Common Paraphrasing Mistakes

What NOT to Do

Mistake 1: Patchwork Plagiarism

Simply swapping a few words with synonyms while keeping the same sentence structure. This is the most common form of unintentional plagiarism.

Original: "The results indicate that regular exercise significantly reduces symptoms of depression."

Bad: "The findings show that consistent physical activity substantially decreases signs of depression." (Same structure, just synonym swaps)

Good: "Depression symptoms showed marked improvement in participants who maintained consistent exercise routines, according to the study's findings."

Mistake 2: Forgetting to Cite

Even perfectly paraphrased content needs a citation. The ideas still belong to the original author.

Mistake 3: Changing the Meaning

In the effort to use different words, some writers accidentally distort the original meaning. Always verify accuracy after paraphrasing.

Mistake 4: Over-Paraphrasing

Sometimes a direct quote is better, especially for technical definitions, famous phrases, or when the original wording is particularly powerful or precise.