What Is Paraphrasing? Examples and APA Citations

Paraphrasing lets you use a source's ideas without copying its sentences. You'll learn how to rewrite a passage, spot a too-close version, and add an APA citation.

What is paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing means expressing someone else's information in your own language without changing what it says. Purdue OWL describes it as presenting essential information and ideas in a new form, with attribution to the source.

You aren't just swapping synonyms. I'd start by identifying what the passage claims and what limits that claim. Then use this process, based on Purdue OWL's guidance:

1. Read and understand: Identify the passage's claim, supporting details, and limits.
2. Set the passage aside: Explain the idea without following the original sentences.
3. Write your version: Use wording and sentence structure that fit your paragraph.
4. Compare with the original: Check the meaning and mark any distinctive language retained exactly with quotation marks.
5. Cite the source: Attach the appropriate citation and keep the source details for your reference list.

Paraphrasing vs. quoting and summarizing

Quoting preserves exact language; paraphrasing preserves information in new language. Use a quotation when the wording itself matters, such as a phrase you'll analyze. Paraphrase when you need the idea but not the author's exact expression.

Purdue OWL states, “Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage.” It describes paraphrasing as condensing the passage slightly, while a summary is significantly shorter and includes only the main points.

If you need a broad overview rather than passage-level detail, Blurwrite's summarizer can shorten the material into a paragraph, bullet points, or key sentences. Decide how much information your reader needs before choosing the format.

Choose the method that fits your use of the source.

Paraphrasing examples before and after

Factual statement, a teaching example

Before: “The library lends laptops for use inside the building.”

After: “You can borrow a laptop from the library, but you must use it there.”

The revision addresses the borrower and makes the location restriction explicit. Both pieces of information stay.

Qualified claim, a teaching example

Before: “Some students may find recorded lectures helpful when reviewing unfamiliar terms.”

After: “When reviewing unfamiliar terms, some students might benefit from lecture recordings.”

The task moves to the beginning. The revision still refers to some students and a possible benefit, not a benefit for everyone.

Academic excerpt, reproduced by Purdue OWL from Lester's Writing Research Papers

Before: “Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. [...] Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes” (Lester, 1976, pp. 46-47).

Too close: “Students often use too many direct quotations when taking notes, so they also use too many in the final research paper. Therefore, you should reduce how much source material you copy exactly into your notes” (Lester, 1976, pp. 46-47).

After: “To reduce excessive quoting in a research paper, limit how much source material you copy word for word into your notes, where overuse of direct quotations often starts” (Lester, 1976, pp. 46-47).

The too-close version follows the original's sentence frames and sequence, despite its citation. I'd send it back for another pass. The revised version starts with the purpose and reorganizes the explanation, preserving the link between note-taking and excessive quotation.

Common mistakes: patchwriting and missing citations

Patchwriting follows a source sentence by sentence, replacing individual words with synonyms. George Mason University's Writing Center shows why this is unacceptable even with a citation: the rewrite retains the source's structure and sequence instead of independently expressing the idea.

Missing credit is a separate problem. Purdue OWL requires attribution for paraphrases, quotations, and summaries. A freshly worded sentence still needs a citation when the idea comes from someone else's work.

Meaning drift can be less obvious. In the recorded-lecture example, dropping some or changing may to will would broaden or strengthen the claim. Mark those words before rewriting so you don't accidentally turn a qualified statement into a general promise.

How to cite a paraphrase in APA

APA Style says to cite a paraphrase using either narrative or parenthetical format. Page numbers aren't required, but you can include them to help readers locate a passage in a long or complex work.

Using the same Lester excerpt, these teaching examples show both formats:

Narrative: Lester (1976) recommends limiting verbatim copying in notes to avoid overquoting in research papers (pp. 46-47).

Parenthetical: Limit verbatim copying in notes to avoid overquoting in research papers (Lester, 1976, pp. 46-47).

These examples use the author, year, and pages supplied in Purdue's reproduction of the excerpt. For your own paraphrase, use your source's details and include its entry in the reference list.

Two APA formats for citing a paraphrase.

When to paraphrase in writing and communication

Use paraphrasing when the idea matters more than the original language, as George Mason's Writing Center recommends. It helps you explain a source's finding in an essay or make a difficult passage easier to follow in a report.

In conversation, paraphrasing checks whether you've understood the speaker. Highline College's listening guidance describes restating a speaker's message to verify understanding.

Before: “I need feedback on my argument, not just grammar.”

After: “You want feedback on your argument as well as on grammar.”

The reply keeps both kinds of feedback. It doesn't turn the request into argument-only feedback or ignore the speaker's concern about content.

What paraphrasing tools do and how to use them

Paraphrasing tools suggest alternative wording and sentence structures. With Blurwrite's paraphrasing tool, you can rephrase a sentence and see each changed word in a comparison view.

Try it on the library example above. Paste the original sentence, generate a revision, and inspect the comparison. The revised sentence needs to keep both the laptop loan and the requirement to use it inside the building.

Read the suggested wording within your paragraph before accepting it. A sentence can preserve the source's meaning yet repeat something you've already explained. Keep the version that fits your point, with the citation attached when you're using borrowed information.

Related terms: attribution, citation, and synthesis

Attribution identifies whose idea you're using; a citation supplies the source details. Synthesis goes further than restating a passage: you connect ideas from multiple sources.

APA Style explains that paraphrasing can help you synthesize information and compare relevant details. When combining sources, make clear which idea comes from each one before adding your own interpretation.

Related terms describe different parts of the task.

Written byJudith HaleAcademic writing coachUpdated on October 4, 2026