Quoting and Paraphrasing
Guidelines for Selecting a Quotation:
Are the author’s words so moving or so clever that to put them in my own words would lessen
their impact?
Are the author’s words so precise that to put them in my own words would change their meaning?
Are the author’s words so concise that I would need twice as many words to paraphrase the passage? 1
If your answer is NO to all three questions, you should paraphrase!
Paraphrasing shows that we have listened to the conversation and can put it into our own words. In summary, you
should paraphrase when it’s the idea, not the tone or exact wording, that you’re trying to get across.
1. Make sure that you use your own words to explain what the author is saying (e.g. use synonyms).
2. Try to change the structure of the sentence so that it is different from the original (e.g. switch from active to
passive voice).
3. Remember to keep the meaning the same as the original text.
4. Keep the tone of the writing the same (e.g. do not make the writer sound angry if he does not sound angry in
the original).
5. Attribute the information to the original author by using an author tag (e.g. Edmundson argues).
6. Include the page number in parentheses after the paraphrased text (If there’s a page number; some electronic
sources may not).
Example
Original Text: “If you want to get a real education in America you’re going to have to fight […] To get an
education, you’re probably going to have to fight against the institution that you find yourself in – no matter
how prestigious it may be” (Edmundson, “Who Are You and What Are You Doing Here?”, pg. 18).
Plagiarized paraphrase: Edmundson believes that if you want a real education, you have to work hard.
Inaccurate paraphrase: Edmundson believes that institutions put up a fight against their students because
they don’t value their students’ education (18).
Better paraphrase: Edmundson believes that attaining a worthy education comes from the individual’s
tenacity rather than the brick and mortar building at which they attend classes (18).
Practice
Directions: Paraphrase the following sentence in the space below.
Original: “Concern springs from a number of things: steep rises in fees, increases in the levels of debt of both
students and universities, and the declining quality of graduates” (The Economist, “Higher Education: Not
What It Used to Be”).
Paraphrase: ____________________________________________________________________________
1
These ideas are taken from Spack (2007). Guidelines: A Cross Cultural Reading/Writing Text. (3rd Ed). New York, NY: Cambridge.
_______________________________________________________________________________________.
Now, see if you succeeded in making your paraphrase different in words and structure.
1. Draw a rectangle around any words that are the same in the original text and your paraphrase.
2. Circle synonyms that you used in your paraphrasing and the original.
3. Underline phrases/ideas that you changed in order. For example, if you moved the idea about “quality
of graduates” to the beginning of your paraphrase, underline this idea.
Look at what you’ve marked.
How many words have a rectangle? If there are more than two, you probably need to work on using
synonyms. Specific words like “graduate” can stay the same because this is a specific title, but there are
many other ways to say “university,” so this word should change.
Did you underline anything? If not, see if you can move around the order of ideas.
TIPS: How to Paraphrase Without Plagiarizing
One useful technique is to read the passage carefully several times to identify its main points; then set
it aside. Try re-writing the main points in your own words without looking at the original. In other
words, explain it to yourself.
When finished, set the draft aside and move on with the rest of your writing, or to some other activity.
Turning your attention to something else puts distance between yourself and the original passage, it
clears your head so to speak.
When you return to it, you will have a fresh perspective. Your recollection of the exact words being
paraphrased will have faded to some degree and it will be easier to focus on your own language
choices and sentence structure.
