How to Paraphrase a Source:
If you're not sure, always ask for help.
- When reading a passage, try first to understand it as a whole, rather than pausing to write down specific ideas or phrases.
- Be selective. Unless your assignment is to do a formal or "literal" paraphrase, you usually don?t need to paraphrase an entire passage; instead, choose and summarize the material that helps you make a point in your paper.
- Think of what "your own words" would be if you were telling someone who's unfamiliar with your subject (your mother, your brother, a friend) what the original source said.
- Remember that you can use direct quotations of phrases from the original within your paraphrase, and that you don't need to change or put quotation marks around shared language.
Methods of Paraphrasing
- Look away from the source then write.
Read the text you want to paraphrase several times until you
feel that you understand it and can use your own words to restate it to
someone else. Then, look away from the original and rewrite the text in
your own words.
- Take notes.
Take abbreviated notes; set the notes aside; then paraphrase from the notes a day or so later, or when you draft.
Original Version
|
Paraphrased Version
|
Reference:
"Avoiding Plagiarism: Quoting and Paraphrasing." UW Madison Writing Center. Web. 16 Jan. 2012.
"Avoiding Plagiarism: Quoting and Paraphrasing." UW Madison Writing Center. Web. 16 Jan. 2012.