How to Paraphrase Without Plagiarizing

Paraphrasing is all about being original without being original. It can be an invaluable skill when you borrow an idea, a concept, or a quote to support or strengthen a piece of writing — without having to copy-paste entire paragraphs.

What is paraphrasing?

Before we dive too deeply into the ‘how’ of it all, let’s first start with some basics. So, what is paraphrasing? Simply put, Paraphrasing is the act of taking someone else's words and expressing them in your own words.

When you learn how to paraphrase, whether it’s for a college essay or just everyday conversation, you can take a complex idea or statement and restate it using different words. This helps to make the idea or statement easier to understand and remember, which can be helpful when communicating with people who may not be familiar with the original terminology. It also helps to ensure that the ideas expressed are accurately represented.

Paraphrasing vs Summarizing

While both involve restating a sentence or passage, the difference is in what information you choose to include. Paraphrasing requires you to keep to the same essential meaning, while summarizing requires you to create an overview of the original text by picking out only the most important details.

For instance, when summarizing a text, you might include the main points, arguments, and conclusions, while when paraphrasing, you would restate the passage in your own words without necessarily including all of the details.

4 steps to paraphrase with AI

1. Read and reread

Read carefully through the text you are trying to paraphrase. Make sure that you understand the author’s point and context. It’s okay to read the text a few times to deepen your understanding and spark new ideas about how you might convey the meaning.

2. Break it down

Don’t try to paraphrase a lengthy wall of text all at once – you’ll end up missing out on important context and details. Instead, break up the original text into its various components and individual ideas, so you can rephrase each key point before you move on to the next.

3. Use your own words

Originality is key. To paraphrase well, you need your own words, not the ones that are in the original passage. Rewrite the ideas and keep the meaning intact but also vary your sentence length to make sure your writing flows well.

If you’re stuck and can’t think of a way to rephrase a sentence or a paragraph, use an AI writing tool like Wordtune to help you rewrite sentence by sentence.

4. Compare the two versions

Examine your own writing against the source material to make sure that you’ve retained the original meaning and nothing from the original source has been changed or misrepresented.

5. Run a plagiarism checker

Check to ensure that you have not used any of the original words. A plagiarism checker will help you identify a string of words or exact sentences that appear in the original text, and even alert you to other sources on the web that happen to have the same text.

6. Revise

You can either edit your text to remove any instances of plagiarism or put the words in direct quotations and credit the original author.

3 handy tips to remember while paraphrasing

1. Lean on synonyms but don’t make it your sole strategy

While synonyms can help you rewrite a sentence without changing its meaning, you can't simply plug in words from the thesaurus. Be careful not to overuse synonyms to avoid unnatural writing.

2. Rearrange the flow of ideas

Reorganize the order of ideas to provide a more cohesive narrative. You can add a hook or start with a simple data point to make the quoted material more readable.

3. Change parts of the speech

Try turning nouns into verbs or adjectives into adverbs to add variety and interest to your writing. Be cautious not to complicate sentences unnecessarily.

How to paraphrase a lengthy quote

To paraphrase a lengthy quote, break it down into smaller sentences. Identify the main idea or theme of the quote, and rewrite it in your own words, maintaining coherence and clarity. Don’t forget to cite the original source by including appropriate references.

Paraphrasing using Wordtune

Wordtune is an AI-powered writing assistant that offers a range of features, including a paraphrasing tool. Below, we will walk you through the steps of using an AI paraphrasing tool effectively.

Step 1: Open Wordtune

To get started, open the Wordtune editor.

Step 2: Write, paste, or generate text with AI

You can either copy and paste text into the editor, write directly in the editor, or generate text using AI.

Step 3: Paraphrase your text

Once you have your text in the editor, highlight the word or sentence you want to paraphrase and hit the ‘Rewrite’ button.

Step 4: Review the suggestions and choose one that works for you

Review the suggestions provided by Wordtune and select one that best fits your needs.

Step 5: Edit and refine

Ensure that the paraphrase flows smoothly within the rest of your copy. Adjust or refine the paraphrase further as needed.

Effective paraphrasing includes a personal take

Adding a personal analysis helps build a connection with the reader and gives your content more originality. Explore the idea further, and add a personal take to enhance your writing.