Paraphrasing & Plagiarism

Paraphrasing is putting information that you read or hear in your own words. A paraphrase is different from a summary. Summaries are usually short and only explain a text’s most important parts. Paraphrases include all the same information as the original text, including smaller details, so they are just as long as the original.

Why is paraphrasing important? First, it shows that you understand the material you just read or heard. If you can’t paraphrase a text, you probably didn’t really understand it. Second, it makes information easier to remember later. Third, it’s helpful when you want to include the information you read in your own essay or research paper.

Which of these is the best example of a person paraphrasing?

• James read a paragraph about coding, then wrote a paragraph about what he learned in his own words.

• Isabel wrote an essay about skateboarding, then Jamie copied the essay word for word.

• After reading a book about whales, Julie wrote a sentence describing the main idea in her own words.

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CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

While you paraphrase, keep the four Rs in mind. First, reword: replace words and phrases with synonyms whenever you can. Then rearrange: move words and phrases around to make new sentences. It is important to change the structure of your sentences so they’re different from those in the original text. Next, realize that some details, like names and dates, cannot be changed—but you can present them differently in your paraphrase. Finally, recheck: make sure that your paraphrase delivers the same meaning or message as the original text.

Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706 in Boston. At that time, Boston was part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The United States was not yet a country. Franklin was the 15th child of Josiah Franklin, a soap- and candle-maker. He loved to read and was a great student. However, he only went to school for two years. His family was poor, and his father needed help, so Franklin dropped out of school and started working full-time at his father’s store. He was only 10 years old.

Imagine you are writing a paraphrase of the passage. Which of the following details from the passage can not be reworded?

• “The United States was not yet a country”

• “He loved to read”

• “January 17, 1706”

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CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Plagiarizing is presenting someone else’s words or ideas as your own. It is a form of cheating. Sometimes people plagiarize on purpose, and sometimes they do it by accident. When you paraphrase a text, it is not enough to just change one or two words. You must use enough of your own words and sentences to create a new, original piece of writing.

When you paraphrase other texts in a research paper or essay, it is important to cite the sources you have used. Even if you put all the information in your own words, you are still borrowing someone else’s ideas. You can give credit to the sources you used in a bibliography or works cited. A bibliography is a list of sources that comes at the end of a research paper. When you cite a source, include the author’s name, the title of the book or article, the publisher and the date of publication.

Which of the following is true about plagiarizing?

• Plagiarizing can be done accidentally, even if you didn’t mean to cheat.

• You can avoid plagiarizing by changing one or two words.

• It is okay to plagiarize as long as you cite the source you used.

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CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

There are some strategies that can help you prepare to paraphrase. While you’re reading a text, think about the main idea and supporting details. Read the text more than once if you need to. Take notes in a graphic organizer to get your information straight. Finally, look up any unfamiliar words in a dictionary or thesaurus to make sure you really understand what the text is saying.

When you are ready to paraphrase, close the book and write down all the information you just read in your own words. Closing the book ensures you won’t be able to copy the text. Then open the book and make sure you included all the important information without copying specific words or phrases.

Why is it important to close the book when you write a paraphrase?

• so you can write more clearly

• so you won’t accidentally copy from the book

• so you remember the title of the book

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CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Paraphrasing is when you put an idea from a source into your own words. Sometimes you may read something in a source that is important, but you don’t want to put it into your paper as a direct quote. So you rewrite the passage in your own words. That’s perfectly fine, as long as you are careful about citations.

If the information you are paraphrasing is common knowledge, or known by most people, you don’t need to cite the source. But if the information is not common knowledge, you must cite it. Even if the words are your own because you’ve paraphrased, the idea is not. How do you know what ideas are common knowledge and what ideas are original? It can be tricky. Facts that are common knowledge are easy to verify and can be found in multiple sources. A single author’s original research, image or argument is not common knowledge. If you’re unsure whether or not to cite, cite!

Read the following passage from “A Short Walk Around the Pyramids & Through the World of Art” by Philip M. Isaacson:

This is a place called Saqqara. It is on the edge of a great desert an hour’s drive from Cairo. You could reach it by camel, but that would take much longer. As you approach Saqqara, a line of walls and a strange pyramid rise from the sand like a golden mirage. But they are not a mirage. They are among the oldest works of art in the world. They were built more than 4,600 years ago by an Egyptian king with a wonderful imagination. His name was Zoser.

Which of the following sentences plagiarize from Isaacson?

• The great pyramid of Saqqara was built by the Egyptian king Zoser.

• The pyramid at Saqqara was built over 4,600 years ago.

• When you first see the walls and pyramid at Saqqara, you may think they are a mirage. But they are not.

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CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

There is another form of plagiarism that does not happen accidentally. This occurs when a student knowingly uses somebody else’s work and does not cite it. This could be copying sections from internet articles or copying whole articles and handing them in as one’s own. It could be turning in a paper a friend wrote last year or paying somebody else to write a paper. It can even be a student turning in a paper they themselves wrote for a different class. This is called self-plagiarism.

Plagiarism a very serious offense. Your school has its own policy on how to deal with plagiarism, so it is best to check with your teacher and your school about the specifics. Consequences often include failing the assignment, failing the class, getting put on academic probation or even being expelled from school.

Which of the following is an example of self-plagiarism?

• Rick buys a paper off the internet and puts his own name on it before turning it in. B

• Shelly forgot to write her English paper, so she asks her friend who took the class before if she can turn in a paper that he wrote.

• Teresa wrote a paper on Thomas Jefferson for Civics last year, and she turns it in again for US History this year.

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CCSS.RI.3.5

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

When you use many sources, it can be possible to plagiarize by accident. Avoiding plagiarism begins in your research process. First, make sure to start your research early. That way you have plenty of time to organize your sources and you will not be tempted to rush and take shortcuts.

Next, make sure you always write down where information comes from. If you quote a source directly in your notes, make sure you put quotation marks around the quote. That way you won’t forget that it’s a quote later. If you need to paraphrase a source, first read the material and then paraphrase it without looking at the text. That way you won’t be distracted by the author’s word choice and sentence structure. Then cite the source. Remember the golden rule of citation: if you’re not sure if something needs to be cited, cite it!

Which student will most likely avoid plagiarizing by accident?

• Katie writes down a few quotes from the article she is reading but doesn’t write down which article they came from.

• Before Kyle shuts the book he is reading and paraphrases the author’s point, he writes down the author, title and page number.

• Andrew waits until the night before the paper is due to begin researching.