’s still possible.
- Try various paraphrasing methods: Use the various paraphrasing methods as highlighted earlier in this article. For instance, you can change the sentence structure to see if this helps. Another solution is to swap words with synonyms and see how it transforms the sentence.
- Compare the sentence with the original material: Look at the paraphrased and original sentences side-by-side. You’re in the clear if they look completely different but retain the core meaning.
- Check for plagiarism with Smodin’s Plagiarism Checker: Smodin’s Plagiarism Checker comes with the Text Comparison mode. Use this feature to compare the reworded sentence with the original.
There’s nothing to worry about if there are no signs of duplication.
How to Paraphrase Paragraphs: Follow These 5 Steps
The following instructions explain the process of paraphrasing paragraphs:
- Read the paragraph multiple times: Understanding the paragraph’s meaning is the number one priority, as this must remain the same.
- Use your words to write the paragraph: After you know what the paragraph is trying to convey, you need to rewrite it in your own words. At no point should you look at the original material to avoid accidental or subconscious copying.
- Use multiple paraphrasing methods to see what works: You can use several paraphrasing methods to reword paragraphs. One solution is to combine two sentences and reduce the length. Another option is to swap certain words with idioms to see the impact. You can also change parts of the speech to paraphrase the original material.
- See if there are similarities with the original work: Analyze the original and paraphrased paragraphs to see if they resemble each other. You’re on the right path if they don’t look the same, but there’s zero change in the meaning.
- Scan the paragraph with Smodin’s Plagiarism Checker: Open Smodin’s plagiarism detector and switch to the Text Comparison tab. Paste the original in the Reference Text section and the paraphrased paragraph in the other text box. Scan the two sections to see if they’re similar or different.
If the tool doesn’t detect plagiarism, you’re good to go.
How To Cite a Paraphrase
The final step to avoid plagiarism is to cite the source of your paraphrased sentence or paragraph. How you attribute the original material depends on the citation style.
If you’re following the Chicago style, you must cite the source after the paraphrased sentence. It starts with the author’s name, year of publication, and page number.
Example: Why did the sheep cross the road? (Farming, 2020, p.13)
The citation style differs if you need to use APA style or MLA. If you’re unsure how to cite your paraphrases properly, give Smodin’s citation generator a go. It can auto-cite the sources for your material so that you don’t have to deal with plagiarism.
Paraphrasing vs. Quoting
Initially, paraphrasing and quoting seem the same. However, there are several differences between the two, as highlighted below:
- Paraphrasing focuses on changing the words and, at times, the line structure. Quoting involves copying the original text as is.
- Paraphrasing changes the length of the original sentence while quoting involves using the work without any changes.
- Paraphrasing is to improve readability or make the topic easier to understand. In a direct quote, you use the exact version of another writer’s material to strengthen your work.
- Paraphrasing requires you to cite the source based on your institution’s guidelines. When you quote a sentence or paragraph, you must include it within quotation marks.
Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing
At first glance, paraphrasing and summarizing seem like two peas in a pod. However, they have their differences:
- Structural paraphrasing aims to make the sentence different without altering the core meaning. On the other hand, summarizing involves reducing the source material while covering the main talking points.
- When you paraphrase the material, its length can increase or decrease. However, the source’s material will only decrease in length when you summarize the topic.
- You paraphrase someone else’s work to clarify the core meaning. Summarizing focuses on giving an overview of the topic.
FAQ
How do you paraphrase correctly?
You can paraphrase correctly by following these tips:
- You change everything about the sentence or paragraph but don’t touch its meaning.
- You follow your institution’s citation style to credit the source.
- If you use direct quotations from the original material, include them within quotation marks.
What are the three steps to paraphrasing a text?
The three steps to paraphrasing a text are as follows:
- Read through the source material to understand the writer’s intentions in the text.
- Reword the text using your understanding of what you need to change without affecting the meaning.
- Use various paraphrasing methods to transform the text, compare it with the original work, and cite the source.
How do you format a paraphrase?
You can format a paraphrase in the following citation styles:
- APA: In APA, you mention the original author and the publication year at the end of the post. Example: (Jacob, 2024)
- Chicago: For Chicago, you must include the author’s name, publication year, and page number. Example: (Sharon, 2022, p.37)
- MLA: In MLA, you only have to mention the author and the page number of the source. Example: (Howard, p.42)
How To Avoid Plagiarism with Paraphrasing
The following section explains the steps to avoid plagiarism accusations when you submit your work:
- Cite your sources: You always include the original material, i.e., your sources, in your document.
- Track your research: You note every source you used while crafting the draft for your work.
- Try various paraphrasing methods: Implement the paraphrasing techniques you learned in this article to change the material, not its meaning.
- Use a plagiarism detector: A plagiarism detector should be your final stop before you submit your work. Use this tool to scan your document thoroughly to ensure there are no signs of plagiarism.
If you’re looking for a free plagiarism detector, look no further than Smodin’s impressive toolset. The Plagiarism-checking tool can scan millions of websites and documents to see if you reused original content. It can extensively search Google Scholar to ensure your work is plagiarism-free.
But what should you do if your work falls under plagiarism? The good news is that you can rely on Smodin’s online Paraphrasing Tool to reword sentences and paragraphs in seconds. It uses all the paraphrasing and plagiarism detection methods covered in this article to ensure zero signs of copying.
The best part about Smodin is that you don’t only get these tools when you become a member. You get access to every tool Smodin offers to be plagiarism-free as part of your subscription package.
Now that you know how to paraphrase let Smodin handle the rest. Keep your work plagiarism-free by using Smodin’s AI paraphrasing tool and our plagiarism checker today!