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What is Paraphrasing? An Overview With Examples

  • Learn English
  • James Prior
  • No Comments
  • Updated February 23, 2024

What is paraphrasing? Or should I say what is the definition of paraphrasing? If you want to restate something using different words whilst retaining the same meaning, this is paraphrasing.

In this article, we cover what paraphrasing is, why it’s important, and when you should do it. Plus, some benefits and examples.

Paraphrasing

Table of Contents

Paraphrase Definition: What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is when you restate the information from a source using your own words while maintaining the original meaning. It involves expressing the ideas in a different way, often to clarify or simplify the content, without directly quoting the source.

When you paraphrase, you are not only borrowing, clarifying, or expanding on the information but also ensuring that you do all of these actions without plagiarizing the original content. It’s therefore definitely worth learning how to paraphrase if you want to improve your writing skills.

Why is Paraphrasing Important?

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill that allows you to convey information in your unique writing style while still giving credit to someone else’s ideas. It’s important for several reasons, and it serves various functions in both academic and professional writing.

Here are some key reasons why you should paraphrase:

  • Paraphrasing allows you to present information from sources in your own words, reducing the risk of plagiarism. Proper in-text citation is still necessary, but paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding and interpretation of the material.
  • When you paraphrase, you are required to comprehend the original content fully. You actively engage with the information, helping you better understand complex concepts and ideas. This process of restating the information in your own words showcases your understanding of the subject matter.
  • By paraphrasing, you can clarify complex ideas or technical language and convey information in a clearer, shorter, and simpler form. This makes it more accessible to your audience and ensures they grasp the key points. This is particularly important when communicating with readers who may not be familiar with specialized terminology.
  • Paraphrasing is valuable when synthesizing information from various sources. It enables you to blend ideas cohesively while maintaining a consistent writing style throughout your work.
  • Paraphrasing allows you to inject your unique writing style and voice into the content. It helps you present information in a way that is more aligned with your personal expression and perspective.
  • In certain situations where you need to meet specific length requirements for assignments or publications, paraphrasing allows you to convey information more concisely while still preserving the essential meaning.
  • Paraphrasing helps maintain a smooth flow and cohesiveness in your writing. It allows you to integrate information seamlessly, avoiding abrupt shifts between your own ideas and those from external sources.
  • Depending on your audience, you may need to adapt the language and level of technicality of the information you present. Paraphrasing allows you to tailor the content to suit the needs of your specific readership.

Incorporating paraphrasing into your writing not only showcases your understanding of the material but also enhances the overall quality and originality of your work.

When Should You Paraphrase?

Knowing when to paraphrase is an important skill, especially in academic writing and professional communication. Here are some situations in which you should consider paraphrasing:

  • To Avoid Plagiarism:  Whenever you want to incorporate information from source material into your own work, but don’t want to use a direct quotation, paraphrasing is necessary to present the ideas in your own words while still acknowledging the original source.
  • To Express Understanding:  Paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding of a topic by rephrasing the information in a way that shows you have processed and comprehended the material.
  • To Simplify Complex Information:  If you encounter complex or technical language that may be difficult for your audience to understand, paraphrasing can help you clarify and simplify the information to make it more accessible and digestible.
  • To Integrate Multiple Sources:  When synthesizing information from multiple sources, paraphrasing allows you to blend the ideas cohesively while maintaining your own voice and perspective.
  • To Maintain Consistency in Writing Style:  In academic writing or professional writing, paraphrasing can help you maintain a consistent writing style throughout your work. This helps to ensure that all sections flow smoothly and are coherent.
  • To Meet Specific Requirements:  Some assignments or publications may have specific requirements. This could relate to the number of words or concern the use of direct quotations. In such cases, paraphrasing allows you to meet these requirements while still incorporating relevant information from your sources.

What Are the Benefits of Paraphrasing?

Rewriting information in a clearer, shorter, and simpler form is called paraphrasing, so one of the benefits of paraphrasing is already clear! However, it can also be a useful exercise for other reasons, which are outlined below:

Avoiding Plagiarism

One of the main benefits of paraphrasing is mastering the ability to present information from external sources in a way that is entirely your own. By restructuring the content and expressing it using your words, you create a distinct piece of writing that reflects your comprehension and interpretation of the original material. This not only showcases your academic or professional integrity but also safeguards against unintentional plagiarism.

Paraphrasing is a fundamental skill in academic and professional settings, where originality and proper attribution are highly valued. This is especially true when it comes to writing research papers, where you’ll often need to reference someone else’s ideas with appropriate citations.

When you paraphrase effectively, you communicate to your audience that you respect the intellectual property of others while contributing your unique insights. This ethical approach to information usage enhances your credibility as a writer or researcher and reinforces the integrity of your work.

Enhancing Understanding

When you engage in paraphrasing, you actively participate in the material you are working with. You are forced to consider the ideas presented in the source material. You need to discern the essential concepts, identify key phrases, and decide how best to convey the message in a way that resonates with you.

This active engagement not only aids in understanding the content but also encourages critical thinking as you evaluate and interpret the information from your own standpoint.

By expressing someone else’s ideas in your own words, you deepen your understanding of the content. This process requires you to dissect the original text, grasp its nuances, and then reconstruct it using your language and perspective. In this way, you go beyond mere memorization and truly internalize the information, fostering a more profound comprehension of the subject matter.

Tailoring Information for Your Audience

Paraphrasing empowers you to adapt the language and complexity of the information to suit the needs and understanding of your audience. As you rephrase the content, you have the flexibility to adjust the level of technicality, simplify complex terminology, or tailor the tone to make the information more accessible to your specific readership.

Consider your audience’s background, knowledge level, and interests. Paraphrasing allows you to bridge the gap between the original content and the understanding of your intended audience.

Whether you are communicating with experts in a particular field or a general audience, the ability to paraphrase ensures that the information is conveyed in a way that resonates with and is comprehensible to your readers. This skill not only facilitates effective communication but also demonstrates your awareness of the diverse needs of your audience.

Improves Writing Skills

Paraphrasing helps in the development and refinement of your writing skills. When you actively engage in the process of rephrasing someone else’s ideas, you hone your ability to express concepts in a clear, concise, and coherent manner.

This practice refines your language proficiency, encouraging you to explore different types of sentence structure, experiment with vocabulary, and ultimately develop a more sophisticated and nuanced writing style.

As you paraphrase, you gain a heightened awareness of grammar, syntax, and word choice. This translates into improved writing, helping you construct well-articulated sentences and paragraphs. Moreover, paraphrasing allows you to experiment with different writing tones and adapt your style to suit the context or purpose of your writing, fostering versatility and adaptability in your expression.

Saves Time and Energy

Paraphrasing can significantly reduce the time and energy spent on the writing process. Rather than grappling with the challenge of integrating lengthy direct quotations or struggling to find the perfect synonym, paraphrasing allows you to distill and convey information in a more streamlined way.

This becomes particularly advantageous when faced with strict deadlines. By mastering paraphrasing, you empower yourself to produce well-crafted, original content in a shorter timeframe, allowing you to meet deadlines without compromising the quality of your work.

Examples of Paraphrasing

Here are some examples of paraphrasing:

  • Original:  “The advancements in technology have revolutionized the way we communicate with each other.”
  • Paraphrased:  “Technological progress has transformed how we interact and communicate with one another.”
  • Original:  “Deforestation poses a significant threat to global ecosystems and biodiversity.”
  • Paraphrased:  “The impact of deforestation represents a substantial danger to ecosystems and the diversity of life on a global scale.”
  • Original:  “Effective time management is essential for achieving productivity in both professional and personal spheres.”
  • Paraphrased:  “Efficient management of time is crucial for attaining productivity in both professional and personal aspects of life.”
  • Original:  “The restaurant offers a diverse selection of culinary choices, ranging from traditional dishes to modern fusion cuisine.”
  • Paraphrased:  “The restaurant provides a variety of food options, including both traditional and modern fusion dishes.”
  • Original:  “The novel explores the complexities of human relationships in a rapidly changing society.”
  • Paraphrased:  “The book delves into the challenges of human connections in a fast-changing world.”
  • Original:  “Regular exercise is crucial for maintaining optimal physical health and preventing various health issues.”
  • Paraphrased:  “Exercising regularly is important for keeping your body healthy and avoiding health problems.”

In these examples, you can observe the use of different wording, sentence structure, and synonyms while preserving the core meaning of the original sentences. This is the essence of paraphrasing.

What Are the Differences Between Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Summarizing?

So, we’ve established that successful paraphrasing is a way of rewriting someone else’s words whilst retaining their meaning and still giving credit to the original author’s ideas. But how is this different from quoting and summarizing?

While paraphrasing, quoting, and summarizing are all ways of incorporating information from source material into your own writing, there are key differences between them:

Paraphrasing

  • Definition:  Paraphrasing involves rephrasing someone else’s ideas or information in your own words while retaining the original meaning.
  • Usage:  You use paraphrasing when you want to present the information in a way that suits your writing style or when you need to clarify complex ideas.
  • Example:  Original: “The study found a significant correlation between sleep deprivation and decreased cognitive performance.” Paraphrased: “The research indicated a notable link between lack of sleep and a decline in cognitive function.”
  • Definition:  Quoting involves directly using the exact words from a source and enclosing them in quotation marks.
  • Usage:  You use quoting when the original wording is essential, either because of its precision or uniqueness, or when you want to highlight a specific phrase or concept.
  • Example:  Original: “The author argues, ‘In the absence of clear guidelines, individual judgment becomes paramount in decision-making.'”

The use of quotation marks is vital when quoting.

Summarizing

  • Definition:  Summarizing involves condensing the main ideas of a source or original passage in your own words, focusing on the most crucial points.
  • Usage:  You use summarizing when you need to provide a concise overview of a longer piece of text or when you want to capture the key points without including all the details.
  • Example:  Original: A lengthy article discussing various factors influencing climate change. Summary: “The article outlines key factors contributing to climate change, including human activities and natural processes.”

In summary, paraphrasing is about expressing someone else’s ideas in your own words, quoting involves directly using the original words, and summarizing is about condensing the main points of a source.

Each technique serves different purposes in writing and should be used based on your specific goals and the nature of the information you are incorporating. If you want to level up your writing skills you need to be able to do all three of these.

Conclusion (In Our Own Words)

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill with numerous benefits. It helps you understand complex ideas, refine your writing style, and demonstrate ethical information use. It also allows you to tailor information for different audiences and can save time in academic and professional writing.

So, if you want to incorporate information from external sources into your writing in a way that is clear, concise, and respectful of the original author’s work, it’s worth mastering the art of paraphrasing.

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Definition of paraphrase

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Definition of paraphrase  (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

transitive verb

Did you know?

When we paraphrase, we provide a version that can exist beside the original (rather than replace it). We paraphrase all the time. When you tell a friend what someone else has said, you're almost always paraphrasing, since you're not repeating the exact words. If you go to hear a talk, you might paraphrase the speaker's main points afterward for your friends. And when writing a paper on a short story, you might start off your essay with a paraphrase of the plot. Paraphrasing is especially useful when dealing with poetry, since poetic language is often difficult and poems may have meanings that are hard to pin down.

  • restatement
  • translating
  • translation

Examples of paraphrase in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paraphrase.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Noun and Verb

Middle French, from Latin paraphrasis , from Greek, from paraphrazein to paraphrase, from para- + phrazein to point out

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Articles Related to paraphrase

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Dictionary Entries Near paraphrase

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Cite this Entry

“Paraphrase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paraphrase. Accessed 14 Aug. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of paraphrase.

Kids Definition of paraphrase  (Entry 2 of 2)

More from Merriam-Webster on paraphrase

Nglish: Translation of paraphrase for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of paraphrase for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about paraphrase

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  • Literary Terms
  • Definition & Examples
  • When & How to Use Paraphrase

I. What is a Paraphrase?

A paraphrase (pronounced par – uh -freyz) is a restatement or rewording of a paragraph  or text,  in order to borrow, clarify, or expand on information without plagiarizing. Paraphrasing is an important tool to use when writing research papers, essays , and pieces of journalism.

II. Examples of Paraphrasing

For examples of paraphrasing, consider these possible re-wordings of the same statement:

She angered me with her inappropriate comments, rumor-spreading, and disrespectfulness at the formal dinner table.

She made me angry when she was rude at dinner.

This paraphrase is an example of a rewording which shortens and simplifies while maintaining the same meaning.

Her impoliteness, gossiping, and general lack of respect at dinner infuriated me.

This rephrasing maintains the same meaning but is rearranged in a creative way.

I was mad when she started spreading rumors, making inappropriate comments, and disrespecting other guests at our dinner.

Another paraphrase, this rewording properly and interestingly rearranges the information provided in the original sentence.

III. Types of Paraphrasing

A. change of parts of speech.

Parts of speech ranging from verbs and nouns to adjectives and adverbs are replaced with new parts of speech in this type of paraphrasing. Here is an example:

Original Sentence:

The boy quickly ran across the finish line, seizing yet another victory.

Paraphrase:

The quick boy seized yet another victory when he ran across the finish line.

In this example, many parts of speech are changed: the adverb quickly becomes the adjective quick, and the verb phrase with the gerund seizing becomes the verb seized.

B.  Change of Structure

This type of paraphrasing involves changing the sentence’s structure, sometimes creating a passive voice from an active voice and vice versa. The change in structure can be used to reflect the writer’s interpretation of the original quote. Here is an example of change of structure paraphrasing:

Puppies were adopted by numerous kind souls at the puppy drive.

Many kind souls adopted puppies during the puppy drive.

