Paraphrasing and summarizing are similar but there are some differences.

Paraphrasing means rewriting someone else’s idea in your own words (i.e., using different vocabulary and sentence structure than the original source) without changing the original meaning.

A good paraphrase demonstrates mastery of a topic, which is an important part of most assignments. Paraphrasing also allows you to maintain a consistent voice throughout your assignment and make better use of the material by expressing an idea more persuasively than in the original source or by emphasizing a word or idea that is more important to your work and more resonant with your reader.

Similar to paraphrasing, summarizing also involves restating a text or passage in your own words. However, a summary only restates the main points of a text, and therefore is usually much shorter than the original.

You would paraphrase when you want to explain a concept in detail, while you would summarize to convey the highlights of a longer source in a short space.

How to Paraphrase

Try using this four-step method for effective paraphrase writing:

Step 1: Read the original text in its context, until you understand it fully.

Trying to paraphrase information out of context can lead to misunderstanding and therefore misrepresenting the information. Before trying to paraphrase something, read the passage in context and write down its main idea. You might imagine that you are explaining the passage to a friend or family member.

Ask yourself questions like

• What are the author’s main points?
• What is their conclusion?

This can help you not only confirm your understanding of the text, but also figure out what “your own words” actually are. 

Additionally, you should

• read the source material several times and take notes as you read.
• identify any words from the original that are essential terminology and cannot or should not be changed.
• check your understanding of any unfamiliar words and concepts in a dictionary.

Step 2: Without looking at the original text, write a first draft of the paraphrase. 

Step 3: Compare your paraphrase to the original passage to ensure it accurately conveys the ideas in your own words. 

Ask yourself:

• Am I presenting the meaning of the passage accurately?
• Have I used exact wording from the original unnecessarily?
• Are there words or turns of phrase that are unique to the original that I want to retain and therefore must put in quotation marks?

Step 4: Revise the paraphrase if necessary. Integrate it into your assignment, making sure it is properly cited.

How to Summarize

The process for writing a summary is similar to that for writing a paraphrase, except summary writing involves leaving out most of the details of the original and highlighting only the key points.

Try using this four-step method for effective summary writing:

Step 1: Read the original text until you understand it fully and separate the most important points from the supporting details.

Ask yourself questions like

• What are the author’s main findings and conclusions?
• How does this information relate to my research topic?
• What do I want my reader to understand about the text?

Additionally, you should

• read the source material several times and take notes as you read.
• identify any words from the original that are essential terminology and cannot or should not be changed.
• check your understanding of any unfamiliar words and concepts in a dictionary.

Step 2: Without looking at the original text, write a first draft of the summary. 

Step 3: Compare your summary to the original to ensure it accurately conveys the main ideas in your own words. 

Ask yourself:

• Am I presenting the meaning of the original accurately?
• Have I used exact wording from the original unnecessarily?
• Are there words or turns of phrase that are unique to the original that I want to retain and therefore must put in quotation marks?

Step 4: Revise the summary if necessary. Integrate it into your assignment, making sure it is properly cited.

Attributions

This chapter is an adaptation of 3.3 Paraphrasing and Summarizing by Donnie Calabrese; Emma Russell; Jasmine Hoover; and Tammy Byrne and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. You can download this book free at Academic Integrity Handbook Copyright © 2020.

This chapter is also an adaptation of 3.4 How to Paraphrase by Donnie Calabrese; Emma Russell; Jasmine Hoover; and Tammy Byrne and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. You can download this book free at Academic Integrity Handbook Copyright © 2020.

This chapter is also an adaptation of 3.5 How to Summarize by Donnie Calabrese; Emma Russell; Jasmine Hoover; and Tammy Byrne and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. You can download this book free at Academic Integrity Handbook Copyright © 2020.