Mastering Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing shows understanding: you communicate the same idea using fresh structure and vocabulary while preserving meaning.
Paraphrasing vs plagiarism
True paraphrase
- Restates the idea with different structure and words
- Is accurate and fair to the source
- Cites the source when required
Plagiarism
- Copies phrases or structure too closely
- Changes only a few words (synonym swap)
- Does not acknowledge the source when needed
A reliable process: read → pause → restate → check
- Read: Understand the full meaning first.
- Pause: Look away from the text so you don’t copy its wording.
- Restate: Explain the idea briefly in your own words.
- Check: Compare with the source—same meaning, different wording and structure.
Techniques that go beyond synonyms
Change structure: active ↔ passive, split a long sentence, or combine short ones.
Compress or expand ideas where appropriate, keeping accuracy.
Swap categories: change lists to general statements (and vice‑versa) when faithful to meaning.
Use accurate synonyms but keep key technical terms.
Quick paraphrase checklist
- Have I captured the original meaning accurately?
- Have I used a different sentence structure from the source?
- Have I avoided copying long phrases verbatim?
- Is any specialised vocabulary preserved where necessary?
- Have I cited the source when required by the task?
Example: from source to paraphrase
Source: “Regular exercise improves mood by releasing endorphins and reducing stress hormones, which helps students focus better during lessons.”
Good paraphrase: Physical activity supports concentration in class because it reduces stress and increases mood‑boosting chemicals.
Poor paraphrase (too close): Exercise improves mood by releasing endorphins and cutting stress hormones, so students focus better during lessons.
This is too similar to the source: several phrases are copied unchanged and the sentence structure is almost identical.
Practice: rework responsibly
Paraphrase this sentence without losing meaning:
“Using checklists while revising helps students remember key steps, and it reduces anxiety because they can track progress.”
Model answer
Checklists make revision more reliable by reminding students of necessary steps and lowering stress, since progress becomes visible.
This version keeps the meaning but changes structure and some wording ("lowering stress" vs "reduces anxiety").