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Quoting vs. Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing

If you’ve ever written a research essay, you know the struggle is real. Should you use a direct quote? Should you put it in your own words? And how is summarizing different from paraphrasing—aren’t they kind of the same thing?

Knowing how you should include your source takes some finesse, and knowing when to quote directly, paraphrase, or summarize can make or break your argument. Let’s take a look at the nuances among these three ways  of using an outside source in an essay.

What is quoting?

The concept of quoting is pretty straightforward. If you use quotation marks, you must use precisely the same words as the original , even if the language is vulgar or the grammar is incorrect. In fact, when scholars quote writers with bad grammar, they may correct it by using typographical notes [like this] to show readers they have made a change.

“I never like[d] peas as a child.”

Conversely, if a passage with odd or incorrect language is quoted as is, the note [sic] may be used to show that no changes were made to the original language despite any errors.

“I never like [sic] peas as a child.”

The professional world looks very seriously on quotations. You cannot change a single comma or letter without documentation when you quote a source. Not only that, but the quote must be accompanied by an attribution, commonly called a citation. A misquote or failure to cite can be considered plagiarism.

When writing an academic paper, scholars must use in-text citations in parentheses followed by a complete entry on a references page. When you quote someone using MLA format , for example, it might look like this:

“The orphan is above all a character out of place, forced to make his or her own home in the world. The novel itself grew up as a genre representing the efforts of an ordinary individual to navigate his or her way through the trials of life. The orphan is therefore an essentially novelistic character, set loose from established conventions to face a world of endless possibilities (and dangers)” (Mullan).

This quote is from www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/orphans-in-fiction , which discusses the portrayal of orphans in Victorian English literature. The citation as it would look on the references page (called Works Cited in MLA) is available at the end of this guide.

What is paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing means taking a quote and putting it in your own words.

You translate what another writer has said into terms both you and your reader can more easily understand. Unlike summarizing, which focuses on the big picture, paraphrasing is involved with single lines or passages. Paraphrasing means you should focus only on segments of a text.

Paraphrasing is a way for you to start processing the information from your source . When you take a quote and put it into your own words, you are already working to better understand, and better explain, the information.

The more you can change the quote without changing the original meaning , the better. How can you make significant changes to a text without changing the meaning?

Here are a few paraphrasing techniques:

• Use synonyms of words
• Change the order of words
• Change the order of clauses in the sentences
• Move sentences around in a section
• Active – passive
• Positive – negative
• Statement-question

Let’s look at an example. Here is a direct quote from the article on orphans in Victorian literature:

“It is no accident that the most famous character in recent fiction – Harry Potter – is an orphan. The child wizard’s adventures are premised on the death of his parents and the responsibilities that he must therefore assume. If we look to classic children’s fiction we find a host of orphans” (Mullan).

Here is a possible paraphrase:

It’s not a mistake that a well-known protagonist in current fiction is an orphan: Harry Potter. His quests are due to his parents dying and tasks that he is now obligated to complete. You will see that orphans are common protagonists if you look at other classic fiction (Mullan).

What differences do you spot? There are synonyms. A few words were moved around. A few clauses were moved around. But do you see that the basic structure is very similar?

This kind of paraphrase might be flagged by a plagiarism checker. Don’t paraphrase like that.

Here is a better example:

What is the most well-known fact about beloved character, Harry Potter? That he’s an orphan – “the boy who lived”. In fact, it is only because his parents died that he was thrust into his hero’s journey. Throughout classic children’s literature, you’ll find many orphans as protagonists (Mullan).

Do you see that this paraphrase has more differences? The basic information is there, but the structure is quite different.

When you paraphrase, you are making choices: of how to restructure information, of how to organize and prioritize it.  These choices reflect your voice in a way a direct quote cannot, since a direct quote is, by definition, someone else’s voice.

Which is better: Quoting or paraphrasing?

Although the purpose of both quoting and paraphrasing is to introduce the ideas of an external source, they are used for different reasons. It’s not that one is better than the other, but rather that quoting suits some purposes better, while paraphrasing is more suitable for others.

A direct quote is better when you feel the writer made the point perfectly and there is no reason to change a thing. If the writer has a strong voice and you want to preserve that, use a direct quote.

For example, no one should ever try to paraphrase John. F. Kenney’s famous line: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

However, think of direct quotes like a hot pepper: go ahead and sprinkle them around to add some spice to your paper, but… you might not want to overdo it.

Conversely, paraphrasing is useful when you want to bring in a longer section of a source into your piece, but you don’t have room for the full passage . A paraphrase doesn’t simplify the passage to an extreme level, like a summary would. Rather, it condenses the section of text into something more useful for your essay. It’s also appropriate to paraphrase when there are sentences within a passage that you want to leave out.

If you were to paraphrase the section of the article about Victorian orphans mentioned earlier, you might write something like this:

Considering the development of the novel, which portrayed everyday people making their way through life, using an orphan as a protagonist was effective. Orphans are characters that, by definition, need to find their way alone. The author can let the protagonist venture out into the world where the anything, good or bad, might happen (Mullan).

You’ll notice a couple of things here. One, there are no quotation marks, but there is still an in-text citation (the name in parentheses). A paraphrase lacks quotation marks because you aren’t directly quoting, but it still needs a citation because you are using a specific segment of the text. It is still someone else’s original idea and must be cited.

Secondly, if you look at the original quote, you’ll see that five lines of text are condensed into four and a half lines. Everything the author used has been changed.

A single paragraph of text has been explained in different words—which is the heart of paraphrasing.

What is summarizing?

Next, we come to summarizing. Summarizing is on a much larger scale than quoting or paraphrasing. While similar to paraphrasing in that you use your own words, a summary’s primary focus is on translating the main idea of an entire document or long section.

Summaries are useful because they allow you to mention entire chapters or articles—or longer works—in only a few sentences. However, summaries can be longer and more in-depth. They can actually include quotes and paraphrases. Keep in mind, though, that since a summary condenses information, look for the main points. Don’t include a lot of details in a summary.

In literary analysis essays, it is useful to include one body paragraph that summarizes the work you’re writing about. It might be helpful to quote or paraphrase specific lines that contribute to the main themes of such a work. Here is an example summarizing the article on orphans in Victorian literature:

In John Mullan’s article “Orphans in Fiction” on bl.uk.com, he reviews the use of orphans as protagonists in 19 th century Victorian literature. Mullan argues that orphans, without family attachments, are effective characters that can be “unleashed to discover the world.” This discovery process often leads orphans to expose dangerous aspects of society, while maintaining their innocence. As an example, Mullan examines how many female orphans wind up as governesses, demonstrating the usefulness of a main character that is obligated to find their own way.

This summary includes the main ideas of the article, one paraphrase, and one direct quote. A ten-paragraph article is summarized into one single paragraph.

As for giving source credit, since the author’s name and title of the source are stated at the beginning of the summary paragraph, you don’t need an in-text citation.

How do I know which one to use?

The fact is that writers use these three reference types (quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing) interchangeably. The key is to pay attention to your argument development. At some points, you will want concrete, firm evidence. Quotes are perfect for this.

At other times, you will want general support for an argument, but the text that includes such support is long-winded. A paraphrase is appropriate in this case.

Finally, sometimes you may need to mention an entire book or article because it is so full of evidence to support your points. In these cases, it is wise to take a few sentences or even a full paragraph to summarize the source.

No matter which type you use, you always need to cite your source on a References or Works Cited page at the end of the document. The MLA works cited entry for the text we’ve been using today looks like this:

Mullan, John. Orphans in Fiction” www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/orphans-in-fiction.  Accessed 20. Oct. 2020

————–

See our related lesson with video:  How to Quote and Paraphrase Evidence

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Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing: Knowing the Difference

Writers who write informative or academic papers will need to understand the difference between paraphrasing vs. summarizing. Learn more in this article.

Paraphrasing and summarizing are similar writing techniques where an author takes an original passage and puts it into their own words without using the author’s exact words. Yet the goal of these two techniques is different. With one, you rephrase the content in your own words, but you pull out the main ideas and shorten the work with the other.

With both paraphrasing and summarizing, you can use someone else’s ideas in your writing to give it meaning and back up the claims you make. However, you do need to know how to use the tools to properly portray the ideas you wish to convey without falling guilty of plagiarism.

As you work on creating research papers and projects, you’re going to want to know the difference between paraphrasing vs. summarizing. This guide will help you understand how these are different, so you can use the right tool when you need it.

Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing: The Key Is in the Goal

The dangers of plagiarism, when to paraphrase, when to summarize, similarities between paraphrasing and summarizing, paraphrasing and summarizing often go hand in hand, creating a works cited or bibliography page, paraphrasing vs. summarizing: both make your writing stronger, paraphrasing vs. summarizing: key points.

What is the primary difference between summarizing and paraphrasing in your writing? The key is in the goal of your writing.

Both paraphrasing and summarizing are ways to avoid plagiarism in your writing by ensuring you are not using the original author’s exact words, but they are done for different reasons. With paraphrasing, you are rewording the original author’s work, but by summarizing, you boil down the main points into a more concise version of the original post.

In academic writing, plagiarism is a serious offense . To avoid this offense, you must include a proper citation whenever you have a quote, paraphrase, and summary statement. If the original work is not your idea or something considered common knowledge, it requires a citation.

If you are found guilty of plagiarism, you will have serious repercussions. This often means failing the assignment or even the class in academic settings. You may face expulsion, too.

If you are preparing something for publication, you risk having your work completely discredited. Your reputation as a writer is ruined. While few people go to jail for plagiarism, you could face lawsuits or fines for breaking the law.

You might also be wondering do you need quotation marks when paraphrasing?

The Definition of Paraphrasing

When you paraphrase something, you take the original material and rewrite it, changing the sentence structure or verb tense to say the same thing differently. The new sentence or paragraph will have enough differences that you cannot point out that it came from the source material.

