examples of paraphrasing and summarising

Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing (Differences, Examples, How To)

It can be confusing to know when to paraphrase and when to summarize. Many people use the terms interchangeably even though the two have different meanings and uses.

Today, let’s understand the basic differences between paraphrasing vs. summarizing and when to use which . We’ll also look at types and examples of paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as how to do both effectively.

Let’s look at paraphrasing first.

What is paraphrasing?

It refers to rewriting someone else’s ideas in your own words. 

It’s important to rewrite the whole idea in your words rather than just replacing a few words with their synonyms. That way, you present an idea in a way that your audience will understand easily and also avoid plagiarism. 

It’s also important to cite your sources when paraphrasing so that the original author of the work gets due credit.

When should you paraphrase?

The main purpose of paraphrasing is often to clarify an existing passage. You should use paraphrasing when you want to show that you understand the concept, like while writing an essay about a specific topic. 

You may also use it when you’re quoting someone but can’t remember their exact words. 

Finally, paraphrasing is a very effective way to rewrite outdated content in a way that’s relevant to your current audience.

How to paraphrase effectively

Follow these steps to paraphrase any piece of text effectively:

• Read the full text and ensure that you understand it completely. It helps to look up words you don’t fully understand in an online or offline dictionary.
• Once you understand the text, rewrite it in your own words. Remember to rewrite it instead of just substituting words with their synonyms.
• Edit the text to ensure it’s easy to understand for your audience.
• Mix in your own insights while rewriting the text to make it more relevant.
• Run the text through a plagiarism checker to ensure that it does not have any of the original content.

Example of paraphrasing

Here’s an example of paraphrasing:

• Original:  The national park is full of trees, water bodies, and various species of flora and fauna.
• Paraphrased:  Many animal species thrive in the verdant national park that is served by lakes and rivers flowing through it.

What is summarizing?

Summarizing is also based on someone else’s text but rather than presenting their ideas in your words, you only sum up their main ideas in a smaller piece of text.

It’s important to not use their exact words or phrases when summarizing to avoid plagiarism. It’s best to make your own notes while reading through the text and writing a summary based on your notes.

You must only summarize the most important ideas from a piece of text as summaries are essentially very short compared to the original work. And just like paraphrasing, you should cite the original text as a reference.

When should you summarize?

The main purpose of summarizing is to reduce a passage or other text to fewer words while ensuring that everything important is covered.

Summaries are useful when you want to cut to the chase and lay down the most important points from a piece of text or convey the entire message in fewer words. You should summarize when you have to write a short essay about a larger piece of text, such as writing a book review.

You can also summarize when you want to provide background information about something without taking up too much space.

How to summarize effectively

Follow these steps to summarize any prose effectively:

• Read the text to fully understand it. It helps to read it a few times instead of just going through it once.
• Pay attention to the larger theme of the text rather than trying to rewrite it sentence for sentence.
• Understand how all the main ideas are linked and piece them together to form an overview.
• Remove all the information that’s not crucial to the main ideas or theme. Remember, summaries must only include the most essential points and information.
• Edit your overview to ensure that the information is organized logically and follows the correct chronology where applicable.
• Review and edit the summary again to make it clearer, ensure that it’s accurate, and make it even more concise where you can.
• Ensure that you cite the original text.

Example of summarization

You can summarize any text into a shorter version. For example, this entire article can be summarized in just a few sentences as follows:

• Summary:  The article discusses paraphrasing vs. summarizing by explaining the two concepts. It specifies when you should use paraphrasing and when you should summarize a piece of text and describes the process of each. It ends with examples of both paraphrasing and summarizing to provide a better understanding to the reader.

Paraphrasing vs. summarizing has been a long-standing point of confusion for writers of all levels, whether you’re writing a college essay or reviewing a research paper or book. The above tips and examples can help you identify when to use paraphrasing or summarizing and how to go about them effectively.

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Fact checked: Content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. Learn more.

About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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Summarizing vs Paraphrasing: Key Differences and Best Practices

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on Summarizing vs Paraphrasing! Ever found yourself tangled in the web of long texts, struggling to extract the main points?

Or perhaps you've been stumped on how to restate another's idea without using direct quotations?

You're not alone.

In this guide, we'll discuss summarizing and paraphrasing, two essential writing techniques that can help you communicate information and ideas effectively. We'll delve into their definitions and key differences and provide practical tips to ace both.

Whether you're summarizing a chapter or paraphrasing a sentence, we've got you covered. So, buckle up and get ready to transform your writing skills. Let's dive into the world of summarizing and paraphrasing, where every word counts, and every idea matters.

Stay tuned!

Understanding Summarizing and Paraphrasing: Definitions and Differences

In writing , summarizing and paraphrasing are two essential skills. They serve as powerful tools for writers to convey the essence of an original source in a unique manner. This section will delve into the definitions and differences between these two common terms, providing a comprehensive understanding of their usage and importance.

We'll explore the meaning and definition of paraphrasing and summarizing, and how they differ in handling a sentence or paragraph versus a long text. Let's dive in.

What is Summarizing?

Summarizing is a common term in writing and editing . It's the process of condensing a long text, such as a book or an article, into a brief and concise version to improve readability . The main point here is to capture the general idea or the main details of the original source without losing the context.

This practice is not just about shortening the text. It's about understanding the key differences, the background information, and the essence of the content. A well-crafted summary provides a clear, succinct understanding of the material, making it an invaluable tool for readers.

What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing, a common term in writing, is the art of rewriting a text in your own words while maintaining the original meaning and message. It's a skill that requires a deep understanding of the original source, as the goal is to convey the main point accurately, but with a fresh perspective.

Summarizing vs Paraphrasing: Key Differences

Summarizing is about condensing the main points of a long text into a brief and concise version , focusing on the general idea. It's like giving a snapshot of a book, the difference being the scope of the content.

Paraphrasing, on the other hand, involves rewriting a specific sentence or paragraph in your own words, without changing the original meaning. It's more about presenting the main detail in a new light.

While both processes require understanding the key differences in the original source, summarizing is more about the 'big picture', and paraphrasing is about the 'fine details'.

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How to Summarize: Guidelines and Tips

Mastering the art of summarizing can be a game-changer in your academic or professional journey. This section will provide you with practical guidelines and tips on how to summarize effectively.

Whether you're summarizing a paper, a chapter, or a book, these tips will help you identify the main points and present them concisely.

Steps to Summarizing Effectively

• Read the Material : Start by thoroughly reading the material you want to summarize. This could be a paper, a chapter, or a book. Understand the context and the main points of the passage.
• Identify the Main Points : Highlight or note down the key ideas. This will help you summarize the source effectively.
• Write a Draft : Write a brief draft summarizing the main points. Make sure it's in your own words.
• Review and Edit : Review your draft and make sure it accurately represents the main ideas of the source. Edit as necessary for clarity and conciseness.

Top Tips to Ace Summarizing

✅ Identify the Main Points : Start by identifying the main points of the passage. This will help you to focus on the most important information and ignore less significant details.

✅ Avoid Specific Details : When summarizing, avoid listing specific details and individual pieces of data. Instead, stick to general ideas, conclusions, and results.

✅ Keep it Brief and Concise : Remember, the goal of summarizing is to condense a longer text into a brief and concise overview. So, keep your summary short and to the point.

✅ Paraphrase to Avoid Plagiarism : If you're using an AI to help you summarize, make sure to paraphrase the AI's summary to avoid plagiarism. This will also help you to better understand and retain the information.

✅ Use APA Style : If you're summarizing for academic purposes, make sure to follow APA style guidelines . This will ensure that your summary is properly formatted and cited.

How to Paraphrase: Guidelines and Tips

Paraphrasing is an art that requires a deep understanding of the source material and the ability to express the same ideas in a fresh, unique way. This section will provide you with practical guidelines and tips to master this skill. Whether you're summarizing a paper chapter or trying to paraphrase a passage, these tips will come in handy.

Remember, the goal is not just to change a few words here and there but to share the same message in a new light. Let's explore the steps and tips for ace paraphrasing.

Steps to Paraphrasing Effectively

• Understand the Source : Read the original text thoroughly until you grasp its meaning. This is the first step in paraphrasing.
• Rewrite in Your Words : Write down the main points in your own words without looking at the original text. This helps to ensure that you're not just copying the original wording.
• Compare and Edit : Compare your version with the original. Make sure you haven't changed the meaning. Edit for clarity and impact.
• Add Your Interpretation : Add your own thoughts and interpretation to the material. This can help make your paraphrase unique.
• Use a Plagiarism Checker : Finally, run your text through a plagiarism checker to ensure it's sufficiently different from the original.

Top Tips to Ace Paraphrasing

✅ Understand the Source : Before you begin paraphrasing, ensure you fully comprehend the source material. This will help you share the same message in your own words.

✅ Use Synonyms : Swap out words from the original text with synonyms . This helps maintain the meaning while creating a unique turn of phrase.

✅ Change Sentence Structure : Rearrange the sentence structure or change the subject of the sentence to add variety to your paraphrase.

✅ Add Your Interpretation : Don't just rewrite the text, add your own thoughts and interpretation to the material.

✅ Use a Plagiarism Checker : To ensure your paraphrase is distinct enough from the original, use a plagiarism checker. This will help you avoid unintentional plagiarism.

✅ Cite the Source : Even when paraphrasing, it's important to cite the source. This gives credit to the original author and adds credibility to your work.

When to Use Summarizing and Paraphrasing

Understanding when to use summarizing and paraphrasing can significantly enhance your writing. These techniques serve different purposes and are best suited for specific situations. Let's delve into the ideal scenarios for each.

Ideal Situations for Summarizing

When you want to present the general idea of a lengthy document or speech, summarizing is the way to go.

• If you have multiple points that need to be condensed into a few key takeaways, summarizing is your best bet.
• Summarizing is also ideal when you want your reader to grasp the important parts of a complex topic quickly.
• Lastly, summarizing can help you effectively support a specific point with another idea.

Ideal Situations for Paraphrasing

When you want to state another idea in a different way, paraphrasing can be a powerful tool.

• If you're trying to highlight a specific point from a source, paraphrasing allows you to do so without directly quoting the material.
• Paraphrasing is also beneficial when you need to present multiple points from a source, but want your reader to grasp the important part of each point.
• Lastly, paraphrasing is ideal when you're dealing with complex ideas that need to be broken down into simpler terms for better understanding.

Comparing Examples of Summarizing and Paraphrasing

In this section, we'll explore practical examples of summarizing and paraphrasing. We'll explore how to condense a long text into a brief and concise summary and how to rephrase a passage while preserving the original source's main detail. These examples will provide a clear definition and example of each technique, offering valuable writing tips for both summarizing and paraphrasing.

Example of Summarizing and Paraphrasing

Consider a long text from an original source.

• Summarizing the difference between the two concepts, you might say, "Concept A focuses on individual growth, while Concept B emphasizes community development." This brief and concise statement captures the main detail without delving into the specifics of each concept.
• In contrast, if you were to paraphrase the passage, you would restate the same point and detail in your own words, maintaining the length and depth of the original passage. For instance, "Concept A is all about fostering personal advancement, whereas Concept B is more concerned with nurturing communal progress."

The Benefits of Summarizing and Paraphrasing

Both techniques offer unique advantages, aiding in comprehension and communication. Whether you're summarizing the difference between a long text and its main details or paraphrasing to grasp a complex topic, these methods are invaluable tools.

They not only help in presenting information and ideas in a digestible manner but also foster critical thinking. Let's explore these benefits in detail.

Advantages of Summarizing

• Summarizing the difference between a long text and its main details allows for a brief and concise understanding of the content.
• It's useful when you need to present the general idea of a complex topic without delving into individual details.
• Summarizing can support points made in a discussion by providing a condensed version of the important parts.
• It's an effective way to pinpoint the key ideas in a document, identifying any knowledge gaps.
• Summaries can serve as a convenient resource for future reference, saving reading time.

Advantages of Paraphrasing

• Paraphrasing allows you to have a better understanding of the source material, as you're required to interpret and rephrase the information in your own words.
• It helps you to explain the original text's meaning to others in a more digestible manner, which can be particularly useful when dealing with complex or technical subjects.
• Paraphrasing can spark new ideas on how to approach a subject, as the process of rewording can lead to fresh perspectives and insights.
• It can help you develop your writing style, as you're not just copying and pasting information, but actively engaging with it and presenting it in your own unique way.
• Lastly, paraphrasing is a great way to avoid plagiarism. By rewording and citing the original source, you're respecting the original author's work while also adding your own touch to the content.

Wrapping Up: Summarizing and Paraphrasing

In conclusion, mastering the art of summarizing and paraphrasing is a crucial skill in academic writing and beyond. It allows you to present another's ideas in your own voice without losing the essence of the original source.

Remember, summarizing is about condensing a long text into a brief and concise overview, focusing on the main points. On the other hand, paraphrasing involves restating specific points or details in your own words, maintaining the same level of detail as the original.

Whether you choose to summarize or paraphrase largely depends on the scope of the information and the purpose of your writing. In all cases, it's essential to cite the source to avoid plagiarism.

With practice and the right approach, you can effectively use these techniques to enhance your writing, making it more engaging and informative for your readers.

If you need help perfecting your written content, try Strategically AI for free. Our AI content platform plans, builds, and optimizes well-structured articles for your website.

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How to Paraphrase | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

Published on April 8, 2022 by Courtney Gahan and Jack Caulfield. Revised on June 1, 2023.

Paraphrasing means putting someone else’s ideas into your own words. Paraphrasing a source involves changing the wording while preserving the original meaning.

Paraphrasing is an alternative to  quoting (copying someone’s exact words and putting them in quotation marks ). In academic writing, it’s usually better to integrate sources by paraphrasing instead of quoting. It shows that you have understood the source, reads more smoothly, and keeps your own voice front and center.

Every time you paraphrase, it’s important to cite the source . Also take care not to use wording that is too similar to the original. Otherwise, you could be at risk of committing plagiarism .

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Table of contents

How to paraphrase in five easy steps, how to paraphrase correctly, examples of paraphrasing, how to cite a paraphrase, paraphrasing vs. quoting, paraphrasing vs. summarizing, avoiding plagiarism when you paraphrase, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about paraphrasing.

If you’re struggling to get to grips with the process of paraphrasing, check out our easy step-by-step guide in the video below.

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Putting an idea into your own words can be easier said than done. Let’s say you want to paraphrase the text below, about population decline in a particular species of sea snails.

Incorrect paraphrasing

You might make a first attempt to paraphrase it by swapping out a few words for  synonyms .

Like other sea creatures inhabiting the vicinity of highly populated coasts, horse conchs have lost substantial territory to advancement and contamination , including preferred breeding grounds along mud flats and seagrass beds. Their Gulf home is also heating up due to global warming , which scientists think further puts pressure on the creatures , predicated upon the harmful effects extra warmth has on other large mollusks (Barnett, 2022).

