paraphrasing for ielts essay

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7 best ways to paraphrase effectively in the IELTS essay

Are you ready to take your ielts writing skills to the next level look no further the ielts essay is a crucial part of the ielts exam, and mastering the art of paraphrasing can make a world of difference in your scores. so, let’s dive into some exciting tips and strategies that will turbocharge your paraphrasing abilities and set you on the path to success, table of contents, what is paraphrasing and why is it needed in an ielts essay, use of synonyms, change the word forms, change the word order, changing active to passive voice, sentence restructuring, change the order of clauses, practice paraphrasing via sample tests, key takeaways.

The IELTS essay serves as a means to assess the English language proficiency of non-native speakers . It presents a variety of value-based, opinion-based, and argument analysis questions, requiring candidates to demonstrate their comprehension and communication abilities effectively. To excel in such tasks and achieve the best scores, one must employ good paraphrasing techniques.

Paraphrasing involves rephrasing a sentence while preserving its original meaning. This can be achieved by altering words, restructuring sentences, and applying other paraphrasing methods. Such a skill is not only valuable for IELTS essay writing but also a fundamental aspect of communication in everyday life. Whether summarizing books, movies, or sharing information with others, we naturally resort to paraphrasing.

Strategic ways to paraphrase in an IELTS essay

Knowing how to rephrase is the first step towards effectively paraphrasing information for the IELTS essay. There are multiple ways to paraphrase information for your IELTS essay topics; some of the best ones are discussed below.

Synonyms are words that have identical or similar meanings, making them interchangeable in a given context. In IELTS essay questions, you can effectively substitute a sequence of words with their synonyms without altering the intended meaning of the sentence.

To apply the synonym paraphrase technique, simply replace the original words in the sentence with others that possess comparable meanings. Let’s illustrate this with an example to help you grasp the concept more easily:

• Original- Climate change is a pressing global issue that requires immediate action.
• Rephrased- Addressing climate change is an urgent worldwide concern that necessitates prompt measures.

It is another paraphrasing technique that makes your IELTS essay unique. This requires you to change the form of the word without actually altering the core meaning of the sentence. All you have to do is change nouns into verbs and verbs into adjectives or vice versa. This allows you to showcase your versatility in the English language and helps you score well in an IELTS essay with answers that are paraphrased effectively. Here is an example of this type of paraphrasing-

• Original – The study found that exercise can positively impact your health.
• Rephrased – According to the study, engaging in physical activity offers a multitude of health advantages.

Rearranging the word order in a sentence is a simple yet effective method for paraphrasing information in the IELTS essay writing format. This technique involves adding, omitting, or altering words within the sentence structure.

It stands as one of the most straightforward approaches to paraphrasing in IELTS essay questions. However, it is essential to ensure that the sentences remain error-free and coherent. You can even blend synonyms with changes in word order to achieve smart paraphrasing. The example below illustrates this type of paraphrasing more effectively-

• Original – The government implemented new policies to stimulate economic growth and create job opportunities in the country.
• Rephrased – In order to foster economic growth and generate employment prospects, the government introduced new policies.

When you assess past IELTS essay examples, you will find that most questions will be asked in an active voice. It is important to understand how and when to switch between active and passive voice while expressing your viewpoints and discussing various topics in an IELTS essay.

Changing active voice into passive voice and vice versa is easy. All you have to do is place the object of the sentence at the beginning and change the form of the verb according to its existing verb. A knowledge and remembrance of active-passive rules would be a plus here. Here is how you can do it-

• Original – The chef cooked a delicious meal.
• Rephrased- A delicious meal was cooked by the chef.

It is another effective way of paraphrasing a sentence without hampering its actual meaning. This form of paraphrasing requires you to swap the order of words, change some words using synonyms, and check to see if it looks natural.

Only the structure of the sentence changes while the meaning stands still. It is common for students to make mistakes while restructuring the sentence , as it also requires maintaining the flow of the sentence. Here is an example of sentence restructure-

• Original – I cannot attend the meeting tomorrow due to a scheduling conflict.
• Rephrased – Due to a scheduling conflict, I will be unable to attend the meeting tomorrow.

Changing the order of clauses also helps you achieve uniqueness in your IELTS essay. Notably, clauses are groups of words containing a subject and verb . Every sentence can have one or more than one clause, which must be identified first while paraphrasing any sentence.

All you have to do is change the order of the clauses and frame a sentence that looks meaningful and natural. They are generally easy to paraphrase, but some students may find it difficult. An easy example is illustrated below to remind you of the basics-

• Original – Although she was tired, she continued working on her project.
• Rephrased – She continued working on her project, although she was tired.

The most effective approach to amalgamate all the previously discussed tips is through consistent practice of paraphrasing with IELTS essay samples. This dedicated practice enables you to refine your paraphrasing skills specifically tailored to the types of questions commonly encountered in the IELTS essay.

By engaging with sample IELTS papers, you not only gain valuable experience in paraphrasing within the time constraints but also get an opportunity to assess and analyze your performance. Focus on crafting distinct and original responses while practicing with these essay samples.

• Paraphrasing is essential for expressing ideas in a clear and concise manner. It is crucial for IELTS as it also demonstrates language proficiency and effective communication skills.
• Any IELTS aspirant can master the art of paraphrasing by using multiple techniques like the use of synonyms, and changing word and clause order or word forms.
• The key to mastering all these paraphrasing techniques is to practice them on IELTS essay samples.

We hope our blog helped you better understand the importance of paraphrasing and how to effectively use it in the IELTS examination to score better. If you require further assistance with your test preparation then feel free to reach out to us!

Liked this blog? Read next: How to Prepare for IELTS Exam | 5 expert tips

1Q- Are there any common mistakes to avoid while paraphrasing in the IELTS essay?

Answer: Yes, some common mistakes include changing the original meaning, misusing synonyms, and overcomplicating sentences. Ensure your paraphrased answers remain accurate and easy to understand.

2Q- What is considered unacceptable paraphrasing in an IELTS essay?

Answer: Unacceptable paraphrasing in an IELTS essay occurs when candidates plagiarize answers by directly copying phrases from the questions without altering word placement. Such responses are not permitted in the IELTS writing paper.

3Q- What is the most common method to paraphrase in IELTS?

Answer: Using synonyms is the most common way using which IELTS aspirants paraphrase in their

writing test.

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IELTS Writing

How to Paraphrase for IELTS Writing: Elevate Your Essay Skills  

  March 9, 2024

By   Jonathan

To master the art of paraphrasing is to unlock a significant skill in IELTS writing . Paraphrasing involves the ability to change words in a sentence, using synonyms or altering the structure, without changing its original meaning. This skill not only shows the examiner your proficiency in English but also enriches your essay with varied vocabulary. For instance, replacing ‘motor vehicles’ with ‘cars’ or ‘automobiles’ demonstrates an understanding of synonyms and enhances clarity.

Mastering the art of paraphrasing in the IELTS requires practice and a grasp of several tips and strategies. From changing word forms to restructuring sentences, the journey to proficiency is multifaceted. Engaging with IDP IELTS materials and focusing on exercises that challenge you to paraphrase sentences can be incredibly beneficial. It’s about more than just finding synonyms; it’s about crafting a message in your own words and phrases, crucial for success in IELTS Writing Task 1.

Unlocking the Essentials of Paraphrasing for IELTS Success

At the heart of paraphrasing lies the skill of changing the sentence structure. This fundamental technique allows you to present the same idea in a new way, making your writing more engaging and versatile. By mastering this essential skill, you set the foundation for success in the IELTS exam, demonstrating your ability to manipulate language creatively and effectively.

The Significance of Paraphrasing in IELTS Essays

Paraphrasing plays a pivotal role in IELTS essays, offering a way to showcase your language fluency and versatility. Changing the sentence structure not only prevents repetition but also allows you to convey your arguments more effectively. By paraphrasing, you demonstrate your understanding of the topic and your ability to express it in various ways, a skill highly valued in the IELTS assessment criteria.

Overcoming Common Paraphrasing Challenges

To master the art of paraphrasing, one must first overcome common challenges, such as finding adequate synonyms and understanding how to paraphrase without altering the original meaning. Practice is key; engaging with sample tests and focusing on learning how to paraphrase can significantly improve your skills. Remember, paraphrasing is not just about changing words but about rephrasing ideas in your unique style.

Mastering Paraphrasing Techniques

Developing proficiency in paraphrasing for the IELTS exam involves more than just learning in the classroom. It extends to the IELTS speaking sections and beyond, where changing a noun into a verb or an adjective can significantly alter the meaning and impact of your response. Lessons focusing on these skills are crucial for your success.

Synonym Swaps: Your First Step to Paraphrasing

A fundamental step in paraphrasing is understanding that synonyms are different words with similar meanings. This knowledge allows you to replace a series of words with their synonyms, enhancing your writing. For example, saying “heading to Disneyland for a well-deserved break” instead of “going to Disneyland for a much-needed holiday” showcases your ability to paraphrase using synonyms.

Practical Examples of Synonym Usage

Let’s consider the phrase “heading to Disneyland for a well-deserved break.” Synonyms are different words that can convey the same message, such as “travelling to Disneyland for a much-needed vacation.” This simple swap of words demonstrates how you can effectively use synonyms to paraphrase, making your essays more dynamic and engaging.

Transforming Sentences: Active to Passive Voice

One effective method of paraphrasing involves switching between active and passive voice. For instance, an active sentence like “The committee approved the new policy” can be transformed into a passive sentence, “The new policy was approved by the committee.” This switch not only provides examples of paraphrasing but also showcases your ability to use both active and passive voice proficiently, a valuable skill for writing a discursive essay.

The Art of Changing Word Forms

Paraphrasing sentences often requires the creativity to turn nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives, and vice versa. This versatility in the English language allows for a rich expression of ideas. For example, “children are terrified” could be paraphrased as “the situation terrifies children,” demonstrating how changing word forms can effectively paraphrase the sentence and add depth to your writing.

Common Word Forms Examples and Their Impact

Effective paraphrasing can often be achieved by manipulating word forms. For instance, converting nouns into verbs or verbs into adjectives can dramatically change the tone and focus of a sentence. A simple sentence like “children are terrified” can be paraphrased in various ways, such as “the situation terrifies children,” showing the power of paraphrasing to alter meaning subtly and enhance writing quality.

Sentence Restructuring: A New Perspective

When you write an IELTS essay, altering the structure of the sentence can give your writing a fresh look. Many students struggle in their tests because they keep the sentences too similar to the original sentence. By understanding the reasons why students struggle, you can learn to construct a paraphrased sentence that retains the meaning of the original sentence but looks entirely different. This skill is crucial for enhancing the readability and originality of your essays.

Advanced Strategies for IELTS Writing

To excel in IELTS writing, you must master the art of paraphrasing. This advanced skill allows you to present the same ideas in new ways, making your essays more engaging and unique. Effective paraphrasing demonstrates your language proficiency and ability to think critically about the topic. It’s not just about changing words but about crafting a message that resonates more strongly with the reader.

Sequencing Ideas Differently: Order of Clauses

Adjusting the order of clauses in a sentence can significantly change its impact. In an IELTS essay, this technique can make your arguments more persuasive. By experimenting with the sequence of words in the sentence, you can emphasize different aspects of your argument or information. This approach not only improves the flow of your essay but also showcases your ability to manipulate language for effect.

Crafting an Engaging IELTS Essay Introduction

An engaging introduction is key to a successful IELTS essay. Using paraphrasing techniques to craft your opening sentences can capture the reader’s attention right from the start. It shows your language proficiency and ability to present ideas creatively. Remember, the goal is to rephrase the given statement in the question prompt while preserving the original meaning, setting a strong foundation for your argument.

Paraphrasing with Sample Tests: Practice Makes Perfect

Practicing with sample IELTS tests is a fantastic way to hone your paraphrasing skills. These exercises enable you to refine your approach to rewording sentences and developing ideas. By working on IELTS reading and writing sections, you can identify common vocabulary for IELTS and learn how to use it in various contexts. Regular practice allows you to become more comfortable with paraphrasing, making it a natural part of your writing process.

Another benefit of using sample IELTS tests is that they provide a realistic experience of the exam conditions. This helps you to manage your time effectively and practice paraphrasing under pressure. As you work through these tests, pay special attention to how you can transform sentences while retaining their original meaning.

Additionally, reviewing the answers and explanations can offer insights into effective paraphrasing strategies. Seeing how sentences can be rephrased in different ways broadens your understanding of language use in IELTS essays. This feedback loop is crucial for improving your skills over time.

Finally, don’t forget to incorporate feedback from teachers or peers into your practice. Their perspectives can highlight areas for improvement and introduce you to new paraphrasing techniques. With dedication and regular practice, your paraphrasing skills will significantly improve, boosting your confidence for the IELTS exam.

Navigating the IELTS Writing Test with IDP Today

Understanding the IELTS writing test format is crucial for success, and IDP provides ample resources to help you prepare. Their sample tests are an invaluable tool for developing your paraphrasing skills. These resources mimic the actual test environment, giving you a taste of what to expect on exam day.

By practicing with these sample tests, you can improve your ability to express ideas in different ways. Paraphrasing skills are essential for the IELTS writing section, allowing you to demonstrate your language proficiency and flexibility. Regular practice with these tests ensures that you’re not only familiar with the test format but also adept at manipulating language to convey your thoughts effectively.

IDP also offers guidance and tips aimed at boosting your paraphrasing abilities. From understanding the nuances of sentence structure to mastering synonym swaps, their resources cover all bases. This comprehensive preparation approach ensures that you’re well-equipped to tackle any paraphrasing challenge that comes your way during the test.

Lastly, taking advantage of feedback from IDP’s IELTS experts can provide you with personalized advice to refine your paraphrasing technique further. Their expertise can help you identify common pitfalls and learn strategies to overcome them, enhancing your overall test performance. With IDP’s support, you can approach the IELTS writing test with confidence and skill.

Towards Paraphrasing Proficiency: Key Takeaways and Further Steps

To excel in the IELTS exam, mastering paraphrasing techniques is essential. These skills not only demonstrate your language proficiency but also your ability to express ideas creatively in an IELTS essay. Regular practice, especially through IELTS online resources, is crucial for honing these abilities. Remember, effective paraphrasing can set your writing apart, making it more engaging and original. Keep practicing, and don’t hesitate to seek feedback to continue improving.

How Paraphrasing Influences IELTS Band Scores

Paraphrasing is an essential skill for achieving a high band score in the IELTS. It shows examiners that you have a strong command of the English language and can express the same ideas in different ways. Effective paraphrasing can significantly enhance the clarity and coherence of your essays, which are key criteria in the IELTS scoring system. Incorporating these skills into your writing and speaking can greatly impact your overall band score.

Avoiding Common Mistakes in Paraphrasing

To paraphrase successfully in both writing and speaking sections, it’s important to avoid common mistakes. These include using synonyms inaccurately, changing the meaning of the original sentence, or simply rearranging words without altering the sentence’s structure. Understanding these pitfalls and practicing regularly can help you develop the skill to paraphrase effectively, making your IELTS essays and responses more dynamic and nuanced.

Final Thoughts on Mastering Paraphrasing for IELTS Writing

As you wrap up your journey towards mastering paraphrasing in IELTS, remember it’s a skill that significantly boosts your essay writing abilities. Paraphrasing allows you to present ideas in a fresh way, showcasing your understanding of the topic and your ability to manipulate the English language creatively. Whether you’re discussing public transport or any other theme in your IELTS Academic Writing tasks, using different phrases or sentences to express the same idea is crucial. It not only demonstrates your linguistic skills but also your mental processes in organizing and presenting arguments. As you continue with your IELTS preparation, consider integrating paraphrasing exercises and perhaps even leveraging an essay correction service to hone your writing skills further. Remember, each step you take in improving your paraphrasing abilities brings you closer to IELTS success.