This process is different from a direct quote. With a direct quote, you use the same wording, word for word, and put it in quotation marks. With a paraphrase, you have no wording that is the same, but instead, you use synonyms and new sentence structure to make it your own. However, the meaning of the original text stays consistent.

Paraphrased works in academic writing still require a citation using the APA or MLA format , depending on the assignment. The original idea still comes from the original author, and you can’t take that and claim it as your own without proper citation.

The best time to paraphrase is when you want to show that you can read someone else’s ideas but then put them in your own words. It shows that you understand the concepts and ideas you are writing about. You still want to credit the original author, but you don’t want to make a paper or article from quotes.

Paraphrasing shows that you understand the concepts of your sources. If you can paraphrase well, you have a clear grasp of the topic.

These paraphrasing exercises might be helpful.

The Definition of Summarizing

Summarizing is done when the original writer’s work is lengthy, and you need the main points, but not a direct quotation or full sentences that copy the meaning. For example, if you are using an entire chapter of a book as a resource for one point in a paragraph, you aren’t going to be able to include all of the ideas from the book. Instead, you will simplify those ideas into something shorter, keeping the main points intact and concisely expressing them.

Summaries, like paraphrases, do not require quotation marks. You won’t use quotation marks even if the main headings or points are repeated in your work. However, you will cite the original author and the original article or book using proper formatting.

A summary works well when you have a large chunk of text you want to pull the main ideas from in your piece. It allows you to get to the main idea of the author’s piece, only pulling out what is necessary for you to make your point. It provides background information to the reader, as well.

Summaries also work well if you need just the main points of the writer’s work instead of all of the added material. This strategy works particularly well when you need to argue a point and want to use an entire work to do so but do not have enough space to quote the source material. You might also be interested in our analogy vs. metaphor guide.

Though they are different, paraphrases and summaries have some similarities. Both allow writers to use other writers’ ideas in their pieces. They both make concepts easier to understand or help them flow in the writer’s own words and writing style. Both keep the passage’s main ideas in place even while changing the wording or shortening the piece.

In academic writing, you will often paraphrase and summarize source materials in the same work. Sometimes, the author’s ideas are already concise, so all you need to do is restate them in your writing. This is paraphrasing.

Sometimes, the author’s ideas are too lengthy for you to include in your work as they are. In these cases, simplification is necessary to flow with your work. Thus, you will summarize.

Paraphrases and summaries are also preferred over direct quotes. They allow you to show your writing skills and ability to pull ideas from someone else’s works without relying entirely on the other writer’s work.

After you finish your writing, you will need to include a list of all of the works you used to create it. This bibliography or works cited page will have formatting based on the publication manual used in the assignment. It will include all of the books, articles, and journals you used to write the essay or paper, whether you quoted, summarized, or paraphrased.

Most writing will borrow from another person’s ideas and even words, as long as the author properly cites and credits the original author. Paraphrasing and summaries are tools writers use to use the ideas of others without copying them directly effectively.

Anyone can copy and paste work from other writers to put together an informative paper or paragraph. Quotes have their place, as they can give the writing a sense of authority and provide strong evidence that the claims you make are valid. However, it takes a skilled writer to summarize or paraphrase the works of other writers.

Both summaries and paraphrases make writing stronger and show that you clearly understand the materials you used in your research. Most academic papers are a mixture of paraphrases, summaries, and quotes. All three require citations, but you will find that paraphrasing and summarizing allow you to put your flair into the writing.

Paraphrasing and summarizing both offer a way to use someone else’s idea as your own in your writing. Paraphrasing transforms the writing into your own words but keeps the same basic length and idea in writing. Summarizing condenses the writing into its main points.

Both paraphrasing and summarizing require proper citation because the idea comes from another writing. You can use your research skills to write engaging essays and papers with these tools. 

If you are interested in learning more, check out our paraphrasing vs. plagiarism guide!

Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. She specializes in education content and real estate writing but enjoys a wide gamut of topics. Her goal is to connect with the reader in an engaging, but informative way. Her work has been featured on USA Today, and she ghostwrites for many high-profile companies. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today's online marketing world.

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• 20 Summaries, Paraphrases, and Abstracts

Start-Up Activity

Display Einstein's famous letter to FDR . Seek a student volunteer to read the letter aloud to your class. Afterward, ask a simple question: "What is the letter about?" Let multiple students respond, and then distinguish their responses. Did they use their own words? Did they cite exact words from the letter? Did they respond to one portion of the text or the whole thing?

Tell students that the question "what is this about" is the focus of every summary. Writing a summary requires students to use their own words and, in special occasions, a few exact words from the source to reveal the heart of the matter. This chapter introduces strategies for summarizing as well as paraphrasing and quoting. Students will use all three strategies to write an effective abstract.  

Think About It

“Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences.”

—William Strunk, Jr.

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.2
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.8
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.5
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.9
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.1
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.3
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.9
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.7

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

Lafs.1112.ri.1.2, lafs.1112.w.3.8, lafs.1112.w.2.5, lafs.1112.ri.3.9, lafs.1112.ri.1.1, lafs.1112.ri.1.3, lafs.1112.w.3.9, lafs.1112.ri.3.7, teks covered in this chapter, 110.38.c.4.g, 110.38.c.5.d, 110.38.c.7.d.i, 110.39.c.4.g, 110.39.c.5.d, 110.39.c.7.d.i, 110.38.c.11.e, 110.38.c.11.f, 110.38.c.11.g, 110.39.c.11.e, 110.39.c.11.f, 110.39.c.11.g, 110.38.c.9.a, 110.38.c.9.c, 110.38.c.9.d, 110.39.c.9.a, 110.39.c.9.c, 110.39.c.9.d, 110.38.c.4.f, 110.38.c.5.c, 110.39.c.4.f, 110.39.c.5.c, 110.38.c.7.d.ii, 110.39.c.7.d.ii, 110.38.c.11, 110.38.c.4.h, 110.39.c.11, 110.39.c.4.h, page 278 from write for college, writing a summary.

A summary extracts main ideas from a piece of writing and then shapes that material clearly and coherently. Summarizing helps students (1) sharpen reading and thinking skills, (2) support ideas in essays, (3) write abstracts for research projects, and (4) prepare for workplace summaries of documents and meetings.

Students need to see a summary as more than simply skimming an article and copying some sentences. Highlight these points for creating effective summaries:

• Annotate the reading (if they own the material).
• Skim material for its purpose, audience, main idea, and structure.
• Locate key ideas by looking at topic sentences, concluding sentences, and transition words.
• Leave out secondary material such as background information, examples, and unnecessary descriptive details.

Note: Consider connecting a summary assignment with another writing project. For example, have students summarize an article on rising ocean levels for a research paper in that subject area.

Related Resource Tags

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Page 279 from Write for College

Summary writing in action.

Provide students time to read the original and revised summaries. Ask volunteers to point out the differences between the two summaries. For further enrichment, either (1) ask students to evaluate and improve a previous draft of a summary they have written, or (2) share examples of summaries in newspaper and magazine articles, textbooks, or research abstracts. Have students discuss the purpose and usefulness of the summaries and propose revisions to improve them.

Page 280 from Write for College

Additional summaries.

Display a blank T-chart or Venn diagram. Have your students read through the objective textbook summary and personal summary.  As a class, compare and contrast the two summaries for content and writing style. Fill in the T-chart or Venn diagram with your students' observations. 

As an alternative, display a current news story or other brief article about an interesting topic. Have students read the article. Immediately afterward, ask them to "stop 'n' write" to reflect on what they have read. They should use a relaxed writing style like that of the personal summary.

Comparing with a Venn Diagram

Analyze similarities and differences.

Page 281 from Write for College

Writing a paraphrase.

Paraphrasing is a key skill for research, but also for learning in general. A student who can put a concept into his or her own words understands the concept.

Educate students about the differences between summarizing and paraphrasing. Both skills involve rewording source material, often in more-accessible language. However, while a summary always attempts to capture only the main idea and key supporting details of another source, a paraphrase may focus on the entire source or just a single detail that directly relates to a research topic. In that way, paraphrasing is a more flexible move than summarizing. Remind students that any summarized or paraphrased material in a research project must include a citation to the original work. 

Next, lead your students through the guidelines for paraphrasing. For practice, have students work individually to paraphrase a key idea from a common source or the source as a whole. One possible source could be a public speech or document. (Possible authors include Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, Patrick Henry, Abraham Lincoln, or Tecumseh.) Afterward, ask for volunteers to share their paraphrases. Note how different responses to the same source exemplify original thinking.

Page 282 from Write for College

Examples of paraphrases.

Ask students to cover up the two sample paraphrases at the bottom of the page as they read and paraphrase the selection at the top of the page. When they finish, suggest that they compare their own paraphrase to the samples: How are they similar? How are they different? Did their versions miss anything important? What about the samples?

Point out that both sample paraphrases conclude with a citation to the original source, in this case, following MLA style. Note that the second sample paraphrase includes a word-for-word quotation from the reading, a technique your students will examine on the next page.  

Page 283 from Write for College

Using quoted material.

Your students may be wondering when it is appropriate to quote a source word for word instead of paraphrasing or summarizing it. In general, students should quote material when . . .

• the specificity of the source's words is necessary to understanding the idea; 
• a specific word, phrase, or passage is particularly striking or has a heightened sense of importance in relation to the research topic; or
• the author of the quoted material is a noted authority whose name will lend credence to the paper's argument or investigation.

After sharing this information, lead students through the formatting and punctuation guidelines for quoted material. To see quoted material in action, have students seek short quotations in the sample MLA research paper on pages 327–334. For a long quotation, see the bottom of page 338.

Using Quotation Marks

Use quotation marks with titles and quotations.

Page 284 from Write for College

Writing an abstract.

Let students know that an abstract is essentially a summary of one's own research paper or report. Lead students through the writing guidelines, and refer back to this page whenever you assign an abstract.

