Good paraphrasing changes expression while preserving the proposition. It is not synonym swapping, and it should never be used to hide plagiarism.
Define the purpose of the rewrite
Decide whether you need simpler language, a different tone, a shorter explanation, or a version for a new audience. A specific transformation produces a stronger result than “rewrite this.”
Lock what must not change
- Names, dates, measurements, and technical terms
- The strength and uncertainty of each claim
- Quoted language and source attribution
- Cause-and-effect relationships
Rule: if the rewrite becomes more certain, more dramatic, or broader than the source, it is no longer a faithful paraphrase.
Compare meaning sentence by sentence
Read the source and rewrite side by side. Ask whether a skeptical reader could draw a different conclusion from either version. Then inspect fluency, repetition, and tone.
Use AI as a controlled transformation
Provide the audience, tone, length, and protected terminology. Review every output. The fastest workflow is not the one with the fewest clicks; it is the one that avoids a second round of factual repair.