Paraphrasing Examples | Types & Explanations
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Kayla has a master's degree in teaching English as a second language. She has taught university-level ESL and first-year composition courses and also has over 15 years of experience as an editor.
Kayla Hewitt
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Paraphrasing is rewording someone else’s work, using different vocabulary and sentence structure while preserving the original meaning.
Knowing how to paraphrase is important in many different contexts, from academic writing to journalism to counseling. Paraphrasing examples can help you understand how to paraphrase effectively.
Paraphrasing meaning and examples
Paraphrasing is putting someone else’s words into your own. A paraphrase changes both the sentence structure and word choice of the original text while maintaining its meaning.
People often paraphrase when the meaning of the original quote is important but the specific words used are not.
Paraphrasing example
Original Text | Paraphrase |
|---|---|
The slippery slope fallacy is a logical fallacy that occurs when it is argued that a relatively small first step or action will inevitably lead to a chain of related events with extreme, often negative, consequences. | The slippery slope fallacy, which is a logical fallacy, occurs when someone argues that a small action will necessarily lead to a chain reaction that has an extreme, typically detrimental, result. |
Simple paraphrasing examples
Paraphrasing isn’t always used to rewrite long pieces of text. It can also be used to clarify a short piece of writing, for example if the tone of the original text doesn’t suit the new audience.
Simple paraphrasing example
Original Text | Paraphrase |
|---|---|
I regret to inform you that I am unable to attend the event due to illness. | I’m sorry to tell you that I can’t come to the event because I’m sick. |
Summarizing and paraphrasing examples
Paraphrasing and summarizing are similar in the sense that both involve rewriting an original message. However, with paraphrasing, the goal is typically to clarify the source text, whereas the main purpose of summarizing is to shorten the text.
Summarizing and paraphrasing example
Original: Phone cases are essential accessories designed to protect smartphones from damage. Available in a variety of materials such as silicone, plastic, leather, and metal, they offer both functionality and style. Phone cases help prevent scratches, cracks, and other damage resulting from accidental drops or impacts. Additionally, many cases come with added features such as card holders, kickstands, or waterproofing, enhancing the phone's usability. With countless designs, colors, and patterns available, phone cases also allow users to personalize their devices, reflecting their individual tastes and preferences. Investing in a quality phone case is a practical way to extend the life of your smartphone.
Summary: Phone cases protect smartphones from damage, such as scratches and cracks, by absorbing impacts. They can be made from many different types of materials, and many offer extra features like card holders and stands. Phone cases allow users to personalize their devices while protecting them.
Paraphrase: Phone cases are important accessories that safeguard smartphones from harm. They come in materials like plastic, leather, silicone, and metal, combining both practicality and aesthetic appeal. These cases protect against scratches, cracks, and damage from drops or impacts. Many also include features like card holders, stands, or waterproofing. Phone cases let users customize their devices to suit their style with numerous designs, colors, and patterns. You can easily prolong the lifespan of your phone by choosing a durable phone case.
Paraphrasing in counseling examples
In counseling, paraphrasing is used as a communication technique where the counselor restates what the client has said in their own words. In this context, the main purpose of paraphrasing is to ensure the counselor has understood the client correctly and to validate the client’s feelings. It can also help the client reflect on what they’ve said.
Paraphrasing in counseling example
Client: "I’ve been feeling really overwhelmed with everything at work lately. I can’t seem to keep up with the demands, and it’s stressing me out.”
Counselor: “It sounds like you’re feeling a lot of pressure from work and it’s becoming difficult to manage everything. It’s really starting to take a toll on you.”
Paraphrasing quotes examples
Paraphrasing quotes is very important in academic writing in particular because it’s important to show how others’ work supports your argument. To paraphrase a quote, follow these steps:
Read the quote several times to ensure you understand it.
Rephrase the quote in your own words without looking at the original.
Compare your text to the original quote. Verify that you have substantially changed both the wording and the sentence structure while maintaining the original meaning.
Remember to include a citation to avoid paraphrasing plagiarism.
