How to write a Paraphrase

When we write an essay, we often need to borrow ideas or concepts from other writers to support our position. One of the ways we do this is by paraphrasing; putting someone else’s ideas into our own words.

To avoid plagiarizing make sure to always include proper citation– giving credit to the rightful owner.

How to write a paraphrase

1. Read the passage to understand it fully.
2. Rewrite the passage in your own words without looking at the original.
3. Check your paraphrase for accuracy with the original.
4. For APA in-text citation include author’s last name and date.
5. For MLA in-text citation include author’s last name and page number.

Exercise: Paraphrasing
Directions: Read each quote below taken from John Patrick (2013) , and then paraphrase it on the back using the correct in-text citation.

Example: “The homeless often experience hardships throughout their lives that are not easily forgotten.”

The pain and the suffering experienced by the homeless often haunt them for the rest of their lives (Patrick, 2013).

1. “Over time their health often becomes worse because of the grime they live in day in and day out.”
2. “It is difficult for the homeless to see beyond today and believe life can get better and someday they can have a patch of land big enough to live on.”
3. “The homeless tend to have a hard time dealing with reality, and because of this they often pass through life adrift without the ability to get out of their self-made dilemma.”
4. “There is no one cause for homelessness.  The reasons are varied and unpredictable, and at times they even contradict each other.”
5. “People are generally blinded to realities different from their own.  They tend to hide within their social norm, and then interpret the lives of others as abnormal.”
6. “The norm for the homeless is the cruelty of the streets, something most people will never understand.”