Expert writers use restatement (or “reformulation,” in the words of researcher Laura Aull) to help build credibility and signal their own take on the evidence they’re presenting.
You can introduce your own interpretation of a source with phrases such as in other words, that is to say, and to be precise. Such phrases signal that you are clarifying what the source means in the context of your argument.
You can emphasize information from a source with phrases such as especially or in particular.
You can indicate that your view contrasts with the source’s view with phrases such as in fact, indeed, and as a matter of fact.
Expert writers tend to use restatement and reformulation far more often than student writers do. Like transitions, these restatements help showcase the writer’s reason for organizing a text in a particular way or emphasize the relation between ideas or parts of a text. Using restatement can build your ethos, or credibility, with your readers. Look for opportunities to restate and clarify your ideas.