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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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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 .

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How to paraphrase and boost your IELTS Writing Score

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

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

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

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

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

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

Learning to paraphrase effectively: Six things to do

1. start using synonyms.

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

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

 Take the sentence: 

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

You can easily replace it with: 

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

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

2. Changing the word order

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

Take the sentence: 

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

You can change the word order: 

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

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

3. Changing word forms

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

For example: 

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

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

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

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

4. Change from active to passive voice

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

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

“Most of the students are reading the magazines.” 

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

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

5. Changing sentence structure

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

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

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

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

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

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

6. Start paraphrasing with sample tests

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

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

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

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

Prepare for the IELTS Writing test with IDP today

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

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

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

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

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

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How to 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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How to paraphrase in academic task 1

Home  »  IELTS academic task 1 » How to paraphrase

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

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

In this tutorial you will learn: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First sentence

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

When should we paraphrase on IELTS?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is a conclusion necessary?

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

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

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

Tips for answering a map question

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

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

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

Audio tutorial

You can download or listen to the audio version here:

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

More useful IELTS Academic Task 1 lessons:

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

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How To Paraphrase in IELTS Writing

May 30, 2020

What is paraphrasing in IELTS?

The use of paraphrasing in IELTS is what allows you to show that you have a sufficient range of vocabulary to cope with the task, whether it is in speaking or writing.

Paraphrasing in IELTS is the skill of being able to read or hear one or more sentences, and then write or say a sentence back that means the same thing only by using mostly different words and different grammatical constructions. The IELTS examiners love it!

This paraphrasing skill is used extensively in writing IELTS introductions in particular. One part of paraphrasing is using similar meaning words, these are known as synonyms, different words with the same meaning.

If you’re aiming for an IELTS band seven, then the IELTS band marking critieria state that you need to show a ‘ sufficient range of vocabulary ’. If you’re aiming for a band eight, then this changes to a ‘ wide range of vocabulary’ .

I am going to show you exactly how to paraphrase in IELTS writing and speaking so you can show a wide range of vocabulary to the examiner and increase your band score. 

You can either watch the video below or read the article, the information is the same:

You can get my full video course covering every part of the test here!

How Do You Paraphrase For IELTS?

(how to paraphrase the question in ielts writing), method 1: the simple synonym sauce.

The first and most obvious way we can show that we have a good range of vocabulary in the IELTS writing tasks is to use synonyms for the words that we are given in the question.

The words we substitute in are simply words that have a similar or the same meaning as the word they are replacing. We do this particularly when we are writing introductions to our IELTS essays in IELTS writing task 2.

You can practice using synonyms by using an online thesaurus. When you are doing practice essays, you can simply look up a word and see what other words have a similar or same meaning. Many of my students then like to keep their own written record of the synonyms they are using as IELTS topics often repeat themselves.

Let’s just have a quick look at synonyms for the word environment, which often occurs in essay questions, as provided by synonym.com and it gave me these words: ecology, habitat, geographical area settings, surrounding situation, circumstances and background.

The words ‘ ecology, habitats and geographical area ’ are more suitable to be used when we’re replacing the word environment, when it’s being used to talk in relation to animals .

Other words, such as ‘ setting, surrounding situations, circumstances and background ’ are talking about general conditions that are not related to animals and so would not fit into our essay well.

So, we have to be quite careful that we don’t use synonyms in the wrong context, nevertheless it is the easiest way to paraphrase successfully.

  Method 2: Paraphrase to Perfection!

Using synonyms all the time can look a bit unnatural, but if we change the order in which we use them, then it can make it look more natural. 

Here’s another example question: 

Some people believe that getting a degree from university is the best way to guarantee getting a job. Others believe it would be best to go straight into work and get experience. Discuss both sides and give your opinion. 

So, if you were writing the introduction to this essay, normally you would first paraphrase the question. So you could write:

Certain people think that graduating from higher education is the optimum way to assure getting a top job. 

‘some people’ = ‘certain people’ 

‘graduating from higher education’ = ‘getting a degree from a university’ 

‘best way to guarantee getting a job’ = ‘optimum way to assure getting a top job.’

  That is how you can use synonyms, the examiner will see that and it’s very obvious to them. However, we could also switch the order of the sentence around as well. So it reads like this. 

The optimum way to assure getting a top job is by graduating from higher education, according to certain people.  

This shows that we can be flexible with how we write and shows that we have a good command and control of grammar. In my full course, we will cover more aspects of grammar such as complex sentences, common mistakes, and tenses – take a look .

Method 3: Fun with formations!

This next way of paraphrasing is to change the word formations that are used, you might read the question and one word might stand out to you that you think you could use a different formation for of that word. 

In this question here, for example:

Many small shops are closing as they are unable to compete with large supermarkets in the area here.

The word competes might stand out to you and you immediately perhaps think of the word competition so we could simply try to use that form of the word along with the synonyms as well. 

So, next you might come up with the sentence. 

A large number of less well-known outlets are shutting due to competition from established superstores in the locality. 

Now we’ve got synonyms and we’ve got ‘competition’ in there as a change in word formation. 

We could also go one step further and change the order of the sentence as well. It could read:

Competition from established superstores in the locality is forcing a large number of less well-known outlets to shut down. 

As you can see, what we’re starting to do is mix together different ways to paraphrase , which is really a very powerful way to impress the examiner. You’ll find more like this in my full course here . 

Method 4: Antonym Soup!

One more thing we can do is to use antonyms. An antonym is basically a word that has the opposite meaning to another word.

So, synonyms mean similar or the same antonyms mean the opposite. So again, for the same question, we might have the same sentence. 

But we might choose to use antonyms. Instead of using a large number, we might simply say fewer. 

So ‘fewer, less well-known outlets can remain open. 

