Paraphrasing: the master skill of IELTS
Paraphrase is behind every IELTS section: questions reword the text, examiners reward it in Writing and Speaking. Learn seven reliable techniques, the traps that change meaning, and practise spotting paraphrase in a real-style reading passage.
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Explain how paraphrase is tested in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
- Use seven techniques: synonyms, word-form change, active/passive, sentence restructuring, antonym + negation, generalising/specifying, and numbers to fractions
- Avoid the three dangers: changing the meaning, wrong collocations and over-paraphrasing
- Paraphrase a Writing Task 1 and Task 2 prompt into a natural introduction
- Locate answers in a reading passage by meaning rather than by matching words
Where paraphrase is tested
| Section | How paraphrase appears | What you must do |
|---|---|---|
Listening | Questions use different words from the speakers. ‘Delivery is not available at weekends’ may be heard as ‘we can’t bring it on a Saturday or Sunday’. | Listen for the meaning, then write the exact word you HEAR, spelt correctly. |
Reading | Questions paraphrase the passage. Words that DO match the passage are often distractors. | Locate the answer by meaning. For completion questions, copy the answer word from the passage. |
Writing Task 1 | Your introduction rephrases the prompt; you describe the same data in varied ways. | Rephrase the prompt; vary language for numbers and trends. |
Writing Task 2 | Your introduction restates the question; you refer back to key ideas without repeating the same words. | Restate the topic in your own words. Copied language shows the examiner nothing about your vocabulary. |
Speaking | The Lexical Resource descriptors explicitly mention paraphrasing. When you don’t know a word, you explain around it. | Keep talking: ‘It’s a kind of…’, ‘the thing you use to…’. |
Listening (form completion)
Form: Reason for calling: wants to change the ___
You hear: “I’ve got a double room booked for the fifth, but something’s come up, so I need a different date, the seventh if possible.”
Answer: date
Reading (True / False / Not Given)
Passage: Since 2010, the proportion of households in Bangladesh with access to electricity has risen dramatically.
Statement: Far more Bangladeshi homes are connected to the power supply than in 2010.
Answer: TRUE
- wants to change → need a differentThe form says ‘change’; the speaker says ‘I need a different date’. If you were waiting to hear the word ‘change’, you would miss the answer. Notice that you still write the word you actually heard: date.
- households → homesA simple synonym.
- access to electricity → connected to the power supplyA whole phrase rephrased. Paraphrase works at phrase level, not just word level.
- risen dramatically → far moreA verb + adverb became a comparison. The structure changed, but the meaning stayed the same.
Seven paraphrasing techniques
- 1
1. Synonyms
Replace words with words of the same meaning in that context.
Many young people are leaving rural areas to find work. → A large number of young adults are moving away from the countryside in search of employment.
- 2
2. Change the word form
Turn verbs into nouns, adjectives into adverbs, and so on. This often forces a better sentence.
Dhaka’s population has grown rapidly. → There has been rapid growth in Dhaka’s population.
- 3
3. Active ↔ passive
Switch the focus from the doer to the action.
Engineers completed the Padma Bridge in 2022. → The Padma Bridge was completed in 2022.
- 4
4. Change the sentence structure
Reorder clauses or change the linking word.
Because the roads were flooded, schools closed for a week. → Flooded roads forced schools to close for a week. / Schools closed for a week as a result of flooding on the roads.
- 5
5. Antonym + negation
Use the opposite word and make it negative.
Prices remained stable. → Prices did not change significantly. The plan failed. → The plan was not successful.
- 6
6. Generalise or specify
Replace examples with a category, or a category with examples. Reading questions do this all the time.
rice, wheat and maize → cereal crops smartphones, tablets and laptops → digital devices
- 7
7. Numbers ↔ fractions and proportions
Essential for Task 1 and for recognising data in Reading and Listening.
52% → just over half 25% → a quarter doubled → rose by 100% 20% → one in five
Original: The government should spend more money on improving public hospitals in rural areas.
Paraphrase: Greater investment in village and small-town hospitals ought to be a priority for the state.
- Word form‘spend more money’ (verb phrase) → ‘greater investment’ (noun phrase).
- Specify‘rural areas’ → ‘village and small-town’. More precise, same meaning.
