Here's a breakdown:
What to include:
* The central point of the original text. What is the key message the author is trying to convey?
* The supporting details that are essential to understanding the main idea.
* Your own phrasing and sentence structure. The paraphrase should be entirely in your own words and should flow naturally with your writing.
What not to include:
* Direct quotes. Paraphrasing means putting the source's ideas into your own words, not copying them verbatim.
* Unnecessary details. Only include information that is essential to understanding the main point.
Example:
Original Source: "The Earth's climate has been warming at an unprecedented rate since the Industrial Revolution, primarily due to human activity."
Paraphrase: Human activity has led to a rapid increase in global temperatures, especially since the beginning of the industrial age.
In this example, the paraphrase captures the main idea of the original source (warming temperatures due to human activity), but it is written in different words and sentence structure.
Remember: Always cite your sources, even when paraphrasing.