Paraphrasing means expressing a specific idea or piece of information from a source in your own words while keeping the original meaning. It involves more than replacing individual words or changing the grammar of the original sentence.
A paraphrase still uses someone else's information or ideas, so you must cite the source.
This guide explains when to paraphrase, how to write and check a paraphrase, and how to use it as part of your own reasoning. For the wider process of using evidence in your work, see Integrating information from sources