- Synonym‘government’ → ‘the state’; ‘should’ → ‘ought to’.
- StructureThe sentence now starts with the action (investment) instead of the actor (the government).
- Kept‘hospitals’ stays. There is no natural synonym, and forcing one (‘medical institutions’) adds nothing. You don’t have to change every word.
Practice 1: the seven techniques
8 questions- 1
Word form: ‘Unemployment increased sharply.’ → ‘There was a sharp in unemployment.’
- 2
Passive: ‘The city council introduced a congestion charge in 2019.’ → ‘A congestion charge introduced by the city council in 2019.’
- 3
Numbers: ‘Approximately 75% of households own a refrigerator.’ → ‘Roughly three of households own a refrigerator.’
- 4
Numbers: ‘Twenty per cent of the students walk to campus.’ → ‘One in students walks to campus.’
- 5
Which is the best paraphrase of: ‘The number of tourists visiting Cox’s Bazar has risen considerably.’
- 6
Generalising: which phrase best replaces ‘cars, buses and motorbikes’?
- 7
Match each paraphrase to the technique it mainly uses.
The bridge was built in 2022 → Construction of the bridge was completed in 2022Workers paint the cars by hand → The cars are painted by handThe test was difficult → The test was not easymangoes, lychees and jackfruit → tropical fruit48% → slightly under half - 8
Which TWO sentences correctly paraphrase: ‘Children who read for pleasure tend to have larger vocabularies.’
Select 2.
Answer every question to check.
Writing Task 2 introduction: copied vs paraphrased
Copied (limits your band)
Question: Some people believe that university education should be free for all students. Others think students should pay tuition fees. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Some people believe that university education should be free for all students. Others think students should pay tuition fees. In this essay I will discuss both views and give my own opinion.
Paraphrased (band 7+)
Whether higher education should be funded by the state or by students themselves is a much-debated issue. While some argue that a degree should cost nothing, others maintain that those who benefit from it ought to contribute to its cost. This essay will examine both positions before explaining why I believe tuition should remain free, at least for students from low-income families.
The left version copies almost every word straight from the question. Copied language gives the examiner no evidence of your vocabulary or grammar, and it may not count towards your 250 words. The right version keeps the meaning but changes the words (*university education → higher education*, *free → cost nothing*, *pay tuition fees → contribute to its cost*) and the structure (*Whether… is a much-debated issue*). It also states a clear position, which Task Response rewards.
Prompt: The graph below shows the number of international students enrolled at universities in three countries between 2005 and 2020.
Your introduction: The line graph illustrates how many overseas students were studying at universities in three nations from 2005 to 2020.
- graph below shows → line graph illustratesName the chart type precisely and change the verb (illustrates, compares, gives information about).
- the number of → how manyA structural change: noun phrase → ‘how many’ clause. Good, but check the grammar that follows: ‘how many overseas students WERE studying’.
- international → overseasA simple synonym (‘foreign’ also works).
- enrolled at → studying atClose enough in meaning here. Don’t force rare words.
- between 2005 and 2020 → from 2005 to 2020Dates and numbers are never changed, only the words around them.
The thesaurus disaster
Over-paraphrased
Original: Many people in big cities suffer from stress because of long working hours.
Numerous individuals in gigantic metropolises endure anxiety owing to elongated labouring hours.
Natural paraphrase
Original: Many people in big cities suffer from stress because of long working hours.
A large number of city dwellers experience stress as a result of working long hours.
The left version uses rare words wrongly: *elongated* hours and *labouring* hours are not collocations; *gigantic metropolises* sounds absurd; and *anxiety* is not the same as *stress*. The right version changes only what needs changing, uses natural collocations (*city dwellers*, *experience stress*, *working long hours*) and keeps the meaning exactly. **Natural and accurate beats rare and wrong.**
Practice 2: fix the faulty paraphrase
7 questions- 1
Find and correct the mistake:
Governments should rise awareness of the dangers of plastic pollution.
- 2
Find and correct the mistake:
Strong rain during the monsoon often floods low-lying areas.
- 3
Find and correct the mistake:
Scientists made a research on air pollution in Dhaka.
- 4
Find and correct the mistake:
The economical growth of Bangladesh has been impressive in recent decades.
