How to paraphrase in APA 7 Style: examples and citations

What it means to paraphrase a source

Paraphrasing means expressing an idea from another work in your own words and sentence structure. The idea still belongs to the source, so a paraphrase needs an in-text citation even when you do not copy any wording.

A strong paraphrase shows that you understood the information and lets you connect it to your argument. It is not the original sentence with a few words replaced by synonyms.

All names, works, and details in this guide's examples are illustrative.

Paraphrase or direct quotation

Choose between the two forms by deciding whether you need the source's exact words or only its idea.

How you use the source	What you retain	How you present it	What the citation includes
Paraphrase	The idea or finding	Your own wording and structure	Author and year
Direct quotation	The exact words	Quotation marks or a block	Author, year, and locator

Paraphrasing is usually the better choice because it helps you summarize, compare, and connect sources in your own explanation. Quote directly when the exact wording matters, such as when you analyze a definition or a particularly precise statement. The direct quotation guide explains how to present those passages.

Example of the difference

Imagine that an illustrative source says that reviewing a draft at separate times helps writers notice problems that they missed during the first reading.

Paraphrase:

Spacing out review sessions makes it easier to recognize problems that were not visible immediately after the first draft (Rojas, 2023).

Direct quotation:

Rojas (2023) observed that “returning to a draft at separate times reveals problems that the first reading allowed to pass unnoticed” (p. 42).

The paraphrase reorganizes the idea. The quotation retains the wording and provides the page where it appears.

How to paraphrase step by step

1. Read until you understand the idea

Identify what the source claims, what evidence supports it, and which part your paper needs. If you still rely on every word in the passage to explain it, read it again before drafting.

2. Set the source aside and write the idea

Explain the content without looking at the original sentence. Change the way the information is presented, not merely its vocabulary. You may summarize details, combine related ideas, or change their order as long as you preserve the meaning.

3. Compare the two versions

Check that your version does not repeat distinctive phrases or follow the source's structure too closely. Also make sure that you did not change the meaning, exaggerate the finding, or omit an important limitation.

4. Add the citation

Include the author and year in parenthetical or narrative form:

Reviewing a draft one goal at a time helps writers focus on a single kind of problem (Mora, 2024).

Mora (2024) recommends reviewing a draft one goal at a time so that each pass addresses a single kind of problem.

A page number is not required for a paraphrase. You may add one when it would help readers find an idea in a book or another long work, for example, (Mora, 2024, pp. 86–87).

When an idea needs a citation

Cite a statement that comes from a source when it:

• presents another person's theory, explanation, or interpretation;
• summarizes findings, data, or statistics;
• describes a method created or used by someone else;
• provides a specialized definition;
• adapts a table, figure, image, or diagram;
• reuses an idea from your own previously published work.

Common knowledge does not need a citation. Common knowledge is information that is widely known and consistently available across many sources, not merely a fact that feels familiar. When a claim is debatable, specific, or central to your argument, citing an appropriate source lets readers verify it.

You do not cite an observation from your own findings as if it came from an outside source. Instead, make clear that the statement is your analysis.

Paraphrases that continue for several sentences

A paraphrase can continue across several sentences. Cite the work in the first sentence where it becomes relevant. You do not need to repeat the same parenthetical citation after every sentence while it remains clear that you are discussing the same source.

Santos (2022) recommends recording notes from each source separately. This practice makes it easier to see which claims need support and prevents personal observations from being confused with copied passages. It also helps writers prepare the reference list before finishing a draft.

Cite again when you change sources, introduce another work into the discussion, or begin a new paragraph. If several sources support the same idea, follow the rule for grouping multiple works in one citation.

What does not count as paraphrasing

Replacing only a few words

Keeping the original order and replacing terms with synonyms leaves your version too close to the source. This can become plagiarism even when you add a citation because the writing does not identify the words taken from the source.

Combining fragments from several sources

Copying short phrases and connecting them with your own words does not create a paraphrase. Summarize each contribution, show which source supports each claim, and use quotation marks around any exact wording you retain.

Placing one citation after an ambiguous paragraph

A citation at the end does not necessarily explain the source of every preceding sentence. Place the citation where the borrowed information begins, and cite again when a change of source could confuse readers.

Checklist

Before finishing, check that:

• you understood the idea before writing it;
• you changed both the wording and the structure;
• you preserved the source's meaning and limitations;
• you included the author and year;
• you used a locator only when it helps readers;
• you placed any exact wording in quotation marks;
• the cited work appears in the reference list.