How to Paraphrase in 5 Easy Steps | Scribbr 🎓

In this informative video by Jessica from Scribbr, the art of paraphrasing is broken down into five straightforward steps: understanding the passage, noting key concepts, rewriting without the original, comparing and revising for similarity, and citing the source. Tips include starting sentences differently, using synonyms, altering sentence structure, and breaking or combining sentences. The video emphasizes the importance of paraphrasing over quoting, which should be reserved for definitions, author positions, or argument support. The summary encourages viewers to digest and integrate information into their writing for a more fluent and personal voice.

Takeaways

• 📚 **Understand Paraphrasing**: Paraphrasing is rewriting a passage in your own words while preserving the original meaning without removing any information.
• 🔍 **Step 1: Read Thoroughly**: Read the passage several times to fully grasp its meaning.
• 📝 **Step 2: Note Key Concepts**: Identify and write down the main ideas from the original text.
• 🚫 **Step 3: Write Without Referencing**: Compose your version of the text without looking at the original to ensure originality.
• 🔄 **Step 4: Compare and Revise**: Compare your paraphrased text with the original and make changes if necessary to avoid similarity.
• 📜 **Step 5: Cite the Source**: Always give credit to the original source, using a citation generator if needed.
• 💡 **Tip 1: Start Differently**: Begin your sentence at a different point than the original to create distinction.
• 🔑 **Tip 2: Use Synonyms**: Employ synonyms to replace words from the original text, using a thesaurus if needed.
• ✅ **Tip 3: Alter Sentence Structure**: Change from active to passive voice or vice versa to differentiate your text.
• 🧩 **Tip 4: Break or Combine Sentences**: Split long sentences into shorter ones or merge shorter sentences to create longer ones for variety.
• 🚫 **Avoid Quoting**: Paraphrasing is different from quoting, which involves copying a source verbatim.
• 💬 **Voice and Flow**: Paraphrasing allows your voice to come through clearly and improves the flow of your paper.
• ✍️ **Use Quotes Sparingly**: Quotes are best used for definitions, presenting an author's position, or supporting arguments, not as a substitute for thorough research.

Q & A

What is the definition of paraphrasing according to the video?

Paraphrasing is the rewriting of a specific passage from someone else in your own words, without changing the original meaning and without removing any information.

How many steps does Jessica from Scribbr suggest to paraphrase effectively?

Jessica suggests five steps to paraphrase effectively: 1) Read the passage several times, 2) Note down the key concepts, 3) Write your version without looking at the original, 4) Compare and make changes if needed, and 5) Cite the source.

What is the purpose of citing the source of the text when paraphrasing?

Citing the source acknowledges the original author's work and gives credit for the ideas used, which is important for academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism.

Why is it recommended to start the first sentence of your paraphrase at a different point from the original source?

Starting the first sentence differently helps to create a unique structure and voice, reducing the chances of the paraphrase being too similar to the original text.

How can using a thesaurus help in paraphrasing?

A thesaurus provides synonyms, which can be used to replace words in the original text with different terms while maintaining the same meaning, thus aiding in creating a distinct version.

What is one way to change the sentence structure when paraphrasing?

One way to change the sentence structure is by switching from active to passive voice or vice versa, which can help make the paraphrased text distinct from the original.

Why is it advised to break long sentences into smaller ones or combine short sentences during paraphrasing?

Altering the sentence length helps to further differentiate the paraphrased text from the original, making it more your own and less likely to be considered plagiarism.

What is the main difference between paraphrasing and quoting?

Paraphrasing involves rewriting the information in your own words, while quoting involves copying the source word for word. Paraphrasing is preferred when you have thoroughly understood and digested the information.

When should you use quotes in your writing?

You should use quotes when providing a definition, presenting an author's position, or when you want to support your argument with the exact words from the source.

How does paraphrasing most of the information you found benefit your writing?

Paraphrasing helps to improve the flow of your paper and ensures that your voice remains dominant, demonstrating that you have understood and can convey the information in your own words.

What is the Scribbr citation generator and how can it help with paraphrasing?

The Scribbr citation generator is a tool that helps to easily create citations for the sources you paraphrase or quote, ensuring proper attribution and avoiding plagiarism.

What does the video suggest doing if you need more time to read through the examples?

