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Paraphrasing - an overview

Paraphrasing, Academic writing, Citing and referencing

Paraphrasing is ...

Paraphrasing means ‘to state something written or spoken in different words, especially in a shorter and simpler form to make the meaning clearer’ (Cambridge Online Dictionary, 2022). 
 

Paraphrasing is 'a restating of someone else’s thoughts or ideas in your own words. You must always cite your source when paraphrasing’ (Pears & Shields, 2019 p. 245).
 

(Solas English, 2017)

What are the differences between Quoting, Paraphrasing & Summarising ?

  • Quoting means using someone else’s exact words and putting them in quotation marks.. 
  • Paraphrasing means expressing someone else’s ideas in your own voice, while keeping the same essential meaning.
  • Summarising means taking a long passage of text from someone else and condensing the main ideas in your own words.

Watch the video below for more information.  

(UNC Writing Center, 2019)

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