Jonathan has been teaching students to prepare for the IELTS and PTE Exams for more than 10+ years. He's taught English to students in various countries in the world including Singapore, China, Australia, Canada and Colombia.

How to Paraphrase in Academic Task 1: A Step-by-Step Guide

Are you gearing up for the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1? If so, mastering the art of paraphrasing is crucial for your success. But worry not, as our comprehensive eBooks and personalized Essay Feedback Service are here to guide you every step of the way. Paraphrasing isn't just about using synonyms; it's an essential skill that showcases your English proficiency.

By delving into our eBooks , you’ll gain insights into effective paraphrasing techniques, and with our Essay Feedback Service , you'll receive expert analysis on your paraphrasing skills. These tools are designed to help you impress the examiner with your linguistic dexterity. Today, let's dive deep into the nuances of paraphrasing, using a real IELTS Academic Task 1 question as our guide.

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What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is more than just a writing skill; it's a critical component of effective communication in IELTS Writing Task 1. It involves rewording and rephrasing the original text while retaining the core message and meaning. This skill allows you to express the same ideas presented in the task prompt, but in a way that is unique and reflective of your own language abilities. In IELTS Writing, especially in the introduction of Task 1, paraphrasing plays a pivotal role. It requires you to not only understand the given prompt but also to creatively rewrite it, ensuring accuracy and originality.

Why is Paraphrasing Important in IELTS Writing Task 1?

Avoids Plagiarism:

Paraphrasing is essential in academic writing to steer clear of plagiarism. It involves presenting the same information in a new way, which is crucial in the IELTS exam where originality is valued.

This skill demonstrates that you can think independently and express ideas in your own words, a key aspect of language proficiency.

Demonstrates Language Proficiency:

Effective paraphrasing showcases your ability to use a wide range of vocabulary and different grammatical structures. It's a testament to your English language skills, particularly in understanding and manipulating complex ideas.

It also reflects your ability to understand the nuances of language, as paraphrasing often requires subtle changes in word choice and sentence structure.

First Impressions Count:

The introduction of your Task 1 response is the first thing the examiner reads. A well-paraphrased introduction immediately indicates your language competency.

It sets a positive tone for your response, signalling to the examiner that you have a strong command of English. This initial impression can be influential in determining your overall score.

Enhances Cognitive and Writing Skills:

Paraphrasing is not just about language; it's also about thinking. It requires you to process information, understand it thoroughly, and then express it differently.

This cognitive process enhances your overall writing skills, as you learn to construct ideas and arguments in diverse ways.

Improves Adaptability in Language Use:

By practicing paraphrasing, you become more adaptable in using the English language. You learn to convey the same message in various contexts, which is a valuable skill in real-world communication.

This adaptability also helps in other parts of the IELTS test, such as the speaking component, where you might need to rephrase your thoughts during a discussion.

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How to Paraphrase in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

Paraphrasing is an essential skill in IELTS Writing Task 1, and mastering it can significantly improve your performance. Here are detailed steps to help you paraphrase effectively:

Understand the Original Text:

Before you begin paraphrasing, it's vital to fully comprehend the original prompt. Read it several times to grasp the core message and main ideas.

Look for the key points and data presented in the chart, graph, or table. Understanding these elements is crucial to accurately paraphrase the prompt.

Use Synonyms Wisely:

Identifying and using synonyms is a fundamental part of paraphrasing. However, it's important to use them wisely.

Not all words have exact synonyms, and some synonyms can change the meaning if not used appropriately. Always consider the context before replacing words.

Change the Sentence Structure:

Altering the sentence structure is a powerful tool in paraphrasing. This can involve changing from active to passive voice, or modifying the sentence format.

For example, if the original sentence is in the form of a statement, you might consider turning it into a clause or vice versa.

Keep it Accurate:

The most crucial aspect of paraphrasing is maintaining the accuracy of the original text. Ensure that the paraphrased sentence conveys the same information.

Avoid adding your own opinions or altering the data. The goal is to restate the original information in a new form, not to create new content.

Example in Detail:

Let’s examine a real IELTS Academic Task 1 question and its paraphrased version in detail:

Original Question Statement:  “The chart below shows the amount of money per week spent on fast foods in Britain. The graph shows trends in consumption of fast foods.”

Paraphrased:  “The provided bar chart delineates the weekly expenditure on fast food items in the UK, while the line graph illustrates the consumption patterns of these foods over time.”

Analysis of Paraphrasing:

Original to Paraphrased:

"chart below" becomes "provided bar chart," indicating the type of chart more specifically.

"amount of money" is paraphrased to "expenditure," a more formal synonym.

"per week" changes to "weekly," which is a concise way of expressing the same idea.

"fast foods in Britain" is transformed into "fast food items in the UK," using a synonym for the country and slightly varying the phrase.

"graph shows trends" is rephrased to "line graph illustrates," where "shows" is replaced with "illustrates," and "trends" with "consumption patterns," providing a richer description.

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Key Points in Paraphrasing for IELTS Writing Task 1

Paraphrasing effectively in IELTS Writing Task 1 involves more than just substituting words; it's about rethinking how to present the same information in a fresh and engaging way. Here's an expanded list of key points to consider when paraphrasing, along with detailed explanations:

'shows' -> 'delineates':

'Delineates' is a more formal and precise term, adding a level of sophistication to the sentence. It implies a detailed and accurate representation, which is ideal for describing charts or graphs.

'amount of money' -> 'expenditure':

'Expenditure' is a more technical term, suitable for academic writing. It encapsulates the idea of spending money, elevating the language style.

'per week' -> 'weekly':

'Weekly' is a concise and direct way to describe a time frame. It streamlines the sentence, making it more straightforward and easy to read.

'spent on' -> 'on':

Simplifying 'spent on' to 'on' makes the sentence more concise without losing the original meaning. It's an example of how removing unnecessary words can enhance clarity.

'fast foods' -> 'fast food items':

'Fast food items' gives a more detailed image, suggesting a variety of foods rather than a general category. It adds specificity to the description.

'Britain' -> 'the UK':

'The UK' is a more formal and encompassing term than 'Britain,' which can be seen as more colloquial. This change also introduces geographical variety.

'graph' -> 'line graph':

Specifying 'line graph' instead of the more generic 'graph' provides clarity about the type of data representation, which is critical in accurately describing the task.

'trends' -> 'patterns':

'Patterns' suggest a more nuanced and detailed observation of data, compared to 'trends,' which can be more general. It indicates a deeper analysis of the information.

'consumption' -> 'consumption patterns':

Expanding 'consumption' to 'consumption patterns' adds depth, indicating not just the act of consuming but also the manner and trends of consumption.

'below' -> 'presented below':

Changing 'below' to 'presented below' adds a formal touch and emphasizes the arrangement of the information in the test material.

'shows the amount' -> 'illustrates the quantity':

'Illustrates the quantity' changes the phrase to sound more academic. 'Illustrates' suggests a detailed portrayal, while 'quantity' is a more formal synonym for 'amount.'

'money' -> 'fiscal expenditure':

'Fiscal expenditure' is a more sophisticated way of referring to money spending, aligning with the formal tone expected in academic writing.

'in Britain' -> 'within the United Kingdom':

'Within the United Kingdom' is a more formal and inclusive way of referring to the geographic area, enhancing the academic tone of the sentence.

By expanding your vocabulary and varying sentence structures, you can effectively paraphrase in IELTS Writing Task 1, showcasing your language proficiency and ability to present information in a clear, accurate, and academically suitable manner. Paraphrasing in IELTS Writing transcends mere task completion; it's an art that calls for a deep understanding, creativity, and precision. This skill, when practiced diligently, can be a significant catalyst in enhancing your IELTS Writing score.

It's important to approach paraphrasing as an intelligent rephrasing exercise, not merely as a process of swapping words. This approach will not only refine your writing skills but also demonstrate your comprehensive grasp of the English language in a context that values clarity and precision.

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Improve ielts essays with paraphrasing – video.

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In this lesson, you can learn about paraphrasing in IELTS essays. Paraphrasing means saying the same thing in a different way.

Probably, you’re watching this video because you think you need to paraphrase the question in your ielts essay introduction, and you aren’t sure how to do it., so, in this lesson, you can learn the truth about paraphrasing in ielts essays. you’ll see the number one mistake that ielts students make with paraphrasing, and you’ll learn how to use paraphrase effectively in your ielts writing exam., quiz: improve ielts essays with paraphrasing.

Test your knowledge of paraphrasing with this quiz. There are 20 questions; the first half are true/false questions about the ideas you saw in the lesson, while in the second half, you need to look at attempted paraphrasing and choose the best options.

When you have finished, click ‘Finish Quiz’ and then ‘View Questions’ to see all the correct answers.

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1 . Question

True or false: the IELTS scoring scheme says you need to be able to paraphrase effectively.

2 . Question

True or false: a true synonym is an alternative word for the same thing that can be used in any sentence, regardless of the medium (speaking or writing), register (formal or informal) or context (e.g. positive or negative).

3 . Question

True or false: ‘start’ and ‘begin’ are synonyms, which can be used interchangeably in most situations; there are hundreds of pairs of words like this in English.

4 . Question

True or false: when someone asks a question, such as ‘what’s the weather like?’, it is not natural to use paraphrasing in the answer.

5 . Question

True or false: your conclusion is the most important part of your essay and the introduction is the least important.

6 . Question

True or false: you shouldn’t ‘give the game away’ by stating in your introduction what your conclusion will be – it should come as a surprise to the reader when they reach the conclusion.

7 . Question

True or false: an effective way to paraphrase is to replace a general idea (like ‘modern technology’) with examples that relate to the context you’re talking about, e.g. ‘computers’ and ‘the Internet’.

8 . Question

True or false: to avoid simply copying the question in your introduction, you could alter the wording by using a different sentence structure.

9 . Question

True or false: you should not use questions in your essay, because the reader does not have the opportunity to respond.

10 . Question

True or false: if you decide that your conclusion is going to be very positive, you shouldn’t use any negative language anywhere in the essay.

11 . Question

For the next ten questions, look at an essay question and a choice of two introductions. Decide which introduction does the best job of paraphrasing effectively.

Exam question: The number of cars on our roads has increased dramatically in the last 20 years. Alternative forms of transport should be promoted to tackle traffic problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Which introduction paraphrases the question most effectively?

• The amount of automobiles on our highways has skyrocketed in the recent 20 years. I agree fully that other formats of travel should be stimulated to deal with the earth’s congestion issues.
• There has been a dramatic increase in the number of cars during the last 20 years, particularly in developing countries. However, in this essay, I will argue why promoting alternative forms of transport may not tackle the problems this has created.

12 . Question

Exam question: Some people believe that children should be encouraged to be competitive. Others argue that learning a spirit of cooperation would be more valuable to them in the future. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

• It is often argued that children should be encouraged to be competitive. Conversely, it is suggested that learning a spirit of cooperation would be more valuable to them in the future. I will discuss both these views and give my own opinion.
• Should children be encouraged to cooperate with each other, or allowed to be more competitive? There is good reason to defend both points of view, but I intend to show that cooperation would be more valuable to them in the future.

13 . Question

Exam question: Nuclear power has become a cheap source of clean energy. However, the safety concerns surrounding nuclear technology are too great to ignore, such that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

• Nuclear power is a cheap and environmentally friendly source of energy, but many people cannot ignore the risk of accidents or explosions. This leads to the idea that nuclear technology is dangerous. In this essay, I will examine whether it really is.
• Taking the 1986 disaster at Chernobyl as an example, it is clear to see that the dangers surrounding nuclear technology are too great to ignore. However, more than three decades later, nuclear power stations still continue to be built. So, is it good or bad?

14 . Question

Exam question: In many countries, it is now common for young people to spend a year working or travelling before going to university. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing this?

• In many parts of the world, it is quite unusual to go to university, never mind have a gap year beforehand, because the need to start working and earning money is more important. But, what would be the benefits and drawbacks of doing it?
• Is it advantageous for young people to spend a year working or travelling before they go to university, or are there more disadvantages?

15 . Question

Exam question: The number of adults who are obese is rising every year. What are the reasons for this and how could the problem be addressed?

• Fat people now outweigh thin people by three to one. In this essay, I will explain why this is and what can be done about it.
• The number of adults who are obese is putting more strain on the world’s healthcare systems than ever before. In this essay, I will consider how this has happened and how the problem could be addressed.

16 . Question

Exam question: Many countries depend on income from tourism nowadays. However, some people think the presence of tourists creates more problems than benefits. To what extent do you agree?

• Although tourism is an important source of income for many countries, the negative impact on communities visited by tourists probably outweighs the benefits.
• Is tourism always beneficial? Does the number of jobs created in resorts and hotels compensate for all the family businesses that cannot outcompete the big chains? Should we be worried about the amount of pollution that tourism creates?

17 . Question

Exam question: It is traditionally thought that prisons are the most effective form of punishment for criminals, but alternative solutions such as community service are more and more popular these days. What is your opinion?

• Prisons are traditionally thought to be the most effective way to punish criminals, though there is less public support for them nowadays, with community service and other alternatives becoming more common.
• Prisons are clearly a more effective form of punishment than alternative solutions like community service. I will consider the merits of both and decide which one I favour at the end.

18 . Question

Exam question: Many years ago, it was compulsory in schools to learn a foreign language. In some countries, this is no longer the case. Do you think that all children should learn a language?

• When I was at school, we learned French in the first year and those who were good at it had the opportunity to learn Spanish or German too. There are so many benefits to learning a language that I feel it is a pity that many children these days do not have the chance.
• Learning a language – particularly English – is considered vital in many parts of the world, though there are many places where this view is not shared. Whilst it was once compulsory in English-speaking countries to learn French, there are now other subjects that take priority in schools. Are children missing out as a result?

19 . Question

Exam question: Many scientists think that climate change is a manmade phenomenon. Others argue that it is part of the earth’s natural cycle. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

• While climate change is a manmade phenomenon, according to many scientists, there is growing support for the idea that it is part of the earth’s natural cycle – an argument that should be taken seriously, in my view.
• Some science fans believe that global warming is a human event. Their colleagues insist that it is one of the world’s circles of nature. In this essay, I will argue that the popular opinion seems correct.

20 . Question

Exam question: Celebrities have a responsibility to be role models. To what extent do you agree?

• When someone becomes a celebrity, do they take on the responsibility of being a role model? In this essay, I intend to argue that they do.
• People in the public eye should expect to have their behaviour scrutinised in everything they do. Whether they like it or not, they must remember that they are setting an example for their fans.

1. You Don’t Need to Paraphrase the Question

But wait, I saw this video, and it said I should paraphrase the question in my introduction.

But wait, I read this article, and it said I should paraphrase the question in my introduction.

But wait, my teacher told me I should paraphrase the question in my introduction.

Okay, we know. There’s a lot of IELTS advice out there that says, ‘paraphrase the question in your introduction.’ Why should you listen when we say you don’t need to?

Don’t pay attention to us; pay attention to the official IELTS scoring scheme . To save you time, we’ve added links to the official scoring scheme under the video. You can read it right now!

Go ahead; read the scoring scheme and find the word ‘paraphrase’.

We can save you some time: it isn’t there. Remember, this is the official scoring system, which the examiners use to mark your IELTS writing exam.

The writing mark scheme does not talk about paraphrase AT ALL. Why not? Because you don’t have to paraphrase the question in your introduction.

Okay, you think, so how do I start my essay? Surely paraphrasing the question is better than nothing? I don’t know what else to do…

Well…

2. No Paraphrase is Better Than Bad Paraphrase

Here’s how a lot of students approach paraphrasing. See if this looks familiar to you.

Let’s take a question:

• Robots, computers, and machines are becoming more advanced, and can perform many jobs which used to be done by people. What problems does this cause, and how can these problems be solved?

So, let’s practice bad paraphrasing!

