difference between summarizing and paraphrasing with examples

Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing (Differences, Examples, How To)

It can be confusing to know when to paraphrase and when to summarize. Many people use the terms interchangeably even though the two have different meanings and uses.

Today, let’s understand the basic differences between paraphrasing vs. summarizing and when to use which . We’ll also look at types and examples of paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as how to do both effectively.

Let’s look at paraphrasing first.

What is paraphrasing?

It refers to rewriting someone else’s ideas in your own words.

It’s important to rewrite the whole idea in your words rather than just replacing a few words with their synonyms. That way, you present an idea in a way that your audience will understand easily and also avoid plagiarism.

It’s also important to cite your sources when paraphrasing so that the original author of the work gets due credit.

When should you paraphrase?

The main purpose of paraphrasing is often to clarify an existing passage. You should use paraphrasing when you want to show that you understand the concept, like while writing an essay about a specific topic.

You may also use it when you’re quoting someone but can’t remember their exact words.

Finally, paraphrasing is a very effective way to rewrite outdated content in a way that’s relevant to your current audience.

How to paraphrase effectively

Follow these steps to paraphrase any piece of text effectively:

Read the full text and ensure that you understand it completely. It helps to look up words you don’t fully understand in an online or offline dictionary.
Once you understand the text, rewrite it in your own words. Remember to rewrite it instead of just substituting words with their synonyms.
Edit the text to ensure it’s easy to understand for your audience.
Mix in your own insights while rewriting the text to make it more relevant.
Run the text through a plagiarism checker to ensure that it does not have any of the original content.

Example of paraphrasing

Here’s an example of paraphrasing:

Original: The national park is full of trees, water bodies, and various species of flora and fauna.
Paraphrased: Many animal species thrive in the verdant national park that is served by lakes and rivers flowing through it.

What is summarizing?

Summarizing is also based on someone else’s text but rather than presenting their ideas in your words, you only sum up their main ideas in a smaller piece of text.

It’s important to not use their exact words or phrases when summarizing to avoid plagiarism. It’s best to make your own notes while reading through the text and writing a summary based on your notes.

You must only summarize the most important ideas from a piece of text as summaries are essentially very short compared to the original work. And just like paraphrasing, you should cite the original text as a reference.

When should you summarize?

The main purpose of summarizing is to reduce a passage or other text to fewer words while ensuring that everything important is covered.

Summaries are useful when you want to cut to the chase and lay down the most important points from a piece of text or convey the entire message in fewer words. You should summarize when you have to write a short essay about a larger piece of text, such as writing a book review.

You can also summarize when you want to provide background information about something without taking up too much space.

How to summarize effectively

Follow these steps to summarize any prose effectively:

Read the text to fully understand it. It helps to read it a few times instead of just going through it once.
Pay attention to the larger theme of the text rather than trying to rewrite it sentence for sentence.
Understand how all the main ideas are linked and piece them together to form an overview.
Remove all the information that’s not crucial to the main ideas or theme. Remember, summaries must only include the most essential points and information.
Edit your overview to ensure that the information is organized logically and follows the correct chronology where applicable.
Review and edit the summary again to make it clearer, ensure that it’s accurate, and make it even more concise where you can.
Ensure that you cite the original text.

Example of summarization

You can summarize any text into a shorter version. For example, this entire article can be summarized in just a few sentences as follows:

Summary: The article discusses paraphrasing vs. summarizing by explaining the two concepts. It specifies when you should use paraphrasing and when you should summarize a piece of text and describes the process of each. It ends with examples of both paraphrasing and summarizing to provide a better understanding to the reader.

Paraphrasing vs. summarizing has been a long-standing point of confusion for writers of all levels, whether you’re writing a college essay or reviewing a research paper or book. The above tips and examples can help you identify when to use paraphrasing or summarizing and how to go about them effectively.

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Fact checked: Content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. Learn more.

About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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What is the difference between paraphrasing & summarizing

Differences between paraphrasing & summarizing, definition and purpose.

Paraphrasing involves rewriting someone else's ideas or a specific text in your own words while maintaining the original meaning and often keeping a similar length to the source material. The primary purpose of paraphrasing is to use another person's ideas in your work without resorting to a direct quotation, thereby showing your understanding of the source while integrating it smoothly into your own narrative.

Summarizing , on the other hand, is the process of distilling a longer piece of text down to its essential points, significantly reducing its length. The goal of summarizing is to provide a broad overview of the source material, capturing only the main ideas in a concise manner, which helps in clarifying the overall theme or argument of the text for the reader.

Detail and Length

The level of detail and the length of the text are key differences between paraphrasing and summarizing. Paraphrasing retains a level of detail similar to the original text, and the paraphrased passage is typically about the same length or slightly shorter than the source. This approach is suitable when specific details or points from the source are necessary to understand the reader in the context of your work.

In contrast, summarizing significantly reduces the length of the original text, focusing only on the central themes or main ideas. This makes summaries particularly useful for giving an overview of long texts, such as books, articles, or comprehensive reports, where only the core message is needed.

Usage in Academic Writing

Both paraphrasing and summarizing are crucial skills in academic writing. They help one effectively incorporate the ideas of others into one's work. Paraphrasing is often preferred when specific evidence or a detailed understanding of the source is required to support one's argument without overusing direct quotes, which can clutter the text and disrupt the flow of the narrative.

Summarizing is a time-saving and efficient strategy when referring to broader concepts or discussing a source's general scope. It's particularly useful during literature reviews or when providing background information where detailed support is unnecessary. Allowing you to succinctly conveys the essence of a sourcerelieves you from overwhelming your readers with unnecessary details while still ensuring they grasp the relevance of the referenced works.

In summary, choosing between paraphrasing and summarizing depends mainly on the writer's intent, the importance of the details in the source material, and how they wish to integrate this information into their own writing.

How to paraphrase in a few steps

Paraphrasing refers to rewriting content in our own words while keeping the original meaning. Here are some steps and tips for effective paraphrasing:

Reading & Understanding the content

Ensure you fully understand the meaning of the text while identifying the essential concepts.

Taking Notes

Write the main ideas without looking at the original text.

Using Synonyms

This step involves replacing words with relevant synonyms; keeping some technical words that can't be replaced is essential.

Changing Sentence Structure

Alter the sentence structure, such as changing active to passive voice or shortening long sentences.

Rephrasing Concepts

Explain the concepts differently, using your own words and style.

Comparing with the original content

Ensure your paraphrased version accurately reflects the original meaning and is not too similar.

Cite the Source

It's essential to credit the source even when paraphrased.

The original text:

Students frequently overuse direct quotations in taking notes, and as a result, they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as a directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes. Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed., 1976, pp. 46-47.

The paraphrased text:

In research papers, students often quote excessively, failing to keep quoted material down to a desirable level. Since the problem usually originates during note-taking, it is essential to minimize the material recorded verbatim (Lester 46-47).

Here are some tips to paraphrase:

Avoid Plagiarism: Don’t copy the text verbatim without quotation marks and proper attribution.
Maintain Original Meaning: Ensure the paraphrased text conveys the same message as the original.
Use a Different Structure: Change the information order and rephrase sentences.
Simplify the Language: Use more straightforward language to make the text more understandable, if appropriate.

Common paraphrasing mistakes

Not changing enough to avoid plagiarism

One of the most complex parts of paraphrasing a sentence is changing enough to avoid copying and not lose the original meaning. This can be a tricky balancing act, especially if you have to keep some of the wording.

Distorting the meaning

Likewise, changing the words and sentence structure can accidentally change the meaning. That’s fine if you want to write an original sentence, but if you’re trying to convey someone else’s idea, it's best to rewrite and adequately describe it.

Review your paraphrase to confirm that all the words are correctly used and placed in the correct order for your intended meaning. If unsure, you can ask someone to read the passage to see how they interpret it.

Forgetting the citation

Some people think that if you put an idea into your own words, you don’t need to cite where it came from—but that’s not true. Even if the wording is your own, the ideas are not. That means you need a citation.

If you have many paraphrased sentences from the exact location in a source, you need only one citation at the end of the passage. Otherwise, you need a citation for each paraphrased sentence from another source in your writing, without exception.

How to summarize in a few steps

Focusing on the main ideas.

Read through the entire piece you want to summarize and identify the most important concepts and themes. Ignore minor details and examples. Focus on capturing the essence of the critical ideas.

If it's an article or book, read introductions, headings, and conclusions to understand the central themes. As you read, ask yourself, "What is the author trying to convey here?" to determine what's most significant.

Keeping it short and straightforward

A summary should be considerably shorter than the original work. Aim for about 1/3 of the length or less. Be concise by eliminating unnecessary words and rephrasing ideas efficiently. Use sentence fragments and bulleted lists when possible.

Maintaining objectivity

Summarize the work factually without putting your own personal spin or opinions on the information. Report the key ideas in an impartial, balanced manner. Do not make judgments about the quality or accuracy of the content.

Using a summarizing tool

As AI continues gaining popularity, leveraging dedicated to benefit from their advantage is essential.

Among these tools lies Wiseone , an innovative AI tool that transforms how we read and search for information online.

Wiseone's "Summarize" feature allows you to understand the main points of an article or a PDF document efficiently without the need to read the entire piece by generating thorough summaries with key takeaways.

Don’ts of paragraph summarization

Similarly, keep these in mind as things to avoid:

Plagiarizing the original paragraph. It’s perfectly fine to include direct quotes, but if you do, cite them properly. However, most of the summary should be in your own words.
Paraphrasing rather than summarizing. Here’s a way to think of the difference: a summary is a “highlight reel,” and paraphrasing condenses the entire paragraph.
Omitting key information. When summarizing a paragraph, you might need to mention information from its preceding or following paragraphs, or even other sections from the original work, to give the reader appropriate context for the other information included in the summary.

What is paraphrasing?

What is summarizing.

Summarizing is the process of distilling a longer text down to its essential points, significantly reducing its length. The goal of summarizing is to provide a broad overview of the source material, capturing only the main ideas in a concise manner, which helps in clarifying the overall theme or argument of the text for the reader.

What are the steps to paraphrase?

