Paraphrases Can Contain Some of the Author’s Words

Successful paraphrases restate the author’s idea in completely different words. However, some specific types of words and phrases do not need to be changed or quoted:

Proper nouns, like the names of people or places
Technical and specific terms, or language that cannot be rephrased (there’s only one way to say “acid rain” or “rocking chair”)
Small joining words, like “and” or “to” and the articles “a” and “the”

Here's an example:

Original Quote

“But it isn’t only candy bars he makes. Oh, dear me, no! He has some really fantastic inventions up his sleeve, Mr. Willy Wonka has!”

From Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Plagiarism

Grandpa Joe explains to Charlie that Willy Wonka has a few really amazing inventions up his sleeve (Dahl 9).

Even though some words are changed, this is still plagiarism because it includes the author's original phrase “inventions up his sleeve” without quotation marks.

Paraphrase

Grandpa Joe explains to Charlie that Willy Wonka is not simply a great chocolate maker, but also a skilled inventor (Dahl 9).

“Willy Wonka” is not plagiarism because it's a proper noun. “Inventor” is similar to “inventions,” but this is not plagiarism because it is a specific term that is difficult to rephrase.

Tip

When you repeat proper nouns or technical terms, you should still avoid using more than 2–3 of the author’s words in a row.