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The Difference Between Paraphrasing & Summarizing

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paraphrasing“People often confuse summary and paraphrase, but the difference doesn’t have to be confusing.”
“To paraphrase means to express someone else’s ideas in your own language.
To summarize means to distill only the most essential points of someone else’s work.”
Plotnick

How do you paraphrase the main points?

  • Take Main Point #1, read it as many times as necessary to understand it completely.
  • When you think you understand it very well, STOP READING IT, turn the paper over, and SEPARATELY – explain the meaning of the sentence IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
  • Now continue to do the same for each Main Point.
  • Now you have your Summary, but you must add the Title and Author’s Name at the beginning to complete it.
  • At the end of your Summary, include your Hook/Opinion of what you will talk about/explain in your essay response.

Now you are ready to begin your essay response:
Essay Response:

  • Introduction (Main Topic for your essay/ideas + Thesis Statement (Your 3 reasons for your idea)
  • 3 Body Paragraphs: Each one comes from your Thesis Statement, and your paragraphs follow the same order as your Thesis Statement. Each Body
    Paragraph MUST BE M.E.A.L.
  • Conclusion: Repeat your information from your Introduction, but PARAPHRASED to reflect that you are concluding your ideas – repeating them to be sure the reader understands what your essay means.