In this example, the object of the sentence (kind souls) becomes the subject with an active voice (adopted) rather than a passive voice (were adopted).

C. Reduction of Clauses

Reduction of clauses paraphrases reduce the number of clauses in a sentence, which can be interruptive or confusing, by incorporating the phrases into the sentence. Here is an example of reduction of clauses paraphrasing:

While I understand where you’re coming from, and truly respect your opinion, I wish you would express yourself more clearly, like Clara does.

I understand where you’re coming from and respect your opinion, but I wish you would be more like Clara and express yourself more clearly.

D. Synonym Replacement

Synonym replacement paraphrasing is one of the simplest forms of paraphrasing: replacing words with similar words, or synonyms. Here is an example:

The older citizens were honored with a parade for those once in the military.

Senior citizens were honored with a march for veterans.

In this example, many synonyms are used: older citizens are senior citizens, a parade becomes a march, and those once in the military refers to veterans.

IV. The Importance of Using Paraphrase

Paraphrasing is a way of referencing a source without directly quoting it or of further explaining a selected quote. Correct paraphrasing is important in that poor paraphrasing can result in accusations of plagiarism, or copying from a source without correctly citing it. Paraphrasing allows writers to examine the meaning of others’ work, creatively rephrase their statements, and craft information to suit an essay or composition’s goal or focus.

V. Paraphrase in Literature

Paraphrasing can be found in a variety of journalistic sources from newspapers to film documentaries to literary journals. Here are a few examples of paraphrasing in literature:

Someone once wrote that musicians are touched on the shoulder by God, and I think it’s true. You can make other people happy with music, but you can make yourself happy too.

In John Berendt’s nonfiction novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil , a character references what someone has once written by paraphrasing their message.

I’m going to paraphrase Thoreau here… rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness… give me truth.

In this example from the nonfiction novel Into the Wild , Jon Krakauer paraphrases Thoreau’s larger message of transcendence.

So far, Laurance’s critiques of new road-building schemes have been well received, but he expects that to change.

In Michelle Nijhuis’ article “What Roads Have Wrought,” William Laurance is paraphrased rather than quoted to express his general viewpoint.

VI. Paraphrase in Pop Culture

Paraphrasing is often found in pop culture when attempting to translate the language of older plays, poems, and stories, such as Shakespeare’s works. Here are a few examples of paraphrasing in pop culture:

10 Things I Hate About You (1999):

Just a minor encounter with the shrew… the mewling, rampalian wretch herself.

In the modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew , many characters ’ lines paraphrase Shakespeare’s originals. Here is Shakespeare’s version:

A meacock wretch can make the curstest shrew.

A Different World: Romeo, Oh Romeo

First, the student reads Shakespeare’s original words:

Oh gentle Romeo. If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully. Or if thou thinkest I’m too quickly won, I’ll frown and be perverse and say thee nay, so thou wilt woo.

Then, she paraphrases to translate its meaning for modern ears:

It’s all about translation. Oh, sweet thang Romeo. If you think I’m all that, then step to me correctly. But if you think I’m a skeeze, I’ll be dissin’ and dismissin’, then you’ll be workin’ overtime getting’ me back.

VII. Related Terms

Like paraphrases, summaries are rewordings of original statements. Whereas paraphrases are precise and specific, summaries are brief and selective. Summaries report main points in a shortened version of the original, whereas paraphrases simply restate the original statement in a new way. Here is an example of summary versus paraphrase:

Original Statement:

At the party we had delicious red punch, a bunch of different appetizers, and a cookout. Since it was at the park, we played volleyball, went swimming, and sunbathed for fun.

At the party we enjoyed food and drink and various outdoor activities.

Here, the summary purposefully shortens the original statement while covering its major points.

At the party we drank some punch, ate a handful of appetizers, and had a cookout. The park allowed us to enjoy a number of enjoyable activities from volleyball to swimming to sunbathing.

As this example shows, the paraphrase rephrases the original statement and keeps more of its original content than the summary.

Translation

Although paraphrase sometimes translates difficult phrasing into more understandable phrasing, it is not literally considered translation. For something to be a translation, it must change writing in one language to another language. Here is an example of translation versus paraphrasing:

Original Phrase:

That’s life.

Translation into French:

C’est la vie.

That’s just how life goes sometimes.

Although we loosely may refer to paraphrase as translating ideas, technically it is not a tool of translation.

VIII. In Closing

Paraphrasing is an important tool for nonfiction writers, journalists, and essayists alike. It is a common proponent of news and reporting. Correct paraphrasing protects writers from plagiarism and allows them to creatively rephrase original works, incorporating them into their own compositions.

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[ par - uh -freyz ]

  • a restatement of a text or passage giving the meaning in another form, as for clearness; rewording.
  • the act or process of restating or rewording.

verb (used with object)

to paraphrase a technical paper for lay readers.

Synonyms: explain , summarize

verb (used without object)

  • to make a paraphrase or paraphrases.

/ ˈpærəˌfreɪz; ˌpærəˈfræstɪk /

  • an expression of a statement or text in other words, esp in order to clarify
  • the practice of making paraphrases
  • to put (something) into other words; restate (something)
  • A restatement of speech or writing that retains the basic meaning while changing the words. A paraphrase often clarifies the original statement by putting it into words that are more easily understood.

Derived Forms

  • paraphrastic , adjective

Other Words From

  • para·phrasa·ble adjective
  • para·phraser noun
  • mis·para·phrase verb misparaphrased misparaphrasing
  • un·para·phrased adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of paraphrase 1

Synonym Study

More about paraphrase, what does paraphrase mean.

A paraphrase is a restatement of a text in your own words while giving credit to the person who originated the thought. For example, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” You might paraphrase it in an essay by writing, “To paraphrase FDR, we have nothing to be afraid of, and we can’t let fear hold us back.”

To paraphrase means to restate something in your own words. You might paraphrase complicated information in order to make it easier for your audience to understand. You also might paraphrase something when you can’t remember or can’t verify the exact wording. It’s important to remember that you still need to credit the originator of the statement you’re paraphrasing .

Example: If you cannot remember the exact quote, you can paraphrase with precise detail.

Where does paraphrase come from?

The first records of the term paraphrase come from the mid-1500s. It ultimately comes from the Greek paráphrasis . Typically, the suffix para – means “side by side,” so a paraphrase is a “side by side phrase,” or “a phrase that means the same but looks or sounds different.”

Sometimes, people will paraphrase famous quotes, quotes from important figures, or quotes from research and change key parts of it or the overall wording to make the quote seem like it supports their claim when, in fact, it does not. For example, someone may paraphrase a quote from a research article but leave out certain details to make the research support their argument while the actual quote might not. When looking at an argument that uses a lot of paraphrases as evidence, it’s a good idea to find the original quotes to see if they truly support the argument.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to paraphrase ?

  • paraphrasable (adjective)
  • paraphraser (noun)
  • misparaphrase (verb)
  • unparaphrased (adjective)

What are some synonyms for paraphrase ?

What are some words that share a root or word element with paraphrase ? 

What are some words that often get used in discussing paraphrase ?

How is paraphrase used in real life?

News, research, and academic writing often use paraphrasing to tell their stories.

To paraphrase: How long does it take to write a screenplay? Your whole life plus the time it takes to type it. — Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) November 8, 2015
FAQ: How many in-text citations do I need in a paragraph when I am paraphrasing (e.g., after every sentence or just once at the end)? A: The “Long Paraphrases” section of this #APAStyle page has practical guidelines and examples: https://t.co/eH9tg2nf4M — APA Style (@APA_Style) December 1, 2021
to paraphrase shigeru miyamoto, a delayed album is eventually good, but a rushed album is forever bad — xander (@mura_masa_) December 30, 2015

Try using paraphrase !

True or False?

To paraphrase someone is to quote their words precisely.

How to Paraphrase (Without Plagiarizing a Thing)

Matt Ellis

How can you include another writer’s ideas in your work without plagiarizing?

Paraphrasing, or rewriting information in your own words, is an essential tool in a writer’s toolbox. It comes in handy when you want to demonstrate understanding, transform dense text into plain language, adjust the tone, or build on another person’s work.

But just because you’re not using the writer’s actual words, it doesn’t mean you don’t have to provide credit where it’s due. Proper attribution when paraphrasing is essential in order to avoid plagiarizing and potentially running into academic or legal trouble.

Knowing how to paraphrase without plagiarizing is a valuable skill to hone in order to craft blog posts, research papers, marketing copy, social media posts, and more. This guide explains how to paraphrase without compromising copyright laws or your integrity. Read on for paraphrasing rules, techniques, key strategies, and examples.

Work smarter with Grammarly The AI writing partner for anyone with work to do Get Grammarly

What is paraphrasing, and why is it important to do correctly? Paraphrasing refers to restating another piece of writing in new words while retaining the original passage’s meaning. Unlike summarizing, in paraphrasing you include roughly the same amount of detail as the original work but adjust the language to demonstrate comprehension or make the text more understandable.

Paraphrasing is essential in academic writing as a way to use other people’s ideas in your own work. Mixing in paraphrasing alongside direct quotes works well and can help your paper flow more naturally. Paraphrasing is also widely used on social media and in marketing copy or other business writing contexts, where it helps pass on information to various audiences.

Use Grammarly’s free paraphrasing tool to quickly paraphrase text with the help of generative AI. Paste text into Grammarly to get options for how to paraphrase it instantly—then use our citations generator to automatically include proper attribution.

Paraphrasing examples

Ethical paraphrasing vs. plagiarism

Plagiarism is passing off someone else’s ideas as your own. Some people think that changing a few words from the original is enough to avoid plagiarism, but that’s not true—test it with our free plagiarism checker to see for yourself.

Plagiarism isn’t just about words; it’s also about ideas.To avoid plagiarism completely, you must rewrite the idea(s) with new words and credit the source material with a citation.

When writing online in more casual contexts, you can provide proper attribution by linking to the original source and nodding to the author with phrases like “To paraphrase the work of . . .” or “As [writer’s name] shares in their work titled . . .” or “Research from [name] reveals . . .”

Academic and some business contexts require that you follow additional specific citation guidelines, such as APA , MLA , and Chicago -style citation formats.

Paraphrasing rules and proper paraphrasing citations

Change every word you can and adjust the sentence structure to paraphrase without plagiarizing. Some passages require you to use a few of the same words as the original. For example, if you’re paraphrasing a passage that uses the word photosynthesis , there’s really no other synonym to use. However, there are other paraphrasing techniques that can help, such as rearranging the sentence structure or changing a part of speech. We discuss these tools below, in the section on how to paraphrase without plagiarizing.

Cite your sources within your text. Citations in academic writing generally use parenthetical citations , which place the author’s surname, or last name, in parentheses after the passage, along with either the year of publication or the page number (or both), depending on which style you’re using. Parenthetical citations are placed at the end of the passage, before any conclusive punctuation like periods or commas.

You’re free to paraphrase from as many different sources as you need, as long as you cite each one individually. You can even use paraphrases from two different sources in the same sentence—as long as you cite each, like in this example:

The meteor shower was seen not only in New Zealand (Williamson, 2018) but also in parts of Eastern Australia (Marsh, 2018).

Include source information in your reference lists. In addition to the in-text citation, you also need the source’s full citation in a bibliography at the end of your research paper. The rules of what to include in a full citation and how to format the bibliography depend on the style. If you’re having trouble citing sources, you can always use Grammarly’s free citation generator to help.

Link and tag to provide attribution online. Paraphrasing work online, such as in blogs or social media posts, also requires attribution, even though it’s often harder to regulate. Most social networks have community guidelines in place to protect against plagiarism, and in some cases, intellectual property posted to social media is protected by copyright law. Providing attribution through links, tags, and mentions is best practice for building community and reaching a larger audience with your work.

When should you paraphrase versus quote?

While you use your own phrasing in paraphrasing, when you quote something, you transcribe someone else’s words exactly, placing the text in quotation marks so the reader knows they are someone else’s words. Both paraphrasing and direct quotes require citations.

Generally, you want to alternate between paraphrasing and direct quotes to avoid overusing either. Direct quotes work best when you’re dealing with controversial or striking statements or when you want the tone of the original work to shine.

Like quoting, paraphrasing has its advantages:

  • It can help you improve word choice and tone. You can paraphrase to use terminology or tone consistent with the rest of your writing.
  • It can allow you to broaden the subject matter. Apply an idea to a new topic through paraphrasing to showcase commonalities between seemingly separate arguments.
  • Paraphrasing avoids inconsistencies and errors in writing. Placing a direct quote in your work may create problems with subject-verb agreement, pronoun agreement, etc., but with paraphrasing, you can adapt the language to avoid those mistakes.
  • Paraphrasing updates antiquated language. Modernize old-fashioned language in a passage, such as using salesperson in place of salesman .

Steps to paraphrasing without plagiarizing

1 read the source articles thoroughly..

The first step in rewriting articles is to thoroughly understand the source material. Choose which passages you want to paraphrase. Look closely for points that support the topic you’re writing your own paper about.

2 Try rewriting passages by memory.

Rewriting from memory forces you to come up with new ways to say the same message. You can then go back to your notes and the source material to make sure that all of your information is accurate and add anything you forgot.

3 Thoroughly rewrite by changing language and sentence structure.

Use synonyms to replace the essential words of an original passage with other words that mean the same thing, such as using scientist for researcher or seniors for the elderly . This is a common approach to paraphrasing, but it’s not sufficient on its own.