Let’s see now, we need to change the words. Let’s find some synonyms:

• robot = automaton
• advanced = cutting-edge
• machine = apparatus
• job = assignment
• people = folks

Wow, great synonyms, right? Let’s plug them into our sentence to create a bad paraphrase:

• Automata, computers, and apparatus are becoming more cutting-edge, and can perform many assignments which used to be done by folks.

Let’s change a couple of small things so it’s not so close to the original:

• Automata, computers, and apparatus are more and more cutting-edge, and can do many assignments which were done by folks in the past.

Finished! What a great paraphrase!

No, no, no! This is terrible, and it will only hurt your IELTS score. Don’t do this!

This is what many IELTS students do, but it’s a bad idea. Let’s see why this doesn’t work.

First, a question: what’s a synonym?

You probably said something like, ‘a word with the same meaning as another word.’

That’s more or less true. However, a true synonym is a word which c’n replace another word in any sentence.

So, imagine you have two words: A and B. If word A can be replaced with word B in any sentence, they’re synonyms’

If word A can be replaced with word B sometimes, but not always, they’re not true synonyms. Maybe they have a similar meaning, but they aren’t the same.

What’s the point of all this?

The point is that there are very few true synonyms in English, or any language.

Just because two words have the same meaning does not mean they can be used in the same way.

The words people and folks have the same basic meaning, but that doesn’t mean that you can say folks any time you say people. They aren’t true synonyms.

Why not? Because vocabulary usage depends on more than just meaning. Register and collocation are equally important.

Also, many words which have a similar meaning don’t have exactly the same meaning. Machine and apparatus are similar, but they aren’t the same. Job and assignment are similar, but they aren’t the same.

So, that’s problem number one. When you use words that you think are synonyms, they probably aren’t true synonyms. That means you’re changing the meaning (which is dangerous) and also making language mistakes, which can hurt your vocabulary score.

There’s a second problem: this is a really weird and unnatural thing to do.

Imagine someone asks you a question. What do you do?

Do you repeat the question back, using different words?

Kae: Hey! How was your weekend?

Daniel: Ah… You wish to enquire about my recent non-working days?

Daniel: How’s the weather in the US?

Kae: So…You want to know about the climatic conditions in North America?

No! This is weird! When someone asks you a question, you answer the question.

Your IELTS essay is the same. The task asks you a question. Your essay should answer the question.

Your answer starts from your first sentence. Bad paraphrase adds nothing to your answer.

No paraphrase is better than bad paraphrase.

A bad paraphrase is only an empty sentence with language mistakes. That’s all the examiner will see. For your IELTS score, this is only negative.

Okay, you think, so how do I start my essay?

You have two options, and it depends on your target score. Let’s look.

3. Just Don’t Paraphrase

This is going to be a short section.

If your target score is 6.0 or maybe 6.5, and you don’t know how to start your essay, here’s what you do:

Write an introduction which is one sentence. Write a thesis statement . That means you explain what you’re going to talk about and what you’re trying to prove with your essay.

For example:

• In this essay, I will discuss possible solutions to the problems caused by robots and computers taking people’s jobs.
• I intend to show that the problems caused by robots and computers taking people’s jobs are serious, but also possible to solve.
• Robots and computers are replacing people at work. This is a serious problem, and I will discuss how we can solve it.

That’s all you need.

But, you say, isn’t that too short?

No…not at all.

First of all, your introduction can be any length. Your introduction can be one sentence.

Here’s an important point: your introduction is the least important part of your IELTS essay.

Are the example introductions you saw above great? No. They’re not great, but they are easily good enough.

Your conclusion is super-important. How you organise your ideas into paragraphs is very important. How you support and connect your ideas is extremely important.

Your introduction is not that important. You can get a high score with a very basic introduction. So, here’s a simple solution: if you don’t know what to write in your IELTS essay introduction, don’t write much at all.

Write a short thesis statement, and then start the body of your essay.

This is good advice if your target is 6.0 or 6.5, but what if you’re aiming for a higher score?

4. How to Paraphrase Effectively

So, what does effective paraphrase look like?

Remember, you’re thinking about writing a strong IELTS essay here. That means an essay which scores between seven and nine.

Here’s the thing: when you write a strong essay, you can’t think about it as lots of separate things.

Lots of IELTS students write essays in this way: ‘Okay, first I have to paraphrase the question, then I need to write a thesis statement. Okay, first body paragraph: I need a topic sentence, then a supporting example, then a linking phrase, then a second supporting example… et cetera.’

That can work for intermediate IELTS scores: 5.5 to 6.5, but it’s not a good approach for higher scores.

For higher scores, your essay needs to be one coherent, connected piece.

What does that mean, practically? And what does it have to do with paraphrasing?

First point: your first sentence should be connected to everything else in your essay.

That means you need to know exactly where your essay is going before you start writing. Before you put one word on the page, you need to know all the important things you want to say.

Practically, that means you need to know what your conclusion is going to be before you start writing.

You also need to know exactly how many body paragraphs you’re going to have, and what you’re going to put in each one.

To be clear, that means when you write your first sentence, you aren’t just thinking, ‘How can I find a synonym for this word?’ Good paraphrasing isn’t about that.’You already know the conclusion you want to reach, and you know the ideas you want to discuss.

Effective paraphrasing includes this. It shows your reader (the examiners) where your essay is going.

Effective paraphrasing shows how you understand the key ideas in the question, and what conclusion your essay is trying to reach.

So, the main point: paraphrasing depends on planning. It’s not a simple thing; it’s not just taking some words and replacing them with other words, it’s connected to other parts of your essay.

It’s connected to your ideas and opinions. If you don’t know the conclusion of your essay, you can’t write a good introduction. To write a good introduction, you need to know exactly where you’re trying to go.

Let’s see how this can work in practice.

To paraphrase effectively, you need to take the ideas in the question and add your own interpretation.

Here’s the question you saw before:

Some questions:

The question talks about robots, computers, and machines. What do these words mean in this context? Can you think of specific examples? What exactly does advanced mean? Advanced in what way? The question mentions jobs which used to be done by people. Like what? The question asks: what problems does this cause? Are these problems serious, or not? Why or why not?

Pause the video and think about these. If you want to write a good introduction, you need to have clear answers to all of these questions!

Now, let’s see how you could effectively paraphrase this question:

• Advances in technology have led to the automation of many jobs, especially low-level or manual positions. This has led to many serious problems, including unemployment and increasing rates of poverty and inequality.

This is what a good paraphrase looks like.

Here’s a question: which way do you think this essay is going? Do you think the writer will be positive, negative or neutral about the effects of automation?

It sounds negative. You can guess that the essay will conclude that automation causes serious problems which are not easy to solve.

Someone who reads the first sentence of your introduction should be able to do the same thing; they should be able to guess where your essay is going.

Remember: this starts in your head. Everything needs to be clear in your head before you write anything.

Another point to notice: our paraphrase doesn’t have the same sentence structure as the task. The paraphrase is two sentences, while the task is just one.

The task asks a question: ‘What problems does this cause?’ Our paraphrase replaces this with a statement: ‘This has led to many serious problems.’

Also, our paraphrase replaces general ideas in the question with more specific ideas. The question mentions “many jobs,” but our paraphrase talks about “low-level or manual positions.” The question mentions “problems,” but our paraphrase talks about “serious problems, including unemployment and inequality.”

To review, to write an effective paraphrase, you need to do three things:

One: have a clear plan in your head, with a clear conclusion, which should be obvious to your reader from the first sentence of your essay.

Two: don’t try to stick too closely to the sentence structure in the question. Paraphrasing is about ideas, not just words.

Three: interpret and develop the ideas in the task, so that you replace general ideas in the task with your own more specific ones.

Now, you should understand more about how to paraphrase in your IELTS essay. Good luck if you have an IELTS exam coming up soon! See more free Oxford Online English IELTS preparations lessons here: https://www.oxfordonlineenglish.com/free-ielts-preparation-lessons.

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IELTS Writing Paraphrasing Guide

• Graph Length
• Essay Task 2
• Essay Length
• Assessment Criteria
• Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing helps to achieve high lexical resource band score in  IELTS Speaking and Writing module. This guide shows what paraphrasing is and how to best use it in your essays, letters, reports and cue-cards.

Table of Contents

• What is paraphrasing?
• Importance in IELTS Writing
• 3.1. Over-paraphrasing
• 3.2. Sentence Length
• 4.1. Synonyms & Antonyms
• 4.2. Modifying sentence structure
• 4.3. Active-passive voice
• 4.4. Word forms

5.1 Sample Paraphrasing Guide

1. what is paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing is when you express a written or spoken text in a different way whilst maintaining the same meaning .

Simply put, this means that you need to rephrase a given text in your own words, without changing the overall meaning . This helps you to avoid plagiarism which is when you repeat information that someone has produced as if it is your own work.

Paraphrasing not only shows that you understand the meaning  of an IELTS topic, but also allows you to demonstrate your command of the English language.

2. Why is paraphrasing important in IELTS writing?

Paraphrasing is an essential skill if you want to score high IELTS band score and is important for each section of the exam (reading, listening and speaking), but especially  important for writing.

In IELTS writing tasks 1 and 2 you will always be given an IELTS statement which you need to paraphrase in your introduction . This is demonstrating to the examiner that you have understood the meaning of the statement , and that you have the English language skills to put the statement in your own words.

You will also need to paraphrase yourself at points in the essay to avoid repetition , for example, when you are restating the main ideas of your essay in your writing task 2 conclusion.

Test takers that simply copy the IELTS statement or repeat their ideas in the same way will likely receive a lower score in the written component of the exam.

As paraphrasing is a skill, it needs to be practised so read on for some common mistakes to avoid and tips to follow to paraphrase effectively.

3. Common paraphrasing mistakes made in IELTS writing

3.1 over-paraphrasing.

One major mistake made by candidates is that they try to change every word of a given statement. You should never change every word as you will likely lose the overall meaning of the statement. In fact, there are some words that may not have a suitable synonym and should remain the same. If you over paraphrase, your writing will sound forced and unnatural. You are also more likely to produce mistakes in your writing.

3.2. Sentence length

Test takers that paraphrase unsuccessfully often create very long and overly wordy sentences. If your sentence becomes too long, think about how you can break it up by using punctuation, starting a new sentence, or by creating a new clause. Imagine that you are the reader and read your paraphrase back to yourself to check if it is an appropriate length and flows nicely.

4. How to paraphrase effectively

4.1. using synonyms and antonyms.

A synonym is a word or phrase that has the same meaning (or a very similar meaning) to another word or phrase (like happy and cheerful ).

An antonym is a word or phrase with the opposite meaning of another, for example, good and bad .

Using synonyms and antonyms is one way to create your paraphrase.

Here are some examples of synonyms:

Original : Art is considered an essential part of all cultures around the world .

Paraphrase : Art is considered a fundamental part for civilisations around the globe .

And some examples of antonyms:

Original : With the development of modern society is the loss of traditional ways of life.

Paraphrase : With the decline of modern society is the improvement of traditional ways of life.

Sometimes test takers make the mistake of trying to use synonyms for every word. This will make your paraphrase sound unnatural and forced. Take a look at this (bad) example :

Original : Art is considered an essential part of all cultures around the world.

Paraphrase : Craft is treated as an imperative element of entire civilisations over the globe .

Take a look at our guide on the importance of paraphrasing in IELTS writing for even more tips and examples!

4.2. Modifying the sentence structure

In addition to using synonyms/antonyms, you could also change the sentence structure in some way. This is a bit more tricky than using synonyms as it not only requires you to use your lexical (vocabulary) knowledge, but also your grammatical knowledge.

You have to make sure that your paraphrase is grammatically accurate after you make any changes.

Take a look at what we’ve done here :

Original : As computers translate quickly and accurately, learning languages is a waste of time.

Paraphrase : Some people now consider language learning irrelevant since computers are able to translate language so efficiently.

In this example we have changed the subject of the sentence, used a range of synonyms and added a linking device ‘since’ to create a compound sentence.

4.3. Using the active or passive voice

Changing a sentence from the active to passive or the passive to active can increase your score in Grammatical range and accuracy while you paraphrase.

Using the passive voice allows you to shift the focus from the ‘do-er’ of the sentence to the object. It also allows you to avoid overusing the first person ‘I’ which should be completely avoided in writing task 1 and kept to a minimum in task 2.

Here’s a brief overview of how to form the passive:

4.4. Changing word forms

Being able to change the form of a word is another skill you can use to paraphrase. You can change a word class in the following ways:

• Adding a prefix to the stem of a word: expense (n) – in expensive (v)
• Adding a suffix to the stem of a word: employ (v) – employ er (n)
• Conversion ( change a word class from one to another without any changes to spelling or pronunciation) : an email (n) – to email (v)
• Compounding (linking two or more bases to create a new word): car + park = carpark

Here are some more examples:

5. Paraphrasing practice

• The graph shows information about how many people visited Cardiff and Dublin over a 10-year period between 2010 and 2020.
• The pie charts show information about the percentage of people who studied ten selected university subjects at a university in New York between 2000 and 2010.
• The diagram shows information about the process of growing tea and the steps involved in making a cup of tea.
• The flowchart illustrates the procedure for students who have graduated from high school should follow when applying to enter higher education.
• In recent years, it has become much more common for students to complete their degree overseas instead of their home country. Many people believe that there are significant benefits of doing this, while others argue that there are also drawbacks connected to studying abroad.
• There is no doubt that the modern world is facing many serious environmental problems, such as climate change, an increase in natural disasters and air pollution. It is often argued that these environmental issues should be tackled globally.
• These days, the number of species facing extinction is growing, and as a result, a larger number of people are becoming involved in environmental issues. It is argued by some that the protection of endangered animals is wasteful.
• Nowadays, governments and health experts around the world have become increasingly concerned about the general health of children. They are particularly worried about problems caused by too much time spent in front of a TV, computer or mobile.

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How to paraphrase and boost your IELTS Writing Score

If you want to score well for your IELTS Writing test, then you need to learn and master the art of paraphrasing! You’ll be able to show that you understand the idea enough to write in your own words. Here’s how to start paraphrasing like a boss!

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Whether you are sitting for the General Training or Academic writing test, the IELTS Writing part of the test is a challenge that many students struggle to score well in. 

With two different types of tasks with unique demands for each of them, you’ll need to put your best foot forward to ace the test to achieve an overall band score you desire. 

The IELTS Writing test assesses your ability to write not just for clarity and cohesion but for variation as well. 

Therefore you need to develop the skill of paraphrasing, which is simply rewriting a sentence using different words for greater clarity. It shows to the examiner that you have understood the source and idea enough to write it in your own words. 

And in this article, we will be going through six tips and tactics you can employ to help you master the art of paraphrasing to score better in your written test! 

Learning to paraphrase effectively: Six things to do

1. start using synonyms.

Synonyms are different words that hold the same meaning. For example, ‘money’ is a synonym of ‘cash’ or ‘funds’ while ‘lethargic’ is a synonym of ‘tired’ or ‘drained’. 

By using synonyms, you can effectively replace a series of words with others without changing the core meaning of the sentence. You need to use words that have the same meaning and not just something similar, which can be penalised during the examination. 

 Take the sentence: 

‘We are heading to Disneyland for a well-deserved holiday’ 

You can easily replace it with: 

‘We are travelling to Disney for our hard-earned vacation’ 

The key here is to ensure the meaning isn’t changed and you should only use words that you are entirely sure about to score well without the risk of being marked down. 

2. Changing the word order

Another essential paraphrasing skill you’ll need is to change the word order of a sentence. This means adding in a word, omitting a word or changing the word itself. 

Take the sentence: 

“We are famished and would like to quickly head to the Chinese Restaurant for dinner.” 

You can change the word order: 

“We are rushing towards the Chinese restaurant for dinner because we are famished.” 

