How to Paraphrase a Text (Examples + 10 Strategies!)

• Sep 25, 2024
• 7 min read

• Tags: Language, Writing Tips

Paraphrasing is more than just replacing words with synonyms. It involves rewriting the text without copy-pasting from the original source. In this article, discover what paraphrasing involves and 10  simple strategies to paraphrase your text. 

We’ve also listed advanced paraphrasing tools and given useful examples to help you. Whether you want to paraphrase definitions, surveys, or any other text, this article will help! So without prolonging, let’s quickly see the meaning of paraphrasing. 

What is paraphrasing? 

Paraphrasing is rephrasing a text in your own words while preserving its original meaning. It often involves changing entire sentence structures to rewrite the text. To paraphrase a text, it’s essential to identify key ideas and understand the text’s meaning. 

Now let’s see 2 short paraphrasing examples to understand better! 

Example 1: 

Original sentence: The cat sat on the mat, basking in the warm sunlight. 

Paraphrased sentence: Bathed in the inviting warmth of the sun’s rays, the cat rested on the mat. 

Example 2: 

Original sentence: The city’s skyline was a breathtaking sight, with towering skyscrapers reaching towards the heavens. 

Paraphrased sentence: Soaring majestically into the sky, the tall skyscrapers formed a stunning view that took one’s breath away

While these examples show how to paraphrase without plagiarizing, there are more advantages. Let’s quickly see 3 other benefits of paraphrasing in the next section! (If you don’t want to read this section, you can directly skip it and move to the next heading.)

Why paraphrasing is important?  

Following are the top 3 reasons you must paraphrase the original content: 

1. You can break down complex ideas and present them in a better manner.

2. You can provide an overview of a text’s main ideas without mentioning unnecessary details. 

3. By using your own writing style, you can display your vocabulary, sentence structure, and overall writing prowess. 

Now let’s understand when to use paraphrasing. 

When to use paraphrasing? 

Following are the scenarios when to use paraphrasing: 

• • • To compare and contrast different sources.
    • To add information from a source without changing your writing style.
    • To briefly mention the main points of an article or book chapter.
    • To provide background information on a topic using various sources.
    • To avoid copying exact words and give credit to the original source. 
    • To explain a technical term or jargon in simpler language.

Now let us understand how to paraphrase a text. 

How to paraphrase a text (10 strategies!) 

1. Change the word order or sentence structure 

Following are the ways to do this: 

a. Move the phrases starting with prepositions to a different position in the sentence. For example, 

Original sentence: The artist painted the mural on the wall. (On-preposition) 

Paraphrased sentence: On the wall, the artist painted the mural. 

Now let’s see how to paraphrase a paragraph/sentence by splitting it. 

b. You can split long sentences when the sentence expresses more than one idea. Identify phrases separated by punctuation marks like commas, colons, etc to split sentences. Here is an example: 

Original sentence: The conference, which was attended by experts from various fields, provided a platform for discussing emerging technologies. 

Paraphrased sentence: Experts from various fields attended the conference. It provided a platform for discussing emerging technologies. 

c. Employ transitional words or phrases (e.g., “furthermore,” “moreover,” “however”) to connect sentences logically.

Original sentence: Renewable energy sources are becoming more popular due to their lower environmental impact, and many governments are investing heavily in solar and wind power. 

Paraphrased sentence: Renewable energy sources are becoming more popular due to their lower environmental impact. Furthermore, many governments are investing heavily in solar and wind power.

2. Use similar phrases or words 

You can apply the following strategies to paraphrase meanings and other primary and secondary sources: 

a. Use a thesaurus or online dictionaries to find synonyms for words. Merriam-Webster, Oxford English Dictionary, and Cambridge Dictionary are available online. 

b. Replace phrasal verbs (having two or more verbs) with single-word verbs or vice versa. For example, “give up” can be replaced by “surrender”. 

c. Substitute idioms with simpler language. For example, 

Original sentence: After the project failed, John decided it was time to throw in the towel.

Paraphrased sentence: After the project failed, John decided it was time to cease his efforts. 

3. Use AI paraphrasing tools 

You can use AI paraphrasing tools like QuillBot, Paraphrase.io, WordAI, SpinBot, and Jasper to rephrase your text. These tools can help to change sentence structures, shorten, expand, or creatively paraphrase your content. 

You can also paraphrase content in various dialects like British English, and Canadian English and multiple languages other than English using these tools. 

4. Shorten the text to paraphrase 

Following are some ways to do this: 

• • • • Identify and remove redundant or repetitive information to paraphrase paragraphs or single sentences. For example: 

Original text: The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 AM in the morning. During the meeting, we will discuss the upcoming project plans and strategies. 

Paraphrased text: The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 AM. We will discuss the upcoming project plans and strategies. 