This attempt at paraphrasing doesn’t change the sentence structure or order of information, only some of the word choices. And the synonyms chosen are poor:

• “Advancement and contamination” doesn’t really convey the same meaning as “development and pollution.”
• Sometimes the changes make the tone less academic: “home” for “habitat” and “sea creatures” for “marine animals.”
• Adding phrases like “inhabiting the vicinity of” and “puts pressure on” makes the text needlessly long-winded.
• Global warming is related to climate change, but they don’t mean exactly the same thing.

Because of this, the text reads awkwardly, is longer than it needs to be, and remains too close to the original phrasing. This means you risk being accused of plagiarism .

Correct paraphrasing

Let’s look at a more effective way of paraphrasing the same text.

Here, we’ve:

• Only included the information that’s relevant to our argument (note that the paraphrase is shorter than the original)
• Introduced the information with the signal phrase “Scientists believe that …”
• Retained key terms like “development and pollution,” since changing them could alter the meaning
• Structured sentences in our own way instead of copying the structure of the original
• Started from a different point, presenting information in a different order

Because of this, we’re able to clearly convey the relevant information from the source without sticking too close to the original phrasing.

Explore the tabs below to see examples of paraphrasing in action.

• Journal article
• Newspaper article
• Magazine article

Once you have your perfectly paraphrased text, you need to ensure you credit the original author. You’ll always paraphrase sources in the same way, but you’ll have to use a different type of in-text citation depending on what citation style you follow.

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It’s a good idea to paraphrase instead of quoting in most cases because:

• Paraphrasing shows that you fully understand the meaning of a text
• Your own voice remains dominant throughout your paper
• Quotes reduce the readability of your text

But that doesn’t mean you should never quote. Quotes are appropriate when:

• Giving a precise definition
• Saying something about the author’s language or style (e.g., in a literary analysis paper)
• Providing evidence in support of an argument
• Critiquing or analyzing a specific claim

A paraphrase puts a specific passage into your own words. It’s typically a similar length to the original text, or slightly shorter.

When you boil a longer piece of writing down to the key points, so that the result is a lot shorter than the original, this is called summarizing .

Paraphrasing and quoting are important tools for presenting specific information from sources. But if the information you want to include is more general (e.g., the overarching argument of a whole article), summarizing is more appropriate.

When paraphrasing, you have to be careful to avoid accidental plagiarism .

This can happen if the paraphrase is too similar to the original quote, with phrases or whole sentences that are identical (and should therefore be in quotation marks). It can also happen if you fail to properly cite the source.

Paraphrasing tools are widely used by students, and can be especially useful for non-native speakers who may find academic writing particularly challenging. While these can be helpful for a bit of extra inspiration, use these tools sparingly, keeping academic integrity in mind.

To make sure you’ve properly paraphrased and cited all your sources, you could elect to run a plagiarism check before submitting your paper. And of course, always be sure to read your source material yourself and take the first stab at paraphrasing on your own.

If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• ChatGPT vs human editor
• ChatGPT citations
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Using ChatGPT for your studies
• What is ChatGPT?
• Chicago style
• Critical thinking

 Plagiarism

• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Consequences of plagiarism
• Common knowledge

To paraphrase effectively, don’t just take the original sentence and swap out some of the words for synonyms. Instead, try:

• Reformulating the sentence (e.g., change active to passive , or start from a different point)
• Combining information from multiple sentences into one
• Leaving out information from the original that isn’t relevant to your point
• Using synonyms where they don’t distort the meaning

The main point is to ensure you don’t just copy the structure of the original text, but instead reformulate the idea in your own words.

Paraphrasing without crediting the original author is a form of plagiarism , because you’re presenting someone else’s ideas as if they were your own.

However, paraphrasing is not plagiarism if you correctly cite the source . This means including an in-text citation and a full reference, formatted according to your required citation style .

As well as citing, make sure that any paraphrased text is completely rewritten in your own words.

Plagiarism means using someone else’s words or ideas and passing them off as your own. Paraphrasing means putting someone else’s ideas in your own words.

So when does paraphrasing count as plagiarism?

• Paraphrasing is plagiarism if you don’t properly credit the original author.
• Paraphrasing is plagiarism if your text is too close to the original wording (even if you cite the source). If you directly copy a sentence or phrase, you should quote it instead.
• Paraphrasing  is not plagiarism if you put the author’s ideas completely in your own words and properly cite the source .

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To present information from other sources in academic writing , it’s best to paraphrase in most cases. This shows that you’ve understood the ideas you’re discussing and incorporates them into your text smoothly.

It’s appropriate to quote when:

• Changing the phrasing would distort the meaning of the original text
• You want to discuss the author’s language choices (e.g., in literary analysis )
• You’re presenting a precise definition
• You’re looking in depth at a specific claim

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If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Gahan, C. & Caulfield, J. (2023, June 01). How to Paraphrase | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/how-to-paraphrase/

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Paraphrasing Vs. Summarizing: The Difference And Best Examples

Explore the critical distinctions between the paraphrasing and summarizing techniques and how to apply it into writing utilizing examples of each.

Ivana Vidakovic

Sep 16, 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Are you frequently confused about the distinction between paraphrasing and summarizing and their purpose?

Paraphrasing and summarizing text are significant assets in writing that can help you create engaging and efficient content.

And each of these techniques has a different yet vital purpose in the writing process. Unfortunately, people often find it hard to distinguish their differences.

Not to mention that plagiarized and summarized content is allowed and acceptable only if it is not plagiarized in any way.

Thus, today we'll go through the critical distinctions between the paraphrasing and summarizing techniques and when and how to apply each writing strategy utilizing examples of each.

Let's begin!

Paraphrasing vs Summarizing — Definitions

Paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing means reading the text and putting it in your own words without changing the meaning of the original text. 

This action doesn't allow copy-pasting original text in any way — copy-pasted text is considered plagiarism unless you use it as a citation. 

What is the length of the paraphrased text?

The paraphrased version of the text is almost the same length or a little shorter than the original.

When to use paraphrasing?

You can use the paraphrasing writing technique when:

• You want to use someone else's writing for your reference .
• You want to avoid quotations . 
• When the idea is more important than writing style .
• When you need to improve the readability of your content .

Here is an example of what original vs paraphrased text looks like:

In simple words, paraphrasing is putting someone else's writing in your own words and thought s. 

Summarizing

When you want to get the main idea of a piece of writing, you can use the summarizing technique.

Summarizing is brief information of the original text in your own words that only includes the essential parts. 

What is the length of the summarized text?

The summary of the text is a lot shorter than the original . This is because it leaves out the meaning of the text and includes only the main idea or the most critical information.

When to use summarizing?

Here are some tips on when to use the summarizing technique:

• When you need to pick out only the writer's main ideas .
• When you need an overview of the whole piece .
• When you need to simplify the text .
• When only the most important parts of the text need to be discussed.

Here is an example of what original text vs summarized text looks like:

Summarizing involves extracting the original text's main ideas and compressing them into a clear overview.

Now that we know what definitions of each technique are let's discuss paraphrasing vs summarizing differences.

Paraphrasing vs Summarizing — Differences

Here are the 3 primary differences between paraphrasing and summarizing writing techniques:

• Paraphrasing is rewriting a text in your own words while summarizing is writing the most important parts of a piece in your own words .
• Paraphrasing has the same or a little shorter text length than the original one, while summarizing is much more concise than the original .
• You can use paraphrasing to make the original content easier to understand , while summarizing is used to mention only the most important points without any explanation .

Here is what the comparison between paraphrased and summarized text looks like:

When To Paraphrase and When To Summarize?

When paraphrasing, you put someone else's ideas into your own words.

Let's observe the following statement and possible 3 paraphrasing outcomes. 

In the example, paraphrasing includes all the details of the original text, the idea, and the impression you want to trigger with your audience, but in your own style .

On the other hand, when you are summarizing, you want to get a shorter version of the original text .

Let’s take a look at the same example.

Together quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing are the leading writing techniques when mentioning sources in your content . 

When deciding which to use, you should first think about what kind of content you want to write. 

For example, literature reviews and science reports are mostly just summaries. But conversely, all three techniques you can use in argumentative essays.

Even though paraphrasing and summarizing are important, you shouldn't rely on them too much, either. The most important thing is your opinion on the subject .

Let's move on and check the paraphrasing vs summarizing examples. 

Paraphrasing vs Summarizing Examples 

How to paraphrase.

When you paraphrase, keep these 3 things in mind:

• You must provide a reference .
• Use your language style when paraphrasing. 
• Changing just a few words here and there is not paraphrasing . 

The lack of paraphrasing words is just a lack of synonyms, nothing more. It has nothing to do with creativity.

Think about how the ideas fit with what you already know. Then, try some of the following tips to paraphrase with ease:

• Take notes of the original text — Pull the most critical details from the storyline you need to paraphrase. 

• Make full sentences from ideas — Create words around those key points in your own style.

• Provide a reference — If you have statistical or research data, mention the author or the literature you used for your statement.

• Analyze — The paraphrasing outcome will be more authentic and genuine by providing feedback, expressing your thoughts, or adding your own ideas. 

• Not every word needs to be changed — Keep the most important words the same for clarity's sake (e.g., autism, culture, children). But don't use whole phrases unless they are common in your field (e.g., psychogenic disorder).

Pro Tip: Nowadays, it is not so uncommon for writers to utilize paraphrasing tools such as TextCortex. 

Part of the reason is that paraphrasing tools help overcome writer’s block and boost creativity.

For instance, to paraphrase sentences or entire paragraphs with TextCortex, you must select the text you want to rewrite, click on the logo , and click on the ‘ Paraphrase ’ feature.

You can paraphrase the original output multiple times until you get the desired output. Additionally, TextCortex will provide you with several different paraphrasing variants for each generation.

How To Summarize?

The summary goes a lot further than a point-by-point paraphrasing. 

And to help you understand better, we will be using the following part of the article “ Fairytales much older than previously thought, say researchers ”:

When you want to summarize the text, you need to:

• Understand the context — Get the overall idea of the text you want to transform into a shorter version of the text. In the given example, the text talks about fairytales that have been around since the Bronze Age and when and where this information comes from.
• Pull out primary takeaways — Gather all relevant key points of the text and add a piece of brief information about them.

• Create a storytelling brief — It is not enough just to list the key elements. Instead, use storytelling technique s to transform the main takeaways into a compelling but short version of the original text.

•   A summary has to be shorter than the original text — The summary includes only essential points of the text, not the details.

Most people get confused when comparing paraphrasing and summarizing because those two writing techniques don’t exclude each other.

In simple words, a summary of the text can be paraphrased, and vice versa. 

Final Thoughts

As you can notice, paraphrasing and summarizing techniques are not as hard as they seem. And you probably use both in your regular conversations every day.

However, it becomes more official when it comes to writing articles, essays, and more. 

This is due to plagiarism rules — content labeled as plagiarism can be heavily penalized and damage your writing career before it even starts to blossom.

And if you are planning to become a writer or are a newbie that is not so confident in these writing techniques, we suggest you start utilizing the TextCortex rewriting extension .

Our Chrome extension can help you:

• Manage your writing faster .
• Produce more content in less time .
• Rewrite sentences and paragraphs in bulk.
• Transform bullets to emails .
• Expand your text for more information.
• Write blog posts from a single sentence .
• Assist you on more than 30 platforms .

In addition, with the Chrome rewriting extension, you will gain access to the TextCortex web application that can help you to write:

• Blog articles, 
• Product descriptions, 
• Social media posts
• Youtube captions,
• And more in 72+ languages.

Are you ready to start paraphrasing with ease?

Claim your free account today to get 15 daily creations to explore all TextCortex’s features without limitations. No credit card information is required.

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Paraphrasing & Summarizing

• What is Plagiarism?
• School Plagiarism Policies
• Common Knowledge
• Minimizing Your Plagiarism Risk
• Student Help
• Helping Prevent Plagiarism in Your Classroom
• Avoiding Plagiarism Course
• Course FAQs

To help the flow of your writing, it is beneficial to not always quote but instead put the information in your own words. You can paraphrase or summarize the author’s words to better match your tone and desired length. Even if you write the ideas in your own words, it is important to cite them with in-text citations or footnotes (depending on your discipline’s citation style ). 

Definitions

• Paraphrasing allows you to use your own words to restate an author's ideas.
• Summarizing allows you to create a succinct, concise statement of an author’s main points without copying and pasting a lot of text from the original source.

What’s the difference: Paraphrasing v. Summarizing

Explore the rest of the page to see how the same material could be quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. Depending on the length, tone, and argument of your work, you might choose one over the other. 

• Bad Paraphrase
• Good Paraphrase
• Reread: Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
• Write on your own: Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.
• Connect: Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this material.
• Check: Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.
• Quote: Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.
• Cite: Record the source (including the page) on your note card or notes document so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.

Explore the tabs to see the difference between an acceptable and unacceptable paraphrase based on the original text in each example.

Original Text

“Business communication is increasingly taking place internationally – in all countries, among all peoples, and across all cultures. An awareness of other cultures – of their languages, customs, experiences and perceptions – as well as an awareness of the way in which other people conduct their business, are now essential ingredients of business communication” (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59). 

More and more business communication is taking place internationally—across all countries, peoples, and cultures.  Awareness of other cultures and the way in which people do business are essential parts of business communication (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59)

Compare the Original and Paraphrase

Too much of the original is quoted directly, with only a few words changed or omitted. The highlighted words are too similar to the original quote: 

More and more business communication is taking place internationally —across all countries, peoples, and cultures .  Awareness of other cultures and the way in which people do business are essential parts of business communication (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59)

Original Text 

“Business communication is increasingly taking place internationally – in all countries, among all peoples, and across all cultures. An awareness of other cultures – of their languages, customs, experiences and perceptions – as well as an awareness of the way in which other people conduct their business, are now essential ingredients of business communication” (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59).

The importance of understanding the traditions, language, perceptions, and the manner in which people of other cultures conduct their business should not be underestimated, and it is a crucial component of business communication (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p. 59).

The original’s ideas are summarized and expressed in the writer’s own words with minimal overlap with the original text's language:

The importance of understanding the traditions, language, perceptions, and the manner in which people of other cultures conduct their business should not be underestimated, and it is a crucial component of business communication (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p. 59).

• Bad Summary
• Good Summary
• Find the main idea: Ask yourself, “What is the main idea that the author is communicating?”
• Avoid copying: Set the original aside, and write one or two sentences with the main point of the original on a note card or in a notes document.
• Connect: Jot down a few words below your summary to remind you later how you envision using this material.

Business communication is worldwide, and it is essential to build awareness of other cultures and the way in which other people conduct their business. (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59). 

Compare the Original and Summary

Too much of the original is quoted directly, with only a few words changed or omitted. The highlighted words are too similar to the original text:

Business communication is worldwide, and it is essential to build awareness of other cultures and the way in which other people conduct their business . (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59). 

