how to make an essay not look plagiarized

Free Paraphrasing Tool to Avoid Plagiarism

You've finished your essay, but are worried about plagiarism? We’ve got good news for you. Our free online paraphrasing tool is here to rewrite your texts. Be sure never to be accused of plagiarizing!

In this article, you’ll find:

• The paraphrasing tool;
• Ways to steer clear of plagiarism;
• All you need to know about sentence rewriting;
• Answers to frequently asked questions about this topic.

• What Is a Paraphrasing Tool?
• How to Use the Rewording Tool
• What Makes Our Online Rephrasing Tool Handy?
• How to Reword a Sentence
• How to Reword a Quote

✅ What Is a Paraphrasing Tool?

To paraphrase means to present an idea in different words. A big part of this technique is consulting a thesaurus for synonyms. Luckily, you can put the dull dictionary aside and let the plagiarism changer do the job for you.

When writing a paper, make sure you properly cite all your sources. Also, keep your content unique. Failing to do this will result in plagiarism.

Cue the rephrasing generator. This quick machine:

• Provides alternative word suggestions;
• Replaces any part of speech with synonyms;
• Keeps your intended meaning;
• Guarantees plagiarism-free results.

🖥️ How to Use the Rewording Tool

With our free paraphrasing tool, you can rewrite a text in your own words in a matter of seconds. In this step-by-step guide, you’ll find everything you need to do:

• Open the website and paste your document into the box.
• Click “paraphrase my text.”
• Pick the synonyms you like.
• You’re done! Now you can copy your paraphrased text.
• Be sure to do a plagiarism check. For example, the online writing tool Grammarly has a professional plagiarism checker.

👍 What Makes Our Online Word Changer Handy?

Now that you know how our tool rephrases your sentences, you’re probably wondering why you need it. Here are its benefits;

• Unlike expensive software with the same purpose, it’s free and always available .
• It offers various synonyms to choose from , saving you time, and ensuring that your text still makes sense.
• Rephrasing helps avoid plagiarism .
• The generator can also assist you in creating summaries .

We’ve got your back, but it’s good to know how to stay away from trouble by yourself. Read on to get acquainted with various rewriting strategies.

✏️ How to Rephrase: Strategies to Avoid Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of stealing someone’s intellectual property. It can be deliberate but often happens unintentionally. In academia, this mostly means taking someone’s idea and not crediting the source. But don't worry: there are many ways avoid this. Here are the basics:

• Always using a plagiarism checker . This way, you’ll know for sure that what you’ve written is 100% yours.
• Quoting means adopting the original author’s wording directly and putting it in quotation marks. Make sure to resort to direct quoting only if it strengthens your argument, or if the quote is particularly expressive.
• A summary is a shortened version of the source. You don’t paraphrase its entire contents but break it down into the crucial parts.
• Taking notes while reading articles. Try to formulate the central ideas in simple words. This way, you'll automatically have a first draft of what you want to paraphrase.
• Lastly, changing the sentence structure while paraphrasing will help you sound natural.

Keep reading to learn more about rewording sentences and quotes.

📖 How to Reword a Sentence

Paraphrasing is very similar to summarizing. Both are key skills for writers. With these recommendations, you’ll always rewrite correctly and without plagiarizing.

To some terms, such as "globalization," you’ll hardly find alternatives. However, common words can easily be replaced.

Use various conjunctions or break the sentences up.

Replace nouns with verbs, verbs with adjectives, or vice versa.

This includes:

• Switching the voice from passive to active and the other way round.
• Turning clauses into phrases and vice versa, e.g., by omitting or adding pronouns.

This being said, the most effective method to rephrase something is by using all these techniques combined. Here are some examples:

“Categorization has become a major field of study, thanks primarily to the pioneering work of Eleanor Rosch, who made categorization an issue. (Lakoff 1987: 7)”

“Eleanor Rosch, who was the first to point out the importance of categorization, paved the way to make it an important subject. (see Lakoff 1987: 7)”

In this version, you can see multiple strategies at work. The structure is different, and all possible words were substituted. Yet, it still contains the original meaning. That’s precisely what we want!

Let’s have a look at this variant instead:

Paraphrase:

“Categorization is now a major field of study. It can be credited to the pioneering work of Eleanor Rosch, the first person to make categorization an issue.”

While the voice is switched in this paraphrase, it still is too close to the original. It uses the same wording and doesn’t credit the source.

Here’s another example:

“In a rare instance of consensus, linguists agree that grammar is extremely complex and hard to properly describe. (Langacker 2008: 27)”

“Linguists rarely agree with each other, but they all acknowledge that grammar is problematic and that it’s nearly impossible to explain it correctly. (Langacker 2008: 27)”

This version has synonyms and adds an extra preposition. Unfortunately, the alternatives "problematic" and "explain" tamper with the original meaning. Let's see how to paraphrase this paragraph properly:

“While linguists rarely share the same opinions, they all admit that grammar is almost impossible to depict comprehensively due to its intricate nature. (Langacker 2008: 27)”

In this case, the concept stays the same. The phrases are changed; there are a new structure and extra conjunction. Perfect!

💬 How to Reword a Quote

If you want your assignments to sound natural, provide the proper context for your quotes. It includes introducing them with phrases such as according to, in the words of, as defined by . Citing is appropriate, if:

• The wording is especially valuable;
• You need to support a claim;
• You want to debate and analyze the author’s position.

When writing, use a mix of direct quotes and paraphrases with an emphasis on the latter. Once you cite a source, adhere to specific standards. Stick to any one of these styles throughout your entire text:

• An in-text APA style reference can be either narrative , e.g. Zaliznyak & Šmelev, 1997, or parenthetical , e.g. (Zaliznyak & Šmelev, 1997).
• MLA formatting style requires the author’s last name and the page, for example, Clasmeier 37.
• When citing Chicago style , all source data (name, title, publisher, year, page) goes into the footnotes.

We're happy if this article was useful to you. And don't forget: if you want to save yourself some time, try our free paraphrasing tool!

📌 Is Rewording Plagiarism?

📌 how do you rewrite articles in your own words, 📌 can i use the rewriting tool to avoid plagiarism.

Updated: Apr 5th, 2024

🔗 References

• Avoiding Plagiarism: Choosing Whether to Quote or to Paraphrase: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Quoting: Australia University
• Quoting, Paraphrasing, & Summarizing: Ashford University
• Paraphrasing: American Psychological Association
• Chicago Quoting and Paraphrasing: Massey University
• MLA In-Text Citations: Purdue University

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Paraphrase Tool to Avoid Plagiarism

Have you ever struggled with paraphrasing in your academic writing? Paraphrasing allows you to demonstrate your understanding of the material and avoid plagiarism but it can be challenging and time-consuming. That’s why we recommend using our free online paraphrasing tool.  

The tool will help you reword any text quickly and accurately, ensuring that your work is original. Keep reading to learn more about it and discover how to paraphrase to avoid plagiarism.

• ✔️ How to Use the Tool
• ⭐ Tool Benefits
• 🔤 Paraphrasing Definition
• 👩‍🏫 How to Paraphrase
• 🚩 Unacceptable Paraphrasing
• 🔎 References

✔️ How to Use the Paraphrase Tool to Avoid Plagiarism? 

Our online paraphrasing app has a user-friendly interface, so you can reword any text in a few clicks. We designed it with students in mind, considering their unique academic needs. 

Here’s a small guide on how to use our paraphrase tool to avoid plagiarism: 

• Copy and paste the passage into the field. 
• Choose the percentage of words that should be paraphrased. 
• Click the “Paraphrase” button and wait for the result. 

⭐ Paraphrase Without Plagiarism: Tool Benefits

Many benefits make our tool stand out among similar paraphrasing software. Let’s have a look at the main advantages!

🔤 Paraphrasing Definition in Writing

In academic writing, paraphrasing involves rewording or expressing information from a source in your own words while maintaining the original meaning. It is a valuable skill that allows you to incorporate ideas from others but avoid plagiarism . Paraphrasing also helps you demonstrate your understanding of the source material and convey it in your writing style.

How Are Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Different? 

It is common for students to mistakenly confuse paraphrasing with quoting and summarizing, as all these skills contribute to plagiarism-free academic writing. However, understanding the distinctions between the three is crucial to boost your writing skills.

👩‍🏫 How to Properly Paraphrase to Avoid Plagiarism 

You can always use our paraphrase tool to avoid plagiarism. However, if you want to practice manual paraphrasing and master this skill, check out our guide. 

