👍 Word Switcher: the Benefits
🔀 Word Switcher: When to Use?
Paraphrasing (or word switching) means retelling the essential ideas previously expressed by someone else. It is the only legitimate way to borrow from another source without quoting it directly.
Word Switcher tool automates the process, saving you much time for preparing a literature review and formulating your thesis statement. You’ll need it when you want to:
- Condense the entire meaning of the original and transmit it to your reader;
- Credit a source demonstrating your own understanding of the author’s ideas;
- Restate the original in more detail than in the case of a summary;
- Combine several sources and analyze them in the same sentence or paragraph;
- Accompany another author’s text with your commentaries, but direct quotes would break the textual harmony;
- Rephrase your text (in an essay’s conclusion);
- Change some direct quotes in your writing to indirect ones.
🆚 Quoting Vs. Paraphrasing
Some students use quotes to make their writing look more grounded. They create a patchwork of other people’s words intermingled with their thoughts. The difference between quoting and paraphrasing is the same as between sweets and drugs. The latter cannot be taken as much as you please.
📝 Paraphrasing a Source for an Assignment
General advice
Paraphrasing difficult texts
An adequate paraphrase is a stylistic change, improvement, summary, or interpretation of the original message. The best variant would clarify obscure points, condense what is too wordy, and links the seemingly disconnected ideas. Below you will find examples of various paraphrases with explanations of why they are successful or not.
🤔 Word Switch: Plagiarism or Not?
Word switching is not considered plagiarism if it meets the following criteria:
1. The language and structure of the original have been sufficiently changed.
2. You are referring to the source.
If you do not refer to the author of the idea, then paraphrasing is considered plagiarism. It is considered cheating and is fraught with consequences even if your text does not look like the original.
👀 Word Switching: Bad & Better Examples
We have selected a hard-to-read passage from Psychology of the Unconscious by C. G. Jung to make the examples more illustrative. But before proceeding, mind that it is essential:
- Not to fall into plagiarism;
- Make the original clearer and more coherent;
- Explain or comment on the author’s thoughts wherever necessary;
- Avoid adding your ideas;
- Not to sink to oversimplifying;
- Preserve the author’s style (especially in philosophical and literary works).
Original Passage
It would certainly be unjust to make a comparison of the two objects as concrete things since they are so heterogeneous. One loves a Beethoven sonata but one loves caviar also. It would not occur to any one to liken the sonata to caviar. It is a common error for one to judge the longing according to the quality of the object. The appetite of the gourmand which is only satisfied with goose liver and quail is no more distinguished than the appetite of the laboring man for corned beef and cabbage. The longing is the same; the object changes. Nature is beautiful only by virtue of the longing and love given her by man. The æsthetic attributes emanating from that has influence primarily on the libido, which alone constitutes the beauty of nature. The dream recognizes this well when it depicts a strong and beautiful feeling by means of a representation of a beautiful landscape.
Word-for-Word Paraphrasing
As Jung mentions in Psychology of the Unconscious, It would be unjust to compare the two objects since they are heterogeneous. One prefers a Beethoven sonata but loves caviar also. Nobody would liken the sonata to caviar. It is a common mistake to judge the longing according to the quality of the object. The appetite of the gourmand for goose liver and quail is the same as the appetite of a worker for corned beef and cabbage. Only the object alters. Nature becomes beautiful only thanks to the longing and love given her by human eyes. Its esthetic attributes primarily influence the libido, constituting the beauty of nature. Our dream manages to recognize this while depicting a powerful and beautiful feeling by means of a representation of a landscape.
The author mentioned Jung as the source, but the language is still plagiarized. Multiple passages (underlined) have been left unchanged, with no quotation marks showing that they come from Jung. Still, if we insert quotation marks around all these phrases, the passage would become too cluttered. The author also forgot to credit the source according to the selected citation style.
Patchwork Paraphrasing
Jung (1960) considers it unjust to compare heterogeneous things, like a Beethoven sonata and caviar. It is incorrect to judge the desire according to the quality of the desired object. For example, a gourmand’s appetite would only be satisfied with goose liver and quail. A worker’s appetite is only for corned beef and cabbage. Still, their longing is the same. Only the object is different. Humans consider nature beautiful , and only by virtue of longing does it become so. Our perception influences the libido, which alone constitutes the beauty of nature. Likewise, our dreams use the same strategy while depicting a strong and beautiful feeling.
This paraphrasing is a patchwork of the original phrases (underlined) and the writer’s words. The sentences have been rearranged. None of the borrowed parts are in quotation marks. Despite the material’s acknowledged authorship, the underlined pieces are presented as the writer’s own.
Legitimate Paraphrasing
Jung (1960) says it is impossible to compare “heterogeneous things” (like Beethoven’s sonata and caviar), although they are equally sophisticated. He suggests another example: a gourmand longing “for goose liver and quail” and a laboring man with an appetite “for corned beef and cabbage.” Their desire is the same, but the object quality is different. Nature becomes beautiful while reflected in human eyes thanks to the libido it influences. Thus, we can experience intense feelings of beauty in our dreams.
Here, the specific language and style of C.J. Jung have been documented via direct quotes. The writer merged some sentences or divided them to facilitate the reading. The word choice is also more straightforward for an easier understanding.
Thank you for reading this article! We hope that this word switcher is useful for you. You are welcome to try other free tools we offer: thesis statement helper, summarizer, title maker, and conclusion generator.
❓ Word Switcher Tool: FAQ
❓ What Is a Paraphrasing Tool?
It is an online summarizing or rephrasing software that analyzes the meaning and composition of an uploaded document and reformulates its message. Such tools can equally rewrite a sentence and a multi-page text. As a rule, you can select the paraphrasing depth (i.e., how different the resulting text will be) or even the style (formal or informal).
❓ Is Paraphrasing Plagiarism?
Paraphrasing equals plagiarism when done incorrectly:
- There is no reference in the bibliography list;
- There is no appropriate in-text citation;
- The passage is poorly reworded and resembles the original too much;
- The original sentence structure is left unchanged.
❓ How to Avoid Plagiarism When Paraphrasing?
- After reading the sentence or paragraph you plan to paraphrase, put away the original and write from your memory.
- Do your best to move away from the author’s wording and grammar.
- Add an in-text citation and a respective item to the bibliography.
❓ What Is the Best Paraphrasing Tool?
The answer depends on your budget and preferences, as the options are many and varied. As a rule, the more functions they offer, the more money you’ll have to pay. The question is whether you need all those functions, as complex software requires time to master. As the best variant, we recommend you Word Switcher. It is online, free, and simple.
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