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Mastering Paraphrasing in IELTS: Your Key to a Higher Score

As an IELTS instructor with over 20 years of experience, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of paraphrasing for students aiming to achieve their desired band score. Paraphrasing, in essence, is demonstrating your ability to express ideas using different words and grammatical structures while retaining the original meaning. It’s a skill highly valued in the IELTS exam, particularly in the Speaking and Writing sections, as it showcases your vocabulary range, grammatical flexibility, and overall language proficiency.

Table of Contents

  • 1 Why is Paraphrasing Crucial for IELTS?
  • 2.1 1. Utilize Synonyms
  • 2.2 2. Change the Word Form
  • 2.3 3. Restructure Sentences
  • 2.4 4. Utilize Different Grammatical Structures
  • 2.5 5. Practice with IELTS Past Papers
  • 3 Paraphrasing in Action: IELTS Examples
  • 4 Essential Tips for Effective Paraphrasing
  • 5 Conclusion

Why is Paraphrasing Crucial for IELTS?

The ability to paraphrase effectively is not just about showcasing a diverse vocabulary; it plays a critical role in various aspects of the IELTS exam:

  • Enhanced Fluency and Coherence: Paraphrasing allows you to avoid repetition, especially in spoken English, contributing to a more natural and fluent flow of ideas.
  • Vocabulary Range Demonstration: Utilizing synonyms and alternative expressions effectively demonstrates to the examiner your breadth of vocabulary knowledge.
  • Grammatical Accuracy and Flexibility: Successful paraphrasing often involves manipulating sentence structures, showcasing your command over complex grammar.
  • Avoiding Plagiarism: In the Writing test, paraphrasing is essential for summarizing and referencing source material without plagiarizing.

Effective Paraphrasing Techniques for IELTS

Now, let’s delve into practical techniques to hone your paraphrasing skills:

1. Utilize Synonyms

One of the most straightforward ways to paraphrase is by substituting words with their synonyms. For instance, instead of saying “important,” consider using “crucial,” “significant,” or “vital.”

  • Original: Regular exercise is important for maintaining good health.
  • Paraphrased: Engaging in physical activity on a regular basis is crucial for preserving good health.

2. Change the Word Form

Experiment with different parts of speech to rephrase sentences. Transform verbs into nouns, nouns into adjectives, and vice versa.

  • Original: The government decided to implement new environmental regulations.
  • Paraphrased: The government’s decision was to put into effect new environmental regulations.

3. Restructure Sentences

Instead of simply replacing words, change the entire sentence structure. Consider using active and passive voice interchangeably, or transforming simple sentences into complex ones.

  • Original: Despite the heavy rain, the football match continued.
  • Paraphrased: The football match went on, even though there was heavy rain.

4. Utilize Different Grammatical Structures

Explore various grammatical structures to rephrase your sentences. For example:

  • Conditional Clauses: Instead of saying “Because he studied hard, he passed the exam,” try “If he hadn’t studied hard, he wouldn’t have passed the exam.”
  • Relative Clauses: Instead of saying “The woman who lives next door is a doctor,” try “The woman living next door is a doctor.”

5. Practice with IELTS Past Papers

The key to mastering paraphrasing is consistent practice. Utilize past IELTS exam papers and sample answers to identify how effectively writers and speakers have paraphrased ideas. Try paraphrasing sentences and paragraphs from these materials to refine your skills.

IELTS Paraphrasing Examples

Paraphrasing in Action: IELTS Examples

Let’s examine how paraphrasing works in the context of IELTS questions:

IELTS Speaking Part 1:

Examiner: Tell me about your hobbies.

Candidate (Without paraphrasing): My hobby is reading books. I like reading different kinds of books, like novels and history books.

Candidate (With paraphrasing): Well, I’m an avid reader. I find myself drawn to various genres, particularly fiction and historical accounts.

IELTS Writing Task 2:

Topic: Some people believe that the government should spend money on public transportation, while others think that it should be invested in other areas. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Paraphrased Introduction: The allocation of government funds is a subject of ongoing debate, with some advocating for increased investment in public transportation, while others propose prioritizing alternative sectors.

Essential Tips for Effective Paraphrasing

  • Focus on Meaning: Prioritize conveying the intended meaning accurately, rather than simply substituting words randomly.
  • Read Widely: Expanding your vocabulary is essential for effective paraphrasing. Engage with diverse reading materials to enhance your lexical resource.
  • Practice Makes Perfect: Dedicate time to regular paraphrasing practice. Use online tools, work with sample IELTS questions, and seek feedback from your tutor or language partner.

Paraphrasing is a skill that can significantly impact your IELTS score. By incorporating synonyms, altering word forms, restructuring sentences, and utilizing a variety of grammatical structures, you can demonstrate your language proficiency and achieve your desired band score. Remember, consistent practice and a focus on conveying meaning accurately are key to mastering this valuable skill.

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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 .

tips for ielts paraphrasing

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.

Your English Compass

IELTS Paraphrasing: 4 Proven Tips to Master It

27/03/2024 06:00

Paraphrasing is a crucial skill to master for the IELTS exam. To be honest, it’s a bit of an art form and will serve you well not only in the exam but in any writing that you’ll need to do thereafter.

As you know paraphrasing involves rephrasing a sentence or phrase with different words that convey the same meaning. Paraphrasing is essential for both speaking and writing, but it will also help you in the listening and reading tests. Therefore, if you can paraphrase well, you are more likely to earn a higher score.

Additionally, if you practice paraphrasing it will help you better understand the question. That's why I always tell my students to start their writing test answers by paraphrasing the question. It’s key to achieving a high score!

Consider the following use of paraphrasing.

Original : Paraphrasing is one of the most essential skills to learn prior to sitting for your IELTS exam. Now it can be paraphrased like this : Understanding paraphrasing is key before taking the IELTS test.

Notice that the second sentence uses synonyms to change vocabulary such as essential for key and before for prior . I also made changes to the grammar: Paraphrasing is one of the most essential skills to Understanding paraphrasing to convey the same message.

There are three main techniques, plus changing to passive voice to paraphrase sentences in the IELTS exam. While it might be preferable to use all three, often you will find only two are necessary.

Of course, with all of these, you must be 100% in your understanding of the original sentence or phrase and the changes you make. So, let’s look closer at these techniques now.

#1 Synonyms

Synonyms are words or phrases that mean the same as another word or phrase. Take for instance, ‘people’ is a synonym for ‘individuals’, and ‘attractive’ is a synonym for ‘pretty’. This technique replaces words with the same meaning to produce a new sentence.

For example: My bracelet needs repairing. My bangle requires mending.     

  With these three out of four words have been replaced with synonyms to create a new sentence with the same meaning as the first. Notice that all the words have not been replaced, but you should try to replace most of them.

This is probably the most common technique that students use and it is effective. But be mindful that you do not make an error in the meaning of the words you replace.

Social media use is on the rise among teenagers . Social media use is on the rise among young people .

Here you'll see, I changed teenagers to young people to make a point . These are similar words, and teenagers are young people. However, not all young people are teenagers. The term teenagers specifically describe the ages between 13-19 years of age. Young people can also include young adults from 18-30 years old. Therefore, a better word would be adolescents or young people between the ages of 13-19 .

A better way to paraphrase this sentence would be like this: Social media use is on the rise among adolescents .

When you see it like this, you can understand why is so important to only change words you are 100% sure about. If not, you will probably make small mistakes that will greatly affect your score. And I do not want that for you!

# 2 Changing the Word Order

Changing the word order can also be an effective strategy for paraphrasing a sentence, but it must be done carefully. You should not change the word order without considering how it affects the sentence's grammar.

Changing the word order may require adding or subtracting words or changing the form of words.

Remember that you will be evaluated on your ability to create error-free sentences that use a range of grammar structures in the IELTS exam. It's important to follow the 100% rule and not change the word order unless you are 100% completely confident that it's grammatically accurate.