When changing the word order, you need to ensure the sentence makes grammatical sense as well as being error-free. You can also combine this with using synonyms to make your paraphrasing even more effective. 

3. Changing word forms

A great way to paraphrase sentences is to change the form of the word. To do this, we can interchangeably swap nouns into verbs or verbs into adjectives. 

For example: 

“Many children are terrified of entering the spooky house alone during Halloween.” 

You can paraphrase the sentence by changing the word form of ‘entering’, ‘terrified’, ‘spooky’ and ‘alone’. 

“Many children are not brave enough to enter the frightful-looking house by themselves during Halloween.” 

By changing word forms, you are showcasing your versatility in the English language as well as your depth of vocabulary, helping you to score better in your Writing test. 

4. Change from active to passive voice

Because the IELTS Writing test involves writing a discursive essay and discussing various viewpoints, understanding how to switch between active to passive voice is a valuable skill. 

This can be easily done by identifying the sentence’s direct object and placing it at the beginning of the sentence, removing the action and then changing the verb’s form.  

“Most of the students are reading the magazines.” 

You can rewrite this sentence into the passive voice by placing ‘magazine’ at the beginning of the sentence and removing the action of reading and changing its form. 

“The magazines are being read by most of the students.” 

5. Changing sentence structure

Another effective way to paraphrase is to change the structure of the sentence without losing its core meaning. 

“Many students struggle in their tests because they do not put in the hard work and practice enough.” 

You can see that there are two clauses ‘many students struggle in their tests’ and the second being ‘because they do not put in the hard work and practice enough.’ 

All you need to do is to swap the order and change a few word forms to make it flow more naturally. 

“Not working hard and practicing enough are the main reasons why students struggle in their tests.” 

The meaning of the sentence is not lost but the structure has changed. 

6. Start paraphrasing with sample tests

The best way to start paraphrasing is to practice on the sample tests themselves! 

This will allow you to not just practice your skills on static sentences but allows you to master the art of paraphrasing.  

By writing under a time limit with real sample test topics, you’ll quickly understand how to paraphrase your own words as well as the information provided. This will accelerate your progress by leaps and bounds. 

You can access a wide range of our sample IELTS Writing tests here to start paraphrasing today! 

Prepare for the IELTS Writing test with IDP today

Preparing early for your IELTS Writing test is critical to success, especially if you are honing your paraphrasing skills. 

There are many forms of paraphrasing and they should all be used in conjunction for your writing to flow well and be fluid. 

Early preparation allows you to get familiar with the format with ample practice to help you gain confidence on test day and attain the band score you desire! 

Take the time to go through our resources and prepare yourself better with our wide range of sample tests at your disposal! 

And once you are prepared and ready, you can book your IELTS test here ! 

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How to Paraphrase in the IELTS Test

Paraphrasing is an essential IELTS skill. This post will show you how to paraphrase effectively.

Paraphrasing is simply re-writing a phrase or sentence so that it has the same meaning but with different words. Paraphrasing is one of the most important skills to learn before doing your IELTS test. It is most important for writing and speaking, but will also help you in the reading and listening tests. In other words, if you know how to paraphrase, you are more likely to get the score you need.

The mental processes required to paraphrase will also help you to fully understand the question, and this is one of the reasons I tell my students to begin all of their answers in the writing test by paraphrasing the question.

Let’s look at an example.

Example: Paraphrasing is one of the most important skills to learn before doing your IELTS test.

Paraphrased: Before taking the IELTS test, mastering paraphrasing is one of the most crucial things to do.

As you can see, the second sentence (paraphrased sentence) uses synonyms to change some vocabulary (e.g., ‘important’ for ‘crucial’ and ‘’prior’’ to ‘before’ and changes the grammar (e.g., Paraphrasing is one of the most important skills” for “mastering paraphrasing”). You can also change the word order.

You should use these three main methods in the IELTS test to paraphrase sentences. Ideally, you should try to use all three, but sometimes two will only be possible.

We will now look at each method in detail and also have a look at the passive.

Method Number 1: Using Synonyms

Synonyms are different words that have the same meaning. For example, ‘humans’ is a synonym for ‘people’ and ‘attractive’ is a synonym for ‘beautiful’. This method replaces words with the same meaning to produce a new sentence.

For example:

My car needs petrol .

My vehicle requires fuel.

As you can see, I have replaced 3 out of four words with synonyms to produce a new sentence with the same meaning as the first one. You will notice that I didn’t replace all of the words, but you should try to replace most of them.

This is the most common method that students use, and it can be used effectively, but you should be careful.

Violent crime is on the rise among teenagers .

Violent offences are rising among young people .

This student has changed the word ‘teenagers’ to ‘young people’. They are similar words, and teenagers are, of course, young people; however, children and young adults, aged between 18-30, could also be described as young people. A more term would be ‘adolescents’ or ‘young people between the ages of 13-19.’ A better way to paraphrase this sentence would therefore be:

Violent offences are rising among adolescents.

You should, therefore, only use words you are 100% sure about. Don’t change a word unless you are 100% sure that it is a direct synonym. Otherwise, you are likely to make mistakes, which will lower your score.

Let’s look at another good example:

Global warming is mostly caused by emissions from internal combustion engines.

Climate change is mainly caused by the release of fumes from motor vehicles.

M ethod Number 2: Change the Word Order

Changing the word order also allows us to effectively paraphrase a sentence, but again, we have to be careful. Don’t change the word order without thinking about how this affects the grammar of the sentence. By changing the word order, you may have to add a word, subtract a word or change the form of the word.

The 100% rule applies again; don’t change it if you are not 100% sure it is grammatically correct. Remember that you are judged on your ability to produce error-free sentences in the IELTS test and use a range of grammar structures.

Fortunately, there are two straightforward ways to change the word order in most IELTS questions.

• You can easily change the order of the clauses if the original sentence has more than one clause.

Question: As languages such as Spanish, Chinese and English become more widely used, there is a fear that many minority languages may die out.

Paraphrased by changing word order: There is a fear that many minority languages may die out, as languages such as Spanish, Chinese and English become more widely used.

We could also add some synonyms to paraphrase it even more:

Paraphrased with changing word order AND synonyms: There is dismay that many lesser-used languages may pass away as languages such as Chinese, English and Spanish become more broadly spoken.

• You can also change the word order if there is an adjective or noun in the question. You do this by simply changing the adjective into a relative clause.

Question: Learning to manage money is one of the key aspects of adult life.

Paraphrased: Learning to manage money is a key aspect of adult life.

M ethod Number 3: Change the Form of the Word

There are many different forms of words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Changing the form of a word allows us to paraphrase effectively. Again, don’t just change the form of the word; you also need to check that your changes make grammatical sense. You might need to change the words around it to make the sentence error-free.

Question: Longer life spans and improvements in the health of older people suggest that people over the age of sixty-five can continue to live full and active lives.

Paraphrased by changing word form: Longer life spans and improvements in the health of older people are suggesting that people over the age of sixty-five can continue living full and active lives.

M ethod Number 4: Change from Active to Passive

The passive voice is often used in academic writing and can therefore be used in the IELTS academic writing test. Only verbs with an object can be turned into passive.

Example active sentence: The property developers invested $20 million in the development of the shopping centre.

Example passive sentence: $20 million was invested in the development of shopping centres.

We often use the passive voice in academic writing when we don’t want to say it is our opinion.

Example active: People say that global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

Example passive: Global warming is said to be caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

How many of these methods should I use?

The four methods can be used independently or together. I advise my students to try and change the grammar (word order and/or word form) and use synonyms. Remember only use the methods you feel 100% comfortable using and ensure your work is error-free.

These paraphrasing methods will only help you in the IELTS exam if you practice using them. Find some example writing questions and try paraphrasing them using these methods. You can use the methods individually and then combine them. Try all of them to see what works for you. If you practice enough, you will begin to see patterns in the questions, and common words and phrases will become easy for you to change.

If you want to see examples of paraphrasing, use Google. Many articles will appear on the same topic if you Google certain keywords. By comparing these, you will be able to see how different writers have expressed the same ideas.

Do you need me to correct your essays and give you feedback on them? Check out our essay correction service .

About Christopher Pell

My name is Christopher Pell and I'm the Managing Director of IELTS Advantage.

I started IELTS Advantage as a simple blog to help 16 students in my class. Several years later, I am very humbled that my VIP Course has been able to help thousands of people around the world to score a Band 7+ in their IELTS tests.

If you need my help with your IELTS preparation, you can send me an email using the contact us page.

Join us at My IELTS Classroom today for our video courses, marking service, 1-2-1 lessons and so much more…

Want to Improve your IELTS Paraphrasing?

In the writing exam you will be given a topic that you need to address in an essay. One important IELTS skill, therefore, is being able to talk about the topic without repeating the sentences from the task. This is called “paraphrasing” and is one area where many students struggle. Why? Well, it is because there is so much false information about IELTS paraphrasing online (and in classrooms).

Many students have been told that you must NEVER repeat a word from the task.

This is not true.

Others think that they will be penalised if they repeat a word multiple times in the body of their essay.

Again, this is not true.

So, what is the truth about IELTS paraphrasing and what steps can you take to make sure that your essay is written as clearly and concisely as possible? Find out in today’s episode of My IELTS Classroom!

Below, you can find a summary of the episode , which includes all of the links to useful materials and the times of each part of the discussion (so you can go directly to the part you want to listen to)   🚀

Subscribe to My IELTS Classroom podcast on Apple podcasts   here  Subscribe to My IELTS Classroom on Google podcasts   here

Introduction: Nick’s got a new puppy! Welcome Charlie!

Nick has become a dad! Yes, we are proud to introduce the latest member of the My IELTS Classroom team – Charlie! If you are in Nick’s live lessons this week, look out for Charlie in the background as he starts to learn the basics of IELTS. He is showing great promise but finds studying very tiring so needs lots of rest too.

Why is paraphrasing important?

In the IELTS writing exam, you will be given a topic to discuss. It might be advertising or the importance of choice, or the role of tourism in a country. As you write your essay, you will need to be able to talk about the topic using different words to show your range of lexis. Choosing different synonyms to talk about the same topic is called paraphrasing, and is a key skill, particularly when writing introductions and conclusions.

In fact, one common mistake for low-level learners is to simply copy the task word for word. This is obviously not good and something that you should avoid as any “strings” of words that are copied from the task will be discounted by the examiner in your word count, and obviously, copying does not make a very good impression.

I would say that in most essays you will need to be able to paraphrase the information from the task two or three times depending on the type of essay you are writing: once in the introduction, once in the conclusion, and maybe again in the topic sentences (if you are writing a Discuss Both Sides essays, a Advantages / Disadvantages essay, or a Problem / Solution essay)

So, paraphrasing is definitely an important skill that we need to practice, but in my experience, too many teachers focus too much on its importance. As I mentioned in the introduction, they tell students that words from the task can never be repeated, and that you cannot use the same synonym twice in an essay. This is simply not true and, as we will see in the episode, it can lead to students writing sentences that are simply nonsensical!

Paraphrasing should be invisible .

When the examiner reads your writing, they should not “feel” like they are reading a “paraphrase”. They should feel like they are reading a sentence that is 100% natural. So, that is what we are going to focus – paraphrasing naturally!

Want to know how the examiner will apply the band descriptors when marking your IELTS essay?

Th en download a copy of our FREE e-book, which explains how each of the four marking criteria is applied and includes the most common errors made by test-takers. Just click here for your copy.

The 10 steps to good IELTS paraphrasing

1. synonyms need to be 100% accurate.

The most common error made in IELTS paraphrasing is simply that students try to replace one word with another that does NOT have the same meaning. The beauty of English is that as it has had so many influences from so many languages over the centuries, we have been left with multiple synonyms for most words. However, although these alternative word choices are what make the English language so rich, it is also the reason why it is so dangerous for students.

Take even a simple word like “big” – for example. You can find more than 10 synonyms for this word in a thesaurus but each is used in different contexts and with different collocations (you can read more about this in the blog post below). This means that when you are choosing synonyms for the words in the task, you need to take great care to ensure that the meaning of your new word 100% matches the meaning of the word that it replaces.

More importantly, we want to make sure that our paraphrasing is clear. In other words, we want to keep it as short as possible. Do not choose what you think is the most complicated synonym. Do not choose what you think is the most ‘academic” synonym. Choose the words that makes your sentence the most meaningful. As I always say to my students:

The best word in a sentence is the word that conveys your meaning most clearly and concisely.

Let me show you the common types of mistakes that students make when choosing synonyms. Have a look at the following sentences and see if you can guess what the phrases in red are synonyms for.

• However, there are a number of measures that can be implemented to encourage people to get to know the dwellers nearby . 
• While some argue that children should learn to utilise their own time, I agree with those who believe that parents should encourage their children to participate in organised events that comprise of a mass audience. 
• While some believe that these borders will not be needed in the coming times, I agree with those who feel that they are important for all the jurisdictions . 
• Although travelling by two-wheelers has a few benefits, in my opinion, I believe cars are more preferable as they are a convenient and reliable mode of transportation.
• To remedy this situation the government needs to increase the number of refreshment occasions in communities such as combined festival celebrations and sports competitions  
• In fact, I agree with those who feel that life will be simpler if there are fewer tongues in the world for two reasons

I hope now that it is obvious the negative fact that poor synonym choice can have on the effectiveness of your arguments! Only use words that you are 100% sure have the same meaning as the word you are replacing.

You can also read more about context and collocation in my blog post “ 5 common mistakes with Lexical Resource “. 

2. It is OK to repeat words from the Task!

This naturally leads to the question, what you do if you do not know a synonym for a word in the task? Well, here is the earth shattering news:

It is OK to use a word from the task!

In fact, sometimes it would be crazy if you didn’t use a word taken from the task! Take this question which appears in Cambridge 16 :

This task is asking you to talk about sugar. How could you possible introduce the topic or write the essay without mentioning the word “sugar”? The simple answer is that you can’t and trying to do so would lead to an essay that would have no meaning at all.

3. It is OK to repeat synonyms throughout your essay!

In the same way, it is absolutely fine to re-use synonyms in your essay. Although many words in English have one good synonym, very few have three or four. I often find that the further through marking an essay I get, the crazier the synonyms become as students try to avoid using synonyms more than once. This is a mistake!

I think that the best essays are those that use a mix of one or two good synonyms and referencing. 

Referencing is something that many students overlook when paraphrasing. Remember, we do not want to repeat nouns, or synonyms of the same noun, in back-to-back sentences. If you find that you want to use the same word again, consider using referencing instead to avoid repetition.

A couple of weeks ago, Nick and I discussed how you can avoid repeating the word “people” in your essay – it is a great episode, which you can listen to here . Imagine that you are writing an essay about tourists. You could easily write a whole essay using only:

• tourists (from the task)
• holidaymakers (good synonym)
• they (referencing)

Seriously – I really think that is all you need! Sure, you may be able to think of other good synonyms depending on the context (backpackers, visitors) but it is always better to stick to words that are 100% correct than try to come up with crazier and crazier replacements!

4. It is often better to change the form of a word than replace a word completely!

I have been surprised over the last few years how few students take advantage of changing word form as a way to paraphrase. This simply means changing a noun to an adjective or a verb. This way, you do not need to replace the word completely. Look at the previous question about “high sugar” – IELTS themselves have changed the word form when they use “sugary food”.  These are the types of simple changes you can make if you are struggling to find synonyms. Take this question for example:

There are definitely clear synonyms for “rubbish”  and ” produce” (waste / generate) but in the heat of the exam, it would be perfectly fine to change the sentence from active to passive like this:

More rubbish is being produced today than ever before.

5.  Focus on the meaning of the complete sentence !

One common paraphrasing error is dividing sentences into individual words and finding synonyms for each.The result is usually always a string of words which have no overall meaning when read together. Look at the below “paraphrase”.

