English Research Paper
Paraphrasing and Summarizing Tips
One of the hardest things for students to do when first writing a research paper is learn
how to paraphrase and summarize information. The examples below will help you learn
how to paraphrase and summarize correctly so you are not caught plagiarizing.
Definition of Paraphrasing: A restatement of a text or passage in another form or
other words.
 Include all of the ideas mentioned in the original passage
 Follow the original order of ideas
 Keep the length approximately the same as the original
 Do not add your own thoughts or views
Definition of Summary: Presenting the substance in a condensed form by reducing to
its main points
 Include only the main points of the original passage
 Do not worry about following the original order of ideas
 Keep the length to between ¼ and ½ of the length of the original
 Do not add your own thoughts or ideas
Reading the text first and then putting it into your own words without looking at it is one
of the best ways to avoid plagiarism from incorrect paraphrasing. For example:
Original Text:
“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s
horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again.”
Correctly Paraphrased Text:
An egg by the name of Humpty Dumpty was perched upon a wall. For some
reason, Humpty Dumpty had a catastrophic fall off of this partition. Horses and
men, which belonged to the King, tried unsuccessfully to repair the broken egg.
Correctly Summarized Text:
According to the writer of a children’s nursery rhyme, an egg named
Humpty Dumpty was unable to be repaired by either the horses or the
men, which belonged to the king, after he had a serious fall off of a
wall.
Paraphrasing and Summarizing Activities
Read the following passages and rewrite them in your own words, paraphrasing
correctly:
“Darfur has been embroiled in a deadly conflict for over three years. At least
400,000 people have been killed; more than 2 million innocent civilians have been
forced to flee their homes and now live in displaced-persons camps in Sudan or
in refugee camps in neighboring Chad; and more than 3.5 million men, women,
and children are completely reliant on international aid for survival. Not since the
Rwandan genocide of 1994 has the world seen such a calculated campaign of
displacement, starvation, rape, and mass slaughter.” (http://www.savedarfur.org)
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Summarize the following song:
“Closed off from love
I didn't need the pain
Once or twice was enough
And it was all in vain
Time starts to pass
Before you know it you're frozen
But something happened
For the very first time with you
My heart melted into the ground
Found something true
And everyone's lookin' round
Thinking I'm going crazy
But I don't care what they say
I'm in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don't know the truth
My heart's crippled by the vein
That I keep on closing
You cut me open and I”
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