Guide
Paraphrasing examples
Seeing original passages alongside good and poor paraphrases is the quickest way to learn the difference between genuine restatement and disguised copying.
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The original passage
Work from a clear original so the comparisons are meaningful. Suppose the source reads: "Social media platforms have transformed how young people communicate, but heavy use has been linked to increased anxiety and disrupted sleep." The task of paraphrasing is to convey this same point — that social media has changed youth communication while heavy use is associated with anxiety and poor sleep — without borrowing the author’s wording or sentence shape. The examples below show one attempt that fails and one that succeeds, with a note on exactly what separates them.
A poor paraphrase (still plagiarism)
A weak attempt: "Social media sites have changed how young people talk to each other, but heavy use has been connected to greater anxiety and disturbed sleep (Author, Year)." At first glance this looks rewritten, but compare it line for line with the original: the sentence structure is identical and most words are simple synonym swaps ("platforms" to "sites", "communicate" to "talk", "linked" to "connected"). This is patchwriting. Because the author’s phrasing and structure still show through, it counts as plagiarism even though a citation has been added — the citation credits the idea but does not licence borrowing the form.
A good paraphrase
A genuine paraphrase: "Although digital platforms have reshaped the way teenagers stay in touch, researchers have noted that those who use them intensively often report more anxiety and worse sleep (Author, Year)." Here both the vocabulary and the sentence construction differ from the source: the order of ideas is reorganised, the framing ("researchers have noted") is the writer’s own, and no distinctive phrase is lifted. The meaning is faithfully preserved and the source is cited. This is what acceptable paraphrasing looks like — the idea is borrowed and credited, but the expression is entirely the writer’s.
What makes a paraphrase acceptable
Three things separate a good paraphrase from a poor one. First, the words are genuinely your own — not a thesaurus pass over the original. Second, the sentence structure is rebuilt, not preserved with words slotted in; reorganising the logic is the surest way to break free of the source’s shape. Third, a citation is present, because changing the words never removes the duty to credit the idea. A reliable test: if you placed your version beside the original and a reader could see the source’s skeleton showing through, it is patchwriting, not paraphrasing. Writing from memory, with the source set aside, is the habit that produces all three.
Key facts
At a glance
- Good paraphrase: new words, new structure, same meaning, with a citation
- Poor paraphrase: synonym swaps over the original structure (patchwriting)
- Patchwriting: counts as plagiarism even when a citation is added
- Acceptability test: the source’s structure should not show through your version
- Citation: always required — paraphrasing removes quotes, not the credit
- Best habit: write from memory with the source set aside
Common questions
FAQ
Why does my paraphrase still count as plagiarism if I cited it?+
A citation credits the idea but does not licence borrowing the author’s wording or structure. If your version keeps the original sentence shape with only synonyms swapped — patchwriting — it is plagiarism despite the citation. To fix it, rewrite the passage from your own understanding with the source set aside, or quote the original wording directly instead.
Is using a thesaurus a good way to paraphrase?+
No. Replacing words with synonyms while keeping the original structure produces patchwriting, which counts as plagiarism. It also often distorts the meaning, because synonyms rarely carry exactly the same sense. Genuine paraphrasing comes from understanding the idea and restating it in your own words and structure, not from word-by-word substitution.
How can I check whether my paraphrase is good enough?+
Place your version beside the original and look for the source’s skeleton showing through — shared sentence order or distinctive phrases. If you can see it, rewrite further. Reading your paraphrase aloud, away from the source, helps confirm it sounds like your own voice. And always ensure the meaning is preserved and the citation is present.
Going deeper
