Professor: Eric Buisson

“To paraphrase” is a verb which means to

re-write a short passage with the SAME
meaning but
 using different words (different word
forms / synonyms),
 changing grammar,
 changing the order of sentences,
 citing the source of the original passage.
In a paraphrase, all the elements that appear in
the original text must be included. Nothing
must be left out. In other words, a
paraphrase is the same length (or sometime
a bit longer) as the original text.
Usually, we paraphrase short passages (2 to 5
lines from an original source).
Paraphrasing is a valuable skill because...
 it helps you control the temptation to use
“direct quotations” too much.
 the mental process required for successful
paraphrasing helps you grasp (understand)
the full meaning of the original text.
Why Do We Paraphrase?
To show that we have done research and that we
can cite other people’s work to support our ideas
in an essay or report, for example.
Why do we have to cite the source in a paraphrase?
Even if we rewrite the passage in our own words,
these ideas are not ours; therefore, we must
acknowledge the author(s) to avoid being
accused of plagiarism.
How to Cite the Source in a Paraphrase
In academic writing, an in-text citation is a short
acknowledgement you include whenever you quote or take
information from a source. It points the reader to the
source so they can see where you got your information.

In-text citations most commonly take the form of short

statements indicating the author(s) and publication year of
the source. The page number, paragraph number or time
stamp (citing from a video) are only indicated for direct
quotations (using “quotation marks”), never for
paraphrases. In academic writing, in-text citation using
paraphrases are favoured.

There are many citation styles. In my course, you will be using

the APA Style, 7th Edition. APA stands for American
Psychological Association. See examples on following slides.
How to Cite the Source in a Paraphrase?
1) Narrative Citation: Family name of the author +
(year) + verb in simple present tense + THAT +
your paraphrase.
Ex.: Smith (2016) claims that + your paraphrase.

Ex.: Two authors. Smith and Trudeau (2022) show that + your paraphrase.

Ex.: Three or more authors. Use: et al. (it means “and others”)

Smith et al. (2016) explain that + your paraphrase.

Ex.: You do not know what the family name of the author is. Write both
names. Consider this author’s name: Paul Allan.

Paul Allan (2020) points out that + your paraphrase.

Note: If there is no date, indicate (n.d.)

How to Cite the Source in a Paraphrase? (cont.)
2) Narrative Citation using: According to + family

name of the author + (year), + paraphrase.

Ex.: According to Smith (2016), + your paraphrase.

Ex.: Two authors. According to Smith and Trudeau (2022), + your

paraphrase.

Ex.: Three or more authors. Use: et al. (it means “and others”)

,
According to Smith et al. (2016) your paraphrase.

Note: If there is no date, indicate (n.d.)

How to Cite the Source in a Paraphrase? (cont.)
3) Parenthetical Citation:
Your paraphrase (family name, + year.)
Ex.: Your paraphrase (Smith, 2016 ) .
Ex.: Two authors. Your paraphrase (Smith & Trudeau, 2022).

Ex.: Three or more authors. Use: et al. (it means “and others”)

Your paraphrase (Smith et al., 2016 ) .

Ex.: You do not know what the family name of the author is. Write both
names. Consider this author’s name: Paul Allan.

Your paraphrase (Paul Allan, 2016) .

Note: If there is no date, indicate, n.d. , …….. (Paul Allan, n.d.) .
How to Cite the Source in a Paraphrase? (cont.)
4) Citing indirect sources (“as cited in”)
If you want to refer to a source that you have found in another source, you
should always try to access the original or primary source.

However, if you cannot find the original source, you should cite it through
the secondary source that led you to it, using the phrase “as cited in”.

Ex.: Your paraphrase (Parker, 1978, as cited in Bloom et al., 2017) .

If the publication date of the primary source is unknown, include only the
year of publication of the secondary source.

Ex.: Porter (as cited in Johnson, 2017) states that + your paraphrase.

Only include a reference entry in the “References” section of your essay (on
a different page right after the conclusion section) for the secondary
source, not the primary source.
Some Paraphrasing Techniques
All the examples in the following slides (#11 to #15, included)
come from:
Mineo, Liz. April 11, 2017. Good genes are nice, but
joy is better. The Harvard Gazette

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04
/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-sh
owing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/
Some Paraphrasing Techniques
1) Use different word forms – Example # 1
Original: “In part of a recent study, researchers found that women
who felt securely attached to their partners were less depressed
and more happy in their relationships” (Mineo, para. 18, 2017).

