Which practice best helps paraphrase without plagiarizing?

• A. Copy the original wording and add quotation marks.
• B. Change a few words but keep the same sentence structure.
• C. Restate ideas in your own words and include citation; avoid copying phrases.
• D. Paraphrase by summarizing only at the end of the text.

Answer: (C)

Paraphrasing without plagiarizing means reexpressing someone else’s ideas in your own words and giving proper credit to the source. The option that says to restate ideas in your own words and include a citation—and to avoid copying phrases—is the strongest because it shows you’ve understood the material well enough to translate it into your own language and you’re still honoring the original source with a citation. Copying the exact wording with quotation marks doesn’t demonstrate paraphrasing, and only changing a few words while keeping the same sentence structure often preserves the original voice too closely, which can still amount to plagiarism. Paraphrasing should be integrated into your writing, with your own wording throughout and a citation to the source, not just a late summary at the end.