Editing the sentence structure by rearranging the order of certain phrases and clauses or combining or breaking apart sentences is another strategy for paraphrasing. Be careful that doing so doesn’t cause you to overuse the passive voice. Sometimes, you can rephrase a sentence by changing the parts of speech, such as converting a gerund into the operative verb or turning an adjective into an adverb . This strategy depends on the wording of the original passage, so you may not always have the opportunity.

4 Check that your article rewording is different enough.

After writing a rough draft, review the original source to check that you changed enough. You want to avoid what’s called “patchwriting,” where the paraphrased text is too close to the original and the reader might recognize “patches” of it. This is also a good opportunity to verify that you have all the information correct.

The easiest way to ensure your work is original is to use Grammarly’s free plagiarism checker . If your article rewording can pass a plagiarism test, it’s good to move on.

5 Review your content for accuracy and proofread your prose.

Paraphrasing is a ripe opportunity for introducing errors and inaccuracies. Make sure you haven’t changed the meaning of the original work as you’ve adjusted its style and structure. Then use Grammarly to proofread your content for clarity, conciseness, and grammatical correctness.

6 Add the citations.

Last but not least, be sure to include the citation. Make sure you’re using the correct citation format for your style, whether APA, MLA, or Chicago. If you’re paraphrasing an article, most of the time you will use a parenthetical citation after the passage.

Paraphrasing best practices

1 target key information only..

One advantage of paraphrasing over quoting is that you can amplify certain ideas to support your point rather than include everything. Highlight relevant aspects of your source material to help outline your own work and target the most important information.

2 Break down complex sentences.

Another advantage of paraphrasing is that you can make complex ideas and jargon easier to understand for a wider audience. Trade long, complicated sentences for shorter, simpler points. Similarly, you can combine sentences or ideas that are less important to your central point by summarizing aspects of the source material.

3 Use narrative citations and transition phrasing.

N arrative citations explicitly tell the reader you’re referencing another writer’s work and help provide attribution in your content. The following transitional phrases are examples of ways you can let your reader know you’re about to paraphrase an existing work. Narrative citations have the added benefit of helping you to rewrite key findings by recasting the sentence structure with a new subject.

  • Research shows that . . .
  • A recent study found that . . .
  • According to [author]’s analysis . . .
  • Thanks to [source], we now know that . . .

You still need to reword the rest of the sentence, but using one of these openings further separates your paraphrase from the original and helps you avoid plagiarizing.

Keep in mind that if you mention the author’s name, the date of publication, or the page number within the text, you can omit that information from the parenthetical citation.

4 Focus on meaning, not just vocabulary.

Paraphrasing is more than just swapping out words for their synonyms; you need to completely rewrite a sentence in your own style. Pay close attention to what the original author is trying to say as a whole, rather than focusing on the individual words. You may be able to restate the idea in a clearer or more concise way. Similarly, changing entire phrases or clauses may improve clarity more than just changing individual words.

5 Avoid patchwriting.

Patchwriting is when someone tries to paraphrase but doesn’t change enough, leaving obvious patches of the original in the new version. Even when paraphrasing gets difficult, you still have to alter the original text completely so that your version is distinct enough to differentiate itself. If you’re stuck and don’t know what else to change, you can use Grammarly’s generative AI assistance to help inspire your rewrite.

6 Always cite, even when citations are optional.

In informal writing, such as on the internet, as well as in speech, citations are usually less regulated. However, it’s still best to mention where you got your ideas from, even if it’s just as a courtesy. Remember that plagiarism isn’t only about the words; it’s about the ideas. Avoid passing off someone else’s ideas as your own at all costs.

Common paraphrasing mistakes

Writers risk plagiarism and clarity when they commit the following common paraphrasing mistakes:

  • Changing only individual words and not full phrasing
  • Altering original meanings accidentally
  • Forgetting to add citations afterward
  • Citing but rewriting too close to source text

Paraphrasing FAQs

When should i paraphrase versus directly quote source material in my paper.

Your paper should include a balance of both paraphrases and direct quotes. Paraphrases work best when the original wording is flawed, outdated, or inconsistent with the rest of your writing. Direct quotes work best when you want to include a striking statement, distance yourself from an opinion, or let the tone of the original work shine.

Do I have to change every single word when paraphrasing?

No, you don’t have to change every word, although that would be best if it’s possible. Not all words have synonyms, especially scientific words, so you may need to copy some words from the original passage. In this scenario, you should change the paraphrase in other ways, such as by rearranging the sentence structure, adding/removing parts, or changing the part of speech for certain words.

Can I paraphrase information from multiple sources together?

Yes, one advantage of paraphrasing is that you can combine ideas from different sources or different sections of the same source into the same sentence. However, you still need to cite each new source or location, so you may end up having two or more citations in the same sentence.

Is paraphrasing the same thing as summarizing?

Unlike summarizing, paraphrasing generally uses the same level of detail as the original work. Summarizing shortens longer work by highlighting only the key points.

What percentage of my paper should be paraphrased from external sources?

The percentage of your paper that paraphrases external sources depends on the policies at your academic institution or the purpose of your paper. If you’re paraphrasing to demonstrate an understanding of source material, your work will heavily rely on the external source. If the task is to present new ideas, most of your paper should be analysis and original writing.

what meaning of paraphrasing

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How to paraphrase (including examples)

Jessica Malnik

Jessica Malnik

what meaning of paraphrasing

Paraphrasing has gotten a bad reputation due to its association with plagiarism . However, when used correctly, paraphrasing has the potential to elevate your writing and give you a better understanding of the research.

In this post, we’ll discuss what paraphrasing is, why we do it, and 6 steps to walk you through the process. We’ll also share what not to do with paraphrasing, along with some examples.

Paraphrasing definition and rules

Paraphrasing is simply a way of summarizing someone else’s content in your own words. When you paraphrase, you keep the meaning or intent of the original work without copying it word for word. However, paraphrasing can quickly become a form of plagiarism if done incorrectly. This is why it’s crucial to follow the rules of paraphrasing.

When borrowing the ideas from someone else’s content, there’s one important rule to follow: you must correctly cite your source. This can be done in a number of ways depending on the style guide you use. 

Source citing is different for MLA and APA formatting and style guides. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with the citation formats for whichever one you follow. However, in some cases, simply hyperlinking the source will be sufficient.

Why do we paraphrase?

There are a number of reasons that professional writers and students alike choose to paraphrase content. Here are just a few of the common reasons that a writer would choose to paraphrase instead of including a quote or summarization.

Process information better 

One benefit of paraphrasing is that it helps you process the author’s ideas. When you have to rewrite the material in your own words, it makes you really think about the context and how it fits into your piece. If you want to really understand the material you’re citing, try rewriting it. If you were to quote the same information, you would miss out on the benefit of analyzing the source material.

For example, if you are writing a research paper all about Shakespeare’s influence on modern-day literature, you don’t want to just use a ton of direct quotes, instead by paraphrasing original passages, it can help you comprehend and analyze the material better.  

Improve your credibility with readers

You can also improve your credibility by association with the sources you decide to paraphrase. 

When you rewrite the material, you create a connection between your content and the knowledge from the source. 

Your audience will have a better understanding of the direction of your piece if you’re paraphrasing a reputable source with established authority on the subject.

Present data in an interesting way

If you’re referencing a data-heavy webpage or study, then paraphrasing is an engaging way to present the information in your own writing style. 

This allows you to tell a story with the source material instead of simply citing numbers or graphs.

Show that you understand the source

Another reason for paraphrasing that’s particularly important in academic writing is to demonstrate that you’ve read and comprehended the source material. 

For example, if all of you are doing is copying and pasting the original words of a textbook, you aren’t really learning anything new. When you summarize the material in your own words, it helps you to understand the material faster.  

How to paraphrase in 6 steps

Paraphrasing is simple when you break it down into a series of steps. 

Here are the 6 steps you can use to paraphrase your sources:

1. Choose a reputable source

First, you need to pick a credible source to paraphrase. A credible source will likely have ideas and concepts that are worth repeating. Be sure to research the author’s name and publisher’s credentials and endorsements (if applicable).

You’ll also want to check the date of the publication as well to make sure it’s current enough to include in your writing.

paraphrasing tip

2. Read and re-read the source material

You want to be sure that you understand the context and information in the original source before you can begin to rework it into your own words. Read through it as many times as you need so you’re sure that you grasp the meaning.

3. Take some notes 

Once you have an understanding of the passage, you’ll want to jot down your initial thoughts. 

What are the key concepts in the source material? 

What are the most interesting parts? 

For this part, it helps to break up the content into different sections. This step will give you a sort of mini-outline before you proceed with rephrasing the material.

4. Write a rough draft

Write your version of the content without looking at the original source material. This part is important. 

With the source hidden, you’ll be less likely to pull phrasing and structure from the original. You are welcome to reference your notes, though. This will help you write the content in your own words without leaning on the source but still hit the key points you want to cover.

5. Compare and revise

Once you have your initial draft written, you should look at it side by side with the original source. Adjust as needed to ensure your version is written in a way that’s unique to your voice. 

This is a good time to break out a thesaurus if you notice you have used too many of the same words as the original source.

6. Cite your source

Whether you use MLA, APA, Chicago, or another style guide, now is the time to give proper credit to the original author or source. When posting content online, you may only need to hyperlink to the original source.

Keep in mind that the paraphrased text will not change depending on the citation style that you follow. It will just change how it’s cited.

What you shouldn’t do when paraphrasing

Now that you understand the process of paraphrasing and can follow the steps, it’s important that you know what to avoid. When paraphrasing, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Do NOT write while you’re still researching

You might be tempted to start writing during the research phase. However, this sets you up to miss information or restate the copy too closely to the source material. Be sure to do your research first, take notes, and then start writing the piece.

2. Do NOT skip the citations

When you pull a small amount of information from a paraphrased source, you may think you don’t need to cite it. However, any idea or copy that’s taken from another source is considered plagiarism if you don’t give it credit, even if it is only a little bit of information.

Paraphrasing examples

Here are some examples to help you understand what paraphrasing looks like when done correctly and incorrectly

Excerpt from LinkedIn’s Official Blog:

“When reaching out to connect with someone, share a personalized message telling the person why you would like to connect. If it’s someone you haven’t been in touch with in a while, mention a detail to jog that person’s memory for how you met, reinforce a mutual interest and kickstart a conversation.”

Here’s another example. This one is from the U.S. Department of Education:

“ The U.S. Department of Education does not accredit educational institutions and/or programs. However, the Department provides oversight over the postsecondary accreditation system through its review of all federally-recognized accrediting agencies. The Department holds accrediting agencies accountable by ensuring that they enforce their accreditation standards effectively. ”

Here’s one more example to show you how to paraphrase using a quote from Mark Twain as the source material:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.”

Paraphrasing can be a beneficial tool for any writer. It can give you credibility and a deeper understanding of the topic. However, to successfully use paraphrasing, you must be careful to properly cite your sources and effectively put the material into your own words each time.

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Paraphrasing Explained: Definition, Techniques, and Examples for Effective Writing

Satwick Ghosh

Table of contents

While researching for your article or essay, you might have encountered a sentence or a paragraph that's so intriguing that you thought you must include it in your content! But you can't use those exact words, right?

Well, paraphrasing is the way to do that. However, the idea is not to steal someone's content but to capitalize on it by drafting a much better version while adding your input and research.

You can always have your own piece written and make it more intuitive to your audience while using the original one as a reference.

'It's easier said than done'

'Although the idea sounds like a good one in theory, it will still be difficult to actually execute it.'

Both the above sentences have similar meanings, but they appear different. That's a classic example of paraphrasing.

But how do you paraphrase while keeping the essence of the original sentence intact and still not plagiarising?

That calls for some tips and tricks! And here, we have got you covered.

In this blog, we will explain what is paraphrasing, why you might need to paraphrase, how to paraphrase, and the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing.

Let's dive in.

Table Of Contents

What is paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing is the process of restructuring or tweaking a paragraph so that it represents the same meaning or idea from the original statement but with different sentence construction, choice of words, formats, or, possibly, tone or voice.

It means making the meaning clearer, especially in a shorter and simpler form, along with your thoughts/comments. In addition to borrowing, clarifying, or expanding on information and your comments, paraphrasing is doing all the above-stated actions without plagiarizing the information.

Why do people paraphrase?

There are several reasons why people paraphrase. Following are some of the reasons for paraphrasing.

  • Paraphrasing helps avoid plagiarism.
  • It also provides support for claims or adds credibility to the writing.
  • It demonstrates your understanding and provides an alternative method to using indirect and direct quotes in your own words (referenced) infrequently.
  • Paraphrasing in academic research helps utilize source material for writing essays, providing evidence that the essay is appropriately referenced.
  • Paraphrasing in writing helps you ensure that you use sources to communicate something important to your readers.

What is paraphrasing plagiarism?

Plagiarism is stealing someone else’s ideas without acknowledgment. Plagiarism can come in several forms: global, verbatim, patchwork, paraphrase, and self-plagiarism. However, apart from global plagiarism, other types of plagiarism are often accidental.

Although paraphrasing is accepted , rephrasing sentences or paraphrasing someone else’s idea without citing or acknowledging is considered paraphrasing plagiarism. Even when translating someone else’s words, if the translated text from another language is not cited, this is also a type of paraphrasing plagiarism.

How to paraphrase?

When it comes to paraphrasing, you can either do it manually or use an AI-powered tool like Writesonic to rephrase your content. While we will guide you through both processes, here is how to paraphrase with Writesonic Content Rephraser.