Obviously, ‘remain open’ is an antonym for shutting. So, by using antonyms, we can keep the meaning the same, but once more show off different vocabulary that we are able to use.

Method 5: The Native Speaker Way of Paraphrasing 

Now, the final way to paraphrase, and I would call this the native speaker way, because it’s what I would do and what other native speakers would probably do. This is what band 8 and 9 candidates should be aiming to do because it’s just a very natural technique. 

Firstly, imagine if you were paraphrasing in your own language, just think how easy it would be. You would just look at a sentence and just say it in different words.

You wouldn’t even be thinking about how you were going to break it down or what grammar you were going to use, or even what words you were going to say! 

You would just come out with a sentence that made perfect sense and have the same meaning. And that is the native speaker way to paraphrase. 

Now, have a go at paraphrasing this question below using the native speaker method:

So, there’s lots of natural language in there, some collocations, some synonyms from, but they’re not really deliberate. It’s just what naturally came out of my mouth as a native speaker. And when you get to this level, you might be able to do something similar. It’s what you can aim for. 

Check Out My Complete Guide To IELTS Course Here

Final Words of Advice for IELTS Paraphrasing

And finally, just a few words of advice. Now, remember, we are looking at synonyms and paraphrasing because we want to show the examiner that we have a sufficient range of vocabulary to answer the question.

It is important that we do this, but remember, your essay is marked on many different things and not just on the vocabulary. So, don’t get fixated on this.

Don’t spend too long thinking about the synonyms or paraphrases that you’re trying to use, you still need to write good, solid body paragraphs. You still need a good conclusion and you need time to be checking that as well. So, yes, pay attention to paraphrasing, but don’t focus on it so much that it disrupts the rest of your essay.

And the best way to develop your paraphrasing skills reading. Reading over the medium to long term. Exposing yourself to different word sets in different contexts gives you the experience to be able to know how words fit together and replace other words. 

So keep reading my friends! That’s the main thing you need to do.

Final, final IELTS Paraphrasing Tips!

Don’t go over the top, it is very difficult to find a synonym for some words and you won’t always be able to do so. Instead, you could try a group of words, so, rather than saying ‘adult’, you might say ‘grown up’.

However, if you can’t think of a paraphrase of synonym then don’t be afraid to use the words in the question. It is more important to be accurate with your word choice then to try lots of different synonyms. Always c hoose the words that you know to be 100% correct , in that way you will reduce your mistakes and increase your band score.

How can I improve my paraphrasing? With IELTS paraphrasing exercises of course! Here we go…

IELTS Paraphrasing Exercise 1

To practice this technique, ideally you will need a partner. All you need to do is to select a text related to any of the 14 main topic areas that often come up in IELTS.

This could be from a newspaper, journal or book. Next, print out the text and then with a black marker pen or using tip-ex remove random key words from a text. The article can be as short or as long as you like.

You might end up with something like this article from the BBC web-site:

For Your Partner To Complete:

A new study reveals how crocodiles’ eyes are fine-tuned for lurking at the water __________ to watch for prey.

The “fovea”, a patch of tightly packed receptors that _________ sharp vision, forms a horizontal streak instead of the usual circular spot.

This allows the animal to scan the ___________ without moving its head, according to Australian researchers.

They also found differences in the cone cells, which ____________ colours, between saltwater and freshwater crocs.

Swap articles with your partner and try and complete the missing words. Ask yourself what type of word is missing ; is it an adjective, noun, verb or adverb? Once you have identified this, have a guess at what word might fit.

Following this, view the completed text and see if you have selected the same word, or a word that is a synonym (a word with the same meaning).

The more synonyms and correct guesses you manage to get the better. Doing this increases your synonym power which will have a positive impact on virtually all parts of the IELTS test.

The missing words in this case are: surface (noun), delivers (verb), shoreline (noun), senses (verb).

IELTS Paraphrasing Exercise 2

Select an article you have read recently that you have found difficult. Ideally this will be on a typical IELTS related topic.

Now, write or type out 20 words that you found difficult on to pieces of small card. Place the cards face down in the middle of the table in a pile.

Turn over the first card and try to make a sentence using a synonym for that word, or if you can’t use a synonym by using a group of words (paraphrase) instead.

Immediately check your answers online with a synonym generator or with your teacher or a study partner.

If you get a particular word wrong then put the card to the bottom of the pile and come back to it again later . If you are correct place it in a new pile.

You can alternate ‘goes’ with a partner’ and score points in this manner.

Alternatively, with all of the cards face up, candidates could say a synonym or paraphrase for one of the words and a partner guesses which word it is, again with a competitive element.

Advanced students could then spread the cards face down in front of them and then summarise the entire text verbally being careful to use synonyms or paraphrases of the words only.

This could then be written up from memory as a summary task to consolidate the new vocabulary.

IELTS Paraphrasing in the Reading Test

Once you get good at synonyms and paraphrasing you may start to realise how IELTS reading papers are actually written.

Basically, an article is selected and the questions that test your understanding of the text are written.

However, examiners cannot just use the same words in the text, as that would make it too easy. So, instead they ask the questions using different words, synonyms or paraphrases.

Once you have spotted this pattern and practised a great deal as above, you will find the IELTS test gets a lot easier.

Use The 3 R’s For IELTS Synonym and Paraphrasing Success

As you are doing exercises such as those above, you need to:

Record – Make  note of all the new words you are learning. Include a definition, example sentences, synonyms and a personalised picture to help make it memorable.

Review – Set aside a specific time each day when you can remind your self of the new words. Ten minutes a day is better than 70 minutes once a week. Regular practice is key.

Re-test – Test yourself to see how well you are doing and identify areas of weakness. Why not have a competition with a study partner for added motivation.

You could use a software service such as Quizlet to help you do this.