Note: MLA papers do not require an abstract, but APA papers do. You may also wish to have students write an abstract prior to beginning their research papers. Writing an abstract so early in the process forces students to conceptualize a general focus for their papers. It also gives you an opportunity to provide early feedback, steering them in a new direction, if necessary. Of course, students should revise their initial abstract to reflect the information in their completed paper.

• 01 One Writer's Process
• 02 Traits of Writing
• 03 Prewriting
• 05 Revising
• 07 Publishing
• 08 Improving Sentences
• 09 Building Paragraphs
• 10 Mastering Essays
• 11 Writing with Style
• 12 Writing Terms and Techniques
• 13 Personal Writing
• 14 Narrative Writing
• 15 Explanatory Writing
• 16 Argument Writing
• 17 Literary Response Writing
• 18 Creative Writing
• 19 Conducting Research
• 21 Report Writing
• 22 Writing the Research Paper
• 23 MLA Research Paper
• 24 APA Research Paper
• 25 Writing in Science
• 26 Writing in Social Studies
• 27 Writing in Math
• 28 Writing in the Workplace
• 29 Reading Nonfiction
• 30 Reading Literature
• 31 Reading Graphics
• 32 Listening and Note Taking
• 33 Speaking Effectively
• 34 Building Vocabulary
• 35 Writing on Demand
• 36 Answering Document-Based Questions
• 37 Taking Exit and Entrance Exams
• 38 Taking Advanced Placement* Exams
• 39 Marking Punctuation
• 40 Checking Mechanics
• 41 Understanding Idioms
• 42 Using the Right Word
• 43 Parts of Speech
• 44 Using the Language
• 45 Student Almanac

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Quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing.

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Quotations must be identical to the original, using a narrow segment of the source. They must match the source document word for word and must be attributed to the original author.

Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source. Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly.

Summarizing involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, including only the main point(s). Once again, it is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to the original source. Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material

Why use quotations, paraphrases, and summaries?

Quotations, paraphrases, and summaries serve many purposes. You might use them to:

• Provide support for claims or add credibility to your writing
• Refer to work that leads up to the work you are now doing
• Give examples of several points of view on a subject
• Call attention to a position that you wish to agree or disagree with
• Highlight a particularly striking phrase, sentence, or passage by quoting the original
• Distance yourself from the original by quoting it in order to cue readers that the words are not your own
• Expand the breadth or depth of your writing

When Do I Give Credit to a Source?

Give credit to your source in all of the following situations:

• You directly quote a source. 
• You borrow an idea from a source.
• You paraphrase or summarize a source.
• If you gain information from interviewing a person or from a class lecture.
• When you use diagrams, illustrations, or other images that you did not create yourself.
• Radio broadcasts, movies, podcasts.
• Things that are not common knowledge. Always err on the safe side                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Is there anything I don't need to cite?

You do not need to cite any of the following types of information:

• Your own ideas and experiences.
• Common knowledge. Be careful here. If you're in doubt, cite it.
• Results of lab experiments that you gathered yourself.
• Your own artwork, illustrations, diagrams, etc.
• Generally accepted facts: eating too much will make you gain weight, sugar causes cavities

Adapted from Purdue OWL    https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

from EasyBib (http://content.easybib.com/students/research-guide/what-is-plagiarism/)

© Copyright 2014. Scholar Space is a division of  Imagine Easy Solutions.

Take a look at how each form might be used to include information from an original passage:

Oppression in the lives of mothers who are homeless with mental illness perpetuates barriers to health, and serves as a source of emotional distress and social exclusion.  from Benbow S and C. Forchuk (2011) Mothers with Mental Illness Experiencing Homelessness: a Critical Analysis. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 18, 687– 695

Quotation with proper citation:

Researcher S. Benbow says, “Oppression in the lives of mothers who are homeless with mental illness perpetuates barriers to health, and serves as a source of emotional distress and social exclusion,” (689).

Using a Thesaurus?

Selecting a key word and substituting a word from the thesaurus does not mean you haven’t plagiarized.   Using a thesaurus effectively comes down to how well you know the nuance of language and how well you really understand the original quote.  

Without proper attribution, the example below is still plagiarism and unclear plagiarism at that…

Oppression in the lives of mothers who are homeless with insanity continues barriers to health, and serves as a source of emotional pain and social segregation.

Paraphrase with proper citation:

A cycle of “emotional distress”, isolation and a lack of access to health services is too often the result for mentally ill mothers who are also homeless, according to researchers Benbow and Forchuk (689).

Summary with proper citation:

Mothers who are both homeless and mentally ill often face a multitude of oppressive consequences according to researchers Benbow and Forchuk. (689).

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Paraphrasing, quoting and summarising: Introduction

• What's in this guide
• Introduction
• Paraphrasing example
• Summary example
• Quoting example
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Paraphrasing, quoting and summarising

Paraphrasing, summarising and quoting  are tools used to show important information, evidence, ideas, and the work of others in your essay. They are important tools for reshaping information for use in any written assessment task. These must be incorporated into your essay to demonstrate your understanding and interpretation of a text, and to avoid plagiarism. To show the reader where you obtained your information paraphrasing, summarising and quoting are different ways of including the works of others in your assignments. 

Rules of paraphrasing:                                                   

What are the differences between paraphrasing, summarising and quoting?

Paraphrasing involves putting information from a source into your own words, without changing the meaning of the source you used. You must then acknowledge that source in your essay or report. An easy way to remember paraphrasing is to imagine you are telling your next door neighbour what you have just read in your own words.

Summarising involves putting the main idea(s) from a source into your own words, but including only the main point(s). You must then acknowledge the original source in your essay or report.

Quoting involves using a brief segment of a source, word for word, in your essay or report. You let the reader know you have quoted directly from the source by enclosing the text in inverted commas.You must acknowledge that source in your essay or report.

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Mark, J. (n.d.). [JPEG image of a Venn diagram comparing quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing]. Retrieved October 6, 2021, from http://writingscape.com/summary-vs-paraphrase-vs-quote/

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Quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing

• Using someone else's words
• Long (block) quotations
• Is my quotation effective?
• Introducing quotations
• Punctuating quotations

Definitions

Introducing summaries/paraphrases, paraphrasing without plagiarizing, practice paraphrasing, author credit.

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Sometimes you will want to include someone else’s ideas in your paper without directly quoting them. To do this, you can paraphrase or summarize and give the author credit. A paraphrase or summary is a rewrite of the original author’s ideas in your own words; for more information on paraphrasing, see Paraphrasing (American Psychological Association). You need to be careful when you summarize and paraphrase to make sure that you are really rewriting the text, not just changing a few key words.

Paraphrase: to rewrite the text in your own words so that it is about the same number of words as the original.

Summarize:  to rewrite the text in your own words so that it is shorter than the original.If you're looking for more information on summarizing, please visit Five Keys to Writing Effective Summaries (Southern Illinois University Writing Center) and Summarizing (Leora Freedman, University of Toronto).

Tip : To avoid plagiarism, don’t look at the original source as you write. Also, be careful about using the copy and paste feature on your computer so that you don’t accidentally take text without rewriting it in your own words.

Remember, although the summary or paraphrase will be written in your own words, it is important that you clearly identify the outside source and attribute the borrowed ideas to it. Make sure that you use words that will clarify whose ideas you are using when you introduce your paraphrase.

Example : Whittaker (1966) noted that the simple presence of a motorcycle in the room raised the heart rate of the chimps to a dangerous level (p. 26).

See Introducing Quotations  for more information on signal phrases.

The following is an original passage:

The rise of industry, the growth of cities, and the expansion of the population were the three great developments of late nineteenth century American history. As new, larger, steam-powered factories became a feature of the American landscape in the East, they transformed farm hands into industrial laborers, and provided jobs for a rising tide of immigrants. With industry came urbanization and the growth of large cities (like Fall River, Massachusetts, where the Borden lived), which became the centers of production as well as of commerce and trade. (Source: William, J. G. (1981).  Lizzie Borden: A case book of family and crime in the 1890’s . Bloomington, IN: T.I.S. Publications Division).

Unacceptable paraphrase

The increase of industry, the growth of cities, and the explosion of the population were three large factors of nineteenth century America. As steamdriven companies became more visible in the eastern part of the country, they changed farm hands into factory workers and provided jobs for the large wave of immigrants. With industry came the growth of large cities like Fall River where the Bordens lived, which turned into centers of commerce and trade as well as production.

The preceding passage is considered plagiarism because the writer has only changed around a few words and phrases and failed to cite a source for any of the ideas or facts.

Acceptable paraphrase (1)

Fall River, where the Borden family lived (William, 1981, p. 1), was typical of northeastern industrial cities of the nineteenth century. Steam-powered production had shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing, and as immigrants arrived in the US, they found work in these new factories (p. 1). As a result, population grew, and large urban areas arose (p. 1). Fall River was one of these manufacturing and commercial centers (p. 1).

This is an acceptable paraphrase because the writer accurately relayed the information in the original using his or her own words and provided a citation for the material.

Acceptable paraphrase (2)

Fall River, where the Borden family lived (William, 1981, p. 1), was typical of northeastern industrial cities of the nineteenth century. As steam-powered production shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing, the demand for workers “transformed farm hands into industrial laborers” (p.1), and created jobs for immigrants (p. 1). In turn, growing populations increased the size of urban areas (p. 1). Fall River was one of these hubs “which became the centers of production as well as of commerce and trade” (p. 1).

This is acceptable paraphrasing because the writer recorded the information in the original passage accurately, gave credit for the ideas in this passage, and indicated which part is taken directly from the source by identifying the passage in quotation marks and citing the page number.

For more information on avoiding plagiarism when paraphrasing, please see the Avoiding Plagiarism Guide (American Psychological Association), which includes explanations, examples, and tips for how to avoid plagiarizing words and ideas. For practice exercises, please see Paraphrasing and Citation Activities , also by the American Psychological Association.