Paraphrasing a quote example
Original Text | Paraphrase |
|---|---|
“However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poorhouse. The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the almshouse as brightly as from the rich man's abode; the snow melts before its door as early in the spring.” | In Walden, Thoreau (1854) argues that even if you live a life of poverty, you should embrace it. Don’t criticize your own life; you’re not a good judge because the richer you get, the less satisfied you are. Enjoy your life, even in poverty. You can have beautiful moments even if you are living on the streets. Sunsets and the coming of spring after winter are able to be enjoyed no matter where you are, whether you live in a mansion or in a shack. |
Effective paraphrasing examples
Effective paraphrasing involves changing the language of the original text sufficiently while still maintaining its original meaning. That means you need to identify the overall message of the text and convey that.
Often, paraphrasing is particularly effective when the original text is overly wordy.
Effective paraphrasing to reduce wordiness
Original Text | Paraphrase |
|---|---|
Ethos, pathos, and logos are the three main components that make up the rhetorical triangle, which is a fundamental idea in the study of rhetoric and persuasive communication. These three components that make up the triangle are dependent on each other. | The rhetorical triangle, a foundational concept in rhetoric and persuasion, comprises three interdependent parts: ethos, pathos, and logos. |
Paraphrasing is also often used to change the tone or complexity of a text. For example, paraphrasing can be used effectively to communicate technical concepts to a wider audience.
Effective paraphrasing to simplify a text
Original Text | Paraphrase |
|---|---|
Large language models (LLMs) represent a class of deep learning architectures, typically based on transformer networks, that are designed to learn complex patterns in textual data and generate or predict sequences of text. These models are characterized by an exceptionally large number of parameters—often on the order of billions or even trillions—enabling them to capture intricate linguistic structures, contextual relationships, and semantic nuances from vast corpora of text. | Large language models (LLMs) are a type of AI designed to understand and generate human language. These models use a special kind of neural network called a transformer, which helps them process and "understand" large amounts of text. They have billions (or even trillions) of parameters—basically, the model’s "knowledge"—which helps them make sense of language in a sophisticated way. |
Examples of paraphrasing plagiarism
Paraphrasing plagiarism occurs when someone rewords or paraphrases someone else's work without properly crediting the original source. It can also occur when someone credits the source but does not significantly alter the original wordings and sentence structures.
Example of paraphrasing plagiarism
Original: Confirmation bias is a cognitive bias that refers to the tendency for people to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or strengthens their preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.
Paraphrasing plagiarism: Confirmation bias is a type of cognitive bias that describes the tendency for people to look for, interpret, prefer, and remember information in a manner that upholds or strengthens their existing beliefs or thoughts.
This is paraphrasing plagiarism because the paraphrase doesn’t credit the original author, and the text stays too close to the original.
In this article
Paraphrasing Examples
Paraphrasing meaning and examples
Simple paraphrasing examples
Summarizing and paraphrasing examples
Paraphrasing in counseling examples
Paraphrasing quotes examples
Effective paraphrasing examples
Examples of paraphrasing plagiarism
FAQs
Frequently asked questions about paraphrasing examples
What is an example of a paraphrase with citation?
In academic writing, all paraphrases should be accompanied by a citation that includes publication information, such as the author’s last name and the publication date.
The exact information you include in your citation will depend on which style guide you are using.
Paraphrase with citation examples
APA | MLA |
|---|---|
Youth sports participation has been shown to lead to many physical and mental health problems, such as overuse injuries and eating disorders (Bowman, 2023). | Youth sports participation has been shown to lead to many physical and mental health problems, such as overuse injuries and eating disorders (Bowman 55). |
What is an example of active listening paraphrasing?
Active listening paraphrasing is often used in settings like counseling, where it is important for the listener to show that they have heard and understood what the speaker is saying.
It can also be used in business and interpersonal settings to build trust and reach consensus.
Active listening paraphrasing example Employee: This new evaluation system is unfair. We’re measured on outcomes that we have no control over. It makes me feel so stressed! Supervisor: I hear you saying that you’re unhappy with the new evaluation system. You feel that the criteria that have been chosen are unfair. Is that right? |
What is an example of paraphrasing in customer service?
Paraphrasing is used frequently in customer service so that the representative can make sure they understand the customer’s request before taking action.
Paraphrasing in customer service example Customer: My phone won’t turn on. I let it charge for 12 hours overnight, and it still won’t turn on. Customer service agent: So, your phone won’t power on when you press the power button even though it should be fully charged. Do I have that right? |
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