Reading & Understanding the content: Ensure you fully understand the meaning of the text while identifying the essential concepts.
Taking Notes: Write the main ideas without looking at the original text.
Using Synonyms: This step involves replacing words with relevant synonyms; keeping some technical words that can't be replaced is essential.
Changing Sentence Structure: Alter the sentence structure, such as changing active to passive voice or shortening long sentences.
Rephrasing Concepts: Explain the concepts differently, using your own words and style.
Comparing with the original content: Ensure your paraphrased version accurately reflects the original meaning and is not too similar.
Cite the Source: It's essential to credit the source even when paraphrased.

What are some tips to paraphrase?

What are the common paraphrasing mistakes.

Not changing enough to avoid plagiarism: One of the most complex parts of paraphrasing a sentence is changing enough to avoid copying and not lose the original meaning. This can be a tricky balancing act, especially if you have to keep some of the wording.
Distorting the meaning: Changing the words and sentence structure can accidentally change the meaning. That’s fine if you want to write an original sentence, but if you’re trying to convey someone else’s idea, it's best to rewrite and adequately describe it. Review your paraphrase to confirm that all the words are correctly used and placed in the correct order for your intended meaning. If unsure, you can ask someone to read the passage to see how they interpret it.
Forgetting the citation: Some people think that if you put an idea into your own words, you don’t need to cite where it came from—but that’s not true. Even if the wording is your own, the ideas are not. That means you need a citation.

What are the steps to summarize content?

Focusing on the main ideas : Read through the entire piece you want to summarize and identify the most important concepts and themes. Ignore minor details and examples. Focus on capturing the essence of the critical ideas. If it's an article or book, read introductions, headings, and conclusions to understand the central themes. As you read, ask yourself, "What is the author trying to convey here?" to determine what's most significant.
Keeping it short and straightforward: A summary should be shorter than the original work. Aim for about 1/3 of the length or less. Be concise by eliminating unnecessary words and rephrasing ideas efficiently. Use sentence fragments and bulleted lists when possible.
Maintaining objectivity: Summarize the work factually without putting your own personal spin or opinions on the information. Report the key ideas in an impartial, balanced manner. Do not make judgments about the quality or accuracy of the content.

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Paraphrasing vs Summarizing: A Comparative Analysis

Are you feeling overwhelmed with the complexities of academic writing, particularly when it comes to paraphrasing and summarizing? You're not alone. Many students and researchers struggle with these essential skills which are crucial for weaving in authoritative voices and perspectives into your papers without falling into the plagiarism trap.

Unfortunately, the line between paraphrasing and summarizing can often seem blurred, leading to confusion and potential academic missteps. But don't worry, the solution lies in gaining a clear understanding of both techniques, enabling you to confidently engage with source material. By mastering these skills, you will enhance your academic writing, ensuring that it is rich in content, plagiarism-free, captivating and reflective of a well-rounded understanding of the subject matter.

This article provides a comparative analysis of paraphrasing vs summarizing, exploring key differences and when to use each technique. By delving into the nuances of paraphrase vs summary, readers will gain insight into the common challenges of summarizing and paraphrasing and discover solutions to integrate these skills seamlessly into their writing.

What is Summarizing?

Summarizing is the skill of distilling the most significant elements of a text or content into a concise and clear form. This process involves identifying and extracting the main ideas or facts, and presenting them in a shortened version without losing the essence of the original content. Here's a breakdown of what summarizing entails:

The essence of Summarizing : It's about conveying the core information or arguments from a larger piece of work in a brief format. This includes understanding and articulating the main points in your own words.
Highlighting key points in the text.
Creating mind maps to visualize main ideas.
Developing flashcards for quick reference.
Useful in academic writing, research, and communication for providing a succinct overview without extensive detail.
An in-text citation is necessary to credit the original source, although page numbers are not required.
Tips for effective summarizing include reading the text multiple times, focusing on main concepts, and ensuring the summary is accurate, brief, and clear.

Summarizing serves as a fundamental tool in various contexts, especially when the goal is to give readers a quick understanding of a complex subject without delving into exhaustive details.

Read our complete guide on Summarizing to know more in depth about it.

What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing, a critical skill in academic writing and communication, involves rewording text while preserving its original meaning and message. This technique is not merely about changing a few words here and there; it's about understanding the source material deeply, then expressing it in your own unique voice.

Here are some key insights into mastering the art of paraphrasing:

Purpose : To rewrite text in your own words while maintaining the original intent. Useful for citing details from another source, clarifying complex passages, and enhancing content quality.
Benefit : Enhances comprehension of the material, facilitates explanation to others, fosters creativity, develops writing style, and helps avoid plagiarism.
Read the original material thoroughly to grasp its full meaning.
Write the paraphrased content in your own words, incorporating your interpretation and thoughts.
Utilize synonyms and alter sentence structures but keep the core message intact.
Employ plagiarism detection tools to ensure originality.
Always attribute the paraphrase to the original source to avoid plagiarism.
Too similar wording or sentence structure to the original, altering the meaning, producing nonsensical text, and failing to cite sources.

Paraphrasing is more than a mechanical task; it's an opportunity to engage deeply with the text, presenting it through the lens of your understanding and style.

Key Differences

These distinctions highlight the importance of selecting the appropriate technique based on the writing's purpose and the desired depth of engagement with the source material.

Here's a breakdown of their key differences:

Content Length and Detail :

Summarizing is typically shorter, condensing the original text to its key concepts. Paraphrasing can be similar in length, slightly shorter, or longer, providing original content that conveys the main ideas.

Purpose and Requirement :

Summarizing aims to convey the main idea efficiently, ideal for giving a quick overview.

Paraphrasing focuses on demonstrating a deeper comprehension of the subject by conveying the meaning of the original message in one's own words.

Both require using your own words to rephrase the original content.

Choosing Between Summarizing and Paraphrasing :

Depends on the required detail level from the source. Summarizing is best when only the main ideas are needed, whereas paraphrasing is suitable for detailed exploration or explanation of the source material.

We will talk about this more in detail below

When to Summarize vs. When to Paraphrase

Deciding when to utilize paraphrasing versus summarizing is crucial for effective communication and writing. These techniques serve different purposes and are selected based on the specific needs of the writer and the audience. Below are guidelines to help determine the most appropriate method to use:

When the Idea Matters, Not the Wording : Opt for paraphrasing when the concept or idea from the source is crucial to your argument or content, but the original wording is not essential. The goal is to convey the same idea in your own words, providing clarity or a different perspective.
Application : This technique is particularly useful in academic writing, research papers, or detailed analysis where understanding and personal interpretation of the source material are required.
When Only the Main Points Are Needed : Summarizing is the best choice when the details in the source are not all relevant to your argument, and the audience needs only a concise overview of the original content. It distills the source down to its most crucial points.
Application : Ideal for providing a quick synopsis, background information, or an overview of a large work in presentations, reports, or when introducing a topic to readers unfamiliar with the subject.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Navigating the intricacies of paraphrasing and summarizing can be fraught with challenges. Here's a breakdown of common hurdles and practical solutions:

Challenge : Grasping the main idea and supporting points.
Solution : Engage in multiple readings and discussions to deepen comprehension. Utilize mind mapping to visually organize thoughts.
Challenge : Striking a balance between original expression and fidelity to the source.
Solution : Practice rephrasing with a focus on using synonyms and altering sentence structures without distorting the original meaning.
Challenge : Ensuring the rephrased or summarized content is accurate and coherent.
Solution : After writing, compare your version with the original to check for completeness and correctness. Peer review can offer additional insights.
Challenge : Fear of unintentionally plagiarizing.
Solution : Use plagiarism detection tools judiciously and always attribute the source correctly. When in doubt, quote directly but sparingly.
Challenge : Language proficiency, such as limited vocabulary and grammatical issues.
Solution : Leverage dictionaries, thesauruses, and online resources to enhance language skills. Engage in regular writing practice and seek feedback from knowledgeable peers or mentors.

By addressing these challenges with targeted strategies, individuals can enhance their ability to paraphrase and summarize effectively, thereby enriching their writing and academic work.

Understanding when and how to use each method can transform the way ideas are conveyed, ensuring clarity, originality, and depth in writing. The nuanced exploration of both processes, including the challenges and solutions associated with them, underscores their value in fostering a deeper comprehension of the material and enhancing the writer's ability to present ideas effectively.

For those looking to refine their summarization skills further, exploring tools designed to assist in this area can be invaluable. Try TLDRThis for summarizing ; it simplifies converting lengthy texts into concise summaries. Ultimately, embracing these techniques not only bolsters academic and professional writing but also enriches the writer's engagement with the material, paving the way for more nuanced and compelling discourse.

What distinguishes paraphrasing from summarizing?

Paraphrasing involves rewording someone else's ideas in your own language while maintaining the original level of detail. Summarizing, in contrast, condenses the most crucial points of someone else's work into a more concise format.

How does paraphrasing differ from analyzing?

While paraphrasing entails rewording a source's content or presenting certain data, analysis goes further by examining the facts and formulating personal conclusions about the topic.

Does paraphrasing include more detail than summarizing?

Yes, paraphrasing includes more detail. Although both paraphrasing and summarizing require using your own words and writing style, a paraphrase includes important details, whereas a summary distills the text down to its most essential ideas.

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Writing > The Difference Between Summarizing & Paraphrasing

The Difference Between Summarizing & Paraphrasing

Summarizing and paraphrasing are helpful ways to include source material in your work without piling on direct quotes. Understand the differences between these approaches and when to use each.

Summarizing vs. Paraphrasing: The Biggest Differences

Though summarizing and paraphrasing are both tools for conveying information clearly and concisely, they help you achieve this in different ways. In general, the difference is rooted in the scale of the source material: To share an entire source at once, you summarize; to share a specific portion of a source (without quoting directly, of course), you paraphrase.

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What is Summarizing?

Summarizing is simplifying the content of a source to its main points in your own words. You literally sum up something, distill it down to its most essential parts. Summaries cover whole sources rather than a piece or pieces of a source and don’t include direct quotes or extraneous detail.

