Rewriting an essay found on the internet can be considered a form of plagiarism if not done correctly. It is essential to ensure that the rewritten essay is entirely in your words and not a mere paraphrasing of the original work. Here is a comprehensive guide to help you rewrite an essay:
Step 1: Read the essay thoroughly
Read the essay you want to rewrite several times to familiarize yourself with the content. As you read, identify the main arguments, concepts, and ideas. Take note of the author’s writing style, tone, and voice.
Step 2: Use snowballing
Finding an essay online can be a helpful way to find good sources for your own essay through a process called “snowballing.” Snowballing is a research technique in which you start with one source and use the references cited in that source to find additional sources.
Here’s how you can use snowballing to find sources:
- Look through the references cited in the essay. These references may include books, journal articles, or other sources that are relevant to your topic.
- Use the references cited in the essay as a starting point for your own research. Look up these sources and read through them to see if they are relevant to your essay.
- Look through the references cited in the sources you found in step 2. Repeat the process by looking up these references to find additional sources.
- By using snowballing, you can quickly build a list of relevant sources for your own essay. This technique can save you time and help you find high-quality sources that are related to your topic. However, it is important to ensure that you are properly citing any sources you use in your essay to avoid plagiarism.
Step 3: Put the original essay aside
Once you’ve read the original essay and used to research new sources, put it aside and start writing from scratch. This will help you avoid copying any phrases or sentences from the original essay.
Step 4: Understand the purpose of the essay
Understand the purpose of the essay you are writing. Are you writing to inform, persuade, or entertain? This will help you determine the tone and style of your writing.
It will help if you understand the type of essay that has been set for you. Common types of essay include:
- Narrative Essay: A narrative essay is a personal story that tells about an event or experience. This type of essay allows the writer to share a personal experience in a compelling way and usually includes sensory details to engage the reader.
- Descriptive Essay: A descriptive essay is a type of essay that uses sensory details to describe a person, place, or thing. It often creates a vivid image in the reader’s mind and can be used to create a mood or atmosphere.
- Expository Essay: An expository essay is a type of essay that explains or describes a topic or concept. It usually involves research and presents facts, statistics, and evidence to support the writer’s point of view.
- Persuasive Essay: A persuasive essay is a type of essay that attempts to convince the reader to agree with the writer’s opinion. It uses logic and reasoning to make a compelling argument and often includes emotional appeals to persuade the reader.
- Argumentative Essay: An argumentative essay is a type of essay that presents a strong argument and supports it with evidence. The writer takes a stance on a controversial topic and uses facts, statistics, and evidence to support their point of view. It usually includes a counterargument and a rebuttal to address opposing viewpoints.
You can find out more about types of essays here.
Step 5: Create an outline
Create an outline that includes the main arguments and ideas you want to convey in your essay. This will help you organize your thoughts and ensure that your essay has a logical flow.
Step 6: Use your own words
Write the essay in your own words. Do not copy phrases or sentences from the original essay. Instead, rephrase the ideas and arguments in your own words, using different sentence structures.
Example of using your own words:
Original Sentence: “The theory of relativity was first introduced by Albert Einstein in 1905.”
Rewritten Sentence: “Albert Einstein was the first to propose the theory of relativity in 1905.”
In this example, the student has rewritten the sentence in their own words while still conveying the same information. The new sentence uses a different sentence structure and different vocabulary to avoid plagiarism.
Step 7: Check for plagiarism
Use a plagiarism checker to ensure that your essay is entirely original. There are several online plagiarism checkers you can use, such as Turnitin and Grammarly.
Step 8: Revise and edit
Once you’ve completed your essay, revise and edit it to ensure that it is well-written, coherent, and error-free. Check for spelling and grammar errors, sentence structure, and punctuation.
Click here to read a guide to polishing your essay for a first class grade.
“Should I use ChatGPT to rewrite my essay?”
ChatGPT is an AI language model that can provide suggestions and alternative ways to phrase sentences, but you should not use it to rewrite an entire essay for you. It is important to note that rewriting an essay found on the internet, or any other source, without proper attribution or permission can be considered plagiarism. This is also the reason why you should avoid any paid essay rewriting services.
However, ChatGPT can assist you in improving your writing skills and provide feedback on your writing. You can input your essay into the chat, and the AI can offer suggestions on grammar, syntax, and vocabulary to help you improve your writing. Additionally, it can provide tips and guidance on how to effectively paraphrase and summarize information from sources to avoid plagiarism.
Conclusion
In conclusion, rewriting an essay found on the internet can be challenging, but it is essential to ensure that your work is entirely original. Use the steps above to guide you in rewriting an essay in your own words. Remember, plagiarism is a serious offense and can lead to severe consequences, including expulsion from school.