In a world that is increasingly connected, effective business communication requires us to learn about other cultures, languages, and business norms (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59). 

The original’s ideas are summarized and expressed in the writer’s own words with minimal overlap:

In a world that is increasingly connected, effective business communication requires us to learn about other cultures , languages , and business norms (Chase, O’Rourke & Wallace, 2003, p.59). 

No matter what the source or style, you need to cite it both in-text and at the end of the paper with a full citation! Write down or record all the needed pieces of information when researching to ensure you avoid plagiarism. 

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Difference Between Summarizing And Paraphrasing

11 min read

Published on: Oct 14, 2023

Last updated on: Jun 5, 2024

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Have you ever felt confused when your teacher asked you to summarize or paraphrase something? It can be like trying to solve a tricky puzzle, and you're not sure where to start. 

Don't worry; it happens to a lot of students.

But here's the thing: Using These Writing Techniques Correctly is Super Important. 

It's not just about avoiding trouble with your teachers; it's about making your ideas clear and showing that you understand what you're talking about.

The good news is, in this blog post, we're going to make it easy. 

We'll explain the difference between summary and paraphrasing in simple terms. You'll know when to use each one, and by the end, you'll be a pro at it. 

So if you are wondering what are the similarities and differences between summarizing and paraphrasing, let's get started!

What is Summarizing?

Summarizing is like making a big story or a lot of information shorter and easier to understand.  It's all about taking out the most important stuff and leaving out the less important things. 

In simple words, it's about making complicated information simpler and more focused.

Why is Summarizing Useful?

Summarizing serves a critical purpose in academic settings. It allows individuals to quickly grasp the core concepts of a text, report, or discussion. 

By extracting the most important elements, summarizing streamlines the information, making it easier to remember and communicate with others.

Consider this scenario: You've just read a lengthy article for a school project, and your teacher asks you to explain it to the class. Summarizing allows you to present the main points, saving time and ensuring that your classmates understand the key takeaways without slogging through the entire text.

Examples from Everyday Life

To better understand the concept of summarizing, let's look at some everyday situations. Imagine you've read a captivating book, and a friend wants to know what it's about. 

Summarizing enables you to provide a concise overview of the plot, characters, and major events without revealing every detail. You offer your friend a glimpse of the story's essence.

Now, let's explore another important writing skill: Paraphrasing!

What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is a way of expressing something in your own words while keeping the original meaning. 

Unlike summarizing, which shortens a text, paraphrasing aims to rephrase it without losing any of the key ideas. 

It's like taking a complex idea and explaining it in a simpler way but without changing what it means.

Why is Paraphrasing Important?

Paraphrasing is crucial because it helps you understand and communicate ideas more clearly. 

When you paraphrase, you show that you really get what you're talking about. It's a way to avoid using the exact words of someone else, which is important to prevent plagiarism.

Examples of Paraphrasing

Let's say there's a sentence like this: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

When you paraphrase it, you could say: "The fast brown fox leaps over the inactive dog." See, the words are different, but the idea stays the same. 

That's paraphrasing!

If you are still asking a question of what is the difference between summary and paraphrase, check out this example:

Difference Between Summarizing And Paraphrasing Pdf

The Key Differences in Summarizing and Paraphrasing

Understanding the main distinctions and summarizing and paraphrasing similarities is vital. Let’s distinguish between summarising and paraphrasing in this table:

Difference Between Summarizing Paraphrasing And Direct Quoting

Summarizing, paraphrasing, and direct quoting are three distinct ways of using information in your writing. 

Summarizing condenses the main ideas, paraphrasing rephrases in your own words, and direct quoting copies the text word-for-word. 

Knowing when and how to use each technique is crucial for clear and effective communication in your writing.

Quoting, Paraphrasing, And Summarizing Example

Original Text:

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost, "The Road Not Taken"

Quoting : Robert Frost wrote, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."

Paraphrasing: In a forest, there were two paths that split, and I chose the one that was less traveled. This choice significantly impacted my journey.

Summarizing: The author reflects on a moment when faced with a choice of two paths in a forest. They decided to take the less-traveled path, and this choice had a profound impact on their life.

When to Summarize

Summarizing is a valuable tool for students in various situations. Here are some scenarios when summarizing is the best choice:

• Understanding Long Texts: When you have to tackle lengthy articles, textbooks, or reports, summarizing can help you break down the main ideas. It captures the text's essence without reading the entire document.
• Study Notes: Summarizing is excellent for creating study notes. It condenses complex concepts from lectures or textbooks into a format that's easier to review before exams.
• Book Reports: When your teacher asks for a book report, summarizing the key plot points and themes can provide a concise overview without revealing all the story's details.
• Presentations : In group or class presentations, summarizing your research findings or a complex topic makes it easier for your audience to follow and understand.

When to Paraphrase

Paraphrasing is particularly useful in specific situations where students need to rephrase and present information in their own words while maintaining the original meaning:

• Research Papers : In academic research, you often need to include information from various sources. Paraphrasing enables you to incorporate these sources while avoiding plagiarism.
• Quoting Information: When you quote information in your assignments, paraphrasing can help you introduce or discuss the quote in your own words.
• Understanding Complex Texts: Paraphrasing can be especially helpful when you encounter complex or technical texts. It forces you to break down the content and explain it in simpler terms.
• Enhancing Clarity : If you come across a sentence or passage in a text that's hard to understand, paraphrasing can make it more clear and accessible.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Summarising and Paraphrasing

When it comes to summarizing and paraphrasing, students can sometimes make common mistakes that affect the quality and accuracy of their work. 

Let's identify these errors and provide practical tips on how to avoid them:

Common Mistakes in Summarizing

• Overlooking Key Information: One common mistake in summarizing is leaving out essential details or key points. To avoid this, be sure to read the entire text carefully and highlight the crucial information before creating a summary.
• Changing the Meaning: Sometimes, students unintentionally alter the meaning of the original text in their summaries. To prevent this, focus on maintaining the author's intent and use your own words to convey the ideas accurately.
• Including Personal Opinions: A summary should be objective and not include personal opinions or interpretations. Avoid inserting your viewpoint into the summary; instead, stick to the facts presented in the text.

Tips for Avoiding Mistakes in Summarizing

• Start by reading the text or source material carefully to grasp the main ideas.
• Make a list of the key points and critical information.
• Create your summary, ensuring you include these key points while omitting less important details.
• Use your own words to explain the ideas, maintaining the original meaning.

Common Mistakes in Paraphrasing

• Word-for-Word Copying: Paraphrasing isn't about changing a few words here and there while keeping the same sentence structure. Some students make the mistake of essentially copying the original text with minor alterations.
• Losing the Original Meaning: On the other extreme, some students paraphrase so extensively that they lose the original meaning. It's crucial to strike a balance between using your words and preserving the essence of the source.
• Inadequate Citation: Failing to give credit to the original source when paraphrasing is a significant error. Always include proper citations to avoid plagiarism.

Tips for Avoiding Mistakes in Paraphrasing

• Read the source material and understand its main points thoroughly.
• Rewrite the content using different words and sentence structure while retaining the original message.
• Ensure you cite the source properly, even when paraphrasing, to acknowledge the original author's work.

Practice Exercises for Students

Here are some practice exercises to help students understand the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing via examples.

Exercise 1: Summarizing

Read the following paragraph and create a summary that captures the main points:

Original Paragraph:

"Pollution is a pressing issue worldwide, causing harm to the environment, human health, and the economy. It arises from various sources, including industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, and improper waste disposal. Governments and individuals must work together to reduce pollution through stricter regulations, cleaner technologies, and better waste management."

Exercise 2: Paraphrasing

Paraphrase the following sentence while maintaining the original meaning:

Original Sentence:

"The discovery of antibiotics revolutionized medicine by providing effective treatments for bacterial infections."

Exercise 3: Summarizing and Paraphrasing

Read the passage below and create both a summary and a paraphrase:

Original Passage:

"The impact of climate change on ecosystems is a growing concern. Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are affecting biodiversity and leading to shifts in the distribution of species. As a result, conservation efforts need to adapt to these changes, emphasizing the preservation of diverse ecosystems."

Caleb S. (Mass Literature and Linguistics)

Caleb S. is an accomplished author with over five years of experience and a Master's degree from Oxford University. He excels in various writing forms, including articles, press releases, blog posts, and whitepapers. As a valued author at MyEssayWriter.ai, Caleb assists students and professionals by providing practical tips on research, citation, sentence structure, and style enhancement.

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What's The Difference Between Paraphrasing and Summarizing?

Have you ever read an article and struggled to understand the key ideas? Or maybe you've tried explaining a complex topic to someone else and realized you weren't quite sure of the main points yourself. Paraphrasing and summarizing are useful skills that can help. In this article, we'll explore some strategies and examples to help strengthen your paraphrasing and summarizing skills. Read on to become an expert at restating ideas in your own words.

Defining Paraphrasing and Summarizing

Paraphrasing and summarizing are two useful skills, but what exactly do they mean? Let's break it down:

What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing involves restating something in your own words while keeping the original meaning intact. When you paraphrase, you rephrase the way ideas or information are expressed, using synonyms and rearranging the structure of sentences and paragraphs. The key is to not copy word-for-word.

Some tips for effective paraphrasing:

• Read the original text multiple times to fully understand the meaning
• Identify the main ideas and arguments
• Restate those ideas and arguments in your own words using synonyms and restructuring sentences
• Double check that the paraphrased version accurately captures the meaning of the original
• Cite or reference the original source to avoid plagiarism

Paraphrasing allows you to explain concepts and share information in a personalized, easy to understand way. It demonstrates your understanding and ability to communicate ideas.

To enhance your content creation process, you can explore the use of tools like the Hypotenuse AI paraphrasing tool , which provides assistance in generating paraphrased content effortlessly.

What is Summarizing?

Summarizing involves briefly restating the main ideas, themes, or plot points of something in a concise way. The key is to condense longer pieces of information into a high-level overview by extracting only the most important elements.

Some tips for effective summarizing:

• Focus on the overall meaning and key takeaways, not specific details
• Identify the main subject, topic, setting, characters, events, etc. depending on what you're summarizing
• Keep summaries under 10% of the original length
• Use your own words and sentence structure
• Omit unnecessary examples, anecdotes, descriptions, and repetitions

Summarizing allows you to quickly share the essence of complex information in a simplified way. It shows you can synthesize and evaluate information to determine what's most significant. To summarize content effortlessly, one can try the Hypotenuse AI tool for summarization .

How To Paraphrase?

When paraphrasing, you convey the same ideas as the original text but in your own words and sentence structure. Here are some helpful tips to successfully paraphrase:

1. Read the original text thoroughly

Make sure you understand the full meaning and context of the original text. Read it more than once if needed. Look up any unfamiliar words or terms so you have a solid grasp of the ideas and details.

2. Identify the key ideas

Determine the central theme or message, as well as any important supporting ideas. These are what you will restate in your own words. Leave out insignificant details and examples.

3. Put the text aside and write in your own words

Do not look at the original text while you are writing your paraphrase. This will allow you to articulate the ideas in the way that feels most natural to you. Refer to your notes about the key ideas to make sure your restatement is accurate.

4. Use synonyms and reorganize

Replace words and phrases from the original text with synonyms and synonymous expressions. Also, reorganize or restructure sentences and paragraphs. For example, you can combine some sentences or split long sentences into shorter ones. Change the order of ideas or examples.

5. Vary your sentence structure

Avoid simply rearranging the words in the original sentences. Instead, create entirely new sentences in your own unique style. To maintain a smooth flow, use a mixture of simple and complex sentence structures. Remember to keep your language concise, but don't make it sound choppy.

6. Compare with the original

Once you have completed your paraphrase, review the original text again. Make sure that your version conveys all of the same key ideas, examples, and details. Look for any passages that seem too similar to the original—if there are any sentences or phrases that are verbatim or nearly verbatim, rephrase them in your own words.

Paraphrasing Examples

Here's an example of paraphrasing using AI:

Paraphrasing Example #1

The increased use of technology in the classroom continues to be a controversial issue in education. While some studies have found that technology can be distracting and negatively impact learning, other research has found that technology, when used appropriately, can enhance learning and engage students.

Paraphrase:

The use of technology in classrooms is a topic that sparks debate in education. Some studies suggest that technology can be a distraction and hinder learning, while others argue that when used properly, it can actually improve learning and capture students' attention.

Paraphrasing Example #2

The ability to paraphrase demonstrates several higher-order thinking skills including comprehension, abstraction, and reorganization of ideas. Paraphrasing requires understanding the essence and meaning behind a message, relating new ideas to familiar ones, and reconstructing the message in a new yet faithful way.

Paraphrasing is a skill that shows advanced thinking abilities like understanding, abstract thinking, and rearranging ideas. When you paraphrase, you need to grasp the main point and significance of a message, connect new ideas to ones you already know, and reconstruct the message in a fresh but accurate way.

Paraphrasing Example #3

Understanding the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing is crucial in academic writing. While both involve restating information in one's own words, they serve different purposes. Paraphrasing focuses on expressing the original text in a new way, maintaining the same level of detail and length. Summarizing, on the other hand, aims to condense the main ideas and key points of the text into a shorter version.

In academic writing, it's important to grasp the distinction between paraphrasing and summarizing. Although both involve rephrasing information using your own words, they serve different purposes. Paraphrasing is all about expressing the original text in a fresh manner while keeping the same level of detail and length. On the other hand, summarizing aims to condense the primary ideas and key points of the text into a shorter version.

How To Summarize?

Summarizing information effectively is a useful skill that can help in many areas of life. Here are some tips to keep in mind when summarizing:

1. Focus on the main ideas

Read through the entire piece you want to summarize and identify the most important concepts and themes. Ignore minor details and examples. Focus on capturing the essence of the key ideas.

If it's an article or book, read introductions, headings, and conclusions to get a sense of the central themes. As you read, ask yourself "What is the author trying to convey here?" to determine what's most significant.

2. Keep it short

A summary should be considerably shorter than the original work. Aim for about 1/3 of the length or less. Be concise by eliminating unnecessary words and rephrasing ideas efficiently. Use sentence fragments and bulleted lists when possible.

3. Maintain objectivity

Summarize the work factually without putting your own personal spin or opinions on the information. Report the key ideas in an impartial, balanced manner. Do not make judgments about the quality or accuracy of the content.

4. Check your work

Review and edit your summary to ensure it's clear, coherent, and captures the essence of the most significant themes and concepts in the source material—all in your own words. Get feedback from others if possible. Revise as needed to improve the summary.

Summarizing Examples

Here are some summarizing examples:

Summary Example #1

Regular exercise has been shown to have numerous positive effects on mental health. It can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, improve mood, boost self-esteem, and enhance cognitive function. Exercise also promotes better sleep and stress management, contributing to overall well-being.

Regular exercise has many mental health benefits. It reduces anxiety and depression, improves mood, boosts self-esteem, and enhances cognitive function. Exercise also helps with sleep and stress management, promoting overall well-being.