How to Summarize

Understand the original thoroughly. You may start by scanning the original material, paying close attention to headers and any in-text summaries, but once you’re sure that this source is something you’re going to use in your research paper , review it more thoroughly to gain appropriate understanding and comprehension.
Take notes of the main points. A bulleted list is appropriate here-note the main idea of each portion of the source material. Take note of key words or phrases around which you can build your summary list and deepen your understanding.
Build your summary. Don’t just use the list you’ve already created—this was a first draft . Craft complete sentences and logical progression from item to item. Double check the source material to ensure you’ve not left out any relevant points and trim anything extraneous. You can use a bulleted or numbered list here or write your summary as a paragraph if that’s more appropriate for your use. Make sure to follow the rules of parallelism if you choose to stay in list form.

What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is rephrasing something in your own words; the word comes from the Greek para -, meaning “beside” or “closely resembling”, 1 combined with “phrase,” which we know can mean a string of words or sentences. 2 Paraphrasing isn’t practical for entire sources—just for when you want to highlight a portion of a source.

How to Paraphrase

Read actively . Take notes, highlight or underline passages, or both if you please-whatever makes it easiest for you to organize the sections of the source you want to include in your work.
Rewrite and revise. For each area you’d like to paraphrase, take the time to rewrite it in your own words. Retain the meaning of the original text, but don’t copy it too closely; take advantage of a thesaurus to ensure you’re not relying too heavily on the source material.
Check your work and revise again as needed . Did you retain the meaning of the source material? Did you simplify the language of the source material? Did you differentiate your version enough? If not, try again.

Summarizing and paraphrasing are often used in tandem; you’ll likely find it appropriate to summarize an entire source and then paraphrase specific portions to support your summary. Using either approach for including sources requires appropriate citing, though, so ensure that you follow the correct style guide for your project and cite correctly.

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To help the flow of your writing, it is beneficial to not always quote but instead put the information in your own words. You can paraphrase or summarize the author’s words to better match your tone and desired length. Even if you write the ideas in your own words, it is important to cite them with in-text citations or footnotes (depending on your discipline’s citation style ).

Definitions

Paraphrasing allows you to use your own words to restate an author's ideas.
Summarizing allows you to create a succinct, concise statement of an author’s main points without copying and pasting a lot of text from the original source.

What’s the difference: Paraphrasing v. Summarizing

Explore the rest of the page to see how the same material could be quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. Depending on the length, tone, and argument of your work, you might choose one over the other.

Bad Paraphrase
Good Paraphrase
Reread: Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
Write on your own: Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.
Connect: Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this material.
Check: Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.
Quote: Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.
Cite: Record the source (including the page) on your note card or notes document so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.

Explore the tabs to see the difference between an acceptable and unacceptable paraphrase based on the original text in each example.

Original Text

“Business communication is increasingly taking place internationally – in all countries, among all peoples, and across all cultures. An awareness of other cultures – of their languages, customs, experiences and perceptions – as well as an awareness of the way in which other people conduct their business, are now essential ingredients of business communication” (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59).

More and more business communication is taking place internationally—across all countries, peoples, and cultures. Awareness of other cultures and the way in which people do business are essential parts of business communication (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59)

Compare the Original and Paraphrase

Too much of the original is quoted directly, with only a few words changed or omitted. The highlighted words are too similar to the original quote:

More and more business communication is taking place internationally —across all countries, peoples, and cultures . Awareness of other cultures and the way in which people do business are essential parts of business communication (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59)

Original Text

The importance of understanding the traditions, language, perceptions, and the manner in which people of other cultures conduct their business should not be underestimated, and it is a crucial component of business communication (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p. 59).

The original’s ideas are summarized and expressed in the writer’s own words with minimal overlap with the original text's language:

Bad Summary
Good Summary
Find the main idea: Ask yourself, “What is the main idea that the author is communicating?”
Avoid copying: Set the original aside, and write one or two sentences with the main point of the original on a note card or in a notes document.
Connect: Jot down a few words below your summary to remind you later how you envision using this material.

Business communication is worldwide, and it is essential to build awareness of other cultures and the way in which other people conduct their business. (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59).

Compare the Original and Summary

Too much of the original is quoted directly, with only a few words changed or omitted. The highlighted words are too similar to the original text:

Business communication is worldwide, and it is essential to build awareness of other cultures and the way in which other people conduct their business . (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59).

In a world that is increasingly connected, effective business communication requires us to learn about other cultures, languages, and business norms (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59).

The original’s ideas are summarized and expressed in the writer’s own words with minimal overlap:

In a world that is increasingly connected, effective business communication requires us to learn about other cultures , languages , and business norms (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59).

No matter what the source or style, you need to cite it both in-text and at the end of the paper with a full citation! Write down or record all the needed pieces of information when researching to ensure you avoid plagiarism.

Cheat Sheet

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Last Updated: Aug 7, 2023 2:00 PM
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How to Paraphrase and Summarize Work

Summing up key ideas in your own words.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Imagine you're preparing a presentation for your CEO. You asked everyone in your team to contribute, and they all had plenty to say!

But now you have a dozen reports, all in different styles, and your CEO says that she can spare only 10 minutes to read the final version. What do you do?

The solution is to paraphrase and summarize the reports, so your boss gets only the key information that she needs, in a form that she can process quickly.

In this article, we explain how to paraphrase and how to summarize, and how to apply these techniques to text and the spoken word. We also explore the differences between the two skills, and point out the pitfalls to avoid.

What Is Paraphrasing?

When you paraphrase, you use your own words to express something that was written or said by another person.

Putting it into your own words can clarify the message, make it more relevant to your audience , or give it greater impact.

You might use paraphrased material to support your own argument or viewpoint. Or, if you're putting together a report , presentation or speech , you can use paraphrasing to maintain a consistent style, and to avoid lengthy quotations from the original text or conversation.

Paraphrased material should keep its original meaning and (approximate) length, but you can use it to pick out a single point from a longer discussion.

What Is Summarizing?

In contrast, a summary is a brief overview of an entire discussion or argument. You might summarize a whole research paper or conversation in a single paragraph, for example, or with a series of bullet points, using your own words and style.

People often summarize when the original material is long, or to emphasize key facts or points. Summaries leave out detail or examples that may distract the reader from the most important information, and they simplify complex arguments, grammar and vocabulary.

Used correctly, summarizing and paraphrasing can save time, increase understanding, and give authority and credibility to your work. Both tools are useful when the precise wording of the original communication is less important than its overall meaning.

How to Paraphrase Text

To paraphrase text, follow these four steps:

1. Read and Make Notes

Carefully read the text that you want to paraphrase. Highlight, underline or note down important terms and phrases that you need to remember.

2. Find Different Terms

Find equivalent words or phrases (synonyms) to use in place of the ones that you've picked out. A dictionary, thesaurus or online search can be useful here, but take care to preserve the meaning of the original text, particularly if you're dealing with technical or scientific terms.

3. Put the Text into Your Own Words

Rewrite the original text, line by line. Simplify the grammar and vocabulary, adjust the order of the words and sentences, and replace "passive" expressions with "active" ones (for example, you could change "The new supplier was contacted by Nusrat" to "Nusrat contacted the new supplier").

Remove complex clauses, and break longer sentences into shorter ones. All of this will make your new version easier to understand .

4. Check Your Work

Check your work by comparing it to the original. Your paraphrase should be clear and simple, and written in your own words. It may be shorter, but it should include all of the necessary detail.

Paraphrasing: an Example

Despite the undoubted fact that everyone's vision of what constitutes success is different, one should spend one's time establishing and finalizing one's personal vision of it. Otherwise, how can you possibly understand what your final destination might be, or whether or not your decisions are assisting you in moving in the direction of the goals which you've set yourself?

The two kinds of statement – mission and vision – can be invaluable to your approach, aiding you, as they do, in focusing on your primary goal, and quickly identifying possibilities that you might wish to exploit and explore.

We all have different ideas about success. What's important is that you spend time defining your version of success. That way, you'll understand what you should be working toward. You'll also know if your decisions are helping you to move toward your goals.

Used as part of your personal approach to goal-setting, mission and vision statements are useful for bringing sharp focus to your most important goal, and for helping you to quickly identify which opportunities you should pursue.

How to Paraphrase Speech

In a conversation – a meeting or coaching session, for example – paraphrasing is a good way to make sure that you have correctly understood what the other person has said.

This requires two additional skills: active listening and asking the right questions .

Useful questions include:

If I hear you correctly, you're saying that…?
So you mean that…? Is that right?
Did I understand you when you said that…?

You can use questions like these to repeat the speaker's words back to them. For instance, if the person says, "We just don't have the funds available for these projects," you could reply: "If I understand you correctly, you're saying that our organization can't afford to pay for my team's projects?"

This may seem repetitive, but it gives the speaker the opportunity to highlight any misunderstandings, or to clarify their position.

When you're paraphrasing conversations in this way, take care not to introduce new ideas or information, and not to make judgments on what the other person has said, or to "spin" their words toward what you want to hear. Instead, simply restate their position as you understand it.

Sometimes, you may need to paraphrase a speech or a presentation. Perhaps you want to report back to your team, or write about it in a company blog, for example.

In these cases it's a good idea to make summary notes as you listen, and to work them up into a paraphrase later. (See How to Summarize Text or Speech, below.)

How to Summarize Text or Speech

Follow steps 1-5 below to summarize text. To summarize spoken material – a speech, a meeting, or a presentation, for example – start at step three.

1. Get a General Idea of the Original

First, speed read the text that you're summarizing to get a general impression of its content. Pay particular attention to the title, introduction, conclusion, and the headings and subheadings.

2. Check Your Understanding

Build your comprehension of the text by reading it again more carefully. Check that your initial interpretation of the content was correct.

3. Make Notes

Take notes on what you're reading or listening to. Use bullet points, and introduce each bullet with a key word or idea. Write down only one point or idea for each bullet.

If you're summarizing spoken material, you may not have much time on each point before the speaker moves on. If you can, obtain a meeting agenda, a copy of the presentation, or a transcript of the speech in advance, so you know what's coming.

Make sure your notes are concise, well-ordered, and include only the points that really matter.

