Paraphrasing means expressing a source's idea in your own words and structure. Replacing a few words with synonyms while keeping the original sentence pattern can remain too close to the source. A paraphrase also needs credit when the idea comes from someone else's work.

Understand before rewriting

Read the passage until you can explain its main point without looking at it. Note the claim, the supporting relationship, and any limits. Then put the source aside and write an explanation for the audience of your essay. Return to the source to check accuracy. Did you turn a possibility into a certainty? Did you omit the condition under which the claim applies? Distortion can happen even when none of the wording is copied.

An invented example

Example to adapt
Original practice sentence: A written agenda can reduce uncertainty before a meeting by showing participants which decisions they are expected to prepare for. Too close: A printed agenda can lessen uncertainty before a meeting by telling attendees which decisions they should prepare for. More independent: Participants can prepare more effectively when an advance agenda identifies the decisions the group will make.

The second version mostly swaps vocabulary. The third changes the structure while retaining the central relationship. Because this is an invented teaching example, it has no external source; in your assignment, cite the real source you paraphrase.

Keep distinctive language in quotation marks

Some terms are standard and cannot sensibly be replaced. A source's distinctive phrase, however, should be quoted if you retain it. You can combine a paraphrase with a short quotation when the original wording is important to your analysis. Do not use a synonym you do not understand merely to make the wording look different. Clear, ordinary language is preferable to a sentence whose meaning has shifted accidentally.

Integrate the paraphrase into your argument

Introduce the idea where it supports a claim, explain why it matters, and follow the citation rules required by your course or publication. Keep source details in your notes while drafting so you can trace each borrowed idea later. A useful paraphrase is both independent in expression and faithful to the original meaning.

Make the next draft yours.

Adapt examples to your situation and verify names, details, and requirements before sharing.Suggest a correction →