How to Paraphrase (With Examples) - Writing Guide

Good paraphrasing can make or break academic writing. Whether you’re writing a research paper, blog post, or article, you must master the art of paraphrasing. Learning to paraphrase effectively shows your grasp of the source material and enhances your essay’s readability.

In this guide, we’ll explore a few basic but valuable techniques for paraphrasing. From reworking a single sentence to rephrasing entire paragraphs, mastering these skills will ensure your writing remains plagiarism-free and engaging.

We’ll also cover the differences between paraphrasing and quoting, plus show you how AI can assist in the process.

Are you ready to refine your paraphrasing skills? Let’s dive in!

1. Rearrange Sentence Structure

To keep the information the same while paraphrasing, focus on changing the way you convey it.

A useful technique is to start by altering the sentence structure. Sentence structure involves the arrangement of words within a sentence, and modifying this can help create a new version of the original sentence while retaining the core meaning.

Example:

Original: Sharon is a management student with a zeal for basketball. He has roots in England, but he relocated to New York after his father changed his job. His father is very supportive of his passion for sports.
Paraphrased: Sharon is a basketball enthusiast pursuing a management course. He belongs to England, but with a change in his father’s career, they moved to New York. His passion for sports is supported by his father.

Breakdown:

Original: “Sharon is a management student with a zeal for basketball.”
Paraphrased: “Sharon is a basketball enthusiast pursuing a management course.”

2. Use Synonyms

Another effective paraphrasing technique is to use synonyms. Many plagiarism-checking tools detect unique content by comparing words. By replacing words with their synonyms, you can create a new sentence without changing its meaning. This method can be particularly useful when you need to maintain the original structure but want to avoid direct copying.

Example:

Original: Wastage is a consequential issue prevailing for a long time now. Numerous prevention measures are implemented by government and social organizations. However, the situation has taken an unpleasant turn. Heavy utilization of electronic gadgets has resulted in a rise in e-waste, which needs serious action.
Paraphrased: Wastage is a serious issue that has been existing for so long. Prevention measures are taken by the government and non-profit organizations. Yet, the situation has taken an uglier turn. Extensive usage of gadgets has led to e-waste, which is severe.

Breakdown:

“Consequential” becomes “serious”
“Prevailing” becomes “existing”
“Numerous” becomes “several”
“Unpleasant” becomes “uglier”
“Heavy utilization” becomes “extensive usage”

3. Change Parts of Speech

Changing parts of speech is another useful strategy for paraphrasing.

By converting nouns to verbs, adjectives to adverbs, or vice versa, you can rephrase sentences effectively while keeping the original meaning intact. This method helps in creating variations in sentence structure and vocabulary.

Example:

Original: Jack is a diligent employee in this office. He stays active to solve problems in his organization. Last week, after eating his lunch, he used his remaining free time for work. If he keeps working like this, he will find success in it.
Paraphrased: Jack works diligently in his office. He stays active in finding solutions to problems in his organization. Last week, after lunch, he worked during his remaining time. If he works like this, he will become successful.

Breakdown:

“Diligent employee” becomes “works diligently”
“Solve problems” becomes “finding solutions”
“Used his remaining free time for work” becomes “worked during his remaining time”

4. Use Idioms

Using idioms or expressions to replace simple words can add a creative twist to your paraphrasing. Idioms can make the text more engaging and convey the same meaning in a more interesting way.

This technique is particularly useful when the original text is straightforward and you want to add some flair to it.

Example:

Original: Leonard wished Penny luck! Sheldon believes in looking for smarter ways instead of exerting his body. Penny earns a big buck, so she does not need any side gig.
Paraphrased: Leonard wished to break a leg for Penny. Sheldon believes in looking for smarter ways instead of breaking a sweat. Penny makes a lot of money, so she does not need any side gig.

Breakdown:

“Wished Penny luck” becomes “wished to break a leg for Penny”
“Exerting his body” becomes “breaking a sweat”
“A big buck” becomes “a lot of money”

5. Shorten or Combine Sentences

Combining shorter sentences or breaking long sentences into shorter ones is another effective paraphrasing strategy. This method helps in varying sentence length and structure, making the text more readable and dynamic.

You can combine sentences that share similar ideas or break down complex sentences for clarity.