Summary Example #2

Effective communication is essential in the workplace. It builds strong relationships among team members, enhances productivity, and promotes a positive work environment. Good communication involves active listening, clear and concise expression of ideas, and providing constructive feedback. It also involves understanding non-verbal cues and adapting communication styles to different individuals and situations. By fostering effective communication, organizations can minimize misunderstandings, resolve conflicts, and achieve their goals efficiently.

Effective workplace communication is vital. It builds relationships, increases productivity, and fosters a positive environment. It involves active listening, clear expression of ideas, and constructive feedback. Understanding non-verbal cues and adapting to others is important. It minimizes misunderstandings, resolves conflicts, and helps achieve goals efficiently.

Summary Example #3

Social media has become a pervasive part of modern society. It allows people to connect, share information, and engage with others across the globe. With platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, individuals can stay updated on current events, follow their favorite celebrities, and express their opinions freely. Social media has also revolutionized the way businesses operate by providing a platform for advertising, customer engagement, and brand building.

Social media is now an integral part of society, enabling people to connect, share information, and engage globally. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter offer updates, celebrity updates, and the freedom to express opinions. It has also transformed businesses, offering advertising, customer engagement, and brand building opportunities.

Summarize and Paraphrase with Hypotenuse AI

Now you know the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing and how to apply these skills in your own writing. Being able to restate ideas in your own words is such an important ability, and these techniques will make you a stronger writer and communicator. Next time you read an article or have a conversation, challenge yourself to paraphrase the main points to reinforce your understanding. And when you want to distill lots of information into a compact message, work on crafting a high-level summary.

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Harvard Guide to Using Sources 

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Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting

Depending on the conventions of your discipline, you may have to decide whether to summarize a source, paraphrase a source, or quote from a source.

Scholars in the humanities tend to summarize, paraphrase, and quote texts; social scientists and natural scientists rely primarily on summary and paraphrase.

When and how to summarize

When you summarize, you provide your readers with a condensed version of an author's key points. A summary can be as short as a few sentences or much longer, depending on the complexity of the text and the level of detail you wish to provide to your readers. You will need to summarize a source in your paper when you are going to refer to that source and you want your readers to understand the source's argument, main ideas, or plot (if the source is a novel, film, or play) before you lay out your own argument about it, analysis of it, or response to it.

Before you summarize a source in your paper, you should decide what your reader needs to know about that source in order to understand your argument. For example, if you are making an argument about a novel, you should avoid filling pages of your paper with details from the book that will distract or confuse your reader. Instead, you should add details sparingly, going only into the depth that is necessary for your reader to understand and appreciate your argument. Similarly, if you are writing a paper about a journal article, you will need to highlight the most relevant parts of the argument for your reader, but you should not include all of the background information and examples. When you have to decide how much summary to put in a paper, it's a good idea to consult your instructor about whether you are supposed to assume your reader's knowledge of the sources.

Guidelines for summarizing a source in your paper

• Identify the author and the source.
• Represent the original source accurately.
• Present the source’s central claim clearly.
• Don’t summarize each point in the same order as the original source; focus on giving your reader the most important parts of the source
• Use your own words. Don’t provide a long quotation in the summary unless the actual language from the source is going to be important for your reader to see.

Stanley Milgram (1974) reports that ordinarily compassionate people will be cruel to each other if they are commanded to be by an authority figure. In his experiment, a group of participants were asked to administer electric shocks to people who made errors on a simple test. In spite of signs that those receiving shock were experiencing great physical pain, 25 of 40 subjects continued to administer electric shocks. These results held up for each group of people tested, no matter the demographic. The transcripts of conversations from the experiment reveal that although many of the participants felt increasingly uncomfortable, they continued to obey the experimenter, often showing great deference for the experimenter. Milgram suggests that when people feel responsible for carrying out the wishes of an authority figure, they do not feel responsible for the actual actions they are performing. He concludes that the increasing division of labor in society encourages people to focus on a small task and eschew responsibility for anything they do not directly control.

This summary of Stanley Milgram's 1974 essay, "The Perils of Obedience," provides a brief overview of Milgram's 12-page essay, along with an APA style parenthetical citation. You would write this type of summary if you were discussing Milgram's experiment in a paper in which you were not supposed to assume your reader's knowledge of the sources. Depending on your assignment, your summary might be even shorter.

When you include a summary of a paper in your essay, you must cite the source. If you were using APA style in your paper, you would include a parenthetical citation in the summary, and you would also include a full citation in your reference list at the end of your paper. For the essay by Stanley Milgram, your citation in your references list would include the following information:

Milgram, S. (1974). The perils of obedience. In L.G. Kirszner & S.R. Mandell (Eds.), The Blair reader (pp.725-737).

When and how to paraphrase

When you paraphrase from a source, you restate the source's ideas in your own words. Whereas a summary provides your readers with a condensed overview of a source (or part of a source), a paraphrase of a source offers your readers the same level of detail provided in the original source. Therefore, while a summary will be shorter than the original source material, a paraphrase will generally be about the same length as the original source material.

When you use any part of a source in your paper—as background information, as evidence, as a counterargument to which you plan to respond, or in any other form—you will always need to decide whether to quote directly from the source or to paraphrase it. Unless you have a good reason to quote directly from the source , you should paraphrase the source. Any time you paraphrase an author's words and ideas in your paper, you should make it clear to your reader why you are presenting this particular material from a source at this point in your paper. You should also make sure you have represented the author accurately, that you have used your own words consistently, and that you have cited the source.

This paraphrase below restates one of Milgram's points in the author's own words. When you paraphrase, you should always cite the source. This paraphrase uses the APA in-text citation style. Every source you paraphrase should also be included in your list of references at the end of your paper. For citation format information go to the Citing Sources section of this guide.

Source material

The problem of obedience is not wholly psychological. The form and shape of society and the way it is developing have much to do with it. There was a time, perhaps, when people were able to give a fully human response to any situation because they were fully absorbed in it as human beings. But as soon as there was a division of labor things changed.

--Stanley Milgram, "The Perils of Obedience," p.737.

Milgram, S. (1974). The perils of obedience. In L.G. Kirszner & S.R. Mandell (Eds.), The Blair reader (pp.725-737). Prentice Hall.

Milgram (1974) claims that people's willingness to obey authority figures cannot be explained by psychological factors alone. In an earlier era, people may have had the ability to invest in social situations to a greater extent. However, as society has become increasingly structured by a division of labor, people have become more alienated from situations over which they do not have control (p.737).

When and how much to quote

The basic rule in all disciplines is that you should only quote directly from a text when it's important for your reader to see the actual language used by the author of the source. While paraphrase and summary are effective ways to introduce your reader to someone's ideas, quoting directly from a text allows you to introduce your reader to the way those ideas are expressed by showing such details as language, syntax, and cadence.

So, for example, it may be important for a reader to see a passage of text quoted directly from Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried if you plan to analyze the language of that passage in order to support your thesis about the book. On the other hand, if you're writing a paper in which you're making a claim about the reading habits of American elementary school students or reviewing the current research on Wilson's disease, the information you’re providing from sources will often be more important than the exact words. In those cases, you should paraphrase rather than quoting directly. Whether you quote from your source or paraphrase it, be sure to provide a citation for your source, using the correct format. (see Citing Sources section)

You should use quotations in the following situations:

• When you plan to discuss the actual language of a text.
• When you are discussing an author's position or theory, and you plan to discuss the wording of a core assertion or kernel of the argument in your paper.
• When you risk losing the essence of the author's ideas in the translation from their words to your own.
• When you want to appeal to the authority of the author and using their words will emphasize that authority.

Once you have decided to quote part of a text, you'll need to decide whether you are going to quote a long passage (a block quotation) or a short passage (a sentence or two within the text of your essay). Unless you are planning to do something substantive with a long quotation—to analyze the language in detail or otherwise break it down—you should not use block quotations in your essay. While long quotations will stretch your page limit, they don't add anything to your argument unless you also spend time discussing them in a way that illuminates a point you're making. Unless you are giving your readers something they need to appreciate your argument, you should use quotations sparingly.

When you quote from a source, you should make sure to cite the source either with an in-text citation or a note, depending on which citation style you are using.  The passage below, drawn from O’Brien’s  The Things They Carried , uses an MLA-style citation.

On the morning after Ted Lavender died, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha's letters. Then he burned the two photographs. There was a steady rain falling, which made it difficult, but he used heat tabs and Sterno to build a small fire, screening it with his body holding the photographs over the tight blue flame with the tip of his fingers.

He realized it was only a gesture. Stupid, he thought. Sentimental, too, but mostly just stupid. (23)

O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried . New York: Broadway Books, 1990.

Even as Jimmy Cross burns Martha's letters, he realizes that "it was only a gesture. Stupid, he thought. Sentimental too, but mostly just stupid" (23).

If you were writing a paper about O'Brien's The Things They Carried in which you analyzed Cross's decision to burn Martha's letters and stop thinking about her, you might want your reader to see the language O'Brien uses to illustrate Cross's inner conflict. If you were planning to analyze the passage in which O'Brien calls Cross's realization stupid, sentimental, and then stupid again, you would want your reader to see the original language.

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Sample Essay for Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting

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The following is a sample essay you can practice quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing. Examples of each task are provided at the end of the essay for further reference. Here is the citation for Sipher's essay:

Sipher, Roger. “So That Nobody Has to Go to School If They Don't Want To.” The New York Times , 19 Dec. 1977, p. 31.

So That Nobody Has To Go To School If They Don't Want To

by Roger Sipher

A decline in standardized test scores is but the most recent indicator that American education is in trouble.

One reason for the crisis is that present mandatory-attendance laws force many to attend school who have no wish to be there. Such children have little desire to learn and are so antagonistic to school that neither they nor more highly motivated students receive the quality education that is the birthright of every American.

The solution to this problem is simple: Abolish compulsory-attendance laws and allow only those who are committed to getting an education to attend.

This will not end public education. Contrary to conventional belief, legislators enacted compulsory-attendance laws to legalize what already existed. William Landes and Lewis Solomon, economists, found little evidence that mandatory-attendance laws increased the number of children in school. They found, too, that school systems have never effectively enforced such laws, usually because of the expense involved.

There is no contradiction between the assertion that compulsory attendance has had little effect on the number of children attending school and the argument that repeal would be a positive step toward improving education. Most parents want a high school education for their children. Unfortunately, compulsory attendance hampers the ability of public school officials to enforce legitimate educational and disciplinary policies and thereby make the education a good one.

Private schools have no such problem. They can fail or dismiss students, knowing such students can attend public school. Without compulsory attendance, public schools would be freer to oust students whose academic or personal behavior undermines the educational mission of the institution.

Has not the noble experiment of a formal education for everyone failed? While we pay homage to the homily, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink," we have pretended it is not true in education.

Ask high school teachers if recalcitrant students learn anything of value. Ask teachers if these students do any homework. Quite the contrary, these students know they will be passed from grade to grade until they are old enough to quit or until, as is more likely, they receive a high school diploma. At the point when students could legally quit, most choose to remain since they know they are likely to be allowed to graduate whether they do acceptable work or not.

Abolition of archaic attendance laws would produce enormous dividends.

First, it would alert everyone that school is a serious place where one goes to learn. Schools are neither day-care centers nor indoor street corners. Young people who resist learning should stay away; indeed, an end to compulsory schooling would require them to stay away.

Second, students opposed to learning would not be able to pollute the educational atmosphere for those who want to learn. Teachers could stop policing recalcitrant students and start educating.

Third, grades would show what they are supposed to: how well a student is learning. Parents could again read report cards and know if their children were making progress.

Fourth, public esteem for schools would increase. People would stop regarding them as way stations for adolescents and start thinking of them as institutions for educating America's youth.

Fifth, elementary schools would change because students would find out early they had better learn something or risk flunking out later. Elementary teachers would no longer have to pass their failures on to junior high and high school.

Sixth, the cost of enforcing compulsory education would be eliminated. Despite enforcement efforts, nearly 15 percent of the school-age children in our largest cities are almost permanently absent from school.

Communities could use these savings to support institutions to deal with young people not in school. If, in the long run, these institutions prove more costly, at least we would not confuse their mission with that of schools.

Schools should be for education. At present, they are only tangentially so. They have attempted to serve an all-encompassing social function, trying to be all things to all people. In the process they have failed miserably at what they were originally formed to accomplish.

Example Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation from the Essay:

Example summary: Roger Sipher makes his case for getting rid of compulsory-attendance laws in primary and secondary schools with six arguments. These fall into three groups—first that education is for those who want to learn and by including those that don't want to learn, everyone suffers. Second, that grades would be reflective of effort and elementary school teachers wouldn't feel compelled to pass failing students. Third, that schools would both save money and save face with the elimination of compulsory-attendance laws.

Example paraphrase of the essay's conclusion: Roger Sipher concludes his essay by insisting that schools have failed to fulfill their primary duty of education because they try to fill multiple social functions (par. 17).

Example quotation: According to Roger Sipher, a solution to the perceived crisis of American education is to "[a]bolish compulsory-attendance laws and allow only those who are committed to getting an education to attend" (par. 3).

Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Writing > The Difference Between Summarizing & Paraphrasing

The Difference Between Summarizing & Paraphrasing

Summarizing and paraphrasing are helpful ways to include source material in your work without piling on direct quotes. Understand the differences between these approaches and when to use each.

Summarizing vs. Paraphrasing: The Biggest Differences

Though summarizing and paraphrasing are both tools for conveying information clearly and concisely, they help you achieve this in different ways. In general, the difference is rooted in the scale of the source material: To share an entire source at once, you summarize; to share a specific portion of a source (without quoting directly, of course), you paraphrase.

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What is Summarizing?

Summarizing is simplifying the content of a source to its main points in your own words. You literally sum up something, distill it down to its most essential parts. Summaries cover whole sources rather than a piece or pieces of a source and don’t include direct quotes or extraneous detail.

How to Summarize

• Understand the original thoroughly. You may start by scanning the original material, paying close attention to headers and any in-text summaries, but once you’re sure that this source is something you’re going to use in your research paper , review it more thoroughly to gain appropriate understanding and comprehension.
• Take notes of the main points. A bulleted list is appropriate here-note the main idea of each portion of the source material. Take note of key words or phrases around which you can build your summary list and deepen your understanding.
• Build your summary. Don’t just use the list you’ve already created—this was a first draft . Craft complete sentences and logical progression from item to item. Double check the source material to ensure you’ve not left out any relevant points and trim anything extraneous. You can use a bulleted or numbered list here or write your summary as a paragraph if that’s more appropriate for your use. Make sure to follow the rules of parallelism if you choose to stay in list form.

What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is rephrasing something in your own words; the word comes from the Greek para -, meaning “beside” or “closely resembling”, 1 combined with “phrase,” which we know can mean a string of words or sentences. 2 Paraphrasing isn’t practical for entire sources—just for when you want to highlight a portion of a source.

