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LEO:
Literacy Education Online
Using
Paraphrases
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A paraphrase is an indirect quotation. It must be documented
because it relates in your own words and style the thoughts you have borrowed
from another person. Paraphrases are more flexible than quotations. They fit
more smoothly into your text, and you can express your own interpretations as
you paraphrase.
Paraphrasing is used for the following reasons:
- to restate a difficult passage the reader may not understand,
- to explain or interpret concepts or unfamiliar terms,
- or to make abstract facts and ideas concrete.
There are two ways to paraphrase.
Literal
Substitute the original words of each sentence with synonyms.
You can use the process as a first step in drafting paraphrases. There are two
objections to this form of paraphrasing: since you paraphrase sentence by
sentence, your overall structure may be awkward; and you also run a greater
risk of plagiarism.
Therefore, you should use free paraphrasing for all of your
final drafts.
Free
Use synonyms and rearrange the sentence structure. You can
borrow the main ideas without necessarily keeping the same organization. This
form of paraphrasing sounds more natural and is recommended.
Example:
The Original Quotation
"Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought
forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the
proposition that all men are created equal . . . ."
A Literal Paraphrase
Eighty-seven years before, our ancestors founded in North
America a new country, thought of in freedom and based on the principle that
all people are born with the same rights.
A Free Paraphrase
Our ancestors thought of freedom when they founded a new
country in North America eighty-seven years ago. They based their thinking on
the principle that all people are born with the same rights.
Final Hints
Break long sentences into shorter ones, and combine short
sentences for variety.
Move the position of phrases for clearer sentences.
Use a thesaurus for synonyms, but be careful of subtle changes
in the meaning of words. For example, to express does not necessarily
have the same meaning as to vent.
Make sure your paraphrase considers the complete meaning of
the original quotation.
Be sure to cite original ideas that are not your own.
©
1995-2004 The Write Place
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This page was written by Kelly A. Larson for
the Write Place, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota, and may be
copied for educational purposes only. If you copy this document, please include
our copyright notice and the name of the writer; if you revise it, please add
your name to the list of writers.
Last update: 5 March 2004
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