Luckily, there are two easy ways to change the word order in most IELTS questions.

First, if the original sentence contains more than one clause, you can rearrange the order of the clauses.

Question : The diagram below shows the process by which bricks are manufactured for the building industry . Paraphrased : The process by which bricks are manufactured for the building industry is shown in the diagram below.

You can add synonyms in combination with word order change to paraphrase a bit more.

Combination : The method by which bricks are produced for the construction industry is shown in the figure below.

Second, if there is an adjective or noun in the question, you can change the word order by transforming the adjective into a relative clause.

Question : Learning to manage your emotions is one of the key aspects of adult life. Paraphrased : Learning to manage your emotions is a key aspect of adult life.

#3 Changing the Form of the Word

Another effective way to paraphrase is by changing the form of a word. As there are many, many forms of words, including adjectives, adverbs nouns, and verbs…you need to be sure you are using the 100% rule. Do not simply change the form of the word, you must also check that your changes make grammatical sense. To make sure it is an error-free sentence, you may need to change the words around.

Question : The world of work is changing rapidly, and employees cannot depend on having the same job or the same working conditions for life.

Paraphrased by changing word form : The world of work is changing rapidly, and employees cannot depend on the same job or the same work conditions for life.

#4 Bonus Technique: Changing from Active to Passive Voice

In academic writing, we often use the passive voice. Because of this, we can also use it in the IELTS academic writing test. Remember, only verbs with an object can be turned into passive.

Check these examples out: Example active : The property developers invested $75 million in the development of the shopping center. Example passive : $75 million was invested in the development of shopping centers.

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.

Do I need to use all four of these?? Nope. Each of the four techniques can be used alone or combined. I suggest you use synonyms and try to change the grammar (word order and/or word form).

Key tip : only use the technique(s) that you feel 100% comfortable with and can use 100% error-free.

What to do now?

The only way for these paraphrasing techniques to help you on the IELTS exam is to practice using them. See the example questions below and try using the techniques. Try each one and see which works best for you. With enough practice, you can spot patterns in the questions, along with common words and phrases. Being able to do this will make it super simple for you to paraphrase in the IELTS.

Practice example questions for you to paraphrase:

A.    Children who are brought up in families that do not have large amounts of money are better prepared to deal with the problems of adult life than children brought up by wealthy parents. B.    International tourism has brought enormous benefits to many places. C.    Most societies have homeless people. Some people think that the best way to help them is to give them money. D.    Distance learning has many benefits, but there are also drawbacks, and not every learner will be suited to this mode of study.

Good luck! Don’t forget to drop a comment or send me an email to let me know how you are doing with paraphrasing!

If you need some help paraphrasing, join me in the Summer Speaking Series! I'll help you use paraphrasing in speaking and show you how it will help your writing. Check it out here .

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How to Paraphrase in IELTS Writing +Exercises

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        Paraphrasing is an essential skill for IELTS writing for task 1 and task 2. Many students often paraphrase inappropriately, over paraphrase , or do not realise some other paraphrasing options available to them. We hope this guide and practice exercises will help you to feel more confident paraphrasing  in your IELTS essays. 

What is paraphrasing and how can we use it well in an IELTS essay?

Paraphrasing is when we restate someone else’s ideas (text or speech) using our own words, while keeping the same meaning. In IELTS essays we need to practice paraphrasing to show flexibility and avoid repeating ourselves.   

We can paraphrase in our IELTS essays by:

✅  Changing the word order

✅  Using synonyms

✅ Changing the word form

Let’s have a look at a task 2 writing question, and look at the different options we have to paraphrase in your introduction using the methods above.

In many countries, schools have major problems with student behaviour. What do you think the causes of this are? What solutions would you suggest?

✅Changing the word order example

Original text

Paraphrased = The behaviour of students is a major problem for schools in many countries.

In this example, we have kept exactly the same words, but we have simply changed the word order. This is an effective use of paraphrasing especially if you cannot think of any accurate synonyms or different word forms. 

✅ An example using accurate synonyms

Paraphrased = In a number of nations , schools have  significant difficulties  with student behaviour.

In this example we have kept a similar structure to the question, but we have paraphrased accurately using the synonyms below:

A number of = Many Nations = Countries  Significant = Major  Difficulties = Problems  

✅ Changing the word form example

In many countries, student behaviour can be problematic for schools.

In this example we have changed the word form ‘problem’ (noun) to ‘problematic’ (adjective).

All of these examples show how we can effectivily paraphrase a background statement for the IELTS writing task 2. Of course you can combine these techniques:

Paraphrased = The behaviour of students is often challenging for a number of schools around the world.

The simplist solution is often to change the word order, and then if you feel confident try to use synonyms only if you feel are are accurate . Students we teach often think they need to paraphrase every word, which leads to many mistakes and a reduction in score .

Here is an example of inaccurate paraphrasing:

Of course, this example is exagerrated. However, it illustrates the inaccuarate use of synonyms we commonly see.

Let’s analyse why.

Republics/Countries = Some countries are republics such as ‘The People’s Republic of China’, or ‘The Republic of Ireland’. However, not all countries are republics.

Educational institutions/Schools = ‘An educational institution’ This a very open and broad term which would include universities and colleges. Sometimes we do use the word ‘school’ with universities like ‘The London School of Economics’. However, the word school used alone, nearly always refers to children and not adults.

Crucial/Major = The word ‘major’ shows the degree of something with its opposite being ‘minor’. However, ‘crucial’ has a different meaning and is very similar to the word ‘important’.

Drawbacks/Problems = The word ‘drawback’ is similar to the word ‘disadvantage’, and therefore is not an accuate synonym for the word ‘problem.

Scholars/Students = ‘Scholars’ are specialists within a field of study whereas ‘students’ is a wide term which can include children.

Manners/Behaviour = ‘Manners’ relates to  how  someone’s behaviour is acted out and this is usually in social situations:

‘He has bad table manners’

Behaviour is the general action of an individual.

‘He has a very irresponsible behaviour towards investing’

Paraphrasing Exercises for IELTS Writing

Have a look at these background statements which are taken from task 2 questions:

Exercise 1.1

There are lots of different styles of music in the world today.

How could you finish the sentence below to get the same meaning?

The world today______________________

The world today has lots of different styles of music.

Exercise 1.2

The world today has ____________ different styles of music.

Which two quantifiers below could replace ‘lots of’?

tips for ielts paraphrasing

✅ a large number of      ✅ many

Quantifiers are quite easy to paraphrase. Please try our exercises on quantifiers in the main menu to become familiar with different options.

Exercise 1.3

The world today has a large number of __________ styles of music.

Which word could replace ‘ different’?

tips for ielts paraphrasing

✅ diverse   

‘Diverse’ could be used. However, be aware that it is not an exact synonym for ‘different’

These two colours are ‘different’  🔵 🟡    . They are not ‘diverse’.

This picture has a lot of diverse colour:

tips for ielts paraphrasing

We use diverse when there is a lot of variety.

• “She likes diverse music” • “Italy has a lot of diverse food”

Unless you are 100% certain that the synonym is correct and suitable, do not use them, otherwise it you will lose marks.

Exercise 1.4

There isn’t an exact synonym for the word ‘music’, but how could we change these words?

‘styles of music’

Try to change the form of the word ‘music’ into an adjective. Then, how could you say ‘styles of music’ differently?

✅ ‘musical styles’

tips for ielts paraphrasing

These are just a few other options. There are plenty more variations.

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tips for ielts paraphrasing

How to effectively paraphrase in the IELTS Writing section

Learn essential techniques on how to effectively paraphrase in the IELTS Writing section and enhance your essay writing skills.

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.