*Special thanks to Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN for the use of the examples of paraphrasing vs. plagiarizing.

For additional practice exercises, please refer to these excellent materials:

Practice with Paraphrases (Royal Roads University)

Paraphrasing and Citation Activities (American Psychological Association)

Writing in Your Own Words (The Open University)

Adapted from "Using someone else's words: Quote, summarize, and paraphrase your way to success" © Center for Teaching and Faculty Development at San Francisco State University. Adapted with permission. 

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Paraphrase and Summary

When should i paraphrase, and when should i summarize.

To paraphrase means to restate someone else’s ideas in your own language at roughly the same level of detail. To summarize means to reduce the most essential points of someone else’s work into a shorter form. Along with quotation, paraphrase and summary provide the main tools for integrating your sources into your papers. When choosing which to use, consider first your discipline and the type of writing in which you are engaged. For example, literature reviews in science reports rely almost exclusively on summary. Argumentative essays, by contrast, rely on all three tools.

Paraphrase and summary are indispensable in argumentative papers because they allow you to include other people’s ideas without cluttering up your paragraphs with quotations . These techniques help you take greater control of your essay. Consider using either tool when an idea from one of your sources is important to your essay but the wording is not. Space limitations may guide you in your choice. But above all, think about how much of the detail from your source is relevant to your argument. If your reader needs to know only the bare bones, then summarize.

Though paraphrase and summary are often preferable to quotation, do not rely too heavily on them, either. Your ideas are what matter most. Allow yourself the space to develop those ideas.

How do I paraphrase?

Whenever you paraphrase, remember these two points:

• You must provide a reference.
• The paraphrase must be in your own words. You must do more than merely substitute phrases here and there. You must also create your own sentence structures.

Finding new words for ideas that are already well expressed can be hard, but changing words should not be your chief aim anyway. Focus, rather, on filtering the ideas through your own understanding. The following strategy will make the job of paraphrasing a lot easier:

• When you are at the note-taking stage, and you come across a passage that may be useful for your essay, do not copy the passage verbatim unless you think you will want to quote it.
• If you think you will want to paraphrase the passage, make a note only of the author’s basic point (or points). You don’t even need to use full sentences.
• In your note, you should already be translating the language of the original into your own words. What matters is that you capture the original idea.
• Make sure to jot down the source as well as the page number so that you can make a proper reference later on.

When it comes time to write the paper, rely on your notes rather than on the author’s work. You will find it much easier to avoid borrowing from the original passage because you will not have seen it recently. Follow this simple sequence:

• Convert the ideas from your notes into full sentences.
• Provide a reference.
• Go back to the original to ensure that (a) your paraphrase is accurate and (b) you have truly said things in your own words.

Let’s look at examples of illegitimate and legitimate paraphrase, using a passage from Oliver Sacks’ essay “An Anthropologist on Mars”:

The cause of autism has also been a matter of dispute. Its incidence is about one in a thousand, and it occurs throughout the world, its features remarkably consistent even in extremely different cultures. It is often not recognized in the first year of life, but tends to become obvious in the second or third year. Though Asperger regarded it as a biological defect of affective contact—innate, inborn, analogous to a physical or intellectual defect—Kanner tended to view it as a psychogenic disorder, a reflection of bad parenting, and most especially of a chillingly remote, often professional, "refrigerator mother." At this time, autism was often regarded as "defensive" in nature, or confused with childhood schizophrenia. A whole generation of parents—mothers, particularly—were made to feel guilty for the autism of their children.

What follows is an example of illegitimate paraphrase :

The cause of the condition autism has been disputed. It occurs in approximately one in a thousand children, and it exists in all parts of the world, its characteristics strikingly similar in vastly differing cultures. The condition is often not noticeable in the child’s first year, yet it becomes more apparent as the child reaches the age of two or three. Although Asperger saw the condition as a biological defect of the emotions that was inborn and therefore similar to a physical defect, Kanner saw it as psychological in origin, as reflecting poor parenting and particularly a frigidly distant mother. During this period, autism was often seen as a defence mechanism, or it was misdiagnosed as childhood schizophrenia. An entire generation of mothers and fathers (but especially mothers) were made to feel responsible for their offspring’s autism (Sacks 247-48).

Most of these sentences do little more than substitute one phrase for another. An additional problem with this passage is that the only citation occurs at the very end of the paragraph. The reader might be misled into thinking that the earlier sentences were not also based on Sacks.

The following represents a legitimate paraphrase of the original passage:

In "An Anthropologist on Mars," Sacks lists some of the known facts about autism. We know, for example, that the condition occurs in roughly one out of every thousand children. We also know that the characteristics of autism do not vary from one culture to the next. And we know that the condition is difficult to diagnose until the child has entered the second or third year of life. As Sacks points out, often a child who goes on to develop autism will show no sign of the condition at the age of one (247). Sacks observes, however, that researchers have had a hard time agreeing on the causes of autism. He sketches the diametrically opposed positions of Asperger and Kanner. On the one hand, Asperger saw the condition as representing a constitutional defect in the child's ability to make meaningful emotional contact with the external world. On the other hand, Kanner regarded autism as a consequence of harmful childrearing practices. For many years confusion about this condition reigned. One unfortunate consequence of this confusion, Sacks suggests, was the burden of guilt imposed on so many parents for their child's condition (247-48).

This paraphrase illustrates a few basic principles that can help you to paraphrase more effectively:

• Refer explicitly to the author in your paraphrase. The passage above makes explicit right away that the ideas come from Sacks. Its indebtedness is signaled in a few strategic places. The single parenthetical note at the end of each paragraph is therefore all that is needed by way of citation. Referring to Sacks also strengthens the passage by clarifying the source of its ideas.
• Don’t just paraphrase. Analyze. In the paraphrase of Sacks, the decision to split the original passage into two paragraphs adds an analytical dimension: the new passage doesn’t just reiterate his points but lays out the two-part structure of his argument.
• Not all of the details from the original passage need to be included in the paraphrase.
• You don't need to change every word. For the sake of clarity, keep essential terms the same (e.g., autism , culture , children ). However, avoid borrowing entire phrases (e.g., reflection of bad parenting ) unless they are part of the discourse of your field (e.g., psychogenic disorder ).

How do I summarize?

Summary moves much further than paraphrase from point-by-point translation. When you summarize a passage, you need first to absorb the meaning and then to capture in your own words the most important elements from the original passage. A summary is necessarily shorter than a paraphrase.

Here is a summary of the passage from "An Anthropologist on Mars":

In "An Anthropologist on Mars," Sacks notes that although there is little disagreement on the chief characteristics of autism, researchers have differed considerably on its causes. As he points out, Asperger saw the condition as an innate defect in the child's ability to connect with the external world, whereas Kanner regarded it as a consequence of harmful childrearing practices (247-48).

Written by Jerry Plotnick, Director, University College Writing Centre

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Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Quoting

By: Selena Soto

When we integrate information from our sources into our writing, we usually utilize paraphrasing, summarizing, or quoting, and in some cases a combination of all three. Utilizing these three tools in our writing is also important in regards to how we analyze and synthesize our information. Before I go into describing the difference between the three, when to use them, and how to effectively incorporate them into your writing, it is important to explore why we use them in the first place.

We use paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting for a variety of reasons that include (John E. Mayfield Library, 2014):

• Providing support for claims
• Integrating sources into your paper
• Giving examples of several points of view on a subject
• Highlighting and discussing a position that you agree or disagree with
• Including certain points, phrases, sentences, passages, and etc. from one source or multiple sources
• Adding depth to your writing
• Referring to past research that has been done on your topic (Especially important for your lit review section of your paper)

There is a clear difference between paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting but they do share some rules in common if you are going to utilize them. The first rule that they share in common is that when using these three tools you need to reference the original source that you are taking information from. The second rule that they share in common is that when you are referencing the original source that you are drawing information from, you need to include in-text citations in your writing in the appropriate styling format you are being asked to use (Ex. APA, MLA, etc.) If you need to refresh your memory or need some guidance on how to successfully include in-text citations in your writing, I have included a link below to Purdue Owl Writing Lab (OWL), a highly recommended source.

Source: Purdue OWL // Purdue Writing Lab

Below I have included a table that discusses the major difference between paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting that I found on a website and thought was super helpful:

(Table from Custom Essay Meister, 2019)

Paraphrasing

You should paraphrase in your writing: (George Mason University The Writing Center, 2021):

• As another option to quoting or to avoid the over use of quotes
• To rewrite someone else’s ideas without changing the meaning
• To support claims in your writing and when you want to report numerical data or statistics (common in APA style writing)

How to paraphrase (The University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center, 2021):

• Read the text carefully and make sure you understand the main ideas and points of the text
• After you have read the text, put it aside, and write out the essential information in your own words
• Explain why the paraphrase is important

Example (University of Connecticut Library Guides, 2020):

• People who are naturally morning people have been shown to also display traits that are considered proactive, and late risers display fewer of these traits because they don’t get enough sleep on days when they have to go to work or school. (Randler, 2009, p. 2793).

(Replacing a few words and not writing it in your own words is considered plagiarism)

For more information on the Do’s and Don’ts of Paraphrasing check out the link below:

Source: How to Paraphrase: Dos, Don’ts, and Strategies for Success | Scribendi

Summarizing

You should summarize when (George Mason University The Writing Center, 2021):

• A passage from a source is too long to quote or paraphrase
• To establish background information or an overview of a topic
• When you want to describe knowledge (from several sources) about a topic

How to summarize (The University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center, 2021):

• Read the text and highlight the main points
• Reread the text and make notes of the main points, leaving out examples, evidence, etc.
• Without the text, rewrite your notes in your own words. Include the main idea at the beginning of the summary and include all the main points, conclusions, and final findings of the work.

