Master The Art of Paraphrasing: A Must-Read Guide for Students

Paraphrasing is the process of saying the same thing, in other words. It can include changing the structure, words, and sequence of the sentence to convey the same meaning without changing the context of what’s being conveyed.

It is one of the important skills that students must have to excel in their studies, regardless of what’s their course of study or academic level. 

The reason why educational institutions emphasize the importance of paraphrasing is that it helps develop comprehension and critical thinking skills.

This article is going to discuss how students can make the most of paraphrasing.

Difference Between Paraphrasing and Summarizing

One of the most common mistakes that most students make is confusing summarizing and paraphrasing. Students have to understand that these things are different from each other.

Paraphrasing is actually saying something in your own words without making a significant change to the context. On the other hand, summarizing is condensing the text to create a shorter version.

Paraphrasing Tool

Before we move further to discuss things in depth, it’s worth knowing that an online paraphraser can help you with paraphrasing content. 

That means you don’t always have to rephrase text manually, which can obviously take several hours or even days, depending upon the complexity and length of the material.

For those who are still unaware of how it works, the tool is very easy to use, even for a layperson. 

You just have to paste the text you want to rephrase, click the ‘Paraphrase’ button, and get your text paraphrased instantly.

The tool comes with different paraphrasing modes, which you can choose from depending on your requirements. 

However, the ‘Academic’ mode is ideal for students as it can help you get educational materials paraphrased flawlessly.

Why Is Paraphrasing Important for Students?

There are several reasons why paraphrasing is an important skill for students:

Avoiding Plagiarism

The first reason is that paraphrasing is a great way to help students avoid plagiarism in their write-ups. 

They have to create assignments from time to time which could be tedious at times. Paraphrasing helps them create a newer version of already existing assignments, which are plagiarism-free.

Restating something in your own words shows that you have a good understanding of the original material.

Develop Critical Thinking Skills

Developing critical thinking skills is mandatory for students because these are the skills that would help them in the long run. 

You should start analyzing and thinking about different subjects on your own.  Paraphrasing is a helpful tool in this regard, as it helps you develop critical thinking skills. 

You focus on how to reproduce text to convey the same meaning in different words.

Improving Writing and Communication Skills

Yup, it’s true. Paraphrasing is a great way to boost your communication and writing skills. Being a student, you need to possess good communication and writing skills so that you can score better grades and come through with flying colors.

The reason it’s a great way to help with these is that rewording or restating text helps you develop a skill to convey the material in a more concise and clear manner.

A Better Understanding of the Material

Paraphrasing is a great way to boost your comprehension skills. You can absorb the original material, get a better understanding of it, and then regenerate it in your own way. That’s how you develop a very good understanding of the material.

Demonstrating Knowledge and Understanding Of The Subject

It helps you showcase the level of expertise you have regarding the subject matter. When you paraphrase, you show people that you have a good understanding of the material, and you can communicate the same to other people in a better way.

Techniques for Effective Paraphrasing

There are different techniques that you can use to paraphrase the text, like a pro. It could be a little bit difficult at the beginning, but once you master these techniques, you will be able to paraphrase within no time.

Reading and Comprehension

Before you start paraphrasing text, it’s important to thoroughly read and understand the original text. 

Make sure you have gone through the entire write-up before you start reproducing it in your own words.

Identify The Main Points

Another great trick is to identify the main points of the article before you start paraphrasing. Determine the main points of the original text and focus on rewarding those in your own words. 

Don’t try to stick with what has already been said. Keep the main ideas in your mind and paraphrase them the way you want.

Change The Structure

Changing the structure of the write-up is a great way to paraphrase correctly. Use dissimilar sentence structure and organization to reword the text so that it doesn’t look the way it was before paraphrasing.

Use Synonyms and Related Words

You can always use synonyms or other words conveying the same meaning. Alternative words and phrases help avoid copying the original wording. 

If you have difficulty finding the right words, take help from a thesaurus or similar tools available on the internet.

Check for Accuracy

One of the biggest mistakes most students make is to avoid checking their paraphrased text for potential errors. Take help from tools like Grammarly to ensure your text is free from errors. Take some time to proofread and edit your work before you submit it.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Paraphrasing

There are some common mistakes that most students make when they paraphrase text on their own without using a tool. 

It is important to address these issues so that you can paraphrase text for the better.

Failing to Change the Structure

Not being able to change the structure of a write-up is a mistake that is obvious to many students. It is not enough to just change the synonyms of some words; you should also consider changing the structure of the write-up to make things clear.

Copying The Original Wording

The next mistake is to copy the original wording of the text, which often results in plagiarism. To avoid being caught in terms of plagiarism, try not to copy the same words from the source material. Rather, try describing things in your own words.

Using Too Many Synonyms

Using too many synonyms can also cause issues. They can make the paraphrased text look unprofessional and incomprehensible.

Therefore, you should try your best to avoid overusing synonyms while paraphrasing text.