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3 Best Paraphrasing Tips for IELTS Writing Task 2

What is paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing is when you take an original idea and re-write it to express the same meaning but in a different way. This might be by changing words, word forms, sentence structure, or using synonyms. If you think this is just for writing academic papers, think again. We actually paraphrase all the time!

When you read a book, article, or watch a movie and tell your friends about it, you are paraphrasing. When you tell your friend or colleague about a conversation you had with your boss, you are paraphrasing. You are not repeating the original conversation word for word. You are giving them the main idea of the conversation using your own words.

IELTS Writing Task 2: Why do you need to paraphrase?

Paraphrasing is important to the IELTS writing task 2 because your introduction paragraph is basically a paraphrase of the essay prompt. You will need to re-write the essay prompt in your own words to introduce your essay.

Watch Jay break down the IELTS writing task 2 introduction right here:

Three ways how do paraphrasing for IELTS writing task 2

Before you attempt to paraphrase, you need to make sure that you understand the gist , or meaning of the paragraph. Paraphrasing is more than just changing words. Your paraphrase needs to make sense and still convey the original message. So, you should read the original text a couple of times to make sure you understand the message it conveys. Then turn the ideas over in your mind. Think of how you would express the same ideas to a friend.

Below are three techniques to paraphrase. Rather than exclusively using one of them, a good paraphrase includes all methods. 

  • Use synonyms

Synonyms are different words that express the same or similar meaning.

For example: Interesting, fascinating, curious and amusing are all synonyms.

But! Some synonyms can have a slightly different meaning. For example, fascinating has a stronger meaning than interesting . So be careful when using synonyms. We need to make sure that the words we are using convey the same level of meaning as the original.

Original: Many people think that cars should not be allowed in city centres.

Paraphrase: Many people believe that motor vehicles should be banned in urban areas.

think –> believe

cars –> motor vehicles

should not be allowed –> should be banned

city centres –> urban areas

IELTS writing task 2  Paraphrasing

  • Change the word forms

Another way to paraphrase is to change word forms. For example, changing a noun into a verb, a verb into a noun or an adjective into a noun or vice versa.

Original: Many people find watching tennis interesting (interesting = adjective).

Paraphrase: Many people have an interest in watching tennis (interest = noun).

Original: Some people think Facebook is an invasion of privacy (invasion = noun).

Paraphrase: Some people think Facebook has invaded our privacy (has invaded = verb).

  • Change the sentence structure

A third way to paraphrase is to change sentence structure. This could be by changing the sentence from passive to active or vice versa, or changing the order of the clauses. Let’s have a look.

Active to Passive

Original: The hurricane destroyed the city.

Paraphrase: The city was destroyed by the hurricane.

In the sentence above, the subject (the hurricane) became the object, and the object (the city) became the subject.

To be passive, we also changed the verb destroyed into past perfect (was/were + past participle).

Passive to Active

Original: The public transport system was developed by the city council.

Paraphrase: The city council developed the public transport system.

In the sentence above the subject (the public transport system) became the object, and the object (the city council) became the subject.

  Order of clauses

A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. Some sentences can be a single clause. Some sentences can be made up of two or more clauses.

For example: It is difficult to say whether the economy will improve.

The two clauses are: It is difficult to say / whether the economy will improve.

  One way to paraphrase is by changing the order of the clauses.

For example: Whether the economy will improve, it is difficult to say.

Let’s look at another example:

Original: During the summer, many people visit the temple.

Paraphrase: Many people visit the temple during the summer.

Paraphrasing an essay prompt to write your introduction

In IELTS Writing Task 2, you write your introduction by paraphrasing the essay prompt. In order to do this, you will need to unpack or break the essay prompt into parts. Usually, an essay prompt consists of three parts:

A general statement that introduces the topic

A specific statement that gives you the specific idea about the topic

Finally, your instructions/question

paraphrising

Let’s look at an example:

Nowadays, more and more foreign students are going to English-speaking countries to learn the international language – English. It is undoubtedly true that studying English in an English-speaking country is the best way, but it is not the only way to learn it. Do you agree or disagree with the above statement?

To unpack this prompt, the first sentence is the general statement. Nowadays, more and more foreign students are going to English-speaking countries to learn the international language – English . This tells us what the essay topic is.

The second sentence is the specific statement. It is undoubtedly true that studying English in an English-speaking country is the best way, but it is not the only way to learn it . It gives an opinion about the topic.

The third sentence is the question. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the above statement? This means you have to express your opinion on the second sentence.

So! In order to write your introduction, you need to paraphrase the three parts of this essay prompt.

Let’s look at an example of a paraphrase of each:

Sentence 1: Nowadays, more and more foreign students are going to English-speaking countries to learn the international language – English

Paraphrase: In recent times, a growing number of international students are learning English in English-speaking countries.

Sentence 2: It is undoubtedly true that studying English in an English-speaking country is the best way, but it is not the only way to learn it.

Paraphrase: Although it is beneficial to learn English in a country where it is natively spoken, there are other effective ways to learn it.

Sentence 3: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the above statement?

Paraphrase: I agree with this statement to a large degree.

Putting it all together:

Original (essay prompt): Nowadays, more and more foreign students are going to English-Speaking countries to learn the “international language – English”. It is undoubtedly true that studying English in an English-speaking country is the best way, but it is not the only way to learn it. Do you agree or disagree with the above statement?  

Paraphrase (introduction): In recent times, a growing number of international students are learning English in English-speaking countries. Although it is most beneficial to learn English in a country where it is natively spoken, there are other effective ways to learn it. I agree with this statement to a large degree.

Using a combination of the above techniques (synonyms, word forms, sentence structure), write an introduction to the following essay by paraphrasing the prompt below.

The overuse of natural resources ultimately exhausts them. This causes huge harm to the environment. Therefore, the government should discourage people from overusing such resources. To what extent do you support or oppose this idea?

  There are three possible correct answers:

Click here to show/hide answer 1

Click here to show/hide answer 2, click here to show/hide answer 3.

So, more than one paraphrase can be correct. There are many ways to say the same thing. There is also more than one way to paraphrase. The best way to paraphrase for IELTS Writing Task 2 is to use a combination of these techniques (synonyms, sentence structure and clause order).

Practice makes perfect!

Our  E2Language  IELTS experts can help you learn the rest of the method for IELTS Writing Task 2!

Jamal Abilmona is an expert IELTS teacher, curriculum designer and language buff. She has taught English for general and academic purposes in classrooms around the world and currently writes e-learning material for E2Language.com , providing online IELTS preparation for students all around the world.

ielts-mock-exam-practice-test-cover-image

Naseem says:

Need tips about listening and reading and writing ilets general.

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bhawana says:

need tips about writting speaking ilets in genral

' src=

olivia says:

We can help with that!

IELTS General Writing TASK 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y_u4o5kp_w

IELTS Speaking SUPER METHODS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXPSgMo0C1w

Find all kinds of other helpful Video Lessons on our E2 IELTS YouTube Channel! Olivia & The E2 Team

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Yogeshbhai Chalodiya says:

Environmental resources run out by over-utilization at the end. Which results in a great level of damage to the environment. It is undoubtedly true that the government should demotivate their citizens from over-utilizing such. Which, I am in great support of this initiative.

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Fathima Hafsa says:

Exploitation of natural resources eventually deplete them. As a result, a major damage is caused to the environment. Hence, people should be urged by the government not to waste natural resources.

' src=

Motaz shehata says:

The excessive usage of natural sources undoubtedly causing at the end be depleted at all, consequently to harmful the planet. So, the government has to encourage people to acknowledge the actual value of our limited supply of natural resources. Therefore, I completely agree to keep our usage of our sources to a minimal level.

' src=

Divyanshu Mishra says:

Excess of anything is bad and the same is true for natural resources which are continuously being depleted by humans and soon will be exhausted. Burning fossil fuels cause a high degree of harm to the environment therefore it is only logical that the governments should discourage their use and provide other sustainable options. I completely agree with the statement.

