What's The Difference Between Summarizing and Paraphrasing?

Summarizing and paraphrasing are two different techniques that are often used interchangeably. Some people might summarize text they were told to paraphrase. Others will completely rewrite content they were told to summarize.

But knowing the difference between the two is important – especially when it comes to formal writing i.e., academic journals, legal documents, business proposals, research papers, and so on. You’ll need to know when it’s best to condense information and when it’s best to explain it using your own words.

HyperWrite has tools that can instantly summarize and paraphrase content for you. But if you don’t know what process the situation calls for, you won’t know what tool to use.

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So let’s break it down.

What Do Summarizing & Paraphrasing Even Mean?

Summarize - When you summarize content, you condense it into a shorter version that’s clearer, more concise, and only states key information.

Paraphrase - When you paraphrase content, you rewrite it so that it reads differently but keeps the original message. 

In formal writing, paraphrasing a text often means translating it into your own words to prove you understand it.

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The Differences

‍Summarizing - A summary will always be shorter than the original text. A summary extracts and highlights only the key information of a text. And, a summary is often used to extract and highlight just the key points of a text. It immediately gives the reader the content’s main message. 

Paraphrasing - A paraphrased text is not necessarily shorter than the original text. In some cases, it can even be longer. A paraphrased text must contain the key information of the original content, but it can include more details and statements to explain the key information. Paraphrased text is often considered a completely new and different piece of content. The only thing it has in common with the original text is the message. 

Benefits of Summarizing vs Paraphrasing

Summarize - Breaks long, complicated text down into shorter, simpler statements that are easier to understand. Makes comprehension easier to achieve by extracting and immediately highlighting key points. Saves the reader time and effort (shorter text = less to read and comprehend). Makes the text easier to reference for future use

Paraphrase - Translates potentially complicated lingo into conversational, everyday jargon that’s easier to understand. Better explains the message or context of the original text to others. Can transform the original text into something that reads better, is more organized, has better quality, etc. Can help the writer avoid plagiarism

HyperWrite Summarizer

HyperWrite’s Summarizer tool is self-explanatory. It extracts the key points of any textual content and condenses them to create a concise summary that does not lose the essence of the original text. For this example, we’ll pull the last two paragraphs of this article.

Here’s the original text, as reference:

Simply copy the text you want summarized and paste it in the provided field.

Hit ‘Submit’ and wait for the results.

It essentially filtered two paragraphs down into four simple, straight-to-the-point sentences.

HyperWrite Paraphraser

HyperWrite’s Paraphraser tool is also pretty straightforward. It uses advanced AI models like GPT-4 to read given content, understand it, and then rewrite it into something new and unique without losing or altering the original message. 

So to compare paraphrasing to summarizing, we’ll run the same text through the Paraphraser tool.

When using these tools, I like selecting the ‘Smarter’ option (among the four buttons on the lower-left of the text field) to get a more intuitive and in-depth response. 

And here’s the paraphrased content:

Neither of the options is shorter nor more condensed than the original text. All three also read like completely new content, with just a few choice ideas and statements kept to preserve the essence of the initial copy.

Use HyperWrite Tools to Summarize or Paraphrase Content When Needed

Knowing the difference between summarizing and paraphrasing content enables you to choose the most appropriate process for the situation correctly. Remember that summaries provide a short, concise overview of the main points, while paraphrasing involves rephrasing the content in your own words while preserving the original meaning. 

Once you know which one you should do, you can use HyperWrite to simplify the process. HyperWrite’s Summarizer and Paraphraser tools can easily and efficiently generate the summarized or paraphrased text you need in seconds. Always ensure to review and refine the generated summary or rewritten content to determine that it’s accurate and aligns perfectly with what you need.