Having the ability to paraphrase is a skill every writer needs to know. It can help you in times when you want to use relevant information without being accused of plagiarism. One is not allowed to copy content from another website or source, but you can cite it to avoid any issues. There are times however when you want to say it in your own words without losing meaning of the fact.
This is a great time to learn how paraphrasing text works. It is actually not as complicated as some people assume. Once you get a few practice rounds in it becomes even easier to do. There are some effective steps you can take that is going to make the process run smoother.
1. Understand the facts
Before you can learn how to rewrite some facts, you want to know the exact meaning of what you are trying to rewrite. Trying to paraphrase a paragraph of which you do not understand is almost impossible. Reread the text as many times as you can in order to know what the writer was trying to say. Having that concept in your head is going to be your guide through the paraphrasing process.
2. Write a draft
This is not going to be your final work, but you can start by writing down a draft. In fact, you might want to write down more than one draft. You can then compare the two to ensure that the meaning has not be jeopardized. Read your copy out load and make sure that you are simply paraphrasing and not writing about the same concept in an incorrect manner.
3. Quotation marks
There might be parts of the text that you have no choice but to leave the same. Here you are going to use quotation marks effectively. This proves that it was states by someone else and that this is not your direct writing. Quotation marks come in very handy when you have one sentence of the original text that you want to use. It might not be all of it, but just parts.
4. Reference
Even if you are rephrasing a paragraph, you still want to give credit to the source. Paraphrasing is simply rewording someone else’s ideas. These ideas are still the property of the original writer. It might not be picked up by Copyscape or any plagiarism software, but it is the right thing to do. Write the source down as soon as you get your information in order to avoid any problems going forward.
5. Online help
If you have been struggling with paraphrasing and it is just not a concept that you can get used to, use online help. There are so many tools you can use to make the process not only easier, but also accurate. The only problem is that these paraphrasing sites can be a bit robotic, so make sure you find something credible. If you can, hire the service of a good writer to personally do this for you.