Check out the steps below:

  • Log in to Writesonic or sign up (if you haven't already done so!).
  • Search for Content Rephrase and select the tool from the results.

how to paraphrase

  • On the Content Rephrase v2 window, put the text in the Content box.
  • Select the Words Length from the drop-down for the rephrased content.
  • Select your Brand Voice / Tone of Voice from the list.
  • Finally, hit the Generate button.

what meaning of paraphrasing

If you are not satisfied with the output received, simply click on the Regenerate button.

what meaning of paraphrasing

If you want, you can also paraphrase manually without using any tool.  Here is a guide on different techniques to paraphrase effectively,

What is the difference between summarizing and paraphrasing?

Summarizing is a concise statement that briefs the contents of the passage. On the other hand, paraphrasing is just rewriting sentences using your own words. In fact, there is more than one difference between summarizing and paraphrasing.

Check out the comparison chart to learn the differences between summarizing and paraphrasing, besides their definition.

Definition

Summarizing refers to the concise statements and key points of the original work or piece

Paraphrasing refers to restating the texts or passages in your own words based on your comprehension


Underlines

The central idea of the original sentence


Simplifies and clarifies the original sentence or texts


Length of the text

It is shorter when compared with the original writing or piece


It is almost the same length as the original statement


Objective 

To express the general concept of the piece or work briefly using a precise language


To break down the complex words into more comprehensible and simple words


Uses

When you want to provide a quick review of the topic or piece


When you want to present your point of view in different words while incorporating the authors’ ideas as well


Doesn’t include

Unnecessary information, details, examples, and reader’s interpretations 


Problematic language, lengthy quotes, same words from the original passage or phrases from the original sentence. 


Top 5 tips and tricks to follow while paraphrasing

Following are 5 digestible paraphrasing tips you can incorporate when paraphrasing your sentences.

Identify the important parts

You can't paraphrase until you understand the meaning! In fact, paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding of the original material. Thus, read the original content until you get enough ideas to explain it in your own words.

Once you have the original concept, reduce it to the key points, and don't focus on the sentence structures at the start. Another way to rewrite or reword the source without losing your key points is to use a paraphrasing tool .

Change up the words

Change the words using synonyms while noting down the concepts or key points. However, if you face writer's block and can’t find the right words, which can make your content incompetent, use rewording tools .

AI rewording tools can come up with synonyms, organize your phrases, and enhance your sentence structure. Moreover, an AI wording tool ensures the content is unique, original, and plagiarism-free.

Make sure meaning is preserved

Although paraphrasing requires rewording and changing the words, ensure that the same meaning must be maintained along with the ideas. In addition to that, keep your word choices lucid and simple to convey the relevant information from the source without sticking too close to the original source.

One way to keep your writing consistent when paraphrasing is by using paraphrasing tools. The AI tool can alter the sentence structure while maintaining the original meaning.

Double-check for grammar and punctuation

When paraphrasing, double-check and compare the paraphrased copy with the original passage. Make adjustments to ensure it’s completely rewritten. Also, make sure that the grammar and punctuation are correct.

Double-checking your work for grammar and punctuation by reviewing it more than once improves its quality. Paragraph rewriters use AI for paraphrasing, which can tweak the tonality and narrative, ensure a grammar check, and make the content concise and conceivable.

Use an online paraphrasing tool like Writesonic

As stated previously in the article, using a paraphrasing tool is the fastest way to paraphrase your sources without plagiarizing them. One such creative AI writing tool that assists you with paraphrasing is Writesonic .

Writesonic is trained on billions of parameters. It refines the grammar, spelling, and style to generate original, paraphrased content. In addition to that, Writesonic generates unique and plagiarism-free content that resonates with the target audience with just one click.

With AI chatbots like ChatGPT by Open AI and ChatSonic by Writesonic taking away all the limelight, they can also be used effectively for paraphrasing text.

Different strategies for paraphrasing

Even though there are AI paraphrasing tools to make the work easier, the following are different strategies you can use to paraphrase your sentence.

Understanding the main ideas

One of the strategies for successful paraphrasing is understanding the source's main idea and writing style. When you understand the idea behind the sentence, it becomes easier to explain in your own words.

After taking note of the important nouns and verbs, see which synonyms might be appropriate to replace. You can use a synonym that expresses the same meaning for the key concepts or points in the original sentence.

Making connections

When you use synonyms, it is given that the structure may also need a little changing. So, instead of just swapping a single word, make appropriate changes around the words to make sense of the sentence. Here, your paraphrasing skills come into play.

Here is an example of paraphrasing: “ According to scientists, there is another method to achieve a pollution-free environment.”

The paraphrased content would say something like - “Scientists found an alternate way to attain a pollution-free environment.”

In the above sentence, the adjective ‘according to’ is swapped with the verb ‘found’ along with other necessary changes. These changes are made to maintain a harmonious connection between the words and to make the sentence sensible while retaining its meaning and avoiding plagiarism.

Focusing on syntax

The syntax is the arrangement of words in a specific order written in well-formed phrases or sentences. While paraphrasing is about restating or rewording, ensure to focus on the well-structured and grammatically correct sentences by making appropriate connections or paraphrases.

Benefits of paraphrasing

Paraphrasing has some benefits that you can reap in aspects of your writing skills and learning abilities.

Improves writing skills

Paraphrasing requires you to change the passages in your own words, which may help refurbish your writing skills. Rewriting or paraphrasing is essential in writing essays or research papers.

Paraphrasing allows you to express ideas or information with a fresh set of words to make the same thing sound more interesting or even simpler. You can see paraphrasing as an opportunity to enhance your writing skills without plagiarizing someone else’s work. This includes rewriting and expressing the ideas in your own voice.

Increases comprehension

Comprehension is understanding the written material and explaining what is read. At the same time, paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding of the complex details from the source and your ability to explain the connections between main points. Therefore, it's obvious that you can comprehend a text better when you paraphrase it.

Moreover, it was found that paraphrasing for comprehension is an excellent tool for reinforcing reading skills. It can assist by identifying the main ideas, finding supporting details, and identifying the original author's voice.

So when you rewrite the sentence in your own words, you can double-check your comprehension. This helps improve your awareness and allows you to gain a better understanding of the content, and allows you to write better.

Enhances understanding

To paraphrase words or phrases, you must extract their meaning by reading the material again and again and fully understanding the context. This allows the reader to understand the original statement more clearly by adding more clarity to it. So, when you paraphrase the original phrase, you articulate your thoughts and ideas more clearly and come up with new insights and perspectives on the topic.

Saves time & energy

Creating content from scratch is difficult and requires much time and energy. It requires you to do proper research, which is both time and energy-consuming.

An easy solution to the painstaking process is paraphrasing your sentence with appropriate citations. This will allow you to create the content without spending much time on research and ideation, saving much of your time and energy.

Helps avoid plagiarism

Among all the benefits, the most favorable benefit of paraphrasing is that it helps you avoid the accusation of plagiarism. You are simply committing plagiarism (an offense as stated by the federal government) when you use the same idea and speech from the original text, word by word.

However, by rewording the original source, you can present the ideas in your own words and easily avoid plagiarism. What’s more, paraphrasing can save you in both accidental and deliberate cases of plagiarism.

Paraphrasing examples

Now that we have known all about paraphrasing, its reasons for use, and its benefits, let’s look at some examples of paraphrasing and how exactly you can paraphrase.

#1 Example of Paraphrasing

Paraphrased

Apples are domesticated trees and fruit of the rose family which is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. They are predominantly grown for sale as fresh fruit, although apples are also used commercially for vinegar, juice, jelly, applesauce, and apple butter and are canned as pie stock. 


Fresh apples are either eaten raw or cooked. Cooked apples are used in a variety of ways. They are frequently used as a pastry filling, apple pie being the archetypal American dessert.


Apples are domesticated trees and fruit of the rose family, and they are one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. Apples are primarily grown for fresh fruit sales, though they are also used commercially in the production of vinegar, juice, jelly, applesauce, and butter, as well as canned pie filling. 


They are consumed either raw or cooked. However, a variety of recipes call for cooked apples. Apple pie is the most iconic American dessert, where apples are frequently used as a filling for pastries. 

#2 Example of Paraphrasing

Paraphrased

The word paper originated from the reedy plant papyrus. Papyrus plants grow abundantly along the Nile River in Egypt. Prior to the invention of the paper machine, papermaking can be traced to about 105AD, when Ts’ai Lun— an official in the Imperial court of China, created a sheet of paper by using mulberry, old rags, and other bast fibers along with fishnets, and hemp waste.


By the 14th century, a number of paper mills existed in Europe. And later in 1798 Nicolas-Louis Robert in France constructed a moving screen belt that would receive a continuous flow of stock and deliver an unbroken sheet of wet paper. In 1800 a book was published comprising practical methods for manufacturing paper from wood pulp and other vegetable pulps.


The term "paper" comes from the name of the reedy plant papyrus which thrives along Egypt's Nile River. Prior to the invention of the paper machine, papermaking can be traced back to 105AD, when Ts'ai Lun, an official in the Imperial court of China, created a sheet of paper from mulberry and other bast fibers, as well as fishnets, old rags, and hemp waste.


By the 14th century, Europe had several paper mills. Later, in 1798, Nicolas-Louis Robert in France built a moving screen belt that would take in a constant flow of stock and deliver an intact sheet of wet paper. In 1800, a book was published that detailed practical methods for making paper from wood pulp and other vegetable pulps. 

Final Words

Once you grasp the concept of paraphrasing, it can be a powerful tool for writers. It provides several benefits in aspects of writing and learning skills. The correct way and right use of paraphrasing can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism.

However, note that successful and correct paraphrasing requires the use of multiple techniques each time. So, it is not sufficient to simply replace the keywords or the main concepts with synonyms.

One of the easiest ways to reword the original source is by using an AI writing tool. Writesonic is a well-known AI paraphrasing tool that can refine grammar, spelling, and style to generate original plagiarism-free AI content .

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Paraphrasing - an overview

Paraphrasing is ..., what are the differences between quoting, paraphrasing & summarising .

  • Why Paraphrase?
  • Paraphrasing versus Plagiarism
  • The Do's and Don'ts of Paraphrasing
  • Paraphrasing - examples
  • Further Information

what meaning of paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is 'a restating of someone else’s thoughts or ideas in your own words. You must always cite your source when paraphrasing’ (Pears & Shields, 2019 p. 245).  

(Solas English, 2017)

  • Quoting means using someone else’s exact words and putting them in quotation marks.. 
  • Paraphrasing means expressing someone else’s ideas in your own voice, while keeping the same essential meaning.
  • Summarising means taking a long passage of text from someone else and condensing the main ideas in your own words.

Watch the video below for more information.  

(UNC Writing Center, 2019)

  • Next: Why Paraphrase? >>
  • Last Updated: Apr 10, 2024 3:42 PM
  • URL: https://lit.libguides.com/paraphrasing

The Library, Technological University of the Shannon: Midwest

Look up a word, learn it forever.

/ˌpɛrəˈfreɪz/, /ˈpærəfreɪz/.

Other forms: paraphrased; paraphrases; paraphrasing

The verb paraphrase means to sum something up or clarify a statement by rephrasing it. So to paraphrase that explanation, it means to say something in other, simpler words.

If you break paraphrase down, you end up with the prefix para , meaning "beside," and the word phrase — so think of paraphrase as coming up with similar, more simple phrases that go beside the ones already said. You might paraphrase your teacher’s lesson because you want to simplify her complicated technical language, or because you forgot exactly what she said but remember the general meaning.

  • verb express the same message in different words synonyms: rephrase , reword see more see less types: translate express, as in simple and less technical language type of: ingeminate , iterate , reiterate , repeat , restate , retell to say, state, or perform again
  • noun rewording for the purpose of clarification synonyms: paraphrasis see more see less types: translation rewording something in less technical terminology type of: recasting , rephrasing , rewording changing a particular word or phrase

Vocabulary lists containing paraphrase

A thorough survey of various textbooks, assignments, content area standards, and examinations yields the following list of words compiled by Jim Burke . You cannot expect to succeed on assignments if you do not understand the directions.

According to Marilee Sprenger, these 55 critical words from the Common Core State Standards can "make or break student understanding."

To improve your fluency in English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR), learn this academic vocabulary list that includes words selected from the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) state standards.

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Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement..

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What is a paraphrasing tool?

This AI-powered paraphrasing tool lets you rewrite text in your own words. Use it to  paraphrase articles, essays, and other pieces of text. You can also use it to rephrase sentences and find synonyms for individual words. And the best part? It’s all 100% free!

What's paraphrasing

What is paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing involves expressing someone else’s ideas or thoughts in your own words while maintaining the original meaning. Paraphrasing tools can help you quickly reword text by replacing certain words with synonyms or restructuring sentences. They can also make your text more concise, clear, and suitable for a specific audience. Paraphrasing is an essential skill in academic writing and professional communication. 

what meaning of paraphrasing

Why use this paraphrasing tool?

  • Save time: Gone are the days when you had to reword sentences yourself; now you can rewrite an individual sentence or a complete text with one click.
  • Improve your writing: Your writing will always be clear and easy to understand. Automatically ensure consistent language throughout. 
  • Preserve original meaning: Paraphrase without fear of losing the point of your text.
  • No annoying ads: We care about the user experience, so we don’t run any ads.
  • Accurate: Reliable and grammatically correct paraphrasing.
  • No sign-up required: We don’t need your data for you to use our paraphrasing tool.
  • Super simple to use: A simple interface even your grandma could use.
  • It’s 100% free: No hidden costs, just unlimited use of a free paraphrasing tool.

