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How to Paraphrase: Practical Tips & Rules
Writing with AI
8 min read

How to Paraphrase: Practical Tips & Rules

Practice effective paraphrasing to improve your academic writing with clear tips, strategies, and examples to help you rewrite the text originally.
How To Rephrase A Sentence
Written by
Viktoriia Y.
Published on
Aug 14, 2025
Table of contents
Paraphrasing is the process of expressing someone else’s ideas in your own words while preserving the original meaning. It’s a key skill for academic writing, and writing research papers helps you avoid plagiarism, improve clarity, and tailor content to your audience. Effective paraphrasing requires a deep understanding of the source material and the ability to restructure the original passage without the threat of potential plagiarism.
By following proven tips for paraphrasing, such as changing sentence structure, using different vocabulary, and adjusting tone, you can create authentic, original text. Additionally, using an AI writing tool like StudyPro can further enhance this process, providing smart suggestions to reword sentences and improve flow.
Paraphrasing in Practice
Original Text
Paraphrased Text
To build your vocabulary and develop your English communication skills, practice and study are essential. Working through practice activities and regularly reviewing the new language you learn can help you accelerate your knowledge and understanding of English.
Practice and study are crucial for expanding your vocabulary and improving your ability to communicate in English. Working through practice exercises and routinely reviewing the new language you learn can help you improve your knowledge and comprehension of English more quickly.
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When Should You Paraphrase?

An effective way of paraphrasing is to be aware of when exactly to use it in academic writing. Paraphrasing works best when you need to restate someone else’s ideas without directly quoting and simplify complex information for clarity. Don’t forget to adapt the tone and style to match your paper.
Using the StudyPro AI paraphrasing tool can make this process easier, offering suggestions for rewording and improving sentence structure.
Here are the situations where paraphrasing is the most relevant:
  • As an alternative to direct quotations, maintain your unique voice.
  • Present your own opinion.
  • To simplify complex data or technical explanations for clarity.
  • To shorten large sections of information into a shorter, more focused form.
  • Switch from passive to active voice.
  • To integrate sources smoothly into your text without overloading it with quotes.
  • To reframe ideas in a way that better supports your argument.

How to Paraphrase: Tips for Beginners

Being a skilled writer comes with the ability to paraphrase. This guide to paraphrasing helps beginners learn how to rewrite sentences clearly and accurately. You should start following these rules:
  1. Understand the original meaning fully before attempting to rewrite.
  2. Write down or highlight the keywords of the sentence.
  3. Define which words will be substituted for synonyms.
  4. Use your words while keeping the original message intact.
  5. Change the sentence structure but maintain the original idea.
  6. Avoid copying phrases or keywords verbatim unless they are technical terms.
  7. Check your paraphrase to make sure that the meaning hasn’t changed.
How could you understand that you paraphrased the text wrongly? Let’s check a paragraph on the subject of socio-history.
Original: ‘Unlike common misconception, Vikings were not a nation, or ethnicity, being Viking meant people’s job, occupation. They were skilled warriors and seafarers from Scandinavia, mostly. Lived in Europe between the 8th and 11th centuries.’
✅ Correct paraphrase: 'Contrary to popular belief, being Viking did not refer to a nation or ethnic group; rather, it referred to a person's employment. Mostly from Scandinavia, they were expert fighters and sailors. lived from the eighth to the eleventh centuries in Europe.'
❌ Incorrect paraphrase: ‘Vikings was a job. As they were professional warriors and seatreaders from Scandinavia between the 8th and 11th centuries.’
Now, let’s compare the correct and incorrect versions of the sentence.
  • ‘Viking was a job’ - the key message of the sentence was omitted.
  • ‘Seatreaders’ is a wrong synonym; it’s not the same as ‘seafarers’.
  • The incorrect sentence omits the part about Vikings living in Europe.

Paraphrasing Based on the Source Type

Another thing to keep in mind is to pay attention to which source you are working with. Here are some common source types and tips on how to paraphrase them effectively:
  • Books and Articles: Focus on understanding the author’s main ideas and rewrite them in your own words without changing the meaning.
Original: “Effective communication is key to team success.”
Paraphrase: “Clear communication plays a crucial role in achieving teamwork goals.”
  • Statistical Data or Reports: When paraphrasing numbers or findings, emphasize the significance or trends rather than just changing words.
Original: “Sales increased by 60% in the last quarter.”
Paraphrase: “There was a 60% growth in sales during the previous quarter.”
  • Interviews or Personal Statements: Capture the speaker’s main points while maintaining their tone and intent.
Original: “I believe that hard work leads to success.”
Paraphrase: “The speaker feels that dedication and effort result in achievement.”
  • Websites or Online Content: Verify the credibility of the source and paraphrase key information clearly and accurately.
Original: “Our platform offers 24/7 customer support.”
Paraphrase: “The service provides 24/7 assistance to customers.”