• In some areas of the US , a ‘curfew’ is imposed, in which teenagers are not allowed to be out of doors after a particular time at night unless they are accompanied by an adult . What is your opinion about this?
• In few territories of the US , young children are forbidden to trespass areas which are often subject to curfew at night until they come with a mature person.

This is a example taken from one of my student’s essays. Look at how they have tried to directly paraphrase each section of the task separately. I have colour-coded it to help you. While some of the paraphrases are quite good (for example the green exchange or “are not allowed” for “are forbidden to”)  but many are poor, and when you read the full sentence it very hard to find any real meaning.

Remember, a person who has never seen the original question should be able to understand your paraphrase easily!

Want to know steps 6 – 10?

Are you enjoying this lesson? Then you can listen to the final 5 steps to IELTS paraphrasing success by listening to our podcast episode, where Nick I and I continue the conversation!

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How to effectively paraphrase in the ielts writing section.

In the IELTS Writing section, paraphrasing plays a vital role in showcasing your language proficiency and ability to restate information accurately. Effective paraphrasing not only demonstrates your understanding of the given prompts and sources but also helps to enhance the coherence and cohesion of your essay. By employing various techniques such as synonyms, restructuring sentence patterns, and altering word forms, you can successfully convey the same meaning while presenting your ideas in a fresh and original manner. This guide aims to provide you with valuable tips and strategies to master the art of paraphrasing in the IELTS Writing section , enabling you to express yourself fluently and impressively.

Six things to learn to paraphrase effectively in the IELTS Writing section

Mastering the art of effective paraphrasing involves several key steps that are crucial for enhancing your language skills. This blog outlines six essential tasks that will aid you in becoming proficient in the art of paraphrasing.

By following these steps, you can refine your ability to restate information accurately and coherently, enabling you to excel in expressing ideas in your own unique way:

1. Embrace synonyms for originality and avoid plagiarism

Synonyms encompass distinct words that convey identical meanings. For instance, 'currency' serves as a synonym for 'money' or 'funds,' while 'weary' acts as a synonym for 'tired' or 'exhausted.'

Through the utilisation of synonyms, you can proficiently substitute a series of words with alternative choices without altering the fundamental essence of the sentence. It is crucial to employ words that possess identical meanings rather than merely resembling them, as this can result in penalties during assessments.

Consider the following sentence:

• We are heading to Disneyland for a well-deserved holiday

This can be readily transformed into:

• We are traveling to Disney for our well-earned vacation

The key lies in ensuring that the meaning remains unaltered, and it is essential to employ only those words with which you are completely familiar, enabling you to achieve a high score without the risk of being penalised.

2. Redefining meaning through word order alteration

One crucial skill in the art of paraphrasing is the ability to modify the word order within a sentence. This entails adding or omitting words, as well as substituting specific words with alternatives.

• We are famished and would like to quickly head to the Chinese Restaurant for dinner

You can alter the word order as follows:

• We are rushing towards the Chinese restaurant for dinner because we are famished

While rearranging the word order, it is imperative to ensure that the resulting sentence maintains grammatical coherence and remains free of errors. Furthermore, you can enhance the effectiveness of your paraphrasing by incorporating synonyms into the process.

3. Enhancing paraphrasing through word form variation

An effective technique for paraphrasing sentences involves altering the form of words. This can be achieved by interchanging nouns with verbs or verbs with adjectives interchangeably.

Consider the following example:

• Many children are terrified of entering the spooky house alone during Halloween

You can paraphrase the sentence by modifying the word forms of 'entering', 'terrified', 'spooky', and 'alone'.

• Many children lack the courage to venture into the frightful-looking house unaccompanied on Halloween

By manipulating word forms, you not only demonstrate your adaptability in the English language but also exhibit a profound vocabulary, enabling you to achieve higher scores in your Writing assessment.

4. Transitioning from active to passive voice for enhanced writing skills

A valuable skill in tackling the discursive essay and engaging with diverse perspectives during the IELTS Writing test is the ability to seamlessly shift between active and passive voice.

This can be effortlessly achieved by identifying the direct object within a sentence and relocating it to the sentence's beginning while eliminating the action and modifying the verb's form.

For instance:

• Most of the students are reading the magazines

You can transform this sentence into a passive voice by placing 'magazines' at the start of the sentence, removing the action of reading, and adjusting the verb's form.

• The magazines are being read by most of the students

Mastering the art of transitioning from active to passive voice showcases your proficiency in writing and adds depth to your linguistic repertoire, thereby leading to improved performance in the IELTS Writing test .

5. Restructuring sentences for effective paraphrasing

A powerful technique for paraphrasing involves altering the structure of a sentence while preserving its core meaning.

• Many students struggle in their tests because they do not put in the hard work and practice enough

You can observe that the sentence consists of two clauses: "Many students struggle in their tests" and "because they do not put in the hard work and practice enough."

To rephrase the sentence, simply interchange the order and modify certain word forms to achieve a more natural flow.

• The main reasons why students struggle in their tests are not working hard and not practicing enough

While the meaning of the sentence remains intact, the structure has been transformed. By skilfully adjusting sentence structures, you demonstrate your aptitude for paraphrasing while retaining the intended message.

6. Embark on paraphrasing with sample tests

A remarkable approach to commence your paraphrasing journey is by practicing directly on sample tests. Engaging with actual test materials not only enables you to refine your skills in fixed sentences but also empowers you to master the art of paraphrasing.

By attempting timed writing exercises using authentic sample test topics, you will swiftly grasp the art of rephrasing both your own ideas and the information provided. This immersive experience will propel your progress exponentially.

By immersing yourself in the practical application of paraphrasing within a time-constrained environment, you will make significant strides in honing your skills and achieving remarkable improvement.

Prepare for the IELTS test with IDP

Ensure your readiness for the IELTS Writing test by taking advantage of IDP's invaluable resources today. With IDP as your trusted companion, you'll gain access to a wealth of study materials , expert guidance, and practical tips that will empower you to excel in the exam.

From understanding the test format and task types to mastering the art of effective essay writing, IDP provides the comprehensive support you need to boost your confidence and achieve your desired score. Don't wait any longer - start your journey towards IELTS success with IDP and pave the way for a bright future today.

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How to paraphrase in academic task 1

Home  »  IELTS academic task 1 » How to paraphrase

Paraphrasing is an essential skill for both academic task 1 and  task 2 .

And, as you probably know, it’s also extremely useful for the IELTS reading and IELTS listening components of the IELTS exam .

In this tutorial you will learn: 

• The essentials of paraphrasing
• A structure for your academic task report
• A complete list of phrases and terms to help you (over 14 terms)
• Resources of high level graphic descriptions

Paraphrasing involves manipulating the words in a sentence or phrase so that they read differently but convey the same meaning. It is also called re-writing, and you should learn to do it before taking your IELTS test.

It can also help in listening and reading tests, though it’s mainly used in speaking and writing. Simply put, you’ll have a better chance of achieving your desired score if you know how to paraphrase.

To learn the paraphrasing skill to perfection, you can always take assistance from a paraphrasing tool that expresses the same idea in different ways.

Paraphrasing requires mental processes and can help you understand questions better; this is one reason why I encourage students to paraphrase test questions before answering them.

In task 1, the first sentence must always be a paraphrased version of the question / title. Paraphrasing (or re-writing) can be done in a number of ways, but the easiest is to replace words with their synonyms.

You can prove to the examiner that you have a broad vocabulary and that you can use it effectively by paraphrasing the sentence using a few simple synonyms. This will score you more points in the test.

This should be your initial paragraph and you should let your examiner know you’re starting a new one by skipping a line.

An example description of a question from an IELTS Task 1 is shown below:

The proportion of the population aged 50 and above in three different states in the USA between 1920 and 2020 is shown in the graphs below.

I can quickly craft a good description by paraphrasing this description:

The line graphs compare the percentage of individuals aged 50 and above, as measured over a century in three U.S. states.

Information about the per-capita percentage of car ownership between 2000 and 2005 in the USA is given in the chart below.

Summarize the information by making comparisons where necessary and picking out and reporting on the main features.

First sentence

The increase in car ownership between 2000 and 2005 in the USA is shown in the chart.

When should we paraphrase on IELTS?

You need to paraphrase a phrase, word or an idea in several ways in IELTS writing task 1 and 2.

For instance, if you use the word "school" in a paragraph, use words like "university", "academic institution" or "college" in the rest of the essay.

How does a re-written sentence fit into the remaining part of my essay?

The second paragraph of an essay with four paragraphs should be the overview:

• Paragraph 1- Paraphrased sentence
• Paragraph 2- Overview
• Paragraph 3- Details
• Paragraph 4- Details

Writing the overview before the details lets the examiner know that you understand the main features and helps you when you write out the details. That's why I tell my students to do it. You simply take the points you stated in your overview and back them up with data in the details paragraphs.

Is a conclusion necessary?

Not at all. Conclusions are just a summary of your opinions or ideas. Writing a conclusion is not mandatory, because this is not an opinion essay. Save your conclusions for task 2 .

Here are some common words/phrases and their paraphrased versions:

• chart = bar chart ( click here to learn how to describe a bar chart )
• graph = line graph
• shows = illustrates (or 'compares' if the graph is comparing)
• diagram = figure
• people in the UK = British
• people in Australia = Australians
• information = data
• from 1997 to 2000 = between 1997 and 2000
• the number of = the figure for
• from 1997 to 2000 = over a period of 3 years = over three years
• the proportion of = the figure for
• how to produce = the process of producing
• proportion = percentage (segment and fraction are also useful terms for describing a pie chart )
• in three countries = in the UK, Australia and New Zealand (i.e., name the countries)

Tips for answering a map question

Here are practical ways to help you get the first sentence in task 1 completed correctly and more quickly:

• Look at the question and the title of the graph/chart. You'll get to know what you need to write.
• Never copy all the words in the question -you can’t do this, because the examiner will not count those words when evaluating your work
• Don't change all the words in the question. Instead, change some and keep others.
• You can’t repeat whole sentences and long phrases, but you can borrow words. Also, remember that some common or technical words cannot be easily replaced.
• Be sure to include the main ideas/points in the question, and write the main topic of the chart/graph.
• With practice, one sentence or maybe two shorter ones will be enough – don’t write too much here.
• Describe the topic in the first sentence – don’t try to write a summary of the entire chart's details.
• Read a newspaper article and write a summary yourself. Show it to a friend. Here are some samples of academic task 1 essays. And here are some professional non-ielts sources written by experts: Economist Daily Chart , Guardian Data .
• The phrase "figures for/the figure for" is a good one that most people don't use. For example, 'figures for unemployment in 5 countries are shown on the graph'.
• You’ll be able to write the introduction for task 1 swiftly and start the test confidently if you practice this strategy.

Now that we understand the exam’s marking system, we can prevent common errors that reduce scores and give the examiners exactly what they want.

Audio tutorial

You can download or listen to the audio version here:

| Direct Download Here | Stitcher | iTunes | Spotify | Soundcloud | Transcript |

More useful IELTS Academic Task 1 lessons:

• Academic Task 1 Sample Essays
• How to describe a pie chart
• Bar Chart IELTS
• How to describe a map
• Describe an image 
• Describe a natural process
• How to describe a table
• Line graph sample answer
• Marking criteria for Task 1
• Map vocabulary for IELTS Task 1
• How to describe a flow chart
• Essential skills for Task 1
• How to get band 9 for academic task 1
• How to describe a process diagram
• Free Essay Band Score Evaluation
• Sign up to claim your free IELTS materials
• Jump to Band 7 or it’s Free
• IELTS Writing Evaluation
• IELTS Band Score Calculator
• Book Your Online IELTS Test
• Sample Topic Answers
• Useful Sentences
• Sample Task 2 Questions 2022
• Introduction to Paraphrasing
• Model Band 9 Essay
• Five Band 9 Words
• Model Band 7 Essay
• Differences Band 9 vs Band 7 Essay
• Band 6.5 Essay
• Academic Collocations
• Topic Sentences
• Discuss Both Views
• Tutorial: To What Extent Essays
• Paraphrasing Introductions
• Essay Structures
• Essay Plans
• Describe a Pie Chart
• Using Percentages
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Paraphrasing and IELTS: Is it Really Important?

Posted by David S. Wills | Mar 9, 2021 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 0

It is often said that IELTS students should paraphrase the question when writing an essay, but is this really good advice? In this article, I will explain why paraphrasing can help you… but also why it might cause problems that hold you back.

Here is a summary of the lesson in visual form:

The Benefits of Paraphrasing

First of all, let’s look at the positives. Indeed, there is a good reason why so many teachers and textbooks encourage you to read the question and paraphrase it: Doing so shows that you have interpreted the question and then are capable of putting it into your own words. This is quite important.

Let’s say you are given this question:

The prevention of health problems and illness is more important than treatment and medicine. Government funding should reflect this. To what extent do you agree?

You might decide to paraphrase the question like this:

Some people think that it is better to use government funding to prevent health problems than to spend money on treatments.

Is there anything wrong with this? Not really. It shows the examiner that you have understood the question and that you have the skill to re-state it in your own words. This is a positive thing.

The Drawbacks of Paraphrasing

Unfortunately, paraphrasing is not always the best approach to writing a first sentence to your essay. Indeed, there are several problems with it.

1. Paraphrasing Causes Grammatical Flaws

First of all, when you try to paraphrase a question, you will normally have to change the grammar of the sentence. Note that my example above turned “prevention of health problems” into “prevent health problems.” We often turn verbs into nouns and vice versa.

This is fine if you have a very high-level grasp of English grammar, but the effort of paraphrasing usually results in a variety of errors. Here is an example of one student’s effort to paraphrase the above question:

Treating and medicine investment from government is essential than prevent the health problem.

Unfortunately, the grammar here is not good and would indicate that this candidate is at a band 5 level or lower. This is one of the most common outcomes of attempting to paraphrase the question, and a good reason why you shouldn’t do it.

2. Paraphrasing Causes Unnatural Language

In addition to the grammatical errors that frequently occur when people attempt to paraphrase IELTS questions, there is an abundance of unnatural language. This means language that is not exactly wrong, but is also not quite right. That might mean archaic styles or very unusual vocabulary.

For example, to offer another paraphrasing of the above question, an IELTS candidate might write the following:

Some people think that impeding ailments is more important correcting them.

Whilst the grammar here is basically fine, the words used are quite unusual. This may be because the candidate is trying to use “ uncommon vocabulary ” (which I often tell people is a horrible approach to IELTS) but it could just be an attempt at finding synonyms. It will probably lower your score for Lexical Resource .

Remember that in English there is not always a perfect synonym for every word. In fact, perfect synonyms are relatively rare because words have different specific meanings and subtle connotations.

3. Paraphrasing Can Cause Logical Errors

One quite common problem is that people paraphrase the statement and then either agree or disagree with it. The problem is that anything you say is your own opinion, so you are agreeing or disagreeing with yourself!

Here’s an example:

Preventing health problems is more important than treating them and so governments should spend more of their budget on this. I disagree with this statement and this essay will explain why.

This person has paraphrased the question but in doing so they have presented the idea in the question as their own idea. When they disagree, they are disagreeing with their own idea!

Obviously, this is a massive problem that needs to be avoided. You can do so by using one of these expressions:

• Some people think that…
• It is often argued that…
• Many people believe that…
• It has been said that…

Here’s a video that goes into more depth on this issue:

The Trouble with Synonyms

Let’s say you want to paraphrase the above question. You might wrack your brain for synonyms for the word “treatment.” A thesaurus would give you the following:

Unfortunately, these are not exact synonyms. If you replaced “treatment” with “hospitalisation” (that’s the British spelling), then you would be talking about one very specific aspect of treatment. If you talked about “analysis,” it is related to treatment but not the same thing. The same is true of “prescription” and “operation.” These are kinds of treatment but not actually synonyms.

