Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is the restatement of someone else's ideas in your own words and sentence structure, typically accompanied by a citation to the original source.
Definition¶
Paraphrasing is restating an idea, argument, or piece of information using different words and sentence structure than the original source while preserving the original meaning. Unlike direct quotation, paraphrasing requires genuinely re-expressing the content — not merely substituting synonyms while keeping the original structure intact.
Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing¶
These terms are related but distinct:
- Paraphrasing renders the same level of detail as the original, in different words
- Summarizing condenses the original, keeping only the most important points
A paraphrase of a 100-word paragraph produces roughly 100 words. A summary of the same paragraph might be 25–30 words.
Paraphrasing vs. Plagiarism¶
The critical distinction: paraphrasing requires genuine re-expression of the structure and language, not just vocabulary substitution. Changing every other word while keeping the same sentence structure and sequence of ideas is called patchwriting — it is considered a form of plagiarism at most institutions, even with a citation.
A genuinely paraphrased passage: - Uses your own sentence structures - May reorder information where logically appropriate - Still requires a citation to the original source
Academic Use¶
In academic writing, paraphrasing (with citation) is the preferred way to engage with sources. Direct quotation is reserved for cases where the exact wording is significant — a definition, a legal passage, a phrase you want to analyse specifically. Using source material through paraphrase demonstrates that you understood it well enough to restate it.
AI Paraphrasing Tools¶
Automated paraphrasing tools vary significantly in quality. Basic tools perform synonym substitution, which produces patchwriting rather than genuine paraphrase and may still be flagged for academic integrity issues. More sophisticated tools rewrite at the sentence and structural level, producing genuine alternative expression.