How to Paraphrase Properly (Without Tripping Plagiarism Detectors)
Real paraphrasing isn't swapping synonyms. Here's the technique UK academic editors actually use.
Synonym swapping isn't paraphrasing - it's plagiarism with extra steps. Turnitin catches it routinely. Proper paraphrasing rebuilds the sentence from the idea up.
The two-step method
Step one: read the source paragraph, close it, and write what it means in your own words from memory. Step two: open the source, check accuracy, add the citation. Never paraphrase with the source open in front of you.
Always cite
Even a perfectly paraphrased idea needs a citation. The words are yours; the idea isn't. Forgetting the citation is the most common misconduct case in UK universities.
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