Original Source:

• These results suggest that morning people, or early chronotypes—as measured on the morningness–eveningness continuum are more proactive than are evening types. Additionally, the misalignment of social and biological time, as assessed by the difference between rise times on weekdays and on free days, correlated with proactivity, suggesting that people with a high misalignment of social and biological time may be less able to act in a proactive manner, probably because of sleep delay. Their biological schedules seem not to fit neatly into social demands (e.g., school, university, work schedules) as do those of less misaligned people.

(Randler, C. (2009). Proactive people are morning people. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 39(12), 2787-2797.)

Summarized Version:

• Recent research shows that people who are not naturally early risers often have persistent issues adjusting themselves to the morning-oriented schedule of most schools and workplaces, and because of this may be less proactive in their behaviors (Randler, 2009).

You should use quoting in your writing when:

• You are introducing the position of author of a source that you want to discuss
• When you want to include a particular point or statement that was made that you don’t want to express or can’t express in your own words.

Use the ICE method (Introduce, Cite, and Explain) method when you are quoting (The University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center, 2021):

• Introduce your quotation by identifying who said it or where it came from and add a signal verb (Ex: Stated, Argued, etc.)
• Cite the phrase or words you are using with quotation marks and proper in-text citation in the expected formatting style (Ex: APA, MLA., etc.)
• Explain the importance of the quote you are using. Consider what this information is adding to the points you are trying to convey.

Example (APA format):

• As stated (Signal Verb) by Cormac McCarthy in his 2006 novel  The Road : “You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget” (p. 12).

I hope that this this was helpful and here is a friendly reminder that YOU GOT THIS!!!

Reference (In APA Format):

Inc, S. (n.d.). How to PARAPHRASE: Dos, DON’TS, and strategies for success. Retrieved March 07, 2021, from https://www.scribendi.com/academy/articles/how_to_paraphrase.en.html

Custom Essay Meister. (2019). Quote vs paraphrase vs summary. Retrieved March 07, 2021, from https://www.customessaymeister.com/blog/quote-vs-paraphrase-vs-summary

George Mason University.(n.d.). When to summarize, paraphrase, and quote. Retrieved March 07, 2021, from https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/when-to-summarize-paraphrase-and-quote

John E. Mayfield Library. (2014). Online library workshops: Quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing.  Retrieved March 07, 2021, from https://nscc.libguides.com/Onlineworkshops/quoting

The University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center (n.d.). Quoting, paraphrasing, & summarizing.Retrieved March 07, 2021, from https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/quoting-paraphrasing-summarizing

University of Connecticut. (n.d.). Understand citations: Quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing. Retrieved March 07, 2021, from https://guides.lib.uconn.edu/understandcitations/integrating

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Paraphrasing VS Summarizing: Differences and Examples

• Smodin Editorial Team
• Updated: September 13, 2022

Composing a piece of text for an assignment or a blog can require you to perform thorough research, compose content, and ensure its uniqueness. That brings the need for paraphrasing the content and summarizing. However, the terms paraphrasing and summarizing are mistaken as synonyms. They are both related, but they are not the same. To clarify the concepts in this blog, we will focus on paraphrasing vs summarizing and their differences.

What is paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing refers to writing a piece of content again without changing its actual meaning. It would require you to read the text and present that in your own words. A paraphrased text can take the major part of the original text and can be generally shorter.

The need to paraphrase

From blogs to assignments, paraphrasing can be the call for creating content in different situations. For a broader picture, here is the set of reasons why you need to paraphrase:

• To refine the specific text from a short passage.
• To save from the overuse of quotations.
• To explain the word without focusing on wordings.
• To report statistics and numerical data.
• To share the crucial part of a passage.
• To avoid plagiarism.

How to paraphrase without the occurrence of any plagiarism issue?

Plagiarism refers to presenting the work of some other author as one’s. With many benefits and usage of paraphrasing, using content without plagiarism is another. Either through adding synonyms or changing the speech, there are different ways to paraphrase without plagiarizing. To facilitate it for you, here are the steps you can proceed with:

• Understand the meaning

Before you begin to compose the content in your own words, it is necessary for you to understand it properly. For this, you can read the resource several times, and you can even look for multiple references. It can allow you to have several sources and a lot of information.

• Note down the major points

  Whether you consider single or multiple references, you should note down the important points. With this, you can take the information and still not copy the same notion of the writer. You can use the material and phrase it in your words.

• Write your content

  Once you understand the meaning and take the major points, you can compose fresh content. While doing so, you must make sure that you do not have to look at the original passage and prepare for what you have understood.

• Compare the content

After writing your content, the next step should be comparing it with the original passage. It can allow you to evaluate the authenticity of the facts and check if you have missed any crucial information.

• Cite the Source

  Even if you write the content in your own words, citation helps track the original idea. It also gives the credit to the original source.

What does paraphrased content look like?

To get a clearer idea of paraphrased content, you can take a look at these examples of paraphrasing:

Original Content

Digital marketing has been a growing field in the past decades. It includes using different platforms to promote businesses. Its purpose is to connect to its target audience present in digital mediums.

Paraphrased Content

Over the past decades, digital marketing has become a booming field. It consists of promoting a brand while availing of the different digital platforms. It paves the way for businesses to reach their potential customers on various platforms.

Both of these passages have the same meaning but are written differently. The choices of the words are not the same, and in the first sentence only, there is a change in the sentence structure. That is how you can paraphrase the content.

What Is Summarizing?

Summary refers to a short review, a restatement of the major points, which is a conclusion of the work in most cases. With this, summarizing refers to composing a summary of the content or other resources. It has to communicate the most crucial part for the writer. You have to prepare it in your own words, and it has to state the information you want to emphasize.

When to Summarize?

Several benefits come with the need to summarize. First of all, it allows you to understand the structure in which the content has been organized and then combine them into the major parts. With this, you can focus on putting lights in the most crucial part of the text. Here are the conditions that require summarizing:

• To reduce the source material and bring out the major and relatable points.
• To remove extra information from the crucial source material.
• To make the material simple and easy to understand.

How to Summarize?

Summarizing involves taking the ideas from a text, which can be some other author. You must also add the citation information for sharing the source of the concept. You can use Smodin Summarizer to summarize all the texts you want. Like we did for paraphrasing, here is the step-by-step explanation of summarizing:

Find and Read

The first step you need to do is select the text. It can be four to five lines and can support the idea. After that, you have to thoroughly read it to get a detailed idea and understanding of the topic. You must prepare notes, and add the keywords, terms, and keywords you can use to understand it better.

Filter the Content

Once done with this, you have to filter the content you will compose into the summary. For this, you have to select the text you want to keep and eliminate the unnecessary. After sorting the material you have to include, you can write the summary in your own words.

Revise and Edit

After completing your summary, you have to read it and correct any mistakes. You also have to verify the facts presented over there. To attain that, you can compare it with the text and make sure that there are no aspects left for you to make changes.

Before submitting your summary, you must check if it can identify the writer of the actual text. It has to consist and combine the ideas initially written and present unbiased information.

What does summarizing look like?

To get a clear picture of what summarization can look like, let us present an example of the summary.

Here are a few paragraphs on the importance of language:

Language plays a crucial role in communication among people. After becoming a master in it, you can become well-versed with its grammar, the system of words, and structure to facilitate the exchange of thoughts and emotions. It is also essential to express the ideas and customs in societies and cultures. When you choose to learn the concepts of a new language, you can connect with new thoughts and ideas. You can also make yourself familiar with customs and the manner in which people greet each other.

The role of learning a language also encompasses professional growth as a person with a command of the global language can find more career possibilities. Several sectors and industries need professionals well-versed in common languages.

(Anonymous)

This is an anonymous paragraph, but it is necessary to identify the writer. So, let us assume that Dr. A has written it for a paper presented at University Y in 2020. The title is The influence of language on an individual . In that case, here is how you will present the summary of the paragraph:

In the paper on The influence of language on an Individual at Y University, Z, Dr. A presented his thoughts on language. It allows people to exchange their thoughts and ideas. Learning a new language can allow people to connect to new thoughts and ideas and learn about new customs. It can also pave the way for your growth at a professional level. This is because industries often look for professionals who master a commonly-spoken language.

About the Summary

This summary has the source, time, and writer while expressing the essential points. It also states the perception presented by the author but in a different and neutral manner.

Final Thoughts

Paraphrasing and summarizing are somehow different from each other. This blog has focused on putting some light on paraphrasing vs summarizing . Where paraphrasing is about conveying the same messages without shortening the length, summarizing explains the crucial points more succinctly. However, the need is to create plagiarism-free content through both the methods you prefer to go ahead with. Talking of composing unique content, Smodin.io can provide you with the tools to prepare an assignment/blog for you. All you need to do is copy your content, use it, and wait for fresh and distinct content.

Comparing Summary vs Paraphrase – What are the Key Differences?

Key Takeaways: Summarizing vs Paraphrasing

How They Are Similar: Paraphrasing and summarizing are both writing techniques that allow us to use other people’s ideas without direct copying.

How They Are Different: Paraphrasing involves rewording text to create new written content with the same meaning as the original. On the other hand, summarizing condenses the text to an overview of the main points. Both require proper citation to avoid plagiarism!

Have you ever done a bunch of research, then sat down to work on a report or written document, and then realized: I don’t whether I should summarize this work or paraphrase it?

In the context of summary vs paraphrase, both techniques allow us to incorporate the ideas of others into our own work without copying them directly.

Yet, these methods are often misunderstood or misused. This article will explain these two techniques, and give examples of both. Plus, learn how you can use AI to do some of the summarizing and paraphrasing for you!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

Understanding Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is a powerful technique that allows us to take someone else’s words and ideas and express them in our own unique way. At its core, paraphrasing is rewriting a text to produce original content while preserving the original meaning.

It is a valuable skill that can help us better understand complex material, communicate ideas more effectively, and avoid plagiarism.