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Features of the paraphrasing tool

what meaning of paraphrasing

Rephrase individual sentences

With the Scribbr Paraphrasing Tool, you can easily reformulate individual sentences.

  • Write varied headlines
  • Rephrase the subject line of an email
  • Create unique image captions

Paraphrase an whole text

Paraphrase a whole text

Our paraphraser can also help with longer passages (up to 125 words per input). Upload your document or copy your text into the input field.

With one click, you can reformulate the entire text.

what meaning of paraphrasing

Find synonyms with ease

Simply click on any word to open the interactive thesaurus.

  • Choose from a list of suggested synonyms
  • Find the synonym with the most appropriate meaning
  • Replace the word with a single click

Paraphrase in two ways

Paraphrase in two ways

  • Standard: Offers a compromise between modifying and preserving the meaning of the original text
  • Fluency: Improves language and corrects grammatical mistakes

Upload any document-to paraphrase tool

Upload different types of documents

Upload any Microsoft Word document, Google Doc, or PDF into the paraphrasing tool.

Download or copy your results

Download or copy your results

After you’re done, you can easily download or copy your text to use somewhere else.

Powered by AI

Powered by AI

The paraphrasing tool uses natural language processing to rewrite any text you give it. This way, you can paraphrase any text within seconds.

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Avoid accidental plagiarism

Want to make sure your document is plagiarism-free? In addition to our paraphrasing tool, which will help you rephrase sentences, quotations, or paragraphs correctly, you can also use our anti-plagiarism software to make sure your document is unique and not plagiarized.

Scribbr’s anti-plagiarism software enables you to:

  • Detect plagiarism more accurately than other tools
  • Ensure that your paraphrased text is valid
  • Highlight the sources that are most similar to your text

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How does this paraphrasing tool work?

1. put your text into the paraphraser, 2. select your method of paraphrasing, 3. select the quantity of synonyms you want, 4. edit your text where needed, who can use this paraphrasing tool.

Students

Paraphrasing tools can help students to understand texts and improve the quality of their writing. 

Teachers

Create original lesson plans, presentations, or other educational materials.

Researchers

Researchers

Explain complex concepts or ideas to a wider audience. 

Journalists

Journalists

Quickly and easily rephrase text to avoid repetitive language.

Copywriters

Copywriters

By using a paraphrasing tool, you can quickly and easily rework existing content to create something new and unique.

Bloggers

Bloggers can rewrite existing content to make it their own.

Writers

Writers who need to rewrite content, such as adapting an article for a different context or writing content for a different audience.

Marketers

A paraphrasing tool lets you quickly rewrite your original content for each medium, ensuring you reach the right audience on each platform.

The all-purpose paraphrasing tool

The Scribbr Paraphrasing Tool is the perfect assistant in a variety of contexts.

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Writer’s block? Use our paraphraser to get some inspiration.

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Professional communication

Produce creative headings for your blog posts or PowerPoint slides.

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Academic writing

Paraphrase sources smoothly in your thesis or research paper.

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Social media

Craft memorable captions and content for your social media posts.

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Frequently asked questions

The act of putting someone else’s ideas or words into your own words is called paraphrasing, rephrasing, or rewording. Even though they are often used interchangeably, the terms can mean slightly different things:

Paraphrasing is restating someone else’s ideas or words in your own words while retaining their meaning. Paraphrasing changes sentence structure, word choice, and sentence length to convey the same meaning.

Rephrasing may involve more substantial changes to the original text, including changing the order of sentences or the overall structure of the text.

Rewording is changing individual words in a text without changing its meaning or structure, often using synonyms.

It can. One of the two methods of paraphrasing is called “Fluency.” This will improve the language and fix grammatical errors in the text you’re paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing and using a paraphrasing tool aren’t cheating. It’s a great tool for saving time and coming up with new ways to express yourself in writing.  However, always be sure to credit your sources. Avoid plagiarism.  

If you don’t properly cite text paraphrased from another source, you’re plagiarizing. If you use someone else’s text and paraphrase it, you need to credit the original source. You can do that by using citations. There are different styles, like APA, MLA, Harvard, and Chicago. Find more information about citing sources here.

The Paraphrasing Tool on our page is powered by the QuillBot service, which uses advanced language processing technology.

Both Scribbr and QuillBot are Learneo, Inc. services, ensuring that your inputs are processed in accordance with Learneo’s Privacy Policy.

For more, please read the QuillBot section of the Learneo Privacy Policy . Your use of our Paraphraser is subject to QuilBot Terms .

Paraphrasing without crediting the original author is a form of plagiarism , because you’re presenting someone else’s ideas as if they were your own.

However, paraphrasing is not plagiarism if you correctly cite the source . This means including an in-text citation and a full reference, formatted according to your required citation style .

As well as citing, make sure that any paraphrased text is completely rewritten in your own words.

Plagiarism means using someone else’s words or ideas and passing them off as your own. Paraphrasing means putting someone else’s ideas in your own words.

So when does paraphrasing count as plagiarism?

  • Paraphrasing is plagiarism if you don’t properly credit the original author.
  • Paraphrasing is plagiarism if your text is too close to the original wording (even if you cite the source). If you directly copy a sentence or phrase, you should quote it instead.
  • Paraphrasing  is not plagiarism if you put the author’s ideas completely in your own words and properly cite the source .

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Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

  • An Introduction to Punctuation
  • Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
  • M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
  • B.A., English, State University of New York

A paraphrase is a restatement of a text in another form or other words, often to simplify or clarify meaning .

"When you paraphrase," says Brenda Spatt, "you retain everything about the original writing but the words."

"When I put down words that I say somebody said they needn't be the exact words, just what you might call the meaning." (Mark Harris, The Southpaw . Bobbs-Merrill, 1953

Paraphrasing Steve Jobs

"I've often heard Steve [Jobs] explain why Apple's products look so good or work so well by telling the 'show car' anecdote . 'You see a show car,' he would say (I'm paraphrasing here, but this is pretty close to his words), 'and you think, "That's a great design, it's got great lines." Four or five years later, the car is in the showroom and in television ads, and it sucks. And you wonder what happened. They had it. They had it, and then they lost it.'" (Jay Elliot with William Simon, The Steve Jobs Way: iLeadership for a New Generation . Vanguard, 2011

Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation

"A summary , written in your own words, briefly restates the writer's main points. Paraphrase , although written in your own words, is used to relate the details or the progression of an idea in your source. Quotation , used sparingly, can lend credibility to your work or capture a memorable passage." (L. Behrens, A Sequence for Academic Writing . Longman, 2009

How to Paraphrase a Text

" Paraphrase passages that present important points, explanations, or arguments but that don't contain memorable or straightforward wording. Follow these steps: (R. VanderMey, The College Writer . Houghton, 2007

  • Quickly review the passage to get a sense of the whole, and then go through the passage carefully, sentence by sentence.
  • State the ideas in your own words, defining words as needed.
  • If necessary, edit for clarity, but don't change the meaning.
  • If you borrow phrases directly, put them in quotation marks .
  • Check your paraphrase against the original for accurate tone and meaning."

Reasons for Using Paraphrase

" Paraphrasing helps your readers to gain a detailed understanding of your sources , and, indirectly, to accept your thesis as valid. There are two major reasons for using paraphrase in your essays .

1. Use paraphrase to present information or evidence whenever there is no special reason for using a direct quotation . . . . 2. Use paraphrase to give your readers an accurate and comprehensive account of ideas taken from a source--ideas that you intend to explain, interpret, or disagree with in your essay. . . .

"When you take notes for an essay based on one or more sources, you should mostly paraphrase. Quote only when recording phrases or sentences that clearly merit quotation. All quotable phrases and sentences should be transcribed accurately in your notes, with quotation marks separating the paraphrase from the quotation." (Brenda Spatt, Writing From Sources , 8th ed. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011

Paraphrase as a Rhetorical Exercise

"A  paraphrase differs from a translation in not being a transfer from one language to another. . . . We generally associate with paraphrase the notion of an expansion of the original thought by definitions , periphrasis , examples , etc., with a view to making it more intelligible; but this is not essential. Here is meant the simpler form, in which the pupil reproduces in his own words the complete thought of an author, without attempting to explain it or to imitate the style .

"It has been frequently urged against this exercise, that, in thus substituting other words for those of an accurate writer, we must necessarily choose such as are less expressive of the sense. It has, however, been defended by one of the greatest rhetoricians-- Quintilian ." (Andrew D. Hepburn, Manual of English Rhetoric , 1875

Monty Python and Computer Paraphrasing

"In the famous sketch from the TV show 'Monty Python's Flying Circus,' the actor John Cleese had many ways of saying a parrot was dead, among them, 'This parrot is no more,' 'He's expired and gone to meet his maker,' and 'His metabolic processes are now history.'

"Computers can't do nearly that well at paraphrasing . English sentences with the same meaning take so many different forms that it has been difficult to get computers to recognize paraphrases, much less produce them. "Now, using several methods, including statistical techniques borrowed from gene analysis, two researchers have created a program that can automatically generate paraphrases of English sentences." (A. Eisenberg, "Get Me Rewrite!" The New York Times , Dec. 25, 2003

The Lighter Side of Paraphrasing

"Some guy hit my fender the other day, and I said unto him, 'Be fruitful, and multiply.' But not in those words.” (Woody Allen)    "The other important joke for me is one that's usually attributed to Groucho Marx, but I think it appears originally in Freud's Wit and Its Relation to the Unconscious . And it goes like this--I'm paraphrasing --'I would never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member.' That's the key joke of my adult life in terms of my relationships with women." (Woody Allen as Alvy Singer in Annie Hall , 1977)

Pronunciation: PAR-a-fraz

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Definition of paraphrase verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

present simple I / you / we / they paraphrase /ˈpærəfreɪz/ /ˈpærəfreɪz/
he / she / it paraphrases /ˈpærəfreɪzɪz/ /ˈpærəfreɪzɪz/
past simple paraphrased /ˈpærəfreɪzd/ /ˈpærəfreɪzd/
past participle paraphrased /ˈpærəfreɪzd/ /ˈpærəfreɪzd/
-ing form paraphrasing /ˈpærəfreɪzɪŋ/ /ˈpærəfreɪzɪŋ/
  • Try to paraphrase the question before you answer it.

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Find out which words work together and produce more natural-sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

what meaning of paraphrasing

Why Should I Paraphrase My Sentences?

By paraphrasing existing sentences, you can elevate your writing and achieve different goals as a writer. That’s why rephrasing is helpful in plenty of cases: rewriting citations, strengthening the message of your text, and rewording your ideas while improving style.

messages.future.landing_page_paraphrasing.features.feature_lt_paraphrasing_02_headline

How Does Rephrasing Help Me Become a Better Writer?

This feature is highly customizable, meaning you’re in control. Choose from five different categories—general, formal, concise, fluent, or simple—to transform your writing to better suit the context and tone. Paraphrasing helps you by refining and perfecting your masterpieces.

Where Can I Use the Paraphrasing Tool?

Rephrasing is available wherever and whenever! All you need is a LanguageTool account and a stable internet connection to rewrite your sentences in almost all of LanguageTool's extensions. The feature is easily accessible for everyone that aims to improve their writing.

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What exactly does an online paraphraser do.

LanguageTool’s paraphrasing feature does so much more than just rewrite sentences. Not only does it check for stronger, more suitable word choice, but it also corrects your sentence as a whole to ensure high-quality writing. With its intuitive and user-friendly interface, everyone can leverage Artificial Intelligence to achieve the best results possible.

messages.future.landing_page_paraphrasing.features.feature_lt_paraphrasing_03_headline

What Other Features Does LanguageTool’s Paraphraser Provide?

The best part of using A.I. to paraphrase your writing is that the suggested sentences come free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Want to also improve style? Simply go back to the general correction to view stylistic suggestions.

messages.future.landing_page_paraphrasing.features.feature_lt_paraphrasing_04_headline

As multilingual as you

Make your text sound professional and avoid embarrassing style, punctuation, and grammar mistakes

It’s an online tool that rewrites texts in a new (stylistically different) way by using alternative wording and a rephrased sentence structure.

This function is recommended for all types of texts, including professional, academic, and creative writing. It’s available for all LanguageTool users, but unlimited paraphrasing is only available in Premium.

A paraphrasing tool can easily enhance your writing by improving the tone and style of your text. Moreover, it helps you avoid having to write direct citations by rewriting copy-and-pasted text.

Premium accounts offer even more useful and powerful features:

Only with Premium

Sentence correction of longer texts

Style guide for customizing individual rules

Team features for companies

More in-depth suggestions, especially for word choice and style

How Can I Effectively Use the Rephrasing Tool?

For basic users, the paraphrasing feature is limited to three times daily. If you need more rephrased sentences, you can upgrade to LanguageTool Premium to get access to unlimited paraphrasing in six languages and several English dialects. Remember: No personal data is stored (ever) and privacy guidelines are strictly followed (always).

Strengthen Your Communication Skills

Try out the best paraphrasing tool for free and discover how LanguageTool can elevate your writing.

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Paraphrase Online

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Paraphrase online is a free online paraphrasing tool used to change words and rephrase sentences.

How to Use our Paraphrasing Tool?

It is very easy to paraphrase online with our paraphrasing tool. To rephrase, follow the steps below.

  • Type/paste the text into the input box or upload a file (.doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt) from local storage.
  • Select the required paraphrasing mode and click on the "Paraphrase" button.
  • The paraphrased text will be displayed on the right box. You can also change the modes for different outputs.
  • You can also copy and download the paraphrased text by clicking on the output buttons.