The Cornell Note-Taking System is an effective way to organize your notes as you write them, so that you can easily identify key points and actions later. Our article, Writing Meeting Notes , also contains plenty of useful advice.

4. Write Your Summary

Bullet points or numbered lists are often an acceptable format for summaries – for example, on presentation slides, in the minutes of a meeting, or in Key Points sections like the one at the end of this article.

However, don't just use the bulleted notes that you took in step 3. They'll likely need editing or "polishing" if you want other people to understand them.

Some summaries, such as research paper abstracts, press releases, and marketing copy, require continuous prose. If this is the case, write your summary as a paragraph, turning each bullet point into a full sentence.

Aim to use only your own notes, and refer to original documents or recordings only if you really need to. This helps to ensure that you use your own words.

If you're summarizing speech, do so as soon as possible after the event, while it's still fresh in your mind.

5. Check Your Work

Your summary should be a brief but informative outline of the original. Check that you've expressed all of the most important points in your own words, and that you've left out any unnecessary detail.

Summarizing: an Example

So how do you go about identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and analyzing the opportunities and threats that flow from them? SWOT Analysis is a useful technique that helps you to do this.

What makes SWOT especially powerful is that, with a little thought, it can help you to uncover opportunities that you would not otherwise have spotted. And by understanding your weaknesses, you can manage and eliminate threats that might otherwise hurt your ability to move forward in your role.

If you look at yourself using the SWOT framework, you can start to separate yourself from your peers, and further develop the specialized talents and abilities that you need in order to advance your career and to help you achieve your personal goals.

SWOT Analysis is a technique that helps you identify strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats. Understanding and managing these factors helps you to develop the abilities you need to achieve your goals and progress in your career.

Permission and Citations

If you intend to publish or circulate your document, it's important to seek permission from the copyright holder of the material that you've paraphrased or summarized. Failure to do so can leave you open to allegations of plagiarism, or even legal action.

It's good practice to cite your sources with a footnote, or with a reference in the text to a list of sources at the end of your document. There are several standard citation styles – choose one and apply it consistently, or follow your organization's house style guidelines.

As well as acknowledging the original author, citations tell you, the reader, that you're reading paraphrased or summarized material. This enables you to check the original source if you think that someone else's words may have been misused or misinterpreted.

Some writers might use others' ideas to prop up their own, but include only what suits them, for instance. Others may have misunderstood the original arguments, or "twisted" them by adding their own material.

If you're wary, or you find problems with the work, you may prefer to seek more reliable sources of information. (See our article, How to Spot Real and Fake News , for more on this.)

Paraphrasing means rephrasing text or speech in your own words, without changing its meaning. Summarizing means cutting it down to its bare essentials. You can use both techniques to clarify and simplify complex information or ideas.

To paraphrase text:

Read and make notes.
Find different terms.
Put the text into your own words.
Check your work.

You can also use paraphrasing in a meeting or conversation, by listening carefully to what's being said and repeating it back to the speaker to check that you have understood it correctly.

To summarize text or speech:

Get a general idea of the original.
Check your understanding.
Make notes.
Write your summary.

Seek permission for any copyrighted material that you use, and cite it appropriately.

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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.

What's The Difference Between Paraphrasing and Summarizing?

Have you ever read an article and struggled to understand the key ideas? Or maybe you've tried explaining a complex topic to someone else and realized you weren't quite sure of the main points yourself. Paraphrasing and summarizing are useful skills that can help. In this article, we'll explore some strategies and examples to help strengthen your paraphrasing and summarizing skills. Read on to become an expert at restating ideas in your own words.

Defining Paraphrasing and Summarizing

Paraphrasing and summarizing are two useful skills, but what exactly do they mean? Let's break it down:

What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing involves restating something in your own words while keeping the original meaning intact. When you paraphrase, you rephrase the way ideas or information are expressed, using synonyms and rearranging the structure of sentences and paragraphs. The key is to not copy word-for-word.

Some tips for effective paraphrasing:

Read the original text multiple times to fully understand the meaning
Identify the main ideas and arguments
Restate those ideas and arguments in your own words using synonyms and restructuring sentences
Double check that the paraphrased version accurately captures the meaning of the original
Cite or reference the original source to avoid plagiarism

Paraphrasing allows you to explain concepts and share information in a personalized, easy to understand way. It demonstrates your understanding and ability to communicate ideas.

To enhance your content creation process, you can explore the use of tools like the Hypotenuse AI paraphrasing tool , which provides assistance in generating paraphrased content effortlessly.

What is Summarizing?

Summarizing involves briefly restating the main ideas, themes, or plot points of something in a concise way. The key is to condense longer pieces of information into a high-level overview by extracting only the most important elements.

Some tips for effective summarizing:

Focus on the overall meaning and key takeaways, not specific details
Identify the main subject, topic, setting, characters, events, etc. depending on what you're summarizing
Keep summaries under 10% of the original length
Use your own words and sentence structure
Omit unnecessary examples, anecdotes, descriptions, and repetitions

Summarizing allows you to quickly share the essence of complex information in a simplified way. It shows you can synthesize and evaluate information to determine what's most significant. To summarize content effortlessly, one can try the Hypotenuse AI tool for summarization .

How To Paraphrase?

When paraphrasing, you convey the same ideas as the original text but in your own words and sentence structure. Here are some helpful tips to successfully paraphrase:

1. Read the original text thoroughly

Make sure you understand the full meaning and context of the original text. Read it more than once if needed. Look up any unfamiliar words or terms so you have a solid grasp of the ideas and details.

2. Identify the key ideas

Determine the central theme or message, as well as any important supporting ideas. These are what you will restate in your own words. Leave out insignificant details and examples.

3. Put the text aside and write in your own words

Do not look at the original text while you are writing your paraphrase. This will allow you to articulate the ideas in the way that feels most natural to you. Refer to your notes about the key ideas to make sure your restatement is accurate.

4. Use synonyms and reorganize

Replace words and phrases from the original text with synonyms and synonymous expressions. Also, reorganize or restructure sentences and paragraphs. For example, you can combine some sentences or split long sentences into shorter ones. Change the order of ideas or examples.

5. Vary your sentence structure

Avoid simply rearranging the words in the original sentences. Instead, create entirely new sentences in your own unique style. To maintain a smooth flow, use a mixture of simple and complex sentence structures. Remember to keep your language concise, but don't make it sound choppy.

6. Compare with the original

Once you have completed your paraphrase, review the original text again. Make sure that your version conveys all of the same key ideas, examples, and details. Look for any passages that seem too similar to the original—if there are any sentences or phrases that are verbatim or nearly verbatim, rephrase them in your own words.

Paraphrasing Examples

Here's an example of paraphrasing using AI:

Paraphrasing Example #1

The increased use of technology in the classroom continues to be a controversial issue in education. While some studies have found that technology can be distracting and negatively impact learning, other research has found that technology, when used appropriately, can enhance learning and engage students.

Paraphrase:

The use of technology in classrooms is a topic that sparks debate in education. Some studies suggest that technology can be a distraction and hinder learning, while others argue that when used properly, it can actually improve learning and capture students' attention.

Paraphrasing Example #2

The ability to paraphrase demonstrates several higher-order thinking skills including comprehension, abstraction, and reorganization of ideas. Paraphrasing requires understanding the essence and meaning behind a message, relating new ideas to familiar ones, and reconstructing the message in a new yet faithful way.

Paraphrasing is a skill that shows advanced thinking abilities like understanding, abstract thinking, and rearranging ideas. When you paraphrase, you need to grasp the main point and significance of a message, connect new ideas to ones you already know, and reconstruct the message in a fresh but accurate way.

Paraphrasing Example #3

Understanding the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing is crucial in academic writing. While both involve restating information in one's own words, they serve different purposes. Paraphrasing focuses on expressing the original text in a new way, maintaining the same level of detail and length. Summarizing, on the other hand, aims to condense the main ideas and key points of the text into a shorter version.

In academic writing, it's important to grasp the distinction between paraphrasing and summarizing. Although both involve rephrasing information using your own words, they serve different purposes. Paraphrasing is all about expressing the original text in a fresh manner while keeping the same level of detail and length. On the other hand, summarizing aims to condense the primary ideas and key points of the text into a shorter version.

How To Summarize?

Summarizing information effectively is a useful skill that can help in many areas of life. Here are some tips to keep in mind when summarizing:

1. Focus on the main ideas

Read through the entire piece you want to summarize and identify the most important concepts and themes. Ignore minor details and examples. Focus on capturing the essence of the key ideas.

If it's an article or book, read introductions, headings, and conclusions to get a sense of the central themes. As you read, ask yourself "What is the author trying to convey here?" to determine what's most significant.

2. Keep it short

3. Maintain objectivity

4. Check your work

Review and edit your summary to ensure it's clear, coherent, and captures the essence of the most significant themes and concepts in the source material—all in your own words. Get feedback from others if possible. Revise as needed to improve the summary.

Summarizing Examples

Here are some summarizing examples:

Summary Example #1

Regular exercise has been shown to have numerous positive effects on mental health. It can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, improve mood, boost self-esteem, and enhance cognitive function. Exercise also promotes better sleep and stress management, contributing to overall well-being.

Regular exercise has many mental health benefits. It reduces anxiety and depression, improves mood, boosts self-esteem, and enhances cognitive function. Exercise also helps with sleep and stress management, promoting overall well-being.

Summary Example #2

Effective communication is essential in the workplace. It builds strong relationships among team members, enhances productivity, and promotes a positive work environment. Good communication involves active listening, clear and concise expression of ideas, and providing constructive feedback. It also involves understanding non-verbal cues and adapting communication styles to different individuals and situations. By fostering effective communication, organizations can minimize misunderstandings, resolve conflicts, and achieve their goals efficiently.

Effective workplace communication is vital. It builds relationships, increases productivity, and fosters a positive environment. It involves active listening, clear expression of ideas, and constructive feedback. Understanding non-verbal cues and adapting to others is important. It minimizes misunderstandings, resolves conflicts, and helps achieve goals efficiently.