Doing this will give you the maximum chance of remembering all your synonyms and paraphrases and ultimately improve your IELTS band score!

 OK, that’s enough about IELTS synonyms and paraphrasing. I hope we got a lot out of this article. And please remember where you’re going. You’re on this journey of working out how to do the IELTS test so that you can transform your life into a better future, use that as motivation to keep going! Drop any questions below

You might also like to read about complex sentences here .

Recommended IELTS Study Tools

Thank you for reading this article. I always get lots of questions about how else to get a better band score quickly. So, this is what I recommend:

Complete IELTS Course : Of course, my full course ‘ INCREASE YOUR IELTS ‘ covers everything you need to need to know to pass IELTS, including practice questions, model answers, grammar work, strategies for every possible reading, writing and listening question type, as well as a complete speaking course too, check it out here .

IELTS Essay and Speaking Feedback : To complete full mock tests and get feedback from IELTS examiners on your IELTS essays or speaking tasks then visit: IELTS Feedback and Mock Tests, here.

Improve your grammar fast by using the Grammarly suggestions to improve your writing. Every IELTS students should have this free grammar improving tool.

Improve all-round English skill with EnglishClass101.com . If you have failed IELTS more than once then you probably need to improve your general level of English. Use the free online lessons and vocabulary building tools here and start improving today! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Hi there, I’m Tim James a former IELTS examiner and IELTS teacher of over a decade. This site is where I share my exam strategies to help people get the score they need. I hope it helps you!

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IELTS Reading: Paraphrasing Practice

Virtually every IELTS Reading question involves some form of paraphrased language; if the questions used the exact same language as the passage and involved a simple word hunt, there would essentially be no test at all!

To answer Reading questions quickly and confidently, you must be able to match the rephrased language that appears in the questions to its original counterpart in the passages. The following exercises are designed to help you practice this skill.

(Answers are at the bottom of the page.) 

Match the numbered phrases with their rewritten versions below. Each answer is used only once.  

Aviation is a (1) stubbornly difficult strand of transport to decarbonise. Aircraft burn huge amounts of fossil fuel, for business travel, leisure activities and tourism that used to be (2) prohibitively expensive but in recent decades have become accessible to large populations as fossil fuels became cheaper (3) in real terms .

Demand management aside – and that too is on the table, of course, alongside that Swedish phrase flygskam, or ‘flight shame’ – very few (4) industry observers truly think that batteries will make the sort of gains in energy density to ever be capable of displacing liquid fuels for (5) aviation applications . Hence, the question arises whether sustainable replacements for fossil liquid fuels can be developed and then made in (6) sufficient quantities .

(Source: https://www.alumni.ox.ac.uk/article/towards-sustainable-aviation-fuel )

A. In the absolute sense

B. Use in the field of aviation

C. Persistently challenging

D. Too costly to be possible

E. Large-enough amounts

F. People who follow the aviation business

What did the Romans ever do for us? It seems they added an inch to the average height of their British subjects — they came, they saw, we prospered. And after taking a plunge during the Anglo-Saxon era, the height of the average inhabitant rose again in the wake of the Norman Conquest. These are just two of the findings of new research using data from skeletal remains to calculate how the average height of men rose or fell over 2,000 years of history in what is now England. The result is (1) a startling picture of changes in health and wellbeing.

Using data of skeletal remains of men aged between 21 and 49 years from a range of archaeological excavations across England, they deduced (2) individuals’ full heights from their femur length. Lead author Dr Gregori Galofré-Vila, from the Department of Sociology at the University of Oxford, said: ‘We believe our results shed new light on the development of health in England over the very long run.’

He and his team worked on the basis that height, linked with childhood nutrition, is (3) a good measure of  wellbeing and can be estimated accurately from the length of a full grown man’s femur. Biologists and epidemiologists have long recognised that although (4) the main causes of variation in individual height may be genetic, changes in the economic, social and environmental circumstances are reflected in the mean heights of different groups of people at any given time.

The working paper reveals that men in this area of Britain became taller when it was under Roman occupation (200–410AD), with average height rising from 167cm (5ft 6in) to 170cm (5ft 7in). The researchers suggest this rise in average height (5) coincided with the Romans’ improved water supply and sanitation systems and a more varied diet. Heights did not decline immediately after the Romans left Britain in 410, but fell from 600AD. The paper (6) highlights previous research suggesting that health (7) may have deteriorated when populations moved out of the towns and cities set up by the Romans, abandoning the more hygienic water supplies and waste-disposal systems. Plague and pestilence then became common and infectious diseases were on the increase, with archaeological evidence also suggesting that (8) diets were inadequate , notes the paper.

(Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20190514234756/http://www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk/news/2017-04-28-tall-and-short-it-how-average-english-height-has-changed-over-2000-years )

A. Food did not provide sufficient nutrients

B. Might have become worse

C. Occurred at the same time as

D. A surprising image

E. The primary reasons for differences

F. Calls attention to earlier studies

G. How tall people grew to be

H. A reliable assessment 

Scroll down for the answers

Answers: Passage 1

Answers: Passage 2

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IELTS paraphrasing practice

Ielts paraphrasing lesson and practice exercise..

Updated: April 29th 2021

One of the most important skills in IELTS writing is the ability to paraphrase. In IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2 you are marked on your ability to use vocabulary effectively. Therefore, if paraphrasing is done accurately it can demonstrate to the examiner that you have a good grasp of vocabulary. Paraphrasing means changing the words so they have the same meaning .

This can be done by using synonyms or changing the grammatical structure. However, this takes a lot of practice because inaccurate paraphrasing will lead to a lower score. For more information on how to paraphrase the introduction in essays check out the links below.

Useful links

Step by step guide to paraphrasing the introduction. paraphrasing by changing the sentence structure introductions without the need to paraphrase..