The word “people” is often used but is notoriously difficult to paraphrase. Most words with a similar meaning have some specific meaning that might be unsuitable for your particular purpose. You might benefit from an article about synonyms for people .

Thus, the process of paraphrasing is fraught with problems. You might have a wide vocabulary, but it is not easy – even for a native speaker – to re-write a sentence in a completely new way.

Should I Paraphrase for IELTS Essays?

I tell my students that paraphrasing is usually a good idea for IELTS writing task 1 but a bad idea for task 2 . This is because the requirements of task 1 are simply to report on the data in front of you. You do not need to add anything else into the mix. However, for task 2, you will draw upon your own ideas and knowledge, meaning that you can address bigger issues.

Going back to the previous question, here is how I would start my essay:

In many countries, government spending on healthcare is a major economic burden. Problems like obesity and heart disease are crippling healthcare systems, and some people suggest that rather than raise taxes to pay for treatments, more money should be invested in preventing these illnesses in the first place. This essay will argue that prevention is better than treatment.

I like to follow this approach for my task 2 introductions :

• A general statement that introduces the wider topic.
• A more specific statement that focuses on the precise issues raised in the question.
• An essay overview or a statement of my position on the issue.

In other words, I am going from a very broad statement to a very narrow one.

Let’s see another example:

Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both of these views and give your own opinion.

Following my previous advice, I would introduce this essay in the following way:

It is quite common nowadays for successful athletes to earn tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars per year through a combination of their salary, bonuses, and sponsorship deals. When this is compared against people who do other important jobs, it seems absurd that these people earn so much. This essay will look at both views, before deciding that it is reasonable for these people to earn so much.

Again, I have started with a big overview of the main idea, then focused in on a more specific aspect. This is a great way of introducing many topics that occur in IELTS writing task 2.

The Advantages of Not Paraphrasing

As you have seen, I have been able to write interesting and original introductions by avoiding the trap of paraphrasing the question. This allows me to produce good sentences that are error-free and show my own thinking. This has the following benefits:

• I can avoid overly complicated sentence structures.
• I can use my own preferred vocabulary.
• It will be original and engaging for the examiner.

When you try to paraphrase the question, you will usually be forced into making unnatural and difficult changes, so consider moving away from this approach and finding your own voice.

How to Avoid Paraphrasing

Finally, let’s take a moment to think about how we could avoid paraphrasing a question. Indeed, it can sometimes be difficult to get the question out of our head and use our own words.

First of all, I would suggest reading the question very carefully several times to get a good understanding of it. After that, turn the question paper over and write your introduction without looking back at the question.

You can go back and check later to see if you have gotten it right, but put your ideas on paper based upon your interpretation of the question. Looking away will really help because it will stop you drawing too much inspiration from the words in the question.

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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IELTS Writing Task 2: Paraphrasing Practice

IELTS writing task 2 paraphrasing practice exercise. To get a good mark in IELTS writing task 2 for the criterion of vocabulary, you need to be able to paraphrase. The exercise below is a chance for you to practice your paraphrasing skills.

The answers for this exercise have now been posted below. No more writing should be posted for this lesson. But you can still learn from completing the exercise on your own and checking your writing with the answers provided.

Paraphrase the words in this paragraph using the words in the box below. Only paraphrase a word if you are sure it is appropriate to do so.

Many people, when driving their cars, go over the speed limit in city centers. As a way of solving this, the government should put more speed cameras on major streets to put people off  speeding. If this is done, more people who speed will be caught and this problem will eventually be solved.

Paraphrasing Options

You do not need to use all the words. You must decide which words to use and which words not to use.

town         an answer            the law           install         motorway         stop        humans         put away         authorities               exceed               deter  from         directly          riding        ought to            key             by doing this            arrested       vehicles               resolved             citizens            large            caught red handed             speed prevention             increasing       urban

Answers and Advice

Please see the answers given below:

Many people, when driving their cars, exceed  the speed limit in urban centers . As a way of solving this, the authorities ought to install more speed cameras on major streets to deter people from  speeding. By doing this , more people who speed will be caught and this problem will eventually be resolved .

Common Mistakes and Explanations

• Collocation: drive a car, not ride a car. We use the verb “ride” with bicycles.
• A town is not a city.  You can write “city center” or “urban center”. A town is much smaller and this essay is not about small towns and villages.
• The government can usually be paraphrased with the word “authorities”.
• The word “should” can be paraphrased as “ought to”. This is a common paraphrase.
• If you are writing about setting up or putting up equipment, you can use the word “install”.
• “to deter” is used to put people off committing a crime or an offence. It is actually a better word to use than “put off” for formal essay writing.
• “By doing this” and “As a way of solving this” both have the same meaning in this context. You can’t write “As an answer for solving this” – it isn’t correct English even though the meaning is the same.
• “people” are people. We rare use the word “citizen” in an essay about transport. However, it would be acceptable to use it in the second sentence which refers to the government.
• “people” cannot be paraphrased as “humans” except in one context – please watch the video below to learn. Any student making this mistake is not studying effectively. The video below explains this very clearly so you should not be making this mistake.
• “caught red handed” must be written as it is shown. You can never write “caught red”. There are three words in this idiom. However, this expression is mainly for theft or other crimes in which a person is caught face to face by the police. It can’t be used for speed offences caught by camera.
• “vehicles” is used when we don’t know what type of transport is being written about or when we refer to different types. This essay is about cars only which means you can’t use the word “vehicle”.
• This paragraph is about “streets”. This is not the same as a “motorway”. A motorway is a very large road outside a city which contains two or three lines in both directions for heavy traffic.

Results and Advice

• If you had one mistakes, it is acceptable for band 7 or 8.
• If you have two or three mistakes, it is around band 6.
• More Mistakes = Lower Score
• You need to learn both the use and meaning of a word.
• Don’t aim for range until you can achieve accuracy.
• When you learn a noun or verb, learn the full collocation.
• When you learn a word, learn when you can and cannot use it.
• When you learn an idiom, learn if the words can be changed or not.

Best Writing Posted:

Well done to Esmaeil Bahmyari ! You wrote very well indeed but don’t avoid using the word “people”, it is the correct and most appropriate word to use for this essay. You have the potential to well with your level of English.

To all other students, I hope you learn to be careful when paraphrasing. Try to avoid making errors. You can see that a band score 9 student does not paraphrase continuously.

I hope you benefited from this lesson. I will put similar lessons up in the future if you found it useful.

Video: Paraphrasing Tips

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Many people when driving their vehicles exceed the speed limit in city centers. As a way of resolving this, the authorities should install more speed cameras on major streets to deter people from speeding. By doing this, more people who speeds will be caught and eventually this problem will be resolved.

The authorities ought to install more cameras in urban centers to prevent the exceeding the speed limit by a large number of drivers. By doing this the authorities will manage to resolve the problem and deter motorists from speeding.

Hello Liz, Greetings from Cameroon and thank you for the tips it’s really help me. I would like to know what’s appropriate concerning the writing section American or British english for example the word center (American) and centre (British) which form is correct ? Thanks a bunch.

You can find your answer on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-help-faq/ . Look at question 5 of the test info section and review all other sections.

Lot of peaple go over the speed when they are driving in the urban cities. So govenment thoght putting more camaras in the street can be cought the person who drive more speed and they think problem will be resolved eventualy.

Establishing more speed monitoring systems such as speed cameras would be integral for the authorities, since more people are getting over the speed limits while driving. As more violators will be caught if more monitoring exhibits, less and less people will be willing to cross the limits.

Exceeding speed limits while driving is commonly seen in city centres. The government installing more speed cameras on the streets can be seen as a solution to this problem. This will ensure that more violators are punished and will prevent over speeding in urban areas.

Sometimes drivers exceed legal speed in towns. Because of the possible dangers, authorities should install more control cameras in the streets. Preventing predicted consequences could happen by arresting citizens who do not respect speed limits.

the people, when driving vehicles exceed the speed limit in urban centers, Authorities resolved this by installing speed cameras on streets to deter drivers from the law. By doing this, a large number of people have been arrested and this can be a good solution for this problem.

Most residents may ignore limitation of speed and surpass it. One way to defeat this problem is that governments should impose a limitation on speed. This goal having been achieved by checking speed with cameras at the road of cities.

Majority of drivers nowadays go beyond the implemented speed limits inside premises of cities, hence, it is expected that the ruling body should install speed cameras on major streets to demotivate such act and eventually solving the current issue.

Over speeding while driving is considered a problematic issue mostly in city centres. It is often suggested that in order to solve this issue, authorities should install more speed cameras on major streets to catch offender drivers and decrease over speeding in urban areas.

A large number of people exceed their speed limit while driving their cars. One possible solution to resolve this issue could be that the higher authorities should install more speed detection devices, especially on main roads to slow down people’s driving speed. By doing this, humans can be caught red-handed, and finally, the issue would be minimized.

I trust you are doing well. I wrote my test yesterday and I’d like to thank you immensely for the wealth of knowledge and information on this website and in particular, your Ideas for IELTS Essay book. I purchased it 5 days before my actual test and had to burn the midnight candle to go through all the topics. It was indeed an invaluable resource.

My task 2 topic : some people think that there is less communication between family members these days compared to the last few years. Do you agree/disagree. Give your opinion.

Task 1 topic: You just got an international job, write a letter to your former boss/ex-employer requesting for a reference letter.

A tip for everbody- on test day, I’d advise you tackle the task 2 essay first because it carries more marks and the time moves INCREDIBLY FAST!

Good luck with your results 🙂

Owing to the problem, those who drive cars over the limit at high speed in city centers, which is usually a rushy area. Despite a warning by the government, people considered it a casual way of driving, whereas putting more cameras is the most effective solution in consequences by which speedy drivers can be caught very easily.

Lot of people, cross the speed limit while driving their cars in urban centers. One of the way to solve this issue is that authorities should install more speed cameras on major streets to deter people from over speeding. With the help of this, more people exceeding the speed will be caught and this problem eventually will get resolved.

Personally I think “cross the speed limit” is not correct, it should be “exceed the speed limit”. Moreover, “to speed” means move quickly; so no need to use “over speeding”. The word “issue” is not appropriate in this paragraph, I suppose. Maybe “bad situation” is a better one, or just keep the word “problem”. 🙂

An attempt to solve speeding problems in downtown areas it is expected from the authorities to install an additional number of speed cameras on the most significant streets which, if done correctly will result in higher number of speed offenders to be captured and a gradual solution to this problem.

It would mean a lot if Miss Liz (or anyone) can point out any error if there’s any.

Two possible paraphrases I have managed to come up with:

1. Government should install many surveillance devices to discourage speeding automobiles since there are high number of people who cross the speed limit at the central town. Perhaps, this would enable law enforcement bring down those in speed violation and at the end put a full stop for this problem.

2. Towards solving the problem of speeding vehicle, the government should installing several surveillance devices, which acts as a harbinger of the consequences, because there are several people who have drove their automobiles over the speed limit in the central town. Implementing this, enables law enforcement to bring down those in violation, and at the end put an end to this problem.

Citizens,when driving their cars,go over the speed limit in city centers,In other way of solving this, the authorities should put more speed cameras on major streets for speed prevention and this issue will eventually be solved.

More often, many citizens while driving their car through the city, exceed the speed limits. To have a check over, speed cameras should be installed on the major streets of the cities. By doing so, the speed limits of the cars will be regulated, as the cameras would catch the rash drivers red handed.

I have just started surfing around, on your website and I am aiming for 7.5 band score of writing section in time period of 3 months (I got TOEFL IBT few year ago). This is really brilliant how you explained the answer for this example. Can I find more of this example somewhere? I am also wondering if there exists ”writing task correction” service available on your website which students can buy? .

I’m glad this was helpful 🙂 You can use the red menu bar to find what you need on this site. This site contains over 300 pages of free lessons, tips etc. Sorry, I don’t offer a marking service. I only offer Advanced Writing Task 2 lessons as extra: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Most people while driving in city centers exceeds the permitted limit for speed.This issue can be addressed by installing speed cameras on most popular streets to inhibit provocation .This will enable the authorities to capture evidence and penalize the violators of the law.

I need feedback .

Thank you Liz, your materials are helpful

this is mine. hope you correct me.

people often break the speed limit when driving their in the centre of a city. as an attempt to solve this. the ministry should install more trafic enforcement camera on the main street, to prevent people from speeding. if everything is set up. this will rise the number of people who get caught when they speed up. And this problem will be solved.

thank your for readding

Hello Liz, Kindly let me know, these four Linking word have same meaning “Due to, Owing to, By the virtue of, On account of. For instance, I must go to office today due to short of attendance.

Regards Khan

We don’t use “by virtue of” any more. Otherwise, they have the same meaning – but this doesn’t mean you can use them in the same way. Always review how the grammar structure changes.

Speeding while driving cars, which has become a problem in the city centres, can be curtailed by using speed cameras on motorways. By the installation of cameras, the people who exceed the speed limit will be caught. This will ultimately help authorities to resolve this problem.

While some “Commentators” believe…., other “analysts” defend the idea.

Is Using Commentators and Analysts in spite of People correct? Are they accurate synonyms of people?

It is not normal to use such language in IELTS essays. I would avoid it. The opinions are from people – not analysts. And the word “commentators” is an inappropriate word to use. There are many words you can paraphrase in your essay- the word “people” isn’t usually one of them. Please watch the video above again which explains about being more careful with paraphrasing.

Ought to exceeding the speed limit in urban cities by large number of drivers, the government can maintain this issue by installing cameras in main roads as a result, people who doing this can be arrested, which in turn this problem can be gradually solved.

Usally in city areas, people drive their car faster han in village areas. The government can solve this problem by installing more speed cameras on the major streets. Realizing that that the drivers are being constantly monitored, they will start driving slowly eventually.

Increasing number of people speed up their cars while driving in city centers. To overcome this problem, authorities ought to install speed cameras on major streets to keep drivers under the speeding limit. By doing this, overspeeding drivers will be caught and this problem will eventually be resolved.

Most of the people are exceeding their speed limits while driving their vehicles. As a result, the local authorities should take charge to shut down the rash drivers by keeping speed sensors and cameras in the major areas. If they accomplished the above idea ,then we can see the reduction in this problem .

These days, numerous shows related to the crime are broadcasted on the television. As a consequence lot of violence taking place giving birth to numerous criminal activities. Therefore, it is said that such a program should not be telecast. I strongly agree with this statement and will discuss in upcoming paragraphs.

First and foremost, nowadays, the most people more time to spend in mass media. It is responsible for framing through a human process. Therefore, it should be banned. Mostly young ones follow serials on television and its effects adversely on their mindset. For instance, in India, there is a program called Crime Patrol which talks about the different crimes and how those crimes are committed by criminals. Definitely, after watching this kind of telecast, the youngster may become delinquent, feeling that they would also appear on television if they do something of that sort.

Furthermore, some people instead of considering such serial as the part of an awareness program. programs grasp various ways and misuse them getting templated result in diverting them towards the path of crime. Although, it is a source whichever provided with a solution by watched shows. People adopt certain techniques and strategies come out of various problems an encounter ever in life. Yet, it is a total time wasting because of this type of show just a part of the entertainment. Overall, I strongly agree with this statement these programs should be stopped, it is less fruitful and more drawbacks. Moreover, it does not provide a particular knowledge of awareness.

I tried practice on writing tasks. But there is grammatical errors, plz guide me. How to improve it.

Your problem relates to your English language, not your exam skills. This means you need an English language website or a local teacher. Google online to find English language websites.

Many driver have tendency to do overspeeding in urban center while driving car. it is thought by some people that key way to overcome this is to install more speed cameras on major street by government. This will certainly result in catching more overspeeding drivers.

Urban drivers,overspeed their cars in city centers.To solve it, officials have to keep an eye on them through installing speed cameras on main streets to keep them under speed limit.This way whoever will speedup their cars will be arrested and problem will be resolved.