Example:

Original: Illiana is a good singer. Isha sings well too. The audience also listens to Jubin and John. Raman is an engineer, who works with a reputed company, and makes good money with it.
Paraphrased: Illiana, Isha, Jubin, and John are famous singers. Raman is an engineer who works with a reputed organization. He makes good money from it.

Breakdown:

Combine: “Illiana is a good singer. Isha sings well too. The audience also listens to Jubin and John” becomes “Illiana, Isha, Jubin, and John are famous singers.”
Shorten: “Raman is an engineer, who works with a reputed company, and makes good money with it” becomes “Raman is an engineer who works with a reputed organization. He makes good money from it.”

6. Turn Quotes to Indirect Speech

Turning direct quotes into indirect speech is a preferred method of paraphrasing, especially when you need to incorporate quotes into your writing seamlessly. This technique involves changing the verb tense and pronouns while retaining the original meaning. It helps in making the text flow more naturally.

Example:

Original: Sheikha said, ‘I will take care of all the work.’ Sheldon said, ‘I want to eat Chinese food for lunch.’ Penny said, ‘ I find Sheldon annoying’.
Paraphrased: Sheikha said she would look after the work. Sheldon said he wanted to eat Chinese food for lunch. Penny said Sheldon was annoying.

Breakdown:

“I will take care of all the work” becomes “she would look after the work”
“I want to eat Chinese food for lunch” becomes “he wanted to eat Chinese food for lunch”
“I find Sheldon annoying” becomes “Sheldon was annoying”

7. Use a Paraphrasing Tool

If you want to save time and effort, consider using paraphrasing tools like Smodin.io.

These tools can quickly generate paraphrased content while maintaining the original meaning. They have advanced features that enhance the quality of the content, making them a convenient option for efficient paraphrasing.

By following these strategies, you can effectively paraphrase text while keeping the original meaning intact. Whether you choose to manually paraphrase or use a tool, these methods will help you create unique content.

How to Paraphrase Sentences

In this section, we’ll demonstrate effective paraphrasing techniques using content from Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel.

When paraphrasing, it’s crucial to rewrite the idea in your own words completely. You want to maintain the original intent but alter the structure and the vocabulary. This method will ensure you convey the same information without the risk of plagiarising.

Let’s look at the second sentence of Diamond’s book:

“In the 13,000 years since the end of the last Ice Age, some parts of the world developed literate industrial societies with metal tools, other parts developed only nonliterate farming societies, and still others retained societies of hunter-gatherers with stone tools.”

If we were to paraphrase that, we might say:

“Since the last Ice Age 13,000 years ago, different regions have progressed differently. Some developed literate societies with metal tools, while others remained with basic farming or hunter-gatherer lifestyles using stone tools.”

Of course, we can also use Smodin’s AI Rewriter to do the work for us. Smodin allows users to modify the rewriter’s “strength” on a scale of one to four. The higher the strength, the greater the changes will be.

Setting Smodin’s AI tool to the max and plugging in the same sentence, we get:

“Over the course of the past 13,000 years since the conclusion of the last Ice Age, various regions of the world have experienced divergent paths of development, resulting in the emergence of literate industrial societies with advanced metal tools in certain areas, nonliterate farming societies in others, and the preservation of hunter-gatherer societies relying on stone tools in yet other regions.”

As you can see, the AI-generated paraphrase provided by Smodin’s AI Rewriter offers a superior version. The sentence structure is more elaborate and refined and enhances the overall sophistication of the text.

This version maintains the original message’s integrity while expanding the vocabulary and descriptive elements. The information is more engaging and comprehensive for the reader. We can even break the sentence into several sentences and use the text to create a complete paragraph.

If we ask Smodin’s AI Chat to do just that, we get this:

“Over the past 13,000 years, since the end of the last Ice Age, different regions globally have followed diverse paths of development. This has led to the rise of literate industrial societies with advanced metal tools in some areas. In contrast, other regions have seen the growth of nonliterate farming societies. Additionally, there are still regions where hunter-gatherer societies have persisted, relying on stone tools for their way of life. The evolution of these various societies showcases the intricate and varied progress of human civilization over millennia.”

