Types of Paraphrasing

There are several types of paraphrasing, including:

 

  • Direct paraphrasing
  • Indirect paraphrasing
  • Summary paraphrasing
  • Transformation paraphrasing
  • Adaptation paraphrasing
  • Paraphrasing by synonyms

 

In this blog, we will discuss all the above-mentioned paraphrasing types with examples. 

Direct paraphrasing:

This involves rephrasing the original text word-for-word, while also changing the sentence structure. In this type of paraphrasing, no additional detail is added and no changes are made to the context.

Below are some examples of direct paraphrasing:

Original text: "The cat jumped over the fence."

Direct paraphrase: "The feline leaped above the barrier."

Original text: "I will be there at 8 o'clock."

Direct paraphrase: "I shall arrive at 8 o'clock."

Original text: "She is a very talented singer."

Direct paraphrase: "She possesses a great deal of skill as a vocalist."

 

In each of these examples, the sentence structure and words have been changed, but the meaning of the original text remains the same.

 

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Indirect paraphrasing:

This involves rephrasing the original text in your own words, but maintaining the same meaning and context as the original. 

Here are some examples of indirect paraphrasing:

 

Original text: "The cat jumped over the fence."

Indirect paraphrase: "The cat cleared the fence with a leap."

Original text: "I will be there at 8 o'clock."

Indirect paraphrase: "I will arrive precisely at 8."

Original text: "She is a very talented singer."

Indirect paraphrase: "She has an incredible singing ability."

 

We can clearly notice that the original text has been rephrased in the writer's own words, but the meaning and context remain the same. You can see in the first example that the words “cleared the fence” have been added whereas the word “leap” has been placed at the end of the sentence. If this would have been direct paraphrasing, the output would have been simply “The cat leaped over the fence.”

However, since this is indirect paraphrasing, the additional words were incorporated in the paraphrased version.

Indirect paraphrasing is actually indirect quoting. Thus, it needs to be properly cited. Here is a guide that you can check out to learn more about citing indirect sources. 

Summary paraphrasing:

This involves condensing the original text into a shorter version, while still maintaining the main ideas and arguments.


Examples:

Original text: "The cat jumped over the fence and landed in the neighbor's yard. The neighbor saw the cat and called animal control. The cat was eventually returned to its owner."

Summary paraphrase: "The cat jumped the fence and was found by a neighbor who called animal control. The cat was returned to its owner."

Original text: "I will be there at 8 o'clock. I will bring my laptop and some documents to show you. I will also bring some snacks for us to eat."

Summary paraphrase: "I will arrive at 8 with my laptop and documents, and snacks."

Original text: "She is a very talented singer. She has won many awards for her singing and has even released her own album. She is also a songwriter and has written many hit songs for other artists."

Summary paraphrase: "She is an accomplished singer, and songwriter and has released her own album and written hit songs for other artists."


In all the above three examples, the main ideas and arguments are still present, but the text has been shortened.


For generating a summary of your content without paraphrasing it, you can use our
summarizer tool. 

Transformation paraphrasing:

This involves changing the form of the original text, such as turning a sentence into a question or vice versa. This can also involve re-arranging the grammatical components of the text, such as switching the places of the object and subject, etc.

Examples:

Original text: "The cat jumped over the fence."

Transformation paraphrase: "Did the cat jump over the fence?" 

Original text: "I will be there at 8 o'clock."

Transformation paraphrase: "At 8 o'clock, I will be there."

Original text: "She is a very talented singer."

Transformation paraphrase: "A very talented singer, she is."

 

The original text has been transformed into a different grammatical form (question or a statement beginning with the subject).

 

For academic purposes, you must know the guidelines regarding this type of paraphrasing provided by your college or university. You should also know how it can affect your grades. You can get details here.

Adaptation paraphrasing:

This involves taking key information from the original text and incorporating it into a new context or format.

This can be done for the purpose of improving the clarity of the text or for providing a better explanation.

Examples:

Original text: "The cat jumped over the fence."

Adaptation paraphrase: "The cat's agility allowed it to clear the fence with a single leap."

Original text: "I will be there at 8 o'clock."

Adaptation paraphrase: "I will make sure to arrive punctually at 8."

Original text: "She is a very talented singer."

Adaptation paraphrase: "Her singing abilities are truly remarkable."

 

So, in all the above three examples, the text has been adapted by adding more information or context, to give a more detailed explanation of the main idea.

Paraphrasing by Synonyms:

This involves replacing the original words/phrases with synonyms but maintaining the same meaning. This type of paraphrasing is  also known as the word changer technique.  


Examples:

Original text: "The cat jumped over the fence."

Paraphrasing by Synonyms: "The feline leaped over the barrier."

Original text: "I will be there at 8 o'clock."

Paraphrasing by Synonyms: "I shall be present at 8 o'clock."

Original text: "She is a very talented singer."

Paraphrasing by Synonyms: "She is a highly skilled vocalist."

In each of these examples, the original text has been rephrased by replacing the keywords with synonyms. For all types of paraphrasing, it is important to cite the sources to avoid plagiarism.