A paraphrase is a way to represent an idea from a source in your own words. It is typically as long as the original quotation. Paraphrasing is used most often to explain jargon or difficult to understand information in terms the reader can easily understand.
The MLA requires you to include the author's name and page number.
Robert Lenz states that Oregon salmon populations have dramatically declined in the past decade (27).
Oregon salmon populations have dramatically declined in the past decade (Lenz 27).