In writing, paraphrasing means rewording an excerpt (a block of text). The excerpt is usually a single sentence or paragraph. You might also paraphrase something you hear or see, such as a lecture or a video. Paraphrasing is closely related to quoting and summarizing. A summary is an overview of a main idea. A quote is the exact wording of the original text in quotation marks. A paraphrase is somewhere in the middle. When you paraphrase, you use your own words to rephrase the original thought or information. You also give credit where credit is due.