How to Paraphrase Paragraphs

Speaking of longer texts, let’s discuss how to paraphrase paragraphs properly.

Paraphrasing longer texts, like an entire paragraph, requires a deep understanding of the larger text. You must preserve the original content’s essence while still presenting the information in a fresh way.

To illustrate, let’s use a paragraph from the second paragraph of Jared Diamond’s book Guns, Germs, and Steel:

“In July 1972 I was walking along a beach on the tropical island of New Guinea, where as a biologist I study bird evolution. I had already heard about a remarkable local politician named Yali, who was touring the district then. By chance, Yali and I were walking in the same direction on that day, and he overtook me. We walked together for an hour, talking during the whole time.”

A student might paraphrase this paragraph for an essay as follows:

“In his book, Jared Diamond recounts an encounter in July 1972 on a New Guinea beach where he was researching bird evolution. Diamond describes meeting Yali, a notable local politician who was visiting the area.”

Of course, we can once again have Smodin do the work for us:

“In his seminal work Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond recounts an incident from 1972 while researching bird evolution on a beach in New Guinea. During his fieldwork, he fortuitously encountered Yali, a prominent local politician who was also visiting the area. This chance meeting led to a prolonged dialogue between the two as they walked along the beach, discussing various topics for an hour.”

Once again, the AI comes out on top. The tone is more academic, and the structure enhances the sophistication of the narrative. It also refines the details into a concise and compelling recounting of the event.

The scholarly language is still appropriate for an academic setting, but the storytelling elements are greatly enhanced. This enhancement makes the passage more engaging and effortlessly sucks the reader in.

How to Cite a Paraphrase

Understanding how to cite a paraphrase is paramount to maintaining academic integrity. You must also provide your readers a pathway to the original source material. Let’s use APA guidelines as an example of how to cite the above paraphrase.

In APA style, the in-text citation would be as follows:

(Diamond, 1997, p.13)

The reference list entry would then be:

Diamond, J. (1997). Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.

As for the paraphrased paragraph itself, APA style dictates that in-text citations be placed directly after the paraphrased content within your text. The goal is to reference the source of the ideas you have rephrased:

Example:

Of course, the Smodin suite of AI tools can help you cite your sources in any standard format you require. Whether you’re writing an English Literature paper in MLA, a Psychology report in APA, or a research article in Chicago style, Smodin’s AI tools can help.

By automatically formatting your citations correctly, you ensure your document adheres to the required academic standards by automatically formatting your citations correctly.

Paraphrasing vs. Quoting: What’s The Difference?

Understanding the difference between paraphrasing and quoting is essential for essay writing. Many students often confuse the two, but paraphrasing and quoting should not be used interchangeably.

When to Use Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing should be used when you want to express someone else’s ideas in your own words without losing the original meaning. It is best used when you want to make complex information more understandable and seamlessly integrate it into your essay.

Paraphrasing is also helpful when commenting on or analyzing the source material. Effective paraphrasing allows you to showcase your understanding and interpretation of the source material while integrating your unique perspective.

When to Use Quotes

Quotes are best when the original words are critical and would be lost if paraphrased. Always use quotes when you want to emphasize a point using an authoritative voice.

Quotes are best when dealing with definitions, statistics or when the exact wording is needed to bolster your argument. Quotes should cause your reader to stop and focus on the statement’s significance.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

If you’re looking to avoid plagiarism, there are a few simple steps you can follow to ensure you maintain academic integrity.

Cite Your Sources: Always credit the original authors of any ideas or direct quotes you use in your work.
Use Paraphrasing: Rephrase the original text into your own words, avoiding copying the sentence structure or wording directly.
Use Plagiarism Checkers: Tools like Smodin’s Plagiarism Checker can help identify any sections of your text that are too close to the source material, allowing you to revise them accordingly.
Keep Track of Your Research: As you research, keep notes on where you source information, which will make it easier to reference and cite appropriately.

Can you paraphrase technical or scientific terms?

Generally, technical or scientific terms are specific and defined and should be used in their original context. However, the descriptive content around these terms can and should be paraphrased to match your writing style and tone.

To paraphrase means to give words another meaning or to express oneself differently using someone else’s words. Paraphrasing gives the exact sense of a word or phrase without changing its original form.