Check whether my paraphrase is too close to the source
Side-by-side feedback on whether your paraphrase is original enough, plus how to fix it and cite it correctly.
The prompt
Check whether my paraphrase is different enough from the original to avoid accidental plagiarism.
Original passage: [PASTE THE SOURCE TEXT]
My paraphrase: [PASTE YOUR VERSION]
Source details: [AUTHOR, TITLE, YEAR, PAGE]
Citation style: [MLA / APA / Chicago / other]
Check:
1. Word-for-word overlap: list any strings of 3+ words I copied that aren't common phrases.
2. Structure: did I keep the same sentence order and pattern and just swap synonyms (patchwriting)?
3. Meaning: did I keep the original meaning accurately, without adding or dropping key ideas?
4. Attribution: is it clear which ideas belong to the source, and is there an in-text citation?
5. Specialist terms that are fine to keep (e.g. technical names).
Return:
- A verdict: Fine / Needs work / Too close.
- A table: Issue | Where it appears | Why it matters | How to fix it.
- A method for redoing it myself: read, cover the source, explain it aloud, write from memory, then compare.
- The correct in-text citation format for my style, using my source details.
Do not write a new paraphrase for me. If the passage should simply be quoted instead (because the exact wording matters), say so.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Writing & Editing prompts
What to fill in
- PASTE THE SOURCE TEXT
- PASTE YOUR VERSION
- AUTHOR, TITLE, YEAR, PAGE
- MLA / APA / Chicago / other
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the RTF structure (Role, Task, Format). RTF tells the model who to be, what to do and what shape the answer should take. It is the quickest structure that still gives noticeably better results than a bare request.
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