• Read the passage. Look for the main ideas, supporting details, and the overall message of the text. 
• Set the original aside. After understanding the text, put it aside and write from your memory to avoid unintentional plagiarism. 
• Check against the original. Once you have rewritten the passage in your own words, compare it to the original text to ensure accuracy. 
• Use signal phrases. To attribute ideas to the original source, incorporate signal phrases such as “One study found that…,” “According to Brown,” or “Brown notes that…”. 
• Quote any borrowed terms. If specific terms or phrases are unique to the source and cannot be paraphrased, use quotation marks to quote them. 
• Cite the source. Finally, ensure you provide a proper citation that includes the author, publication year, and other relevant details according to the appropriate citation style (such as APA, MLA, or Chicago). 

🚩 What Is Unacceptable Paraphrasing? 

Here is a list of signs that indicate unacceptable paraphrasing: 

• Word-for-word copying. The text mirrors the original too closely, using the same sentence structure and vocabulary without enclosing them in quotation marks. 
• Insufficient modification. Only a few words or phrases are changed from the source. 
• Failure to capture the essence. The paraphrased version fails to convey the source’s meaning or key points. 
• Excessive reliance on synonyms. Overusing synonyms without genuinely understanding the context and intended meaning of the original text can lead to flawed paraphrasing. 
• Lack of citation or attribution. It is unacceptable to paraphrase without clearly indicating the source or providing proper citation , as this can be considered plagiarism. 

Check out an example of incorrect and acceptable paraphrasing.

📍 Paraphrase to Avoid Plagiarism: FAQ

📍 what does it mean to paraphrase a source.

To paraphrase a source means to restate the information from that source in your own words while maintaining the original meaning. Paraphrasing involves comprehending the material, expressing it in a new way, and providing proper attribution to the source.

📍 Do you need quotation marks when paraphrasing?

No, you usually don’t need quotation marks when paraphrasing. However, quotation marks are necessary if you use specific terms from the original text that cannot be reworded. Even though paraphrases don’t require quotation marks, you should still provide in-text citations to acknowledge the source.

📍 What is one benefit of paraphrasing?

One benefit of paraphrasing is that it allows you to make connections between ideas by controlling how they are presented and making them sound natural. By using your words to rephrase information, you can better integrate it into your writing style and context. It can enhance clarity and help avoid plagiarism while conveying the original meaning.

📍 When would you want to directly quote a source over paraphrasing it?

It’s better to directly quote a source when the exact wording is crucial to your argument or when the author uses unique terms or especially vivid or strong language. For example, you should directly quote textual evidence from a book or poem for your literary analysis paper.

🔎 References 

• Quoting and Paraphrasing (MLA Style) | Loyola Marymount University  
• Paraphrasing Sources | Lumen  
• Paraphrasing & Quoting | Azusa Pacific University  
• Paraphrasing & Avoiding Plagiarism | TUS Library  
• Paraphrase: Write It in Your Own Words | Purdue Online Writing Lab  
• Avoiding Plagiarism | Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries  

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• Avoiding Plagiarism
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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. 

Cheat Sheet

• Paraphrasing and Summarizing Download this helpful cheat sheet covering "Paraphrasing and Summarizing."
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• Last Updated: Aug 7, 2023 2:00 PM
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How to Avoid Plagiarism – 12 Must-Know Ways

Writing a paper is not as easy as it may seem at first.

There’s ton of things to keep in mind—from conducting good research and building a well-thought-through structure to properly formatting the paper and making sure it fits all the guidelines.

❓ What is plagiarism?

📋 types of plagiarism, 🔀 how to avoid plagiarism.

But even after all that, you’re still not done. Issues will still appear. And plagiarism is one of them. So today, we’re going to address it.

Plagiarism is almost equivalent to stealing, with one key difference: the original work is still out there somewhere. Unfortunately, not many people are very keen on finding original resources.

Avoiding plagiarism shows that you’ve spent enough time doing research, finding primary sources, and citing and referencing all of them.

These tasks may seem overwhelming at first.

And that’s the reason why we’re writing all this. We came up with 12 awesome tips that will show you how to avoid plagiarism.

Check these tips out and you won’t ever have to worry about whether or not your work contains plagiarized materials.

Let’s get the most obvious thing out of the way first: the definition of plagiarism.

It’s not that hard, and we’ve practically already named its main concept. Plagiarism is when you take someone else’s work and present it as your own.

In the world of academic writing, it’s considered dishonest. Plagiarism breaches numerous standards of ethics, and it’s subject to various penalties.

So why do students plagiarize in the first place?

Some may plagiarize other people’s works without even knowing it. This can be caused by lack of experience. Another reason for plagiarizing is spending too little time on research (which we’ll discuss later on in the post).

Still others plagiarize on purpose, clearly knowing what they’re doing. They think that it’s the easiest way to deal with an assignment and that nobody will ever notice.

Either way, if your work is filled with plagiarism—it’s bad news for you. It means that you were trying to present someone else’s thoughts, findings, and ideas as your own.

Though it’s not a crime, plagiarism can still lead to charges of copyright infringement in some cases.

The issue of plagiarism goes far beyond academic writing and can be seen in many other spheres of daily life: journalism, music, art, literature, and even more.

In academic writing alone, there are multiple types of plagiarism .

Let’s have a look at a couple of them:

• Paraphrasing. Even though we’re going to list this as a way to avoid plagiarism, it’s also possible to actually cause it while using this technique. It’s all about doing it right. And just one tiny component added to paraphrasing can help you keep from plagiarizing material. Keep reading to find out how to paraphrase right.
• Self-plagiarism. It might not seem wrong to reuse works that you’ve written in the past—but it actually is. The problem is that this work has already been evaluated. So, unless you acknowledge that you’re using your own previous findings, it will be classified as plagiarism.
• Piling up sources. Usually, this one is more of an unintentional case of plagiarism. The main characteristic of it is that the work only contains source materials. They may be properly cited, but if there’s no original thoughts or ideas from the author of the paper—it’s still plagiarism.
• Direct copying. This is the most obvious one. And the name explains it all. It’s using another person’s work completely unaltered and without referencing the source.

Finally, we’ve reached the most interesting part.

Below, you’ll find tips and techniques that will show you how to avoid plagiarism. Follow these guidelines and you won’t ever have to think about it again!

1. Use paraphrasing

This method is the perfect solution when you know you have to cite the original source but can’t find it anywhere.

Interpret the main idea in your own words, without writing more than two words in a row verbatim.

Always double-check to make sure that you didn’t mess this one up.

But wait—more still needs to be said about paraphrasing.

You can’t just rewrite someone else’s thoughts and present them as your own. This isn’t how you avoid plagiarism. Even when you’re paraphrasing, you need to attribute ideas to their original authors.

Just start the sentence by referencing the author and then continue sharing the thoughts or ideas.

2. Quote sources

When quoting, you need to make sure that the quote is written exactly as it appears in the primary source. And, of course, there have to be quotation marks. To make sure you’ve acknowledged the author of the extract, add a citation in brackets right after the quote you’re using. At the very least, take notes and remember to organize a reference list later.

You also have to keep in mind the length of the quote. Quotes longer than 40 words, or “block quotes,” are typically no good. Think about the percentage of quotes in a research paper, too. Having too many quotes in your work isn’t recommended either, as it makes the readers question your level of expertise.

3. Cite materials

This is one of the most effective ways to avoid plagiarism. This is because a proper citation contains all the necessary information about the original work and its author.

To be able to cite the materials correctly, you need to be aware of the guidelines for the citation style your institution is using (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.).

If you’re using previous materials of your own, you can cite them too. Just make sure not to recycle them completely, because that would be considered self-plagiarism, as we mentioned earlier.

4. Add references

A reference list contains all the works that you’ve cited in your paper.

A list of references also has a specific format, so you need to make sure that you’re using the proper style guidelines. Because the list includes very specific information, it’s important to make sure every detail is correct. The information in the reference list includes the author’s name, date of publication, title, and source. The exact order of those items and the presence of additional details are determined by the particular citation style you’re using (as mentioned above). For clearer understanding, visit IvyPanda essays section. The absolute majority of samples there have reference lists, written in a variety of citation styles.

5. Get invested in your topic

One of the most common reasons why students plagiarize works is that they aren’t interested enough in the topic they’re writing about.

As a result, they don’t conduct enough research or put enough effort into finding original sources. It all ends up in a paper full of plagiarism.

If the topic you have to write about isn’t interesting enough, try to find at least some aspects that capture your attention. This way, you’ll pay more attention while conducting research and gathering resources, both of which will improve the overall quality of your work.

