Paraphrasing—putting someone else’s ideas into your own words—is a fundamental skill in academic writing. When done well, paraphrasing shows you understand the source, integrate it with your argument, and maintain your own voice. When done poorly, it can read as patchwriting or even plagiarism. This guide explains what paraphrasing means, how to avoid patchwriting, and practical steps to paraphrase accurately and ethically for student assignments.
TL;DR: paraphrase to reflect understanding and analysis, not just reword a sentence. Always cite the source, and connect the paraphrase to your argument.
Outline
- What paraphrase is and how it differs from quotes and summaries
- When to paraphrase, quote, or summarize
- A practical, step-by-step paraphrasing workflow
- Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Examples: acceptable paraphrase vs. patchwriting
- Citations, references, and integrity
- Internal resources and related guides
- Next steps and CTAs
What paraphrase is and how it differs from quotes and summaries
Paraphrase means restating ideas from a source in your own words and voice without altering the original meaning. A paraphrase should preserve the author’s intent while presenting the information in a way that fits your argument.
- Quoting preserves exact language, uses quotation marks, and includes a page or paragraph reference.
- Summarizing conveys the main idea in a brief form, often focusing on the most essential points.
- Paraphrasing rephrases the content and often combines multiple ideas from the same source with your own analysis.
Credible guidance on paraphrasing and avoiding plagiarism comes from university writing centers and official style guides (see References).
When to paraphrase, quote, or summarize
- Paraphrase when you want to discuss a concept in your own terms, connect it to your argument, or compare multiple sources.
- Quote when the exact wording is distinctive or when the author’s phrasing is particularly precise or influential.
- Summarize when you need to present the overall idea or the gist of a longer passage.
Always provide an in-text citation and a full reference. Use signal phrases to introduce ideas (e.g., According to Smith, or Smith notes that…).
A practical, step-by-step paraphrasing workflow
- Read and understand the source idea fully. 2) Put the source aside and write the idea in your own words from memory. 3) Revisit the source to ensure you’ve retained the meaning, and then rewrite your paraphrase in your own sentence structure. 4) Compare your paraphrase with the original to ensure you’ve changed sentence structure and wording sufficiently. 5) Add an in-text citation with the author and year; include page numbers if required by your style. 6) Integrate the paraphrase into your argument by adding your analysis or interpretation that links to your thesis. 7) If a phrase is too distinctive to reword, use quotation marks with a citation. 8) Run a final check with a plagiarism checker and verify references in your bibliography.
This workflow emphasizes understanding, rewriting, and integrating ideas rather than merely swapping words.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Patchwriting: keep the source sentence structure with minor word changes. Fix by rewriting structure and adopting your own voice.
- Inadequate attribution: always cite the source; provide full references.
- Over-reliance on a single source: synthesize ideas across multiple sources to support your point.
- Using too-close language: aim for meaning preservation with new wording.
Examples: acceptable paraphrase vs patchwriting
Original: “Mass tourism has caused significant environmental degradation by increasing pollution and resource consumption.”
- Acceptable paraphrase:
“Rising tourist activity stresses local environments, leading to greater pollution and higher use of local resources.”
- Patchwriting (unacceptable):
“Mass tourism has caused significant environmental degradation by increasing pollution and resource consumption.”
Original: “Social media shapes political discourse by accelerating information flow and amplifying diverse voices.”
- Acceptable paraphrase:
“Social networks influence political dialogue by speeding up information flow and broadening the range of voices heard.”
- Patchwriting (unacceptable):
“Social media shapes political discourse by accelerating information flow and amplifying voices.”
Original: “Resolving climate change requires coordinated policy actions at international, national, and local levels.”
- Acceptable paraphrase:
” Tackling climate change demands coordinated policies across global, national, and community scales.”
- Patchwriting (unacceptable):
“Resolving climate change requires coordinated policy actions at international, national, and local levels.”
Citations, references, and integrity
- Paraphrasing should accurately convey meaning with appropriate in-text citations and a full reference list at the end. See credible guidance from university writing centers and style guides for details.
- Paraphrasing best practices brief: /research/briefs/paraphrasing-best-practices.md
- Patchwriting awareness: /research/briefs/patchwriting-awareness.md (a companion guide)
- Summarization techniques: /research/tips/summarization-techniques.md
- Citation standards by style: /research/guides/citation-standards-apa-mla-chicago.md
- Literature review essentials: /content-plan.md
- Paraphrasing best practices brief: /research/briefs/paraphrasing-best-practices.md
- Patchwriting awareness: /research/briefs/patchwriting-awareness.md
- Summarization techniques: /research/tips/summarization-techniques.md
- Citation standards by style: /research/guides/citation-standards-apa-mla-chicago.md
- Literature review essentials: /content-plan.md
References (credible sources for further reading)
Note: Replace or add sources as needed to fit your assignment and access constraints.
Next steps
- If you’d like tailored feedback, contact us for a quick consult or to discuss a writing plan for your course.
- See our paraphrasing checklist and templates in the internal resources above. If you’re ready to get expert help, consider submitting a request for a custom plan.
- If you’d like a coach to review your paraphrase, schedule a quick consult.
