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An important skill to master in writing exercises is how to paraphrase. In that, even though the ideas are not your own; your material won’t be considered plagiarized. Plagiarism is where you take the opinions of another person and use them as your own.
Here, you don’t give credit to the source of information. If you are still honing your rephrasing skills; here’s what you need to know about effective paraphrasing:
How to Rewrite Text
1. Read and understand the source material first
Paraphrasing involves using the same ideas as the source, but writing it in your own words. That means you need to first read through the original text. Note down the main ideas, then can you accurately paraphrase the material.
Reading allows you to understand the arguments of the author. As you don’t want the rewritten text to change the meaning of what you want to convey. Get to understand the arguments, and you’ll be able to write your key points, in a different manner than what is in the source material.
2. Take Note of Important Points
When you need to rewrite a sentence, it’s unlikely that you want to use all the points in the source text. Therefore, you need to jot down the main points of the source, as you do your research.
It’s what you will use to jog your memory as you start working on the draft article.
3. Hide the Passage
It means that you shouldn’t look at the source material as you paraphrase. Chances are, you may write it word for word as in the original. Cover the text if you have to.
Also, you could try and get some time away from reading the text before you write down the supporting ideas.
Proven Rephrasing Strategies
4. Use Your Own Words
A rephrasing generator works by replacing words in the original text with their synonyms. This method may not be sufficient by itself, as sometimes the output is gibberish. In that, it lacks flow and meaning.
Instead of relying on such a tool alone, try to write the arguments in your own words. See it as explaining the concepts to another person without having access to the source.
5. Change the Structure
Remember, the purpose of the original material is to get the ideas for your paper. You don’t need to follow the structure of the author, to the later. You can do this by changing the sequence of the paragraphs.
If it’s a sentence-wise paraphrasing; then start from different points, other than what is in the original text.
6. Add your Ideas
Paraphrasing is different from summarizing. In the later, you only need to rewrite the main points in the original version. On the other hand, paraphrasing involves using the same ideas as the author but writing it in your own words.
In that, you don’t copy the arguments, word for word. Instead, you incorporate them into your work. Where the meaning is vague, feel free add or take away from it, to make the message clear.
Other Paraphrasing Techniques
7. Quotations
Though you have to limit their usage in your article. When you don’t want to change the words in the author’s text, then, you can use quotes. It also applies to the precise phrases or terms that you use from the source.
8. Include Citation
Whether you write in your own words or put the text in quotes; you have to cite your source. Remember to follow the proper style for citation, depending on the type and style of the paper.
Final Touches on the Paraphrased Text
Compare the two texts against each other and check for parts where they are similar. If there’s any; you need to rewrite your version of the content. Ensure that the synonyms you use don’t change the meaning you intend to convey.
Therefore, you need to find a word that effectively conveys the same message as the original text. Proofread the paraphrased copy. Check to see if the content flows naturally and logically.
Make the necessary adjustments where you need to. Overall, your paraphrased text should hold the same meaning as the original.