This skill is important to practice because it goes towards your marks for vocabulary in the exam. Below is part of a paragraph from an IELTS problem solution essay about obesity.

Can you paraphrase this paragraph?

(Remember: you don’t need to paraphrase everything)

‘..Another problem that needs to be considered is that a lack of exercise contributes to obesity. As a result of leading a busy life and pressures at work, many people are just too tired to go to the gym or join a sports club. For example, after a hard day at work, many people prefer to just come home and sit in front of the TV and on weekends go out with friends. When people do have time off or a vacation they tend to relax and recover. ‘

Here are the words you can use, but you don’t need to use every word. Some of the words do not match well.

being overweight / laze / hectic / an additional / free time / holiday

take it easy / due to / issue / activity / fat / thought about / adds to

should be / tough / as opposed to / citizens / taken into consideration / recreation club

non stop / would rather / not enough / exhausted / take part in / responsibilities

Click below for answers and analysis. (make sure you try the exercise first before checking)

‘..An additional issue that should be taken into consideration is that a lack of exercise adds to being overweight . Due to leading a busy life and responsibilities at work, many people are just too exhausted to go to the gym or take part in a sports club. For example, after a hard day at work, many people would rather just come home and sit in front of the TV and on weekends go out with friends. When people do have free time or a holiday , they tend to take it easy and recover as opposed to going to a gym…..’

1. ‘ Another problem ‘ can be changed to ‘ An additional issue ‘ . The word “ issue ” is a good synonym for “ problem ” this is a common word that appears in IELTS essays. 2. ‘ Needs to be’   we can use ‘ should be ‘ , the meaning is quite similar. 3. Collocation: ‘ taken into consideration ‘ same meaning as ‘ considered ‘ 4. ‘ Adds to ‘ is a good synonym for ‘ Contributes to’ 5. ‘ Being overweight’ is better than saying ‘ fat ‘ as this has a very negative meaning . 6. The cohesive device ‘ As a result of ‘ can be replaced with ‘ Due to’ 7. ‘ Pressures at work ‘ can be replaced with the collocation ‘ Responsibilities at work ‘ it’s not an exact synonym but it’s a good match. 8. ‘ Tired ‘ can be changed to a stronger adjective ‘ Exhausted’ 9. ‘Join’ I used a phrasal verb ‘ Take part in’ … this fits well in the sentence. 10. Grammar change: ‘ Prefer ‘  I changed to …’ Would rather ‘ 11. ‘ Time off’  = ‘ Free time ‘ 12. ‘ Vacation ‘ is American English and I changed it to ‘ Holiday’ which is British English . 13. ‘ Take it easy ‘ is a collocation so I used this instead of ‘ relax ‘, it is a little informal for IELTS but it fits the sentence well. 14. ‘ Rather than ‘  can be changed to a more formal.. ‘ As opposed to ‘

The words that do not fit are recreation club, citizens, laze, hectic, non-stop, fat. These are either too informal or just do not match in meaning.

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IELTS Skills

Paraphrasing, what is paraphrasing, why is paraphrasing important.

• By changing the words
• By changing the order

The best way to paraphrase

• Videos on paraphrasing 

Paraphrasing : “To paraphrase is to include the ideas or information from an original source in your paper by rephrasing those ideas or information in your own words” 1

In other words: Paraphrasing is incorporating the concepts or data from an authentic source in your writing by saying this in another way, while not modifying the original significance.

As you can see above we had an original message, or here a quote from an online source and we changed this quote into our own words. This is paraphrasing, changing the message/words while still keeping the same  meaning.

It’s one of the crucial skills to master for your IELTS. You will need it for

Academic writing task 1

• General Writing task 1
• Writing task 2.
• IELTS speaking
• IELTS reading
• IELTS listening

Have a look at the following parts of the exams and how it’s used.

In your Academic writing task 1 you either get a graph, a process or a map which you need to write about. In your introduction your first sentence should always be a restatement of the task. In other words you need to paraphrase the question . If you just copy exactly what the task says your score will go down.

Additionally, your task will include some key words/ key vocabulary which you will need to use throughout your report. Making sure you do not repeat the key words over and over again will ensure your lexical resources score will go up.

The graphs below show how people in a European city reached their office and got back home in 1959 and 2009. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

This means you have to change:

The graphs below show how people in a European city reached their office and got back home in 1959 and 2009.

By paraphrasing the text, using your own words, but still keeping the original meaning.  

Some of the key words you will have to paraphrase will be:

• European city

General writing task 1

In writing task 1 you have to write a letter based on the task you have been given. This letter always has a purpose (the reason why you are writing the letter) mentioned in the question. This purpose will have to be paraphrased in the letter.

You are a college student in an English speaking country. You share a rented apartment with others but want to move to the college accommodation instead.

Write a letter to the teacher in charge of the hostel and explain your intention to move to the college accommodation. In your letter:

– Introduce yourself

– Give reasons why you not happy with current accommodation

– Explain why you think the college accommodation will be better for you

Write at least 150 words.

This is the purpose of your letter and will have to be included and paraphrased:

You want to move to the college accommodation instead … explain your intention to move to the college accommodation.

You will also need to paraphrase some key vocabulary

• Accommodation

Writing task 2

This is an essay writing where they give you a precise question and you will need to write an essay about it. Here again paraphrasing is used in multiple ways:

• Like in Academic writing 1 you will need to start the introduction of your essay by rephrasing the question . Again this is a crucial skill as people should know what your writing is about, which should always be introduced at the beginning.
• Your task will include some key words/ key vocabulary which you will need to use throughout your essay. Making sure you don’t repeat the key vocabulary will be important to improve your lexical resources score.