How to Paraphrase

• Read actively . Take notes, highlight or underline passages, or both if you please-whatever makes it easiest for you to organize the sections of the source you want to include in your work.
• Rewrite and revise. For each area you’d like to paraphrase, take the time to rewrite it in your own words. Retain the meaning of the original text, but don’t copy it too closely; take advantage of a thesaurus to ensure you’re not relying too heavily on the source material.
• Check your work and revise again as needed . Did you retain the meaning of the source material? Did you simplify the language of the source material? Did you differentiate your version enough? If not, try again.

Summarizing and paraphrasing are often used in tandem; you’ll likely find it appropriate to summarize an entire source and then paraphrase specific portions to support your summary. Using either approach for including sources requires appropriate citing, though, so ensure that you follow the correct style guide for your project and cite correctly.

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Paraphrase and Summary

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When should I paraphrase, and when should I summarize?

To paraphrase means to restate someone else’s ideas in your own language at roughly the same level of detail. To summarize means to reduce the most essential points of someone else’s work into a shorter form. Along with quotation, paraphrase and summary provide the main tools for integrating your sources into your papers. When choosing which to use, consider first your discipline and the type of writing in which you are engaged. For example, literature reviews in science reports rely almost exclusively on summary. Argumentative essays, by contrast, rely on all three tools.

Paraphrase and summary are indispensable in argumentative papers because they allow you to include other people’s ideas without cluttering up your paragraphs with quotations . These techniques help you take greater control of your essay. Consider using either tool when an idea from one of your sources is important to your essay but the wording is not. Space limitations may guide you in your choice. But above all, think about how much of the detail from your source is relevant to your argument. If your reader needs to know only the bare bones, then summarize.

Though paraphrase and summary are often preferable to quotation, do not rely too heavily on them, either. Your ideas are what matter most. Allow yourself the space to develop those ideas.

How do I paraphrase?

Whenever you paraphrase, remember these two points:

• You must provide a reference.
• The paraphrase must be in your own words. You must do more than merely substitute phrases here and there. You must also create your own sentence structures.

Finding new words for ideas that are already well expressed can be hard, but changing words should not be your chief aim anyway. Focus, rather, on filtering the ideas through your own understanding. The following strategy will make the job of paraphrasing a lot easier:

• When you are at the note-taking stage, and you come across a passage that may be useful for your essay, do not copy the passage verbatim unless you think you will want to quote it.
• If you think you will want to paraphrase the passage, make a note only of the author’s basic point (or points). You don’t even need to use full sentences.
• In your note, you should already be translating the language of the original into your own words. What matters is that you capture the original idea.
• Make sure to jot down the source as well as the page number so that you can make a proper reference later on.

When it comes time to write the paper, rely on your notes rather than on the author’s work. You will find it much easier to avoid borrowing from the original passage because you will not have seen it recently. Follow this simple sequence:

• Convert the ideas from your notes into full sentences.
• Provide a reference.
• Go back to the original to ensure that (a) your paraphrase is accurate and (b) you have truly said things in your own words.

Let’s look at examples of illegitimate and legitimate paraphrase, using a passage from Oliver Sacks’ essay “An Anthropologist on Mars”:

The cause of autism has also been a matter of dispute. Its incidence is about one in a thousand, and it occurs throughout the world, its features remarkably consistent even in extremely different cultures. It is often not recognized in the first year of life, but tends to become obvious in the second or third year. Though Asperger regarded it as a biological defect of affective contact—innate, inborn, analogous to a physical or intellectual defect—Kanner tended to view it as a psychogenic disorder, a reflection of bad parenting, and most especially of a chillingly remote, often professional, “refrigerator mother.” At this time, autism was often regarded as “defensive” in nature, or confused with childhood schizophrenia. A whole generation of parents—mothers, particularly—were made to feel guilty for the autism of their children.

What follows is an example of illegitimate paraphrase :

The cause of the condition autism has been disputed. It occurs in approximately one in a thousand children, and it exists in all parts of the world, its characteristics strikingly similar in vastly differing cultures. The condition is often not noticeable in the child’s first year, yet it becomes more apparent as the child reaches the age of two or three. Although Asperger saw the condition as a biological defect of the emotions that was inborn and therefore similar to a physical defect, Kanner saw it as psychological in origin, as reflecting poor parenting and particularly a frigidly distant mother. During this period, autism was often seen as a defence mechanism, or it was misdiagnosed as childhood schizophrenia. An entire generation of mothers and fathers (but especially mothers) were made to feel responsible for their offspring’s autism (Sacks 247-48).

Most of these sentences do little more than substitute one phrase for another. An additional problem with this passage is that the only citation occurs at the very end of the paragraph. The reader might be misled into thinking that the earlier sentences were not also based on Sacks.

The following represents a legitimate paraphrase of the original passage:

In “An Anthropologist on Mars,” Sacks lists some of the known facts about autism. We know, for example, that the condition occurs in roughly one out of every thousand children. We also know that the characteristics of autism do not vary from one culture to the next. And we know that the condition is difficult to diagnose until the child has entered the second or third year of life. As Sacks points out, often a child who goes on to develop autism will show no sign of the condition at the age of one (247). Sacks observes, however, that researchers have had a hard time agreeing on the causes of autism. He sketches the diametrically opposed positions of Asperger and Kanner. On the one hand, Asperger saw the condition as representing a constitutional defect in the child’s ability to make meaningful emotional contact with the external world. On the other hand, Kanner regarded autism as a consequence of harmful childrearing practices. For many years confusion about this condition reigned. One unfortunate consequence of this confusion, Sacks suggests, was the burden of guilt imposed on so many parents for their child’s condition (247-48).

This paraphrase illustrates a few basic principles that can help you to paraphrase more effectively:

• Refer explicitly to the author in your paraphrase. The passage above makes explicit right away that the ideas come from Sacks. Its indebtedness is signaled in a few strategic places. The single parenthetical note at the end of each paragraph is therefore all that is needed by way of citation. Referring to Sacks also strengthens the passage by clarifying the source of its ideas.
• Don’t just paraphrase. Analyze. In the paraphrase of Sacks, the decision to split the original passage into two paragraphs adds an analytical dimension: the new passage doesn’t just reiterate his points but lays out the two-part structure of his argument.
• Not all of the details from the original passage need to be included in the paraphrase.
• You don’t need to change every word. For the sake of clarity, keep essential terms the same (e.g., autism , culture , children ). However, avoid borrowing entire phrases (e.g., reflection of bad parenting ) unless they are part of the discourse of your field (e.g., psychogenic disorder ).

How do I summarize?

Summary moves much further than paraphrase from point-by-point translation. When you summarize a passage, you need first to absorb the meaning and then to capture in your own words the most important elements from the original passage. A summary is necessarily shorter than a paraphrase.

Here is a summary of the passage from “An Anthropologist on Mars”:

In “An Anthropologist on Mars,” Sacks notes that although there is little disagreement on the chief characteristics of autism, researchers have differed considerably on its causes. As he points out, Asperger saw the condition as an innate defect in the child’s ability to connect with the external world, whereas Kanner regarded it as a consequence of harmful childrearing practices (247-48).

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Paraphrasing, Summarising and Quoting

Much of the work you produce at university will involve the important ideas, writings and discoveries of experts in your field of study. Quoting, paraphrasing and summarising are all different ways of including the works of others in your assignments.

Paraphrasing and summarising allow you to develop and demonstrate your understanding and interpretation of the major ideas/concepts of your discipline, and to  avoid plagiarism.

Paraphrasing and summarising require analytical and writing skills which are crucial to success at university.

What are the differences?

Paraphrasing.

• does not match the source word for word
• involves putting a passage from a source into your own words
• changes the words or phrasing of a passage, but retains and fully communicates the original meaning
• must be attributed to the original source.

Summarising

• involves putting the main idea(s) into your own words, but including only the main point(s)
• presents a broad overview, so is usually much shorter than the original text
• match the source word for word
• are usually a brief segment of the text
• appear between quotation marks

What is a quotation?  

A quotation is an exact reproduction of spoken or written words. Quotes can provide strong evidence, act as an authoritative voice, or support a writer's statements. For example:

Bell and Bell (1993) point out in their study of Australian-American cultural relations: "culture is never simply imposed 'from above' but is negotiated through existing patterns and traditions." (Bell & Bell 1993, p. 9)

Use a quote:

• when the author's words convey a powerful meaning
• when the exact words are important
• when you want to use the author as an authoritative voice in your own writing
• to introduce an author's position you may wish to discuss
• to support claims in, or provide evidence for, your writing.

How to quote

Quoting should be done sparingly and support your own work, not replace it. For example, make a point in your own words, then support it with an authoritative quote.

• appear between quotation marks (" ")
• exactly reproduce text, including punctuation and capital letters.
• A short quotation often works well when integrated into a sentence.
• If any words need to be omitted for clarity, show the omission with an ellipsis ( ... ).
• If any words need to be added to the quotation, put them between square brackets ([ ]).
• Longer quotations (more than 3 lines of text) should start on a new line and be indented on both sides. 

What is paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is a way of using different words and phrasing to present the same ideas. Paraphrasing is used with short sections of text, such as phrases and sentences.

A paraphrase offers an alternative to using direct quotations and allows you to integrate evidence/source material into assignments. Paraphrasing can also be used for note-taking and explaining information in tables, charts and diagrams.

When to paraphrase

Paraphrase short sections of work only i.e. a sentence or two or a short paragraph:

• as an alternative to a direct quotation
• to rewrite someone else's ideas without changing the meaning
• to express someone else's ideas in your own words

How to paraphrase

• Read the original source carefully. It is essential that you understand it fully.
• Identify the main point(s) and key words.
• Cover the original text and rewrite it in your own words. Check that you have included the main points and essential information.
• Ensure that you keep the original meaning and maintain the same relationship between main ideas and supporting points.
• Use synonyms (words or expression which have a similar meaning) where appropriate. Key words that are specialised subject vocabulary do not need to be changed.
• If you want to retain unique or specialist phrases, use quotation marks (“ “).
• Change the grammar and sentence structure. Break up a long sentence into two shorter ones or combine two short sentences into one. Change the voice (active/passive) or change word forms (e.g. nouns, adjectives).
• Change the order in which information/ideas are presented, as long as they still make sense in a different order.
• Identify the attitude of the authors to their subject (i.e. certain, uncertain, critical etc.) and make sure your paraphrase reflects this. Use the appropriate reporting word or phrase.
• Review your paraphrase to check it accurately reflects the original text but is in your words and style.
• Record the original source, including the page number, so that you can provide a reference.

What is a summary?

A summary is an overview of a text. The main aim of summarising is to reduce or condense a text to its most important ideas. Leave out details, examples and formalities. Summarising is a useful skill for making notes, writing an abstract/synopsis, and incorporating material in assignments.

When to summarise

Summarise long sections of work, like a long paragraph, page or chapter. 

• To outline the main points of someone else's work in your own words, without the details or examples.
• To include an author's ideas using fewer words than the original text.
• To briefly give examples of several differing points of view on a topic.
• To support claims in, or provide evidence for, your writing.

How to summarise

The amount of detail you include in a summary will vary according to the length of the original text, how much information you need, and how selective you are.

• Start by reading a short text and highlighting the main points.
• Reread the text and make notes of the main points, leaving out examples, evidence, etc.
• Rewrite your notes in your own words; restate the main idea at the beginning plus all major points.
• Transition signals in writing
• Quotations and paraphrases
• Punctuation
• Paraphrasing, summarising, quoting
• ^ More support

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• / What is the difference between quotation, paraphrase, and summary?

Writing in college often means using ideas from other sources. There are times when it may be best to quote the sources directly, while other times may be better served by paraphrasing or summary. In order to decide which technique to use, it is helpful to think about how you are using the information in your paper.

Definitions

• Quotation reproduces a statement word-for-word as it appears in its original source
• Paraphrase explains a statement by using your own words and sentence structure
• Summary explains a statement using your words, but typically condenses a larger statement into a shorter explanation

How to decide which approach to use

Direct quotations can be useful when the exact wording of a statement is important. The exact wording of a quotation may be significant to your claim. In example 1 below, the contrast between adjectives are important to the claim. Also, direct quotation may be important when you want to make sure you are being precise in representing the author’s position. Finally, you might choose to use a direct quotation when the original statement is particularly well written or structurally persuasive. If a statement uses elements such as parallelism or alliteration, you might not be able to recreate that same effect. An important element of the quotation in example 1 is the parallel structure between "lowest and vilest alleys" and "smiling and beautiful countryside."

When Sherlock tells Watson "the lowest and vilest alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside,” he intensifies suspense by equating innocence with evil ("The Adventure of the Copper Beeches" 502).

Paraphrasing is usually expected in research and argumentative essays. These type of papers benefit from paraphrasing because it shows that you understand the source and are therefore a reliable voice on that source. Paraphrasing can make the evidence more straightforward. Another reason to paraphrase is to adjust your tone for your audience. If the assignment asks you to write a presentation for your classmates, you do not want to quote scientific jargon. Your source is only persuasive and supportive if your readers understand it. The paraphrase of the quotation below is shorter, and more direct.

Original quotation:  “In the case of Facebook, it has changed its format multiple times, and merged other literacy practices – email, instant messaging, games – into its structure in an attempt to keep users on the site” (Keller 2014, 74).

Paraphrase: Facebook has tried to hold on to its users by incorporating new functions like games and email (Keller 2014).

Summaries can also be used in reviews, research papers, and argumentative essays. They have a similar purpose as paraphrasing, but they condense a large work (i.e. an entire chapter, article, or book) into a shorter text such as a paragraph or a short essay. Summaries allow you to focus your description on  the parts that are relevant to your discussion. Example 3 briefly summarizes Anne of Green Gables, focusing on Anne as a strong female character and could lead into a discussion of how the series teaches girls self-respect while also cherishing romance.

Anne of Green Gables is a book series that follows the life of an unruly red-headed orphan as she grows from an romantic adolescent into an independent young woman.

What can the Writing Center do to help?

Writing Center consultants can help you if you aren't sure what style of source integration works best for an assignment. Some essays require a mix of methods. Consultants can help you determine if your writing needs a better balance of integration methods. If you are less familiar with one of the three uses of sources, the Writing Center can give you additional pointers.

See our section on how to incorporate sources for more on punctuating and introducing quotations. Also see our section on avoiding plagiarism to learn how to paraphrase and summarize.

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Paraphrasing and Summarizing Exercises with Answers

Paraphrasing and Summarizing are two skills that are highly useful for writers. With these two techniques, writers can get help creating their content and providing it to their readers in an easy-to-peruse way.

However, if you happen to be new to the field of writing, you could be a little unaware and untrained in both these skills. But don’t worry. Everyone starts out as a beginner.

In this post, we’re going to be looking at some  paraphrasing and summarizing  exercises along with their answers and explanations. By following along, you’ll get a good idea about how you can use these techniques in your own capacity.