Free Paraphrasing Tool

Our paraphrasing tool (paraphraser) helps students, writers, and bloggers to avoid plagiarism. This rewording tool uses advanced AI algorithms to change sentence structure, synonymize the text and make other similar changes. 

This word changer has a built-in paraphrase generator that helps in rephrasing any paragraph accurately.

What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is one way to use a text in your own writing without directly quoting source material ( according to Purdue University ). It is the process of rewording and rearranging sentence structure while keeping the original meaning of the context.

Features of Paraphrase Online

Paraphrase Online offers numerous features such as paraphrasing essays, assignments, and rewording articles. Our paraphrase tool works as the best sentence rephraser and word changer.

Upload Files

You can use this feature to upload files directly from your device and skip the copy-paste or typing step. Our tool supports Doc, Docx, PDF & .txt file formats.

Free and Secure

Our word paraphraser is 100% free and completely secure to use for all kinds of rephrasing paragraphs and sentences to avoid plagiarism.

Rephrase Accurately

Our rephrase tool is based on advanced AI algorithms that can rephrase more accurately than humans and makes text grammatically correct and plagiarism free.

Ease to use

Paraphrase Online has a user-friendly interface and simple navigation that makes our paraphrase generator the most easy to use paraphrasing tool online.

Plagiarism Free Content

Content paraphrased by our sentence rephraser will be 100% plagiarism-free. Our paraphrasing tool helps you rephrase any text in seconds to avoid plagiarism issues.

Speed & Customization

Our paraphraser can rephrase any text within seconds and provides quick results. Paraphrase Online also allows you to customize the output to suit your needs, e.g: choosing the specific words to be replaced.

05 Different Paraphrasing Modes

Our paraphrasing tool offers five different paraphrasing modes/styles that you can choose from as per your need and requirement. Here is a brief profile of each mode:

Word Changer

The Word Changer mode is designed to replace the words in the text with suitable synonyms. This mode focuses on changing words and does not make other types of alterations.

Sentence Rephraser

The Sentence Rephraser mode is made to rephrase sentences as a whole by making changes to the words as well as the phrases.

The Academic mode of our paraphrasing tool makes your text more formal and suitable for academic uses.

The Creative mode makes smart and extensive changes to the text to make it look different from the original version. This mode is best for avoiding plagiarism, improving readability, and enhancing engagement.

The Shorten mode rephrases text while also making it shorter than the original input. This mode is best for creating a paraphrased + summarized output for your existing text.

Why Our Paraphrase Tool?

Our paraphrase tool is the best rewording tool that helps you to write content in your own words. This paraphrase generator changes words and phrases quickly and accurately.

Supported Languages

ES , ID , BR

🌪️ Quickly ParaphraseSentences & Paragraphs
🥇 Paraphrasing Styles05 AI Modes
📝 ImprovesWriting style, Word choice & Vocabulary
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Users of Paraphrase Online

This paraphraser is widely used by:

Students can use this paraphrasing tool to paraphrase their assignments and research papers. Our tool can help students:

Avoid plagiarism : It helps students to make their work plagiarism-free.

Make assignments more readable : Our tool also makes content more readable and free of grammar errors. And if English is not their first language then this tool is no less than a best friend.

  • Save time : Generate assignments and essays by quickly paraphrasing the existing content.

Creating class notes and study material on the same topic is a very tough task for teachers. Hey teachers! You can thank us for this awesome rewording tool. You can:

  • Paraphrase any notes within seconds while keeping its original meaning;
  • Make study notes easy to understand for your class students; 
  • Generate new assignment ideas by rephrasing the same topics.

Webmasters/Bloggers

Bloggers have to post on a regular basis, and mostly on similar topics. They can create unique content for their blogs without spending a lot of time by just rewording existing blogs.

SEO Specialists

SEO specialists can use our AI-based paraphrasing tool to create unique content for their websites. SEO experts must use our tool because:

  • The final result of our tool is also optimized for search engines; 
  • It adjusts multiple keywords by rephrasing text

Content Writers

Content writers play the most creative part in a website. Our rephrase tool helps them to come up with new ideas using existing content. Content writers can also use our paraphrase tool to rephrase their write-ups to avoid plagiarism.

Copywriters

Make your next advertising campaign line catchy and engaging using our paraphrasing tool. Create messages that will sell products, services, or ideas. Paraphrase Online makes your writing visually appealing and effective.

Media Marketers

Best marketing lines matter in digital marketing. Our paraphrase tool provides different versions of the same lines that can be used for A/B testing. Even a simple choice of different words can generate more leads.

Researchers

Researchers can use our shorten mode to summarize and paraphrase their research papers. It makes it easy for them to change their literature reviews.

Business Professionals

Rewording emails, reports, or other business documents is very common for business professionals. Our reword tool could be very helpful in rewording texts for better clarity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is using an online paraphrasing tool illegal.

No, using an online paraphrasing tool is not illegal. If you want to paraphrase someone else’s content, be sure to cite the source to avoid plagiarism.

Why is paraphrasing important?

Paraphrasing is important as it lets you avoid plagiarism and make your content more easily understandable. Paraphrasing is often done to improve clarity in a piece of text.

Which paraphrasing tool is best for university students?

The paraphrasing tool by Paraphrase Online is an excellent choice for university students. It is free and provides accurate results.

How can I use paraphrase tool for research paper?

You can easily use our paraphrase tool for improving the quality of your research papers and for getting new/better ideas for them. Using Paraphrase Online is easy and simple. You just have to enter your text, choose a mode, and then click on the button.

What are the benefits of paraphrasing in communication?

Paraphrasing can help make communication easier and more clear. You can paraphrase your mails and messages to make them more readable, natural, and better-flowing.

Paraphrasing in communication examples:

  • You can paraphrase your work emails to make sure that the recipient easily understands them.
  • You can paraphrase your letters and memos to make them clear and understandable for the office people.
  • You can also paraphrase simple text messages to avoid having to repeat or explain yourself afterward.

what meaning of paraphrasing

what meaning of paraphrasing

Best Paraphrasing Tool – Free & Premium Versions (Compared)

Best Paraphrasing Tool for Research

Table of Contents

Choosing the best paraphrasing tool for academic writing can be challenging, especially when many of these tools’ unique features are hidden behind a paywall. As a researcher, you want a tool that delivers more than stiff, monotonous outputs. The frustration of dealing with often contextually inappropriate results can make you question the decision to use an AI paraphrasing tool in the first place. To save you time and effort, we’ve meticulously tested the eight best paraphrasing tools, Paperpal, QuillBot, Wordtune, Paraphraser.io, and more, to determine which one truly stands out for research purposes. Here are our findings. 

Paperpal AI Paraphrasing Tool

Paperpal, a comprehensive AI academic writing assistant, leverages 22+ years of Scientific, Technical, and Medical (STM) expertise to provide in-depth academic writing, language editing, and submission readiness support for students, researchers, medical professionals, and academics. 

Paperpal’s Paraphrasing – Features and How It Works?  

Paperpal Rewrite   

  • Paraphrase: Add variety and avoid repetition in your writing with precise paraphrasing support for academic text.  
  • Trim or reduce word count: Highlight a sentence or paragraph to get a concise version of the text and meet your required word count limit.  
  • Rewrite for an Academic Tone: Get suggestions for making your text sound formal and academic in native English.  
  • Synonyms: Look up contextually relevant synonyms and use them in your text to add variety to your writing.   

What do users love about Paperpal?    

  • All-in-one academic writing toolkit: Apart from being the best paraphrasing tool for research, Paperpal offers 3x language suggestions for academic writing compared to other AI writing tools. It also provides secure, generative AI writing assistance with pre-built templates, AI text suggestions, plagiarism detection, and submission readiness checks.   
  • Excellent word reduction capabilities: Paperpal Trim reduces word count by up to 25% without sacrificing meaning, so you need not worry about word limits.   

What can Paperpal improve?    

  • Paraphrasing available only in English: While Paperpal has accurate translation capabilities, its paraphrasing is limited to text in English.   
  • Cross-platform support: While Paperpal is currently limited to MS Word and Web, it is in the process of integrating with Overleaf and Chrome, which will significantly enhance its functionality and accessibility for users in the future.

QuillBot Paraphraser

QuillBot is recognized as one of the best paraphrasing tools for research. What makes QuillBot one of the most used AI paraphrasing tools is its pre-defined and custom modes, freeze words, and synonym slider functionalities, discussed below. QuillBot supports paraphrasing in 20 languages and further customization. Let’s explore the benefits and limitations of this free paraphrasing tool.    

QuillBot Paraphraser: Features and How it Works?   

  • Pre-defined and Custom Modes for Paraphrasing: QuillBot offers eight pre-defined paraphrasing modes and also provides custom modes like ‘Witty’ and ‘Optimistic’, where writers can get creative with their words.    
  • Synonym Slider and Freeze Words: Premium users can access QuillBot’s Synonym Slider and control the level of word substitutions, from minimal changes to maximum creativity. Users can also “freeze” important words to prevent them from being altered during paraphrasing. 

What do users love about QuillBot Paraphraser?     

  • All-in-one paraphrasing tool: It is an excellent tool for finding unique synonyms and making writing non-repetitive while aligning it to the tone of communication preferred by the target audience.    
  • Direct access without signing in: The free version does not require signing up, which boosts user interaction with the tool.    

What can QuillBot improve?    

  • Limited access: With QuillBot’s free version, users can only paraphrase 125 words and access two pre-defined modes of paraphrasing. Synonym Slider: The free version is available only with the premium version.    
  • Synonym Slider and Freeze Words: The premium version offers unique features to customize the level of word replacements. The free version does not have this feature, which may result in spun content, potentially leading to misinterpretation and altering the intended meaning. 
  • Weird paraphrasing suggestions: Sometimes, the tool doesn’t understand the meaning of the sentences and suggests weird, out-of-context synonyms. This is a big NO-NO if you’re considering QuillBot as a paraphrasing tool for research.   

Looking for the best paraphrasing tool for research? Choose Paperpal for 2x more suggestions than QuillBot .

Wordtune Paraphrasing Tool

Wordtune is often considered the best AI paraphrasing tool by content creators because of its contextual understanding, sentence-level customization, and tone adjustments. Wordtune actually stands by its claim of enhancing writing quality, engagement, and tone while retaining the original meaning of text. However, is it the best paraphrasing tool for research? Let’s find out.   

Wordtune Rewrite – Features and How it Works?    

  • Rewrite Options: Wordtune users can choose from various options, such as ‘Formal’, ‘Casual’, ‘Shorten’, and ‘Expand’, to rephrase sentences and retain meaning.  
  • Thesaurus: Users can highlight words to receive synonyms and alternative phrases, adding variety and depth to their writing.  

What do users love about Wordtune?    

  • Contextual Understanding: Wordtune understands the context of the text and suggests relevant and coherent rewrites. If you’re a content creator or a marketing professional, this feature adapts your writing style and suggests rewrites based on the target audience.   
  • Real-Time Assistance: Wordtune offers suggestions as users type or paste their text into the editor. This immediacy boosts writing flow.   

What can Wordtune improve?    

  • Individual Sentence Focus: While sentence-level focus is essential if you’re working on landing page copies, ads, etc., it doesn’t really work if you want to rephrase larger chunks of text, like essays, theses, research papers, etc.    
  • English paraphrasing only: Wordtune currently supports paraphrasing only in the English language, which limits its usability for those writing in multiple languages. 

Discover why Paperpal outperforms Wordtune as the best paraphrasing tool for academic writing.    

Paraphraser.io

Paraphraser IO

This Natural Language Processing (NLP) based paraphrasing tool helps writers rewrite content. Content tone options include Fluent and Standard. If you subscribe to the paid program, you can access the Creative Tone.    

Paraphraser.io – Features and How It Works?   

  • Fluency: Enhances text clarity by changing some words here and there and readable by removing unnecessary fluff words.    
  • Standard: Improves the overall content tone by changing only the elements it feels are necessary. It uses better/alternative terms to convey the idea better.    
  • Creative (Premium Feature): Makes your writing more creative.    
  • Smart (Premium Feature): Rephrases sentences to make text sound expert-written    

What do users love about Paraphraser.io?      

  • Intuitive UI, No Jargon: Paraphraser.io doesn’t require complex workstreams or prompting and includes all the necessary functions, making it the best paraphrasing tool for day-to-day tasks.    
  • Word Limit for Free Version: The 600-word limit suffices for short paraphrasing requirements like emails, general text, copies, etc. Many users also consider paraphraser.io a great alternative to QuillBot due to the word limit offered in the free plan.     

What can Paraphraser.io improve?     

  • Accessibility: Paraphraser.io is only available on the web, which means users must open the website whenever they want to use it.    
  • Doesn’t work with long text: Using Paraphraser.io for long-form content requires extensive human intervention to review and manually rephrase chunks of text suggested, often out of context, by the tool.   
  • Unreliable output: Paraphraser.io often produces grammatically incorrect sentences, and the Word changer function suggests irrelevant and out-of-context words, which defeats the purpose of a paraphrasing tool. 

Say goodbye to tedious and time-consuming academic paraphrasing. Paraphrase with Paperpal

WordAI Paraphraser

  Word AI is a text rewriter that aims to humanize AI-generated content and bypass AI content detectors. As one of the best paraphrasing tools in the market, Word AI can restructure sentences, enrich the text, reword your text for a better description, and much more. Here’s what this paraphrasing tool can do.   

WordAI – Features and How it Works?    

