Paraphrasing Sources
đź“– Learn
When you research a topic, you'll find information from books, articles, and websites. But you can't just copy someone else's words—that's plagiarism! Instead, you need to paraphrase: put the ideas into your own words while keeping the original meaning.
Direct Quote
Using the exact words from a source, with quotation marks
Example: "Dolphins are highly intelligent mammals."
Paraphrase
Restating the idea in your own words
Example: Dolphins are known for being very smart.
âť“ Why Paraphrase?
- Shows understanding: It proves you understood what you read
- Improves flow: Your paper sounds like YOU, not a mix of other people
- Avoids plagiarism: Copying words without credit is cheating
- Develops skills: It helps you become a better writer
Steps to Paraphrase
Read Carefully
Read the original text until you fully understand it. Don't try to paraphrase until you know what it means.
Put It Away
Set aside the original text. Don't look at it while writing your paraphrase—this prevents accidental copying.
Write in Your Words
Write the idea as if you're explaining it to a friend. Use your own vocabulary and sentence structure.
Compare and Check
Compare your version to the original. Make sure the meaning is the same but the words are different.
Cite Your Source
Even though you used your own words, you still got the idea from someone else. Always give credit!
đź’ˇ Important Rule
Changing just a few words is NOT paraphrasing—it's still plagiarism! You need to completely rewrite the sentence using different words and structure.
đź’ˇ Examples
Let's see the difference between good paraphrasing and poor paraphrasing.
Example 1: The Water Cycle
"Water evaporates from oceans, lakes, and rivers, rises into the atmosphere, condenses into clouds, and falls back to Earth as precipitation."
"Water evaporates from oceans, lakes, and rivers, goes up into the atmosphere, condenses into clouds, and falls back to Earth as rain."
Problem: Only a few words changed. This is still plagiarism!
"The water cycle describes how water moves from bodies of water into the air, forms clouds, and eventually returns to the ground as rain or snow."
Why it works: Different words, different structure, same meaning!
Example 2: Honeybees
"Honeybees communicate with other bees in their hive by performing a unique waggle dance that tells the location of food sources."
"Honeybees communicate with other bees in their hive by doing a special waggle dance that shows where food is."
"When a bee finds flowers, it returns to the hive and does a special dance to show other bees exactly where to find the food."
Example 3: Ancient Egypt
"The ancient Egyptians built massive pyramids as tombs for their pharaohs, believing these structures would help the rulers reach the afterlife."
"In ancient Egypt, enormous pyramid structures served as burial places for kings. Egyptians thought these tombs would guide their rulers into life after death."
✏️ Practice
Choose the Best Paraphrase
Read the original text and pick the best paraphrase.
🎯 Paraphrase Challenge
Original Text:
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Write Your Own Paraphrase
Original Text:
"Butterflies go through four stages of life: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult butterfly. This process is called metamorphosis."
Write your paraphrase:
âś… Check Your Understanding
Question 1
What is paraphrasing?
Question 2
Why should you "put away" the original text before writing your paraphrase?
Question 3
Do you need to cite your source when you paraphrase?
Question 4
Which is a sign of a POOR paraphrase?
Question 5
What should you do FIRST when paraphrasing?
🚀 Summary & Next Steps
Paraphrase
Your words, same meaning
5 Steps
Read, put away, write, compare, cite
Avoid
Changing only a few words
Always Cite
Even when using your own words
đź’ˇ Practice Tips
- Practice paraphrasing paragraphs from your reading assignments
- Ask a friend to read your paraphrase—can they understand it without the original?
- If you're stuck, try explaining the idea out loud first
- Remember: Good paraphrasing takes practice. Don't get discouraged!
Continue Learning
- Move on to In-Text Citations to learn how to give credit
- Practice paraphrasing articles from magazines or websites
- Compare your paraphrases with a partner