Let’s begin!

What is Paraphrasing and Summarizing?

Before we get to the exercises, let’s digress a little and understand what paraphrasing and summarization actually are.

Let’s start with paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing  is the process in which a particular piece of content is reworded and rephrased in such a way that it looks different from its original version but it has the same meaning and context.

A simple example of paraphrasing would be to change “John likes his cat” to “John adores his feline pet”. Paraphrasing can be as slight as merely changing some words in the text, or it can be as drastic as fully changing the tone, structure, order, and words of the content.

On the other hand,  Summarizing  is the process in which a piece of content is shrunk and shortened to about one-tenth of its original size. In this shortened version, the main idea and concept of the content is provided.

Summarization is usually used by authors and writers when they want to give a brief outline of a book or article to their readers.

Now that we’ve looked at the definitions of both, let’s move ahead to look at some exercises.

Paraphrasing Exercises (with Answers)

The main purpose of providing these exercises along with their answers is to help you understand what these techniques look like when they are implemented. Since we have explained their core definition above, you can try and work along the exercises to improve your skills a little as well.

Related:  Difference Between Paraphrasing And Rephrasing

Paraphrasing Exercise # 1:

Here is a sample paragraph that we will be paraphrasing as an exercise. We’ll write the paragraph alone first, and then provide the answer after a brief explanation.

Sample Paragraph:

"John could not find the butter in his fridge. He went to buy some from the store. On coming back, he saw his cat sitting on the floor, smacking its lips. There was some yellow stuff smeared all around its face. Thus, John solved the mystery of the missing butter."

So, as we mentioned earlier, paraphrasing can be done simply and sparingly, or it can be done drastically.

One of the primary and basic ways of paraphrasing is to simply change some words in the provided content with their synonyms. This is, we reiterate, a very basic level of paraphrasing, and it is often very easy to see through it.

So, for this first exercise, we are going to be doing only that level of paraphrasing as a way to illustrate how it looks like.

Here is what the above paragraph looks like when paraphrased:

Paraphrased Paragraph:

"John could not locate the butter in the refrigerator. He went to purchase some from the shop. On coming back, he observed his cat sitting on the ground, licking its lips. There was some yellow material smeared all around its face. Hence, John solved the mystery of the missing butter."

While we are on this discussion, it will also be salubrious to understand that when changing words with their synonyms for the purpose of paraphrasing, you have to be careful that you pick those that don’t mess up the context and intent of the lines.

Paraphrasing Exercise # 2:

Moving on, let’s look at another paraphrasing exercise. Here is the paragraph that we will be using for this one:

"John’s cat got lost in the forest. He went looking for it in the night time. He heard some movement in one of the bushes. He put his hand in and felt the fur. He pulled the thing out, thinking it to be his cat. After coming home, he realized it was an angry raccoon."

We mentioned in the last exercise that the basic level of paraphrasing is to change some of the words in the given text with their synonyms. And we also mentioned how that sort of paraphrasing can be easily detected.

So, for writers who want to paraphrase something in such a way that it does not resemble its original form a lot, there’s a step further that they can go, and that is to change the sentence structures + phrases.

Essentially, by changing the phrases used in the content as well as the arrangement of the sentences, the overall look of the paraphrased piece looks very different. If someone wants to go even ahead of that, they can shuffle the sentence  order  as well.

Considering this type of ‘extensive’ paraphrasing, here is the answer to the paragraph given above:

"John’s cat went missing in the forest. He went to search for it when it was dark. He discerned some movement in the hedge. After putting his hand inside it, he felt some fur. Thinking that it was his cat, he pulled the animal out. It was only after coming home that he realized that it was a frustrated raccoon."

Read more: How And Why to Paraphrase Your Content?

Summarizing Exercises (with Answers)

Now that we have looked at the paraphrasing exercises, let’s move on to look at some for summarizing.

Just as we’ve looked at two types of paraphrasing above, we’ll also look at two different types of summarizing.

Actually, it’ll be better if we explain those two types before getting to the exercises.

Basically, there are  two types of summaries . One of them is called  extractive  and the other is called  abstractive .

In extractive summarization, the summary of a piece of content is generated merely by taking out some sentences from it and joining them together. This is usually the type of summaries that you get from automated tools.

When extractive summaries are created, there is no effort to understand the actual meaning and context of the text. Rather, the purpose is only to take some lines from it and join them together in such a way that they make sense.

On the other hand, abstractive summaries are those that are written using a completely new and different set of words, phrases and sentences than the content (that is being summarized). As opposed to extractive summarization, abstractive summarization involves understanding the meaning and context of the text, and then creating a completely new summary that features all those concepts and ideas.

Summarizing Exercise # 1 (Extractive)

In order to demonstrate and explain extractive summarization, we’re going to first write a paragraph here and then provide its summary afterwards:

Sample paragraph:

"John’s car broke down. He stopped by the road side and screamed at people to stop and help him. But no one stopped for him. He continued howling and howling for hours. People kept driving by. After getting tired, he picked up a sheet and wrapped it around himself. Then, he started spinning on his spot. He grew dizzy. He kept spinning and spinning until he fell asleep."

Now, since we have to use the “extractive” summarization technique here, we’ll create the summary using the lines and sentences used in the content itself.

"John’s car broke down. But no one stopped for him. Then, he started spinning on the spot. He kept spinning and spinning until he fell asleep."

Summarizing Exercise # 2 (Abstractive)

For this exercise, we will use the same para that we did above. However, the technique used for the summarization will be different.

Since we will be using the abstractive technique here, the summary will be created using different words and phrases as the original.

"John’s vehicle went phut. But, no one stopped their car to help him. After he was tired, he made himself dizzy by spinning and then went to sleep."

So, that’s about it.

If you were a little confused about paraphrasing and summarization techniques, hopefully you’re a little more confident about them now.

These skills can come in handy for writers in a lot of different situations. If you don’t have the hang of them already, you should try and get it as quick as you can.

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Encouragers, Paraphrasing and Summarising

A counsellor can encourage a client to continue to talk, open up more freely and explore issues in greater depth by providing accurate responses through encouraging, paraphrasing and summarising. Responding in this way informs the client that the counsellor has accurately heard what they have been saying. Encouragers, paraphrases and summaries are basic to helping a client feel understood.

Encouragers, also known as intentional listening , involve fully attending to the client, thus allowing them to explore their feelings and thoughts more completely. Paraphrasing and summarising are more active ways of communicating to the client that they have been listened to. Summarising is particularly useful to help clients organise their thinking.

The diagram below shows how encouragers, paraphrases and summaries are on different points of a continuum, each building on more of the information provided by the client to accurately assess issues and events.

Encouragers – Encouragers are a variety of verbal and non-verbal ways of prompting clients to continue talking.

Types of encouragers include:

• Non-verbal minimal responses such as a nod of the head or positive facial expressions
• Verbal minimal responses such as “Uh-huh” and “I hear what you’re saying”
• Brief invitations to continue such as “Tell me more”

Encouragers simply encourage the client to keep talking. For a counsellor to have more influence on the direction of client progress they would need to make use of other techniques.

Paraphrases – To paraphrase, the counsellor chooses the most important details of what the client has just said and reflects them back to the client. Paraphrases can be just a few words or one or two brief sentences.

Paraphrasing is not a matter of simply repeating or parroting what the client has stated. Rather it is capturing the essence of what the client is saying, through rephrasing. When the counsellor has captured what the client is saying, often the client will say, “That’s right” or offer some other form of confirmation.

Example: I have just broken up with Jason. The way he was treating me was just too much to bear. Every time I tried to touch on the subject with him he would just clam up. I feel so much better now. Paraphrase: You feel much better after breaking up with Jason.

Summaries – Summaries are brief statements of longer excerpts from the counselling session. In summarising, the counsellor attends to verbal and non-verbal comments from the client over a period of time, and then pulls together key parts of the extended communication, restating them for the client as accurately as possible.

A check-out, phrased at the end of the summary, is an important component of the statement, enabling a check of the accuracy of the counsellor’s response. Summaries are similar to paraphrasing, except they are used less frequently and encompass more information.

• July 21, 2009
• Communication , Counselling Process , Encouraging , Microskills , Paraphrasing
• Counselling Theory & Process

Comments: 23

Yeah,must say i like the simple way these basic counselling skills are explained in this article. More of same would be most welcome as it helps give a better understanding of the counselling process and the methods and techniques used within the counselling arena

I really find this information helpful as a refresher in my studies and work. Please keep up the excellent work of ‘educating’ us on being a better counsellor. Thank you!

Wonderfully helpful posting. Many thanks!

Thankyou so much. I am doing a assignment at uni about scitzophrenia and needed to clarify what paraphrasing truly meant. Cheers

So helpful to me as a counselor.

Thankx so much for these post. I’m doing Counselling and Community Services and I need to clarify what summarising and paraphrasing really meant. Once again thank you, this information it’s really helpful

Hello Antoinette friend and doing guidance and counselling need uo help about this question With relevent examples explain the following concepts as used in communicating to clients. (I;listening to verbal messages and using encouraged minimal prompts. 2)making use of non verbal communication and exhibiting attending behaviours using Gerald Eganis macro skill SOLER/ROLES. 3.paraphrasing 4.identifying and reflecting feelings and emotions from the clients story 5.summarizing 6.confrotation 7.counsellor self disclosure 8.asking open and close open ended concept 9.answering questions 10.clarifying

thanks I am doing a counselling community services at careers Australia

Really love the explanations given to the active listening techniques it was really useful and helpful good work done.

Helpful. Thanks!

I really like hw u explain everything in to simple terms for my understanding.

Hai ,thanks for being here .Am a student social worker,i need help an an able to listen to get the implied massages from the client.and to bring questions to explore with them .I love to do this work .What shall I do.how do i train my self in listening.

really appreciate.

You explanation of these three basic intentional listening are very helpful. Thank you for remained us.

very helpful indeed in making the client more open and exploring the issues more deeply

Very important cues.thanks

the article was helpful .thank you for explaining it in more clear and simple words.appreciate it alot .

I need to write about what counselling words mean ie I understand summarising and paraphrasing any more would be useful as I’m near the end of my course

I have a role play exam tomorrow on counselling and find above explanation very useful. thanks for sharing.

This explanation is clear and precise. Very easy to understanding than the expensive textbook. Please keep posting as this helps a lot. Thanks and God bless.

Pingback: Summarising In Counseling (a Comprehensive Overview) | OptimistMinds

One of the simple and memorable descriptions of this I’ve read, thanks so much!

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Paraphrasing, quoting and summarising: Summary example

• What's in this guide
• Introduction
• Paraphrasing example
• Summary example
• Quoting example
• Additional resources

Example of a summary

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• Last Updated: Apr 27, 2023 4:28 PM
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Summarizing and Paraphrasing Examples

In the previous article we talked about the difference between paraphrasing and quoting . While in this one I will try to elaborate the meaning of Summarizing and paraphrasing and provide examples for a better understanding. Summarizing and paraphrasing are two unique academic skills that are sought-after in almost all writers. Whether you are a student or someone who is working in the content creation industry you must acquire these skills to succeed. There are subtle differences between summarizing, and paraphrasing and people get easily confused between the two.

Summarizing is the skill of expressing critical points from an article or research paper. While writing a summary one tries to avoid adding unnecessary details or formalities. Instead of dragging on a text a summary is meant to keep things brief and provide accurate information about the primary write up to the reader. It uses paraphrasing to help portray a concept in easier words without dragging on the topic. Example – Textbooks have a summary after the end of every chapter so that students can get a basic idea of the overall concepts in the lesson.

Paraphrasing, on the other hand, is the skill of writing down your thoughts that you acquire by reading a few texts on the same topic. Paraphrasing helps out people who are looking forward to writing research papers or create unique content with the help of the research they have done from reading online. The main objective of a paraphrase is to make sure that the message of the first passage is conveyed in a unique way which makes it simpler to understand. You can use rewritetool.net to generate paraphrased content, or you can do it yourself. Keep reading to understand how. Example – Writing an assignment for school by researching online and putting your thoughts into words by the understanding of that subject. Check this article more paraphrasing examples.

Related Topic : important skills to paraphrase a paragraph

How to get better in Summarizing and Paraphrasing

The English language provides us with tools that make it much more easier for us to share information concisely through summaries and unique content creation through paraphrasing. The best way to sharpen your grasp of any language is to practice its rules regularly. This is true for both writing summaries as well as making your unique paraphrases.

To help our readers enhance their skill base, we have prepared a few examples for both.

Example 1  – Original passage

The Illuminati is one of the most controversial conspiracies that have been a part of our pop culture for a long time. Even though there are no concrete proofs about a secret organization like that even existing, people still love to speculate. Some internet conspiracy theorists take the idea of this secret organization to such a level that it makes the whole possibility of it sound like a child’s imagination.

Illuminati conspiracy theories have been here for a long time. There are little to no proofs about its existence. Internet conspiracy theorists put up ideas which make the idea sound quite stupid. In conclusion, it’s all just speculations

The internet loves to join hands when they want to know about something that seems quite impressive even if it might be just false accusations. The secret organization of Illuminati is one such topic that is always a hot debate online even if no solid proofs are backing the theory. This obsession with the idea of such a well-hidden organization leads to many making even childish attempts at justifying their stance over its existence.

Example 2 – Original Passage

Ecosia is an up and coming search engine that is trying to help change the environment one search at a time. It is a company based in Berlin that gives away 80% of its revenue to non-profit organizations that help rebuild our deteriorating environment. This is a great marketing strategy as everyone is concerned about climate change, and if switching your search engine can help then there’s not much harm to it.

The Berlin-based ecosia search engine is trying to prevent climate change by donating 80% of its earnings to the NGOs that are working towards climate reform. Saving the environment by just changing your search engine is something that everyone would love to get behind and thus proves to be a great marketing strategy.

Now changing your search engine could help save the environment! A small and developing company by the name of Ecosia, based in Berlin is donating almost 80% of its income to organizations that are helping to rebuild our deteriorating environment. This is also an excellent promotion opportunity for the company as everyone is increasingly getting concerned about the repercussions of climate change.

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Selecting and summarising information | English for Year 7 PDF Download

Summarize as an Educational Tool

Understanding summarization.

Summarization plays a pivotal role in enhancing reading and writing skills. It entails grasping the key points of an original text and articulating them succinctly and clearly in your own words. This guide will assist you in mastering the art of summarization and delineate the distinctions between summarizing and paraphrasing.

Defining a Summary

A summary is a concise presentation of the primary aspects of a source material. It serves to narrate a story or convey information using a few sentences, ensuring brevity and ease of comprehension. An effective summary concentrates on the overarching themes and excludes minor details, with the aim of encapsulating the fundamental ideas of a written work.

Contrasting Summarization and Paraphrasing

• Paraphrasing: Restating another individual's content or concept in your own words while maintaining the same level of detail.
• Summarizing: Expressing the core concepts of a piece in your own words, with a focus on the main ideas and broader themes.