6. Know what not to cite

It sure is better to “overcite” than “undercite.”

To know when to cite sources, you also need to understand what does not need to be cited. You don’t have to cite information that is common knowledge or facts about well-known events. Personal experiences and urban legends also belong to that category.

There is, however, one thing to remember, and that’s copyright. While common knowledge or facts themselves can’t be copyrighted, original or unique wordings can. So, even if you’ve found well-known facts, make sure to take extra precautions and interpret them in your own words.

7. Plan your work well before starting to write

When you have a well-designed and thought-through plan of your future work, you’ll be able to balance everything out much better.

You’ll be able to see how many of your own thoughts are going to be in your paper and how much you’re planning to cite from other authors.

A plan will also show whether or not you’ve found all the original sources you’ll need for your work.

8. Use a plagiarism checker

This is probably one of the most obvious techniques to avoid plagiarism.

There’s plenty of software out there if you’re looking for a reliable plagiarism check. These resources are available as an application or in the form of website. There are also several free and paid versions. So it’s up to you to decide which one to use.

However, you still need to check the work yourself, too. You can’t fully rely on a plagiarism checker alone. After all, double-checking a paper never hurt anyone!

9. Write your bibliography

Remember how we mentioned taking notes when referencing your resources?

You’ll need those notes to build your bibliography. And the sooner you start writing it, the better. Actually, when you’re just beginning to gather materials for your paper—it’s already a good time to start.

Taking notes as you go will be greatly beneficial to your paper’s quality. You’ll be able to see what source materials are missing and what else still has to be found. It will also help verify that you have a complete bibliography, with all the sources you’ve cited listed properly.

If you decide not to use some of your source materials during the revision, you can always remove the sources from your list.

10. Don’t forget about online resources

By this time, this tip has to be obvious—but it still gets forgotten sometimes. Internet sources need to be cited, too.

In fact, online resources typically have even more specific citation requirements compared to regular print materials. In particular, most citation styles require you to mention the date that you retrieved the material. This is because online articles are updated from time to time, and the authors may have rephrased or even removed the information you’re referencing.

Also, before adding a citation, you need to make sure that the resource you’re referencing is the original one—not just one on its reference list. Otherwise, keep searching until you’ve found the primary source.

11. Evaluate all the sources

Apart from finding the primary source of the information, you also need to evaluate how good that source actually is. This rule of thumb also applies to regular resources, not just online ones.

So, to make sure the resource is worth using in your paper, pay attention to the following:

• How good is the author’s reputation in your field?
• Where did the author take the information from? What connection does he or she have with other organizations?
• When was the original work published? Is it still relevant and up to date?
• How well does the author support his or her own ideas? What’s the overall quality of writing, and how accurate is the provided information?

Considering these questions will help you decide whether the resource you’re about to use is reputable enough.

Including questionable resources in your paper only increases the chances of having plagiarized information.

12. Leave enough time for research

Another common reason for plagiarizing other people’s works is simply a lack of time.

Research is a vital part of the entire writing process. You could even consider it to be a separate task because of its great importance. Having enough time for writing and researching is by far the best way to avoid plagiarism.

Time allows you to gather a great number of relevant resources, instead of using only a couple for your whole work.

One recommended practice is to write bulleted lists as you research, pointing out all the key ideas and findings from various works. Then you should take a break and return after some time. It will give you an opportunity to think about what you’ve done so far.

It will also allow you to spot any flaws or inconsistencies, fill in any possible gaps in your argument, and rephrase some of your statements.

You can do all of this without hurting the quality of your paper and without increasing the chances of including plagiarized material. All you need is more time for research.

When you’re really committed to writing an outstanding paper, dealing with the issue of plagiarism won’t be that hard. Especially if you use some of the tips on how to avoid plagiarism that we’ve given you.

All it really takes to avoid plagiarism is to focus on being as original as possible and sharing your own thoughts. Looking for a shortcut or an easy way out usually only ends up in wasted time and poor writing.

So, to be able to succeed, you just need to have the right mindset. And with the help of our tips, your paper will be flawlessly free of plagiarism.

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How to Avoid Plagiarism

Last Updated: January 20, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA . Emily Listmann is a Private Tutor and Life Coach in Santa Cruz, California. In 2018, she founded Mindful & Well, a natural healing and wellness coaching service. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. Emily also received her Wellness Coach Certificate from Cornell University and completed the Mindfulness Training by Mindful Schools. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 590,205 times.

Plagiarism can range from copying someone else's words directly to referencing or paraphrasing someone's work, ideas, or analysis without giving them credit. Plagiarism can even be unintentional if you reference someone's work but forget to credit them. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to plan your writing carefully, make sure you understand your source materials, and acknowledge where your own ideas have come from. Follow citation-style rules throughout your text and be vigilant about citing all of your sources.

Things You Should Know

• Cite your sources. Always follow quotes or references to someone else's ideas with a citation.
• Write things in your own words. Don't use someone else's exact words and pass them off as your own.
• Never let someone else write your assignment for you. Using someone else's work as your own is plagiarism.

Using a Citation System

• MLA (Modern Language Association) style, which is mostly used in texts surrounding literature, languages, and art. [2] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
• APA (American Psychological Association) style, which is mostly used in texts about social and behavioral sciences. [3] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
• Chicago style, frequently used in historical writing. [4] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source
• CSE (Council of Science Editors) style, sometimes used in science-based texts. [5] X Research source

• Specific chapters of a book
• Journal articles
• Instructor’s lectures
• Online books
• Historical documents

• The author’s first and last name, or the full names of all contributors to a work with multiple authors
• The title of the material cited.
• The date of publication, in full or just the year.
• The physical or online place of publication.

Featuring Citations Properly

• For instance, write: "As Smith said in his 1996 book, The Environment and Our Youth :'The habits of young people will dictate hope our planet fares in the future.'"

• The author’s name and page number of the material quoted, in parentheses after you refer to it.
• The author’s name and the date that the work was published.
• Superscript numbers next to the idea that was paraphrased, summarized, or quoted.

• The way the sentences are constructed in the source text.
• The source's vocabulary, by swapping as many words as possible with synonyms.
• The tone of the writing so that it is clear that you are writing in your own words.

• Do not use quotation marks to summarize source material.

• For example, if you state something like, “environmental studies is arguably the most pressing subject for young students to learn about”, you should cite an article you read about that topic the week before which makes the same argument.

• Citing sources right away will remove the stress of having to organize your references at the end of your writing process, which may make it stressful to meet your deadline.

Creating Original Content

• In an academic setting, you will usually have to write your own work without collaborating with other students.

• Never re-submit or re-purpose a full text for a new writing assignment.

• For example, if you quote a writer who refers to a Freudian concept, do not copy their in-text citation for the Freud publication or include Freud in your “works cited” list.

• Free and paid plagiarism-check software is available online.
• Using this type of software may give writers a false sense of security, making them more prone to plagiarize inadvertently.

• ↑ https://pitt.libguides.com/citationhelp
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_the_basics.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_formatting_and_style_guide/chicago_manual_of_style_17th_edition.html
• ↑ https://www.tru.ca/library/pdf/csecitationstyle.pdf
• ↑ https://www.plagiarism.org/article/how-do-i-cite-sources
• ↑ https://integrity.mit.edu/handbook/academic-writing/avoiding-plagiarism-paraphrasing
• ↑ https://www.plagiarism.org/article/preventing-plagiarism-when-writing
• ↑ https://guides.library.ucla.edu/citing/plagiarism/avoid
• ↑ https://libguides.uwf.edu/c.php?g=215155&p=4377167
• ↑ https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/support/helps/self-help-resources/referencing-and-plagiarism/am-i-plagiarising
• ↑ https://ucanr.edu/sites/anrpeerreview/For_Authors/Writing_your_manuscript/Plagiarism_and_copyright_infringement/
• ↑ https://louisville.edu/english/composition/policy-against-the-use-of-plagiarism-detection-software.html

Expert Q&A

• Always aim to formulate your own arguments and opinions in your assignments rather than relying on someone else. This reduces your risk of plagiarism and leaves you with a more compelling finished project. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• Talk to your teacher or professor about what sources are appropriate for your project. If you're supposed to be providing your own analysis, referencing other analyses written on your subject, such as those provided by SparkNotes, may not fulfill your assignment even if they are cited properly. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• Irrefutable facts, such as historical dates, do not need to be cited in your writing. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

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About This Article

To avoid plagiarism, never copy anything written without giving the author credit. You can summarize information and even direct quotes, but make sure to include a citation showing where you found your information. You can mention a source within your writing by saying “According to..” Otherwise, use footnotes and include a bibliography at the end of your paper to make sure you're properly citing the information. For help understanding which things should and shouldn’t be cited, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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• Examples of Plagiarism & Tips for Avoiding It

Examples of Plagiarism & Tips for Avoiding It

Published on November 1, 2021 by Tegan George . Revised on July 15, 2022.

