When you paraphrase, you say something in different words. The length of your paraphrased text will be approximately the same as the original.
Original Example:
“Hand gestures, like other forms of nonverbal communication, can change the meaning of our words as well as carry meanings totally by themselves. Unless we understand the meanings attached to certain hand gestures in the different cultures, we are likely to send and receive unintended messages when dealing with people from other cultures. When two ordinary citizens from two different cultures miscommunicate through hand gestures, the result can be embarrassment or hard feelings” (Ferraro, 2001).
“Hand gestures, like other forms of nonverbal communication, can change the meaning of our words as well as carry meanings totally by themselves. Unless we understand the meanings attached to certain hand gestures in the different cultures, we are likely to send and receive unintended messages when dealing with people from other cultures. When two ordinary citizens from two different cultures miscommunicate through hand gestures, the result can be embarrassment or hard feelings” (Ferraro, 2001).
Paraphrased Example:
Both body language and words are used to convey meaning. Movements such as hand gestures can alter the meaning of spoken words, or be used alone to convey meaning. If we don’t understand the meaning a person from another culture intends to convey through his hand gestures, and if that person doesn’t understand the meaning of ours, there’s a good chance we’ll misunderstand each other and feel ill at ease or possibly offended (Ferraro, 2001).
Ferraro, Gary. (2001). Cultural anthropology: An applied perspective (4th ed.). Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
IMPORTANT: When you paraphrase, you still must cite the source of the information or idea. If you do not, you may be guilty of plagiarism.