One of the consequences of improved medical care is that the people are living longer and life expectancy is increasing. Do you think the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

What will need to be paraphrased:

Some of the key words you will use throughout your essay:

• Consequences
• Medical care
• People living longer
• Life expectancy
• Disadvantages

IELTS Speaking

In IELTS speaking you will be asked some questions and you will need to answer them. Here paraphrasing is useful in different ways:

• To buy time for thinking , you can always rephrase the question before answering.
• Like in the writing you can try to use synonyms for the key words from the question , to make sure you do not repeat yourself and again increase your lexical resources.
• When you do not know or remember a word you want to use in your speaking you can try describing the word. This is essential as you do want to keep your fluency up and don’t want to have an awkward silence while you try to think of the word you’re looking for.  This will improve your fluency and coherence score.

“When we were walking on the side of the road where you know the people walk…”  

Here the person didn’t remember the word pavement/sidewalk when speaking. Instead of stopping the conversation the person tried to describe it and just continued talking. This is a far better strategy than just stopping a few second to look for the word.

IELTS Reading

When answering the questions in your IELTS reading, paraphrasing will be necessary, as they will never use the same words from the text into your questions . The questions will always use synonyms or paraphrase parts of the text to say the same thing . If you do not know how to look for similar words or expression in the text you will never find the answer. As a result your reading score will go down as you either waste too much time finding the answer, and/or do not find the answer at all.

IELTS Listening

As with in reading it can happen that you will need to rely on synonyms or similar expressions to find the correct answer . This is particularly true in summary and note completion questions . Where you have some sentences and need to fill in the words from the listening. The words in your completion exercise will have synonyms or different wording, while the word you need to fill in will be the exact one of the listening.

How can we paraphrase

There are essentially 2 ways of paraphrasing. Either you change the word or you change the order of the words. Let’s have a look at how you can change the word first before we look at the order.

Changing the word

The easiest way to change the word is by replacing it with a synonym .

Car: vehicle, automobile, means of transport, jeep, pickup, truck, convertible, race car

The only thing you need to be careful of with synonyms is that you cannot always replace 1 word by another.

Let’s have a look at car again

• There are many cars in our neighborhood.
• There are many vehicles in our neighborhood
• There are many automobiles in our neighborhood
• There are many means of transport in our neighborhood
• There are many jeeps in our neighborhood
• There are many pickups in our neighborhood
• There are many trucks in our neighborhood
• There are many convertibles in our neighborhood
• There are many race cars in our neighborhood

Though car has many synonyms, if you just replace them with any of the synonyms randomly the meaning changes. The only synonym where the meaning stays the same is automobiles. With all the other synonyms the meaning of the sentence changes.

So for example:

The production of cars went up in 2009. The production of pickups went up.

General English writing task 1

My car was damaged in the accident. My race car was damaged in the accident. Unless you really are talking about a race car.

The overproduction of cars is a serious issue. The overproduction of means of transport is an issue .

There are many cars on the roads in my country. There are many jeeps on the roads of my country

If your not good at finding synonyms use a thesaurus . This is the best tool for students to expand their vocabulary. Just type in the word and look at the different synonyms provided. J ust remember to make sure that the meaning stays the same.

Another issue with synonyms are collocations. Certain words go together while others don’t .

Excessive smoking is bad for your health

Heavy smoking is bad for your health

Here the collocations are  heavy or excessive  smoking . In English you cannot say strong smoking or big smoking . For collocations there are no rules. The words go together because that’s how people us the words and always have.

If your not good at collocations then use a collocation dictionary . Again an extremely useful tool to expand and correct your vocabulary use. Just fill in the word and look at the possible collocations.

The final issue with synonyms is that the grammar might change.

Although I mostly agree with the main statement, I personally think there might be some important objections.

Despite mostly agreeing with the main statement, I personally think there might be some important objections

As you can see in the example above changing the linking word changes the grammar.

So, when in doubt , and you are not sure of the correct synonym, collocation or grammar, do not change the word . This means you won’t make mistakes, keeping your score up.

2.Changing the word form

You can also just keep the word but change the word form.

For example

Doing exercise : exercising   noun changes into a verb

Fail: failure   verb into a noun

Riding my bike: cycling  expression into a verb

Unnecessary: not necessary changing the prefix un into not

Underplayed: not paid well again changing the prefix

The same problems as with synonyms apply:

• meaning might change
• grammar definitely changes for example if you change a noun into verb.

Again, if you are not sure about what you are doing don’t do it.

3.Changing the grammar

Active to passive.

One of the other possibilities is changing an active sentence into a passive sentence.

The UK sold 2000 cars in February

2000 cars were sold in the UK

Changing the order

You can also just keep the words but change the order of the words in the sentence, or you could combine 2 separate sentences into 1 more complex sentence.

Changing the order of the causes

When you have multiple clauses in your sentence you can swap the clauses and put the second clause first and the first clause last.

Millions of people every year move to English-speaking countries such as Australia, Britain or America, in order to study at school, college or university.

Why do so many people want to study in English?

Why is English such an important international language?

You should write at least 250 words.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

In order to study at school, college or university, millions of people every year move to English-speaking countries such as Australia, Britain or America

Combining 2 sentence in 1

Another common way to paraphrase is to combine to existing sentences and combine them into 1 sentence with multiple clauses

Some people think that it is important to use leisure time for activities that improve the mind, such as reading and doing word puzzles.

Other people feel that it is important to rest the mind during leisure time.

While some people think it is important to use leisure time for activities that improve the mind, others feel it is more important to rest the mind.

Here just the first and the second are combined to form one more complex sentence. This is for example a good way to show that you can make complex sentences. Just remember to also use some synonyms and not just combine the 2 sentences.

Now, I’m sure you are asking, which is the best way to paraphrase? The best way is to use a combination of the different techniques. You could combine, synonyms with word from and changing the order, or any other technique or combination.  

