پایگاه آموزش زبان انگليسي معصوم پور

What Is a Paraphrase?

A paraphrase is a rewording of another writer's text, explanation, argument, or narrative.  It is about the same length as the original, but is substantially different in wording and sentence structure.

Why Paraphrase?

If your purpose is one of the following, you may wish to paraphrase a portion of a text:

·         to make sure that you fully understand what the text says (for example, a poem or a Bible verse or a speech from a play by Shakespeare);

·         to discuss someone's argument or text directly;

·         to use as expert evidence for a point you are making in your own argumentative text;

·         to present an opposing point of view that you wish to refute.
 
How to Paraphrase a Text

·         Use alternative wording to the author’s throughout your paraphrase.

·         If you use the author’s words to name important ideas, enclose his or her phrases in quotation marks.

·         Present the ideas of the original using your own sentence structure as well as your own word choice.  Following the author’s sentence structure, even if you use alternative wording, is considered plagiarizing.

·         Cite your source, even if you do not use a direct quotation from the source.

·         When including a paraphrase in your text, introduce the topic in your own words, but make it clear that you are presenting someone else’s ideas with wording like “H. H. Smith argues that . . .” or “According to medical researcher Donald Smith, . . .” or “Smith also claims that . . .”.

http://www.bridgewater.edu/WritingCenter/Workshops/paraphrastips.htm