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Writer's pictureDr Rizwana Mustafa

Paraphrasing in 6 Steps: Step-by-Step Guide to Avoid Plagiarism

Updated: Dec 21, 2023

Plagiarism is something that we all want to avoid, whether we’re writing an essay or creating our own product, but sometimes it happens. We can not avoid plagiarism without knowing the details of paraphrasing. So before digging into the details what are the major reasons for plagiarism and how to avoid them, let's look at What is Plagiarism.


What is a paraphrase?


Paraphrasing is the process of changing the words of a source text without losing the meaning of the original text.


OR


Paraphrasing is all about making your content original. When you are dealing with content writing either academic writing or blog writing, to make your content unique and plagiarism free you have to adopt some specific tools and techniques.


What is Paraphrasing?


It's a process of rewording a specific piece of information without changing the original context by adding or removing any piece of knowledge; making it plagiarism free. This is done so that you can use the paraphrased text in different contexts and avoid plagiarism.


What is the purpose of paraphrasing?


The best way to get an edge in your writing is to paraphrase what someone else has already written. You can either copy and paste the exact text, or you can make your unique version.


This is a great way to learn new vocabulary and improve your writing skills and learn to write better paragraphs. Paraphrasing also allows you to gain a deeper understanding of your subject and the way it is expressed In this article we will show you step by step how to paraphrase an article without plagiarizing it.


It's a key factor for good research writing, blog writing and any type of content we are writing by taking some reference from the literature.

Look at the details of the six simple methods of paraphrasing




Causes for plagiarizing


A good place to start would be to understand why people plagiarize in the first place. The word plagiarize itself comes from a Latin verb that means to kidnap, implying that plagiarists essentially steal ideas for their own use.


In today’s academic community, students are usually reprimanded (and sometimes penalized) for plagiarizing their work, so why do students continue to do it? There are many reasons, but here are just a few:


  • Laziness: Some students simply don’t feel like doing all of their research or writing out every last sentence themselves.

  • Lack of interest: Many times students just aren’t interested in what they have to write about.

  • Poor time management skills: Some students get behind on their assignments and just don’t have enough time to complete them properly.

  • Pressure from others: Peer pressure can often lead students to do things they wouldn’t normally do if left alone.

  • Procrastination: This one is pretty self-explanatory; some students put off working on an assignment until it’s too late and then try to find someone else’s work online that fits with what they need.

  • Fear of failure: Students who fear failure might turn to cheating as a way to avoid it.

  • Misconceptions about what constitutes plagiarism: Most students think that only copying another person’s exact words constitutes plagiarism when really any form of copying without citing your source material is considered cheating. So how do you avoid committing plagiarism?


Paraphrasing in 6 Steps: Step-by-Step Guide to Avoid Plagiarism

Look at the details of the six simple methods of paraphrasing


1. Know the Difference Between Paraphrasing and Plagiarism


Paraphrasing and plagiarism are both forms of plagiarism. However, they are not the same.

Paraphrasing is the act of changing the original wording of a text without copying it verbatim. This is the most common form of plagiarism, and it is easy to get away with.

Plagiarism, on the other hand, is copying and pasting someone else’s work without giving credit. This is more serious than paraphrasing because it is illegal to copy and paste someone else’s work without giving credit.


If you plagiarize, you are stealing someone else’s work.


2. Find the Right Source for Your Paraphrase


It is important to find the right source when doing paraphrasing. When you are looking for a source to paraphrase from, you should make sure that the sources you are using are reputable.


Make sure that the source you are looking into isn't too expensive. Some sources are very cheap, but they might be a scam or they might have plagiarized their material. You should also make sure that the sources you are using are safe and legal.


It is better to look for a safe source rather than look for an unsafe source. The internet is a good source for paraphrasing. There are many free paraphrasing sites that you can use. But it is also a good idea to look for a more trusted site such as www.paperwritinghelp.com.


3. Develop Your Style of Paraphrasing


When you are paraphrasing someone, make sure that you paraphrase their ideas or content in your own words. This will give you more control over what you are saying than if you just copy their entire work.