The most important things to remember are:

• You do not need to change all words. The examiner is not going to check or count how many synonyms you have used, or how you changed the order of the words. All that matters is that it sounds natural and most importantly that it is correct.
• Make the changes you feel most comfortable with. Like mentioned above, correctness is important, so if you are not sure about the correct synonym, word form, spelling, grammar structure, then don’t change it. Only use the techniques you are comfortable with.

Now you know all the techniques the next thing you need to do is practice them.

How to avoid mistakes when paraphrasing 

Have a look at the video on how to avoid making mistakes when paraphrasing. 

How to write an introduction for IELTS Writing Task 2

Have a look at the video on how to write an introduction for IELTS Writing Task 2 and how to use paraphrasing. 

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Top 100 IELTS Phrasal Verbs

For non-native English speakers, one of the most common challenges with mastering the IELTS test is Grammar. Though there is no specific Grammar section in either IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training , it plays a pivotal role in all test sections. A relatively intermediate form of English Grammar is phrasal verbs. It can often be intimidating and confusing if English is not your first language.

That’s why we created this guide. This article will help you familiarize yourselves with the most common phrasal verbs used in IELTS.

What are Phrasal Verbs? 

Non-separable, top 100 useful phrasal verbs , can i use phrasal verbs in ielts writing, can ielts academic writing use phrasal verbs, how can you use phrasal verbs in ielts speaking .

Phrasal verbs are a combination of a verb and a preposition or adverb .

Using them is colloquial for native speakers. Understanding and learning more about phrasal verbs will help you in the IELTS exam, especially in the Writing and Speaking sections, and even in the Listening section , where you will hear people conversing with each other.  

Phrasal verbs function as a verb in which the meaning is completely different from the combined meanings of the individual words. Since most phrasal verbs are idiomatic expressions too, you have to acquaint yourself with their meanings and not take their literal meaning. 

Take for example the phrasal verb “call off “. It means ‘ to cancel ‘, which is entirely different from the meaning of the combined words – “call” and “ off” . 

The same is true with the phrasal verb “get along” . It means ‘ to have a friendly or harmonious relationship ‘. It means completely different from the meaning of the words – “get”‘ and “along” . 

Another example is the phrasal verb “ clam up ” which means ‘ to become silent or refuse to talk ‘. The meaning is entirely different from the meaning of the words that are combined – “clam” and “up”.   

The same goes with the phrasal verb “pan out” . It means ‘to end up or conclude’, which is different from the words “pan” and “out” . 

How to Use Phrasal Verbs in IELTS?

Phrasal verbs are very common in IELTS, especially in the Writing and Listening sections. In the IELTS Speaking section , you are also encouraged to use phrasal verbs as it shows that someone is fluent in English and naturally knows the language.   

Being familiar with many phrasal verbs will surely boost your chance of getting your desired IELTS band score. They are one of the most extremely common features of natural and native English. When an interviewer notices that you use them quite often, they will think that you are well-versed and will have a strong chance of getting a high band score. It will also help you interact and communicate with native speakers better and more effectively.

Using phrasal verbs can be tricky in daily conversations, let alone in IELTS, where you will spend a decent amount of money, and of course, your time and effort. So make sure to use them correctly. 

Phrasal verbs are an excellent approach to incorporate into your IELTS exam. They may be used to address a wide range of topics and are a fantastic method to boost your vocabulary score. However, you have to make sure that you have researched enough when using them, as phrasal verbs are not as simple as they seem. 

There are different phrasal verbs, depending on whether you can put other words between the verb and the preposition or the adverb. With separable phrasal verbs, you can put a word between the verb and the preposition or the adverb. For non-separable phrasal verbs, you cannot put a word between the verb and the preposition or the adverb. 

There are four kinds of phrasal verbs depending on their uses:

• Transitive.
• Intransitive.
• Non-seperable.

This is where it gets tricky. A lot of people get confused on whether or not they can separate the phrasal verbs and insert words between them. Some are not sure where to put the pronouns when using phrasal verbs. To avoid such confusion, you must familiarize yourself with the different kinds of phrasal verbs. 

A transitive phrasal verb has an object or receiver of the action. 

The object can be put between the verb and the preposition or the adverb, or after the phrasal verb itself, without changing the meaning of the sentences. 

• “ Put on your apron” OR “ Put your apron on”. 
• ” Turn off the lights”  OR “ Turn the lights off”. 
• “Take back the books” OR “ Take the books back”. 

When a pronoun is used, the pronoun should be in the middle of the verb and the preposition or the adverb.

• “Put it on” NOT “Put on it”.
• “ Turn it off” NOT “ Turn off it “.
• “ Take them back” NOT “ Take back them “.

Intransitive 

An intransitive has no object.

No words are put between the verb and the preposition or the adverb.

• “The concert tickets are sold out”. 
• “ My car broke down this morning”. 
• “ He dropped out of college last semester”. 

A separable phrasal verb allows a word (usually an object) between the verb and the preposition or the adverb. 

• “ He called me up to tell me about the party”.  
• “ The driver dropped her off at the nearest gate”. 
• “ My sister cheers me up every time I am down”. 

An inseparable phrasal verb can be transitive, meaning it has an object, but no words are put between the verb and the preposition or the adverb.

• “ I’ve always looked up to my father as a role model”. 
• “ Sue takes after her mother’s eyes”.  
• “ I ran into an old friend yesterday”. 

Here, we’ve compiled a list of more than 100 different phrasal verbs in the English language.

We’ve stated the meaning of each phrasal verb, and also provided an example sentence. Make sure to familiarize yourself with these in your practice tests and mock tests — so you can get the necessary confidence to ace your IELTS test.

