Paraphrasing is a note-taking method that involves rewriting a text in one’s own words. It is not summarizing, which produces a shorter text: the paraphrase should be roughly as long as the original text. Additionally, it should include all the details of the original text.

To paraphrase, we’re looking to do two things:

1. Replace difficult words with our own, simpler words (that have the same meaning); and
2. Re-write confusing, complicated sentences to sound more like sentences we would use.