What is the Difference Between Paraphrasing and Summarizing?

Paraphrasing and summarizing are both techniques used to incorporate information from source material into your own writing, but they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics. Here are the main differences between the two:

Paraphrasing:

Involves restating someone else's ideas in your own language at roughly the same level of detail.
The goal is to rephrase the original text in a way that clarifies its meaning.
Paraphrased material can be as long or longer than the original passage.
You can add your own thoughts, views, examples, perspectives, and key points to the paraphrased content.
Useful when the core ideas of a passage are more important than the specific details.

Summarizing:

Involves condensing the most essential points of someone else's work into a shorter form.
The goal is to convey the main idea(s) in a concise and clear manner.
Summaries are significantly shorter than the original.
You cannot add additional thoughts or views; focus on the key points from the source material.
Useful when the main points from a passage are relevant, but the details are not.

In summary, paraphrasing is more focused on rephrasing and can include additional thoughts from the writer, while summarizing is about condensing the main points and keeping the writing concise. Both methods should be used appropriately depending on the context and the specific information you want to convey to your audience.