The key difference between paraphrasing and summarizing is that in paraphrasing, the whole text should be presented using different words (your own words), while in summarizing, only the key ideas and the main points of the original text should be presented in summary using different words.
Both paraphrasing and summarizing involve writing an overview of the original text using your own words. Although they are very similar processes, there is a slight difference, as described above.
Key Takeaways
- Paraphrasing involves rewriting the entire text using your own words, while maintaining the original meaning.
- Summarizing involves writing a brief synopsis of the original text, focusing on the main ideas and key points, using your own words.
- Both processes require using different words than the original text and properly citing the sources to avoid plagiarism.
What is Paraphrasing?
Paraphrasing means rewriting an original text using your own words. The rewriting should be done without destroying the meaning conveyed in the original text. Paraphrasing can be adapted for situations where quoting has to be employed. Quoting includes a direct copy-paste of the original text, whereas paraphrasing includes presenting the denotation of the original text using different words. When paraphrasing, the sources should be acknowledged to avoid committing plagiarism. Another significant requirement is citing the sources of the paraphrase.
The sentence structure of the original text can be changed with the replacement of synonyms. This is one of the strategies used in paraphrasing to get the explicit meaning of the original text. The overt meaning as it appears in the original text should be obtained using different words. Hence, it is important to maintain the original meaning of the text in paraphrasing.
What is Summarizing?
Summarizing involves writing a brief synopsis of the original text. The main ideas and key points of the text are given using your own words. Since only the key ideas and crucial facts are presented in summary, it should always be briefer than the original text. Simultaneously, similar words in the original text cannot be provided when summarizing. Summarizing does not include reviewing and appraising ideas and facts about the original text.
A clear, precise overview of the main ideas in the original work is presented in summary. When summarizing, similes and metaphors should be removed, giving focus only to the main idea of the text. One of the significant facts to be followed in summarizing is that the main ideas should be provided without damaging the meaning of the original text. In addition, the same words in the original text should not be adapted in summary to maintain the explicit meaning.
What are the Similarities Between Paraphrasing and Summarizing?
Both paraphrasing and summarizing contain the overview of the original text using your own words.
Both paraphrasing and summarizing do not contain added appraising points apart from the original text.
A clear outline of the original text should be provided using different words without destructing the conveyed meaning of the original text.
What is the Difference Between Paraphrasing and Summarizing?
The key difference between paraphrasing and summarizing is that in paraphrasing, the whole text should be presented using different words (your own words), while in summarizing, only the key ideas and the main points of the original text should be presented in summary using different words. In addition, the whole text is not presented in summary, and it is a briefing of the original text.
Summary – Paraphrasing vs Summarizing
Paraphrasing and summarizing present the synopsis of a text using a different set of words that are dissimilar to the original text. The key difference between paraphrasing and summarizing is that paraphrasing present all the points in the original text using different words but without harming the meaning, whereas summarizing concentrates only on the key ideas and main points of the original text using different words. Therefore, the output of a summary will be briefer than the original text.
Reference:
1. Gahan, Courtney. “How to Paraphrase Sources.” Scribbr, 24 Sept. 2021.
2. McCombes, Shona. “How to Write a Summary.” Scribbr, 24 Nov. 2020.
3. “Paraphrase: Definition and Examples.” Literary Terms, 5 Sept. 2017.
Image Courtesy:1. “Summarized” By Mphathi2009 – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