What Are the 4 R's of Paraphrasing?

What are the 4 R’s of paraphrasing? It’s a framework or template created to help writers paraphrase correctly. 4 R’s of paraphrasing are Read, Restate, Recheck, and Repair.
How to apply 4 R’s paraphrasing
4 Rule of Paraphrasing
Description
Read
Carefully read the original text to fully understand the meaning.
Restate
Put the ideas expressed in your own way.
Recheck
Compare your paraphrase with the original to ensure accuracy and completeness.
Repair
Make adjustments to improve clarity, or to avoid unintentional plagiarism.
These ways to make the paraphrase ensure that the rewritten content maintains the original meaning while being expressed in a fresh way.

Rules on How to Cite a Paraphrase

If you don’t know how to cite a paraphrase, you could be accidentally plagiarizing. Learning the right approach, like how to cite a blog post in APA format, keeps your work accurate and credible. Let’s look at all citation styles.
How to cite a paraphrase in common citation styles
Citation Style
How to Cite a Paraphrase
Example
APA
Include the author’s last name and year of publication. Page number is optional but recommended.
(Doe, 2025) or (Doe, 2025, p. 15)
MLA
Include the author’s last name and page number. Year is optional.
(Joe 15)
Chicago
Use author-date style with the author’s last name, year, and page number.
(Joe 2025, 15)
Harvard
Include the author’s last name, year, and page number if available.
(Joe, 2025, p. 15)
AMA
Use a superscript number corresponding to the reference list entry.
Paraphrased text.^1
IEEE
Use bracketed numbers corresponding to the reference list.
Paraphrased text [1].

Paraphrasing Vs. Quoting

It's no wonder that many students find paraphrasing and quoting confusing. These are two different ways to include someone else’s ideas in your writing. However, the purpose is different.
Paraphrasing means rewriting the original idea in your interpretation to make it clearer or fit your style.
Quoting is using the exact words from the original source, placed in quotation marks, to highlight the author’s specific wording or authority.
When you need to express your voice, please use paraphrasing. When it’s important to emphasize the original work, please use quoting.
Here is an example with a famous quote:
The original phrase: “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
Types
Examples
Explanation
Quoting
As William James once said, “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”(as cited in Levesque-Bristol & Knapp, 2016, p. 71). I believe that statement to be true.
You cite James’ phrase; it is disconnected from your own voice.
Paraphrasing
William James once said to act as if what you do makes a difference, and I’ve been proving that it actually does my whole life (as cited in Levesque-Bristol & Knapp, 2016, p. 71).
You incorporate James’ phrase into your argument (for instance, in a personal essay).

Paraphrasing Vs. Summarizing

What is academic writing without proper paraphrasing and summarizing? Paraphrasing is suitable when you want to explain a specific idea or detail from a source in your interpretation without shortening the information. It’s useful for clarifying complex points or integrating evidence smoothly into your writing.
Summarizing is better when you need to give a brief overview of a larger text or long passage, focusing only on the main ideas. Use summarizing to condense information and provide a quick understanding.
As usual, let’s look at one of the examples of paraphrasing:
"Junior university students (N = 25) were assigned the task of working on their seminar essays with the aid of ChatGPT. Most students were novices with this tool (the study was conducted in the spring of 2023). The initial attitudes towards artificial intelligence were almost equally distributed from enthusiastic to indifferent and cautious, with one student refusing to interact with the chatbot on ideological grounds.”
Types
Examples
Explanation
Summarizing
The 2023 study by Šedlbauer et al. was conducted on a volume of 25 students tasked to work on seminar essays using the Chat GPT tool, which was new for them; the attitudes varied from enthusiastic to adverse(Šedlbauer et al., 2024).
Summarizing major points from the whole section
Paraphrasing
The study conducted in the spring of 2023 shows how cautious the attitudes were in these early days of AI rising (Šedlbauer et al., 2024).
Referring to one specific point

Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing vs. Quoting

Paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting are three different ways to use information from a source, each serving a unique purpose. Choosing between paraphrasing, summarizing, and quoting depends on your writing goal. First, check on that.
Here is the detailed guide on paraphrasing vs. summarizing vs. quoting
Feature
Paraphrasing
Summarizing
Quoting
What it is
Rewriting someone else’s ideas in your interpretation, with about the same length and detail.
Briefly stating only the main points of a larger text in fewer words.
Using the exact words from the original source, placed in quotation marks.
When to use
To explain or clarify detailed information without copying; to keep the original meaning.
To give a quick overview or highlight the main ideas of a long text.
When the original wording is powerful, precise, or important to preserve.
Original: Dogs spend 90% of their lives playing.
Dogs play for 90% of their lives.
For most of their lives, dogs spend playing.
‘Dogs spend 90% of their lives playing’ (Doe, 2025).

Difference Between Paraphrasing, Rewording, and Rewriting

For a person far away from the academic field, these 3 words would not make any difference. However, when discussing them, it’s clear they are similar, but not the same. They are additional tools to express your voice.
Paraphrasing, Rewording, and Rewriting
Term
Description
Example Original Sentence
Example
Paraphrasing
Expressing the original idea in your own words while keeping the full meaning and detail.
‘The cat likes dairy products.’
‘The feline enjoys dairy products.’
Rewording
Changing individual words or phrases with synonyms, keeping the original sentence structure mostly the same.
‘The cat likes dairy products.’
‘The cat enjoys milk and other dairy foods.’
Rewriting
Significantly changing the structure and wording to create a fresh version suited for a new audience or purpose.
‘The cat likes dairy products.’
‘The cat enjoys drinking milk and other dairy products.’

Frequent Mistakes in Paraphrasing

To paraphrase properly, students need to avoid these common mistakes, which is a topic often covered in FAQs on paraphrasing. The mistakes are usually caused by using the wrong synonyms or losing the context of the text.
  • Poor paraphrasing causes plagiarism. Simply changing a few words or rearranging the sentence without fully rewriting can still be considered plagiarism.
  • Distorting the original meaning. Changing words incorrectly or leaving out important details can alter the author’s intended message.
  • Forgetting to add a citation. Even if you paraphrase properly, failing to credit the original source is plagiarism.
  • Overusing direct synonyms. Using too many word-for-word replacements makes the text sound unnatural and close to the original.
  • Maintaining the same sentence structure. Keeping the original syntax too similar can reduce originality and increase plagiarism risk.
  • Ignoring context or tone. Not adapting the paraphrase to fit your own writing notes or the context can make it confusing or inconsistent.

Sum Up

Essentially, rephrasing is presenting someone else’s work in your writing and in your own writing style. The main goal is to make a smooth transition to enrich your point. For effective academic writing, different paraphrasing techniques help students avoid plagiarism while implementing peers’ ideas.
To paraphrase effectively, you only need two key skills:
  • Dissecting the meaning and form from the original text.
  • Changing the original academic work structure so it better fits your writing.
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Frequently asked questions

The main rule of paraphrasing is to keep the idea without repeating the original text. So, identify the keywords, use the synonyms for them, and rewrite in your own words. Check if the idea is the same.
Here’s an example of a paraphrase:
Original: “New “it” water bottles are anointed almost quarterly.” (Holtermann, 2025).
Rephrase: “In their new article, The New York Times write about the overconsumption problem, referring to trending “it” bottles as the example.” (Holtermann, 2025).
Here are 5 options to paraphrase your text:
  • Using synonyms for keywords;
  • Changing the sentence structure;
  • Breaking long sentences into shorter ones;
  • Changing passive voice to active or vice versa;
  • Combining multiple sentences to streamline ideas.
Sources:
  • How to paraphrase and quote. (n.d.). The University of Sheffield. https://sheffield.ac.uk/study-skills/writing/academic/paraphrase-quote
  • Cashen, N. B. (2021, November 17). Paraphrasing and summarizing. Mount Saint Vincent University. https://www.msvu.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Paraphrasing-and-Summarizing.pdf
  • How to paraphrase | Academic Skills Kit | Newcastle University. (n.d.). https://www.ncl.ac.uk/academic-skills-kit/good-academic-practice/plagiarism/how-to-paraphrase/
  • BBC Learning English. (2025, August 13). BBC Learning English - Course: Fake News: Fact and Fiction / Unit 1 / Session 7 / Activity 1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/fakenews/unit-1/session-7
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