Definition of Paraphrasing

This process involves reworking the text line by line, simplifying grammar and vocabulary, rearranging words and sentences, and transforming passive expressions into active ones.

The result is a “new” text that maintains the essence of the original but is expressed in our unique way.

Uses of Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing can serve various purposes, such as clarifying a message, making it more relevant to the audience, or emphasizing specific key points.

It can also support our arguments or viewpoints, maintain a consistent writing style, and avoid lengthy citations from the original text or discourse.

Paraphrasing helps us engage more deeply with the source material and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the materials used in our research.

Understanding Summarizing

To summarize means the process of concisely expressing the most pertinent facts or ideas about something, often in our own words. It is a method of condensing a large selection of complex text while retaining its essential information.

Summarizing can help us quickly grasp the key points of a text, making it easier to communicate those main points to others as a brief overview.

Definition of Summarizing

Its objective is to condense information into a concise and clear summary that will be understandable for readers.

By extracting the essential ideas from a text and condensing them into a shorter version, we can more easily digest and understand the underlying message of the original work.

Summaries can be used to quickly grasp the main points of a text. They can also be used to review and recall information.

Uses of Summarizing

Summarizing is a versatile technique with many applications. It can be employed to better understand the primary concept of a written work or to condense a longer original text into a more concise version.

Summarizing is also valuable for academic writing , as it allows us to introduce background information, summarize knowledge from multiple sources on a topic, or identify the main points of a single source. Summarizing lets us focus on the most critical information and present it clearly and concisely.

Summarizing a document is a great way to save both time and energy in your life!

Key Differences

While paraphrasing and summarizing allow us to incorporate other authors’ ideas into our work, their key differences lie in their purpose, length, detail, style, and citation requirements.

Understanding these distinctions is crucial for effectively mastering and using these techniques in our writing endeavors.

The following sections will explore the differences between paraphrasing vs summarizing, exploring their unique characteristics and applications. Here’s a quick summary of the two:

The purpose of paraphrasing is to reword a text to generate original content with the same meaning while summarizing is to condense a longer text into a significantly shorter version that conveys the key ideas.

In essence, paraphrasing focuses on rewriting the text to create a new, unique version, while summarizing aims to provide a brief overview of the original material.

Another key difference between paraphrasing and summarizing is the length of the rewritten or condensed text. A paraphrased text is generally similar in length to the original text, maintaining the same level of detail.

In contrast, a summary is significantly shorter than the original text, as it only includes the most pertinent points and necessary information.

Paraphrasing involves rewording a text to generate original content while preserving the same level of detail. In other words, a paraphrase should include all relevant details from the original text, expressed differently.

On the other hand, summarizing focuses on extracting the main ideas from the original text and condensing them into a succinct overview, often omitting superfluous details.

In terms of style, paraphrasing involves altering the phrasing of a text while maintaining the original meaning, often employing synonyms and restructured sentences.

Summarizing, conversely, involves condensing the text by focusing only on the main ideas and key points. Both techniques require using our own words and writing style, but summarizing often necessitates a more concise and focused approach.

Proper citation is essential when performing both paraphrasing and summarizing, as the idea originates from another writing.

To avoid plagiarism, it is crucial to include an in-text citation and a reference in the bibliography or works cited list, depending on the formatting style required for the assignment.

This ensures that we give proper credit to the original author and avoid any potential consequences of plagiarism.

Tips and Tricks

Now that we have a deeper understanding of the differences between paraphrasing vs summarizing, it’s important to learn how to apply these techniques effectively.

Some effective paraphrasing and summarizing tips include using unique words, representative phrases, accurate synonyms, and only including key points and essential information.

In the following sections, we will explore specific techniques for both paraphrasing and summarizing, providing practical advice for mastering these valuable skills.

Paraphrasing Techniques

Effective paraphrasing involves several techniques, such as utilizing synonyms, altering the form of words, changing the grammatical structure, modifying the sentence structure, and transforming the word class or form.

It is essential to comprehend and articulate the source material in our own words while preserving the original meaning.

By employing these techniques, we can create a well-crafted paraphrase that accurately conveys the original author’s ideas.

Summarizing Techniques

To create an effective summary, we can employ various techniques, such as selecting a short passage that supports an idea, underlining the main point, breaking down the text into sections to pinpoint essential points, and summarizing without disregarding pertinent details.

Additionally, it is crucial to compare the summary to the original text, ensuring that we have accurately captured the main ideas and essential information.

When to Use Each

Paraphrasing and summarizing are appropriate for different situations, depending on our writing goals and the specific needs of our audience. Paraphrasing is suitable when we need to better understand, communicate effectively, gain new perspectives, improve our writing, and avoid plagiarism.

Summarizing is useful when we need to condense a longer text into something that is shorter than the original, grasp the gist without context loss, identify key concepts, find information quickly, visualize the structure, and locate gaps.

By understanding when to use each technique, we can enhance our writing and effectively convey the ideas of others.

When to Paraphrase

Paraphrasing is suitable in various situations, such as avoiding plagiarism, simplifying complex concepts, or incorporating evidence and source material into our assignments.

For instance, we might use paraphrasing to explain the information contained in tables, charts, and diagrams, making them more accessible to our audience.

By employing paraphrasing effectively, we can enhance our writing and ensure that we accurately convey the ideas of others.

When to Summarize

Summarizing is appropriate when brevity is a priority or our reader requires a concise overview of the material.

For example, we might use summarizing to provide a quick synopsis of a topic, construct a backdrop, depict knowledge from multiple sources concerning a topic, or ascertain the principal notions of a single source.

By effectively summarizing, we can give our readers the essential information they need to understand the main points without overwhelming them with unnecessary details.

Avoiding Plagiarism

In academic writing, it is essential to provide proper citations when paraphrasing and summarizing to avoid plagiarism – or presenting someone else’s words or ideas as your own.

Plagiarism is a grave infraction that can lead to severe consequences, such as failing the assignment or even facing legal action.

By adhering to proper citation guidelines, we can ensure that we give proper credit to the original author and maintain our integrity as writers.

Citing Paraphrased Texts

When citing paraphrased texts, it is essential to include the original source in the first mention.

The citation should include the author’s last name and publication date. We may use the APA or MLA format depending on the assignment’s requirements.

Citing Summarized Texts

Citing summarized texts is just as important as citing paraphrased texts. According to APA 7, an in-text citation should be included when referring to, summarizing, paraphrasing, or quoting from another source.

This citation should include the author’s last name and the year of publication.

Real-Life Examples

Real-life examples of paraphrasing vs summarizing can be found in various contexts, such as rewording a news article, condensing a dialogue, or restating a research paper or essay.

These demonstrate how these techniques can be used to effectively incorporate the ideas of others without copying them directly, ensuring that our writing is both original and informative.

Using AI for Paraphrasing vs Summarizing

These days, there are so many great AI writing tools that can help you with your writing. Let’s take a look at two of my favorite AI content creation options.

Using Jasper to summarize or paraphrase content is easy and efficient. Follow these steps to generate a concise summary or a differently-worded paraphrase of any text:

• Open Jasper : Access the Jasper platform by visiting jasper.ai and logging into your account.
• Create a new document : Click on the “Create New Content” button, and then the “New Document” section to open a blank document where you can input the original text you want to summarize or paraphrase.

• Paste the content : Copy the text you want to summarize and paste it into the document. Make sure the content is well-structured and within Jasper’s word limit.
• Use the summarization command : In a new line, type a command such as “Please summarize the above content in 100 words” or “Provide a brief summary of the text above.” You can specify the desired length or ask for a brief summary, depending on your needs.

To demonstrate the Jasper summary command, I’ve taken a section from one of my articles on “How to Write Relatable Characters.” I’ve pasted it into Jasper, and I’m showing the prompt in the prompt box below.

• Run the command : Press Ctrl+Enter (or Cmd+Enter on Mac) or click “Run Command” to run the command. Based on your command, Jasper will then generate a summarized or paraphrased version of the provided text. Here’s Jasper’s summarized version of my text:

To paraphrase, you’ll use this prompt instead:

• Use the paraphrasing command : Follow the steps above to access Jasper and paste your content into a document. In a new line, type a command such as “Please paraphrase the above text” or “Rewrite the text above in a witty tone of voice.”

Here’s what Jasper gave me. Don’t forget that you can ask the program to rewrite the text in any tone you like (professional, conversational, friendly, etc.)!

WriteSonic is another AI-powered writing tool that can help you summarize content. To use WriteSonic for summarizing, follow these steps:

• Open WriteSonic : Visit the WriteSonic website at writesonic.com and log in to your account.
• Access the writing tools : On your dashboard, you will find various writing tools offered by WriteSonic. Look for the “Content Shorten” tool.

• Paste the content : Copy the text you want to summarize and paste it into the input box. Make sure the content is well-structured and within WriteSonic’s word limit.
• Choose summary length : If the tool provides an option to choose the length of the summary, select the desired length according to your needs.
• Generate the summary : Click the “Generate” button to initiate the summarization process. WriteSonic will then create a summarized version of your text based on the provided information. You can even ask Writesonic to give you multiple different versions of the output.

Here’s what I got from WriteSonic for my summary. I love how it gave me two different lengths!

Using WriteSonic to paraphrase content is a straightforward process. Follow these steps to generate a rephrased version of any text:

• Access the writing tools : On your dashboard, you will find various writing tools offered by WriteSonic. Look for the “Content Rephrase” tool.

• Paste the content : Copy the text you want to paraphrase and paste it into the input box provided in the paraphrasing tool. Make sure the content is well-structured and within WriteSonic’s word limit. You can even add a tone of voice, such as “witty,” “professional,” or “creative.” For this example, I used a witty tone of voice.
• Generate the paraphrased text : Click the “Generate” button to initiate the paraphrasing process. WriteSonic will then create a paraphrased version of your text based on the provided information. I asked WriteSonic to give me two different versions of the paraphrased text.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, paraphrasing and summarizing are important techniques for any writer, allowing us to incorporate the ideas of others into our work without copying them directly.