This is one of the best ways to avoid plagiarism in the writing process. By paraphrasing your sources, you'll be able to write your original and unique content.


In addition, you can use your paraphrasing to come up with your ideas. You should always use your ideas in your work. You should do this by putting your thoughts and ideas into the text of your work. Once you've done that, you'll be able to create unique and original content that stands out.


There are two ways that you can do this. You can read the source material first and write down a list of the major points that you would like to talk about. Or, you can write the questions that you want to answer.


 When you have the questions, you can then take those questions and write the answers. This way, you can create your unique style. This is one of the secrets to paraphrasing. Make sure that you use your ideas and write your sentences.


 You can also include facts, quotes, or anything that you have studied for your work.

If you want to get plagiarism-free content, make sure that you make notes. Use the notes that you make to create a paraphrase of the original material. You can then use this paraphrase as a guide for your work.


4. Paraphrasing vs. Quoting — Explanation


Paraphrasing is a good way to summarize or summarize an entire article, or even a whole book, into a couple of sentences. It’s great for SEO because it will make your content easier to read and understand.

On the other hand, quoting is a good way to bring in a specific passage from a longer text, and is often used for educational purposes.


You should cite a quote in your research work.

  • to demonstrate that an authority agrees with you

  • to give a critique or comment on a position or argument

  • to contain wording that is particularly moving or historically significant

  • to convey a well-stated piece whose meaning would be lost or altered if paraphrased or summarised

You should summarize or paraphrase when

  • The idea represented, not the precise language used to express it, is what you want from the source.

  • You can express the main point of a source in fewer words.

5. Question marks and exclamation points


You should place an exclamation point or a question mark after the parenthetical reference for a paraphrase. In a parenthetical reference, you use an appropriate punctuation mark after the closing parenthesis that follows the year of publication.

You can use either a question mark or an exclamation point, but not a period.

The punctuation mark not only alerts the reader that the parenthetical reference is a paraphrase but also helps the reader decide how much weight to give the paraphrase. 

Accordingly, if you use an exclamation point, the reader should assume that the information is the most important and the most reliable.

 If you use a question mark, the reader should assume that the information is less important and less reliable.


6. Develop a Paraphrase in the Same Tone as the Original


To paraphrase effectively, you must first develop a sense of what the original writer meant. Once you have done that, you must write a paraphrase in the same tone as the original.

To develop this ability, you need to read the original text at least three times. You must read it with a critical eye, trying to discover what the author was trying to say.

Furthermore, you must read the text slowly and try to identify the author's tone. The tone is the most important element of a paraphrase.


You must use the same tone as the original writer. If you do not, you will not be able to convey the original author's meaning. This is a crucial skill in the paraphrasing process.

Doing otherwise may make your paraphrase look like a translation, which is a form of plagiarism.


A paraphrase is a rewording of a source text, which means that the words are changed but the message stays the same. This differs from a summary, which generally covers the main points of a text but does not use the same wording as the original author. If you change the tone of the paragraph you're paraphrasing, you run the risk of making it look like a translation.

Paraphrasing in 6 Steps: Step-by-Step Guide to Avoid Plagiarism

How to paraphrase, with examples


Use Synonyms:  Use different words to describe the same thing. If you are writing about a person, try using words like "spokesperson," "frontman," and "assistant" to describe that person.


Use the active voice. For example, "John Smith is a person who works in the mailroom." Instead, "John Smith is a mailroom worker."


Write short sentences. Try to use no more than five sentences per paragraph.


Use a conversational tone. Write as if you were speaking to a friend.

Write as if you are telling a story. If you have a good idea, use it to start the first sentence of the paragraph.


Example 1:


Original Sentence

Ionic liquids have emerged as an environmentally friendly alternative to volatile organic solvents. 


Paraphrase sentence:

Volatile organic solvents considered hazardous chemicals can be replaced with green solvents also known as environment-friendly solvents or Ionic Liquids.