Yes, you can use phrasal verbs in IELTS Writing . Native speakers use phrasal verbs very frequently. Applying phrasal verbs in Writing will boost your chance of getting a high band score. It will show that you are fluent in English and you naturally know the language. However, remember to use formal phrasal verbs only. Some phrasal verbs are informal and are recommended to be used only in spoken English. 

In spoken English, phrasal verbs are common. Native speakers use them without hesitation. Non-natives, on the other hand, find them complex and challenging. They frequently misunderstand their meanings and use them incorrectly in sentences. This is because phrasal verbs often have more than one definition and multiple contexts in which they are used.

Your goal is to write your paper in plain and formal English so that it is clear and concise.

Although phrasal verbs are commonly accepted in spoken English, they are often regarded as too informal for Academic Writing. Your goal is to write your paper in simple language so that it is clear and concise. Thus, phrasal verbs should be replaced with their single-verb equivalent. If using phrasal verbs cannot be avoided, make sure to use formal phrasal verbs. 

Using a wide range of advanced vocabulary is an important feature that could help you earn a better IELTS Academic Writing band score. When using sophisticated vocabulary like phrasal verbs, it is also important to understand the differences in their register and level of formality.

Some phrasal verbs are also considered too informal for Academic Writing. It is therefore recommended that you identify which phrasal verbs are formal, neutral, and informal. If you are not sure, it is advised that you replace it with its single verb equivalent. This will lower the risk of you messing up your paper. 

Here are some informal phrasal verbs and the words that you can use to replace them with:

• Bring about —— cause
• Come out —— publish
• Cut down —— reduce
• Fall apart —— disintegrate
• Find out —— discover
• Get along —— communicate
• Hand out —— distribute
• Leave out —— omit
• Look at —— investigate
• Pick out —— select
• Pick up —— resume
• Put forward  ——  propose
• Put up with —— tolerate
• Stamp out —— eradicate
• Use up —— exhaust

The Speaking section of IELTS is considered a lot harder than the other three sections. There is no room for errors in this section unlike in Writing, where you can revise and edit what you have started. This is the part where you should impress the interviewee and show them that, as native speakers, you know how to speak the English language well. 

One way to impress the interviewee is by using phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs are one of the biggest challenges in the Speaking section of IELTS. Examinees tend to be nervous and unconsciously mix the verb with a different preposition or adverb.

An example would be the phrasal verb ‘carry on ‘. This phrasal verb means ‘to continue doing something ‘. Some examinees, however, unintentionally use ‘carry out’ instead, which means, ‘to do something one has said they would do’ .  Such instances will significantly affect your band score and thus, should be avoided. 

In the IELTS Speaking section, you will most likely be asked to speak about various topics such as work, study, hobbies, books and films, relationships, personality, music, and food. Phrasal verbs are used frequently by native speakers in their conversations. When conversing casually, stay well-prepared and use phrasal verbs to sound more natural and native.

Here are some sample responses in the IELTS Speaking section, using phrasal verbs:  

Topic: Work and Study

Knuckle down.

• Meaning == to apply oneself seriously to a task.

Brush up on

• Meaning == to quickly improve a skill, especially when you have not used it for a time.
• Meaning == to do or use something especially because no other choices are possible.

Topic: Hobbies

• Meaning == to spend time relaxing or socializing informally.

Topic: Describe a thing

Stumble upon.

• Meaning == to find or learn about something unexpectedly.
• Meaning == to give some money so that a group of people can buy something together.

Topic: Describe a time when…

• Meaning == to meet somebody by chance.
• Meaning == to talk to someone whom one has not seen for some time and find out what they have been doing.

Topic: What do you think about the future? 

• Meaning == to rely on somebody/something.
• Meaning == to end up or conclude.

Phrasal verbs are challenging yet fascinating since they allow you to demonstrate your command of pronunciation. Since most verbs have a final consonant sound and most prepositions begin with a vowel sound, most phrasal verbs are connected.

Take note of how the connecting functions with various forms and tenses:

• “He likes to look_up…”
• “She looks_up…”
• “They looked_up…”

Some phrasal verbs are only employed in spoken English, and they are a very prevalent aspect of natural, native English. As a result, you’ll need to build up a foundation of basic ones, as well as some less prevalent ones if possible. It will not only make you excel in IELTS, but it will also help you understand native speakers and naturally interact with them. 

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Paraphrasing for IELTS Writing and Speaking

By ielts-jonathan.com on 2 April 2022 0

What is Paraphrasing in IELTS writing and speaking?

Effective Paraphrasing

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

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

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

A good paraphrase usually:

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

Techniques for paraphrasing

1.Changing the vocabulary by using synonyms :

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

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

Here are some examples

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

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

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

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

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

2.Changing the word class:

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

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

3. Changing the word order:

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

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

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

4. Active to Passive or Passive to Active:

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

He was arrested by a policeman.

A dog was responsible for the accident.

These are only the basic techniques required to paraphrase.

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

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

Ways to begin practicing paraphrasing 

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

When to paraphrase and why, and when not to!

I’m Jonathan

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

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

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

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

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How to Get Band 8 in Each Section of the IELTS Test?

Wish to score a band 8 in each section of the IELTS test? This article will provide you with efficient strategies and tips to score IELTS band 8 in each section. A band 8 in the IELTS score is considered excellent; Therefore to achieve that candidates must focus on improving their language skills and enhancing their strategies to crack the exam.

Enhancing your vocabulary and practicing paraphrasing techniques are crucial factors to excelling in this exam and scoring band 8 in all sections. Each section of the IELTS test requires a specific set of skills and practicing those skills will help you in getting your dream score. Go through this article for important tips and hacks to get a Band 8 score! you must understand.

Table of Content

IELTS Exam Pattern- Section-Wise

How to score band 8 on the ielts listening section, 1. improve your vocabulary, 2. improve your listening skills, 3. focus on the flow and signal words.