Mastering the techniques involved in these methods, understanding their differences, and knowing when to use each can help you convey others’ ideas effectively.

Remember to use proper citations to avoid plagiarism and maintain your integrity as a writer. So, embrace these techniques and harness their power to create engaging, informative, and original content!

Common Questions (FAQs)

Can a paraphrase be a summary.

Yes, a paraphrase can be a summary. Paraphrasing is restating someone else’s ideas in your own language. Summarizing involves reducing the essential points of someone else’s work into a shorter form. Both techniques can be used to simplify complex information or ideas.

Is paraphrasing better than summarizing?

Summarizing is generally considered to be a better option than paraphrasing. Summarizing requires you to re-write the material in your own words, but more importantly, it also encourages you to retain only the most critical elements of the original passage. This allows you to process and interpret the material more deeply.

How is summarizing different from paraphrasing?

Summarizing involves condensing an original text into its main idea and expressing it in your own words. In contrast, paraphrasing is recreating an author’s ideas in your own words while maintaining the original meaning. For example, summarizing the story of Romeo and Juliet would include mentioning the essential plot points, while paraphrasing the same story might include restating the dialogue and narration.

What is an example of a paraphrase?

Paraphrasing sentences reframe an original idea into your own words. For example, take the original statement: “Any trip to Italy should include visiting Tuscany to sample their exquisite wines.” The paraphrased material could be: “A journey to Italy wouldn’t be complete without experiencing the exquisite wines of Tuscany.”

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Know the Difference: Quoting, Paraphrasing and Summarizing 

An important part of any academic discussion is citations. It highlights the existing works on a particular topic, enabling readers to track relevant research 1 to develop their arguments. Though the function of citation is simple, the learning process of correctly citing other articles can be challenging. There is an increased possibility of plagiarism if you incorporate others’ work or ideas without full or correct acknowledgment. As a research student or early researcher, you will come across rules for paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting in your research articles. These are essential strategies for citing existing research work to support or challenge your writings or arguments. You’ll use a combination of these in your assignments, dissertation, or research papers, so understanding their differences is important.  

In simple terms, the difference between these three terms lies in the proximity of your writing to the source writing, but their use could be hindered for the following reasons. 2   

• Low linguistic ability: limit the power to define, summarize, evaluate, and contrast existing literature.  
• Unfamiliarity with the language of citations: repeat citation patterns, integrate references incorrectly, or misplace reporting verbs. 
• Lack of awareness of the importance of referencing: Under referencing 

This article compares and discusses paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting to help you become more comfortable with their usage. 

Quoting involves using a direct quotation , where you quote the author verbatim to define or describe specific concepts. Use double quotation marks at the beginning and end of the quote, and use the exact words from the original text. It is important to cite the original source and name the author, or else your work could be considered plagiarized as there is software that easily detects this. Also, it is better to avoid long passages as direct quotes; limit them to one or two sentences. Another point to remember is to limit their instances in your paper. Use words/phrases such as stated , in the words of , etc., to indicate that you are using the author’s exact words. Discuss its meaning or add more information as needed so that the quotes fit logically in your writing.  

Paraphrasing

Unlike quoting, paraphrasing involves rewriting the text; the aim is to explain the original and relevant idea in one’s own words as a basis to build an argument. You can avoid words such as mentioned or stated for paraphrased text, but cite the source to ensure the reader knows that you are borrowing ideas. Paraphrasing can be challenging to most ESL students as it requires a good command of paraphrasing and considerable time and effort in choosing the right active or passive verbs to introduce a paraphrase. 3 A common mistake to avoid is swapping words in the original sentence with their synonyms.  

In academic writing, the preference is towards paraphrasing because it shows your understanding of the literature and allows you to present relevant evidence to your readers. Also, as it incorporates your own academic voice, you can avoid getting flagged by plagiarism detection tools, such as Turnitin. 

Tips for effective paraphrasing

• Reformulate the sentence by changing the voice from active to passive or starting from a different point. 
• Use quality sources to support your ideas.  
• Remove irrelevant information from the source text. 
• Combine information from multiple sentences. 
• Use synonyms where they don’t distort the meaning. 

Summarizing

When summarizing, you describe the original text without analyzing it. Your aim is to give your readers a broad overview of a subject. It involves placing the main ideas or points in your own words. Since your focus is on providing a general overview of the topic, summaries are often provided in the introductory paragraph. But remember to cite the summarized ideas. 

How to use quotations, paraphrases, and summaries

• Place all exact source words in quotation marks immediately. 
• When summarizing or paraphrasing, the following strategies can be adopted to avoid looking at the source material and reduce the influence of the source text in your version: 
• Read the text multiple times. This will help you understand the author’s main ideas and explain them to others. 
• Write down the main phrases and ideas. This should be done without looking at the original sentence. 
• Write in sentence form. Develop the summary or paraphrase based on your understanding of the source text. 
• Compare with the original work. Rewrite your work if words/phrases are the same as in the original work or if the structure is very similar. 

The following is an example of a good paraphrase. It has the same ideas as the source text (quoted on the left) but with different wording and sentence structure. 

Ways to avoid accidental plagiarism

• Use citations: Give credit where it is due.  
• Organize and develop your own idea: Work out a balance between the ideas from other sources and your original ideas. Your writing should have originality and be concise. 
• Use plagiarism checkers: There are a number of good plagiarism checker tools available online. Many online check tools also correct grammar errors, sentence structures, word choices, and subject-specific phrasing.  

Developing your paraphrasing and summarizing skills will take time. So, it is important that you set aside a lot of time to practice these skills to perfect your writing. 

• Hunter, J. (2006). The importance of citation.  URL: http://web grinnell edu/Dean/Tutorial/EUS/IC pdf (1204 2007) . 
• Elizalde Esain, A. (2017). English for Academic Purposes: The Challenge of Paraphrasing. 
• McKeown, K. (1983). Paraphrasing questions using given and new information.  American Journal of Computational Linguistics ,  9 (1), 1-10. 
• Bachman, L. F. (1990).  Fundamental considerations in language testing . Oxford University Press. 

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Differences in a Paraphrase, Summary, and Précis

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Look up “paraphrase,” “summary,” and “précis” in the dictionary, and you’re going to find a lot of overlapping ideas, but the uses of these terms (especially in academic writing) have quite well-defined boundaries.

All these terms deal with the idea that you’re reading something someone else wrote and then putting it in different terms while maintaining the meaning. But these similarities come to an end when you consider the different purposes for these tasks.

Let’s Start with the Paraphrase

A paraphrase is specifically different from a quote. To qualify, it must relay all the same information but in different words.

Not seeing how this is different from the others? Think about the purpose. A paraphrase reveals that you know what is being said and can rephrase it in words of your own choosing. You are proving you “get it.”

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A paraphrase thus has no space limits. Indeed, a paraphrase might be much longer than the original text. One paraphrase of, “To be, or not to be / That is the question,” is: “I am asking myself whether I should decide to go on living, or kill myself, and this may be ‘the question’ in terms of all existence. Should humanity bother to keep on going or just snuff it?”

A paraphrase may also be much shorter. One paraphrase of:

Now therefore, while the youthful hue Sits on thy skin like morning dew, And while thy willing soul transpires At every pore with instant fires, Now let us sport us while we may, And now, like amorous birds of prey, Rather at once our time devour Than languish in his slow-chapped power,

would be: “Hey, let’s have sex before we get all old and stuff.”

Of course, that second paraphrase might not get you a good grade in English Lit.

A Summary Is a Whole Different Deal

A summary is generally understood to be of something long enough to benefit from a summary. There’s no real summary for, “I am going to the store.” (A paraphrase would be, “The speaker is traveling to the shop.”) A summary is understood to be smaller than the original and may use some of the same words.

A summary also does not have to be complete. A summary of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech can just be, “White and Black people should try to get along better.” A paraphrase of the speech would have to cover all the bases.

A summary’s purpose is not to interpret meaning so much as to relay information, so the pressure is off to make sure the words are different. We might even throw in a quote or two. Think of summarizing a movie you just saw for a friend. You might do a line of dialogue like, “To the pain!” or “Excuse me while I whip this out.”

A Précis Is for You

“Précis” is just an academic term for “summary,” and you might never be assigned to do one, but it’s a handy thing. The purpose here is to remind yourself of what the original said.

Let’s say you’re reading a bunch of books and articles that might be important for a test, and you decide just taking a few notes isn’t enough. You can write a précis with the idea that you’ll read it again later to refresh your memory. A précis might then include details about the article beyond the text, such as that this is the first time a certain procedure was successful or that this approach to writing code was useful for a while but is now obsolete.

If you do a precise for the primary sources for your discipline, you’ll have that as a resource not only for tests, but also for papers you might want to write: sort of your own version of CliffsNotes (Coles Notes for you Canadians, York Notes for you Brits). Because you do them yourself, they are geared toward your interests and your style of thinking.

So, while the main idea is the same, the different purposes of these ways of summing things up require different skills. (Note that that final line there is a summary for the purpose of a conclusion. Ain’t I a tricky one?)

Julia H. (except for the poem, which is Andrew M.)

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• Key Differences

Know the Differences & Comparisons

Difference Between Summary and Paraphrase

On the other hand, paraphrase means the restatement of the passage, in explicit language, so as to clarify its hidden meaning, without condensing it. In paraphrasing, the written material, idea or statement of some other person is presented in your own words, which is easy to understand.

These two are used in an excerpt to include the ideas of other author’s but without the use of quotations. Let us talk about the difference between summary and paraphrase.

Content: Summary Vs Paraphrase

Comparison chart, definition of summary.

A summary is an abridged form of a passage, which incorporates all the main or say relevant points of the original text while keeping the meaning and essence intact. It is used to give an overview of the excerpt in brief, to the reader. In summary, the author’s ideas are presented in your own words and sentences, in a succinct manner.

