How To Paraphrase Artfully
First things first – why the need to paraphrase? Anytime you use someone else’s information and presentation, you’re plagiarizing. The only way out of that is to rewrite it in a manner that conveys the same message, while being structured in an altogether original manner.
When you do any form of writing that you claim ownership for, such as essays for school and articles for magazines, you’ll undoubtedly need to refer to some other people’s work. While you can quote small pieces bits from their writing, doing the same for large chunks of text is basically just copying the entire thing. Why not post the entire source material then and get it over with? That’s when you need to paraphrase.
Paraphrasing Ain’t Easy
Paraphrasing can be easy when you have plenty of information to draw from. A write-up on a product that has been featured by multiple media outlets, for instance, can be incredibly easy to paraphrase from an existing piece, using the other coverage as additional sources. Once you are restricted to a single brief and succinct source, however, with just the minimal of information, that’s when things become difficult, even with the help of the best grammar checker in the world.
Paraphrasing Techniques
Use Adjunct Sources. Use possible sources of information that may only be slightly related to change the way the meat of the content is delivered.
Restructuring. For multiple pieces of information, you can probably get away with paraphrasing by restructuring their presentation. If the original listed them in itemized order, you can try filling it out in full paragraphs, with explanations, for instance.
Clarification. If you’re writing for a very targeted audience, such as doctors or engineers, you can paraphrase with the special intent of appealing to them. That means writing it with technical terms and applications that will make sense to the particular market you’re composing for.