Avoiding Plagiarism:Paraphrases

What is a paraphrase and when should I paraphrase?

To paraphrase means to restate a passagein your own language often to clarify the intended meaning. Paraphrases are usually as long as the original text. Use paraphrases in writing your documented essays based on sources because instead of cluttering up your essay with quotations. They are very helpful in reflecting your control over your essay, and in avoiding plagiarism.

How do I paraphrase?

It can sometimes be difficult to find new words for an idea that is already well-expressed; however, the following strategy will make the job of paraphrasing a lot easier:

  1. Note taking: When you are reading your sources, and you come across a passage that may be useful for your essay, you might consider paraphrasing it. Reread the original passage very carefully, put it aside, and try to rewrite it using your own words, capturing the essence of the original idea and keeping the writer’s main point.
  1. Wording: Reviseyour notes and make sure you have translated the language of the original material into your own words. Do not copy words and phrases from the passage verbatim unless you think you will want to properly quote them. You can use terms that would constitute common knowledge but substitute keywords with their closest synonyms.
  1. Sentence Structure:Make sure you rephrase the original’s main ideas, changing the word order and varying the sentence structure; you must do more than merely substitute phrases here and there.
  1. Citations: Remember to include citations at the end of your paraphrase, i.e. the author’s last name and the page number of the original passage.
  1. Comparison to Original: Go back to the original material to ensure that your paraphrase is accurate and that you have truly expressed all the main ideas in your own words.

Consider the following examples of paraphrases and closely examine the analysis below and the criteria adopted for evaluating each’s legitimacy or illegitimacy:

EXAMPLE 1

Original text
Intellectual honesty is the admission that humanity is linked together in a kind of collective learning process. Very little is discovered "de novo," that is, without a solid foundation in other researchers' previous exploration and understanding. Citation is an act of humility and an act of appreciation for what other scholars have pieced together about the nature of a particular problem or an aspect of some phenomenon.
Hoemann, George. Electronic Style—Why Cite? 14 September 1998. University of Tennessee. 3 Oct. 2000 <
Х Example of UNSUCCESSFUL Paraphrase
Intellectual honesty is the assertion that humanity is joined together in atype of joint learning process. Not very much is discovered new without really understanding other scholars' previous research and knowledge. Citing shows you are grateful and appreciate what other researchers have figured out about aparticular issue.

This paraphrase is a typical example of a plagiarized paraphrase due to the following reasons:

  • It only makes minor changes such as:

Original text / Paraphrase
collective learning process / joint learning process
de novo
very little / new
not very much
researchers previous exploration / scholars’ previous research
what other scholars have pieced together / what other researchers have
figured out
  • It doesn't change the sentence structure of the original
  • It doesn’t cite the source for either the paraphrased or the directly copied information.
  • The meaning is not accurately conveyed from the original source (“Citing shows you are grateful” is a different idea from “citation is an act of humility”).

EXAMPLE 2

Original text
Intellectual honesty is the admission that humanity is linked together in a kind of collective learning process. Very little is discovered "de novo," that is, without a solid foundation in other researchers' previous exploration and understanding. Citation is an act of humility and an act of appreciation for what other scholars have pieced together about the nature of a particular problem or an aspect of some phenomenon.
Hoemann, George. Electronic Style—Why Cite? 14 September 1998. University of Tennessee. 3 Oct. 2000 <
Example of SUCCESSFUL Paraphrase
Hoemann argues that there is very little absolutely new knowledge. Most of our discoveries take advantage of work done by those who have gone before us. The process of learning is, in fact, a long tradition passed on from generation to generation. Acknowledging the source of ideas gives recognition to the contributions of others in this tradition and is, as Hoemann asserts, an “act of humility.”
Hoemann, George. Electronic Style—Why Cite? 14 September 1998. University of Tennessee. 3 Oct. 2000 <

This paraphrase is acceptable because it:

  • Accurately conveys the information given in the original.
  • Re-expresses it in substantially different words and phrases
  • Identifies where words are exactly copied from the original
  • Cites the original source of the information
  • Doesn’t simply reiterate the points in the original but also adds an analytical dimension to it

Also notice in this example that the original author is mentioned in the text. It is often considered a good form to identify your source in the paraphrase itself, usually in the lead sentence introducing the ideas. The source of the small direct quote is also made clear by preceding it with the author’s name.

Follow Up Activity

Direction:Read the following excerpt by Rebecca Moore Howard written for a national conference of English teachers.Then follow the steps suggested above tobuild your own paraphrase of the original.

ORIGINAL TEXT

“Instead of plagiarism, I would choose to speak of fraud, citation, and repetition – three very

different categories. Fraud? Let’s go right on getting angry about it. Handing in a paper that

somebody else wrote is as bad as falsifying a transcript or hiring a test-taker: It thwarts two of

the academy’s most basic functions – to teach and to certify intellectual accomplishment.”

Howard, R. M. (2000). Sexuality, textuality: The cultural work of plagiarism. College English;Urbana. Retrieved August 14, 2001, from:

PARAPHRASE