Summary Example #3

Social media has become a pervasive part of modern society. It allows people to connect, share information, and engage with others across the globe. With platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, individuals can stay updated on current events, follow their favorite celebrities, and express their opinions freely. Social media has also revolutionized the way businesses operate by providing a platform for advertising, customer engagement, and brand building.

Social media is now an integral part of society, enabling people to connect, share information, and engage globally. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter offer updates, celebrity updates, and the freedom to express opinions. It has also transformed businesses, offering advertising, customer engagement, and brand building opportunities.

Summarize and Paraphrase with Hypotenuse AI

Now you know the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing and how to apply these skills in your own writing. Being able to restate ideas in your own words is such an important ability, and these techniques will make you a stronger writer and communicator. Next time you read an article or have a conversation, challenge yourself to paraphrase the main points to reinforce your understanding. And when you want to distill lots of information into a compact message, work on crafting a high-level summary.

Give Hypotenuse AI a try and witness the positive impact it can have on your writing journey. Happy writing!

Join 100,000+ marketers writing with Hypotenuse AI

Paraphrasing Guide

Paraphrase Vs Summary

8+ Paraphrasing and Summarizing Examples For Students

Published on: Feb 24, 2024

Last updated on: May 28, 2024

Paraphrasing Examples

Let's look at some real examples of paraphrasing . We'll show you how to rewrite text in your own words while keeping it clear and still conveying the same meaning. All of the examples below have been generated by the AI paraphrasing tool from MyEssayWriter.ai .

Example 1: Technological Advancement - Paraphrased Perspectives

Original text:

“The rapid advancement of technology has revolutionized the way we communicate with each other. From traditional forms of communication such as letters and telegrams to modern digital platforms like social media and email, technology has greatly enhanced our ability to connect and interact with people around the world.”

Paraphrased version:

“The fast progression of technology has transformed the methods through which we interact with one another. While we once relied on conventional means like written letters and telegrams, contemporary digital channels such as social networking sites and email have significantly amplified our capacity to engage with individuals globally.”

Explanation of The Paraphrasing Process

Here is how we paraphrased the original text:

The original passage main ideas about technology and communication are preserved
Language and sentence structure are changed to express the message differently
“Rapid advancement” is rephrased as “fast progression”
“Revolutionized” is replaced with “transformed”
The essence of the original statement is maintained, providing a new viewpoint

Example 2: Simplified Insights on Artificial Intelligence

Original text:

“The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly prevalent in various industries. Through machine learning algorithms and data analysis, AI systems have the capability to automate tasks, optimize processes, and improve decision-making.”

Paraphrased text:

“Artificial intelligence (AI) has gained prominence across diverse sectors due to its capacity for automation, process enhancement, and data-driven decision-making facilitated by machine learning algorithms and analytical tools.”

The following key points explain the paraphrasing process of Example 2:

The essence of the original text about the growing importance of artificial intelligence and its capabilities remains unaltered
The wording and structure have been adjusted to convey the same meaning using varied phrasing
Terms like “increasingly prevalent” have been paraphrased as “gained prominence”
“Optimize processes” has been simplified to “process enhancement” while preserving the core message

If you’re interested in exploring more paraphrasing examples, we encourage you to check out the following resources available on our website:

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Technology
Artificial Intelligence: Unveiling Its Power and Potential

Summarizing Examples

Summarizing is the act of condensing the main ideas of a text or communication to convey the key information concisely. You only include the most important parts and leave out the rest.

Here are some examples to help you understand summarization better. These examples have been generated by the AI content summarizer from MyEssayWrtier.ai .

Example 1: Harry Potter's Journey - A Summarized Adventure

Original text: “The novel follows the journey of a young orphan named Harry Potter who discovers he is a wizard on his eleventh birthday. He attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he learns about the magical world and battles the dark wizard Voldemort, ultimately defeating him and saving the wizarding world from evil.”

Summarized version: “Harry Potter, an orphaned wizard, attends Hogwarts School, learns about magic, and confronts Voldemort, ultimately triumphing over evil.”

Summarizing Process

In the above summary of the example, we: Simplified the story to include only the most important parts
Left out small details and extra storylines to keep it short
Kept the main focus on Harry Potter's story: finding out he's a wizard, going to Hogwarts, and fighting Voldemort

Example 2: The Industrial Revolution - A Condensed Overview

Original text:

“The Industrial Revolution, which began in the late 18th century, marked a significant shift in human history. It brought about mechanization, urbanization, and social transformation. The invention of steam engines and the rise of factories revolutionized manufacturing processes, leading to economic growth and societal changes.”

Summarized version:

“The Industrial Revolution, starting in the late 18th century, transformed society through mechanization, urbanization, and economic growth driven by steam engines and factories.”

In the above summary of the example, we:

Highlighted key historical period and its impact.
Condensed the description of mechanization, urbanization, and economic changes.
Focused on major technological advancements like steam engines and factories as driving forces behind societal transformation.

If you’re interested in exploring more summarizing examples, check out the following resources available on our website:

Technological Landscape with AI Applications of Artificial Intelligence

Here are some short examples to show how brief sentences can be said in different ways. Each original sentence is rephrased and then summarized to make it shorter.

In summary , this blog has helped you understand the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing with some great examples. Both techniques help simplify complex ideas. With the practical examples included, we have shown how language can be reshaped while keeping the meaning intact.

If you require a quick and easy solution for your academic writing worries, we have the perfect solution for you. MyEssayWriter.ai has a suite of features designed to enhance your productivity. Enhance your writing easily and clearly with the best AI Essay Writer available today!

Frequently Asked Questions

How are quotations, paraphrases, and summaries different.

Quoting means copying the exact words. Paraphrasing means saying the same thing in your own words. Summarizing means shortening the main points.

What could be some paraphrase quote examples?

For example, instead of saying, “The sky is blue,” you can say, “The sky looks blue today.”

What are some examples of paraphrasing and summarizing in counseling?

In counseling, paraphrasing means repeating what someone said using different words, like saying “You seem worried” instead of “You look anxious.” Summarizing means summing up what was talked about in the session.

What do summarizing and paraphrasing have in common?

Summarizing and paraphrasing both mean simplifying ideas. They help people understand better by putting things in simpler words

Caleb S. (Masters, Mass Literature and Linguistics)

Caleb S. is an accomplished author with over five years of experience and a Master's degree from Oxford University. He excels in various writing forms, including articles, press releases, blog posts, and whitepapers. As a valued author at MyEssayWriter.ai, Caleb assists students and professionals by providing practical tips on research, citation, sentence structure, and style enhancement.

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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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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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Citation Examples
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Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting

Depending on the conventions of your discipline, you may have to decide whether to summarize a source, paraphrase a source, or quote from a source.

Scholars in the humanities tend to summarize, paraphrase, and quote texts; social scientists and natural scientists rely primarily on summary and paraphrase.

When and how to summarize

When you summarize, you provide your readers with a condensed version of an author's key points. A summary can be as short as a few sentences or much longer, depending on the complexity of the text and the level of detail you wish to provide to your readers. You will need to summarize a source in your paper when you are going to refer to that source and you want your readers to understand the source's argument, main ideas, or plot (if the source is a novel, film, or play) before you lay out your own argument about it, analysis of it, or response to it.

Before you summarize a source in your paper, you should decide what your reader needs to know about that source in order to understand your argument. For example, if you are making an argument about a novel, you should avoid filling pages of your paper with details from the book that will distract or confuse your reader. Instead, you should add details sparingly, going only into the depth that is necessary for your reader to understand and appreciate your argument. Similarly, if you are writing a paper about a journal article, you will need to highlight the most relevant parts of the argument for your reader, but you should not include all of the background information and examples. When you have to decide how much summary to put in a paper, it's a good idea to consult your instructor about whether you are supposed to assume your reader's knowledge of the sources.

Guidelines for summarizing a source in your paper

Identify the author and the source.
Represent the original source accurately.
Present the source’s central claim clearly.
Don’t summarize each point in the same order as the original source; focus on giving your reader the most important parts of the source
Use your own words. Don’t provide a long quotation in the summary unless the actual language from the source is going to be important for your reader to see.

Stanley Milgram (1974) reports that ordinarily compassionate people will be cruel to each other if they are commanded to be by an authority figure. In his experiment, a group of participants were asked to administer electric shocks to people who made errors on a simple test. In spite of signs that those receiving shock were experiencing great physical pain, 25 of 40 subjects continued to administer electric shocks. These results held up for each group of people tested, no matter the demographic. The transcripts of conversations from the experiment reveal that although many of the participants felt increasingly uncomfortable, they continued to obey the experimenter, often showing great deference for the experimenter. Milgram suggests that when people feel responsible for carrying out the wishes of an authority figure, they do not feel responsible for the actual actions they are performing. He concludes that the increasing division of labor in society encourages people to focus on a small task and eschew responsibility for anything they do not directly control.

This summary of Stanley Milgram's 1974 essay, "The Perils of Obedience," provides a brief overview of Milgram's 12-page essay, along with an APA style parenthetical citation. You would write this type of summary if you were discussing Milgram's experiment in a paper in which you were not supposed to assume your reader's knowledge of the sources. Depending on your assignment, your summary might be even shorter.

When you include a summary of a paper in your essay, you must cite the source. If you were using APA style in your paper, you would include a parenthetical citation in the summary, and you would also include a full citation in your reference list at the end of your paper. For the essay by Stanley Milgram, your citation in your references list would include the following information:

Milgram, S. (1974). The perils of obedience. In L.G. Kirszner & S.R. Mandell (Eds.), The Blair reader (pp.725-737).

When and how to paraphrase

When you paraphrase from a source, you restate the source's ideas in your own words. Whereas a summary provides your readers with a condensed overview of a source (or part of a source), a paraphrase of a source offers your readers the same level of detail provided in the original source. Therefore, while a summary will be shorter than the original source material, a paraphrase will generally be about the same length as the original source material.