Plagiarism means using someone else’s words or ideas without properly crediting the original author.

Some common examples of plagiarism include:

• Paraphrasing a source too closely
• Including a direct quote without quotation marks
• Copying elements of different sources and pasting them into a new document
• Leaving out an in-text citation
• Submitting a full text that is not your own

Table of contents

Paraphrasing plagiarism, verbatim plagiarism, patchwork plagiarism: combining multiple sources, common knowledge: when do i need a citation, real-life examples of plagiarism, frequently asked questions about plagiarism.

Paraphrasing means putting someone else’s ideas into your own words. In order to do so correctly, you must entirely rewrite the passage you are referencing without changing the meaning of the original text.

Every time you paraphrase, it’s important to cite the original source and avoid wording that is too similar to the original. Otherwise, you could be at risk of committing paraphrasing plagiarism .

Remember that paraphrasing doesn’t just mean switching out a few words for synonyms while retaining the original sentence structure. The author’s idea must be reformulated in a way that fits smoothly into your text.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Quoting means copying a brief passage from another text, enclosing it in quotation marks .

If you fail to include quotation marks or a citation, you’re committing verbatim plagiarism : copying someone’s exact words without acknowledgement. Even if you change a few of the words, it’s still plagiarism.

To quote correctly, introduce the quotation in your own words, make sure it’s enclosed in quotation marks, and include a citation showing where it comes from.

Patchwork plagiarism , also called mosaic plagiarism, involves copying elements of different sources and combining them to create a new text. It can include both directly copying and paraphrasing content without citation.

It can be challenging to incorporate several sources into your work at once, so be sure to double-check that you are citing each one correctly.

If you quote or paraphrase multiple sources in one sentence, it’s often best to cite each one separately, so that it’s clear what material comes from which source.

“Americans have always remembered the battle. What we often forget are the difficult decisions tribal leaders made afterward to ensure the safety of their people” (Van Heuvelen, 2020).

“Under skies darkened by smoke, gunfire and flying arrows, 210 men of the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry Unit led by Lt. Colonel George Custer confronted thousands of Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne warriors on June 25, 1876, near the Little Big Horn River in present-day Montana. The engagement was one in a series of battles and negotiations between Plains Indians and U.S. forces over control of Western territory, collectively known as the Sioux Wars” (McDermott, 2021). Example: Patchwork plagiarism For many Americans, the headdress is a well-known symbol of indigenous America indistinguishable from the narrative of the “wild west and cowboys and Indians.” One of the most famous examples of the cowboys versus Indians narrative is the Battle of Little Bighorn.

On June 25, 1876, 210 men of the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry Unit led by Lt. Colonel George Custer confronted thousands of Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne warriors . Custer and his men were handily defeated, and Americans have always remembered the battle as “Custer’s Last Stand.” What is often forgotten is the difficult decisions tribal leaders made afterward to ensure the safety of their people . Example: Correctly citing multiple sources The headdress is a well-known symbol of indigenous America, forming part of “the narrative of the wild west and cowboys and Indians” (Van Heuvelen, 2020). One of the most famous examples of this narrative is the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Common knowledge refers to information you can reasonably expect the average reader to accept without proof.

For this kind of information, you don’t need a citation. For example, you won’t be accused of plagiarism for failing to cite your sources when you mention Paris is the capital city of France.

In order to be considered common knowledge, your statement must be widely known, undisputed, and easily verified. It also generally cannot be attributed to a specific person or paper. When in doubt, add a citation.

Plagiarism is most commonly discussed in the context of academia, but it’s a relevant concern across all sorts of different industries, from pop music to politics.

• Plagiarism in academia
• Plagiarism in art
• Plagiarism in politics
• Plagiarism in music

In 2006, the Brookings Institute accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of having plagiarized 80% of his economics dissertation from a paper published by the University of Pittsburgh a few decades earlier.

Dissertation plagiarism committed by other famous politicians, such as former Senator John Walsh, former German Defense Secretary Karl Theodor zu Guttenberg, and former Hungarian President Pal Schmitt, led to their resignations and their degrees being revoked.

Source: CNN Reusing or copying existing materials has been a big part of many types of art. However, it is still possible to plagiarize art.

In 1966, famous Pop Art artist Andy Warhol was sued by photographer Patricia Caulfield, who claimed unauthorized use of one of her photographs. Warhol had seen her photo of hibiscus flowers in the 1964 issue of Modern Photography  and used it for his silkscreen work Flowers .

While Warhol’s team argued that this was “fair use,” a judge determined that Warhol had, in fact, plagiarized the photo. This led to enduring reputation costs and a large financial settlement.

Source: Garden Collage Many political speeches revolve around similar themes, but while it is natural to draw inspiration from previous speeches, paraphrasing them too closely is considered plagiarism.

In 2016, a speech Melania Trump gave at the Republican National Convention was found to have copied several paragraphs almost verbatim from a speech Michelle Obama gave at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

While her staff claimed that she had incorporated “fragments of others’ speeches that reflected her own thinking,” she was widely considered to have plagiarized.

Joe Biden was found to have committed similar plagiarism in a speech he gave during the 1988 presidential campaign, paraphrasing a speech by Welsh politician Neil Kinnock too closely.

Source: CNN While technically no one owns a chord progression or particular combination of sounds, plagiarism in the music industry is a common accusation.

In 2018, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the 2013 hit song “Blurred Lines,” by Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, infringed on the copyright of the song “Got to Give it Up,” by the late Marvin Gaye. The Gaye family was awarded over $5 million in damages as well as 50% of the royalties moving forward.

This sets a precedent that new music must be different in both style and substance from previously copyrighted songs. Other hit artists, such as Sam Smith, George Harrison, and Olivia Rodrigo, have faced similar consequences.

Plagiarism means presenting someone else’s work as your own without giving proper credit to the original author. In academic writing, plagiarism involves using words, ideas, or information from a source without including a citation .

Plagiarism can have serious consequences , even when it’s done accidentally. To avoid plagiarism, it’s important to keep track of your sources and cite them correctly.

Some examples of plagiarism include:

• Copying and pasting a Wikipedia article into the body of an assignment
• Quoting a source without including a citation
• Not paraphrasing a source properly, such as maintaining wording too close to the original
• Forgetting to cite the source of an idea

The most surefire way to avoid plagiarism is to always cite your sources . When in doubt, cite!

If you’re concerned about plagiarism, consider running your work through a plagiarism checker tool prior to submission. Scribbr’s Plagiarism Checker takes less than 10 minutes and can help you turn in your paper with confidence.

Common knowledge does not need to be cited. However, you should be extra careful when deciding what counts as common knowledge.

Common knowledge encompasses information that the average educated reader would accept as true without needing the extra validation of a source or citation.

Common knowledge should be widely known, undisputed and easily verified. When in doubt, always cite your sources.

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.

Yes, reusing your own work without acknowledgment is considered self-plagiarism . This can range from re-submitting an entire assignment to reusing passages or data from something you’ve turned in previously without citing them.

Self-plagiarism often has the same consequences as other types of plagiarism . If you want to reuse content you wrote in the past, make sure to check your university’s policy or consult your professor.

Cite this Scribbr article

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.

George, T. (2022, July 15). Examples of Plagiarism & Tips for Avoiding It. Scribbr. Retrieved July 27, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/plagiarism/examples-of-plagiarism/

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How to really avoid plagiarism in essay writing

(Last updated: 13 May 2021)

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Today we are talking about avoiding plagiarism. Oh, plagiarism – the nemesis of so many a student, and so many a university institution. Students dislike it because it’s an easy trap to fall into; universities loathe it because too many students aren’t aware of what it really is and how to avoid it.

We get asked a lot of questions about plagiarism; what it means, what is acceptable, and what is not acceptable. Fortunately, we know an awful lot about plagiarism, and we’re here to clear up many of the misconceptions out there.

In this article, we’ll outline some of the main aspects of plagiarism and what you should (and should not) do when writing an academic paper.

What constitutes plagiarism?

What exactly is plagiarism? To help us understand the answer to this question, let's look at the Cambridge Dictionary definition :

"Plagiarise (verb): to use another person's ideas or work and pretend that it is your own."

