How to Paraphrase in IELTS

The ability to paraphrase is an important IELTS skill. This article will teach how to paraphrase in IELTS successfully.

Rewriting a phrase or sentence such that it has the same meaning but uses different words is known as paraphrasing.

It is one of the most crucial skills to master before taking the IELTS exam. It is crucial for writing and speaking, but it will also benefit you in reading and listening assessments.

In other words, if you are skilled at paraphrasing, you’ll perform better on all sections of the IELTS tests and get the score you need.

4 Methods For Paraphrasing In IELTS That Actually Work

There are four techniques for paraphrasing successfully in IELTS:

  1. Using Synonyms.
  2. Change the Word Order.
  3. Change the Form of the Word.
  4. Change from Active to Passive

Let’s look at each method now in detail.

1. Using Synonyms

Using different words with comparable meanings shows to the examiner the breadth of vocabulary required to achieve a band score higher than 6.

In this method simply we replace words with the same meaning in order to produce a new sentence.

For example, Auto and vehicle is a synonym of car, Humans is a synonym of People, Causes is a synonym of Reasons, and Offences is a synonym of Crime.

Here’s an example of how a statement can be rewritten using synonyms:

  • Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment

The sentence above can be paraphrased as:

  • A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.

When paraphrasing, be sure of the following points:

  • The words you choose to replace the original idea are true synonyms. For example, the original phrase, “It was a dark day,” could mean more than one thing. It could mean that the weather was gloomy or that the person’s mood was somber and depressed.
  • Be sure that you grasp the original idea and use words that will convey the same meaning.
  • Not changing all words. Decide which words you can successfully paraphrase and which ones you will keep.

Change the Word Order

By changing the word order we can effectively paraphrase a sentence, but we have to be careful. In order to successfully paraphrase a sentence, you must think about the word order of your paraphrasing.

This is because changing the word order can result in a change of tense, addition of a new noun, or the need to change a verb. Don’t change it if you are not 100% sure it is grammatically correct.

Remember that in the IELTS test you are being judged on your ability to produce error-free sentences as well as use a range of grammar structures.

There are two straightforward ways we can change the word order in most IELTS questions:

You can change the Word Order if :

  1. The sentence has more than one clause.
    For example:

    • Many people are unhealthy because they fail to eat well and exercise.
    • Many people fail to eat well and exercise and, for that reason, they are unhealthy.
  2. The Question has an adjective or noun. You do this by simply changing the adjective into a relative clause.

Change the Form of the Word

Changing the form of a word, such as nouns or verbs, allow us to paraphrase effectively.

For example:

  • Many people are unhealthy because they fail to eat well and exercise.

This can be paraphrased as:

  • Many people have poor health because they are failing to eat well and are not exercising enough.

Change from Active to Passive

Certain types of sentences are used frequently in academic writing. These include the passive voice, which can be used in the IELTS academic writing test. Only verbs with an object can be turned into passive.

To create passive sentences we use ‘to be’ + the past participle of the main verb. And use by + agent to show the person or thing doing the action.

The hunter killed the lion.

The lion was killed by the hunter.

To paraphrase successfully, we should use the indirect object as the subject of a passive verb, for example:

  • I gave him a book for his birthday.
  • He was given a book for his birthday.

It is also possible to use phrasal verbs in the passive voice, for example:

  • They called off the meeting.
  • The meeting was called off.

4 Tips to Paraphrase Effectively in IELTS

Find out the four tips to paraphrase effectively in IELTS today.

  1. Read the text several times and understand the meaning clearly.
  2. Note down the key concepts of the source text.
  3. Rewriting the text without looking at the original version. You can use the 4 Methods we mentioned above.
  4. Carefully compare your revised text with the original, and make minor adjustments to phrasing that is still too similar.

You can use these paraphrasing methods during the IELTS to help you if you practice using them. You can use them individually or combine them. They will help if you practice. You will see patterns of questions and common words and phrases will become easy to change.