Example 2:


Original Sentence. 

If you choose to follow some of the instructions, but neglect or refuse to follow others, you will fail. 


  • Step 1: Find the synonyms of keywords

Choose →Pick

Instructions → Directions

Neglect →Ignore

Follow→Obey

Fail→ can’t achieve the goals


  • Step 2: Replace these synonyms in the original sentence

If you pick to obey some of the directions but ignore to obey others, you can’t achieve the goals. 


  • Step 3: Change the structure of the sentence

To achieve your goals in your life, you cant pick to obey some of the instructions while ignoring others. 


Example 3:


In another way of paraphrasing, you can adopt this methodology also, in which you are converting the clauses into sentences and sentences into clauses. The change of words, nouns, adjectives and structure is the compulsory part of paraphrasing.


Indeed, the combination of multiple advantages of using ILs as the catalyst or the solvent or both has opened up promising possibilities for developing greener catalytic technologies. On the other hand, although a number of catalytic reaction processes in which ILs are used have been established in the industry, there were also some unexpected problems, such as unintelligible aberrance or degradation of so-called task-specific ILs occurring in developing reaction processes and on the pilot plant scale. So, much work should be done before a variety of catalytic processes could be effectively established in the industry, and several urgent questions regarding the fundamental aspects of ILs need to be clarified or answered (Ziyauddin S. 2013). 


Rephrased Paragraph:


Green solvents have tremendous use in the development of safer pathways in catalysis and have been used on the industrial scale as a solvent. Despite the tremendous benefits of ILs some disadvantages are also linked with them in the form of unusual behaviours or breakdown of the ILs during reactions. So before further trials of the use of  ILs in catalysis on an industrial scale, all the aspects of the ILs as catalysis should be explored so that complications may be avoided. (Ziyauddin S. 2013)


Action plan for avoiding plagiarizing


  1. Know that plagiarizing is not just using words from someone else’s work; it’s much more than that. In fact, copyright infringement occurs whenever someone tries to pass off another person’s work as his or her own, regardless of whether any words are used. Be careful with cut-and-paste assignments if you don’t want to risk being accused of plagiarizing: When in doubt, ask your teacher for permission.

  2.  Be aware of when you might be tempted to cheat. Although it may seem like a good idea at first, remember that cheating can have serious consequences—not only will you get an F on your assignment (if caught), but you could also face suspension or expulsion from school.

  3. Make sure what you write is yours! If there’s even a slight chance that someone else has written something similar before, do some research before writing it yourself.

  4.  Don’t forget about paraphrasing. This is when you take someone else’s ideas and restate them in your own words without directly quoting them.

  5. Don’t take shortcuts when referencing sources. Use parenthetical citations, footnotes, or endnotes instead of directly quoting sources word for word so that readers know where you found information and can verify its accuracy themselves by looking up those sources themselves.

  6. Double-check all sources. Even though you’ve done your best to cite all sources accurately, make sure you actually did it right by double-checking all citations against their original source material.

  7. Get help if you need it! Whether it’s an English class or a history course, most teachers are willing to help students avoid plagiarism and improve their writing skills overall. Just make sure they understand that copying from other people is not what they mean by helping students improve their writing skills.

  8.  Remember that technology isn’t always your friend. Tools like Google Docs and Microsoft Word allow users to save documents online and access them from anywhere, which sounds great in theory…until you realize that someone else can access these documents too. To protect yourself from accusations of plagiarism, use offline tools such as pen and paper or typewriters instead of computers.

  9. Respect copyrights. Copyrights exist for a reason: They give creators exclusive rights over their creations, including anything from books to music to movies. By respecting copyrights, you ensure that artists and authors continue creating new works for everyone to enjoy.

  10.  Stay vigilant! Most cases of plagiarism go unnoticed because no one takes the time to read through every single essay or report carefully enough to notice similarities between two different works.


If you want to know the details of research writings and how to do them professionally must visit the Research methodology playlist or for paid course with top professionals of the world visit Scientific Pakistan.

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