Paraphrasing means expressing the ideas of a source in your own words. It allows you to use evidence without relying on direct quotation.
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Contents
Essential
Techniques
Essential guidance
How to paraphrase
Good paraphrasing starts by avoiding a common mistake: don't copy text from a source and just change a few words.
Copying closely from a source keeps your writing tied to the original phrasing and structure. This makes it harder to show your understanding. It may also mean your work is flagged by Turnitin, our similarity detection software.
Instead, follow these three steps:
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1. Read and make notes
Read the source carefully. Make notes about the points that help you answer your assignment question, and note why each source is useful to you.
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2. Close the source and think
Ask yourself what the source says that helps your answer, and what job it will do in your writing. For example, it might support a point, give evidence, or show a different view.
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3. Bring the idea into your writing
Keeping the source closed, write the idea in your own words. This shows the reader you understand the underlying idea. It also makes it clearer how this idea links to the focus of your writing.
Always include a citation. Even though the words are your own, the ideas belong to the original author.
Assignment question
How does regular exercise affect long-term health?
Source text
"There is incontrovertible evidence that regular physical activity contributes to the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases and is associated with a reduced risk of premature death" (Warburton et al., 2006, p. 807).
Step 1: Read and make notes
regular physical activity = prevention of some chronic diseases, reduced risk of early death
(STRONG evidence – main support for my point that exercise protects long-term health)
Step 2: Close the source and think
There's strong evidence that regular exercise helps prevent some chronic diseases and reduces the risk of early death. This is my main evidence that exercise protects long-term health.
Step 3: Bring the idea into your writing (paraphrasing in bold)
Regular exercise protects long-term health in several ways. For instance, there is strong evidence that it helps prevent some chronic diseases and reduces the risk of early death (Warburton et al., 2006).
Reference
Warburton, D.E.R., Nicol, C.W., & Bredin, S.S.D. (2006). Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 174(6), 801–809. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.051351
The referencing style used here is APA 7. Your course may require a different referencing system. Check your assignment brief or module guidance to confirm which style applies to you.
Paraphrasing and your voice
Paraphrasing improves the flow of your writing and lets you present evidence in your own voice.
In writing, 'voice' means the way you express ideas: your own sentence structures and your own choice of words. It means your writing reflects your understanding, not someone else's. It doesn't mean your writing has to sound casual or personal.
When you closely follow a source's wording, your writing can feel inconsistent — shifting between your own phrasing and the style of the authors you're reading.
A useful self-check
There's a simple way to test whether a paraphrase is really in your own words.
Ask yourself…
Could I explain this idea without looking at what I've written?
If yes, you've expressed the idea in your own words. If not, the techniques below might give you further help.
Another option is to use Turnitin Draft Coach, a plugin for Microsoft Word that can help you correct any accidental similarity, citations and grammar issues in your writing.
Techniques
After following the three steps above, your paraphrase may still feel too close to the original. The techniques below can help you move further from the source's wording.
These techniques are tools, not the goal. The goal is always to express the source's meaning accurately, in your own voice, so it supports the focus of your writing. Use the techniques in combination. No single technique changes enough of the original wording on its own.
Source
"There is incontrovertible evidence that regular physical activity contributes to the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases and is associated with a reduced risk of premature death" (Warburton et al., 2006, p. 807).
The examples below show how each technique can be applied to this sentence.
Technique 1: Synonyms
You replace important words with others that keep the same meaning. Used alone, it doesn't change enough.
Original
'…regular physical activity contributes to the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases…'
Replaced
Regular exercise plays a significant role in preventing several chronic diseases.
Technique 2: Nominalisation
Change a verb to a noun, for example, 'solve' becomes 'solution', or vice versa.
Original
'…regular physical activity contributes to the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases…'
Nominalised
The contribution of regular physical activity to preventing several chronic diseases is well supported.
Technique 3: Active vs passive voice
In an active sentence, the subject does the action. For example, 'Regular physical activity prevents disease.'
In a passive sentence, the subject receives the action. For example, 'Disease is prevented by regular physical activity.'
Switching between the two changes the focus of the sentence without changing the meaning.
Original
'…regular physical activity contributes to the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases…'
Switched
Several chronic diseases can be prevented through regular physical activity.
Combining techniques
The example below shows how each technique changes the original on its own, then combined.
"There is incontrovertible evidence that regular physical activity contributes to the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases and is associated with a reduced risk of premature death" (Warburton et al., 2006, p. 807).
Original
"There is incontrovertible evidence that regular physical activity contributes to the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases and is associated with a reduced risk of premature death" (Warburton et al., 2006, p. 807).
Synonyms
Strong evidence shows that regular exercise plays a significant role in preventing several chronic diseases and reduces the risk of early death (Warburton et al., 2006).
Original
"There is incontrovertible evidence that regular physical activity contributes to the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases and is associated with a reduced risk of premature death" (Warburton et al., 2006, p. 807).
Nominalisation
The contribution of regular physical activity to preventing several chronic diseases is well supported by the evidence (Warburton et al., 2006).
Original
"There is incontrovertible evidence that regular physical activity contributes to the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases and is associated with a reduced risk of premature death" (Warburton et al., 2006, p. 807).
Active/passive switch
Several chronic diseases can be prevented through regular physical activity, something the evidence strongly supports (Warburton et al., 2006).
Original
"There is incontrovertible evidence that regular physical activity contributes to the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases and is associated with a reduced risk of premature death" (Warburton et al., 2006, p. 807).
Combination of techniques
Several chronic diseases can be prevented through regular exercise, and strong proof exists for the contribution of physical activity to reducing the risk of early death (Warburton et al., 2006).
Even combined, these techniques only change the language. A well-paraphrased sentence shows understanding when it does a clear job in your writing, such as supporting a point or answering a counterargument.
Building a written argument shows you how to use your sources this way.
Page last edited: 26 August 2026
Next review due: 18 August 2029