  • Complete Sentence Restructuring – Rewrites text from scratch while optimizing for uniqueness and readability.  
  • Text Enrichment – Understands the meaning behind your sentences and adds LSI keywords for unique and SEO-enhanced outputs.  
  • Describe ideas differently- Prevents duplicate content and provides copy alternatives to help you beat writer’s block.  
  • Improves clarity with Split sentences – Refines wordy content into clear and concise rewrites to communicate better. Takes long run-on sentences and splits them naturally so they are short, clear, and compelling.  

What do users love about WordAI?    

  • Makes intelligent spin versions: WordAI can understand the context of the input text and produce intelligently rephrased versions that are just as effective as manually rewriting articles. It also offers various options and settings to customize the spun content.  
  • Accessibility: WordAI extends its functionality to support multiple use cases with API integration, bulk rewrite integration, and article forge integration.   

What can WordAI improve?    

  • Pricing – WordAI only offers a 3-day trial, and its monthly and annual plans are pricey compared to some of the best paraphrasing tools on the market.  
  • Produces inaccurate rewrites for technical content – WordAI isn’t an excellent paraphrasing tool for research, and it sometimes provides meaningless sentences for academic and technical writing purposes. 

Spin Rewriter

SpinRewriter

  Spin Rewriter leverages Emulated Natural Language (ENL) Semantic Rewriting technology and large language models (LLMs) to extract the meaning of your articles and rewrite them as human-quality.  

Spin Rewriter – Features and How it Works?     

  • Bulk article rewriting: Spin Rewriter allows users to efficiently rewrite multiple articles simultaneously, enabling the instant creation of large quantities of unique content.   
  • Mass Export: Generate up to 1,000 unique versions of an original article at once, simplifying the process of filling multiple blogs, satellite websites, or an entire PBN with diverse content.   
  • Paragraph creation: This AI paraphrasing tool autonomously extracts meaning and generates entirely new paragraphs, effectively concealing the original article.    

What do users love about Spin Rewriter?    

  • Lifetime Pricing Plan: Spin Rewriter’s lifetime plan makes it the best paraphrasing tool. For $497, you can get lifetime access to this article rewriter tool with all its features except for a few premium ones.   
  • Accessibility: Access everything this AI paraphrasing tool offers from your WordPress dashboard. You can also automate content updates, like repurposing an old blog post to rank better for SEO.    
  • Article Suggestions: Spin Rewriter automatically fetches relevant seed articles based on your website’s dynamics.   

What can Spin Rewriter improve?     

  • Dependence on Original Content: Spin Rewriter’s effectiveness largely depends on the quality of the original content being spun. Poorly written articles will likely result in subpar rewrites.   
  • No built-in grammar checker: Spin Rewriter lacks an integrated grammar or plagiarism checker for reviewing the spun text. This means users must find an alternative proofreading tool for editing, which can be inconvenient. 

Stop using generic paraphrasing tools for research. Paraphrase with Paperpal

Jasper AI

Jasper AI is one of the best paraphrasing tools for creators and marketing teams. It uses advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) to rephrase your content automatically. According to Jasper, the AI paraphrasing tool not only rephrases your text but enhances the output without plagiarism, regardless of input text quality.   

Jasper AI – Features and How Does It Work?   

Sentence Rewriting:   

  • Instantly transforms sentences with precision, creativity, and flair.  
  • Generates new variations of sentences in line with a specific purpose.  
  • It uses AI and contextual synonyms to create sentences with the same meaning in a different tone, shorter length, or another readability level.  
  • It provides templates, such as Sentence Expander, Content Improver, and Explain It to a Child, to expand, rephrase, or simplify sentences.  

Paragraph Rewriting:   

  • Rearrange words or sentences in a paragraph to improve readability and structure ideas more clearly.  
  • Uses GPT-3 and GPT-4 AI technology to scan data and understand how humans write.  
  • You can rephrase paragraphs multiple times by altering word choices, sentence length, or tone while retaining the original meaning.  
  • It provides templates to simplify writing for better communication, repurpose content for different platforms, optimize for SEO, and overcome writer’s block.  

Paraphrasing:    

  • Produces original content without plagiarism  
  • Improves upon the content you input  
  • Allows you to quickly refresh old content or repurpose it for different distribution channels  
  • Integrates with Brand Voice to tailor content to your tone and style  
  • Generates content in 30+ languages  
  • Optimizes content for SEO with keyword suggestions and readability improvements  
  • Provides templates like Content Improver and Explain It to a Child to rephrase content for different audiences  

What do users love about Jasper AI?   

  • High-Quality Output: It leverages advanced NLP to produce grammatically correct and meaningful rephrased content, ensuring originality and quality.  
  • Customization Options: Users can adjust the level of paraphrasing to achieve specific results.   
  • Error Detection: The tool also identifies and corrects grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, enhancing the overall quality of the content.  
  • Language Versatility: Jasper can generate content in over 30 languages, making it accessible to a diverse user base.  

What can Jasper AI improve?   

  • Length Limitations: The tool may struggle with longer pieces of content like essays, thesis, and other academic formats, which may not make it the best paraphrasing tool for research.    
  • Cost Considerations: Jasper AI can be relatively expensive, even for individual users.   
  • Learning Curve: New users might find the tool challenging to navigate initially, requiring some time to become proficient. 

Hypotenuse AI

Hypotenuse AI

Hypotenuse is a powerful AI paraphrasing tool geared toward e-commerce and social media content creation. It focuses on creating SEO-focused, accurate, on-brand product descriptions, articles, social media copies, and 20+ content types.  

Hypotenuse AI – Features and How it Works?  

  • Article Spinning: Generates multiple rewrites of an original piece to submit to article directories.  
  • Tone Selection: Hypotenuse AI provides up to 4 pre-set tones for customizing your content and allows you to describe your tone.   
  • Improve: Suggest alternative word choices, sentence structures, and phrasing to make content more engaging and professional.  
  • Simplify: Provides simplified alternatives to cut the fluff and convey your message clearly.  
  • Shorten: Offers concise alternatives, making content more direct.  
  • Expand: Add more information, examples, or explanations.  
  • Rephrase: Diversifies writing style to avoid repetitive language and offers fresh perspectives.  

What do users love about Hypotenuse AI?    

Ultimate writing tool for e-commerce businesses: Businesses with multiple third-party product listings find Hypotenuse useful because it efficiently writes and paraphrases compelling product descriptions.   

What can Hypotenuse AI improve?    

AI-generated outputs: The content rephrased or generated by Hypotenuse AI doesn’t fully capture the “human voice” and lacks flow, which means text needs to be further edited manually. 

Why is it important to choose the best paraphrasing tool for research?  

Research and academia demand precision, originality, and efficiency. While paraphrasing is an essential aspect of academic writing, the process can be time-consuming and fraught with potential pitfalls if you do not choose the right paraphrasing tool for research.    

A well-chosen academic paraphrasing tool is more than just a language rephrase; it’s an AI research assistant. It must adeptly handle the nuances of academic language, preserving technical terms and ensuring semantic integrity. Moreover, the ability to seamlessly integrate proofreading, plagiarism checks, and citation features within a single platform is indispensable. This integrated approach accelerates the research process and significantly enhances the quality of the final output.  

Research integrity is paramount in academia. Investing time in selecting the best paraphrasing tool for research can significantly impact the efficiency, accuracy, and credibility of one’s research endeavours. 

Effortlessly rewrite academic text with Paperpal. Sign Up Now for FREE.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. which is the best paraphrasing tool for researchers  .

The best paraphrasing tool for researchers often depends on specific needs, such as contextual understanding and accuracy in retaining the meaning of words. While many paraphrasing tools excel in rephrasing grammatically correct sentences, they often change scientific and technical terms to generic words, which is unsuitable in the academic context.   

Paperpal suggests accurate technical terms to enhance the academic text and ensure that the same scientific sentence context is retained. Unlike other paraphrasing tools, Paperpal doesn’t replace your entire text in one go. Instead, it suggests rephrased sentences and asks you to edit and review each section before adding it to your document. Try Paperpal for free and see the difference.   

2. How do you choose the best paraphrasing tool for research?  

Paraphrasing text in research and academia doesn’t end up rephrasing and using it directly. You need to proofread it, check for plagiarism, search for the right source, and cite it if it was taken from a different source. Here’s our guide to choosing the best paraphrasing tool for research.   

  • Custom Paraphrasing Tool for Research: To avoid manually editing and proofreading paraphrased academic text, go for a paraphrasing tool tailored to academic writing    
  • Technical Term Preservation: Ensure the tool accurately preserves the original meaning and doesn’t replace technical terms, such as patient-first language, equations, tables, etc., with generic words.   
  • In-built academic proofreading: Before using paraphrased text directly, you must proofread and edit it to suit your tone and the journal guidelines. Using a paraphrasing tool for research with built-in academic proofreading saves time and effort.   
  • Plagiarism and Citation features: Paraphrasing can often be misunderstood as plagiarized text, especially if you’re paraphrasing someone else’s text without citing it. Paraphrasing tools like Paperpal offer an in-built search and cite feature along with plagiarism checks to avoid accidental plagiarism and properly reference your work. 

3. Can I use a paraphrasing tool in research?  

Yes, you can use a paraphrasing tool in research. However, you need to ensure that the paraphrased text is not plagiarised and adequately cited if the original text has been picked up from another source. If you’re paraphrasing text written by you, ensure that the meaning, technical terms, and consistency in the presentation of tables, figures, and equation labels are retained in the output.    

4. What are the benefits of using a paraphrasing tool?  

Using a custom paraphrasing tool for research offers several benefits: 

  • Time Efficiency: Speeds up the process of rewriting content, allowing more time for actual research and analysis. 
  • Improved Readability: This enhances the readability and flow of your writing, making it more accessible to a wider audience. 
  • Language Proficiency: Assists non-native English speakers in refining their academic writing to meet higher linguistic standards. 
  • Focus on Core Research: Allows researchers to focus on the core aspects of their work rather than spending excessive time on writing and rephrasing. 

By leveraging the right paraphrasing tool , researchers can enhance the quality and efficiency of their academic writing. We hope this list helps you make the right decision! 

Paperpal is a comprehensive AI writing toolkit that helps students and researchers achieve 2x the writing in half the time. It leverages 21+ years of STM experience and insights from millions of research articles to provide in-depth academic writing, language editing, and submission readiness support to help you write better, faster.

Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed.  Try for free or  upgrade to Paperpal Prime  starting at US$19 a month  to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.

Experience the future of academic writing –  Sign up to Paperpal and start writing for free!

Related Reads:

  • Paraphrasing in Academic Writing: Answering Top Author Queries
  • How to Paraphrase Research Papers Effectively
  • Grammarly Review – Is Grammarly Worth it? [2024 Update]

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Cambridge Dictionary

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Meaning of paraphrasing in English

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  • din something into someone
  • drill someone in something
  • drill something into someone
  • drum something into someone
  • reassertion
  • recapitulate
  • regurgitate
  • reiteration
  • repetitively

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what meaning of paraphrasing

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AI art generator

QuillBot is an advanced writing and paraphrasing tool designed to enhance the quality and efficiency of writing for a broad range of users, including students, professionals, and researchers. At its core, QuillBot utilizes state-of-the-art AI technology to rephrase and refine text, ensuring that the output is both original and stylistically appropriate. The tool features several modes, such as Standard, Fluency, and Creative, which allow users to tailor the text according to their specific needs and preferences.

Additionally, QuillBot includes a summarizer that can condense articles, papers, and documents into key points, saving users time and helping them to quickly grasp complex subjects. For academic users, there is a citation generator that supports multiple citation styles, streamlining the process of referencing and bibliography creation.

QuillBot integrates seamlessly with popular writing platforms like Microsoft Word and Google Docs, making it accessible and easy to use within existing workflows. This integration ensures that users can enjoy the benefits of QuillBot’s capabilities without disrupting their usual writing processes. Overall, QuillBot is a versatile tool that significantly aids in producing polished, high-quality text.

Key features

  • Paraphrasing engine: Automatically rewrites text to ensure originality and improve clarity using advanced AI technology.
  • Grammar checker: Scans and corrects grammatical errors, enhancing the quality and readability of your content.
  • Summarizer tool: Condenses long articles and documents into concise summaries, saving time and retaining key information.
  • Plagiarism detector: Checks texts against a vast database to ensure content originality and prevent copyright infringement.
  • Citation generator: Helps format citations in multiple styles, making it easier to credit sources accurately and quickly.
  • Writing modes: Offers different writing styles and tones to suit various types of documents and audiences.
  • Content enhancement: Enhances the overall appeal and effectiveness of your writing by suggesting stylistic improvements.
  • Vocabulary expansion: Offers synonyms and alternative expressions to enrich language and avoid repetition in texts.
  • Real-time editing: Provides instant feedback and suggestions, allowing for a more efficient and dynamic writing process.
  • Multi-language support: Supports various languages, enabling users to write and edit non-English texts with ease.
  • User-friendly interface: Designed for ease of use, facilitating quick access to all tools and features without a steep learning curve.
  • Subscription cost: The premium features require a subscription, which may be a financial burden for some users.
  • Limited free features: The free version offers limited capabilities, pushing users towards a paid subscription.
  • Privacy concerns: Users may worry about the confidentiality of the text they input into the tool.
  • Dependency on internet: QuillBot requires an internet connection to function, limiting its accessibility in areas without connectivity.
  • Output variability: The quality of paraphrasing can vary, sometimes requiring additional manual corrections.

More AI tools like this

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What is QuillBot used for?

