In short
- Read the passage until you could explain it to a friend.
- Look away from the source, then write the idea your own way.
- Compare with the original: change both the words and the sentence shape.
- Cite it, and add what it means for your argument.
Paraphrasing is the skill markers notice most and students practise least. Done well, it shows you understood the reading and lets your own voice carry the essay. Done badly, it reads like the source with a thesaurus, and can be flagged as plagiarism.
This lesson is part of step 6, sources for each chapter.
How to paraphrase
Understand it first
Read the passage, then the sentences around it. If you can’t explain it out loud without looking, you’re not ready to paraphrase it.
Note the idea, not the words
Jot down two or three key points in shorthand, in your own words. Close the source or scroll away.
Write from your notes
Write the sentence from your shorthand, not from the original. Start from a different point than the source does, so the shape changes too.
Compare and check
Put yours next to the original. Is the meaning the same? Are any phrases of three or more words copied? Keep technical terms (you can’t rename “photosynthesis”), but change the rest.
Cite and connect
Add the citation, then a sentence on what the point means for your argument. That second sentence is where the marks are.
A worked example
The original (made up for this lesson): “Students who planned their assignments in small, dated steps were significantly less likely to submit late than those who planned only the final deadline.” (Okafor, 2022, p. 37)
| Version | Text | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Too close | Students who planned assignments in small dated stages were much less likely to hand in late than those who only planned the final deadline (Okafor, 2022). | Same structure, a few words swapped. This is patchwriting. |
| Good | Breaking an assignment into stages with their own dates appears to protect against late submission: Okafor (2022) found that students who did so handed in on time more often than those who worked only to the final deadline. | New structure and wording, same meaning, cited. |
The good version also leads with the idea, not the author, which makes it easier to follow it with your own point.
Summary, paraphrase or quote?
- Summary: the main idea of a whole source or section, in a sentence or two. Use it for background.
- Paraphrase: one specific point, in about as many words as the original. Use it for most of your evidence.
- Quote: the exact words, in quotation marks, with the page. Use it only when the wording itself matters. See quoting and page numbers.
Common mistakes
- Paraphrasing with the source open beside you. Your sentence drifts back to its words.
- Leaving out the citation because “it’s in my own words”. The idea still needs crediting.
- Changing the meaning, for example turning “may” into “does”. Keep the source’s level of certainty.
- Paraphrasing a whole page into a summary of the source. Pick the point you need.
Paraphrase with confidence in Peel and KanBananza
- Did I paraphrase that, or copy it? Peel’s paraphrase coach checks your sentence against the source and gives hints, never new wording, so the words stay yours. Peel Pip
- Your notes and the source’s words get mixed up. Notes and quotes on each source keep your own notes apart from quoted words. Free
For your level
GCSE and A level
Practise on a textbook paragraph: close the book, write it in two sentences, then check. It’s quick and it builds the habit.
University
Paraphrase is the default in most subjects. Combining two sources in one sentence (“Both Okafor and Lee found…”) shows the most skill.
Dissertations
In a literature review, group sources by idea and paraphrase what they share and where they disagree, rather than one paragraph per source.
Questions
Do I still need to cite a paraphrase?
Yes. The idea belongs to the source even when the words are yours. Cite it the same way as a quote; a page number is optional in most styles but helps your reader.
How different does a paraphrase need to be?
Different in both wording and sentence structure. If you could lay your sentence over the original and most of the words and their order still match, it’s too close.
Is swapping words for synonyms paraphrasing?
No. Swapping words while keeping the original structure is sometimes called patchwriting, and plagiarism checks and markers often treat it as copying.
Can I use a paraphrasing tool or AI?
Check your school’s or university’s rules first. Many treat tool-written paraphrases as not your own work. Writing it yourself is also how you show you understood the source.
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