A summary encapsulates the gist and the entire concept of the author’s material in a shorter fashion. It also indicates the source of the information, using citation. Basically the length of the summary depends on the material being condensed.

It encompasses the main idea of every paragraph and the facts supporting that idea. It does not end with a conclusion, however, if there is a message in the conclusion, it is included in the summary. It also uses the keywords from the original material, but it does not use the same phrases or sentences.

Summaries save a lot of time of the reader, as the reader need not go through the entire work to filter the most important information contained in it, rather the reader gets the most relevant information in hand.

Definition of Paraphrase

Paraphrasing is not a reproduction of a similar copy of another author’s work, rather it means to rewrite the excerpt in your own language, using comprehensible words and restructuring the sentences, but without changing the context. Hence, in paraphrasing, the original idea and meaning of the text are maintained, but the sentence structure and the words used to deliver the message would be different.

The paraphrased version of the text is simple and easily understandable. The length is almost similar to the original text, as it only translates the original text into simplest form. It is not about the conversion of the text in a detailed manner, rather it is presented in such a way that goes well with your expression.

In paraphrasing, someone else’s written material is restated or rephrased in your own language, containing the same degree of detail. It is the retelling of the concept, using a different tone to address a different audience.

Key Differences Between Summary and Paraphrase

The points discussed below, explains the difference between summary and paraphrase

• To summarize means to put down the main ideas of the essential points of the excerpt, in your own words, while keeping its essence intact. On the contrary, to paraphrase means to decode the original text in your own words without distorting its meaning or essence.
• A summary is all about emphasizing the central idea (essence) and the main points of the text. In contrast, paraphrasing is done to simplify and clarify the meaning of the given excerpt, so as to enhance its comprehension.
• If we talk about the length of the summary in comparison to the original text, it is shorter, because summary tends to highlight the main points only and excludes the irrelevant material of the text. As against, in case of paraphrasing, the length is almost equal to the original text, because its aim is to decipher, i.e. to convert the complex text in a language which is easily understandable without excluding any material from the text.
• The main objective of summarizing is to compile and present the gist of the author’s idea or concept in a few sentences or points. Conversely, the primary objective of paraphrasing is to clarify the meaning of author’s work in a clear and effective manner when the words used by him/her are not important or the words are too complex to understand.
• A summary is used when you want to give a quick overview of the main ideas to the reader about the topic. On the contrary, Paraphrase is used when the idea or main point is more significant than the actual words used in the material and also when you want to use your own voice to explain the concept or idea.
• A summary does not include lengthy explanations, examples and what the reader has understood. In contrast, a paraphrase does not include the exact same wordings or paragraphs used in the original source, so as to avoid plagiarism.

Steps for Summarizing

• First of all, you need to read the entire passage twice or thrice to grasp the meaning and essence of the material.
• Identify and underline all the important points, ideas and supporting facts which you have read.
• Now, explain the material to yourself, for better understanding.
• Rewrite in your own words, the salient points and central idea from the original text, in a few sentences.
• Omit unnecessary detailing and examples.
• Make a comparison of the original text and the summary which you’ve created.

Steps for Paraphrasing

• Read the entire text carefully, twice or thrice, to absorb the meaning and essence.
• Rewrite the author’s ideas in a unique language, i.e. in your own voice. Make sure that the sentences and words used are your own and it should not be a mere substitution or swapping of words and phrases.
• Further, the sequence in which idea is presented, need not be different from the original source.
• Compare the paraphrased version with the main text, and ensure that the essence clearly presented, as well as make sure that it is free from plagiarism.
• Check that the words and phrases which are directly taken from the text are within quotation marks.
• Provide references.

In a nutshell, a summary is nothing but a shorter version of an excerpt or passage. On the contrary, a paraphrase is the restatement of the original text or excerpt. One can use any of the two sources, as per the requirement, when the idea of any of the sources is relevant to your material, but the wording is not that important.

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Venn Diagram

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Video Transcripts: Paraphrasing Strategies: Comparing Paraphrasing and Quoting

Paraphrasing strategies: comparing paraphrasing and quoting.

Last updated 5/6/2020

Visual: Screen opens to a background image with a person typing on a laptop and a notebook and pencil, along with the Walden University Writing Center logo. The title Walden University Writing Center and tagline “Your writing, grammar, and APA experts” appears on the screen. The screen changes to show the series title “Paraphrasing Sources" and the video title "Comparing Paraphrasing & Quoting.”

Audio: Guitar music.

Visual: Slide changes to a mostly gray slide with the heading: "Paraphrasing: One form of evidence." Below the heading are two blue circles comparing quotation and paraphrase: 

• Identical to original
• Narrow (1+ lines)
• Quotation marks
• Author, year, page/paragraph #
• Your own words & sentence structure
• Shorter than original
• Author/year

Audio:  A quotation is where the wording you’re using is identical to the original source. You are using, word for word, the exact same thing that the original source said. In a paraphrase, you are going to change your wording, change the sentence structure, and still keep the same information, but you're going to put it into your own words.

There is a little bit of a difference in citation between a quotation and a paraphrase. When you cite a quotation, you use quotation marks, you use the author, the year, and then a page number or paragraph number. In a paraphrase, you give the author and the year, and you can choose to give a page number, but it is not required. 

One thing to keep in mind between paraphrasing and quoting is that we really want to be wary of using direct quotations too often. When you use a direct quotation, you're parroting someone else's information, kind of like a little parrot copies and imitates people's words. That is in essence what we're doing. When we use a direct quotation, we're not using our own words, we're using someone else's. It can be helpful to use someone else's words, but to do that often shows we're not critically engaging with the information. We're not really diving in and fully understanding it. I could copy and paste multiple quotations out of a source, but if I don't explain them, integrate them, or use them in any sort of way, why would anyone want to read my work? I’m simply repeating what someone else has already said. Be aware that quotations can be helpful, but you do really want to be wary of using them too often.

Paraphrases, however, are always going to be stronger. When you can take information and put it into your own words, it really shows that you are critically using that text. You're understanding it and are able to rearticulate it in a new and a fresh way.

So those are some differences and similarities in how to cite quotations and paraphrases, but also keep in mind that in academic writing, in general, we prefer writers use paraphrases over quotations.

Visual: The screen changes to an ending slide with slide a background image with a person typing on a laptop and a notebook and pencil, along with the Walden University Writing Center logo. The email address [email protected] appears on the screen.

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Venn Diagram

Nov 05, 2014

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Venn Diagram. Using the definitions on the following slide, please fill in the venn diagram in front of you, comparing the similarities and differences between Paraphrasing and Summarizing. Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing. Paraphrasing. Summarizing.

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Presentation Transcript

Venn Diagram Using the definitions on the following slide, please fill in the venn diagram in front of you, comparing the similarities and differences between Paraphrasing and Summarizing.

Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing Paraphrasing Summarizing Paraphrasing a passage is similar to summarizing, but when you paraphrase you restate the information in a passage in different words. It may be as long as the original passage or it may not. It should cover the entire passage, not just a part of it. The summary tells the most important things about an article, book, or story. It is different from the main idea. The main idea tells what the passage is mainly about. In addition to telling what a passage is about, a summary touches on the passage’s important points of events, while leaving out details that are less than important.

Original Text Nobody called him Abe--at least not to his face because he loathed the nickname. It did not befit a respected professional who'd struggled hard to overcome the limitations of his frontier background. Frankly Lincoln enjoyed his status as a lawyer and politician, and he liked money, too, and used it to measure his worth. By the 1850's, thanks to a combination of talent and sheer hard work, Lincoln was a man of substantial wealth. He had an annual income of around $5,000--the equivalent of many times that today--and large financial and real-estate investments.

Incorrect Paraphrase No one used Lincoln's nickname, Abe, because he detested it. It didn't go with a lawyer and politician who had worked to get away from the restrictions of his country heritage. Lincoln liked His new position, and his wealth, and used it to gauge his status. By mid-century, his skill and labor had made him a fairly wealthy man. He had a yearly income of approximately $5,000 - equal to several times that now - and hefty business and land commitments.

Incorrect Paraphrase No one used Lincoln's nickname, Abe, because he detested it. It didn't go with a lawyer and politician who had worked to get away from the restrictions of his country heritage. Lincoln liked His new position, and his wealth, and used it to gauge his status. By mid-century, his skill and labor had made him a fairly wealthy man. He had a yearly income of approximately $5,000 - equal to several times that now - and hefty business and land commitments. ** This is incorrect because it uses the same basic structure as the original with some word changes and does not credit the author.

Correct Paraphrase By the middle of the century, Lincoln enjoyed life as a well-respected lawyer and politician, having acquired a position of status and wealth that was well removed from his early "frontier background". He now was bringing in $5,000 a year (this translates to $87,500 in 1997 dollars [Derks, 2]), and had substantial "financial and real estate investments". As a consequence, he disliked being called Abe because of its association with his rural heritage.

Correct Paraphrase By the middle of the century, Lincoln enjoyed life as a well-respected lawyer and politician, having acquired a position of status and wealth that was well removed from his early "frontier background". He now was bringing in $5,000 a year (this translates to $87,500 in 1997 dollars [Derks, 2]), and had substantial "financial and real estate investments". As a consequence, he disliked being called Abe because of its association with his rural heritage. *** This is correct because it portrays the ideas of Oates' passage and gives Oates credit for his ideas. The writer has used his own words to present those ideas and has used quotation marks for those phrases that are from Oates.

Correct Summary When we think of Abraham Lincoln, the image of a wealthy lawyer is not the first that comes to mind. A man, who worked hard, struggled and came from a less than ideal background is often the picture we invoke. However, it is an incomplete portrait. Mr. Lincoln was successful both professionally and financially even by today's standards. ** This is also correct. It summarizes Oates' ideas completely in the writer's own words, but gives Oates credit for the ideas.

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