Both techniques are employed to integrate sources or the ideas of other writers into essays or research papers.

Identifying Key Elements in a Text

• Main Idea: The main concept the writer aims to convey, typically located at the beginning of a text.
• Supporting Details: Information that bolsters and explains the main idea.
• Key Information: Crucial evidence, reasons, examples, and clarifications that reinforce the main idea.

Guidelines for Crafting a Summary

• Base on the Original Piece: Use your own words while faithfully reflecting the original content to prevent misinterpretation.
• Keep it Short and Simple: Summaries should be notably more concise than the source, focusing solely on central concepts.
• Use Your Own Words: Recap essential ideas using your unique phrasing for enhanced readability and comprehension.
• Identify Main Ideas and Key Information: Discern critical details to retain while omitting non-essential elements without altering the original message.
• Maintain Objectivity: Refrain from injecting personal viewpoints into the original text's concepts.
• Comprehensive: Ensure all significant ideas are identified to preserve the complete essence in a condensed form.
• Concise: Avoid repeating ideas to maintain a smooth flow in your summary.
• Coherence: Guarantee clarity and organization in the summary, avoiding disjointed sentences.

Understanding Skills for Summarizing

• Scanning and Skimming: These techniques help in quickly identifying key ideas amidst supporting details. For instance, when scanning a text, you are searching for specific information or main points without reading every word. Skimming, on the other hand, involves rapidly going through the text to get a general overview.
• Note-Taking: Taking notes during reading is crucial for maintaining a coherent flow of ideas. It helps in capturing important points for later reference and structuring your summary effectively.
• Graphic Organizers: These tools aid in visually organizing information, making it easier to structure a summary clearly. For example, using mind maps or diagrams can help in representing relationships between different concepts in the text.

True or False Activity on Summarizing

Determining whether certain statements about summarizing are accurate or not:

• A summary should have the same length as the original text. (False) : A summary should be significantly shorter than the original, capturing only the main points.
• A good summary is subjective. (False) : Objectivity is key in a summary; it should reflect the original content faithfully without personal bias.
• A summary is just another term for a paraphrase. (False) : While a summary condenses the main ideas, a paraphrase rephrases the text in different words without losing the original meaning.
• A summary does not include the central ideas of the original material. (False) : A summary should encapsulate the primary concepts and main points of the text.
• A good summary includes the writer's personal opinion about the topic. (False) : Personal opinions are not part of a summary; it should focus on the author's viewpoint.
• Include personal opinions when summarizing key information. (False) : Personal opinions can skew a summary; it should remain objective and factual.
• Maintain coherence when writing a summary. (True) : A well-structured summary should flow logically, presenting information in a clear and organized manner.
• Include only the supporting details in your summary. (False) : A summary should include both main ideas and supporting details, but in a condensed form.
• Use graphic organizers to maintain the good flow of ideas while drafting. (True) : Graphic organizers can help in structuring your summary effectively and ensuring a logical flow of information.
• Include all important ideas from the original text. (True) : A good summary captures all key points of the original text succinctly.

Conclusion on Summarizing

Summarizing is a crucial skill that involves grasping the main ideas and key details of a text and presenting them succinctly. By adhering to the strategies highlighted and honing the skills mentioned, you can craft effective summaries that capture the essence of any material.

Paraphrasing Information for Education

Remember to stay unbiased, use your own expressions, and maintain clear and organized summaries. Happy summarizing!

Paraphrasing Guidelines:

• Ensure objectivity in your writing.
• Use your own language to convey the information.
• Present your points in a clear and structured manner.

Examples of Paraphrasing:

Paraphrasing involves restating information in your own words. For instance, instead of copying a text word for word, you can rephrase it to demonstrate your understanding. This technique is essential for academic writing.

Key Takeaways:

• Objectivity is crucial in academic writing to maintain credibility.
• Paraphrasing helps in demonstrating comprehension without directly copying content.
• Structured and clear writing enhances the readability and impact of your work.

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QuillBot AI Review: Everything You Need to Know (2024)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving quickly, and new AI tools and platforms are constantly appearing. In an era where clear, concise writing is highly coveted, AI writing tools are becoming increasingly crucial. One such impressive technology is QuillBot AI . Starting as a simple paraphrasing tool, QuillBot has become a robust AI writing assistant that symbolizes a significant stride in AI content optimization. This review thoroughly explores QuillBot AI, focusing on its key features, pricing structure, and strengths and weaknesses.

• 1 What is QuillBot AI?
• 2 How Quillbot AI Works
• 3.1 1. The Paraphraser
• 3.2 2. The Grammar Checker
• 3.3 3. Summarizer
• 3.4 4. Citation Generator
• 3.5 5. QuillBot Plagiarism Checker
• 3.6 6. The Translator
• 3.7 7. Quillbot Extensions
• 4 QuillBot AI Pricing and Plans Review
• 5.1 Pros of Using QuillBot AI
• 5.2 Cons of Using QuillBot AI
• 6 How QuillBot Compares to Other Similar Tools
• 7 Should You Use QuillBot? (The Verdict)
• 8 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is QuillBot AI?

QuillBot AI is a leading AI writing companion and paraphrasing software designed to help anyone elevate the quality of their writing. At its core, it functions as one of the best AI rewriter tools to edit, rephrase, and enhance content like a professional.

It presents various features, including grammar checking, plagiarism detection, and content summarization. As such, QuillBot AI delivers substantial benefits for academics, essayists, and writers. Creating high-quality professional content can be time-consuming, and Quillbot streamlines the process using AI to improve your writing quickly, offering real-time suggestions and one-click solutions. Plus, it is an all-in-one solution that replaces the need to invest in multiple tools, making it cost-effective.

The versatility of the software caters to a diverse audience. While students can utilize its various writing tools, professional writers can efficiently collaborate and summarize lengthy text. If you want to improve your writing process, whether writing an email, an essay, or a long-form blog article, you will find Quillbot AI to be a valuable addition to your writing toolkit. It can revolutionize your writing process to produce surprising results.

How Quillbot AI Works

You can access QuillBot by visiting their online platform on their website . You don’t need to create an account; you can use a free version of QuillBot with limitations. Once you are there, you will see the available tools in the left sidebar. Click any of the tools to launch the user interface for each.

Each tool will have a consistent layout with different features that you can use to start refining your content. For example, when using the Grammar Checker, you can copy and paste your content into the user interface. QuillBot will readily analyze your text, pinpointing broken sentences and grammatical errors you can fix with a single click.

And the other other tools share the same easy-to-use interface and functionality. For instance, the Summarizer makes condensing long-form content or essays easy. Paste your text to generate a summary of key points. Additionally, it features a plagiarism checker, which helps identify and fix plagiarized content to ensure the originality of your content.

QuillBot’s AI functions by learning from datasets. Comprehending grammar, spelling, punctuation, tone, sentence structure, and readability, these datasets serve as knowledge accumulations. So, when users regularly disregard a specific suggestion, the AI adjusts to present more contextually relevant alternatives.

Breaking Down QuillBot AI Features

QuillBot AI offers several features for easy and effective content organization. We’ll delve into these features now.

1. The Paraphraser

QuillBot AI includes a paraphrasing tool. It empowers writers to rephrase text while preserving its central message. It’s an ideal tool for students and aspiring authors, requiring no account signup. Options for ‘Fewer Changes’ or ‘More Changes’ are available, with premium users getting maximum adjustments.

Paraphrase Modes

QuillBot AI assists users in paraphrasing and refining text. It employs seven unique modes, each tailored to specific objectives, to enhance the quality and readability of written content. Whether striving for clarity, professionalism, creativity, or conciseness, QuillBot AI offers a mode to suit your needs.

Here is an example sentence I added to the paraphraser text input area:

“It was a tough match. After three hours of immense struggle, I was able to get the job done.”

1. Standard Mode

Standard Mode serves as the default setting. It balances modifying the text for clarity and fluency while preserving the original meaning. The result is a refined text that maintains its natural flow and readability.

After clicking the Rephrase button, QuillBot swiftly provided a paraphrased output in Standard Mode. It merits noting that the level of paraphrasing hinges on the level of synonyms you set in the Synonyms bar at the right of the Modes bar above the content. The higher the level, the more liberty you give QuillBot to change the words of the original content.

The ensuing result was generated with a low Synonyms bar:

“It was a challenging game. I had to struggle for three hours before I was able to finish the task.”

The following result was generated with a maximum level of Synonyms:

“It was a challenging game. I had to battle for three hours before I was able to finish the task.”

With just one sentence, you can see that only one word changed, but with larger blocks of content, you will see that QuillBot will make more word changes with a higher level of synonyms.

2. Fluency Mode

In Fluency Mode, QuillBot AI ensures that the text is grammatically sound and genuinely readable. It makes minimal changes, primarily correcting grammar and providing the text sounds natural. Synonym substitutions are kept to a minimum, preserving the original meaning.

We paraphrased the same content in Fluency mode . It generated the following output:

“It was a difficult match. I completed the task after three hours of intense effort.”

3. Formal Mode

Formal Mode is the ideal choice for those working in academic or professional contexts. It transforms the text to sound more polished and professional, making it suitable for business reports, academic papers, and formal documents.

We paraphrased the same content in Formal Mode . It generated the following output:

“ It was a difficult match. After three hours of arduous effort, I was able to complete the task. ”

4. Academic Mode

Then, we paraphrased the same content in Academic Mode . Unlike the other modes, it doesn’t have any Synonyms bar. Instead, it seemed to give the content more details and wording suitable for academia. It generated the following output:

“ The contest was challenging. Following a prolonged period of three hours, characterized by significant exertion and effort, I successfully completed the task at hand. ”

5. Simple Mode

Simple Mode simplifies the text, making it easier to understand and more accessible to a broader audience. It is an excellent choice when clarity and straightforward communication are essential.

We paraphrased the same content in Simple Mode . It generated the following output:

“ It was a hard game. I was able to finish the job after three hours of hard work. ”

6. Creative Mode

Creative Mode is the way to go if you’re looking to unleash your creativity and generate entirely unique content. This Mode substantially changes the text, potentially altering the original meaning. It’s a valuable tool for content creators seeking a fresh spin on their writing.

We paraphrased the same content in Creative Mode . It generated the following output:

“ That was one intense contest. It took me three hours of relentless effort, but I finally completed the task at hand. ”

7. Expand Mode

Expand Mode is perfect for those aiming to increase the length of their text. It adds words and details while retaining the original meaning, making it valuable for projects requiring a higher word count.

We paraphrased the same content in Expand Mode . It generated the following output:

“ It was a difficult match to watch. I had to put in a lot of effort for three hours before I was finally successful in completing the task. ”

Then, we produced an output with a high level of Synonyms as follows:

“The contest was a challenging one. I was able to finish the work, despite the fact that it took me three hours of intense effort.”

8. Shorten Mode

Shorten Mode comes to the rescue when you need to reduce the overall word count while maintaining the essence of your text. It trims unnecessary words and phrases, delivering a concise version of your content.

Lastly, we paraphrased the same content in Shorten Mode.  It generated the following output:

“ The match was hard. I finished after three hours of intense struggle. ”

Paraphraser Statistics

The ‘Statistics’ feature offers insights into text complexity and readability. It aids writers in adjusting their style to the desired tone and audience. Premium subscribers unlock tonality analysis, which assesses reader perceptions to enhance persuasive writing.

I have used the same content as the previous one in the “Fluency” mode. It has generated the following statistics.

The Statistics of the generated content are based on the following aspects:

• Average words in a sentence
• Average Syllables in a word
• Readability
• Sentence Count
• Character Count
• Percent Change
• Longest Unchanged Words

Paraphraser Settings

The “Settings” feature in the Paraphraser tool provides options to control how you want your content to be paraphrased and how you want the results to be displayed on the interface. In terms of paraphrasing the content, you choose the following:

• Paraphrase quotations
• Use contractions
• Prefer active voice

Under the Interface options, you can select the following:

• Use yellow highlight
• Show tooltips
• Show legend
• Show changed words
• Show structural changes
• Show the longest unchanged words

Overall, these settings do seem to give users more control and help them identify changes to their content much easier.

Paraphraser Compare Modes

Compare Modes is a valuable feature exclusively available to premium users, offering a comprehensive view of how a sentence is transformed across different modes within the platform. This feature enables users to evaluate and choose the most suitable rendition for their content by comparing various paraphrased versions. To access Compare Modes, locate and click on the dedicated icon in the settings bar on the right side of the page.

Once activated, Compare Modes opens a sidebar on the right-hand side of the screen, displaying the original sentence before paraphrasing and the results generated by all available modes simultaneously. The system defaults to the effect produced by the Mode in which the sentence was paraphrased. You can easily click the “Select” button next to the desired text to select your preferred sentence, seamlessly replacing the paraphrased sentence in your results. Additionally, you can further modify individual sentence results by clicking on circular arrow icons or making copies of them with a simple click on the copy icon. This powerful feature empowers users to fine-tune their content according to their specific needs and preferences, streamlining the content creation process.

Paraphraser History

By accessing the history feature, you can go through all the previous content you have modified. In my case, I checked my history, and it showed the last text paraphrased. It also shares the date and time when the content was modified.

The “Tone” feature in QuillBot AI paraphraser allows users to control and tailor the emotional and stylistic tone of their paraphrased content. With this feature, users can choose from various preset tones, such as casual , unfriendly , wordy , complex , and unclear . It ensures that the paraphrased text aligns perfectly with the desired style and intent. Whether you need your content to sound professional and academic or friendly and conversational, the Tone feature empowers you to achieve the right mood for your writing.

Paraphrasing for Different Languages

Quillbot AI supports 23 different languages for paraphrasing purposes. Not only does this make the tool more accessible, but it also comes in handy for making tweaks to the content generator by Quillbot’s translator tool.

2. The Grammar Checker

Quillbot AI offers a user-friendly and free Grammar-checking feature that doesn’t require signing up. When you paste your text into Quillbot’s editor, it identifies and highlights grammatical errors, including punctuation and spelling. With a convenient Fix All Errors option, you can swiftly correct multiple issues simultaneously. This Grammar Checker enhances writing precision and consistency. It quickly pinpoints potential errors in red, simplifying the editing process. This real-time underlining and instant correction feature saves writers time and improves productivity.

For instance, here is an example sentence I added to the grammar checker text input area:

“ Manchester United signed Sofyan Amrabat on a season-long loan move from Fiorentina. The Morocco midfielder has been desperate to join Erik ten Hag’s team since getting linked to the Red Devils in June. However, Manchester United’s plans differed on Deadline Day as they wanted to sign Fulham’s Joao Palhinha instead. ”

After copy-pasting the text into the Grammar Check, it will detect all the potential errors within the content. By putting your cursor on the underlined words, it will show you the errors individually.

Once you remove all the errors, it will provide you with the correct grammatical content. It will generate the following content.

