How to paraphrase better and avoid plagiarism

We’re always looking for information from reliable sources to make our work better and more reasoned. However, misusing it can lead to plagiarism issues. Paraphrasing is a must to avoid such a situation. At the same time, the reference doesn’t disappear and is also waiting for you to use it. Let's look at what's what and how to paraphrase correctly for your essays.

Paraphrasing: meaning and purpose

What is paraphrasing? You're writing a university paper and, of course, pulling up many sources. That’s a way to gather information and support your arguments. And then, you see a sentence that must be in your paper. But copy-pasting is plagiarism, remember? This is where paraphrasing comes in: the idea remains the same, and the words differ. 

However, plagiarism avoidance is not the only advantage. When you know how to paraphrase successfully, you add to the idea, improving it. Or, on the contrary, you simplify it because your colleague is too fond of fancy words. So, to summarize paraphrasing definition and purpose, it: 

• Enhances understanding of the text;
• Avoids repetition;
• Reduces the length of the text;
• Enhances the clarity and conciseness of the message;
• Corrects grammatical or stylistic errors.

This is the answer to “What is paraphrase?”. 

How to paraphrase effectively

We’ve dealt with the question, “What does it mean to paraphrase?” Let's move on to paraphrase practice. Below are ways to use paraphrasing to your advantage and get the highest grade. 

Understand the original fully

Don’t paraphrase immediately; start by reading the text carefully. Understanding the original is a crucial step. Try to analyze every sentence and every concept. If something is not clear, re-read it or do some additional research. Next, identify the main idea. What did the author want to convey to the readers? This should coincide with the idea of your essay. 

Retell in your own words 

To know how to paraphrase, consider it something other than simply translating or repeating. You must understand and reformulate the idea or concept using your style and words. Avoid merely copying phrases and sentences. And choosing synonyms is not an option. Again, analyze the concepts and paraphrase them in your own words. 

Paraphrasing also helps you avoid plagiarism issues. By changing the wording of the text, you make it your own, thus avoiding copying information without proper references. This is a must in scientific or academic texts.

In addition, rewriting a text forces you to examine the topic in more detail and consider how best to convey its essence. It helps you develop analytical and creative skills; as a bonus, you better understand the topic.

Check grammar and content 

So, you paraphrase and get a new text with the same idea; what do you do next? It's time to check the quality. Mistakes reduce quality, so you don't want them. Make sure that all sentences are grammatically correct and have punctuation. Plus, use the appropriate tenses and word forms. Use additional tools like Grammarly, LanguageTool, Hemingway, etc. They’ll notice what you missed and give tips on writing better. 

Try reading your sentences backward after you paraphrase. This trick will help you avoid automatic reading and allow you to detect grammatical errors or unusual constructions. Start at the end of the text and move to the beginning. Also, ask someone to read the essay aloud or check it. 

Compare with the source 

Next, check the meaning of your paraphrasing. Compare it with the original text and ensure it conveys the same idea. Correct any inaccuracies or deviations from the original that change or distort the paraphrase meaning. 

Refer to the source 

First, let's figure out when to cite a resource:

• Paraphrasing specific ideas or facts;
• Paraphrasing quotes or essential statements. 

That is if another source has become your inspiration. Even if you’re rewriting in your own words, you didn't come up with that idea; it belongs to another author. Citing a reference helps you avoid plagiarism. It shows your respect for authorship and your honesty in using additional information.

In addition, citing a source maintains the credibility of your text by showing that you rely on authoritative paper sources to support your claims. 

There are several reference standards, depending on the subject matter and format. Here are some of the main ones: 

1. APA (American Psychological Association): This standard is widely used in psychology, sociology, economics, and other social sciences research. The author's name and year of publication are placed in parentheses after the quote or paraphrase.
2. MLA (Modern Language Association): It’s widely used in the humanities, such as literature, linguistics, and art history. It also uses the author-date format but usually includes the author's name and the page number on which the quote appears.
3. Chicago Style: This style is typical in history, religious studies, archeology, and other humanities. It includes two main formats: notes-bibliography and author-date.
4. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers): You’ll encounter it in engineering and technical disciplines. The IEEE uses numerical references in square brackets to refer to sources in the text that correspond to the numbers in the bibliography.
5. AMA (American Medical Association): The name suggests that this time, we’re talking about medicine. The style includes the author-number system, where the reference is indicated by a number that corresponds to the number of the source in the bibliography.

Your supervisor will tell you which one to use and how to paraphrase, so don't worry. 

Sometimes, however, students may wonder, “Can someone write my paper?”. In this case, they can use the help of expert writers to unload their schedules. That’s a particularly good option for minor subjects. They can devote time to more important ones or recuperate for further study.

Examples for a better paraphrase understanding

So, what is paraphrasing? How do you paraphrase? The example of a paraphrase will make everything as clear as possible. The reference is in MLA format. 

Original: 

Global warming is an urgent problem that requires immediate action to reduce its effects. Increasing greenhouse gas emissions lead to rising temperatures, hurricanes, droughts, and heat waves.

Paraphrasing:

According to Mary Johnson's work, we’re facing higher greenhouse gas emissions in recent years. This leads to record-high temperatures and their consequences - hurricanes and droughts. 

Referencing in MLA style:

Johnson, Mary. “Global Warming - The Most Important Issue of Our Time.” Encyclopedia of Climate Change, ed. Robert Smith, Oxford University Press, 2020, pp. 45.

Plagiarism:

Global warming is still a problem, and we must minimize its effects. Rising greenhouse gas emissions are leading to devastating weather events such as hurricanes, droughts, and heat waves. 

Comment: In this example, the text is copied from the original without change; we didn’t paraphrase anything. It doesn’t reflect the author's processing or understanding of the material, which is a sign of plagiarism. There are also no references, so the opinion is presented as the author's own. 

So that's how we figured out the answer to “What is paraphrase?” 

Bottom line

How to paraphrase? So, the first step is to understand the original and the author's idea entirely. Then, you can see whether it fits your work, whether it will complement it, and how best to apply it. Above, we have figured out how to do this while avoiding plagiarism. 

Use the examples above to improve your essay and impress the teacher with your paraphrasing. It may be difficult initially, but a little practice makes a difference. The main thing is that you now understand the paraphrasing definition.