Turnitin flagged my 15% score after editing?

You can tell your TA that a 15 percent similarity score isn’t automatically a red flag, especially when the only thing you changed was sentence structure. Turnitin’s algorithm flags any string of words that appears in its database, and even a well‑intentioned rewrite can still line up with the original source because the underlying ideas and terminology stay the same. In other words, the software isn’t judging intent; it’s just counting overlaps, and a modest percentage often reflects common academic phrasing, reference citations, or the unavoidable reuse of technical terms that are part of nursing vocabulary. So the safest way to address the concern is to be upfront, show the tutor’s notes, and explain that the revisions were stylistic rather than substantive changes to the content. Imagine you submitted a paragraph about “the physiological response to hypoxia” that originally read, “When oxygen levels drop, the body initiates a cascade of compensatory mechanisms.” Your tutor suggested you flip the order and write, “A cascade of compensatory mechanisms is initiated by the body when oxygen levels drop.” Even though the wording is different, the core phrase “oxygen levels drop” and “compensatory mechanisms” remain, and Turnitin will still flag those strings because they appear in the source you consulted. If you hand the TA a copy of the original draft, the tutor’s markup, and the final version, you can point out exactly where the changes occurred and demonstrate that you didn’t add any new material that wasn’t already cited. Most instructors appreciate that level of transparency; it shows you’re taking the integrity policy seriously and that the similarity score is a technical artifact, not evidence of misconduct. When you write to your TA, keep the tone factual and brief. Start by thanking them for their time, then state that the similarity report rose after a tutoring session that focused on syntax, not content, and attach the before‑and‑after documents. Mention that you’ve double‑checked the citations and that the flagged passages are limited to standard terminology. Offer to discuss any specific sections they’d like you to clarify, and ask whether they’d prefer you to re‑phrase the remaining overlaps or if the current level is acceptable. By framing the conversation as a collaborative effort to meet the course’s academic standards, you avoid sounding defensive and instead present yourself as a responsible student who’s proactively addressing the issue. This approach usually eases the TA’s concerns and lets you move forward with confidence.