The key in this definition is "pretend". In all of your essay and dissertation writing at university level and above, you cannot attempt to pass off any words, phrases or specific authors' ideas off as your own.

But what kind of behaviour is and isn't allowed under general university regulations?

Let’s start with the obvious; you cannot just buy an essay and submit it wholly in its original form to your instructor. This is using someone else’s work and is outright cheating. You also shouldn’t have a friend write it for you, or copy parts of your friend’s assignment. Not only can this get you in trouble, but probably your friend as well. Plus, who is to say that your friend is a better writer than you anyways?

Let’s keep going. Did you also know that you can’t resubmit an assignment for one class that you previously submitted to another? That’s known as self-plagiarism and it’s also a big no-no.

Universities around the world take academic integrity very seriously. In fact there’s usually a code of conduct as a part of each university framework which each student should read. Plagiarism is one part of academic integrity, and it’s something that you, as a student, should take seriously too. It’s important to remember that the rules you had in secondary school may not apply and the rules you have in your home country may not apply. The rules aren’t that difficult once you know them, but you have to actually know them in the first place.

So, you might be asking, why should you care? Well, first of all, if you are caught plagiarising, bad things can happen.

We’ll discuss the bad stuff first, before we work on how you can avoid it. At many universities, if you are suspected of an academic offence, which includes plagiarism, you first have to meet with your instructor. If you are found to have plagiarised, you could get a mark of zero or get referred to the Dean/Departmental Head for sanctions. For more serious issues there may be a tribunal and you could ultimately be dismissed from the school. Wouldn’t you rather be spending your time elsewhere, not dealing with an academic offence?

Instructors, professors and administrators are commonly told, “But I didn’t know I was committing an academic offence!”. Universities generally hold the position that it is your responsibility to know, so this is not a good excuse. We refer you back to the statement above where it says to read the code of conduct for your university. As a student, you are expected to know the rules, so pleading ignorance just isn’t acceptable.

All of this negative information is not meant to scare you, but is really meant to clarify what simply is not okay. It is important to also know what you can do. Here are some common points and questions and our best answers.

Referencing and citing

A piece of academic writing needs to be your own thoughts, but when you get to university level, your professors are going to expect more from you than just your own opinions. They are going to expect you to read, and then to incorporate that reading into your own writing to help you to formulate and support your arguments. This means you are going to have to reference other people’s work.

Why should I reference?

One of the main reasons why you should reference is that it actually shows your instructor that you have done the reading. Those who read should get credit for it. You want to show your instructor that you have actually read a wide range of sources and that you have been able to integrate those points effectively into your own argument. This is in addition to the fact that you should reference because sometimes the opinions you are giving aren’t your own. And if you are using someone else’s opinions, you should give them credit.

So, then when should I reference?

Many undergraduate students think that they should reference pretty much every sentence, but this is not the case. You should only include sources that you have actually read and that are relevant to your assignment topic. But that’s a whole other story on how to write an academic paper. In order to avoid plagiarism, you should reference if you use someone else’s idea in your assignment. You do not need to reference if what you are saying is common knowledge.

How do I know what’s an opinion and what’s common knowledge?

Common knowledge is a fact, so for example if you said, the capital of Canada is Ottawa, or that the Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci, or that World War I began in 1914 or that smoking is harmful…you wouldn’t need to provide a reference. It’s easily verified or taken for granted. You need to start referencing when you move away from these generic ideas to ones that identify the authors’ position in some way. So if it’s someone else’s idea, you need a reference.

How do I reference?

The first thing you should do is determine what referencing style your department uses. Many instructors will tell you in your course syllabus, but if you are unsure, ask your TA or your professor. Different referencing styles mean different formatting rules, so make sure to read up on the one that is applicable to you. If you are unsure, there are some really good guides available on the internet and each referencing style has its own website with specific guidelines. Some are easier to make sense of than others.

In addition, there are different ways to incorporate other people’s ideas into your own work. Typically, you’re either using direct quotes or you are paraphrasing. If you are using direct quotes, you need quotation marks. You also need to know where the quote has come from – like the page number. Keeping good notes is important. For example, let’s say you are reading a textbook and you come across a passage that you think is really important. You then copy down this passage into your notebook. Three weeks later, you are reading through your notes trying to write your assignment. You come across the passage and now you incorporate that into your assignment…but you don’t reference it. That’s plagiarism. Careful note taking would have ensured that you maintained your academic integrity.

In addition, think about the formatting of longer quotes. Some referencing styles want longer quotes to be separate from the other text and indented further from the margin. Check which rules apply to the referencing style you are using in order to ensure success.

Paraphrasing means to read someone else’s work and then to highlight the main points in your own words. If you paraphrase, you still need to provide a reference. If you are highlighting a specific passage you will need the author, year of publication and the page number. If you are just generally discussing the work, usually just the author and the year will do. Again, check the guidelines of your referencing style to make sure you get it right. With paraphrasing, it is not OK to just change a few words and then say it is your own. You still need a reference. Always.

What should appear in my reference list or footnotes?

In your reference list or your footnotes, you should record the works cited in your paper. The general rule is, if the author appears in your paper, you should reference them in your bibliography, reference list or footnotes. If the author does not appear in your paper, but you have just done some additional reading, the reference does not need to appear. This is assuming that you have correctly cited the ideas in your paper to the appropriate authors.

Seeking help

English is not my first language and i am concerned that my essay will not be edited properly or have the correct grammar. can i get help.

Yes! It is certainly acceptable to seek help with grammatical or structural concerns. There are a few things you should recognise, however, in relation to plagiarism. First, if you take your work to an editor and they make substantial changes to it, this can often be seen as plagiarism. This is because the original work has now been altered to a point where it is not your original thoughts, and so this can get you in trouble.

As for grammar, the rules seem a bit more unclear. Some universities will allow you to employ someone to check your grammar; others want you to state in your paper that you have employed the services of a proof-reader. Some universities reserve proofreading for graduate-level work and prohibit undergraduates from using this service – others are more flexible. So, here, we again suggest checking the regulations of your school before asking for someone to make changes to your paper.

You also should not write your paper in your first language and run it through translation software (e.g. Google Translate). This is generally considered plagiarism. This is because the words that you are obtaining from the translation software program are not technically your words. In addition to the fact that you should not do this, it also is not a very good strategy from practical purposes. Translation software is not yet at the stage where the sentences come across very coherent; the grammar is often still questionable. Also, when writing a paragraph, the way something is composed in a second language is not the same as the way it would be in English. So while plagiarism may be the concern with this strategy, it is generally one that should be avoided.

If I am completely lost with an assignment, can I ask for help?

Yes. Asking for help is great. There is no reason that you should try and struggle through an assignment all on your own, especially if you are really unclear about the topic. Yet there are certain people you should probably focus on more than others. First, ask your professor or the teaching assistant for help. They are going to be the ones marking your work, so they are a great first point of contact. On the contrary, you should probably not ask your friends for help, especially if they are in your class. This is because if you work with another person in your class on an assignment, this can become collusion. While you don’t need to know the finer details of this, it can get both you and your friend in a bit of trouble.

A solution to this would be to seek outside assistance. This can come in various forms. Firstly, you could find a private tutor – someone who can help you to organise your ideas and thoughts and explain what a good paper/paragraph can actually look like.

Secondly, using a professionally written model essay as inspiration for your own writing can be extremely helpful. Remember, you can't submit a model essay and try to pass it off as your own. But you can learn from it, paying attention to the language used, the way sentences and the argument are crafted, and how the essay flows (and more).

Be careful, though – the web is a minefield of poorly written essays and you may be asked to pay money for work that is very substandard. Not only will this be expensive and not provide much help, a bad essay could actually make your essay writing skills worse . Instead, use a reputable, trusted, British company, like us folk here at Oxbridge Essays .

We are meticulous in choosing the academic writers we hire. We ensure they have only studied at top universities and institutions, including Oxford and Cambridge, and that they are experts in their field(s). This means the work we produce is of the highest quality and academic standard. Choosing a trusted company like us will not only help you greatly with your studies, but will save you precious time searching for the right resources. What's more, all of the essays we write are 100% original, so you can be certain we haven't just recycled an essay from a stockpile; we tailor our service to every individual student's needs.

Universities generally have few rules about tutors, because while they want students to work independently, they also recognise that many students need a bit of extra help. This is where tutoring and support can be really valuable . It can cost a bit of extra money to get this support. But it may be worth it in the long run if you get a distinction score in the class, which eventually leads to more job opportunities.

