Example of Paraphrasing a Quote: Before-and-After Examples That Cite Correctly
Paraphrasing a quote means restating someone else’s idea in your own words and sentence structure, then citing the source. Here is a direct example:
Original quote: Flora Lewis wrote, “Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.”
Paraphrase: Lewis argued that picking up a new language reshapes how a person thinks, not just the words they use (Lewis).
The paraphrase keeps the idea, drops the quotation marks, changes the wording and structure, and still credits Lewis. Below are more before-and-after examples and the line between a real paraphrase and a fake one.
More before-and-after examples
Original: “Ever-improving mobile and I-cloud computing technology continues to make fixed addresses less relevant” (MacLellan, 2018, p. 16).
Paraphrase: MacLellan (2018) observed that as mobile and cloud technology improve, a fixed physical address matters less and less.
Original: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill
Paraphrase: Churchill’s point was that neither winning nor losing is permanent; what matters is the willingness to keep going.
What counts as a real paraphrase?
A real paraphrase changes both the words and the sentence structure while keeping the meaning exact. Swapping one or two words for synonyms and leaving the rest of the sentence intact is not paraphrasing, it is close copying, and it is still plagiarism even with a citation.
The reliable method: read the passage, look away from it, and write the idea in your own words from memory. Then check it against the original to confirm you kept the meaning but not the phrasing. If a distinctive phrase survives, put quotation marks around just that phrase.
Do you cite a paraphrase?
Yes. A paraphrase carries someone else’s idea, so it needs a citation just as a direct quote does. The only thing you drop is the quotation marks. In APA you still name the author and year; a page number is optional but encouraged. In MLA you give the author and page. See APA citation and MLA citation.
When to paraphrase instead of quote
Paraphrase most of the time. It shows you understood the source rather than just copied it, and it keeps your own voice running through the piece. Quote only when the exact wording is unusual, precise, or memorable enough that restating it would lose something. For the fuller decision, see how do you paraphrase a quote and direct quotes.
FAQ
What is an example of paraphrasing a quote?
Original: “Learning another language is like becoming another person” (Murakami). Paraphrase: Murakami suggested that learning a language transforms a person, almost into someone new.
Do you use quotation marks when paraphrasing?
No. A paraphrase is in your own words, so it takes no quotation marks, only a citation. Keep quotation marks solely for any exact phrase you carry over.
Does a paraphrase need a citation?
Yes. The idea belongs to someone else, so it must be cited. Skipping the citation is plagiarism even though the words are yours.
How is paraphrasing different from summarizing?
A paraphrase restates a specific passage at about the same length. A summary condenses a longer section into a shorter overview. Both require a citation.