Is this appropriate or too wordy?

' src=

Naomi says:

Natural resources are vital to the nation, and exploiting them would be harmful to the ecosystem. Therefore,the Authorities should pose strict measures on their use. I agree with this statement to a large degree.

' src=

Ernestina says:

Natural resources are very vital to a nation, and therefore, exploiting it will cause serious harm to us. Hence, I think the governments should pose strict measures on their uses. I strongly agree with this statement.

' src=

Siobhan MacDonald says:

Ho Ernestina, thank you for your feedback!

' src=

TETTEH says:

Misusing of natural resources causes serious harm to the environment. Thus the government should put measures in place to discourage people from misusing such resources. I strongly agree with this statement.

Thank you for your feedback and valuable opinion!

Hi! Thank you for your feedback :)

' src=

Jayeshkumar says:

It was indeed a great guidance to learn nuances of paraphrasing.

We are happy you enjoyed it!

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Paraphrasing in IELTS

In this tutorial, we examine an important IELTS skill for starting  IELTS writing  task 2: paraphrasing.

Firstly, let’s start by defining paraphrasing.

What is paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is the expression of a phrase or sentence in another way.

For example, the sentence:

‘The school student listened attentively to the podcast’

can be paraphrased as:

‘The pupil listened very carefully to the digital audio file’

This technique is used frequently in the writing, reading and listening components of the  IELTS exam .

Why is paraphrasing important in IELTS writing task 2 ?

Paraphrasing in IELTS is important because it:

  • helps you to focus on the main topic, using your own words
  • provides you with the skill to develop an idea, reformulate a concept and offer variety in your writing style
  • prevents redundancy and makes the sentence structure in the essay or written material more appealing to the reader

3 ways To paraphrase

In this tutorial, let’s review IELTS test paraphrasing techniques to apply in writing task 2 of the IELTS exam.

Most students think of paraphrasing only as meaning using synonyms, but there are different ways to paraphrase that don’t require changing the word. These include changing the word form, using the passive voice to change the phrase from active to passive, changing the sentence structure or using different clauses to change the verb form. Use as many of these techniques as you can to score higher on the IELTS test.

We’ll examine three principle paraphrasing strategies:

  • Use of synonyms
  • Verb transformation
  • Sentence restructuring

Secondly, we will apply these techniques to examples of writing task 2 in the IELTS exam. Writing skills in this component of the exam include:

  • giving an opinion
  • discussing causes and suggesting solutions
  • discussing arguments for or against an idea or situation
  • discussing advantages and disadvantages

When you are sure you understand all three techniques, choose another IELTS test writing question and try to paraphrase it by yourself.

Strategy 1: use of synonyms

Let’s start with our first strategy: the use of synonyms.

  • First, read and understand the question.
  • Use a highlighter to highlight the keywords in the question.

Select synonyms to replace those keywords.

Let’s take an example. Read and understand the title of this writing task 2:

Unemployment is one of the most serious problems facing developed nations today. What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of reducing the working week to thirty-five hours?

This essay title asks the writer to provide the advantages and disadvantages of an idea or solution.

In your opening introduction, you should not immediately provide an opinion on the essay topic.

Instead, paraphrase two sentences, using our 3-step strategy.

First, read and understand the question:

Unemployment is one of the most serious problems for developed nations.

A 35-hour working week is a possible solution to unemployment.

Use a pen to highlight or underline the keywords in the question:

You can keep the same overall sentence structure and change keywords (making sure not to paraphrase a fixed expression without checking it carefully – for example, high unemployment cannot be changed to ‘high lack of jobs’ – it should be nationwide lack of jobs or a serious lack of jobs)

  • unemployment = lack of jobs
  • serious problems = grave issues
  • developed nations = industrialized countries
  • advantages and/or disadvantages = pros and/or cons
  • working week = professional schedule

Strategy 2: verb transformation

Let’s take the same essay topic example and apply our second strategy to it: verb transformation.

In this strategy, we:

Highlight the key verbs

Select new verbs or synonyms OR transform the verb

  • Facing = confronting
  • Reducing = lessening

Many countries are faced with the problem of unemployment.

Unemployment, which many countries are facing, is a serious problem in the modern world.

Strategy 3: sentence restructuring

Let’s apply our third strategy to the same essay topic. Sentence restructuring is using a new sentence format, based on the writing skill. In this example, the writer is expected to explain the advantages and/or disadvantages of an idea.

What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of reducing the working week to thirty-five hours?

The sentence can be paraphrased as

Let’s examine the pros and/or cons of …

Let’s look at the pros and/or cons of …

Okay! Let’s now put our 3 strategies together to write sentences with our new synonyms to create an introduction:

Lack of jobs is indeed a grave issue confronting industrialised countries at this time. Let’s examine the pros and/or cons of lessening professional schedules to thirty-five hours.

IELTS Writing Task 2: How to write a good introduction

Tip 1: Review the question, classify it, and highlight the keywords.

Tip 2: Write brief ideas by brainstorming the topic.

Tip 3: Select the best and easiest to explain ideas.

Tip 4: Write a general statement by paraphrasing, followed by your position.

Tip 5: Explain how you plan to develop your essay. Review your introduction.

Let’s try it again – Another example of paraphrasing for IELTS writing task 2

Using the techniques above, let’s apply them to a different question, this time about computer games in schools.

Firstly, we’ll take an example of a common essay writing skill, discussing causes and suggesting solutions. Let’s look at the example and then, apply our 3-step paraphrasing strategy to write an introduction.

Nowadays, many schools are using computer games to teach lessons to many children inside and outside the classroom. What are the negative and positive effects of using computer games in education and what can be done to minimise the negative effects?

2. Use a highlighter to highlight the keywords in the question:

IELTS Writing Task 2 Rough Copy

3. Select synonyms to replace those keywords.

  • nowadays = in modern times
  • schools = academic institutions
  • computer games = electronic activities and exercises
  • lessons = courses
  • inside and outside the classroom = at school and at home
  • negative and positive effects = good and bad impacts
  • education = academic development

Using Strategy 2: verb transformation

1. highlight the key verbs.

Nowadays, many schools are using computer games to teach lessons to many children inside and outside the classroom. What are the negative and positive effects of using computer games on education and what can be done to minimize the negative effects?

2. Select new verbs or synonyms or transform the verb

using = employing

teach = instruct

can be done = solution

minimise = reduce

Using strategy 3: sentence restructuring

Let’s apply our third strategy to the same essay topic. Sentence restructuring is the skills of applying a new sentence format, based on the writing objective required. In this example, the writer is expected to  outline  both the negative and positive effects of using computer games on education. The sentence

What are the negative and positive effects of using computer games on education?

Can be restructured into an answer format:

In this essay, I will outline the bad and good impacts of employing electronic activities and exercises on academic development.

The second question

What can be done to minimize the negative effects?

can be transformed to:

I will also examine solutions to reducing the bad impacts of electronic activities.

Okay! We are now ready to put our introduction together, using our 3-step strategy:

In modern times, many academic institutions are employing electronic activities and exercises to instruct courses to children both at school and at home. In this essay, I will outline the bad and good impacts of employing electronic activities and exercises on academic development.

I will also examine solutions to reducing the bad impacts of these electronic activities.

Two extra strategies:

Change the word form: Unemployment is a noun, but you can change it to an adjective as an example of paraphrasing.

Unemployment is a serious problem – Change the word form of unemployment from a noun to an adjective: There are many unemployed people in some countries.

In this way, you can change verbs to nouns, nouns to adjectives and vice versa.

Use referencing.

This means using which, that, it – very useful when you can’t think of another synonym!

Unemployment is growing in many countries, and this issue is becoming a challenge for many governments.