When you use any part of a source in your paper—as background information, as evidence, as a counterargument to which you plan to respond, or in any other form—you will always need to decide whether to quote directly from the source or to paraphrase it. Unless you have a good reason to quote directly from the source , you should paraphrase the source. Any time you paraphrase an author's words and ideas in your paper, you should make it clear to your reader why you are presenting this particular material from a source at this point in your paper. You should also make sure you have represented the author accurately, that you have used your own words consistently, and that you have cited the source.

This paraphrase below restates one of Milgram's points in the author's own words. When you paraphrase, you should always cite the source. This paraphrase uses the APA in-text citation style. Every source you paraphrase should also be included in your list of references at the end of your paper. For citation format information go to the Citing Sources section of this guide.

Source material

The problem of obedience is not wholly psychological. The form and shape of society and the way it is developing have much to do with it. There was a time, perhaps, when people were able to give a fully human response to any situation because they were fully absorbed in it as human beings. But as soon as there was a division of labor things changed.

--Stanley Milgram, "The Perils of Obedience," p.737.

Milgram, S. (1974). The perils of obedience. In L.G. Kirszner & S.R. Mandell (Eds.), The Blair reader (pp.725-737). Prentice Hall.

Milgram (1974) claims that people's willingness to obey authority figures cannot be explained by psychological factors alone. In an earlier era, people may have had the ability to invest in social situations to a greater extent. However, as society has become increasingly structured by a division of labor, people have become more alienated from situations over which they do not have control (p.737).

When and how much to quote

The basic rule in all disciplines is that you should only quote directly from a text when it's important for your reader to see the actual language used by the author of the source. While paraphrase and summary are effective ways to introduce your reader to someone's ideas, quoting directly from a text allows you to introduce your reader to the way those ideas are expressed by showing such details as language, syntax, and cadence.

So, for example, it may be important for a reader to see a passage of text quoted directly from Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried if you plan to analyze the language of that passage in order to support your thesis about the book. On the other hand, if you're writing a paper in which you're making a claim about the reading habits of American elementary school students or reviewing the current research on Wilson's disease, the information you’re providing from sources will often be more important than the exact words. In those cases, you should paraphrase rather than quoting directly. Whether you quote from your source or paraphrase it, be sure to provide a citation for your source, using the correct format. (see Citing Sources section)

You should use quotations in the following situations:

When you plan to discuss the actual language of a text.
When you are discussing an author's position or theory, and you plan to discuss the wording of a core assertion or kernel of the argument in your paper.
When you risk losing the essence of the author's ideas in the translation from their words to your own.
When you want to appeal to the authority of the author and using their words will emphasize that authority.

Once you have decided to quote part of a text, you'll need to decide whether you are going to quote a long passage (a block quotation) or a short passage (a sentence or two within the text of your essay). Unless you are planning to do something substantive with a long quotation—to analyze the language in detail or otherwise break it down—you should not use block quotations in your essay. While long quotations will stretch your page limit, they don't add anything to your argument unless you also spend time discussing them in a way that illuminates a point you're making. Unless you are giving your readers something they need to appreciate your argument, you should use quotations sparingly.

When you quote from a source, you should make sure to cite the source either with an in-text citation or a note, depending on which citation style you are using. The passage below, drawn from O’Brien’s The Things They Carried , uses an MLA-style citation.

On the morning after Ted Lavender died, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha's letters. Then he burned the two photographs. There was a steady rain falling, which made it difficult, but he used heat tabs and Sterno to build a small fire, screening it with his body holding the photographs over the tight blue flame with the tip of his fingers.

He realized it was only a gesture. Stupid, he thought. Sentimental, too, but mostly just stupid. (23)

O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried . New York: Broadway Books, 1990.

Even as Jimmy Cross burns Martha's letters, he realizes that "it was only a gesture. Stupid, he thought. Sentimental too, but mostly just stupid" (23).

If you were writing a paper about O'Brien's The Things They Carried in which you analyzed Cross's decision to burn Martha's letters and stop thinking about her, you might want your reader to see the language O'Brien uses to illustrate Cross's inner conflict. If you were planning to analyze the passage in which O'Brien calls Cross's realization stupid, sentimental, and then stupid again, you would want your reader to see the original language.

What’s the Difference? Summarizing, Paraphrasing, & Quoting

Posted on November 29, 2023 November 29, 2023

What’s the Difference? Summarizing , Paraphrasing , & Quoting

Quoting, paraphrasing , and summarizing are three methods for including the ideas or research of other writers in your own work. In academic writing , such as essay writing or research papers , it is often necessary to utilize other people’s writing.

Outside sources are helpful in providing evidence or support written claims when arguing a point or persuading an audience. Being able to link the content of a piece to similar points made by other authors illustrates that one’s writing is not based entirely off personal thoughts or opinions and has support found from other credible individuals. In scientific work such as reports or experiment related writing, being able to point to another published or peer-reviewed writer can strengthen your personal research and even aid in explaining surprising or unusual findings. In all situations, referencing outside sources also elevates the integrity and quality of your work.

When pulling information from an outside source it is critical to properly use quotations, paraphrasing , or summarizing to avoid plagiarizing from the original passage . Plagiarism is portraying another’s work, ideas, and research as one’s own, and is an extremely serious disciplinary offense. Without using proper quotations, paraphrasing and summarizing , it can be easy to unintentionally plagiarize from the original source . Including citations that reference the author also helps ensure proper credit is given, and no accidental plagiarism occurs. Regardless of if APA , MLA or Chicago style are used, a citation must accompany the work of another author.

This article will compare these three concepts, to help users become more comfortable with each of them and the differing scenarios to utilize each. The article will also provide examples and give pointers to further increase familiarity with these essential techniques and prevent the happening of plagiarism .

What is Quoting?

Quoting is the restatement of a phrase, sentence, thought, or fact that was previously written by another author. A proper direct quotation includes the identical text without any words or punctuation adjusted.

One might use a quotation when they want to use the exact words from the original author , or when the author has introduced a new concept or idea that was of their conception. Oftentimes, the author already used concise, well-thought-out wording for an idea and it may be difficult to restate without using a direct quote .

However when repeating content from someone else’s work, one must use quotation marks with a corresponding citation or it will be considered plagiarism . The proper citation may also vary based on the citation style being used.

Examples of Quoting

In order to further the understanding of how to utilize quotes, some examples of incorrect and correct quotation are provided below.

Original Text: As natural selection acts solely by accumulating slight, successive, favorable variations, it can produce no great or sudden modification; it can act only by very short and slow steps

Incorrect Quotation Example: “Because natural selection acts only by accumulating slight, successive favorable variations. It can produce no greater or sudden modification and can only act by very short and slow steps

Correct Quotation Example: “As natural selection acts solely by accumulating slight, successive, favorable variations, it can produce no great or sudden modification; it can act only by very short and slow steps,” (Darwin 510).

The bad example provided does not include the identical text or identical grammar and punctuation to that of the original source . The quote is also lacking one quotation mark and a citation to attribute the initial author. Meanwhile, the good example i s completely identical to the original text and features a correct citation, making it a great example of a quote in use.

What is Paraphrasing ?

Paraphrasing is taking the written work, thoughts, or research of another author and putting it in one’s own words . Correct paraphrasing is done through the restatement of key ideas from another person’s work, but utilizing different words to avoid copying them. Oftentimes, finding synonyms to the words used by the original author helps to paraphrase .

One would use paraphrasing when they hope to capture the key points of a written work in their own writing . Paraphrasing should also be employed when the content of the original source is more important than the wording used. This writing technique is a good strategy to maintain one’s personal writing style throughout a written work.

Similar to quoting, even paraphrased material should be accompanied by the proper citation to avoid plagiarizing the initial author.

Examples of Paraphrasing

Original Content: The Statue of Liberty, one of the most recognizable symbols of freedom and democracy across the world, was a gift of friendship to America from France. Inaugurated in 1886, the statue is 305 feet tall and represents Libertas, the Roman liberty goddess, bearing a torch in her right hand and a tablet in her left hand with the date of the US Declaration of Independence. Broken shackles lay underneath the statue’s drapery, to symbolize the end of all types of servitude and oppression.

Incorrect Paraphrasing Example: The Statue of Liberty is an evident display of freedom and democracy for the whole world, and was created by France for America to represent their friendship. The 305 foot statue of the Roman liberty goddess Libertas was installed in 1886. The Statue of Liberty has a tablet with the US Declaration of Independence date in one hand and a torch in her other. She also has broken shackles on the ground to represent an end to enslavement and oppression.

Correct Paraphrasing Example: France presented the United States with the Statue of Liberty in 1886 to commemorate the two countries friendship. The Roman goddess of liberty, Libertas, stands 305 feet tall as a well-known tribute to freedom and democracy. The statue commemorates the US Declaration of Independence though the tablet in her left hand that accompanies a torch in her right. The Statue of Liberty also celebrates an end to oppression and servitude, indicated by broken chains by her feet ( Diaz, 2019 ).

The incorrect example provided featured a sentence structure that followed too closely to that of the original text. Additionally, the writer only swapped out a few words for very common synonyms so the paraphrased content is ultimately too similar to the original text. An academic work that used this paraphrase would be cited for plagiarism .

On the other hand, the correct example featured paraphrased content that is properly cited, with variety to the sentence structure and text that includes words beyond just synonyms to words in the original content. This example also contains the main ideas, but is ultimately slightly condensed from the original text.

What Is Summarizing ?

Summarizing is providing a brief description of the key ideas from a written work. This description should be in one’s own writing , and is typically significantly shorter than the source material because it only touches on the main points .

Summaries are commonly used when a writer hopes to capture the central idea of a work, without relying on the specific wording that the original author used to explain the idea. They also can provide a background or overview of content needed to understand a topic being discussed. This strategy still captures the meaning of the original text without straying from one’s personal tone and writing style.

Unlike paraphrasing and quoting, a summary does not require an in- text citation and only occasionally needs accreditation to the original writer’s work .

Examples of Summarizing

In order to further the understanding of how to summarize content in your writing, some examples of incorrect and correct summaries for the short children’s story Goldilocks and The Three Bears are provided below.