• How to score band 8 on the IELTS Reading section?

1. Improve your reading speed

2. find keywords, 3. skim and scan the passage, 4. always pay attention to grammar, how to score band 8 on the ielts writing section, 1. cohesion and coherence, 2. stay within the word count, 3. improve your vocabulary, 4. write original answers, how to score band 8 on the ielts speaking section, 1. do not stress much over your accent, 2. avoid using fillers, 3. use a variety of speaking styles.

You must aim to score 89% in the IELTS reading and listening section to score IELTS band 8. Before moving on to the guidelines and tips to score IELTS band 8, you must understand the structure and pattern of the test, which is given below in the table:

Also Read: IELTS Band Descriptors: Know the Band Description of All Sections

You will need to answer 40 questions based on the audio clips that will be played for you. Your ability to identify the main purpose and understand these clips will be evaluated. Tips to improve your performance in the IELTS listening test are given below:

Read newspapers, magazines and books to learn new words and phrases and enhance your vocabulary. Always write down any unique terms you hear, as this will help you remember them throughout the exam.

It is important that you concentrate on understanding the main purpose of the audios during the listening test. To score better, jot down the main ideas and any information you think is relevant. Write a basic summary based on your notes, requested in the question. Improve your listening skills by listening to podcasts regularly as this will give you an idea of how to understand spoken words better.

Pay more attention to the words in the audio you hear that imply particular characterizations, Introductions, key stages, thoughts, and conclusions. Be on a lookout for keywords and emphasize them in your answers to get a better score.

How to Score Band 8 on the IELTS Reading section?

There will be 40 questions in the IELTS reading section. The question types can vary from match the following, MCQ’s, True/False/Not Given, to sentence completion questions. Given below are some tips to help improve your score in the IELTS reading section:

As time management is a crucial aspect of this test, you should aim to practice reading quickly and finding the answers to the question to complete tasks on time.

Every question contains a set of keywords that lead to the answers. Try and remember where these keywords are located in the given passage to give precise answers. You can also use paraphrasing to figure out how strong the keywords are.

Skimming refers to quickly reading the whole text in 3-4 minutes and highlight the keywords and relevant parts while doing so. Scanning means identifying any information rapidly, usually, without understanding the whole passage. Skimming and scanning are skills that will help you go through the passage quickly, identify important information and accurately answer questions.

Grammar will help you identify the correct answers in a short amount of time. Often candidates struggle to pinpoint the answer due to not having good grammar skills. Therefore it is important that grammatical precision is focused on.

Fluency and comprehension are important skills for the IELTS writing section . Your vocabulary, grammar and how well you are able to form sentences, will determine your score. Given below are some tips to help you score better in the writing section:

Examiners usually look for easy to read answers and you should be able to do that. Try and use less common connectors to make your answers stand out and captivate the attention of the examiner. Your unique responses can become one of the most important factors in your overall test score improvement.

For international students, writing descriptive yet concise answers within word count can be challenging but it is crucial to score well in the written test. Writing long answers to questions with small word count will not only waste your time, but also affect your scores, therefore make sure you stick to the word count.

If you want to score a band 8 in the IELTS exam, then expanding your vocabulary’s will definitely help you a lot. Try and use new words to showcase your English skills, but make sure they fit the context correctly. However do not try to tweak any word even if it does not fit the sentence.

Do not write your answers by copying the question and try not to force words into sentences where they don’t belong. Stay true to the meaning and context of the question and answer in your own words.

The IELTS speaking test will mark how well you are able to do daily conversations. An examiner will converse with you and test the extent of vocabulary, pronunciation, fluency and accuracy. Given below are some helpful tips to score well in the speaking test:

Do not worry much about your accent as a non native English speaker, as the examiner will understand. If your pronunciation and communication skills are good, your accent will not affect your overall score.

Try to speak confidently. Avoid using fillers like “um” while speaking, as the examiner may think you lack the necessary language skills. Try and use idioms and phrases to make a good impression on the examiner and score well.

Avoid being monotonous with your pronunciation of words. Try and use modulate your voice and emphasize on keywords. This will definitely help you create a lasting impact on the examiner’s mind.

Related Articles: IELTS Average Score: Across Worldwide and India Section-wise IELTS Exam Paper Pattern, Question Types How to prepare for IELTS? IELTS Exam Syllabus 2024 (Section-Wise)

Achieving a band 8 in each section of the IELTS test requires patience, dedicated practice, and effective test strategies. It will really help your score if you focus on grammar skills, read diligently, listen to podcasts regularly and practice for tests with a timer. With the right mindset and attitude, you can increase your chances of achieving a band 8 on each section of the IELTS test. Remember to be patient because excellent scores can only be achieved with long term efforts.

Band 8 in Each Section of the IELTS Test: FAQs

What are the benefits of getting 8 bands in ielts.

Getting a high score in IELTS (Band 8 or Band 9) can benefit you in various ways. It can increase your chances of getting admission to top universities, improve your prospects for job opportunities abroad, enhance your visa application process, and give you an advantage in scholarship applications.

How to get each band 8 in IELTS?

In order to get 8+ band score in IELTS test, one should get 89% of the marks. IELTS reading and listening tests have 40 questions, in which 36 questions should be answered each in order to get an 8 band score.

Will I get scholarship if I get Band 8 in IELTS?

Generally, a candidate is required to score 6.5 on the band scale. Any score higher than 6.5 only increases your chances of selection for the IELTS scholarship by the British Council.

In the IELTS reading test, how many reading passages are there?

There are three reading passages for the academic paper and three passages for the general training paper in the IELTS reading test.

How many components does the IELTS speaking test have on average?

The IELTS speaking test consists of three parts: Part 1 is a question-and-answer round; Part 2 is a conversation round, and Part 3 is based on onboard concerns.

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