There is always a way to paraphrase, whatever the question. With more practice, you will be able to identify the best way to paraphrase that sounds natural and appropriate.

Video: how to start IELTS task 2

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Audio tutorial about starting IELTS writing task 2

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Remember, paraphrasing is so important for both writing and speaking in IELTS. You can change the word using synonyms, change the form, change the verb/tense, change the voice from active to passive, or use referencing. and if you’re not sure, look at an example before you practice.

If you have your exam in a few months, then you may be interested in getting feedback for your essay writing, the best way is to find a professional essay correction service, or find a tutor.

If you struggle to start  IELTS writing task 2  (so many students have this problem!), or if you can’t find ideas for Task 2, then this  tutorial  will help. Take a look at some  IELTS writing task 2 questions  to help you prepare. Alternatively, you might be interested in boosting your lexical resource by upgrading your vocabulary, this page explains how to do just that.

35 IELTS writing phrases PDF (copy paste)

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IELTS Writing Paraphrasing Guide

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  • 9 band Tips

essay paraphrasing ielts guide

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.

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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.

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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.

IELTS writing correction

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:

agree usual direct responsible happy patient legal read order -president
:

to the building. the building.

:

:

5. Paraphrasing practice

information about how many people visited Cardiff and Dublin over a 10-year between 2010 and 2020. about the percentage of people who ten selected university subjects at a university in New York between 2000 and 2010. shows information about the process tea and the steps involved a cup of tea. the for students who have graduated from high school should follow to enter higher education. years, it has become much for students to complete their degree 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. that the modern world is facing many serious environmental , such as climate change, an increase in natural and air pollution. It is often argued that these environmental issues should be tackled globally. , the number of species facing extinction , and as a result, a larger number of people are becoming involved in environmental issues. It is argued by some that of endangered animals is wasteful. concerned about the general health of children. They are worried about problems too much time spent in front of a TV, computer or mobile. / 22
  • 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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Paraphrasing in the IELTS Test

Paraphrasing in the IELTS test can be tricky but well worth getting the hang of. 

It's an important skill that you'll need to use in the test.

It’s done by putting something into your own words; it can be done by re-arranging the sentence structure, using synonyms or changing the form of a word. 

Why is this relevant in the IELTS exam?

It’s an essential skill to master for both the speaking and writing sections.

It basically happens in IELTS when you are given words, phrases or sentences in the form of prompts or questions, and you place these into your own words.

Paraphrasing in IELTS Speaking

(see below for writing)

For a high score, paraphrasing is required to demonstrate understanding and an advanced vocabulary. Essentially, it’s what stands between you and Band 8.

When looking at the official speaking assessment criteria, you’ll notice the following requirements for different scores within lexical resources:

  • Band 5: Attempts paraphrase but not always with success.
  • Band 6: Generally able to paraphrase successfully.
  • Band 7: Effective use of paraphrase as required. 
  • Band 8: Effective use of paraphrase as required.

Not paraphrasing in the IELTS test successfully can negatively impact your score, and you don’t want that! 

Not only will paraphrasing allow you to show off your vocabulary to the examiner, but it can also help buy you some extra time to think of what you want to say and even help you understand the question a bit better by rephrasing it out loud.

Let’s take a further look at exactly how to paraphrase in the speaking section. We’ll use common part 1 questions for the examples to give a clear understanding of how to implement this technique in an exam but you can do it in all parts.

Different Ways to Paraphrase

With synonyms.

  • Q: “Is there anything you dislike about your hometown?”
  • A: “There are a number of things I’m not fond of in the city I grew up in. For instance, I don't like...” 

By Rearranging Word Order

  • Q: “Has your hometown changed much since you were a child?”
  • A: “Since I was a child, my hometown has definitely changed in many ways. It's become...” 

Changing Word Formations

  • Q: ”Are there any changes you would like to make to your hometown?”
  • A: “There are definitely some things I’d like to change about my hometown.”

Paraphrasing in IELTS Writing

In the writing section, you’ll take a similar approach.

Paraphrasing in Writing Task 1

If you’re taking the academic IELTS exam, you’ll especially need to paraphrase in task 1 of the writing section, where you’re given a diagram/graph to analyse. 

The pie chart below shows the main reasons why agricultural land becomes less productive. The table shows how these causes affected three regions of the world during the 1990s.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Step 1 is to paraphrase this and here’s what that might look like:

First Sentence of Introduction

The pie chart portrays the primary causes of agricultural land deterioration, while the table illustrates how three different parts of the world have been impacted by these issues during the 1990’s.

After you’ve completed that, you’ll already be 30 words into your 150-word description of your chart and table. 

You’ve demonstrated your ability to paraphrase using excellent synonyms and rearranging the sentence into a complex structure by using the linking word “while” to join them together. 

Paraphrasing in Writing Task 2

Part 2 requires you to write an academic-style essay on your opinion, argue a point, or solve a problem.

This means you’ll be given a statement within the question itself that you can paraphrase in the introduction of your essay. 

You can implement any of the paraphrasing methods mentioned above or even a combination. Here’s an example:

Essay Question

We have an enormous variety of options to choose from in our everyday lives. However, some people argue that in reality we don’t have the liberty to make different choices.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In today's world, it’s often argued that despite having many options, people are not always free to make many decisions.

Remember, practice makes perfect, so let’s jump straight into it!

Try answering these questions by using paraphrasing at the start. The questions are from parts 1-3

  • What is your favourite part of the week?
  • How often do you spend each day sending text messages?
  • Describe someone who has had an important influence on your life.
  • Describe a happy childhood event.
  • Do you think social media is a bad influence on children?
  • Are countries doing enough to combat global warming?

Writing Task 1

Paraphrase these writing task 1 prompts.

  •  The chart below shows the percentage of people from the UK who ate five portions of fruit per day from 2014 to 2024.
  • The line graph below shows the global sales of digital games between 2010 and 2020.
  • The diagram illustrates the process that is used to manufacture bricks for the building industry.

Writing Task 2

Paraphrase the following statements:

  • Many people believe that social networking sites have had a huge negative impact on both people and the society
  • Some people think that getting a degree from a university is the best way to guarantee a good job; others believe it would be better to go straight to work and get experience instead.
  • Most people believe that money cannot buy happiness. Why does happiness have to be defined? How can people achieve happiness?

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tips for ielts paraphrasing

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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.

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IELTS Grammar Guide: Synonyms and Paraphrases

Paraphrases and Synonyms in Reading

Paraphrasing is a very important skill for IELTS exam. Because in the test, almost in all the sections you will face paraphrases. For example, in the reading section, it is very unlikely that you will get the same word both in the question sentence and in the reading passage.

Paraphrases and Synonyms in Listening

In the listening section, you will get around 45 seconds before every audio clip begins. During this time, you already have the question texts with you, and observing the question texts you are trying to predict what you are about to listen. But unfortunately, you are going to listen only a few words that are used in the question paper. Because you will listen mostly paraphrases or synonyms.

Paraphrases and Synonyms in Speaking

If you talk about speaking section, you know you will need to resort to some strategies to impress the examiner. If you don't know synonyms or how to paraphrase, you are in trouble. Because, if you use the same word too frequently, it will sound very irritating to the examiner.

Paraphrases and Synonyms in Writing

Paraphrase has a special importance in writing section, specially in the very first paragraph of your essay. Because in this paragraph, you must write a sentence that will reiterate the question sentence, and this reiteration is simply a paraphrase of the question statement.

This is how you will need paraphrases and synonyms in all areas of IELTS exam. Now let's see how you can develop paraphrasing skill.   

How to paraphrase

There are three most effective strategies that you can use to make paraphrases:

Using synonyms  (words bearing the same meaning)

Changing the form of words

Changing grammatical structure

You should practice all of these approaches for your best preparation.

