What is the difference between summarizing and paraphrasing?
Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary says summarizing means “telling in or reducing to … an abstract or abridgement” – basically covering the whole of a work in a shortened form. It defines paraphrasing as “restat[ing] … a text, passage, or work [by] giving the meaning in another form.” Therefore, a summary is shorter than the original, while a paraphrase may be the same length as the original but has been put into language or context that is generally easier for the audience to understand. A great resource for summarizing and paraphrasing can be found on Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab site (OWL).