The video suggests pausing the video and taking your time to read through the examples if you need more time to understand them.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Mastering Paraphrasing: An Introduction

Jessica from Scribbr introduces the topic of paraphrasing, explaining that it involves rewriting a passage in one's own words without altering the original meaning or omitting information. She outlines a five-step process for effective paraphrasing and offers tips to improve the skill. The steps include reading the passage for comprehension, noting key concepts, writing without looking at the original, comparing and revising for similarity, and citing the source. Jessica also emphasizes the importance of understanding paraphrasing to achieve academic goals and provides a helpful resource, the Scribbr citation generator.

Keywords

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is the act of rewriting a passage from another source in one's own words while maintaining the original meaning without altering the information. It is a crucial skill in academic writing to demonstrate understanding and avoid plagiarism. In the video, Jessica explains the five steps to paraphrasing, emphasizing the importance of capturing the essence of the original text without directly copying it.

Academic Goals

Academic goals refer to the objectives or targets that students aim to achieve in their educational pursuits. The video from Scribbr is designed to assist viewers in reaching these goals by teaching effective paraphrasing techniques. It suggests that mastering paraphrasing can contribute to better academic performance and writing skills.

Key Concepts

Key concepts are the fundamental ideas or themes that are central to understanding a piece of text or a lecture. In the context of the video, Jessica advises viewers to note down these concepts as part of the paraphrasing process. Identifying key concepts helps ensure that the paraphrased text retains the essential information from the original source.

Synonyms

Synonyms are words that have the same or nearly the same meaning as another word. In paraphrasing, using synonyms is a strategy to express the same idea with different words, which helps in creating a unique version of the text. The video script mentions using a thesaurus to find synonyms when struggling to think of them.

Sentence Structure

Sentence structure refers to the arrangement of words, phrases, and clauses to form a grammatically correct sentence. Changing the sentence structure is one of the tips provided in the video to make paraphrasing easier. For instance, if the original text uses an active voice, the paraphrased version could use a passive voice to express the same idea differently.

Quoting

Quoting is the act of repeating a passage word for word from a source, which is different from paraphrasing. Quoting is typically used when presenting an author's exact words, a specific definition, or when supporting an argument with direct evidence from a source. The video emphasizes that while quoting has its place, paraphrasing is generally preferred for integrating research into one's writing.

Citation

Citation is the act of acknowledging the source of information used in one's work. It is an essential part of academic writing to avoid plagiarism and to give credit to the original authors. In the video, Jessica mentions citing the source of the text after paraphrasing, and she suggests using the Scribbr citation generator to make this process easier.

Active Voice

Active voice is a grammatical structure where the subject of the sentence performs the action. It is one of the sentence structures that can be altered during paraphrasing. The video script provides an example where the original text in active voice is changed to passive voice to create a paraphrased version.

Passive Voice

Passive voice is a grammatical structure where the subject of the sentence receives the action. It is used as a technique in paraphrasing to rephrase active voice sentences and create a different structure. In the video, Jessica illustrates how changing from active to passive voice can help in paraphrasing a sentence effectively.

Thesaurus

A thesaurus is a reference tool that provides a list of synonyms for words. It is mentioned in the video as a helpful resource when looking for synonyms to paraphrase effectively. Using a thesaurus can enhance the vocabulary used in the paraphrased text and contribute to its uniqueness.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of using someone else's work without proper attribution and presenting it as one's own, which is considered unethical and is strictly avoided in academic writing. The video emphasizes the importance of paraphrasing as a method to ensure originality and to avoid plagiarism.

Highlights

Jessica from Scribbr explains how to paraphrase in five easy steps.

A paraphrase is a rewriting of someone else's passage in your own words without changing the original meaning.

Step 1: Read the passage several times to understand the meaning fully.

Step 2: Note down the key concepts from the passage.

Step 3: Write your version of the text without looking at the original.

Step 4: Compare your paraphrase with the original and make changes if phrases are too similar.

Step 5: Cite the source of the text using tools like the Scribbr citation generator.

You don't need quotation marks to paraphrase.

Tip 1: Start your first sentence at a different point from the original source.

Tip 2: Use synonyms and consider using a thesaurus if needed.

Tip 3: Change the sentence structure, alternating between active and passive voice.

Tip 4: Break long sentences into smaller ones or combine short sentences for variety.

An example demonstrates the application of the four tips for effective paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing is different from quoting, which involves copying a source word by word.

Quoting is best used for definitions, presenting an author's position, or supporting arguments.

Thorough research should lead to more paraphrasing than quoting, showing a deeper understanding of the text.

Paraphrasing improves the flow of your paper and maintains your voice throughout.

For more on quoting, check out the related video by Scribbr.

The video encourages viewers to like and comment with questions for further interaction.