Can quillbot be used for academic purposes, does quillbot support multiple languages, is quillbot free to use, or is there a cost associated with the service, how does quillbot ensure the paraphrased text remains accurate to the original meaning, is there a limit to how much text can be input into quillbot at one time, how can quillbot help improve my writing skills, how does quillbot handle user data and privacy.

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Paraphrase Tool - Rephraser AI 4+

Rewrite, summarize & reword, designed for iphone.

  • 4.8 • 30 Ratings
  • Offers In-App Purchases

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Description.

Presenting Rephraser, the smart paraphrasing tool. Enhance writing with originality & clarity Reimagine the way you write with Rephraser - the state-of-the-art AI tool for rewriting and refining your text, ensuring originality every time. Key Features: - Unlimited Paraphrasing: Elevate your writing with endless ways to express your thoughts. Unlimited, innovative, and entirely yours. - Plagiarism-Free Output: With Rephraser, you're not just changing words—you're creating unique content that stands out and is free from plagiarism. - Multilingual Capability: Craft your message in multiple languages. Rephrase, refine, and resonate with a worldwide audience. - Tone Adaptation: Tailor your text to convey the perfect sentiment, whether it's for professional, academic, or casual contexts. Why Choose Rephraser? - AI-Enhanced Creativity: Our advanced AI technology offers high-quality paraphrasing, ensuring the essence of your message is preserved while guaranteeing originality. - Intuitive User Experience: Simplify your writing process with our user-friendly interface, designed for seamless navigation and focused creativity. - Learn and Grow: Rephraser isn't just a tool; it's your personal writing coach. Improve your language skills with insightful feedback on every rephrase. What’s New: - Upgraded Language Intelligence: Benefit from our improved algorithms for more natural rephrasing and language flow. - Broader Language Support: By popular demand, we now support additional languages, bringing our total to over 50. EULA: https://appstoreconnect.apple.com/apps/6471372307/appstore/ios/version/inflight

Version 1.3

Stability improvements & bug fixes

Ratings and Reviews

It not rephrasing any of my statements

Developer Response ,

Sorry about this and thank you for reporting the problem. I have fixed it now. Please update the app and you should be able to paraphrase text without any problems.

App Privacy

The developer, Arpit Roy , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

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  • Rephraser Yearly $14.99
  • Rephraser Monthly $4.99
  • Rephraser Weekly $2.99
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American Psychological Association

Basic Principles of Citation

APA Style uses the author–date citation system , in which a brief in-text citation directs readers to a full reference list entry. The in-text citation appears within the body of the paper (or in a table, figure, footnote, or appendix) and briefly identifies the cited work by its author and date of publication. This enables readers to locate the corresponding entry in the alphabetical reference list at the end of the paper.

Each work cited must appear in the reference list, and each work in the reference list must be cited in the text (or in a table, figure, footnote, or appendix).

Both paraphrases and quotations require citations.

The following are guidelines to follow when writing in-text citations:

  • Ensure that the spelling of author names and the publication dates in reference list entries match those in the corresponding in-text citations.
  • Cite only works that you have read and ideas that you have incorporated into your writing. The works you cite may provide key background information, support or dispute your thesis, or offer critical definitions and data.
  • Readers may find a long string of citations difficult to understand, especially if they are using assistive technology such as a screen reader; therefore, include only those citations needed to support your immediate point.
  • Cite primary sources when possible, and cite secondary sources sparingly.
  • Cite sources to document all facts and figures that you mention that are not common knowledge.
  • To cite a specific part of a source , provide an author–date citation for the work plus information about the specific part.
  • Even when sources cannot be retrieved (e.g., because they are personal communications ), still credit them in the text (however, avoid using online sources that are no longer recoverable).

Basic principles of citation are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Sections 8.1 to 8.36 and the Concise Guide Sections 8.1 to 8.34

what meaning of paraphrasing

Related handouts

  • In-Text Citation Checklist (PDF, 227KB)
  • Six Steps to Proper Citation (PDF, 112KB)

From the APA Style blog

How to cite your own translations

How to cite your own translations

If you translate a passage from one language into another on your own in your paper, your translation is considered a paraphrase, not a direct quotation.

Key takeaways from the Psi Chi webinar So You Need to Write a Literature Review

Key takeaways from the Psi Chi webinar So You Need to Write a Literature Review

This blog post describes key tasks in writing an effective literature review and provides strategies for approaching those tasks.

image of a laptop with a giant x covering the screen

How to cite a work with a nonrecoverable source

In most cases, nonrecoverable sources such as personal emails, nonarchived social media livestreams (or deleted and unarchived social media posts), classroom lectures, unrecorded webinars or presentations, and intranet sources should be cited only in the text as personal communications.

The “outdated sources” myth

The “outdated sources” myth

The “outdated sources” myth is that sources must have been published recently, such as the last 5 to 10 years. There is no timeliness requirement in APA Style.

From COVID-19 to demands for social justice: Citing contemporary sources for current events

From COVID-19 to demands for social justice: Citing contemporary sources for current events

The guidance in the seventh edition of the Publication Manual makes the process of citing contemporary sources found online easier than ever before.

Citing classical and religious works

Citing classical and religious works

A classical or religious work is cited as either a book or a webpage, depending on what version of the source you are using. This post includes details and examples.

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Academic Writer—APA’s essential teaching resource for higher education instructors

Academic Writer’s advanced authoring technology and digital learning tools allow students to take a hands-on approach to learning the scholarly research and writing process.

what meaning of paraphrasing

APA Style webinar on citing works in text

Attend the webinar, “Citing Works in Text Using Seventh Edition APA Style,” on July 14, 2020, to learn the keys to accurately and consistently citing sources in APA Style.

IMAGES

  1. Paraphrase: Definition and Useful Examples of Paraphrasing in English

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  2. How to Paraphrase like a Straight A Student

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  3. Paraphrase: Definition And Useful Examples Of Paraphrasing

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  4. PPT

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  5. Pin by The Reflective Educator on Summarizing and Paraphrasing

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  6. Phrases to Use for Paraphrasing

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COMMENTS

  1. What is Paraphrasing? An Overview With Examples

    Paraphrasing. Definition: Paraphrasing involves rephrasing someone else's ideas or information in your own words while retaining the original meaning. Usage: You use paraphrasing when you want to present the information in a way that suits your writing style or when you need to clarify complex ideas.

  2. Paraphrase Definition & Meaning

    paraphrase: [noun] a restatement of a text, passage, or work giving the meaning in another form.

  3. PARAPHRASE

    PARAPHRASE definition: 1. to repeat something written or spoken using different words, often in a humorous form or in a…. Learn more.

  4. Paraphrase: Definition and Examples

    A paraphrase (pronounced par - uh -freyz) is a restatement or rewording of a paragraph or text, in order to borrow, clarify, or expand on information without plagiarizing. Paraphrasing is an important tool to use when writing research papers, essays, and pieces of journalism. II. Examples of Paraphrasing. For examples of paraphrasing ...

  5. How to Paraphrase

    Paraphrasing means putting someone else's ideas into your own words. Paraphrasing a source involves changing the wording while preserving the original meaning. Paraphrasing is an alternative to quoting (copying someone's exact words and putting them in quotation marks ). In academic writing, it's usually better to integrate sources by ...

  6. PARAPHRASE Definition & Meaning

    Paraphrase definition: a restatement of a text or passage giving the meaning in another form, as for clearness; rewording.. See examples of PARAPHRASE used in a sentence.

  7. PARAPHRASE

    PARAPHRASE meaning: 1. to repeat something written or spoken using different words, often in a humorous form or in a…. Learn more.

  8. How to Paraphrase (Without Plagiarizing a Thing)

    What is paraphrasing, and why is it important to do correctly? Paraphrasing refers to restating another piece of writing in new words while retaining the original passage's meaning. Unlike summarizing, in paraphrasing you include roughly the same amount of detail as the original work but adjust the language to demonstrate comprehension or make the text more understandable.

  9. How to paraphrase (including examples)

    Paraphrasing definition and rules. Paraphrasing is simply a way of summarizing someone else's content in your own words. When you paraphrase, you keep the meaning or intent of the original work without copying it word for word. However, paraphrasing can quickly become a form of plagiarism if done incorrectly.

  10. QuillBot's Guide to Paraphrasing

    As a verb, "to paraphrase" means "to express the meaning of the writer or speaker (or something written or spoken) using different words, especially to achieve greater clarity.". As a noun, "paraphrase" is defined as "a rewording of something written or spoken by someone else.". Let's look at it this way: if you were talking ...

  11. Paraphrase

    Paraphrase. A paraphrase or rephrase ( / ˈpærəˌfreɪz /) is the rendering of the same text in different words without losing the meaning of the text itself. [1] More often than not, a paraphrased text can convey its meaning better than the original words. In other words, it is a copy of the text in meaning, but which is different from the ...

  12. Paraphrasing: What is Paraphrasing, Techniques and Examples

    Paraphrasing is the process of restructuring or tweaking a paragraph so that it represents the same meaning or idea from the original statement but with different sentence construction, choice of words, formats, or, possibly, tone or voice.

  13. What is Paraphrasing?

    Paraphrasing means 'to state something written or spoken in different words, especially in a shorter and simpler form to make the meaning clearer' (Cambridge Online Dictionary, 2022). Paraphrasing is 'a restating of someone else's thoughts or ideas in your own words.

  14. Paraphrase

    paraphrase: 1 v express the same message in different words Synonyms: rephrase , reword Types: translate express, as in simple and less technical language Type of: ingeminate , iterate , reiterate , repeat , restate , retell to say, state, or perform again n rewording for the purpose of clarification Synonyms: paraphrasis Types: translation ...

  15. Paraphrasing Tool

    Paraphrasing involves expressing someone else's ideas or thoughts in your own words while maintaining the original meaning. Paraphrasing tools can help you quickly reword text by replacing certain words with synonyms or restructuring sentences. They can also make your text more concise, clear, and suitable for a specific audience.

  16. Definition of Paraphrase

    1. Use paraphrase to present information or evidence whenever there is no special reason for using a direct quotation. . . . 2. Use paraphrase to give your readers an accurate and comprehensive account of ideas taken from a source--ideas that you intend to explain, interpret, or disagree with in your essay. . . .

  17. PARAPHRASING

    PARAPHRASING definition: 1. present participle of paraphrase 2. to repeat something written or spoken using different words…. Learn more.

  18. PARAPHRASE definition and meaning

    3 meanings: 1. an expression of a statement or text in other words, esp in order to clarify 2. the practice of making.... Click for more definitions.

  19. paraphrase verb

    paraphrase (something) to express what somebody has said or written using different words, especially in order to make it easier to understand Try to paraphrase the question before you answer it. Word Origin mid 16th cent.

  20. Paraphrasing Tool (Ad-Free and No Sign-up Required)

    Paraphrasing is putting a piece of text into new words without changing the overall meaning. It involves rephrasing sentences or paragraphs, using synonyms, and restructuring the text while still maintaining the core message. You can paraphrase using your own words or with AI writing tools.

  21. AI Paraphrasing Tool

    Advanced Paraphrasing Tool. Elevate your writing with our free and AI-powered paraphraser. Instantly correct or rephrase your sentences in different tones. Enter or paste your sentences here to rephrase them …. Please Rewrite My Sentence!

  22. Paraphrase Online

    Paraphrase Online is the best paraphrasing tool that helps students and writers to rephrase essays, assignments & articles. ... It is the process of rewording and rearranging sentence structure while keeping the original meaning of the context. Features of Paraphrase Online Paraphrase Online offers numerous features such as paraphrasing essays ...

  23. The Role of Paraphrasing Tools in Enhancing Writing Skills

    Paraphrasing is a writing or editing technique to express someone's thoughts, ideas, or information in your own words. Students as well as writing professionals often need to paraphrase ...

  24. Best Paraphrasing Tool

    The best paraphrasing tool for researchers often depends on specific needs, such as contextual understanding and accuracy in retaining the meaning of words. While many paraphrasing tools excel in rephrasing grammatically correct sentences, they often change scientific and technical terms to generic words, which is unsuitable in the academic ...

  25. PARAPHRASING definition

    PARAPHRASING meaning: 1. present participle of paraphrase 2. to repeat something written or spoken using different words…. Learn more.

  26. QuillBot: Online tool for paraphrasing and summarizing text

    QuillBot is an advanced writing and paraphrasing tool designed to enhance the quality and efficiency of writing for a broad range of users, including students, professionals, and researchers. At its core, QuillBot utilizes state-of-the-art AI technology to rephrase and refine text, ensuring that the output is both original and stylistically ...

  27. Paraphrase Tool

    Presenting Rephraser, the smart paraphrasing tool. Enhance writing with originality & clarity Reimagine the way you write with Rephraser - the state-of-the-art AI tool for rewriting and refining your text, ensuring originality every time. Key Features: - Unlimited Paraphrasing: Elevate your writing with endless ways to express your thoughts.

  28. The Twisted Logic Behind Trump's Attacks on Kamala Harris's ...

    "In the modern imagination," Professor Lewis Gordon wrote in 2023, paraphrasing philosopher Frantz Fanon, "reason takes flight whenever the Black enters the scene." Indeed, from the moment ...

  29. State Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson, Fancy Farm 2024

    This is not what we mean. When we say we want more pro choice laws. And to paraphrase Governor Beshear. Vouchers came from here and we don't need em. Legislators supporting this amendment.

  30. Basic Principles of Citation

    APA Style uses the author-date citation system, in which a brief in-text citation directs readers to a full reference list entry.The in-text citation appears within the body of the paper (or in a table, figure, footnote, or appendix) and briefly identifies the cited work by its author and date of publication.