How can you use paraphrasing to show creativity and critical thinking in writing?

1 Why paraphrase?

Paraphrasing has many benefits for academic writing, as it allows you to show your engagement with the sources you are using, and to present them in a clear and concise way. Paraphrasing also helps you avoid plagiarism, which is a serious academic offense that can result in penalties or even expulsion. Plagiarism is not only copying someone else's words without giving credit, but also using someone else's ideas, data, or structure without acknowledging the source. Paraphrasing helps you avoid plagiarism by using your own words and style, and by citing the source properly. Paraphrasing also shows that you have understood the source, and that you can explain it in your own terms. This demonstrates your critical thinking skills, as you have to identify the main points, the arguments, and the evidence of the source, and how they relate to your own topic and thesis.

2 How to paraphrase?

Paraphrasing is not a simple process of replacing words with synonyms, or changing the order of the words or sentences. This can result in inaccurate or awkward paraphrases, or even unintentional plagiarism. To paraphrase effectively, you need to follow some steps and apply some strategies. First, you need to read the source carefully and identify the main idea and the key details. Second, you need to put the source aside and write down the main idea and the key details in your own words, without looking at the source. Third, you need to compare your paraphrase with the source and check if you have preserved the meaning, the tone, and the context of the source, and if you have used your own words and style. Fourth, you need to cite the source according to the citation style you are using, and indicate where the paraphrase begins and ends.

3 How to show creativity?

Paraphrasing is not only a way of avoiding plagiarism, but also a way of showing creativity in writing. Creativity means using your imagination, originality, and innovation to produce something new and valuable. Paraphrasing can show creativity by using different words, expressions, and structures to convey the same meaning as the source, but in a more engaging and relevant way for your audience and purpose. Paraphrasing can also show creativity by using examples, analogies, metaphors, or comparisons to illustrate or explain the source in a more vivid and memorable way. Paraphrasing can also show creativity by integrating the source with your own voice, perspective, and argument, and by making connections or contrasts with other sources or ideas.

4 How to show critical thinking?

Paraphrasing is also a way of showing critical thinking in writing. Critical thinking means using your reasoning, analysis, and evaluation skills to assess the quality, validity, and relevance of the information you are using, and to form your own judgments and opinions. Paraphrasing can show critical thinking by using your own words and style to express the source, rather than copying or mimicking the source. Paraphrasing can also show critical thinking by selecting the most important and relevant information from the source, and by omitting or summarizing the less important or irrelevant information. Paraphrasing can also show critical thinking by commenting on, questioning, or challenging the source, and by showing how the source supports or contradicts your own argument or thesis.

5 How to improve your paraphrasing skills?

To improve your paraphrasing skills, you should read widely and frequently to become familiar with different writing styles, vocabularies, and structures. Utilizing a dictionary or thesaurus can help you find synonyms or alternative words that suit the meaning and tone of the source. Moreover, online paraphrasing tools like Quillbot, Paraphrase Online, or Rewordify can generate paraphrases automatically. However, you should not rely on these tools entirely and should always check and edit the paraphrases generated by them. Additionally, you can ask for feedback from your peers or instructors to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your paraphrases. Finally, using online plagiarism checkers like Turnitin, PlagScan, or Copyscape can help detect any similarities or differences between your paraphrases and the sources to avoid plagiarism.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?