In summary…

Plagiarism may seem like a complicated issue, but it is really very closely aligned with honesty. The university you are enrolled in wants you to act with a certain element of integrity and wants to make sure that you are responsible for the work that you have created. Make sure you know the rules of the university at the beginning, not after the fact. Get help when you need it and give credit where it is due.

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As a student, you are expected to write an essay as a part of almost all your courses. When faced with the task of submitting multiple assignments, essays, term papers, etc. you might be tempted to write an essay by copy-pasting someone else’s work.

Copying someone else’s work without giving them due credit constitutes plagiarism. Sometimes due to a lack of experience or knowledge, you might plagiarise someone else’s work. Submitting plagiarised work is unethical and dishonest.

Write an Essay: Plagiarism Free

When you write an essay with plagiarised content you can land into serious trouble at your University. Plagiarism is considered to be a serious offense that can lead to you failing the course or facing a possible suspension. Submitting a plagiarized essay is similar to committing theft. 

When you write an essay you need to ensure that your work is 100% original and wherever you have used information from somewhere its sources are cited correctly. 

Give yourself time

Giving yourself ample time is required to carry out in-depth research and avoid plagiarism of someone else’s work due to lack of time. Before you start to write an essay, you should list out what you intend to add to the essay. This will help you know how much information from other sources you plan to add. 

In-depth research will also increase your interest in the topic making it easier for you to add your own ideas when you write an essay. This way you will be less tempted to copy someone else’s work. 

Keep a track of sources

Before you begin to write an essay, keep a diary or a notebook handy. Note down all the sources you have used along with the name of the author, the title of the book or the paper, year of publication, and the relevant page numbers.

When you are reading multiple books and other reference materials it is easy to get confused in what piece of information was taken from which source. Keeping the details of your sources in one place can help you with referencing at a later stage. 

Proofread your work

Proofreading after you write an essay not only helps in correcting grammatical and typographical errors but can also help in identifying plagiarism. When you proofread your essay you get an option of giving due credit wherever you might have missed out earlier. 

Cite correctly

Accurately citing all sources when you write an essay is very important. Sometimes the same information might be present in different sources, taking out some time to trace the primary source is vital. A correct way to cite is to provide all the necessary information of the primary source i.e. the author.  It is also important to follow the correct citation style.

There are various academically recognized citation styles such as APA, Chicago, MLA, etc. You can find out the one your institution follows or can use one of the standard styles.  Information that is common knowledge indeed not be cited. As facts and common knowledge are not copyrighted.  

Each in-text citation should correspond with the complete bibliography or reference list given at the end of your essay. 

Paraphrase when needed

Paraphrasing involves interpreting the idea and describing it in your own words. Do not repeat the original idea verbatim. After paraphrasing, remember to give credit to the original author for the idea. You can give credit to the author at the beginning of the paragraph and then go on to explain the idea or concept yourself.  An easy way to check this is to make sure that no two words in a row are repeated verbatim. 

Quote appropriately

Any quotes used while you write an essay should be written precisely as it was written by the original author. Try to use shorter quotes and limit the number of quotes you use. Every quote has to be enclosed within quotation marks. Do remember to add a citation after the quotes so that due credit is given to the original author. 

Add your own inputs

Add your own insights and thoughts on the topic. Do not rely completely on other sources for writing an essay. This will demonstrate that you have studied the topic in-depth and will help you score a better grade. Just paraphrasing content from books and the internet will not count as your own work. You have to understand the topic, read the viewpoints of various authors and add your own ideas to it.

Use a plagiarism checker

When you write an essay make sure to run it through a plagiarism checker There is various software available online which can check your essay for potential plagiarism in minutes. You have the option of choosing from paid or free plagiarism checkers. 

Even after using a plagiarism checker, re-read your work to make sure that your essay is 100% original. So if you’re wondering how to check plagiarism just know that it’s simple and you can google it itself.

Avoid self-plagiarism

If you have earlier written an essay or a paper on the same or a similar topic you might feel it is okay to copy from that as it was your own work. But if that work has already been submitted you cannot borrow ideas from it without giving yourself credit. Copying from your own work without giving credit would be considered as self-plagiarism and is not acceptable. 

Take essay writing help

To write an essay that is completely free from plagiarism takes practice and patience. Even after following the above steps if you feel you are unable to write an essay that can pass the plagiarism test you can take help. 

Plagiarism-free essay writing with TutorBin

The essay writing help service at TutorBin can provide you with essays that are 100% original, free from plagiarism. These essays are not only plagiarism-free but also of the highest quality ensuring that you score good grades. 

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Plagiarism Checker Helps Boost Your Grade

A lot of students make the mistake of considering their papers automatically free from plagiarism. After all, they’ve written it themselves, so how could it be problematic? What they don’t realize is that it’s very easy to borrow some information mistakenly. Turning such a paper in can cause multiple problems, as your professor might think you haven’t done the work at all.

That is why you should always use a plagiarism scanner to test for plagiarized content in your college papers. Our online plagiarism checker for students is designed for this exact purpose. A simple, free plagiarism check could help you check plagiarism, fix any mistakes you see, and submit high-quality text that no one will question.

Our plagiarism detector has a lot going for it. It makes plagiarism detection easier than ever before. Unlike copying and pasting each passage individually into Google, simply upload the whole file into our plagiarism checker free for students, and you don’t have to do anything else. All the matches are highlighted so you know what to change.

The plagiarism test will give you a uniqueness percentage too. This will help you figure out where you stand and how much time you need to adjust anything if required. So, using our copyright checker online free to check your writing is essential. This way, you’ll submit the task only when you’re sure it meets the level of uniqueness required by your school. As a result, your grades will drastically improve when you check for plagiarism.

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Plagiarism Checker by Quetext

Free plagiarism checker: how it works, enter text into plagiarism detection tool.

We make it simple. Just copy and paste all content from your document into our plagiarism checker and hit the ‘Check Plagiarism’ button to get started.

Evaluate text for plagiarism

Our plagiarism detection tool uses DeepSearch™ Technology to identify any content throughout your document that might be plagiarized. We identify plagiarized content by running the text through three steps:

• 1.) Contextual Analysis
• 2.) Fuzzy Matching
• 3.) Conditional Scoring

Accurate plagiarism results

After evaluating the text against billions of internet sources, you will be provided with a plagiarism score showing the percentage of text that is an exact or near-match to existing text online.

Resolve plagiarism risk and use citations

Our ColorGrade™ feedback feature highlights exact matches vs. near-exact or “fuzzy” matches with corresponding colors. From there, you can resolve plagiarism issues by deleting or altering the at-risk copy. Or, you can use our handy “Cite Source” feature to generate citations in MLA, APA, and Chicago formats and insert the citations directly into your document.

Plagiarism Checker Benefits

Whether producing original content or verifying that of others, there’s a lot to gain from using a plagiarism checker. Accurate, automatic detection of duplicate content facilitates the copy-checking process for teachers, students, content writers, and more. Results showing the exact percentage of plagiarized content allows users to see exactly how much text has been copied and where they need to re-word.

For Teachers

Before homework can be graded for quality, it must first be confirmed as original. Our easy-to-use tool arms teachers with a simple, effective way to verify and grade students’ work. Educators at all levels can benefit from ensuring academic integrity through a comprehensive plagiarism check. From K-12, all the way through higher education, teachers are faced with the task of verifying the originality of the work of dozens, if not hundreds, of students each year. Automating this process frees teachers up to focus on the quality of work, rather than be bogged down by its originality.

For Students

While the prevalence of academic plagiarism is on the rise, much of it is arguably unintentional. A simple, yet accurate and comprehensive, plagiarism checker offers students peace of mind when submitting written content for grading. It is much easier to do a quick check for potential plagiarism before submission rather than convince a teacher after the fact that your academic integrity is not in question. And Quetext even takes checking for plagiarism a step further, helping students identify and cite the source itself with our built-in citation generator.

For Copywriters

Plagiarism risk is not restricted to academia. Anyone tasked with writing for an individual or business has an ethical and legal responsibility to produce original content. On top of that, content writers are often tasked with producing content on topics outside of their wheelhouse, leaving them reliant on the work of others for their research. Our plagiarism checker gives content writers a quick and easy method to prevent copyright infringement. Checking even lengthy pieces of writing takes only a few minutes, keeping companies’ public content in check and writers’ integrity intact.

Types of Plagiarism

It’s important to understand that plagiarism expands far beyond just copying someone else’s work word-for-word. There are several different types of plagiarism that should be avoided.

