How to paraphrase without copying

Every step

1. 1

   Read and fully understand the original text

   Read the full sentence or paragraph. Identify the main ideas, not just the words. For example, with 'Many children benefit from reading before bed,' the central idea is about positive effects of bedtime reading.

   CHECKPOINT · You can explain the idea aloud without looking at the text.
2. 2

   Write the idea in your own words without looking

   Close the book or tab. From memory, jot down the meaning. For example, 'Reading to kids at night helps them in several ways.' This reduces accidental copying of phrasing.

   CHECKPOINT · Draft is written entirely from recall.
3. 3

   Rebuild the explanation rather than swapping synonyms

   Explain the source’s point using a structure that fits your own argument. Preserve important terms when changing them would alter the meaning, but do not copy the original sequence of clauses. If a distinctive phrase is necessary, quote and cite it. Merely replacing “benefit” with “gain advantages” is not a reliable paraphrasing method.

   CHECKPOINT · The structure is your own and the source’s meaning is preserved.
4. 4

   Compare meaning, wording, and scope

   Reopen the source and check that your version does not exaggerate it or omit a qualification. Highlight wording that closely follows the original. Rewrite from your understanding or use a properly attributed quotation where exact words matter. For example, do not turn “some participants” into “everyone” or a correlation into proof of a cause.

   CHECKPOINT · Your version preserves qualifications and avoids close copying.
5. 5

   Credit the original source

   Even when paraphrasing, cite your source as required. For instance: 'Bedtime stories positively affect children ([Author], [year], p. [page]).' Check your instructor’s format for citation style.

   CHECKPOINT · Source is properly credited according to guidelines.