Paraphrasing Strategies

1.  Locate individual statements or major idea units in the original passage.

2.  Change the order of major ideas, maintaining the logical connections among them.

3.  Substitute synonyms for words in the original, making sure the language in your paraphrase is appropriate for your audience.

4.  Combine or divide sentences if necessary.

5.  Compare the paraphrase to the original to assure that the rewording is sufficient and the meaning has been preserved.

6.  Weave the paraphrase into your essay in accordance with your rhetorical purpose--i.e. why are you including a paraphrase of a source?

7.  Document the paraphrase with a parenthetical citation and possibly a signal phrase.

Note: As a rule of thumb, never repeat more than three consecutive words from the original without putting them in quotation marks.