How to Paraphrase Without Plagiarism

Paraphrasing means expressing an idea in your own words and sentence structure while attributing it to the source. Copying with a thesaurus is not paraphrasing and Turnitin will flag it.

Step-by-step

1. Step 1: Read for meaning, then close the source
   Understand the idea deeply enough to explain it aloud without the text.
2. Step 2: Rewrite from memory
   Draft the point in your own words without looking. Different vocabulary, different sentence order.
3. Step 3: Compare and adjust
   Reopen the source. If any phrase over three words matches, rewrite.
4. Step 4: Cite in your required style
   Paraphrases still need in-text citation.
5. Step 5: Retain nuance
   Do not shift the source's certainty. If it says 'may reduce', you cannot write 'reduces'.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Thesaurus swaps
• Missing citation
• Overclaiming certainty

FAQs