Skip to Main Content

FWCD Writing Toolbox: How to Paraphrase

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing: Write It in Your Own Words

Paraphrasing is one way to use a text in your own writing without directly quoting source material. Anytime you are taking information from a source that is not your own, you need to specify where you got that information.

-- Purdue Online Writing Lab's Guide to Paraphrasing 


Steps to Effective Paraphrasing:

  1. Read your passage until you comprehend its full meaning. As you read, jot down bullet points on the facts, but do not copy word for word without using quotation marks.

  2. Put your passage aside and write out your paraphrase in full sentences.

  3. Check your version with the original to ensure accuracy. 

  4. Record the source and page number so you can refer back to it when creating your citations. 

Three Paraphrasing Techniques