What is paraphrasing?
Paraphrasing is the process of restating an idea from a source entirely in your own words and sentence structure, followed by a citation acknowledging the original author. It is the primary way academic writers engage with sources, far more commonly used than direct quotation in university-level work.
Effective paraphrasing requires genuine understanding of the source material. If you cannot restate an idea in your own words without looking at the original, you do not yet understand it well enough to use it. For guidance on avoiding plagiarism when paraphrasing, read our article on how to avoid plagiarism.
Why paraphrasing matters
Paraphrasing demonstrates to your marker that you have understood your sources, not merely copied them. An essay that relies heavily on direct quotation suggests superficial engagement with the material, whilst an essay that integrates ideas in the writer's own language signals deeper comprehension and analytical skill.
Most university marking criteria penalise over-quoting. Even where quotations are used, they should be accompanied by analytical commentary explaining their significance, not simply dropped into the text and left to speak for themselves.
How to paraphrase step by step
The most reliable method for paraphrasing correctly is as follows: First, read the source passage carefully until you understand the idea it is expressing. Second, set the source aside, put the book down or minimise the screen. Third, write the idea in your own words without referring to the original. Fourth, compare your paraphrase to the source to check that wording, sentence structure, and phrasing are sufficiently different. Fifth, add the citation.
If your version mirrors the original too closely in structure or phrasing, even if individual words have been changed, it is close paraphrasing, which constitutes plagiarism. Reconstruct the idea from your understanding, not from the original text.
What makes a paraphrase too close?
A paraphrase is too close when it retains the sentence structure of the original whilst only substituting synonyms for individual words. For example, if the original reads "Social media use is associated with reduced attention span in adolescents", a close paraphrase would be "The use of social networking is linked to decreased concentration ability in teenagers", the structure is identical, only the vocabulary has changed.
A genuine paraphrase would restructure the idea entirely: "Research suggests that adolescents who use social media frequently may find sustained concentration more difficult (Smith, 2021)." The idea is the same; the expression is genuinely the writer's own.
Always add a citation
Paraphrasing requires a citation just as much as direct quotation does. The citation acknowledges that the idea originated with another author, even though the words are your own. Omitting a citation from a paraphrase is plagiarism, regardless of how thoroughly the wording has been changed.
Follow the referencing style required by your institution, Harvard, APA 7th, OSCOLA, or another format. For complete referencing guides, see our articles on Harvard referencing and how to cite sources.
When to quote instead of paraphrase
Direct quotation is appropriate when the original wording is itself significant, for example, a legal definition, a foundational theoretical statement, a specific phrase being analysed in the essay, or a passage where the precise wording cannot be adequately captured by paraphrase. In all other cases, paraphrase.
When you do quote directly, the passage must appear in quotation marks, and the citation must include a page number. Keep direct quotations short and ensure every quotation is followed by analytical commentary explaining its relevance to your argument.
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