Is it a good idea to paraphrase your assignment? The Answer is here

Students working on essays and research papers worry whether paraphrasing their assignments is appropriate or not.

In this article, we will answer this question for you so that you can work on your assignments without worrying about violating academic ethics.

But before we can answer this question, we need to clarify what paraphrasing is, why should we paraphrase, and how to do it. Read below to find out.

What is Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing refers to taking someone’s work and presenting it in your own words.

For example, a student might research a topic from a single or multiple sources, then use the sources’ research findings & written materials in their own language.

Paraphrasing is different from quoting. Both techniques are used to borrow written material from others and to use them in one’s own work.

Let’s understand the difference between paraphrasing and quoting, so that we know what it is, and what it isn’t.

Paraphrasing vs Quoting

In writing, paraphrasing is using someone’s text or speech without writing it word-to-word.

Quoting, on the other hand, is using someone’s text or speech word-to-word. For example:

"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today." - Malcolm X

We should remember that paraphrasing and quoting, both are techniques used to convey someone’s work without plagiarizing it.

Whether you quote someone or use their work unquoted, you need to credit them for their hard work and avoid plagiarizing.

It is because using paraphrasing or quoting to plagiarize a work is considered an academic offense and is looked down upon.

Now that we understand what paraphrasing is, let’s answer the question whether we can paraphrase our assignments or not.

Is it okay to paraphrase my assignments?

Yes, it is completely appropriate to paraphrase your assignments in academic writing.

In fact, at times, it might be better to paraphrase a source in your assignments rather than quoting them every single time.

Why is it okay to paraphrase

It is okay to paraphrase because while paraphrasing, you are not stealing someone’s work and violating their rights. Instead, you are fully crediting them for their work by citing.

Instead of direct quoting every time paraphrasing is encouraged. And as long as the individual paraphrases properly, it should not cause any problem.

So, it is okay to paraphrase your assignments, now let’s answer why exactly you should paraphrase.

Why you should Paraphrase

Paraphrasing your assignments is a good way to keep a balance of direct quoting and stating something naturally.

Academically, the use of direct quotations should be scarce. In this case, paraphrasing is an excellent way to reduce direct quoting and give your work a natural profile.

Furthermore, you should consider using the paraphrasing technique in your work because of some other benefits.

Benefits of paraphrasing

Compared to direct quotations, paraphrasing can have the following benefits:

• Better understanding of the topic: Paraphrasing helps you better grasp the subject being discussed, because you have to read and understand it adequately to be able to write it in your own words.

• Improved writing: Paraphrasing can help you fine-tune your writing as you have to employ essential vocabulary to be able to write something written differently.

• Reduced plagiarism: Paraphrasing can help you avoid plagiarism in your work by writing the text in your own words and making it unique.

Paraphrasing also allows you to present an original idea in easier wording so that the topic is clear and comprehensible.

Now let’s understand how to paraphrase.

How to Paraphrase

Although paraphrasing is easy to do, there are a few crucial things you need to do to make it effective.

1. Cite the sources

Citing your sources is an essential part of paraphrasing because you don’t want to plagiarize your work and risk your assignment being rejected.

Citation is like a reference to the original work, which may include the author’s name, book name, publishing date, and a URL if possible.

Moreover, citation has many styles, of which MLA, APA, and Chicago styles are some of the most prominent ones.

For more clarification on how to cite your sources, consider asking your professor. They might prefer a certain style for citing and can guide you on the matter.

2. Understand the source

Effective paraphrasing requires you to understand the source text properly.

A lack of understanding can result in ineffective paraphrasing, verbose and confusing language, making it apparent that you don’t fully understand the topic.

So, read the source text properly and clear your understanding before starting to paraphrase.

It will help you identify the main points of the text and keep them alive.

3. Keep the main points

One of the objectives of paraphrasing is to state the main points or an essential piece of information of a source.

If your paraphrasing does not address the main points or the essential information, then it is considered ineffective.