- 5
Find and correct the mistake:
The amount of people using mobile banking has increased.
- 6
Original: ‘Some experts claim that social media may harm teenagers’ sleep.’ Which paraphrase CHANGES the meaning?
- 7
When paraphrasing a Task 1 prompt, which TWO things should you keep exactly as they are?
Select 2.
Answer every question to check.
Reading practice: find the meaning, not the words
Work at exam pace. The timer is a guide — it won't stop you.
Answer reveal: how the questions paraphrased the passage
| Question wording | Passage wording | Technique |
|---|---|---|
created material with no meaning | invented… meaningless syllables | Synonym; word form (meaningless → with no meaning) |
so that what he already knew would not affect | to prevent existing knowledge from influencing | Synonyms + sentence structure change |
judged… solely by the number of syllables | rather than simply counting the syllables | Contradiction (solely ≠ rather than simply) |
stays in the memory for longer | is forgotten considerably more slowly | Antonym + comparison |
on separate occasions rather than all at once | several times over a number of days… a single session | Generalising |
practical relevance | the practical message | Synonym / word form |
the loss of memorised material | forgetting | Word form (verb → noun phrase) |
Final quiz: paraphrase like a band 7+ candidate
10 questions- 1
Which is the best paraphrase for a Task 2 introduction of: ‘Many people think that technology has made our lives more complicated.’
- 2
Numbers: ‘Sales fell by 50% between 2018 and 2020.’ → ‘Sales fell by between 2018 and 2020.’
- 3
Word form: ‘Cities in Bangladesh are expanding rapidly.’ → ‘Cities in Bangladesh are undergoing rapid .’
- 4
Fewer than half of the participants completed the twelve-week course.
Most participants did not finish the course.
- 5
The new metro line has reduced journey times for many commuters in the city.
The metro line has made every commuter’s journey shorter.
- 6
Listening: ‘What does the woman dislike about the flat? A the noise B the size C the price.’ She says: ‘It’s a decent size and the rent is reasonable, but the street outside is busy until late at night.’
- 7
Match each question phrase to the passage phrase that paraphrases it.
a decline in birth rateswas not widely accepted at firstrural communitiesapproximately a thirdthe main reason - 8
Find and correct the mistake:
The pie chart illustrates the proportion of energy that produced from different sources in 2020.
- 9
In the Speaking test you forget the word ‘stethoscope’. What is the best strategy?
- 10
Which TWO paraphrases of ‘Air pollution is a serious problem in Dhaka’ are natural and accurate?
Select 2.
Answer every question to check.
Key takeaways
Vocabulary for paraphrasing
Saved as flashcards with a free accountparaphrase
verb / noun/ˈpærəfreɪz/
To express the same meaning using different words; a text that does this.
নিজের ভাষায় পুনর্লিখন
Always paraphrase the question in your Task 2 introduction.
synonym
noun/ˈsɪnənɪm/
A word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another word.
সমার্থক শব্দ
‘Purchase’ is a more formal synonym of ‘buy’.
collocation
noun/ˌkɒləˈkeɪʃn/
A combination of words that are naturally used together.
শব্দের স্বাভাবিক জোড়
‘Heavy rain’ is a collocation; ‘strong rain’ is not.
convey
verb/kənˈveɪ/
To communicate an idea, feeling or meaning.
প্রকাশ করা / বোঝানো
A good paraphrase conveys exactly the same meaning as the original.
equivalent
adjective / noun/ɪˈkwɪvələnt/
Equal in value, amount or meaning; a thing that is equal to another.
সমতুল্য
Fifty per cent is equivalent to a half.
approximately
adverb/əˈprɒksɪmətli/
Close to an exact number or amount, but not exactly.
প্রায় / আনুমানিক
Approximately a third of the students cycle to campus.
retain
verb/rɪˈteɪn/
To keep or continue to have something, such as information in your memory.
ধরে রাখা
Spaced reviews help learners retain new vocabulary.
hedge
verb/hedʒ/
In academic writing, to make a claim less certain or absolute using words like ‘may’, ‘tend to’ or ‘some’.
দাবিকে নরম/সতর্কভাবে প্রকাশ করা
Academic writers hedge their claims to avoid overgeneralising.
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