Self-Plagiarism

Many believe that, as long as they produced the work at some point in the past, they can include it in future pieces. However, even if you were the original author, that original work must be cited in order to not be flagged as plagiarism. Treat your past self as a totally separate author; be sure to include all relevant citations and quotations, the same as you would for any other source.

Patchwork Plagiarism

Patchwork plagiarism is the act of piecing together a "patchwork" of existing content to form something new. Assembling unoriginal content in this manner often involves some paraphrasing, with only slight changes. This type of plagiarism can be tricky and can certainly occur unintentionally, especially in academia. Since academic writing is largely based on the research of others, a well-meaning student can inadvertently end up plagiarizing.

Mosaic Plagiarism

Mosaic plagiarism is synonymous with patchwork plagiarism. It describes the process of loosely rearranging or restating another's work without issuing proper credit. It can occur accidentally or intentionally. For authors, mosaic plagiarism endangers their academic integrity or reputation as a writer. For those checking content originality, such as teachers, mosaic plagiarism can easily appear to be original content, which can make mosaic plagiarism especially difficult to detect manually.

Accidental Plagiarism

Plagiarism doesn’t have to be intentional to still be considered plagiarism — even in early academia, where students are just learning how to properly cite others’ work. While there may be no ill intent from the student, most schools have policies explicitly treating accidental plagiarism the same as intentional plagiarism. Students are expected to know how to properly issue credit to other authors. Similarly, content writers risk damage to their reputation if they produce plagiarized content, regardless of intent.

Plagiarism Checker FAQ

What is plagiarism.

Plagiarism is representing someone else’s work as your own. In educational contexts, there are differing definitions of plagiarism depending on the institution. Plagiarism is considered a violation of academic integrity and a breach of journalistic ethics.

What percentage of a paper can be plagiarized (or copied) and still be considered unique?

Generally speaking, similar or exact copies of another source should be kept under 15% for the total text of the article/paper/essay. As a best practice, citations should be used whenever using another source word-for-word.

What’s the difference between deliberate and accidental plagiarism?

Deliberate plagiarism is purposely copying works from books, articles, webpages, or someone else’s paper and representing it as your original work. Alternatively, accidental plagiarism occurs in a few different ways:

• Incorrectly citing another person’s works
• Failing to paraphrase another person’s works - even when citing it correctly
• Reusing your own previous papers and inadvertently representing it as a new idea

What are the consequences of plagiarism?

The consequences for plagiarizing another person’s works vary. But broadly speaking, the types of consequences can be grouped by person and profession.

Plagiarism consequences for students

Maintaining academic integrity is a top priority for every educational institution. As already mentioned, ignorance of how to properly cite sources is not an excuse for plagiarism. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they are submitting work that has not been plagiarized.

Failure to do so can result in disciplinary action, including an automatic failed grade, removal from a class, or expulsion from a school or university. Students who are allowed to continue at their institution following an act of plagiarism may encounter mistrust and additional scrutiny from teachers and instructors.

Plagiarism consequences for copywriters

Copywriters stake their reputation (and by extension, that of their client or company) on their writing. All copywriters must produce completely original content for their clients.

The consequences for plagiarism here are clear: Copywriters who plagiarize the content of others will quickly find it difficult to obtain paying assignments. Similar to academic situations, it is the copywriter’s own responsibility to ensure that their content is 100% original.

Plagiarism consequences for journalists

Journalists are held to exceptionally high standards of integrity in their writing. A journalist who produces plagiarized content jeopardizes the trust of their readers and publishers. Plagiarism can instantly reduce a journalist’s career by a large margin. The ethical and legal standards issued to journalists are clear: Produce original, well-cited content or find another field.

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Harvard Guide to Using Sources 

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How to Avoid Plagiarism

It's not enough to know why plagiarism is taken so seriously in the academic world or to know how to recognize it. You also need to know how to avoid it. The simplest cases of plagiarism to avoid are the intentional ones: If you copy a paper from a classmate, buy a paper from the Internet, copy whole passages from a book, article, or Web site without citing the author, you are plagiarizing. Here's the best advice you'll ever receive about avoiding intentional plagiarism: If you're tempted to borrow someone else's ideas or plagiarize in any way because you're pressed for time, nervous about how you're doing in a class, or confused about the assignment, don't do it . The problems you think you're solving by plagiarizing are really minor compared to the problems you will create for yourself by plagiarizing. In every case, the consequences of plagiarism are much more serious than the consequences of turning in a paper late or turning in a paper you're not satisfied to have written.

"...the consequences of plagiarism are much more serious than the consequences of turning in a paper late..."

The consequences of accidental plagiarism are equally daunting and should be avoided at all costs. Whether or not you intended to plagiarize, you will still be held responsible. As a member of an intellectual community you are expected to respect the ideas of others in the same way that you would respect any other property that didn't belong to you, and this is true whether you plagiarize on purpose or by accident. The best way to make sure you don't plagiarize due to confusion or carelessness is to 1) understand what you're doing when you write a paper and 2) follow a method that is systematic and careful as you do your research . In other words, if you have a clear sense of what question you're trying to answer and what knowledge you're building on, and if you keep careful, clear notes along the way, it's much easier to use sources effectively and responsibly and, most of all, to write a successful paper. If you have questions about plagiarism at any point in your research or writing process, ask. It's always better to ask questions than it is to wait for an instructor to respond to work that you have turned in for a grade. Once you have turned in your final work, you will be held responsible for misuse of sources.

With these principles in mind, here are some guidelines for conducting research responsibly:

Keep track of your sources; print electronic sources

While it's easy enough to keep a stack of books or journal articles on your desk where you can easily refer back to them, it's just as important to keep track of electronic sources. When you save a PDF of a journal article, make sure you put it into a folder on your computer where you'll be able to find it. When you consult a Web site, log the Web address in a separate document from the paper you're writing so that you'll be able to return to the Web site and cite it correctly. You should also print the relevant pages from any Web sites you use, making sure you note the complete URL and the date on which you printed the material. Because electronic sources aren't stable and Web pages can be deleted without notice, beware of directing your readers to sources that might have disappeared. Check when the Web site you're using was last updated and update the URLs as you work and once again right before you submit your essay. If an electronic source disappears before you submit your work, you will need to decide whether or not to keep the source in your paper. If you have printed the source and can turn it in with your paper, you should do so. If you have not printed the source, you should consult your instructor about whether or not to use that source in your paper.

The library has several helpful resources for managing your sources, including RefWorks .

Keep sources in correct context

Whenever you consult a source, you should make sure you understand the context, both of the ideas within a source and of the source itself. You should also be careful to consider the context in which a source was written. For example, a book of essays published by an organization with a political bias might not present an issue with adequate complexity for your project.

The question of context can be more complicated when you're working with Internet sources than with print sources because you may see one Web page as separate from an entire Web site and use or interpret that page without fully understanding or representing its context. For example, a definition of "communism" taken from a Web site with a particular political agenda might provide one interpretation of the meaning of the word—but if you neglect to mention the context for that definition you might use it as though it's unbiased when it isn't. Likewise, some Internet searches will take you to a URL that's just one Web page within a larger Web site; be sure to investigate and take notes on the context of the information you're citing.

Research can often turn out to be more time-consuming that you anticipate. Budget enough time to search for sources, to take notes, and to think about how to use the sources in your essay. Moments of carelessness are more common when you leave your essay until the last minute and are tired or stressed. Honest mistakes can lead to charges of plagiarism just as dishonesty can; be careful when note-taking and when incorporating ideas and language from electronic sources so you always know what language and ideas are yours and what belongs to a source.

Don't cut and paste: File and label your sources

Never cut and paste information from an electronic source straight into your own essay, and never type verbatim sentences from a print source straight into your essay. Instead, open a separate document on your computer for each source so you can file research information carefully. When you type or cut and paste into that document, make sure to include the full citation information for the print source or the full URL and the date you copied the page(s). For Web sources, make sure to cite the page from which you're taking information, which may not necessarily be the home page of the site you're using. Use logical and precise names for the files you create, and add citation information and dates. This allows you to retrieve the files easily, deters you from accidentally deleting files, and helps you keep a log of the order in which your research was conducted. It's a good idea to add a note to each file that describes how you might use the information in that file. Remember: you're entering a conversation with your sources, and accurate file names and notes can help you understand and engage that conversation. And, of course, always remember to back up your files.

Keep your own writing and your sources separate

Work with either the printed copy of your source(s) or (in the case of online sources), the copy you pasted into a separate document—not the online version—as you draft your essay. This precaution not only decreases the risk of plagiarism but also enables you to annotate your sources in various ways that will help you understand and use them most effectively in your essay.

