Parafrasing

Paraphrasing is the process of restating text in one's own words while maintaining the original idea and meaning. It differs from quoting, which reproduces the exact wording, and from summarizing, which condenses the content. Paraphrasing is widely used in academic writing, journalism, and editing to integrate sources into new text, explain complex material, or clarify wording for a specific audience.

Effective paraphrasing involves understanding the source, identifying key ideas, and expressing them anew. Techniques include restating ideas from memory, substituting synonyms, changing sentence structure, and altering the order of information. After rewriting, it is common to compare with the original to confirm that the essential meaning remains intact and that no important nuance was lost or added.

Best practices include citing the original source when the information is not common knowledge and avoiding misrepresentation of the author’s intent. Plagiarism risks arise from close copying or failing to attribute ideas. Paraphrases should reflect the writer’s own voice while accurately conveying the source’s content. In some fields, there are formal guidelines about how to paraphrase and cite.

Original: "Climate change is causing more extreme weather events." Paraphrase: "Climate change is contributing to an increase in the frequency and intensity of severe weather."