Paraphrasing is restating something. It is very similar to a summary; the most obvious difference between them is length. You typically use summaries for text that is too long to paraphrase. A paraphrase will usually be approximately the same length as the original source text. The page number is not required in the in-text citation for a paraphrase, but it is encouraged.
Below is an excerpt from a science article that describes an impact of light pollution.
In the near term, it appears that artificial light emission into the environment will continue to increase, further eroding Earth’s remaining land area that experiences natural day-night light cycles. This is concerning, because artificial light is an environmental pollutant. In addition to threatening the 30% of vertebrates and more than 60% of invertebrates that are nocturnal (35), outdoor artificial light also affects plants and microorganisms (36, 37) and is increasingly suspected of affecting human health (8, 38).
Kyba et al. (2017). Artificially lit surface of Earth at night increasing in radiance and extent. Science Advances. 3(11) https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1701528
The amount of artificial light pollution is anticipated to rise, which can have an adverse impact on a significant number of lifeforms (Kyba et al., 2017).
As with a summary, before you can write an effective paraphrase, you need to have a solid understanding of the source text. You should look up any new words in the original text if possible.
Many English sentences combine clauses and phrases together, and you will need to understand each of the clauses before you can paraphrase a sentence. Start by dividing the sentence into clauses (a clause has a subject and a verb). If you can’t look at the sentence and find the main verbs quickly, you can try crossing out or simplifying phrases that don’t have verbs or that you can identify as adjective clauses. Remember that your goal is to find the verbs so you can find the clauses.
The way that two clauses are joined shows you the relationship that they have. Here are some common connectors and their general relationship:
cause/effect: | because, since, due to, as a result, consequently, thus, therefore |
contrast: | however, but, in contrast, on the other hand, whereas, although |
example: | for example, for instance |
time/order: | when, before, after, while, during, since, until, then, next, last, first, second |
possibility: | if |
alternative: | or |
addition: | and |
Here are some strategies for rephrasing clauses and phrases. Most paraphrases combine several strategies.
Return to the example given and look at how each part of the sentence was changed.
After you have changed the sentence parts, you can put it back together. Many people change the order of the clauses at this point. Make sure that the structure of the paraphrase is different than the original structure.
Make sure you changed the structure, but not the meaning.
You now know how to use sources in three ways. You can use quotes, paraphrases, and summaries. These ways to use sources are similar in some ways and different in others.
A paraphrase | the source in your own words and about the same length as the original |
A quote | the source in the author's exact words |
A paraphrase | the source in your own words and about the same length as the original |
A summary | the source in your own words and shorter than the original |
Choose the best paraphrase for each original quote:
#1. Original: “The outflow of energy from the central regions of the star provides the pressure necessary to keep the star from collapsing under its own weight, and the energy by which it shines” (NASA, n.d.).
#2. Original: “Artificial intelligence and automation are bringing changes to higher education that will challenge, and may even threaten, in-person learning” (Kak, 2018)
#3 Original: "There are some commonly mentioned disadvantages of these open offices like a lack of concentration, a reduction of personal privacy and an increase in distraction” (Blok et al., 2009).
Write a paraphrase for the original sentences below. You do not need to paraphrase the entire original source.
1. Original: "Back in the Netherlands, Mr Paumen describes himself as a "biohacker" - someone who puts pieces of technology into his body to try to improve his performance. He has 32 implants in total, including chips to open doors and imbedded magnets" (Latham, 2022, para. 32).
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2. Original: "Atlantium is one of more than a hundred micronations across the world. A micronation is a self-proclaimed sovereign state that lacks a legal basis for its existence. As a consequence, micronations are not recognised by established nation states, but that does not deter them from assuming the ceremony, pomp and even governance structures of them"(Muddit, 2022, para. 2).
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3. Original: "Far more than just linking us to our past, the world’s mature and old-growth forests perform amazing ecological feats, even as they face all new threats. They support a greater diversity of life, hold cleaner water, and host surprisingly complicated communication networks made of fungi that relay messages between trees underground—even trees of different species" (Welch, 2022, para. 3).
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4. Original: "We identify three big changes that education should make post COVID: curriculum that is developmental, personalized, and evolving; pedagogy that is student-centered, inquiry-based, authentic, and purposeful; and delivery of instruction that capitalizes on the strengths of both synchronous and asynchronous learning" (Zhao & Watterston, 2021, para. 1).
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Using the paragraph below, write a quotation, a summary, and a paraphrase. For the quotation and the paraphrase, choose one sentence. For the summary, summarize the entire paragraph. Include the correct citation for each.
Author: Ross
Year: 1995
Paragraph: 2
"Children of the poor at the turn of the century received little if any emotional or intellectual nurturing from their mothers, whose main charge was family survival. Working for and organizing household subsistence were what defined mothering. Next to this, even the children’s basic comfort was forced into the background" (Ross, 1993).
Using the paragraph below, write a quotation, a summary, or a paraphrase. For the quotation and the paraphrase, choose one sentence. For the summary, summarize the entire paragraph. Include the correct citation.
Author: Susan Cain
Year: 2012
Paragraph: page 93, para. 3
"The way forward, I'm suggesting, is not to stop collaborating face-to-face, but to refine the way we do it. For one thing, we should actively seek out symbiotic introvert-extrovert relationships, in which leadership and other tasks are divided according to people's natural strengths and temperaments. The most effective teams are composed of a healthy mix of introverts and extroverts, studies show, and so are many leadership structures" (Cain, 2012).
Blok, M., et al. "The effects of a task facilitating working environment on office space use, communication, concentration, collaboration, privacy and distraction." Proceedings of the 17th World Congress on Ergonomics (IEA 2009), 9-14 August 2009, Beijing, China. International Ergonomics Association, 2009.
Cain, S. (2012). Quiet : The power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking. Crown Publishers, New York.
Kyba et al. (2017). Artificially lit surface of Earth at night increasing in radiance and extent. Science Advances. 3(11) https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.1701528
Kak, S. (2018). Will traditional colleges and universities become obsolete? Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/will-traditional-colleges-universities-become-obsolete-180967788/
Latham, K. (2022). The microchip implants that let you pay with your hand. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61008730
Mudditt, J. (2022). The country that became a 'micronational capital.' BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220407-the-country-that-became-a-micronation-capital
NASA. (n.d.). Stars. What we study. https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve
Ross, E. (1993). Love and toil: Motherhood in outcast London, 1870-1918. New York: Oxford University Press.
Welch, C. (2022). Why old-growth forests matter. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/why-old-growth-forests-matter
Zhao, Y. & Watterston, J. (2021). The changes we need: Education post COVID-19. Journal of Educational Change. 22, 3-12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-021-09417-3
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