Paraphrasing
Middle School
Definition
Restating someone else's ideas in your own words while keeping the original meaning. Unlike summarizing, a paraphrase is usually about the same length as the original. Paraphrasing helps writers use sources without copying and shows understanding.
Worked examples
Original: "The committee voted to postpone the decision until next month." Paraphrase: "The group chose to delay their choice until the following month."
Different words express the same idea at roughly the same length.
Original: "Photosynthesis converts light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose." Paraphrase: "Plants transform sunlight into energy that gets stored in sugar molecules."
Technical terms are replaced with simpler synonyms while preserving the meaning.
Common mistakes
- Changing only one or two words from the original sentence → Rewriting the entire sentence structure with different vocabulary Swapping a few words is still plagiarism; true paraphrasing rebuilds the sentence.
- Making the paraphrase much shorter than the original → Keeping the paraphrase about the same length as the source Shortening significantly is summarizing, not paraphrasing.
- Adding your own opinions or interpretations to the paraphrase → Sticking to the original meaning without adding new ideas Paraphrasing restates the author's idea faithfully, not your reaction to it.
Where you'll use it next
You'll paraphrase constantly in research papers and essays to integrate sources smoothly, in annotated bibliographies to show comprehension, and later in college writing across all disciplines.
See also
Reviewed by Pat Cheng, M.Ed. — StudyPug Curriculum Lead · Last updated June 6, 2026