So, to ensure your writing does not stray off the point, use easy wording to explain yourself the topic first, then try to write it in the easiest way possible, while keeping it concise and to-the-point.

4. Use your own wording

In paraphrasing, you are supposed to use your own wording to state the borrowed fact, idea, or figure.

Paraphrasing is not for stating something as stated originally, so consider using your own wording to write the original text, while also retaining and clarifying its original meaning.

For effective use of language, consider using synonyms, breaking sentences into short ones, combining short sentences into longer, more comprehensive sentences.

Remember, effective paraphrasing can take some time to master it. So, keep improving your paraphrasing skills by learning and practicing paraphrasing regularly.

Now that we know essential things to keep in mind, let’s take a brief look at different ways to paraphrase our texts, if you cannot do it by yourself.

If you can’t Paraphrase Yourself

The best way to paraphrase your assignment is to do it yourself. However, if you find paraphrase challenging, following are a few options you can try:

Ask a friend for help

If something is difficult, It is okay to ask a friend for help provided that they don’t completely do your work.

A friend can not only help you understand the topic at hand but also help you paraphrase it.

Seeking help from a friend is a great way to study and learn difficult concepts. Your friend might also be able to help you improve your own paraphrasing capabilities.

Use an AI paraphraser

Using an AI paraphrase is another way to aid yourself in writing.

A paraphrasing tool can paraphrase your assignments quickly, which can be a  huge help if you struggle in writing.

Many paraphrasing tools are available on the internet, however, not every paraphraser is up to the mark. That means you have to search for a good paraphrasing tool before you can use it.

Choosing a good paraphrasing tool is essential as your writing’s final output will depend on it.

If you are confused, here are some tips to choosing a good paraphraser tool:

Look for a tool that:

• has a good word count

• works fast

• is easy to use 

• has multi-lingual support

• does not compromise the quality of writing

• is up-to-date

These tips will help you find a good paraphrasing tool that can make paraphrasing easy for you.

If you still cannot find a good paraphrasing tool to utilize, consider using our Paraphrasing-Tool.ai, which is a  freemium AI tool that helps you paraphrase texts.

Paraphrasing-Tool features additional writing tools, such as a powerful summarizer and plagiarism remover, to make writing easy for you.

A great benefit of using a paraphrasing tool can be improvement in your paraphrasing capabilities. You can learn new words such as synonyms, and new ways to rewrite sentences from the tool.

However, too much reliance on AI tools can  block your learning and self-improvement, so keeping a balance is necessary.

Remember, whether you ask a friend for help or use an AI tool, always strive to improve and better yourself so that you don’t have to rely on them every time.

How to Avoid Plagiarism while Paraphrasing

Plagiarism can make its way to your paraphrased work if it is not well done.

To ensure your academic work remains free of plagiarism, ensure you:

• cite the sources properly

• use language effectively to rewrite and alter the original work

citing the sources and using the language to change the overall shape of the original work is one of the best ways to avoid plagiarism in your assignments.

However, if you want to take a step forward and completely eliminate plagiarism from your assignments even after citing the source, our plagiarism remover can help.

Our plagiarism remover will scan your assignments for potential plagiarism and work to remove it.

How to get citations for paraphrasing

Writing a citation can be somewhat difficult for students if they are new to the technique. Moreover, they may not always have the time to cite their sources for proper paraphrasing.

Luckily, you can get citations online for your work without going through the hassle.

A citation generator is an online tool that can generate citations for you in different styles.

Using a citation generator is simple:

• Visit your desired citation tool.

• Input the URL of the source.

• Generate citations in your preferred style.

By citing sources and rewriting the source work effectively, you will be able to avoid plagiarism in your assignments.

Conclusion

Conclusionally, paraphrasing assignments is totally fine and is an accepted practice in academics.

However, paraphrasing should be done properly and other techniques, such as direct quotations and summarizing, should also be used when using someone’s material.

The author or source of the original work should be credited by using citations.