1. Using synonyms

Synonyms are the different words that have the same meaning. For example, the synonyms of examination is assessment, test etc. This is a very simple strategy. Just replacing with the words that have the same meaning to make a new sentence.

Make sure you use same words as synonyms, not similar words. There is a big difference between the word 'same' and the word 'similar'. Similar means 'close to', whereas 'same' means 'exact'. A 'close to' meaning word will not be a synonym, it has to be an 'exact' meaning word. If you cannot paraphrase with an exact meaning word. the message of the original statement might change. Therefore, use synonyms only when you are 100% sure about the meaning. 

Paraphrase by Synonyms:

Original sentence:  Why do you need to wait for 2 hours for the  test?

Paraphrased sentence:  Why do you need to wait for a couple of hours for the assessment ?

2. Changing the form of words

You know there are so many forms of words like verbs, nouns, adjectives etc. You can make paraphrases by changing these forms as well. But you have to make sure you are not going beyond of grammatical range and accuracy. Whatever the word form you use for paraphrasing, make sure your new sentence is grammatically valid.

For example,

Original sentence:  Popularity of sports varies  in different regions of the world. 

Paraphrased sentence:  Popularity of sports is varied  in different regions of the world. 

3. Changing grammatical structures

This is the vast area of forming paraphrase. If you are confident in grammar, you will love to paraphrase using this strategy. Because there are always so many grammatical options that you can use to construct a beautiful new sentence without changing the meaning of the original sentence. For example,

Reordering clause :

Original sentence: As there is a huge revolution in recent communication technology, people are worried about losing their ethnic identity.

Paraphrased sentence:  People are afraid of losing their ethnic identity as there is a revolutionary development is communication technology.

Active to passive voice

Original sentence:  An international construction giant funded this massive project.

Paraphrased sentence:  This massive project was funded by an international construction giant.

Make sure you navigate through our detailed discussion on,

essential grammar and vocabulary for IELTS.

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tips for ielts paraphrasing

Task 1 & 2: Paraphrasing

Learn how to paraphrase for IELTS and improve your writing score with simple techniques like synonyms and sentence combining. Start practising now!

Content Tags

Paraphrasing is essential in the IELTS test. It's a great skill to have for speaking and it's especially important for the writing section. This skill shows that you not only understand the question but that you can discuss it fully. If you write the original statement in your tasks, it may not be counted and it could hurt your word count.

What is paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is writing the same information using different vocabulary, phrases, and structures.

How do I paraphrase?

Paraphrasing can be a daunting task. Here are some simple techniques that can help you paraphrase well in your writing:

Use synonyms

Synonyms are words that have the same meaning. Using synonyms is an easy way to create a new sentence that has the same meaning.

Some people think that parents should teach their children how to be good members of society.

Some individuals believe that parents should teach their children how to be a positive part of their community.

Make sure that the synonyms you are using have the same meaning, and not similar, as this could change the meaning of the sentence.

Some people believe that car emissions have a massive impact on the environment.

Incorrect: Some people believe that car emissions have a large impact on the environment.

Correct: Some people believe that car emissions have an enormous impact on the environment.

Be careful because some synonyms can be used in some situations but not in others.

The amount of fish consumed in the world has increased dramatically.

Incorrect: The amount of fish used in the world has increased dramatically.

The amount of fuel consumed when driving largely depends on the vehicle.

Correct: The amount of fuel used when driving largely depends on the vehicle. 

Also, grammar is important when using synonyms.

Wealth does not necessarily guarantee happiness.

Having money does not necessarily ensure satisfaction.

2. Change word order

Putting words and phrases in different places within the sentence is another simple way to paraphrase.

The percentage of stressed children in western society has increased by 15% in the last ten years.

In the last ten years, the percentage of stressed children in western society has increased by 15%.

Again, the meaning of the sentence may change when changing the word order.

Successful sports professionals earn more money than people in other important professions.

Incorrect: People in other important professions earn more money than successful sports professionals.

Correct: People in other important professions earn less money than successful sports professionals.

3. Change word form

Along with word order, you can change word form. This involves changing vocabulary from nouns to verbs, adjectives to adverbs, and so on.

Nowadays, crimes are becoming more violent.

Nowadays, crimes are being committed more violently.

Once again, grammar is important when changing word form.

The level of crime has increased noticeably in different ways.

Incorrect: There was an increase noticeably in the level of crime in different ways.  

Correct: The increase in the level of crime has been noticeable in different ways.

4. Active to Passive

Changing your sentences from active to passive voice can be more difficult than the other techniques; however, it shows a variety in your grammar structures.

Active: Technological advances have replaced people in the workforce.

Passive: People in the workforce have been replaced by technological advances.

Make sure you know how to change the structure of a sentence before trying to use the passive voice.

Children today play very violent video games.

Incorrect: Children today are played by very violent video games.

Correct: Very violent video games are played by children today.

5. Combine sentences

The ability to combine sentences gives you more opportunity to change word order as well as shows off more variety in your writing.

Some people believe that animals should have the same rights as humans. Other people believe that animals should be used for various needs such as food and research.

Some people believe that animals should have the same rights as humans, while others believe they should be used for various needs such as food and research.

When combining sentences, make sure that the transitions you are using are correct.

Some people believe that logging is a serious problem. They believe that it may lead to the extinction of animal life.

Incorrect: Some people believe that logging is a serious problem, while others believe that it may lead to the extinction of animal life.

Correct: Some people believe that logging is a serious problem and it may lead to the extinction of animal life.

Practice using these techniques in your writing to become more comfortable with paraphrasing. Paraphrasing can lead to better writing, which in turn, can lead to a better writing score.

By Ashlee Hunter

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Paraphrasing for IELTS Writing Task 1

Posted by David S. Wills | May 20, 2017 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 0

Paraphrasing for IELTS Writing Task 1

Paraphrasing is an essential skill for IELTS, and it is particularly important for IELTS Writing Task 1. In this exam, you are required to paraphrase the question in order to write your first sentence. If you cannot do this, it becomes very difficult to pass the exam. If you copy the question, you will be deducted marks and it may cost you a high band score. Fortunately, learning to paraphrase is not difficult. In this PPT, I will show you how to paraphrase an IELTS Writing Task 1 question.

Paraphrasing Skills for IELTS

You can learn about how to structure an IELTS writing task 1 essay here .

About The Author

David S. Wills

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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Preparation for the IELTS Exam

Paraphrasing and synonyms in IELTS reading

Synonyms and paraphrasing exercise for ielts reading..

Updated: September 2023

A key skill for a high score is your ability to understand paraphrasing in IELTS reading. Paraphrasing is also a crucial skill for the writing section as you need to change the wording of the task question. It is also very useful in speaking and it shows up in the reading and listening sections.

Paraphrasing is when the wording changes but the same meaning is retained. It can be done with synonyms, changing the grammatical structure and the use of set phrases.

In the reading section, the words in the question will be reflected in the text but they will not have the same wording. They will be paraphrased usually with synonyms. Bear in mind that a whole sentence can have completely different wording but keep the same meaning.

The reading section in IELTS is actually testing your vocabulary!

  • You should not read the whole text in detail in the exam as you will not have time, and you cannot use a dictionary either. Skimming, scanning and reading in detail in the area where you feel the answers might be is important.
  • Guessing meaning from context is also skill you will need to develop. Have a look at this lesson here  to see more about this.

Let’s try this reading text from the Cambridge IELTS 13 book. Try the paraphrasing exercise below. The latest book in the series is IELTS 18 which you can buy online.

tips for ielts paraphrasing

Source: Cambridge IELTS 13 page 38

Match the words highlighted in yellow in the text with the synonyms/paraphrases below, then check your answers.

  • an indication of how wealthy an individual is
  • which originates from
  • was believed to heal different illnesses
  • participating in
  • a sweet smell
  • was also said to be beneficial to well being
  • leave a mark on

Click below for the answers

The bold words on the right were in the original text.