“ Manchester United signed Sofyan Amrabat on a season-long loan deal from Fiorentina. The Morocco midfielder has been desperate to join Erik ten Hag’s team since getting linked to the Red Devils in June. However, Manchester United’s plans were different on Deadline Day, as they wanted to sign Fulham’s Joao Palhinha instead. ”

Furthermore, it seamlessly integrates with Quillbot’s Paraphrase tool, offering a comprehensive writing experience without needing an account. Its grammar-checking feature is valuable for writers seeking error-free, professional content.

3. Summarizer

Quillbot AI provides a Summarizer tool that condenses lengthy texts or articles into concise summaries, making it invaluable for students, researchers, and professionals.

Users can choose between Short and Long summarization options to control the level of detail. The Short summarization offers a brief overview, ideal for quickly grasping the central ideas or skimming through multiple articles. In contrast, the Long outline provides a more comprehensive summary, suitable for in-depth analysis or a deeper understanding of the text.

Quillbot AI’s Summarizer utilizes natural language processing to extract critical information while preserving the original context. It offers two summarization types: Key Sentences and Paragraph modes.

For instance, I added a block of content to the summarizer text input area. Using the Key Sentences feature, the tool has created five articulate points that summarize the content.

Changing the Summary Length can increase or decrease the depth of those points.

Selecting the Paragraph mode will provide a summary of the content in paragraph form.

Like the Key Sentences mode, the length of the summary can be changed by adjusting the Summary Length .

This feature streamlines research, study, and content review processes, enhancing productivity and comprehension for users across various fields.

4. Citation Generator

QuillBot’s Citation Generator is a valuable tool that simplifies the often complex process of citing sources in academic and professional writing. It allows users to choose from various citation styles and formats, ensuring compliance with specific guidelines and educational requirements. This feature dramatically reduces the potential headache associated with accurate source attribution.

It supports common APA, MLA, and Chicago styles, covering reference types like books and websites. With an intuitive interface, it swiftly generates in-text and complete citations, labeled and exportable to Microsoft Word. By automating this process, QuillBot’s Citation Generator saves users time and ensures proper crediting of sources, benefiting those involved in research and academic writing projects.

5. QuillBot Plagiarism Checker

Quillbot AI provides a plagiarism checker, which is a premium feature. It eliminates the need for external tools to verify content originality. Premium users can paste their content into the checker, receiving results within minutes, indicating if the content is unique or plagiarized. Premium members can scan up to 20 pages per month with this tool, making it suitable for various types of content, including research papers.

Its plagiarism checker stands out by accommodating research paper plagiarism checks, scanning up to 20 pages (approximately 5000 words) monthly. Consequently, it proves to be a valuable resource for essayists and academic writers, ensuring the integrity of their work.

Plagiarism detection is based on identical words , minor changes , paraphrased words , and omitted words .

6. The Translator

QuillBot AI provides its users with a Translation feature, allowing them to translate text into over 30 languages, making research and writing accessible across language barriers. It offers ad-free translation of up to 5,000 characters at once, includes integrated writing tools, and provides quick and accurate translations. The best part is that it’s free, enhancing convenience and accessibility for writers and researchers.

As a test, I added a block of content in the German language. The translator automatically detected it as German.

Then all you need to do is select the language you want it translated to on the right and click the Translate button.

7. Quillbot Extensions

The tool offers three convenient extensions and applications to enhance your writing experience across different platforms.

QuillBot Chrome Extension

The QuillBot Google Chrome extension is a valuable tool for online writing. It seamlessly integrates with your web browsing, allowing you to check grammar, paraphrase, and summarize online documents (Google Docs), emails, and social media posts. Moreover, it ensures your writing is polished and error-free across the internet.

QuillBot for Word

If you’re working offline in Microsoft Word, this extension empowers you to access the full capabilities of QuillBot. It assists you in crafting high-quality documents, reports, and essays, ensuring your writing is clear and concise, even when you’re not connected to the internet.

QuillBot for macOS

For Mac users, QuillBot offers a browser-free desktop application. This standalone tool simplifies the writing process, providing a smooth and efficient writing experience on your macOS device. Moreover, it’s perfect for those who prefer a dedicated desktop application for their writing needs.

QuillBot AI Pricing and Plans Review

QuillBot AI provides three different pricing options to suit different needs and budgets.

The Basic (Free) Plan allows you to experiment with the tool before attaining its subscription. With it, you can paraphrase 125 words. It provides Standard and Fluency modes with limited use of the Synonym Slider. Moreover, you can summarize up to 1,200 words through the Summarizer mode.

The premium version of QuillBot AI allows unlimited words for the Parphraser, more writing style modes, and up to 6,000 words in the Summarizer. It also provides access to Plagiarism Checker, Paraphraser History, and Compare Modes.

You have the choice of three different payment plans for premium. The Annual Plan costs $8.33 monthly, with $99.95 billed every 12 months. The Semi-Annual Plan costs $13.33 monthly, with $79.95 billed every six months. The Monthly Plan costs $19.95 per month. By subscribing to either of these premium subscriptions, you can paraphrase unlimited words in Paraphraser. The Summarizer will allow you to summarize up to 6,000 words, and you can fully use the Synonym Slider.

Pros and Cons of QuillBot AI

As we delve deeper into our comprehensive review of QuillBot AI, it becomes imperative to assess the advantages and disadvantages of this sophisticated language processing tool. While this tool boasts various features and capabilities, no technology is without its strengths and weaknesses.

Pros of Using QuillBot AI

• A free plan is available, and there’s no need to sign up.
• There is a refund policy in place.
• Extensions for Microsoft Word, Google Chrome, and macOS are readily available.
• You can access a free Language Translator.
• The option to upgrade makes it very affordable to access additional features.
• An app for content summarization is available for free.
• Additionally, there is a free Grammar Checker app provided.

Cons of Using QuillBot AI

• Only two writing modes are available for free.
• OpenAI GPT AI writing is unavailable.
• There is no AI content detection feature.
• Manual intervention is usually required.
• Both free and paid plans have character limitations in place

How QuillBot Compares to Other Similar Tools

QuillBot AI offers valuable features for text enhancement, including effective paraphrasing and translation. Its free plan is a budget-friendly option, making it accessible to a broad audience. When compared to Grammarly , QuillBot outshines Grammarly’s ability to rephrase content. However, Quillbot’s grammar-checking capabilities fall short of Grammarly’s robust editing features.

Tools like Copy.ai and Rytr AI may offer more comprehensive solutions for advanced AI content generation than QuillBot. These alternatives excel in generating content from scratch, making them suitable for various writing needs.

Regarding accessibility, QuillBot stands out with extensions for Microsoft Word, Google Chrome, and macOS. This enhances its usability and integration into daily writing tasks. It also eliminates the language barrier, whereas Grammarly, Copy.ai, and Rytr AI primarily focus on English.

Ultimately, choosing these tools depends on your specific requirements and budget. QuillBot is a reliable option for text enhancement, while other tools may be better suited for advanced AI content generation and comprehensive grammar checking.

Should You Use QuillBot? (The Verdict)

QuillBot AI offers undeniable value as an AI writing assistant for various teams and individuals. Need an alternative version of your original article? QuillBot can generate a new and improved version swiftly. It is handy for optimizing blog posts and other content, outperforming many free and paid AI rewriter tools . Its ability to paraphrase content significantly reduces plagiarism risks for academic assignments and research papers. Although some detectors, like Originality.ai , may still recognize QuillBot paraphrased content in some cases. No AI content generator is 100% human. That said, thanks to its versatility and proficiency, QuillBot is a worthwhile asset for writers, students, and content creators.

Looking for more? Check out our list of top AI writing tools . And for all aspiring writers, check out these AI story generators . You can also explore more of the best overall AI tools you can use to boost your productivity in various  ways .

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some common questions that may help you decide if QuillBot is right for you.

What is QuillBot?

Can quillbot be detected, how much does quillbot premium cost, how can quillbot be used as a paraphrasing tool, how can quillbot be used as a summarizer.

Get Started With QuillBot AI!

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By fahad hamid.

Fahad enjoys writing about a diverse range of topics, from business and marketing to design. Alongside this, he balances his love for tennis, showing skill both on the page and on the court.

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Teamwork & Collaborative Learning

Students working independently are capable of learning deeply, and it is likely that those of us who teach undergraduate students are well suited to this sort of intellectual method. Nevertheless, structuring learning so that students are required to respond to one another’s ideas, create a product together, and, more to the point, teach each other, can be an effective teaching strategy. Collaborative or cooperative learning (or, on occasion, “group work”) has stimulated significant literature. 

“Cooperative learning is an educational approach that promotes interaction among students and shared responsibility for academic achievement”  [Stein, R. & Hurd, S. (2000).  Using Student Teams in the Classroom.  Bolton MA: Anker Publishing Company, Inc.:  https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED446603 ]

The following examples are among the most well-known types of collaborative learning:

• Give students a discussion prompt, question, short problem, or issue to consider.
• Individuals work briefly on a response.
• Peers report their responses to each other in pairs.
• Some (or all) pairs summarize their discussion for the large group.

Think-pair-share is a low-stakes, low-effort strategy for active learning and abbreviated collaboration. Students must work independently, communicate their ideas to peers, consider peer responses, and share that discussion in a way that begins to synthesize an exchange. While it is unlikely that all pairs in a class will have the opportunity for the last step, calling on random pairs means that most should be prepared. Think-pair-share requires that students act, instead of passively listening.

Problem-based learning (or PBL) introduces a specific problem to students, usually in groups, over an extended period, and requires that they understand the problem and begin to propose a response or solution. PBL begins to approximate the sort of work scholars do (think of the “problem” as a sort of research question), as well as the way students may need to approach problems in their lives after higher education.

Guided Design, a type of PBL, leads students through steps as they work on a problem. So, for instance, groups might do preliminary research and report back simultaneously, identify stakeholders and report back simultaneously, propose compromises and report back simultaneously, etc. For more information about PBL visit the University of Delaware’s Problem-Based Learning Site at  www.udel.edu/inst  and come to talk to us at the Teaching and Learning Transformation Center.

Case studies provide students with sample problems from experience. So, for instance, students in microbiology might propose a response to a waterborne viral outbreak. Find more examples for the sciences and humanities at the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science .

Simulations ask students to adopt roles as they perform the work of a problem-solving group. Students of government and politics, for example, might take on the roles of business owners, city council members, and neighborhood advocates in a zoning dispute.

Peer teaching is a very effective means for both the student-as-teacher and student-as-learner to learn new concepts. One example of peer teaching is tutoring, which means guiding the learning of a newer student. This can be as informal as a brief discussion in which a student explains a concept or clarifies a misunderstanding. Supplemental instruction is the extended guidance students receive over an entire course from a secondary source (e.g., a tutor). Presentations ask students to communicate course material to their peers effectively. This requires more than restating content or paraphrasing the day’s readings.

Small group discussion offers students the chance to interact with peers, to listen, and to teach. Effective small group discussion is guided by clear directions and asks students to share a product (a summary of discussion, a consensus view with minority report, or even a critique of the discussion prompt).

Peer editing   guides students as they review each others’ drafts of written work. This foundation of the craft of academic writing serves to teach both editor (who must learn to read critically and communicate criticism) and writer (who must learn to consume, evaluate, and incorporate feedback). When requiring peer editing, articulate clear expectations, instead of simply asking students to read and evaluate writing (e.g., have them identify a thesis statement and assess the strength of the writer’s evidence).

The  jigsaw strategy  breaks problems into small parts and assigns parts to groups who report back, contributing a piece of the puzzle’s solution. For example, each student in a group might be assigned a distinct article to read on a shared topic or issue; each would present that article to the group to synthesize all articles. See Step-By-Step Instructions for the Jigsaw Strategy .

To increase the structure and student engagement in collaborative activities, instructors can assign group roles. Group roles can promote accountability and support students in staying on task.  Some examples of group roles (POGIL, 2016) are below:

• Manager  or  Facilitator : Manages the group by helping to ensure that the group stays on task, is focused, and that there is room for everyone in the conversation.
• Recorder : Keeps a record of those who were in the group, and the roles that they play in the group. The recorder also records critical points from the small group’s discussion along with findings or answers.
• Spokesperson  or  Presenter : Presents the group’s ideas to the rest of the class. The Spokesperson should rely on the recorder’s notes to guide their report.
• Reflector  or  Strategy Analyst : Observes team dynamics and guides the consensus-building process (helps group members come to a common conclusion).

For more information on Group Roles, you can utilize this resource from Washington University in St. Louis.

While there is of course some resistance to collaborative learning (think, for example, of your own experiences carrying the weight of the group whose participants may have not all contributed equitably), when planned carefully it helps to satisfy a number of goals. It requires active learning, in which students must engage with course material in ways lecturing alone cannot support. It takes advantage of the notion that teaching is learning and provides a structure for peer teaching. It supports multiple learning styles by adopting a heterogeneous approach (some students write, some discuss, some edit, some listen and synthesize, some move around to gather findings from different peers, etc). Finally, by simply unsettling what students are often used to (e.g., extended lectures with little or no contribution from inactive students), collaborative learning reminds students that learning requires more than listening, and that reminder may be an early step toward metacognition, the practice of thinking about (and recognizing) how we learn.

As you develop collaborative approaches, bear in mind the following:

• Do not simply put students in groups with vague directions to discuss a topic. Instead, focus the discussions with a question or topical conflict.
• Organize groups with a purpose. Have a learning objective in mind: Would it make more sense to assign groups randomly, to allow peers to organize themselves into groups, to place students together with those whose performance has been similar? There are rationales for each of the preceding; just be sure your strategy is not arbitrary.
• Always require a product of groups’ work, even if it is as informal as a brief summary of their discussion. Accountability will motivate students put in their full effort and the product will serve as a means of assessing their understanding.
• Consider ways for assigning roles, but resist appointing a “leader,” upon whom more responsibility will fall than his or her peers. Instead, think about roles that share work (e.g., facilitator, recording secretary, spokesperson).
• For long-term collaborative projects, require regular interim reports.
• Be attentive to student schedules. If requiring regular collaboration that demands face-to-face meetings, allow those meetings to take place during class.
• As with any method, be wary of overuse. If each class meeting relies on group work learning may be no more lasting than if each class relied exclusively on uninterrupted lectures.
• Always prepare and distribute a grading rubric for collaborative projects that will be graded.

Resources:  The TLTC maintains a library which includes several works on collaborative learning. Consider reviewing one or more of the following:

• Cuseo, J.B .  (1996).  Cooperative Learning: A Pedagogy for Addressing Contemporary Challenges & Critical Issues in Higher Education  Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press. 
• Davidson, N. & Worsham, T. (Eds.). (1992).  Enhancing Thinking through Cooperative Learning.  New York: Teachers College Press.
• Stein, R. F. & Hurd, S. (2000).  Using Student Teams in the Classroom: A Faculty Guide . Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company Inc.