IELTS Paraphrasing Mastery: How to Rewrite Ideas

Quick Answer: Paraphrasing is the skill of expressing the same idea using different words and sentence structures. In IELTS, strong paraphrasing shows lexical resource and grammatical range, directly impacting your score in Writing Task 1, Task 2, and Speaking. Master it by combining synonyms, changing voice, and reordering clauses while preserving the original meaning.

Table of Contents

What Is Paraphrasing and Why Does It Matter?

Core Techniques for Effective Paraphrasing

How to Practice Paraphrasing for IELTS

Band Score Comparison Table

What Is Paraphrasing and Why Does It Matter?

Paraphrasing means restating someone else’s idea in your own words without changing the core meaning. It’s not the same as summarising (which shortens) or quoting (which repeats exactly). In IELTS, paraphrasing is tested everywhere:

Writing Task 1: You must rewrite the question prompt in your introduction.

Writing Task 2: You need to rephrase the essay statement in your introduction and often paraphrase ideas from the prompt within your body paragraphs.

Speaking Part 2 & 3: You can paraphrase the cue card or the examiner’s question to buy thinking time and show flexibility.

Why does it matter? The IELTS marking criteria include:

Lexical Resource (vocabulary) – using a range of words naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy – using different sentence structures.

If you copy the exact words from the question, the examiner sees limited language ability. If you paraphrase skilfully, you prove you can manipulate English. Paraphrasing also helps you avoid repetition, which is crucial for coherence.

Core Techniques for Effective Paraphrasing

Here are five techniques you can mix and match. Always keep the original meaning – don’t twist facts or add new ideas.

1. Use Synonyms, But Carefully

Replace key words with synonyms. However, beware of false friends – synonyms that don’t fit the context.

Original: “The government should invest more in public transport.” Paraphrased: “Authorities ought to allocate greater funding to mass transit.”

“Government” → “Authorities”

“Invest” → “allocate funding”

“Public transport” → “mass transit”

Tip: Don’t change every word. Some words (like “the”) are fine to keep. Change only the meaningful ones.

2. Change the Sentence Structure

Alter the order of clauses, or turn a simple sentence into a complex one.

Original: “Because the weather was terrible, the event was cancelled.” Paraphrased: “The event was cancelled on account of the awful weather.”

Or: “The cancellation of the event resulted from the terrible weather.”

You moved the cause and effect around, or turned a clause into a noun phrase.

3. Switch Active and Passive Voice

Changing from active to passive (or vice versa) shifts the focus and changes the grammar.

Original: “Many companies offer flexible working hours.” Passive: “Flexible working hours are offered by many companies.”

This is especially useful in Writing Task 1 when describing processes or data.

4. Change Word Forms (Parts of Speech)

Turn a verb into a noun, an adjective into an adverb, etc.

Original: “Technology is developing rapidly.” Paraphrased: “There has been rapid development in technology.”

“Developing” (verb) → “development” (noun); “rapidly” (adverb) → “rapid” (adjective).

5. Use Opposite Constructions with Negatives

Sometimes you can say the opposite idea with a negative to rephrase.

Original: “The test is difficult.” Paraphrased: “The test is not easy.”

Be careful – this only works when antonyms exist. Not all ideas have a clear opposite.

Combine techniques for best results. Example: Original: “Online education offers flexibility that traditional classrooms lack.” Paraphrased: “Unlike conventional classrooms, online learning provides students with a great deal of flexibility.”

Here we changed “offers” to “provides”, “traditional classrooms” to “conventional classrooms”, reordered the sentence, and added “a great deal of” for natural emphasis.

How to Practice Paraphrasing for IELTS

Practice daily with these steps:

Find a sentence from an IELTS question or a news article.

Write down three different paraphrases using different techniques.

Check if the meaning is exactly the same. Ask a study partner or tutor.

Read aloud to see if it sounds natural.

Time yourself – in the exam you have limited time.

You can also keep a “paraphrasing journal” of 10 sentences per day. Focus on topics commonly tested: environment, technology, education, health, society.

