What’s a paraphrase?

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Paraphrasing conveys the same meaning as a quote but not the same words. It’s used when referencing something without the text or quote, or when a large amount of text from one source cannot be quoted directly. Deliberate reworking of a sentence is not plagiarism, but patchwork paraphrasing can be. Horatio Nelson’s quote is used as an example.

A paraphrase occurs when a person tries to convey a quote from a text or from another person without using exactly the same words. A quote is a word-for-word rendering of what a person said, while a paraphrase contains the same meaning, but not the same words. There can be a variety of reasons for paraphrasing someone else, such as referencing something someone has said without having the text or quote in hand. This is often done in impromptu speech, everyday conversation, and in circumstances where a person’s words have not registered.

They are also used when a writer or student wants to use a large amount of text from one source, but cannot quote it all directly because it exceeds the reasonable limit. In these circumstances, paraphrasing is used to make the text appear less similar to the original, but retain the same essential information. This is different from plagiarism, where someone writes down what someone else has said or written word for word. A patchwork paraphrase would change significant parts of the sentence, but not the whole. If it is an essay, a thesis or an article that is paid for publication, it could be interpreted as plagiarism.

Paraphrases can be used to reverse a sentence to change point of view or to swap subject and subject. This kind of deliberate reworking of a sentence shouldn’t be considered plagiarism. It is best if the sentence or text is broken down to its main points and fully understood before being reworked.

Using Horatio Nelson as an example, you can see how paraphrasing works. One of many quotes from him includes the line “Something must be left to chance; nothing is safe especially in a naval battle.” Nelson believes an admiral cannot plan for every eventuality when he is engaged in combat, especially one fought on the high seas. The previous sentence is a paraphrase. Not a single element of the sentence is the same as the quote, but it conveys the same meaning.

Using Nelson’s quote again, the sentence can be completely reworked while keeping Nelson’s ideas in play. Nelson meant that an admiral can’t plan everything, but that so is anyone trying to plan anything. He also believed that when fighting at sea, events can be even less predictable than in other circumstances. Nelson may have said that “It is especially the case with naval engagements, such as maneuvering between enemy fleets, that any attempt to plan anything down to the smallest detail is doomed to failure, so the leader or admiral must leave things out of the question.” their control to destiny. .”




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