What Is the Difference Between Paraphrasing and Summarizing: Key Features to Understand

Many people need to be able to quote and retell the information they receive when working with texts. Two primary methods are employed for this purpose: paraphrasing and summarizing.

Both methods are equally well suited for reworking the original text. Simultaneously, the approaches differ with regard to the aims for their use, depth of processing, and way of presentation.

In this article, you will find the answer to the most important question of all: what is the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing? This is useful knowledge for individuals who regularly interact with the text and will write various forms of work.

Difference Between Summary and Paraphrase

To understand the difference between summary and paraphrase, you need to carefully study both concepts. This will reveal some important details.

• Summary. This is the name for a concise presentation of all the key ideas obtained from the original text. Details and examples are not taken into account here. The most important thing is to highlight the key thoughts. This can be done independently or by using an AI text summarizer.
• Paraphrasing. It implies transmitting the same ideas presented in the main text, but using different words. An important feature is to preserve the original or close to its original volume.

For a better understanding, it will be useful to compare and contrast paraphrasing and summarizing in a table.

Criteria	Summary	Paraphrasing
Text volume	Significantly shorter than the original	Close to the original
Purpose	Condensed and summarized information	Reformulation and clarification
Usage	Covering key ideas without details	Detailed retelling
Structure	Condensed version in the author’s own words	Rewritten text with the original structure

Once you understand the main nuances of comparing paraphrasing vs summarizing, you can move on to considering the next important question.

What Is the Main Difference Between Writing a Paraphrase and Writing a Summary?

In theory, everything has already become clear. However, when writing one type of text is needed, many have another question: What is the main difference between writing a paraphrase and writing a summary?

The key difference is that paraphrasing involves preserving the details of the sequence as in the original text. At the same time, summarizing is a generalization of all the information obtained from the original text.

Writing a paraphrase requires more attention to details such as tone and wording, especially if it is important to preserve the key nuances of the text for the task. Summarizing is the skill of presenting a concise text and highlighting the most important points.

Examples of Paraphrasing and Summarizing

The best way to grasp the nature of the dual approaches to writing a text is to consider the exact difference between paraphrasing and summarizing examples. So let's take a small original text:

Social media has provided new means for us to connect with one another. It allows you to tell people your thoughts, show people your photos, and share your experiences with an audience across the globe in a matter of seconds with one click on a social media platform connected to the internet.

In this instance, paraphrasing could look like this:

Internet-enabled social media platforms have evolved ways of communication and allow individuals to instantly communicate their thoughts, photographs, and experiences to other people around the planet.

Now it’s worth looking at an example of a summary:

Social media has changed the format of communication, making it global and instantaneous.

As you can see, paraphrasing preserves most of the details, as well as approximately the same volume as the original text. A summary is a way to highlight the main idea of the original with a minimum amount of text.

When to Paraphrase and When to Summarize

For some tasks, it is better to use the paraphrase method, and for others, a summary.

Paraphrasing is considered most relevant in the following situations:

• It is necessary to explain the essence, meaning of certain quotes and arguments.
• It is essential to demonstrate your own understanding of the content of the original text.
• It is important to preserve the exact details and meaning of the material in the work.
• The work is carried out with a small passage of text.

Summary is also used quite often. It is most common in the following situations:

• You need to cover a full article, document, or chapter.
• You want to condense a large amount of information into a short text.
• You want to write a review or summary.
• It is important to highlight key ideas without going into detail.

Both methods are equally important in writing. The ability to make the right choice between them indicates the maturity of the author.

Final Thoughts

Summary and paraphrasing are different but equally important tools for processing information. The first helps to condense the original text and highlight the essence, and the second helps to reformulate the main ideas while preserving the original volume. Both methods are widely used to accurately and ethically work with sources, improving the understanding, style, and originality of the text.