  • made from = produced from
  • which originates from = which is native to..
  • stated = mentioned
  • a number of = several
  • added to = mixed with
  • a sign of = i ndicating
  • participating in = attending
  • a sweet smell = a pleasant scent
  • main = primary
  • especially = particularly
  • leave a mark on = impress
  • an indication of how wealthy an individual is = a sign of wealth at his or her disposal
  • was also said to be beneficial to well being = was also reported to have health benefits
  • was believed to heal different illnesses = was thought to cure various ailments

Here is how I have reformulated the above paragraph using these synonyms and paraphrasing.

Cinnamon is a sweet, fragrant spice made from the inner bark of trees of the genus Cinnamomum, which originates from the Indian subcontinent. It was known in biblical times and is stated in a number of books in the Bible, both as an ingredient that was added to oils for anointing peoples bodies and also as a token that was a sign of friendship among lovers and friends. In ancient Rome, mourners participating in funerals burnt cinnamon to create a sweet smell . Most often, however, the spice found its main use as an additive to food and drink. In the Middle Ages, Europeans who could afford the spice used it to flavour food, especially meat, and to leave a mark on those around them with their ability to purchase an expensive condiment from the ‘exotic’ East. At a banquet, a host would offer guests a plate with various spies piled upon it as an indication of how wealthy an individual is . Cinnamon was also said to be beneficial to well being and was believed to heal different illnesses, such as indigestion.

Let’s try it with paragraph 2

tips for ielts paraphrasing

  • keen to get involved in
  • together with
  • kept it under wraps
  • set an excessively high cost
  • competitors
  • the way of living
  • prompted them to look for
  • this resulted in an increased need for…
  • buy their stock of
  • the way of living = the lifestyle
  • this resulted in an increased need for… = this led to a growth in demand for..
  • kept it under wraps = closely guarded the secret
  • competitors = rivals
  • through = via
  • arrived at = reached
  • buy their stock of = purchase their supply of
  • amounts = quantities
  • cartel = monopoly
  • set an excessively high cost = set the price exorbitantly high
  • together with = coupled with
  • prompted a search for = spurred the search of
  • keen to get involved in = eager to take part in

Toward the end of the Middle Ages, the European middle classes began to desire a way of living similar to that of the elite, including their consumption of spices. This resulted in an increased need for cinnamon and other spices. At that time, cinnamon was transported by Arab merchants, who kept the source of the spice under wraps from potential competitors . They took it from India, where it was grown, on camels through an overland route to the Mediterranean. Their journey ended when they arrived at Alexandria. European traders sailed there to buy their stock of cinnamon, then brought it back to Venice. The spice then travelled from that great trading city to markets all around Europe. Because the overland trade route allowed for only small amounts of the spice to reach Europe, and because Venice had a virtual cartel on the trade, the Venetians could set an excessively high cost . These prices, together with the increasing demand, prompted a search for new routes to Asia by Europeans keen to get involved in the spice trade.

Reformulating the text as I have done in my examples is a good way to practice paraphrasing.  Find a reading text and just start with a few sentences. Rewrite them in your own words while keeping the same meaning.

Practice this skill regularly but you will need to read a lot to develop your vocabulary for this to be effective.

Any questions?  leave a comment below.

Leave a comment cancel reply.

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Reading Skills for IELTS: Paraphrasing

In IELTS reading, you will need to pay attention to synonyms and paraphrasing. This is a vocabulary exercise to help you matching synonyms and become aware of the problems using them. This is not an IELTS test, it is a reading lessons to develop skills of paraphrasing for IELTS. Although these types of questions do not come in the test, you will need these skills to succeed in IELTS.

Paraphrasing Practice

Passage: Ancient Egyptian Powder Crime scene investigators are about to get an assist from the land of the pharaohs. New research has shown that a pigment called Egyptian blue, formulated some 5,250 years ago, can be used as dusting powder to detect fingerprints on complicated surfaces. The earliest known synthetic pigment, Egyptian blue is found in some of the paint that still colours ancient statues, coffins, and tomb walls. Modern scientists were intrigued by this long-lasting tint and figured out its chemical components decades ago. More recently they discovered that it emits near-infrared radiation when exposed to a certain kind of light. Notice: This passage is from a National Geographic magazine. You can read the full article on this page: NatGeo Ancient Egyptian Powder

Filling the Gaps with Synonyms

Below is a summary of the passage above. Fill in the gaps using the word list given below. Make sure the summary is grammatically correct when you insert the word.

The pigment (1)………. Egyptian blue, which was formulated (2) ……….. 5,250 years ago, can now be used to (3)……… finger prints on complicated surfaces.  This pigment was used in the painting of statues and tomb wall reliefs in Ancient Egypt. However, it has now been (4)……….. that, when it is it exposed to a (5)……….. light, it emits near-infrared radiation.

Choose words to fill in the gaps above. The meaning should be the same as the original paragraph.

make     /        identify     /      observe      /   revealed    /     about     /     names      /      found       /      using        /    creates         /     known as          /      particular      /      over

Click link below to reveal answers:

Answer to Reading Paraphrasing Lesson

…………………………………

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Firstly, thanks for such helping lesson. this is realy helpful for beginners. My answers are: known as about identify found/ revealed perticular

Seconddly, plesase if any have an IElTS book in PDF please let me know. Thanks in advance.

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i. known as ii. about iii. identify iv. revealed v. particular

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1 known as 2 about 3 identify 4 found 5 particular my answers for the given paragraph

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Hello Liz, In such paraphrasing reading task for academic ielts, will the word list be provided or we need to find synonyms by ourselves? Thank you.

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This is a lesson to develop skills. These questions are not test questions.

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1.KNOWN AS 2.ABOUT 3.IDENTIFY 4.DETECT 5.PARTICULAR

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Known as Over Identify Revealed Particular

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Cambridge IELTS 1 Tests Hiii , May i know are these tests series are having actual tests or the type of tests which can come in the IELTS exam?

They are books which contain real IELTS tests. The books are all published by IELTS so that you can practice with real past test papers. The numbers are based on the order of publication: 1 is the oldest and number 14 is the most recent. See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/recommended-books-for-ielts/

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HI.can you suggest me please which cambridge ielts book is good?will i buy 1 to 14?please advise me

They are all useful. Book 14 is the most recent so use that first.

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1.Known as 2.About 3.Found 4.Identify 5.Revealed

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1.KNOWN AS 2.OVER 3.IDENTIFY 4.REVEALED 5.PARTICULAR

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known as about identify revealed particular

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Thanks for sharing your knowledge Liz!

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1) known as 2) make 3) creates 4)observe 5) particular

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1. Known as 2. About 3. Revealed 4. Observe 5. Particular

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Hi Liz, I have been trying to subscribe for free mail update but always got an error response. Kindly help with tips for subscribing

Sorry I can’t help with subscribing because it is an automatic system which I don’t control. However, you don’t need to subscribe. Each week the new posts are listed in the right hand column of all pages for you to review. And the 300 pages of existing lessons, tips etc are available for you now – accessed through the RED BAR at the top of the website.

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I got 5/5 in this synonyms lesson….Thank you Liz for this kind act..

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1 revealed. 2. about 3. identify 4. observe 5. particular

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hello liz I have finished number of reading chapters. but I got less marks so should I try again same test or not plz suggest

I do not understand what you mean by “I finished a number of reading chapters”. Do you mean you finished a number of reading lessons? I do not understand “should I try again same test”. There are no tests on this site. If you want to take IELTS tests twice it is your choice. As for the materials on this site, you can use them as you want to develop skills, raise awareness or learn vocabulary.

