Students often get confused as to the differences between summarizing, Small Seo Paraphrasing Tool and quoting. Whether it is writing a simple article or a complex research paper, students need to know the differences between these three to excel in academics.

Here are five essential differences between the three that will help you ensure that you write properly.

1. Definitions

When you quote something, you quote word by word. However, when you paraphrase something, you use your own words that have the same meaning. While creating a summary, you write the central idea of the text in a shorter form using your own words.

2. The purpose

You give a quote to provide authority to what you are saying. When you cite a quote, your text becomes more authoritative. You paraphrase something when the original author’s words are not that important and you need to express in your own language. You write a summary when you want to give a gist of someone else’s work and you only need to focus on some of the main points.

3. How does one do it?

While quoting, you quote the source as well as the words. In one way, you copy the words but give credence to the original author. With both paraphrasing and summarizing, you write your own words but ensure that you focus on not ‘copying’ anything from the original text. Also, during paraphrasing, you are required to give credence in the Works Cited page. To put it more simply, during summarizing, you are given a main article text or body that you need to shorten and write in your own words.

4. Ideas and words

You should quote and cite ideas and words. You cannot take anybody’s ideas as your own and not cite it. Neither can you take words stated by another to stated by you. In both the above cases you need to use quotation and not during summarizing and paraphrasing.

5. Common knowledge

Is what you writing common knowledge or have you originally thought of it? If you have originally thought of what you are writing, you can just write what you have to say. If it is common knowledge and known by all, you do not need to cite it as well. However, if it is not common knowledge, you need to cite it.