Incorrect Summary Example: Once upon a time, Goldilocks went for a walk on the beach when she saw a house and went in it. In the house she found three bowls of soup and decided to try them all, but one was too hot, one was too cold and one was just right. Next, Goldilocks tried to sit in three different chairs but only found one that fit her perfectly. Lastly, she went to the back of the house and found three beds. Just like the soup and chairs she tested all of them before picking one that she liked the best and taking a nice long nap. The End.

Correct Summary Example: In Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Robert Southy, a young girl wanders into the house of three bears where she tastes three different porridges; sits in three different chairs; and naps in three different beds before finding one of each that fits her. Goldilocks is eventually found by the bears who are upset about her intrusion and usage of their personal belongings.

The incorrect example provided would not be considered a good summary for a few reasons. Primarily, this summary does not summarize well, as provides too much unnecessary detail and an individual would still be able to comprehend the main point of the story without it. The summary also ends without touching on the most important point , which is the lesson of the story. This summary also provides inaccurate information, and lacks a citation.

Meanwhile, the correct example is a good summary because it does not spend too much time on any certain aspect of the story. The reader is still able to understand exactly what happens to Goldilocks without consuming any non-essential details. This summary also provides completely accurate information and touches on the main point or lesson from the story.

Differences and Similarities

There are a few major differences and similarities between the three writing techniques discussed.

Quoting, paraphrasing , and summarizing are similar in that they are all writing techniques that can be used to include the work of other authors in one’s own writing . It is common for writers to use these strategies collectively in one piece to provide variety in their references and across their work. These three strategies also share the similarity of helping to prevent plagiarizing the content from the original source . All three of these methods require some form of citation and attribution to the original author to completely avoid plagiarizing.

Oppositely, the main difference between quoting, paraphrasing , and summarizing is that quoting is done word for word from the original work . Both paraphrasing and summarizing only touch on the key points and are written with some variation from the initial author’s work , usually in the style and tone of the new author. When comparing just the latter two, paraphrased material tends to be closer in length to the actual material, because it only slightly condenses the original passage . On the other hand, a summary is most likely significantly shorter than the original author’s work since this method only pulls from the most important points .

Final Thoughts

It is extremely common to utilize the previous writing of others, especially in academic writing . These original works enhance the quality and honesty of one’s work while also providing backing and emphasis to the points made.

Quoting, paraphrasing , and summarizing are all strategies for incorporating the thoughts, ideas, research, and writing from another author in one’s own work. The three methods explained are also safe strategies to employ to avoid accidental plagiarism of the original passage .

Another strategy to ensure one’s writing is properly quoted, paraphrased, and summarized is by using a plagiarism checker. Quetext provides an easy-to-use plagiarism checker that verifies the originality of work and can create citations for any sources cited throughout the paper.

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Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

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This handout is intended to help you become more comfortable with the uses of and distinctions among quotations, paraphrases, and summaries. This handout compares and contrasts the three terms, gives some pointers, and includes a short excerpt that you can use to practice these skills.

What are the differences among quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing?

These three ways of incorporating other writers' work into your own writing differ according to the closeness of your writing to the source writing.

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

Writers frequently intertwine summaries, paraphrases, and quotations. As part of a summary of an article, a chapter, or a book, a writer might include paraphrases of various key points blended with quotations of striking or suggestive phrases as in the following example:

In his famous and influential work The Interpretation of Dreams , Sigmund Freud argues that dreams are the "royal road to the unconscious" (page #), expressing in coded imagery the dreamer's unfulfilled wishes through a process known as the "dream-work" (page #). According to Freud, actual but unacceptable desires are censored internally and subjected to coding through layers of condensation and displacement before emerging in a kind of rebus puzzle in the dream itself (page #).

How to use quotations, paraphrases, and summaries

Practice summarizing the essay found here , using paraphrases and quotations as you go. It might be helpful to follow these steps:

Read the entire text, noting the key points and main ideas.
Summarize in your own words what the single main idea of the essay is.
Paraphrase important supporting points that come up in the essay.
Consider any words, phrases, or brief passages that you believe should be quoted directly.

There are several ways to integrate quotations into your text. Often, a short quotation works well when integrated into a sentence. Longer quotations can stand alone. Remember that quoting should be done only sparingly; be sure that you have a good reason to include a direct quotation when you decide to do so. You'll find guidelines for citing sources and punctuating citations at our documentation guide pages.

Direct Quotes vs. Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing: Know the Difference

Written By Lorraine Roberte
Updated: February 22, 2024

Knowing the differences between direct quotes, paraphrasing, and summarizing is crucial no matter your occupation, from business owner to content marketer.

Why? Because it can prevent you from accidentally plagiarizing in the work you do for yourself and from breeching best practices.

Incorporating a mixture of these elements in your content can also help you tell a better story, so your audience keeps reading.

Direct quotes vs. paraphrasing vs. summarizing — understanding the difference

We’re breaking down the differences between direct quotes vs. paraphrasing and summarizing and how you can use them in your writing.

From press releases for your business to engaging blog posts for your target audience, you can make your writing more interesting by including trustworthy sources.

Direct quotes

Direct quotes include the exact words that someone said, with quotation marks and name attribution. They’re especially common when writing about people .

Example: “Elon Musk said in a tweet that Starlink’s satellite broadband service coverage will be available on ‘most of Earth by end of year,’ although he noted that ‘cellular will always have the advantage in dense urban areas.'”

When to use direct quotes

According to the APA style guide , you’ll need to use direct quotes when:

Copying an exact definition
The author’s words are memorable and succinct
Responding or reacting to someone’s exact words

How to use direct quotes

In general, direct quotes are written verbatim. But you can make these small changes without alerting your readers:

Changing the first letter of the quote to an upper or lowercase so that the quotation matches the context sentence’s syntax. Can also modify the punctuation at the end of the quote.
Swapping single quotation marks to double quotation marks and vice versa
Omitting footnote or endnote number references

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is when you restate someone else’s words, but not word for word.

Example (original quote): “It’s risky trusting employees as much as we do. Giving them as much freedom as we do. But it’s essential in creative companies where you have much greater risk from lack of innovation.” — Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO and co-founder .

Example (paraphrase): “Netflix’s CEO and co-founder, Reed Hastings, feels that micromanaging workers can stifle innovation in creative businesses.”

When to paraphrase

It can be helpful to paraphrase if you want to keep your writing more conversational. It’s also useful when breaking up direct quotes or explaining the original source in simpler terms. That way, the information better fits the tone and style of your writing.

How to paraphrase

Paraphrasing involves putting a section of the source information entirely into your own words while staying true to its original meaning. You can link to the source in the place that makes the most sense, such as “report” for an industry report.

You can keep from plagiarizing when paraphrasing by using synonyms for words mentioned in the source. It’s important to restate phrases differently (even if they’re just a few words) to avoid the same sentence structure. If you don’t, you could still be plagiarizing, despite crediting the source.

If you use exact words from the original material while paraphrasing, you must put the word or words in quotes. The exception is generic terms that are difficult to find synonyms for.

Summarizing

When you summarize, you use your own words to describe the critical points of what someone else said or that you heard or read in a source.

Example (original quote): “In a diverse population of older patients who were hospitalized for acute decompensated heart failure, an early, transitional, tailored, progressive rehabilitation intervention that included multiple physical-function domains resulted in greater improvement in physical function than usual care.” — Study in the New England Journal of Medicine

Example (summary): “A recent study shows physical rehabilitation programs to be helpful for older populations with hospitalizations from heart failure.”

When to summarize

Summaries are excellent at giving readers the key insights they need from a longer text when proving your point. They also add context while keeping at a manageable length whatever type of article you’re writing.

How to summarize

You don’t need to include any quotes or attribution when summarizing, just a brief overview that often links back to the original material for more details. It may also introduce essential points from the original text, allowing readers to understand the source without clicking through it.

Now that you know the difference between direct quotes, paraphrasing, and summarizing, you can confidently write content for your business.

Need help creating engaging blog posts for your business? Talk to a content specialist at ClearVoice today about your needs.

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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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Encouragers, Paraphrasing and Summarising

A counsellor can encourage a client to continue to talk, open up more freely and explore issues in greater depth by providing accurate responses through encouraging, paraphrasing and summarising. Responding in this way informs the client that the counsellor has accurately heard what they have been saying. Encouragers, paraphrases and summaries are basic to helping a client feel understood.

Encouragers, also known as intentional listening , involve fully attending to the client, thus allowing them to explore their feelings and thoughts more completely. Paraphrasing and summarising are more active ways of communicating to the client that they have been listened to. Summarising is particularly useful to help clients organise their thinking.

The diagram below shows how encouragers, paraphrases and summaries are on different points of a continuum, each building on more of the information provided by the client to accurately assess issues and events.

Encouragers – Encouragers are a variety of verbal and non-verbal ways of prompting clients to continue talking.

Types of encouragers include:

Non-verbal minimal responses such as a nod of the head or positive facial expressions
Verbal minimal responses such as “Uh-huh” and “I hear what you’re saying”
Brief invitations to continue such as “Tell me more”

Encouragers simply encourage the client to keep talking. For a counsellor to have more influence on the direction of client progress they would need to make use of other techniques.

Paraphrases – To paraphrase, the counsellor chooses the most important details of what the client has just said and reflects them back to the client. Paraphrases can be just a few words or one or two brief sentences.

Paraphrasing is not a matter of simply repeating or parroting what the client has stated. Rather it is capturing the essence of what the client is saying, through rephrasing. When the counsellor has captured what the client is saying, often the client will say, “That’s right” or offer some other form of confirmation.

Example: I have just broken up with Jason. The way he was treating me was just too much to bear. Every time I tried to touch on the subject with him he would just clam up. I feel so much better now. Paraphrase: You feel much better after breaking up with Jason.

Summaries – Summaries are brief statements of longer excerpts from the counselling session. In summarising, the counsellor attends to verbal and non-verbal comments from the client over a period of time, and then pulls together key parts of the extended communication, restating them for the client as accurately as possible.

A check-out, phrased at the end of the summary, is an important component of the statement, enabling a check of the accuracy of the counsellor’s response. Summaries are similar to paraphrasing, except they are used less frequently and encompass more information.