Majority of people, while driving cars, Saturate the speed limit in urban centre. To overcome this problem management should install possible number of speed cameras on streets.

mostly people living in the urban arease drive carelessly beying the exceeding limits. to overcome this problem, authorities should take control by putting some laws and rules like speed camers over the main areas of the town. if it is to be done than the law breakers can be eaily caught red handed and peope will automatically follow the rules.

liz can u check my parapharse sentence.. i am writing again and again but u r not replying me plz reply me

I do not offer a marking service.

We have to paraphrase in General IELTS essay as well. I am asking this because in one of the video you said that this is for academic. Kindly clear my doubt.

There is no difference between the GT and Academic writing task 2 techniques. You write the essays in exactly the same way. If you want to learn more about essay writing for IELTS, purchase my advanced lessons: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Hi Liz Your lessons are very helpful Please can “the amount of meat” be paraphrased as “the quantity of meat” ?

Yes, that’s fine 🙂

Hi liz, please can we use individuals as a synonym for people.

Synonyms must be used in the right context and in the right way. Individuals is certainly a synonym that can be used, but you must learn when and how to use it.

While driving in the busy parts of city, many people drive their cars at such speed which is usually well above the authorized speed limit. To encounter, authorities must install more speed cameras to monitor the drivers effectively. Consequently, more violators will be be caught that will eventually resolve the issue of over speeding.

Over-speeding is a major problem in cities as many drivers tend to drive above the allowed speed limits. A possible solution to this problem is the installation of surveillance cameras on the highways in order to apprehend offenders. This will deter people from over-speeding and will eventually solve the problem on the long run.

I read the list of uncountable nouns. Isn’t tea is the countable noun? I am confused. Regards Sonia.

No, it is uncountable. You can have “a cup of tea”. When people say “would you like a tea?”, it is informal and the full meaning is “would you like a cup of tea?”.

my l/r/w was on 2/12/2017. A true false not given question was: The railway company owns 18,000 wagons. In the passage it was just mentioned in “all 18,000 wagons are washed every 28 days”. as it was not mentioned that the company owns it or if they are on lease. I answered Not Given. your views please

For this question, you need to refer to the whole paragraph or at least the five or six sentences surrounding that statement. It is common in IELTS that your answer will not be found in one sentence only and references might be made in other sentences.

Morning Liz,what is the difference between highways and motorways. Also,kindly check if highways is acceptable for my paraphrasing: Authorities ought to install speed cameras on the major roads because majority of the people tend to over speed along the main highways. Placing these cameras would make offenders caught,and thus resolving the issue

There difference is US English and UK English. For writing, you need to choose one only. For speaking, it is fine to have a mixed accent as long as pronunciation is easy to understand.

Several people, drive above the stipulated speed limit when driving their vehicles.As a method of combating this,there should be more speed cameras installed on major streets to stop people over speeding.More people will be apprehended when this takes effect and thus leads to an end to over speeding.

Citizen mostly exceed speed limits while riding their personal vehicle in the motorways. This can be put to end, by installing surveillance / monitoring camera in major streets and some other strategic locations where over-speeding can be monitored and noticed by the authority.

Wao. Have realized my mistakes.

To combat the problem of overspeeding in city centres, government should install more surveillance cameras on big streets, which will help to catch offenders and alleviate the menace.

In order to restrict people from driving cars above the speed limit, the government should impose strict rules such as installing speed cameras on busy streets which will be an incentive to overcome the consequences of speedy cars.

Hey, Liz I have paraphrased the above question as- In order to avoid over-speeding, which is very common in city centers, the Government has decided to install more speed cameras to qualify people from over-speeding. The authorities believe that after the installation of speed cameras the problem will be abated and in my opinion, the Government will get the desired results and the problem will be resolved.

Thanks Liz, informative and good for learning and introspection!

Hi Liz. I enjoyed watching your lessons and the same time I learn a lot about the Ielts exam. Actually my exam is on 14 October 2017. Im a little bit nervous. Writing essay task1 and task2 is the hardest part. Any advise please. Thank you.

hi liz, My name is Vishwas from India, My question is, is there any prescribed structure for IELTS task 2 writing part which guarantee the high band. please reply. Thanking you in anticipation.

No. Most essays will have either two body paragraphs or three. But it depends on your main points and what you want to say. The examiner is marking you on logic – so organise logically.

Thanks Liz. Tomorrow is my LRW pray for me

Thanku liz for such paraphrasing practice.please upload more such videos. Thanks.

Thank you ma’am for this lesson.I have really learnt a lot today.

Its a wonderful exercise , would you be kind enough to provide more exercises like this or share any link , where I can do more practice.

Sure, I’ll try to put more lessons like this up. Thanks for letting me know it was useful 🙂

Yes please do it…so usefu. Thank you

Hello Liz, I watched your video “how to write introduction” and have a question. If we are asked ” discuss this view and give your own opinion”, background statement and thesis statement in our introduction is the same ?

Yes, it’s the same technique. Paraphrase the essay question for the background and write your opinion as the thesis.

Hai mam, during speaking test , if I can’ t hear or understand the question, requesting for repeating the question may affect my score..??

It won’t affect your score. It is fine to say “Could you repeat that, please”.

Hi Liz, can I use highways for major streets? Thanks

You will need to check in a dictionary. It is American and I’m British.

Hello, liz im adithya should we write both “BACK GROUND STMT” and “THESIS STMT” in the introduction or any one is enough ?

Watch this free video lesson about writing introductions: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2-how-to-write-an-introduction/

Hello Liz, I am sadiya, Can you please check my errors in below writing task 2. so that I can rectify my mistakes. i will be thankfull

The relative importance of main aim of advertising the various product on television to attract teenagers has been targeted should be prohibited. which can not be fully agreed, has now become more controversial. The substantial influence of the different advertisements of various products included in different categories has sparked the controversy over the potential impact of this advertising trend in this recent years.it can be argued that it has some advantages on advertisements, but it has some drawbacks as well. This essay will elaborate both the positive and negative impact of advertisements resembling two sides of the single coin. Which usually runs in parallel and then will lead’s to the logical conclusion. At the outset, there are numerous ways to benefit the young children. The most conspicuous one is advertisements of various products which are used in daily life to improve the health as well standard of living according to status. Firstly, coming to improve or save the economic cost by spending on the product which is worth full in daily life. Like some branded products helpful in the kitchen with latest options as the technology has been fully developed. ex: which reduces the time spent in the kitchen for cooking, watching utensil, cleaning floors. Secondly, various health conscious product is known which help of advertisement, to cure the various minor diseases like cough syrup, pain reliefs painkillers, and healthy shakes so on.Thirdly, advertisements are beneficial to choose the good and cost effective product at less cost. The fourth one, the people are getting educated with these various adds in various ways, one of them is to maintain their personality lifestyle modification. Finally, people are knowing their rights to select the product and getting educated about the product before they are going to buy it,Products working status and its benefits has been compared with another. nevertheless, there remain some disadvantages, which can certainly, overwhelm the potential influence of advertisement on teenagers. But the most alarming one lies in the fact that the children are getting affected with advertisements via improper adds before their mindset has not well developed. There may chance of learning bad habits changing their social lifestyle.ex; smoking, chewing gutka, and other than this learning bad habits. Secondly, few adds are not proper for teenaged children like naked adds, getting addicted to television. from what has been discussed above it can be concluded that the impact of the advertising on children 70% is around beneficial and remaining 30% can be well handled by educating the children regarding good thing like having the proper diet, lifestyle modifications, learning how to improve the economic cost, learn the consumer rights.

Sorry, I don’t comment on writing. Make sure your introduction is only two sentences long. See the videos on this page to learn: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Hi Liz! Thank you for your videos. They’re very informative. I need your help though. Could you check if what I did was correct??

Q: Prevention is better than cure. Do you agree or disagree that out of the country’s health budget, a large proportion should be diverted from treatment to spending on health education and preventive measures.

A: The eradication of diseases is the focus of many countries in terms of health. However, disease prevention through health education is the lesser concern. In my view, the government should equally support both of these programs in terms of finances to create a better and healthier community.

This is my introduction. it took me almost 10 mins to formulate this one. What do you think??

What is the maximum limit of words for both task and can i use persnl words..?

Your answers are on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Can you please post more lessons of this kind. thank you.

I am a student of Ielts. now i want to sit for exam but my hand writing is not up to mark i have problem on Grammer and spelling, what will i do?

https://ieltsliz.com/liz-notice-2015-2016/

Hi Liz, Thanks very much for all your ielts tip,they are very useful. I just checked my results now and i got the required bands listening-7.5,Reading-8.0,Writing-7.0,Speaking-8.5. Once again thank you very much. Beatrice

Overall band score 8 – excellent!! A very good score which you should be proud of. I hope you can now go forward with confidence and achieve your future goals. Thanks for letting me know 🙂 Liz

Hllo liz I have required a great practice material, for improve my band score. My target was to achieve minimum 7 band score overall. But, i scored only 5.5 band as on 27 june, 2015. S- 5 L-5.5 R- 6 W- 4.5 now i again fill my exam that will be on 8 oct. so now i want want to attain best score. I really thankful to you, if you give me some help to attain my goal.

All my lessons and tips are on this blog. To get band score 7, you will need to develop your level of English. Students getting around band 5 in speaking and writing are making too many mistakes to be awarded band 6. You now have just under 3 months to improve your English language. Go to google and look for English language websites. All the best Liz

Thanks a lot for the great tips and lessons. I just got my result and I was able to increase my writing score to 6.5. However, I need to score minimum 7 in writing, so I will give it another try as soon as possible.

Best regards.

Hi Teacher,

My name is Santhosh and I would like to improve my writing skills very much to attain a band score of 7+. First of all, I would like to thank you very much that, your online videos were very helpful for me.

I took IELTS GT exam for 3 times to get a band score of 7+ in each modules and below are the score that I got:

L8, S7, R6.5, W5 L7, S7, R6, W6.5 L7, S6.5, R6, W6.5.

As you can see my writing is not upto the mark. Kindly provide an effective method to reach my goal and also I would like to do some practice exercise for planning and paraphrasing also, the link provided for paraphrasing practice is not available.

Thanks, Santhosh.

All lessons are listed on this blog. I don’t have extra lessons. All the best Liz

Thank you teacher,

While going through all the lesson’s and writing topics that you had provided in the website, I think it is sufficient enough for practice.

Thanks for providing good materials for the exam.

Thanks Santhosh

Hi, Liz. First of all, I would like to thank you for all of the amazing resources you have created. I watched many of your video lessons and used them to prepare for my IELTS Academic test. I got my results this week and they were: Listening 6.5, Reading 8, Writing 6.5, and Speaking 9. I’ve got nothing to complain about the Listening part because I got distracted during the first track and didn’t hear the exact words and also because I also had trouble with another conversation about giving directions in a building. I’m not good at giving and getting directions. Not even in my native language, so I know I must work on that. However, I am puzzled at my writing score. I am pretty sure I made no grammar nor spelling mistakes. I felt I did well on Writing Task 2 but perhaps my graph analysis was rather simple. I’ve read about other examinees complaining about having a hard time to score higher than 6.5 in the writing section. Any thoughts on this? What would you suggest to improve this score? Thanks.

Thanks a lot, Liz. I just emailed you my writing samples.

Hello liz…. M planning to appear fr ielts in the coming 2 weeks, the only problem I feel with me is with speaking part…. I have no problem with speaking English or framing sentences but then I use the word umm… aa…. Quite often while thinking about the next sentence which I can say… Will that affect my bands??

Yes, that will affect your score for the criterion of fluency. However, it won’t affect your score for grammar, vocabulary or pronunciation. All the best Liz

I want to check my writing mam could you please provide any link for that to caliculate. Because I don’t have any idea about my standard in writing english.

Try this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2-band-scores-5-to-8/ All the best Liz

Thank you so much mam

Hello Liz, I have one question for you. Currently, just I am preparing my self to take IELTS exam in the first week of August. Always I wonder on time management. So, to manage my time in relation to my experience, what if I do the written exam in the following order. 1. Listening 2. Writing 3. Reading Thank you for your consideration, and I eagerly awaits your response. Kind regards,

Don’t change the order of doing the skills. In fact, I’m not sure that you can. The time management is during the skill. For example, sticking with only 20 minutes for each reading passage and spending no more than 20 mins on writing task 1. All the best Liz

Large no of people while driving their cars overshoot the speed limit in city centres. To avoid this , governent should place extra cameras on major streets . This will ensure that people who overshoot would be caught .

hi liz teacher ,thank you so much to teach us beneficial points i really confuse in paraphrases but i learn alot of things from your lessons

I’m glad the lessons are useful 🙂 Liz

mam,i am very weak in task 2. Becoz,when i strat essay to cofuse, what i write

You will need to develop ideas for topics, learn how to organise ideas and also improve your level of English. In your message above, you made two spelling mistakes and also grammar mistakes. This means, to get over band 5, you will need to be able to write more accurately. Here’s a link to my writing lessons: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ . For English will need either a teacher or to find a website to help you. You can google that. All the best Liz

A number of people exceed the speed limit, while they are crossing in the urban areas. To solve this problem the authorities have to install speed cameras in main junctions To deter people from speeding. By doing this, many people who are driving crazily will be coughed and the problem will disappear.

This lesson is now closed. You will find the answer above in the lesson. Liz

Thank you Liz for your valuable instructions. I doubted in using “citizens” , but at last I used it. Regards

You did really well. 50% of your writing is based on your grammar and vocabulary. That means you will do well in those criteria. You should focus now on coherence & cohesion and task response. Good luck Liz

hello Liz my name is Anna :-Certain individuals used to exceed their vehicles speed limit in urban centers.Futhermore,authorities ought to overcome the issue by increasing the quantity of cameras on main streets to deter drivers from speeding.As a result ,people will stop to drive fast and the problem will be resolved completely.

A lot of car drivers exceed in speed when riding their vehicles in urban centers, going over the mandatory limits. One way to face this issue could be an increase in number of speed cameras installed by authorities in the main streets. By doing this, citizens will be deterred from driving too fast by the risk of being caught handed out and, consequently, the problem will probably be solved.

Increasing number of people exceed the speed limit while driving in city centers. The only key to the problem is to install speed cameras on major streets by the government deterring people from speeding. By doing this, speed can be prevented and those who break the law will be caught red handed.

Many citizens, when driving their vehicles, exceed the speed limit in urban areas. In order to resolving this, the authorities should install speed cameras in motorways to deter from speeding. By doing this, more individuals who speed will be arrested and this issue will be solved.

Can you tell me please, if it is correct. Thank you.

I will post the answer at 5pm UK time. Liz

It’s almost 7 pm UK time

The answers have been posted. Please look above in the lesson. Thanks Liz

Many people, when driving cars, exceed the speed limit in city centers. To stop this, the government authorities should put more speed cameras on major streets to put people off speeding. If this is done, more people who speed will be caught red handed and this problem will eventually resolved.

A large number of people,when riding their vehicles,exceeds the speed limit in city centres. As a way of speed prevention, authorities should install more cameras on major streets to deter from speeding.By doing this,more people who speed will be arrested and this problem will directlly be resolved

Some people exceed the speed limit while driving their vehicle in town centers. In order to resolve the problem, authorities ought to install large number of speedy cameras on motorways to prevent from increasing speed as by catching citizen red handed on cameras that in consequent deter directly the motor speed in urban areas.

Many citizens, when riding their vehicles, exceed the speed limit in city centers. As an answer for this, the authorities ought to install more speed prevention cameras on motorways, to deter people from speeding. By doing this more humans who put the law away will directly be arrested and this problem will eventually be resolved.

An increasing number of people riding their vehicles in urban areas, exceed the speed limit. As an answer to speed prevention, the authorities ought to install more speed cameras on motorways to deter people from speeding. By doing this, more people who speed will be arrested and the problem will be resolved.