Band Score Comparison Table

Band	What Examiner Wants
6	Basic synonym use, some errors in word choice. Structures are simple. May copy phrases from the question.
7	Good range of synonyms and sentence patterns. Occasional awkwardness but meaning is clear. Uses passive and active voice appropriately.
8	Skilful paraphrasing with natural collocations. Varies structures without losing clarity. Synonyms are precise and contextually correct.
9	Perfectly natural paraphrasing with sophisticated vocabulary and complex grammar. The rewrite is seamless and shows complete control.

Sample Answers

Take this original sentence: “Increasing levels of air pollution in cities require immediate action from governments.”

Band 7: “The growing amount of air pollution in urban areas means that governments must take action soon.”

Good synonym use: “increasing” → “growing”, “cities” → “urban areas”. Changed “require” to “must take”. Slightly simple.

Band 8: “As air pollution continues to rise in metropolitan centres, prompt intervention by authorities is called for.”

More advanced: “cities” → “metropolitan centres”, “immediate action” → “prompt intervention”. Changed structure to a subordinate clause. Natural.

Band 9: “The ever-intensifying problem of air contamination in densely populated cities necessitates swift governmental intervention.”

Sophisticated: “ever-intensifying”, “contamination”, “densely populated”, “necessitates”. Fluent and precise. No change in meaning.

Common Mistakes

❌Over‑paraphrasing every word – This can change the meaning or create unnatural English. Example: “The graph shows” → “The diagram demonstrates” is fine, but “The graphical representation illustrates” is too heavy.

❌Using the same synonym pattern repeatedly – E.g., always changing “important” to “significant”. Vary your techniques, not just vocabulary.

❌Ignoring collocations – Saying “make a decision” is natural; “do a decision” is wrong. Always learn words in chunks.

❌Paraphrasing without understanding – If you don’t grasp the original idea, your rewrite will be inaccurate. Read carefully first.

Top Tips

💡 Paraphrase the question in your introduction, but never copy more than 3‑4 consecutive words from the original prompt. Use a synonym for the first key noun and change the verb tense if possible.

💡 In Speaking, paraphrasing the examiner’s question (e.g., “That’s an interesting question… let me think…”) shows you can rephrase quickly. This gives you time to form your answer.

💡 Keep a personal list of 10‑15 “golden synonyms” for common IELTS words: people (individuals, the public, society), important (crucial, vital, significant), increase (rise, grow, surge), problem (issue, challenge, drawback).

Resources

Check out IELTS Active for practice tests and study materials. They have dedicated exercises for paraphrasing and vocabulary building. You can also find sample essays with marked paraphrases to study.

FAQ

Q: Can I use the same paraphrase technique for both Writing and Speaking? A: Yes, but in Speaking your paraphrases should sound more conversational. In Writing you can be slightly more formal. The core techniques apply to both. Q: What if I can’t find a synonym for a key word? A: Change the sentence structure instead. For example, if you can’t replace “environment”, rephrase the whole idea: “Our natural surroundings are being harmed” instead of “The environment is being damaged”. Avoid forcing a bad synonym. Q: Is it okay to paraphrase the question exactly but in a different order? A: Yes, as long as you don’t copy long phrases. Changing word order and using synonyms is a strong approach. Just ensure the grammar is correct. Q: How long should I spend paraphrasing in the exam? A: For Writing Task 2, spend about 1‑2 minutes paraphrasing the question for your introduction. Don’t overthink it – a good paraphrase is quickly written. In Speaking, you have seconds, so practice until it becomes automatic.

Key Takeaways

✅Paraphrasing is essential for high band scores in IELTS Writing and Speaking.

✅Use a mix of synonyms, structure changes, voice changes, word form changes, and opposites.

✅Avoid over‑paraphrasing or using unnatural vocabulary – clarity comes first.

✅Practice daily with real IELTS questions, and time yourself.

✅Study band 9 examples to see how native‑like paraphrasing looks.

Related Posts:

IELTS Writing Task 2: How to Write a Perfect Introduction

10 Advanced Vocabulary Words for IELTS Band 8+

Common IELTS Mistakes and How to Fix Them