Keep your notes and your draft separate

Be careful to keep your research notes separate from your actual draft at all stages of your writing process. This will ensure that you don't cut language from a source and paste it into your paper without proper attribution. If you work from your notes, you're more likely to keep track of the boundaries between your own ideas and those in a source.

Paraphrase carefully in your notes; acknowledge your sources explicitly when paraphrasing

When you want to paraphrase material, it's a good idea first to paste the actual quotation into your notes (not directly into your draft) and then to paraphrase it (still in your notes). Putting the information in your own words will help you make sure that you've thought about what the source is saying and that you have a good reason for using it in your paper. Remember to use some form of notation in your notes to indicate what you've paraphrased and mention the author's name within the material you paraphrase. You should also include all citation information in your notes.

When you decide to use paraphrased material in your essay, make sure that you avoid gradually rewording the paraphrased material from draft to draft until you lose sight of the fact that it's still a paraphrase. Also, avoid excessive paraphrasing in which your essay simply strings together a series of paraphrases. When the ideas taken from your sources start to blend in deceptively with your own thinking, you will have a more difficult time maintaining the boundaries between your ideas and those drawn from sources. Finally, whenever you paraphrase, make sure you indicate, at each logical progression, that the ideas are taken from an authored source.

Avoid reading a classmate's paper for inspiration

If you're in a course that requires peer review or workshops of student drafts, you are going to read your classmates' work and discuss it. This is a productive way of exchanging ideas and getting feedback on your work. If you find, in the course of this work, that you wish to use someone else's idea at some point in your paper (you should never use someone else's idea as your thesis, but there may be times when a classmate's idea would work as a counterargument or other point in your paper), you must credit that person the same way you would credit any other source. On the other hand, if you find yourself reading someone else's paper because you're stuck on an assignment and don't know how to proceed, you may end up creating a problem for yourself because you might unconsciously copy that person's ideas. When you're stuck, make an appointment with your instructor or go to the Writing Center for advice on how to develop your own ideas.

Don't save your citations for later

Never paraphrase or quote from a source without immediately adding a citation. You should add citations in your notes, in your response papers, in your drafts, and in your revisions. Without them, it's too easy to lose track of where you got a quotation or an idea and to end up inadvertently taking credit for material that's not your own.

Quote your sources properly

Always use quotation marks for directly quoted material, even for short phrases and key terms.

Keep a source trail

As you write and revise your essay, make sure that you keep track of your sources in your notes and in each successive draft of your essay. You should begin this process early, even before you start writing your draft. Even after you've handed in your essay, keep all of your research notes and drafts. You ought to be able to reconstruct the path you took from your sources to your notes and from your notes to your drafts and revision. These careful records and clear boundaries between your writing and your sources will help you avoid plagiarism. And if you are called upon to explain your process to your instructor, you'll be able to retrace the path you took when thinking, researching, and writing, from the essay you submitted back through your drafts and to your sources.

Home / Guides / Plagiarism Guide / How to Avoid Accidental Plagiarism

How to Avoid Accidental Plagiarism

Even with detection software and citation generators like EasyBib, it can be all too easy to accidentally commit plagiarism in your paper. It can be as simple as leaving out quotation marks, or forgetting to add a source to your reference list. So how can you prevent making this costly mistake in your paper?

The best way to reduce your chances of accidentally plagiarizing a source is to write the first draft of your paper using only  your notes.

Keep books and web pages closed, and simply write out your thoughts and points on the topic in your own words. Your citations of supporting evidence can be added later.

Remember, your paper is an example of  your  writing, so you should be expressing your original thoughts, not just repeating published ideas. Outside sources are there for you to learn more about your topic and to provide evidence to your claim only. By writing a completely original first draft, you will ensure that your paper is a reflection of your own hard work.

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• Copy Checker Tips
• How to Remove Plagiarism
• How to Check Essay for Plagiarism

6 Fix Plagiarism Ways That Don’t Work

• On May 30, 2017, in Copy Checker Tips , by PM Team

Based a published article at Plagiarism.org, 59% of high schoolers have admitted using the web for plagiarizing their homework. This statistics is based on 43,000 participants in both private and public schools (Josephson Institute Center for Youth Ethics). Check out the following to fix plagiarism in your paper and be aware how to get away with plagiarism in the future!

How to Fix Plagiarism

To fix plagiarism, learn of the most effective methods used by students and writers from around the world. Some of the ways to fix plagiarism are highlighted in the following.

• Paraphrasing : It is putting someone else’s idea or ideas into your own words.
• Citing : You must follow proper citation style using this method. It can be Chicago, MLA or APA.
• Citing self-material : It involves using a material or research paper in your current work, but you must cite yourself anywhere in the essay to avoid self-plagiarism.
• Quoting : It is enclosing specific sentences or statements from the source to give emphasis on those. Do not use many quotations in your work though.
• Citing quotes : It involves an additional page or paragraph number for website content. This is also used for synonym substitution plagiarism avoid that some writers commit in their text.
• Referencing : The process involves listing down all the sources you have used in your paper, but this is in the additional page called the reference page.

How to Make a Copied Article Unique: Checking Paper for Plagiarism Online

There are several ways on how to make a copied article unique online. You can make use of Google for fragment searches to locate parts of your texts that are already published on other websites. You can also use tools, which are available for free and paid versions. They are easy to use and convenient, you can use them when nursing care plan writing . Many of them only require copying and pasting your text into the interface and start checking to detect for plagiarized content.

Copy and Paste Checker: What Are the Types of Plagiarism?

Patchwriting

According to BEYOND PLAGIARISM, it happens when the writer just paraphrases the material, but the language he or she used is very close to the structure or wording of the original.

Copy pasting

As the term implies, it is simply the act of copying and then pasting the original text to his or her essay, blog or any other written documents. And any  content copy checker could detect such kind of plagiarism in a moment.

One of the most common types is the word-for-word copying of someone else’s work without reference. You must not do this type of copy paste text if you want to avoid plagiarism, so you may want to use a copy paste checker. But synonymization, or providing synonyms for words isn’t always the suitable solution to avoid direct plagiarism.

Image credit: dontwasteyourtime.co.uk

Self-plagiarism

It happens when students submit their previous works or combine it with their present essay without any permission from the involved professors. You may want to learn to paraphrase or respinning if you want to avoid this problem in your essays. You can also do citing quotes or quoting.

If you don’t cite the source yet you still borrow phrases from it, you are committing this type of plagiarism. You must find useful synonyms or use quotation marks to avoid the problem.

This happens many times for people who do not cite their sources, or sometimes when they misquote the source. They sometimes also paraphrase using the same structure and sometimes-even wording of their source material.

An Example of Wrong Paraphrasing

Here is an interesting example of both wrong and correct variants of paraphrasing .

Original source material : Developing complex skills in the classroom involves the key ingredients identified in teaching pigeons to play ping-pong and to bowl. The key ingredients are: (1) inducing a response, (2) reinforcing subtle improvements or refinements in the behavior, (3) providing for the transfer of stimulus control by gradually withdrawing the prompts or cues, and (4) scheduling reinforcements so that the ratio of reinforcements in responses gradually increases and natural reinforcers can maintain their behavior.

Plagiarized : The same factors apply to developing complex skills in a classroom setting as to developing complex skills in any setting. A response must be induced, then reinforced as it gets closer to the desired behavior. Reinforcers have to be scheduled carefully, and cues have to be withdrawn gradually so that the new behaviors can be transferred and maintained.

Correct version : According to Gredler (2001), the same factors apply to developing complex skills in a classroom setting as to developing complex skills in any setting. A response must be induced, then reinforced as it gets closer to the desired behavior. Reinforcers have to be scheduled carefully, and cues have to be withdrawn gradually so that the new behaviors can be transferred and maintained.

Gredler, M. E. (2001). Learning and instruction: Theory into practice (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall

Proper Paraphrasing Techniques

• Before using the copy and paste essay checker, you can learn proper paraphrasing techniques
• Read and understand the paper completely
• Take down notes
• Start writing
• Check for correctness of your work against the original
• Cite your source
• Check your paper using the copy and paste essay checker

There you have a guide on how to check whether an article is copied to follow if you want to ensure of a unique paper. Take note of these techniques as well as type of plagiarism and avoid them.

Fix plagiarism today with our website!

• Tags: copy and paste checker , copy and paste essay checker , copy paste checker , copypaste text , fix plagiarism , how to check whether an article is copied , how to fix plagiarism , how to make an copied article unique , synonym substitution plagiarism avoid -

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