Paraphrase: Research has recently proved that females

who enjoy a strong sense of security in their marriage
tend to be more at ease in their rapport with others
while experiencing fewer episodes of depression (Mineo,
2017).
Some Paraphrasing Techniques
1) Use different word forms – Example # 2
Original: “When the study began, nobody cared about empathy or
attachment. But the key to healthy aging is relationships,
relationships, relationships” (Vaillant, as cited in Mineo, para.
28, 2017).

Paraphrase: Vaillant (as cited in Mineo, 2017) explains that

to age in good health relies first and foremost on how
we relate to others. However, at the beginning of that
research, being empathetic and having strong social
bonds were notions no one paid attention to.
Some Paraphrasing Techniques
2) Use synonyms
Original: “According to a study, those who lived longer and enjoyed sound
health avoided smoking and alcohol in excess. Researchers also found
that those with strong social support experienced less mental
deterioration as they aged” (Mineo, para. 18, 2017).

Paraphrase: Mineo (2017) indicates that research proves that

people who can count on a solid network of family members
and friends suffer less from psychological issues as they get
older. It was also proven that keeping away from drinks and
cigarettes as much as possible promotes not only physical well-
being but also longevity.
Some Paraphrasing Techniques
3) Change numbers and percentages to different
forms
Original: “Harvard study, almost 80 years old, has proved that
embracing community helps us live longer and be happier”
(Mineo, para. 1, 2017).

Paraphrase: To promote happiness and longevity, it is

essential to have strong ties with people around us. This is
what a research that has been carried out at Harvard
University since around 1937 clearly shows (Mineo, 2017).
Some Paraphrasing Techniques
4) Change from active to passive (or the other way round)
Original: “The long-term research has received funding from private
foundations but has been financed largely by grants from the
National Institutes of Health” (Mineo, para. 12, 2017).

Paraphrase: Mineo (2017) points out that it is mainly

National Institutes of Health and to a lesser extent
independent institutional donors that have provided
financial support to this study that spans decades.
Some Paraphrasing Techniques
4) Add some connectors (even if they do not appear in the original
passage) to show how the ideas are linked together and that
you grasp how they relate.

Examples:
First, / Second, (…) / Secondly,

For example, / For instance,

However, (to show an opposition)

Conversely, (introducing a statement or idea which reverses one that has just
been made or referred to)

On the one hand, (…). On the other hand, (…)

While (to show an opposition) | While (two actions taking place at the same time)
Practice – Best Paraphrase out of Three
Original: “The problem is that we tend to overestimate both the
happiness associated with good things and the negative feelings
associated with bad thing” (Schiffrin, 2010, p. 15).

Paraphrase #1: According to Schiffrin (2010), the problem

is that we have a tendency to overvalue how happy we
feel when we experience something nice, and how sad
we are when something unpleasant happens to us.
Practice – Best Paraphrase out of Three
Original: “The problem is that we tend to overestimate both the
happiness associated with good things and the negative feelings
associated with bad thing” (Schiffrin, 2010, p. 15).

Paraphrase #2: The main issue is that people have a

tendency to overvalue how happy they feel when they
experience something positive in their lives, or,
conversely, how down they feel when things do not go
their way. (Shiffrin 2010)
Practice – Best Paraphrase out of Three
Original: “The problem is that we tend to overestimate both the
happiness associated with good things and the negative feelings
associated with bad thing” (Schiffrin, 2010, p. 15).

Paraphrase #3: Schiffrin (2010) points out that the main

issue is that people have a tendency to overvalue how
down they feel when things do not go their way.
Conversely, they will over-rate the positive
circumstances they may experience.
Example Essay Paragraph with In-text Citations
Body image issues have been widely associated with social
media usage, particularly in young women (Perloff, 2014). The relation
between media depictions and body image concerns is well-established;
a meta-analysis by Grabe et al. (2008) concludes that exposure to mass
media is linked to body image dissatisfaction among women. Several
empirical studies have focused on Facebook usage in adolescent girls
(Meier & Gray, 2014; Tiggermann & Slater, 2013), while a systematic
review by Holland and Timmerman (2016) establishes a relationship
between social networking and body image for both women and men.

Source:
https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/in-text-citation/