To what extent the students should paraphrase their answers even if not instructed 'Answer in your own words'?

Examiners advise the following in their reports: unless a question asks for an answer in ‘your own words as far as possible’ candidates are free to copy from the text without the need to paraphrase. The only exception to this might be when having to answer in a specified number of words and then a summary of the meaning in the text would be necessary.