Paraphrasing a Sentence – The Basics

Paraphrasing is the process of recasting another author’s ideas and words in words of your own. In a paraphrasing service, authors can hire paraphrasers to rewrite passages of text without altering the meaning. In this way, paraphrasing services allow authors to avoid overusing direct quotations, which is when you copy and paste someone else’s text and place it inside quotation marks.

At university, as well as in academia more generally, paraphrasing sentences is preferable because it demonstrates to your lecturers and colleagues that your understanding is adequate. This also increases the originality of your work and ensures that you avoid plagiarism. Importantly, when you paraphrase a source or use a proofreading services, it is important to remember to cite it.

The steps involved in paraphrasing are simple, but rewriting a complex sentence is not straightforward. Even the best writers, editors, and paraphrasers find the task very time-consuming, which is why paraphrasing services are usually priced higher compared to editing services, proofreading services, and other writing-related services.

To paraphrase a sentence, follow these four steps:

·         Become familiar with the sentence and its meaning. Read it at least two times.

·         Without looking at the original sentence, write a new one with the same meaning based on your memory of the original.

·         Compare the original sentence and your paraphrased version and change any areas that are too similar or too different.

·         Leave an in-text citation to the original author.

It’s worth noting that you can also follow these four steps to paraphrase larger chunks of text, including paragraphs, pages of text, and entire chapters.

If you try to apply these four steps to a few sentences or paragraphs, you might find it difficult – as mentioned earlier. Despite the simplicity of the steps, following them and producing a new, engaging, and accessible rewritten version is not easy. This is one of the main reasons why paraphrasing services are currently highlypriced; because the process of paraphrasing is time-consuming and often complex.

To ease the paraphrasing process, there are a few tricks you can apply:

·         Restructure the sentence or paragraph. One way to do this is to change sentences from the passive to the active voice.

·         Increase or decrease the number of sentences. For example, you can divide information from the original sentence into two or three shorter sentences.

·         Make use of synonyms. If you use words that have the same meaning as words in the original sentence, you can ensure that the paraphrased version is dissimilar.

·         Begin the new sentence at a different point compared to the original.

·         Maximise the number of synonyms. If you’re having difficulty with this, consult a thesaurus or, if all else fails, call a paraphraser.

In light of the above, it’s always wise to think about when paraphrasing may be a good alternative to direct quotation. In academic writing, it is often preferable to paraphrase a piece of text rather than to quote it directly. Whenever you decide to paraphrase another source, don’t forget to leave a citation alongside it.