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Hi 1. Known 2. About 3. Identify 4. Found 5. Particular

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Hi Dear Liz, I’ve a question,I’ve heard that complexity in Ielts exam increases on the base of Section Number.For Example,Section 1 for reading will be easier then 2 and 3 and Section 3 will be Difficult most as compared to first two sections. To what extent it is Correct,because i’m doing some preparation from books containing recent actual exams and cambridge ielts exam books as well,it sometimes make me feel opposite while conducting practice test from there.! Thanks in Advance 🙂

Apparently that is the case. However, I feel that while the GT reading test certainly increases in difficulty, that doesn’t always seem to be the case with academic reading test.

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1known as 2 about 3 identify 4 observe 5particular

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Hi Liz. Thanks for educating me.

One question. Is it OK to put the answers my general training reading in capital letters? Are they marked wrong for this

It is best that all listening and reading answers are written using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS.

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I have not seen these type of questions in General IELTS. Can these be asked in General Ielts test?

Did you read this lesson carefully? “This is not an IELTS test, it is a reading lessons to develop skills of paraphrasing for IELTS.”. It is not an IELTS test!!! This is a lesson to practice skills.

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Congratulations….pl:help me

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Thanks for this very usefull lesson

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1. Known as 2. About 3. Identify 4. Revealed 5. Particular

Thanks list

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I got my results last week. My score is L8.5 R 7.5 S7 W7. Thank you for all your tips. If anyone need speaking help, please contact me.

Yay!! Well done 🙂 Really good score 🙂

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I want more exercises …. I am having my exam next week.

See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-reading-lessons-information-and-tips/ . All main pages are accessed through the red bar at the top of the website.

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well done. I need practice

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Know as About Identify Revealed Particular

See all tips and lessons on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-reading-lessons-information-and-tips/

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1)known as 2)about/identify 3)revealed 4)particular Thanks

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1 know as 2 about 3 identity 4 revealed 5 particular

U are the best teacher Liz ! 😘 Thanks a lot for everything.

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  1. How to Paraphrase Successfully in IELTS

    This page contains tips on paraphrasing to maximise your score. For IELTS Writing Task 2, paraphrasing is critical to your score for essay writing. Vocabulary counts for 25% of your writing marks. This page mainly focuses in paraphrasing for essays, but it can also help you understand more about paraphrasing in IELTS Reading and IELTS Listening ...

  2. Mastering Paraphrasing in IELTS: Your Key to a Higher Score

    Effective Paraphrasing Techniques for IELTS. Now, let's delve into practical techniques to hone your paraphrasing skills: 1. Utilize Synonyms. One of the most straightforward ways to paraphrase is by substituting words with their synonyms. For instance, instead of saying "important," consider using "crucial," "significant," or ...

  3. How to Paraphrase in the IELTS Test

    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.

  4. IELTS Paraphrasing: 4 Proven Tips to Master It

    27/03/2024 06:00. Paraphrasing is a crucial skill to master for the IELTS exam. To be honest, it's a bit of an art form and will serve you well not only in the exam but in any writing that you'll need to do thereafter. As you know paraphrasing involves rephrasing a sentence or phrase with different words that convey the same meaning.

  5. How to paraphrase and boost your IELTS Writing Score

    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 ...

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

    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:

  7. How to Paraphrase for IELTS Writing and use Synonyms+Exercises

    We can paraphrase in our IELTS essays by: Changing the word order. Using synonyms. Changing the word form. Let's have a look at a task 2 writing question, and look at the different options we have to paraphrase in your introduction using the methods above. In many countries, schools have major problems with student behaviour.

  8. How to effectively paraphrase in the IELTS Writing Test

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

  9. How to paraphrase successfully in IELTS writing

    Easy to learn methods of paraphrasing to become successful in IELTS writing. 1. The simple game of synonyms. The first and the simple method of paraphrasing is to use synonyms in the questions that are given. This practice can be used in the writing introduction part in an IELTS essay because the words we simply use always have similar words ...

  10. How to paraphrase in IELTS writing

    Paraphrasing means to say something in your own words while keeping the same meaning. In the introduction of your essay, the first thing you should do is paraphrase the topic question by changing the structure of the sentences or changing the formation of the words. This can be done using synonyms (words with the same meaning).

  11. 3 Best Paraphrasing Tips for IELTS Writing Task 2

    There is also more than one way to paraphrase. The best way to paraphrase for IELTS Writing Task 2 is to use a combination of these techniques (synonyms, sentence structure and clause order). Practice makes perfect! Our E2Language IELTS experts can help you learn the rest of the method for IELTS Writing Task 2!

  12. Paraphrasing in IELTS

    IELTS Writing Task 2: How to write a good introduction. Tip 1: Review the question, classify it, and highlight the keywords. Tip 2: Write brief ideas by brainstorming the topic. Tip 3: Select the best and easiest to explain ideas. Tip 4: Write a general statement by paraphrasing, followed by your position. Tip 5: Explain how you plan to develop ...

  13. Guide to Paraphrasing IELTS Essay and Graph Question Topics

    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.

  14. Paraphrasing in the IELTS Test: Speaking and Writing

    Paraphrasing in IELTS Speaking. For a high score, paraphrasing is required to demonstrate understanding and an advanced vocabulary. Essentially, it's what stands between you and Band 8. When looking at the official speaking assessment criteria, you'll notice the following requirements for different scores within lexical resources:

  15. IELTS Writing Task 2: Paraphrasing Practice

    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. Paragraph. 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.

  16. How to Paraphrase for IELTS Writing: Elevate Your Essay Skills

    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.

  17. Secret Tips for Paraphrasing

    Get Everything You Need To Achieve A High Band Score! There are three most effective strategies for paraphrasing. (1) Using synonyms, (2) Changing the form of words, and (3) Changing grammatical structure You should practice all of these approaches for your best IELTS preparation. Check our secret tips for paraphrasing.

  18. Task 1 & 2: Paraphrasing

    Task 1 & 2: Paraphrasing. Learn how to paraphrase for IELTS and improve your writing score with simple techniques like synonyms and sentence combining. Start practising now! Paraphrasing is essential in the IELTS test. It's a great skill to have for speaking and it's especially important for the writing section.

  19. Paraphrasing for IELTS Writing Task 1

    Paraphrasing is an essential skill for IELTS, and it is particularly important for IELTS Writing Task 1. In this exam, you are required to paraphrase the question in order to write your first sentence. If you cannot do this, it becomes very difficult to pass the exam. If you copy the question, you will be deducted marks and it may cost you a ...

  20. Exercise on paraphrasing and synonyms in IELTS reading

    Try the paraphrasing exercise below. The latest book in the series is IELTS 18 which you can buy online. Source: Cambridge IELTS 13 page 38. Match the words highlighted in yellow in the text with the synonyms/paraphrases below, then check your answers. an indication of how wealthy an individual is.

  21. Techniques for paraphrasing in IELTS

    Paraphrasing is a very important skill if you want to succeed in the IELTS test. You are expected to paraphrase in both the speaking and written examination to demonstrate your wide vocabulary range. ... I took 5 lessons for IELTS with Richard. Richard was a kind and helpful teacher. He gave me some great tips and pieces of advice about the ...

  22. IELTS Vocabulary: Paraphrasing Tips

    IELTS Vocabulary: Paraphrasing Tips. This lesson focuses on IELTS vocabulary and paraphrasing problems. Many students try so hard to paraphrase a word that they are actually making too many mistakes which will lower their band score. This lesson explains how to be careful with paraphrasing and avoid losing marks.

  23. Reading Skills for IELTS: Paraphrasing

    Reading Skills for IELTS: Paraphrasing. by Liz 102 Comments. In IELTS reading, you will need to pay attention to synonyms and paraphrasing. This is a vocabulary exercise to help you matching synonyms and become aware of the problems using them. This is not an IELTS test, it is a reading lessons to develop skills of paraphrasing for IELTS.