What is a paraphrase, and how does it differ from direct quotation?

• A. Paraphrase restates ideas in your own words; quotation uses exact wording from the source.
• B. Paraphrase quotes the source exactly.
• C. Paraphrase is the same as a summary.
• D. Quotation means summarizing in your own voice.

Answer: (A)

Paraphrase means restating someone else’s ideas in your own words, keeping the meaning but changing the wording and sentence structure. A direct quotation repeats the exact words from the source, usually with quotation marks and a citation. This distinction matters because it shows you understand the material and know how to weave it into your writing. You paraphrase when you want to explain or discuss ideas in your own voice, and you quote when the original wording is important or particularly authoritative.

So the best choice captures that difference: paraphrase is restating in your own words, while quotation uses exact wording from the source. The other statements mix things up, like saying paraphrase quotes the source exactly, or equating paraphrase with a summary, or defining quotation as summarizing in your own voice.