What is Paraphrasing? Explained With Examples
November 06, 2024
We are living in an age where information is overflooded for almost every topic. This has made expressing ideas in a new and personal way more important than ever, especially for students, and content writers.
This is where Paraphrasing comes in handy. It is the art of restating existing text in a new or sometimes improved way while keeping the original meaning intact. It can be an invaluable skill that can help people better communicate and comprehend information.
However, if you are not very familiar with this technique, then don’t worry. In this detailed blog, we are going to explain every bit of detail that you need to know about paraphrasing along with examples.
So, let’s get down to the business.
What is Paraphrasing?
Paraphrasing also known as “Rephrasing” is all about understanding the context or core of existing content. Then restate it in a new and unique way by using your own words and varying sentence structure.
It can prove beneficial in different writing fields; including academics, research, content writing, and many more.
Example:
Original Sentence:
The continuous development in the field of technology has eliminated language barriers, making it easier for us to connect with a worldwide audience.
Paraphrased Version:
The persistent growth in technology has reduced linguistic boundaries, allowing us to communicate with the global audience easily.
Example Verdict: As you can clearly see both versions are written in a different way, but still deliver the same meaning – this is called Paraphrasing.
Types of Paraphrasing
There are several types of paraphrasing, some of the major ones are as follows:
Direct Paraphrasing:
In this type of paraphrasing, you are required to rephrase content by closely following the same sentence structure as the source text. This way, only minimal changes will be made. To understand this in a better way, check out the example below.
Original Sentence:
The government of New York launched a new policy to improve healthcare access.
Direct Paraphrase:
The administration announced a new plan to boost healthcare access.
Example Verdict: In the above example, a rephrased version is produced by following the same structure as the original sentence.
Indirect Paraphrasing:
This one is opposite to the above, indirect paraphrasing mainly focuses on delivering the main idea by making maximum changes. The changes can be the replacement of words with synonyms, modifying the sentence structure, and removing extra words.
Original Sentence:
Economic growth is slowed by inflation, this is because it directly impacts the purchasing power of people.
Indirection Version:
Since inflation directly affects people's buying power, it decreases economic expansion.
Example Verdict: In the second version, maximum changes have been made while the core idea remains unchanged.
Summary Paraphrasing:
It is a mixture of paraphrasing and summarizing. In this, you have to not only just rephrase the main message but also focus on concisely condensing the most important details.
Below is an example for a better understanding.
Original Sentence:
Apply has announced the inclusion of new features in the recently launched mobile phone, aiming to improve user experience through a robust camera, battery life, etc. (Total words = 26)
Summary Version:
The new Apple smartphone includes excellent features i.e., camera quality, and battery life for a better user experience. (Total words = 18)
Example Verdict: As you can see, the second sentence not only contains a touch of rephrasing but also summarizing.
Transformation Paraphrasing:
It refers to changing the source text tone and voice. For instance, if a sentence is written in passive voice, it can be changed into active voice and vice versa. This is the main reason it is known as Transformation Paraphrasing.
Original Sentence:
Lina and Jordan are playing football. (Active voice)
Transformed Version:
Football is being played by Lina and Jordan (Passive voice)
Example Verdict: A rephrased version is produced by changing the main sentence from active voice to passive.
Adaption Paraphrasing
This involves rephrasing content to tailor it according to the needs and preferences of a particular audience. Here, the terminology or writing style is adjusted to make it more accessible to the targeted audience.
Original Sentence (For Academic Audience):
Photovoltaic cells play a key role in converting sunlight energy into electrical energy by using a semiconductor material.
Adoption Version (For General Audience):
Solar panels make use of special materials to convert sunlight into electrical energy.
Example Verdict: You can easily spot the writing style difference between the aforementioned sentences. That’s how Adoption Paraphrasing is done.
Paraphrasing by Synonyms
Last but not least, this type mainly focuses on just replacing maximum words and phrases in the source text with their relevant yet contextually appropriate synonyms. This is the most commonly used type of paraphrasing.
Original Sentence:
The professor motivated the students to work hard before the final exam.
Synonymized Version:
The teacher encouraged the students to study well ahead of the last test.
Example Verdict: You can see, we just simply changed each word in the original sentence with its synonym – that’s it.
How Paraphrasing is Done
Nowadays, paraphrasing is done in two ways; one is the manual approach and the other is automated. In this section, we are going to briefly break down both these, so that you can adopt the one that you think is suitable.
Manual Approach for Paraphrasing:
In the manual approach; you have to:
- First efficiently understand the core idea or meaning of the source text
- Try to identify and highlight the faulty or poorly written sentences and paragraphs
- Now, start paraphrasing the content by changing words with synonyms, altering sentence structure, removing unnecessary wording, etc.
- Proofread to ensure maximum accuracy.
Obviously, following this approach will not only require time and effort but also a good grip on writing skills. If you lack any of these, you may consider going for the automated approach.
Automated Approach for Paraphrasing:
Automated paraphrasing involves the use of online tools to quickly and efficiently rephrase content. Here are the steps that you need to follow:
- Land on a paraphrasing tool
- Select the rephrasing mode according to writing style
- Input the text you want to paraphrase
- Hit the “Paraphrase” button
- Get the output
You should carefully read the tool’s rephrased content to determine whether it still delivers the same meaning or not to avoid later disappointments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why paraphrasing is important?
It is essential for a number of reasons, listed as follows:
- Paraphrasing allows people to better communicate complex concepts or ideas to others in a simple way
- It is also helpful in elevating existing content quality in terms of word choice, fluency, etc.
- It assists in creating multiple versions of the same content like emails, etc. for implementing the A/B testing technique.
What are useful tips for effective paraphrasing?
To effectively rephrase any type of information, you should follow these tips:
- Change maximum words with their contextually appropriate synonyms
- Modify the order of words within a sentence i.e., changing tone from passive to active or vice versa
- Remove unnecessary or repetitive wording
What you should consider when paraphrasing text?
The most important thing to keep in mind is that the original meaning or idea of the text remains unchanged.
Final Words
Whether you are a student, teacher, blogger, or marketer, paraphrasing can be an invaluable skill. It allows you to rephrase other people's information in your own words for better understanding and comprehension. In this detailed blog post, we have tried our level best to explain every bit of detail that you need to know about paraphrasing.