The following tip explains how to paraphrase a sentence by altering its form. 

5. Change the sentence’s form 

This involves changing a question into a statement, or a statement into a question. This strategy can be used in creative writing to paraphrase the content. For example: 

Original sentence: There was a doubt about whether the meeting would start at 10 am sharp. 

Paraphrased sentence: Will the meeting begin at 10 am sharp? 

Now let’s see how to rephrase a paragraph by expanding the content! 

6. Expand the text to paraphrase 

You can use this strategy to paraphrase examples, important contributions by researchers, etc. Some ways to do this are: 

a. Join two or more simple sentences that are related to each other using conjunctions like “and,” “but,” “or,” or “so”. For example, 

Original sentence: “The sun was setting. The sky turned a beautiful shade of orange.”

Paraphrased sentence: The sun was setting, and the sky turned a beautiful shade of orange

b. Add relevant examples or anecdotes to illustrate key points and make the content more relatable. For example, 

Original sentence: Practicing mindfulness can help improve concentration and reduce stress. 

Paraphrased sentence with an example: Incorporating meditation practices can enhance focus and decrease stress. For example, Sarah started meditating for just ten minutes each morning. After a few weeks, she noticed that she could focus better at work and felt less anxious. 

c. Provide brief definitions or explanations for technical terms or complex concepts. For example: 

Algorithm: A step-by-step procedure or formula for solving a problem or performing a task.

7. Add your own interpretation 

a. Identify the underlying themes, implications, or significance of the topic and mention it. For example, suppose the original content is about a tool that helps in time management. In that case, you can mention the importance of time management and your interpretation of how the tool can be effectively used. 

b. Relate the content to current events, personal experiences, or other relevant concepts to make it more meaningful and engaging

Now let’s see how to rephrase a sentence by using active voice! 

8. Use active voice whenever possible 

It’s essential to identify all instances of active and passive voice in the text. While passive voice involves the object being mentioned first in the sentence, active involves speaking of the subject first. 

a. Emphasize the subject performing the action rather than the object receiving it.

Original sentence in passive voice: The new policy was implemented by the manager. 

The rephrased sentence in active voice: The manager implemented the new policy. 

b. Use strong, direct verbs to make the writing more engaging and easier to understand. For example, 

Original Sentence: The report was written by the committee to highlight the issues.

Rephrased sentence: The committee drafted a report to highlight the issues.

In the above sentence, drafted is the verb. 

9. Change the writing style used 

Following are some strategies to change the writing style: 

a. Identify the original text’s writing style (e.g., formal, casual, persuasive) and adapt it to suit your purpose and audience. 

b. Adjust the tone (e.g., serious, humorous, satirical) to match your intended message and engage your readers.

You can change the writing style to paraphrase examples using these strategies.

10. Use transition words 

Employ transitional words or phrases (e.g., “furthermore,” “moreover,” “however”) to connect sentences logically. You can also use words like “following”, “nevertheless, “ultimately”, “additionally”, “also”, “not only but also”, “as well as”, “similarly”, “although”, etc. 

Here’s how to paraphrase an article/other content using transition words: 

a. Use transition words to show sequence or chronology. 

The following is an example of this point: 

The participants were initially chosen according to specific criteria. Subsequently, they were separated into two groups, namely control and experimental. Following this division, both groups were subjected to a battery of tests. Ultimately, the researchers analyzed and compared the results. 

b. Use transition words to show contrast or comparison

The following is an example of this point: 

Although several studies show the advantages of a vegetarian diet, other research has pointed out the risk of nutrient deficiencies. On the other hand, an omnivorous diet that is well-balanced can offer all the necessary nutrients. Nevertheless, it is crucial to recognize that either diet can be nutritious with appropriate planning.

c. Use transition words to show cause and effect 

Some transition words you can use to show cause and effect are “consequently”, “as a result”, “hence”, “thus”, “therefore”, “because”, “since”, “due to”, “as a consequence”, accordingly”. 

The following is an example of this: 

Original sentences: “He didn’t set an alarm. He overslept.”

Paraphrased sentence: He didn’t set an alarm; as a result, he overslept.”

After understanding how to paraphrase a text, you can effectively paraphrase definitions or any other content. However, the paraphrased text may contain word choice and grammatical errors. As trusted experts in editing and proofreading services, PaperTrue can help you eliminate all textual errors. 

Here are some other useful resources for you: 

• • 10 Best Content Editing Tools and Software (Free + Paid)
  • 10 Best Free Online Grammar Checkers: Features and Ratings
  • Top 10 Essay Checkers in 2024 (Free & Paid)
  • Top 10 English Correctors to Perfect Your Text in 2024
  • Academic Writing in 2024: 5 Key Dos & Don’ts + Examples

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