Paraphrasing is restating, in your own words, the ideas of another person, scholar, or resource while keeping the original meaning. This may include translating materials, changing longer passages into just the main ideas, or stating evidence in a more simple format like a list. You will still need to cite the source of your paraphrase. (from Plagiarism.org)
Good paraphrases:
Wikipedia suggests using paraphrasing or summarizing in its pages. Quotations are only used if absolutely necessary like an important speech or common saying. Large quotes and block quotes are also usually discouraged. Wikipedia focuses on big ideas or outlines of an idea, story, or person.
Close paraphrasing, or the slight change to a source's original text, is acceptable but only in instances where it is difficult to say the same thing. Wikipedia has guidelines for close paraphrasing. Doing any summarizing, paraphrasing, close paraphrasing, or quoting without adding a citation is plagiarism and academically dishonest.