Large number of peopl, when driving their car, exceed speed limit in urban centers. In order to resolve this, authorities ought to install more speed cameras on motorway to deter them from speeding. Doing this, citizens who speed will be arrested and the problem will eventually be solved.

Please read my paragraph and advice. Thanks Meenakshi

Some people exceed the speed limit while driving in the town.To deter citizens from speeding, authorities ought to install more cameras on the motorways.By doing this, more people will be caught red handed which will eventually resolve this problem.

I will post my answer for all students at 5pm UK time. All the best Liz

A big number of drivers break the admitted legal speed when they are driving in urban areas. As a solution for this problem, the authorities should install surveillance cameras on main streets to deter drivers using exceed speed. By doing that, a large number of citizen would be caught red handed and this issue finally be resolved.

A large number of people, when driving their vehicles,exceed the speed limit in urban centers .As an answer of this ,the authorities ought to install more speed camers on motor ways to deter citizens from speeding.By doing this ,more citizens who speed will arrested and this problem will be resolved directly

Many citizens in urban areas exceed their speed limit when driving their vehicles.The authorities ought to install more speed cameras on motorway to deter from speeding.By doing this, humans who caught red will be directly handed to authorities to resolve this problem.

Many citizens in exceed their speed limit when driving their vehicles.The authorities ought to install more speed cameras on motorway to deter from speeding.By doing this,humans who caught red will be directly handed to authorities to resolve this problem.

In town, when people driving their cars, exceed the speed limit in city centers. Inorder to solve this,authorities should install more speed cameras on major roads to put people off speeding. By doing this, more people who speed will be caugth and the problem will eventually be solved.

Large number of citizens in urban areas exceed their speed limits when driving. As a way of prevention the authorities ought to install more speed cameras on motorways to reduce citizens from speeding.By doing this, citizens who speed will be put away and situation solved .

Owing,this problem many citizens while riding a vehicals in the urban aerea they exceeds the speed,There are number of solution to handle this situation.motor way officials should install some extra speed catching camera in street,by taking this step many people would go off the speed either,panalies or punished in the large number city.finally,this way could be overcome the problem/situation.

Hope for comments.

You must use the words given in the box. Don’t change the paragraph in any other way. Liz

In urban areas, many citizens exceed the speed limit when riding their cars. To deter from this problem, the authorities are ought to put more speed cameras on major motorways to put humans off speeding. By doing this, more people , who drive speedly will be caught red handed and finally this problem will be resolved.

Hi…. am from india. When i write the phase 2 in writing. .. it takes lot of time to complete the essay… And my vocabulary is ok i think. ..

The large number of citizens exceed their speed while driving their vehicles in the urban areas. To this problem be resolved,the authorities ought to install more speed cameras on main routes and motorways to make them reduce their speed.By doing this,more people, who drive speedly, will be caught red handed and finally this issue will be tackled.

Many citizens, when driving their vehicles, exceed the speed limit in urban areas. As a way of solving this, the authorities ought to install more speed cameras on major streets to deter citizens from speeding. By doing this, more citizens who speed will be caught and this problem will eventually be resolved.

Hello Teacher, In essay i write one introduction and thesis statement two body paraghraph and conclusion.is it ok?

The thesis statement is part of the introduction – it is not separate. Please watch my video about writing an introduction. The rest of the paragraph structure is fine. Liz

Yes,teacher it is. After introduction i could write only two paragraph and conclusion,in my test.

Thanks teacher forbreply. Regards.

That’s right. Although it is possible to have three body paragraphs. It depends on the number of main points you have. Liz

Many citizens, when driving their vehicles, exceed the speed limit in urban areas. As a way of speed prevention, the authorities ought to install more speed cameras on main motorways to deter people from speeding. By doing this, more citizens who speed will be caught red handed and this problem will eventually be resolved.

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Helping Busy People Succeed in IELTS.

Paraphrasing for IELTS Writing and Speaking

By ielts-jonathan.com on 2 April 2022 0

What is Paraphrasing in IELTS writing and speaking?

Effective Paraphrasing

• In IELTS, if you are unable to paraphrase you’ll receive a low Band Score, because you won’t have demonstrated your level of language ability to the examiner.

One of the first things to do in any IELTS writing is to paraphrase the Task 2 IELTS question or the title of the IELTS Task 1 report

• In Academic writing too, Effective paraphrasing is a key academic skill needed to avoid the risk of plagiarism and it demonstrates your understanding of source material.

A good paraphrase usually:

• Has a different structure to the original
• Has mainly different vocabulary
• Keeps some phrases from the original that are in common use or can’t be changed

Techniques for paraphrasing

1.Changing the vocabulary by using synonyms :

One simple way to paraphrase is to replace words with a similar word equivalent. This is called using synonyms or substitution and is perhaps the easiest way to paraphrase.

Using synonyms is also a feature of the IELTS Band scores, so the sooner you start doing this the better.

Here are some examples

Adults in developing countries are having far fewer kids than before due to the increasing prosperity of some developing countries. 

Adults in developing countries are having far fewer children than before due to the increasing prosperity of some developing countries. 

The chart clearly present………      The two pie chart shows………

Locals are often a victims of petty crime in poorer neighbourhoods. 

People  are often a victims of petty crime in poorer neighbourhoods. 

2.Changing the word class:

Another common method of paraphrasing is changing the word class of an important or keyword.

This often requires you to use or to change some aspect of the sentence grammar, but it is an effective paraphrasing tool.

3. Changing the word order:

A further technique used to paraphrase is to change the word order. Doing this will often mean that you need to combine the word group and grammar of the sentence.

This can easily be done in the IELTS speaking test but is more time consuming and difficult in the writing test.

It often requires you to redraft and rewrite your work so might be the most difficult type of paraphrasing to carry out in the IELTS writing test.

4. Active to Passive or Passive to Active:

Finally, a method that is often used in some Task 1 IELTS tasks is to use passive sentences.

He was arrested by a policeman.

A dog was responsible for the accident.

These are only the basic techniques required to paraphrase.

Paraphrasing is an important skill to master, and the best way to improve is through practice.

Of course, practice can be difficult but the good news is, the more you practice paraphrasing, the better you will become. 🙂

Ways to begin practicing paraphrasing 

One way to start paraphrasing is study examples of real IELTS paraphrased questions and then start  applying similar principles to your own writing.

When to paraphrase and why, and when not to!

I’m Jonathan

I’ve taught IELTS and University English in more than a dozen universities and schools around the world.

I’m a parent, traveller and passionate about language teaching and helping students achieve their dreams.

Whilst living in Austria or working in Asia, I run IELTS courses to help students get to where they want to be.

If you are serious about IELTS, connect with me to see how I can help you.

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How To Effectively Paraphrase in IELTS: Top 5 Tips, Importance of Paraphrasing

• Updated on  
• Jan 2, 2024

Effective paraphrasing in the IELTS exam is a means for test takers to showcase their grasp of the given topics while simultaneously expressing its essence in a distinct and original voice. It not only protects you from the risk of plagiarising content but also reveals your language proficiency and critical thinking skills . Questions about Paraphrase in IELTS are very important to help you achieve your desired score.

Apart from that, proficiency in paraphrasing can even reveal your vocabulary range and mastery of sentence structure, enhance reader engagement, refine the core message of the prompt and present it in your voice. This ensures your essay remains focused and relevant to the specific topic. That being said, to know more about paraphrasing in IELTS and online paraphrasing tool to effectively paraphrase in IELTS, read the entire article. 

This Blog Includes:

Top 5 paraphrasing tips for ielts writing task 2, importance of paraphrasing in ielts, ielts writing task 2: paraphrasing sample questions and answers.

Here are the best tips to paraphrase in IELTS. Refer to them to bolster your chances of securing better scores. 

Use More Synonyms

The importance of synonyms cannot be overstated in IELTS Writing tasks . Synonyms, in particular, serve as powerful tools for effectively paraphrasing introductions, paragraphs, and indeed, any element of your essay. Their value lies in their ability to convey the same core meaning while injecting variety and richness into your writing.

However, the mere selection of synonyms is not enough. Precision is paramount. 

Opting for words with close, but not identical, meanings can negatively impact your score. Therefore, meticulous selection is crucial. The key takeaway? Ensure the synonym perfectly captures the intended meaning and utilises only words you possess complete confidence in. By prioritising accuracy and vocabulary mastery, you can leverage the power of synonyms without risking deductions.

Alter the Word Order

Mastering paraphrasing in IELTS Writing requires not only vocabulary prowess but also skilful sentence manipulation. One effective technique involves altering word order. This can involve adding, omitting, or rearranging words while ensuring the sentence retains its grammatical integrity and intended meaning. By judiciously employing this technique, you can inject variety and originality into your writing, ultimately enhancing its impact and effectiveness.

Rearrange Word Forms

Demonstrating versatility in sentence construction is crucial for success in IELTS Writing. A valuable technique involves manipulating word forms. This can entail transforming nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives, or employing other such conversions. By creatively altering word forms, you not only display a nuanced understanding of English grammar but also showcase your vocabulary depth. 

Convert Active Voice to Passive Voice 

Mastery of both active and passive voice is crucial for success in IELTS Writing. The ability to seamlessly switch between them allows you to effectively tailor your arguments and express nuances in your essay writing. To convert a sentence from active to passive voice, follow these steps:

• Identify the sentence’s subject and direct object.
• Move the direct object to the beginning of the sentence.
• Omit the subject of the active voice construction.
• Modify the verb tense and form to reflect the passive voice construction.

By adopting this approach, you can effortlessly change active voice sentences into their passive counterparts, adding versatility and depth to your writing.

Rearranging Sentence Structure

In IELTS Writing, mastering the art of sentence rearrangement can help you effectively paraphrase your sentences. By restructuring and reorganising sentence elements, you’ll find yourself effortlessly rephrasing content without compromising its core meaning.

 A handy tip: simply try changing the order of the sentence elements, then adjust a few words to maintain natural flow and organic readability. This subtle yet effective method allows you to showcase your stylistic flexibility and vocabulary depth, ultimately enhancing your overall writing performance.

Paraphrasing is predominantly implemented in the IELTS test to avoid plagiarism. Its significance extends beyond mere compliance with ethical guidelines. Test-takers who resort to simply reshuffling words often inadvertently fall into the very trap they aimed to escape, jeopardising their scores. Effective paraphrasing, however, transcends wordplay. It allows you to demonstrate your comprehension of the source material while conveying its essence uniquely and originally. 

This not only safeguards you from plagiarism penalties but also showcases your linguistic proficiency and critical thinking skills, ultimately enhancing your score potential. Apart from that, paraphrasing can help you craft some killer introductions for your IELTS Essays as well. 

Example: Any trip to Australia should include a visit to Hunter to sample their exquisite wines.

Paraphrased Sentence: Immerse yourself in the heart of Australian winemaking with a visit to Hunter Valley and savour their exquisite wines. 

Here are some sample questions for you to practise paraphrasing for the IELTS Writing Task 2. 

• Question: Original sentence- Some of the methods used in advertising are unethical and unacceptable in today’s society. To what extent do you agree with this view? Paraphrase the question for your introduction.  Answer: I understand the statement to suggest that certain advertising practices raise ethical concerns in the context of contemporary societal values. My opinion on this point requires careful consideration. 
• Question : Original sentence: People say obesity is caused by fast foods and aerated drinks. Paraphrase the sentence.  Answer : The link between obesity and the consumption of fast food and sugary drinks is often cited.
• Question: Original sentence: People become unhealthy because of their sedentary lifestyle. Paraphrase the sentence. Answer : A sedentary lifestyle is one of the reasons that people become unhealthy.

So that was all about paraphrasing in IELTS. Hope your queries have been answered in this blog. 

So that was all about IELTS letter writing. We hope the blog could’ve answered your queries regarding the topic. 

Ans. Synonyms, Antonyms , Clauses, Verbs, Word Orders etc., are some of the most common paraphrasing tools in IELTS. 

Ans. Test takers can use a range of linkers, adverbial phrases, references, and punctuations to bolster their overall scores in IELTS writing. 

Ans. The IELTS Writing Task 2 requires individuals to complete the task within 40 minutes. 

Related Reads:

Visit the Leverage Live page of Leverage edu or contact our study abroad experts at 1800-57-2000 to strengthen your scores and application to secure your spot in your dream college. 

Shubham Das

Shubham Das has been working as an educational content writer for the past two years and has a background in filmmaking & screenplay/ teleplay writing. He is fascinated by the human psyche, literature and cinema.

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Paraphrasing by changing sentence structure

Useful paraphrasing technique in ielts writing task 2..

One of the most important skills in IELTS writing is being able to paraphrase. This means to change the wording or the sentence structure but retain the same meaning.

It’s a challenge for many students doing IELTS to get used to this skill as you need to have a wide vocabulary and know how to use synonyms correctly.

There are 2 main ways to paraphrase. This can be done either with synonyms or by changing the structure of the sentence while adjusting the word-formation. In the writing section, you need to use this skill when starting the introduction of your essay. Let’s take a look at an example below.

Example IELTS writing question

‘An increasing number of people are buying what they need online’

Paraphrased with synonyms:

‘ A growing number of individuals are purchasing what they require on the internet ‘

I didn’t paraphrase every word here. In fact, you do not need to paraphrase everything because sometimes you may not be able to find an accurate synonym.

Increasing – growing 

Buying – purchasing , online – the internet, people – individuals, paraphrased without synonyms:.

 ‘The number of people who buy what they need online is on the increase ‘

In this second example, I have used the same words but changed the form and also moved the sentence structure around. This is a very good way to paraphrase if your range of synonyms is limited.

(gerund) buying – (relative pronoun + verb) who buy (gerund) increasing – (noun phrase) on the increase

• An increasing number of people are buying what they need online
• A growing number of people are purchasing what they require on the internet
• The number of people who buy what they need online is on the increase

All three of these above sentences convey the same meaning. This skill needs to be developed and is necessary to get to Band 7 or more in writing task 2. It is better for your vocabulary score if you can use synonyms as well as changing the structure of the sentence. The meaning must stay the same though.

Let’s try another 2 examples without using synonyms.

‘Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change. Others, however, think that change is always a good thing. ‘

‘Some people find it preferable to avoid change and always do the same things in their lives, others think that it is good to go through changes .’

In this case, I have added collocations such as ‘find it preferable’ and ‘go through changes’.  These are not synonyms, I have kept the same word but changed the form and used collocation. I have slightly changed the sentence structure too.

‘Doctors should be responsible for educating their patients about how to improve their health.’

‘Educating patients about improving their health should be the responsibility of Doctors.’

I have changed the structure of the sentences and reversed it around and made subtle changes to the word forms as below.

(verb) Improve – (gerund) Improving ,  (adjective) Responsible – (noun phrase) The responsibility of.

What would this look like in the introduction of an essay?

Task question:.

‘Doctors should be responsible for educating their patients about how to improve their health. To what extent do you agree or disagree?’

Introduction:

It is argued that educating patients about improving their health should be the responsibility of Doctors. I completely agree with this because many people need advice from a medical expert about healthy eating and exercise which is crucial for preventing disease.

Blue = Paraphrased the task question Purple = Thesis statement with my specific opinion.

Another way of writing this is by adding synonyms (in red), this introduction below would be much better:

Task Question: ‘Doctors should be responsible for educating their patients about how to improve their health. To what extent do you agree or disagree?’ Full Introduction with synonyms: It is argued that it ought to be the responsibility of Doctors to instruct patients about improving their well-being. I completely agree because many people need advice from a medical expert about healthy eating and exercise which is crucial for preventing disease.

Paraphrasing also shows up in the reading and listening parts of the IELTS exam. This is a very important skill to work on, and if you can paraphrase with your speaking then you can get a good score in vocabulary.

Any questions? leave a comment below.

Leave a comment cancel reply.

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