Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing

Example Paragraph

Jenny is a fifteen-year old student who attends a rural school.  She is very outgoing and participates in school activities such as cheerleading and Quiz Bowl.  Because her school is small, everyone knows her and she knows everyone in school.

Paraphrasing the Paragraph

Paraphrasing is using one’s own words to express the main ideas in what has been read, seen, or heard.  The underlined parts show the information that complements or mirrors (paraphrases) the original paragraph.

**Jenny, a fifteen-year old girl, goes to a small school where everyone knows each other.  She is active in several extra-curricular activities including cheerleading and Quiz Bowl.

Summarizing the Paragraph

Summarizing is to make a brief statement about the essential ideas in a text.  It is giving an overall picture of the text, omitting redundant and non-essential information.

**Jenny is well known in her small high school and participates in school activities.