Paraphrasing allows writers to incorporate others' ideas into their own writing while using their own words. It is important to cite the original author and source when paraphrasing to avoid plagiarism. Successful paraphrasing requires restating the information with different wording and sentence structures than the original while still mentioning the author, title of the work, and page number if applicable. An example demonstrates how to paraphrase a long quote from The Great Gatsby in a way that gives Fitzgerald's ideas and imagery but in the summarizer's own words.

1. Paraphrase perfectionThe oh so attainable goal

2. paraphrase? What does that even mean?A paraphrase is a restatement of a section of text in your own words

3. Especially useful when you want to use a longer quote, paraphrasing allows you to use another person’s ideas but in your language

4. Because paraphrasing still involves using the ideas of others, you still need to cite where you found it and/or who wrote or said it originally

5. Paraphrasing can be extremely beneficial in your writing, but it can lend itself to plagiarism if you aren’t careful How do you paraphrase without Plagiarizing? To successfully paraphrase and not plagiarize, remember the following tips: 1. Mention the source where you found the information, the original author, and the page (if applicable) where you located it. 2. Always use wording and sentence structures that differ from those of the author you are paraphrasing.

6. An example of Fitzgerald, ParaphrasedSo you’re writing a paper about symbolic imagery in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and you want to use the following quote: “This is a valley of ashes--a fantastic farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally, with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air. Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud, which screens their obscure operations from your sight."- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, Ch. 2…but it’s so long. The solution: paraphrase Mr. Fitzgerald.