July 21, 2009
Communication , Counselling Process , Encouraging , Microskills , Paraphrasing
Counselling Theory & Process

Comments: 23

Yeah,must say i like the simple way these basic counselling skills are explained in this article. More of same would be most welcome as it helps give a better understanding of the counselling process and the methods and techniques used within the counselling arena

I really find this information helpful as a refresher in my studies and work. Please keep up the excellent work of ‘educating’ us on being a better counsellor. Thank you!

Wonderfully helpful posting. Many thanks!

Thankyou so much. I am doing a assignment at uni about scitzophrenia and needed to clarify what paraphrasing truly meant. Cheers

So helpful to me as a counselor.

Thankx so much for these post. I’m doing Counselling and Community Services and I need to clarify what summarising and paraphrasing really meant. Once again thank you, this information it’s really helpful

Hello Antoinette friend and doing guidance and counselling need uo help about this question With relevent examples explain the following concepts as used in communicating to clients. (I;listening to verbal messages and using encouraged minimal prompts. 2)making use of non verbal communication and exhibiting attending behaviours using Gerald Eganis macro skill SOLER/ROLES. 3.paraphrasing 4.identifying and reflecting feelings and emotions from the clients story 5.summarizing 6.confrotation 7.counsellor self disclosure 8.asking open and close open ended concept 9.answering questions 10.clarifying

thanks I am doing a counselling community services at careers Australia

Really love the explanations given to the active listening techniques it was really useful and helpful good work done.

Helpful. Thanks!

I really like hw u explain everything in to simple terms for my understanding.

Hai ,thanks for being here .Am a student social worker,i need help an an able to listen to get the implied massages from the client.and to bring questions to explore with them .I love to do this work .What shall I do.how do i train my self in listening.

really appreciate.

You explanation of these three basic intentional listening are very helpful. Thank you for remained us.

very helpful indeed in making the client more open and exploring the issues more deeply

Very important cues.thanks

the article was helpful .thank you for explaining it in more clear and simple words.appreciate it alot .

I need to write about what counselling words mean ie I understand summarising and paraphrasing any more would be useful as I’m near the end of my course

I have a role play exam tomorrow on counselling and find above explanation very useful. thanks for sharing.

This explanation is clear and precise. Very easy to understanding than the expensive textbook. Please keep posting as this helps a lot. Thanks and God bless.

Pingback: Summarising In Counseling (a Comprehensive Overview) | OptimistMinds

One of the simple and memorable descriptions of this I’ve read, thanks so much!

Paraphrase Generation and Identification at Paragraph-Level

Conference paper
First Online: 01 June 2024
Cite this conference paper

Arwa Al Saqaabi ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0009-6431-0642 9 ,
Craig Stewart 10 ,
Eleni Akrida 10 &
Alexandra I. Cristea 10

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 14799))

Included in the following conference series:

International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems

The availability and growth of tools and natural language generation (NLG) models that are used to paraphrase text could be helping to improve students’ writing and comprehension skills or a threat to intellectual property and educational integrity specifically when the text has been copied from other authors. These tools can be used by plagiarists to paraphrase individual words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs. To solve this issue, much work has been done on plagiarism detection (PD) and paraphrase identification (PI) utilising downstream tasks and natural language processing (NLP) methods. These works mainly focus on sentence length and sentence-level paraphrasing. In this paper, we investigate paragraph-length and paragraph-level paraphrasing as the most common method of committing plagiarism is copying and paraphrasing paragraphs from other authors. Here, we construct a novel, large-scale paragraph-level paraphrasing dataset by implementing and examining a state-of-the-art Transformer-based model to reorder and paraphrase sentences without affecting a paragraph's meaning. In a first-of-a-kind study, we consider both intra-sentence and inter-sentence similarity before examining the efficiency of state-of-the-art Transformer-based models in detecting paraphrased paragraphs. We offer a technique that serves as both a tool for honing paraphrasing skills and a means of identifying plagiarism. Our outcomes surpass those presented in the existing literature.

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https://quoradata.quora.com/First-Quora-Dataset-Release-Question-Pairs .

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Al Saqaabi, A., Stewart, C., Akrida, E., Cristea, A.I. (2024). Paraphrase Generation and Identification at Paragraph-Level. In: Sifaleras, A., Lin, F. (eds) Generative Intelligence and Intelligent Tutoring Systems. ITS 2024. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14799. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-63031-6_24

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Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing vs. Quoting: What's the Difference
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What Is The Difference Between Summary And Paraphrasing

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Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing (Differences, Examples, How To)
Summary: The article discusses paraphrasing vs. summarizing by explaining the two concepts. It specifies when you should use paraphrasing and when you should summarize a piece of text and describes the process of each. It ends with examples of both paraphrasing and summarizing to provide a better understanding to the reader.
Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing: What's The Difference?
Another difference between paraphrasing and summarizing is the length of the piece of writing that results from each process. When people paraphrase a written document, the paraphrased document usually ends up being a similar length to the original piece. Similarly, if someone paraphrases the events of a meeting or presentation, the length of ...
The difference between paraphrasing & summarizing
The goal of summarizing is to provide a broad overview of the source material, capturing only the main ideas in a concise manner, which helps in clarifying the overall theme or argument of the text for the reader. Detail and Length. The level of detail and the length of the text are key differences between paraphrasing and summarizing.
Paraphrasing Vs. Summarizing: The Difference And Best Examples
Paraphrasing vs Summarizing — Differences. Here are the 3 primary differences between paraphrasing and summarizing writing techniques: Paraphrasing is rewriting a text in your own words while summarizing is writing the most important parts of a piece in your own words.
Paraphrasing vs Summarizing: A Comparative Analysis
Choosing Between Summarizing and Paraphrasing : Depends on the required detail level from the source. Summarizing is best when only the main ideas are needed, whereas paraphrasing is suitable for detailed exploration or explanation of the source material. We will talk about this more in detail below.
The Difference Between Summarizing & Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is rephrasing something in your own words; the word comes from the Greek para -, meaning "beside" or "closely resembling", 1 combined with "phrase," which we know can mean a string of words or sentences. 2 Paraphrasing isn't practical for entire sources—just for when you want to highlight a portion of a source.
Paraphrasing & Summarizing
Paraphrasing allows you to use your own words to restate an author's ideas. Summarizing allows you to create a succinct, concise statement of an author's main points without copying and pasting a lot of text from the original source. What's the difference: Paraphrasing v. Summarizing. Explore the rest of the page to see how the same ...
What Is the Difference Between Paraphrasing and Summarizing?
Summarizing is correctly mirroring the original writer's message and main ideas. For both paraphrased passages and summaries, you must attribute the information back to the original source. . Knowing the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing is an important writing skill.
How to Paraphrase and Summarize Work
Follow steps 1-5 below to summarize text. To summarize spoken material - a speech, a meeting, or a presentation, for example - start at step three. 1. Get a General Idea of the Original. First, speed read the text that you're summarizing to get a general impression of its content.
Paraphrasing VS Summarizing: Differences and Examples
Paraphrasing VS Summarizing: Differences and Examples. 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.
The Writing Center
Paraphrase, summary, and analysis are important for accomplishing different jobs in the essay: Quotation allows the writer to fully use the original author's words using quotation marks in order to make a point or to provide support for an idea. Example: The professor said, "The sun is shining.". Paraphrase enables the writer to ...
The Difference Between Paraphrasing and Summarizing
Paraphrasing Example #3. Original: Understanding the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing is crucial in academic writing. While both involve restating information in one's own words, they serve different purposes. Paraphrasing focuses on expressing the original text in a new way, maintaining the same level of detail and length.
Paraphrase vs Summary: Unraveling Commonly Confused Terms
In this article, we will explore the differences between paraphrasing and summarizing, and when to use each technique. Paraphrasing is the act of restating a text or passage in your own words. It involves taking the original text and putting it into different words while maintaining the original meaning. ... For example, using a summary when a ...
8+ Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing Examples
Paraphrasing and summarizing are essential tools for effective communication. These techniques allow writers to convey information accurately and concisely in their own words, while maintaining the original meaning. Understanding the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing is key to becoming a proficient communicator. This blog aims to ...
Difference Between Summary and Paraphrase (with Comparison Chart)
The first and foremost difference between summary and paraphrase is that 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. ... examples and reader's own interpretation: ... Definition of Paraphrase. Paraphrasing is not a reproduction of a ...
Quoting, Paraphrasing, & Summarizing
Paraphrasing will also provide a lower Turnitin score than quoting since it incorporates your own academic voice. Summarizing is reserved for when you need to provide your reader with broad background information or a general overview of a topic, theory, practice, or a literary work or film. A short summary might be included in an introductory ...
Quoting vs. Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing
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 ...
Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting
Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting. Depending on the conventions of your discipline, you may have to decide whether to summarize a source, paraphrase a source, or quote from a source. Scholars in the humanities tend to summarize, paraphrase, and quote texts; social scientists and natural scientists rely primarily on summary and paraphrase.
What's the Difference? Summarizing, Paraphrasing, & Quoting
Oppositely, the main difference between quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing is that quoting is done word for word from the original work. Both paraphrasing and summarizing only touch on the key points and are written with some variation from the initial author's work, usually in the style and tone of the new author.
Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
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 ...
Direct Quotes vs. Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing Explained
Paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is when you restate someone else's words, but not word for word. Example (original quote): "It's risky trusting employees as much as we do. Giving them as much freedom as we do. But it's essential in creative companies where you have much greater risk from lack of innovation.".
Differences in a Paraphrase, Summary, and Précis
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 ...
Encouragers, Paraphrasing and Summarising
Paraphrasing and summarising are more active ways of communicating to the client that they have been listened to. Summarising is particularly useful to help clients organise their thinking. The diagram below shows how encouragers, paraphrases and summaries are on different points of a continuum, each building on more of the information provided ...
Paraphrase Generation and Identification at Paragraph-Level
Paraphrase generation is the task of generating an output text that preserves the meaning of the input text in other forms of text [ 3 ]. Current state-of-the-art research focuses on paraphrasing texts at the sentence-level [ [ 4, 5 ]] and paragraph-level [ 6] but utilises sentence-level paraphrasing methods only.