• Skip to main content

IELTS Podcast

Pass IELTS with expert help.

Paraphrasing in IELTS

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

Firstly, let’s start by defining paraphrasing.

What is paraphrasing?

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

For example, the sentence:

‘The school student listened attentively to the podcast’

can be paraphrased as:

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

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

Why is paraphrasing important in IELTS writing task 2 ?

Paraphrasing in IELTS is important because it:

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

3 ways To paraphrase

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

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

We’ll examine three principle paraphrasing strategies:

  • Use of synonyms
  • Verb transformation
  • Sentence restructuring

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

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

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

Strategy 1: use of synonyms

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

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

Select synonyms to replace those keywords.

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

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

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

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

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

First, read and understand the question:

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

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

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

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

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

Strategy 2: verb transformation

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

In this strategy, we:

Highlight the key verbs

Select new verbs or synonyms OR transform the verb

  • Facing = confronting
  • Reducing = lessening

Many countries are faced with the problem of unemployment.

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

Strategy 3: sentence restructuring

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

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

The sentence can be paraphrased as

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

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

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

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

IELTS Writing Task 2: How to write a good introduction

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

Tip 2: Write brief ideas by brainstorming the topic.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IELTS Writing Task 2 Rough Copy

3. Select synonyms to replace those keywords.

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

Using Strategy 2: verb transformation

1. highlight the key verbs.

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

2. Select new verbs or synonyms or transform the verb

using = employing

teach = instruct

can be done = solution

minimise = reduce

Using strategy 3: sentence restructuring

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

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

Can be restructured into an answer format:

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

The second question

What can be done to minimize the negative effects?

can be transformed to:

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

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

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

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

Two extra strategies:

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

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

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

Use referencing.

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

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

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

Video: how to start IELTS task 2

Click this  link  to watch the video on Youtube. 

Subscribe to the  IELTS podcast Youtube channel . 

Audio tutorial about starting IELTS writing task 2

Podcast:  Play in new window  |  Download  | Spotify | Google Play / Podcasts | Apple Podcast || Stitcher | 

Subscribe:  Android  |  RSS  

19 sample IELTS essays and 240 task questions ebook

Additional IELTS resources:

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

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

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

35 IELTS writing phrases PDF (copy paste)

Preparation for the IELTS Exam

IELTS paraphrasing practice

Exercises on paraphrasing the task question..

Updated: Oct 20th 2021

In the last paraphrasing exercise here we looked at paraphrasing a part of a body paragraph. Here is a useful blog post on How to paraphrase in IELTS writing.

Paraphrasing is an important skill to practice in IELTS and is necessary for the writing tasks. If you can paraphrase well it shows that you have a wide range of vocabulary and this goes toward getting a high band score in Lexical resource.

Key points about paraphrasing

In the introduction of your essay the first thing you should do is paraphrase the topic question by using synonyms or changing the word-formation. I f you just copy the original question you will lose points .

A good technique is to change the form of the words by using: a verb, gerund, adjective or noun . Look at the examples below.

People increasingly access the news online these days rather than buying newspapers and magazines to find out what is going on in the world. There is an increase in people accessing the news online these days rather than buying newspapers and magazines to find out what is going on in the world.

I have changed two words above from Adverb+ verb in sentence 1, to noun phrase + gerund and re-ordered the sentence slightly. Using this technique you need to be confident with your grammar if you decide to change the word-formation.

You have to be careful when using synonyms though, click here to see a lesson about learning new words and the dangers of synonyms.

Let’s Practice Paraphrasing

This task is a problem-solution essay. Choose words from the list and try paraphrasing it. You do not need to paraphrase the instruction words. Check my answer when you have finished.

ielts paraphrasing

Practice it first before checking my answer.

My answer. (two variations)

a) People residing in large urban areas have to deal with a lot of issues in their day to day lives.

B) there are a number of issues that people living in cities have to cope with in their everyday lives..

I did not use the word ‘citizens ‘as it doesn’t fit well, the word ‘people’ is hard to paraphrase so I kept it.

Some words cannot be used here such as ‘ suburbs’  or  ‘towns’  there is a difference in meaning to ‘cities’. Also the word ‘huge’ doesn’t feel right here so I didn’t use it.

Remember that not every word has to be paraphrased , there is no black and white answer to paraphrasing, it depends on your vocabulary and how you can use synonyms correctly. Make sure the meaning stays the same or you will lose marks.

Let’s try another one

paraphrasing ielts

Try it yourself before checking my answer.

a) The Internet, which is a huge source of knowledge, has created opportunities for people worldwide to study.

B) the worldwide web is a massive source of information and has given people all over the world the ability to study..

Some words do not go well here such as ‘ folks’ which is too informal and ‘humankind’ which does not sound right in this situation.

The words ‘data’ and ‘know-how’ just do not match well here and could change the meaning slightly.

Again, I have kept the word ‘people’ as this is hard to paraphrase.

Any questions? , comment below.

Do you need help with your writing? Take a look at the Writing Correction Service here.

Leave a comment cancel reply.

IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024

' src=

  • Test Information FAQ
  • Band Scores
  • IELTS Candidate Success Tips
  • Computer IELTS: Pros & Cons
  • How to Prepare
  • Useful Links & Resources
  • Recommended Books
  • Writing Task 1
  • Writing Task 2
  • Speaking Part 1 Topics
  • Speaking Part 2 Topics
  • Speaking Part 3 Topics
  • 100 Essay Questions
  • On The Day Tips
  • Top Results
  • Advanced IELTS

How to Paraphrase Successfully in IELTS

Paraphrasing in IELTS is essential for a high score in IELTS. This page contains tips on paraphrasing to maximise your score. You need to learn to to identify paraphrases in IELTS listening and reading. For IELTS writing and speaking, you need to learn to paraphrase using your own words. Students who are good at paraphrasing will do better in all parts of their IELTS test.

This page will review 6 tips for paraphrasing in IELTS:

  • using synonyms
  • not changing all words
  • avoiding mistakes
  • changing word forms
  • changing sentence stucture
  • paraphrasing and band scores
  • paraphrasing practice lessons

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

1. Using Synonyms

In IELTS one way to paraphrase is to use synonyms. Using different words with a similar meaning shows the examiner a range of vocabulary which you need to get over band score 6. Here is an example of how a sentence can be re-written by using synonyms:

The reasons for increasing levels of pollution are the development of industry and air travel.

The sentence above can be paraphrased as:

The causes of rising levels of pollution are the growth and expansion of industry as well as the number of people travelling by air.

Here is a list of how the sentence was altered using synonyms.

  • causes = reasons
  • increasing = rising
  • the development of = the growth and expansion of
  • and = as well as
  • air travel = travelling by air
  • Notice: you can see that the words “levels of pollution” and “industry” have not be changed. This is fine. Not all words need to be changed. In fact, the word “pollution” is best not changed. See tip number 2, below:

2. Not All Words Need Changing

Not all words need to be changed for a high score in IELTS. You can see from the example above that some words have remained the same “levels of pollution / industry / air). This means you need to decide which words to paraphrase and which words to keep the same.

Decide which words you can successfully paraphrase and which ones you will keep. Be selective. A high level student knows when to change words and when now to change words.

If you try to paraphrase too much, you might:

  • make mistakes which will lower your score
  • change the meaning which might result in you going off topic
  • See tip number 3, below:

Here is a link to more  practice paraphrasing for IELTS.

3. Avoiding Mistakes

The more mistakes you make with vocabulary in IELTS writing and speaking, the lower your score will be. Paraphrasing is a skill. Synonyms do not have exactly the same meaning and cannot always be used at the same time .

Watch this video below to get useful tips on paraphrasing for writing task 1 and writing task 2.

4. Changing the Word Form

Another way to paraphrase sentences is to change the form of the word. This means we use the same words as IELTS but change their form. Here is an example:

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

This can be paraphrased by changing the word form of “unhealthy”, “fail” and “exercise”.

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

You can see from the above example, that many of the words are the same but the form is changed.

  • unhealthy = poor health
  • fail = failing
  • exercise = exercising

This demonstrates excellent vocabulary skills to the examiner and will help you get a good score for vocabulary. It shows that you understand the words very well and can use them in different ways.

If you watch the video below about writing an introduction for IELTS writing task 2, you will see again how words can be paraphrased by changing their form and using synonyms.

Writing an Introduction for an IELTS Essay

Common word forms examples.

  • developing = the development of
  • increasing = an increase in
  • pollution = being polluted
  • explain = explanation

5. Changing Sentence Structure

Another way to paraphrase successfully is to change the order to words in a sentence. This means changing the structure of the sentence. Taking the example from above again:

You can see there are two clauses “Many people are unhealthy” and the second clause “because they fail to eat well and exercise”.

We can change the order of the clauses:

Many people fail to eat well and exercise and, for that reason, they are unhealthy.

Lets make more changes to the sentence. Now we can also paraphrase by altering the word form as we did previously. The final sentence would be:

Failing to eat well and not exercising are the reasons that many people have poor health.

6. Paraphrasing & IELTS Band Scores

Of course paraphrasing will help your band score for the criterion of vocabulary.

Band Score 5

  •  Minimum Range of Vocabulary
  • Frequent Errors which cause problems with meaning

Band Score 6

  • Adequate Range of Vocabulary
  • Some Errors but the meaning is clear

Band Score 7

  • Sufficient Range of Vocabulary

Band Score 8

  • Wide Range of Vocabulary
  • Most sentences are Error Free

You can see that you need to show a range of words which means you need to paraphrase. But you also need to reduce your errors which means don’t try to paraphrase too much and don’t make mistakes.

Following the above tips (using synonyms, not paraphrasing all words, avoiding errors, changing the word form and changing the sentence structure) will help you achieve the highest score.

7. Paraphrasing Practice

It is essential that you practice paraphrasing and using synonyms. You can find some paraphrasing practice lessons on the links below.

  • My IELTS Reading Main Page which contains lessons for paraphrasing and using synonyms as well as lots of lessons for TFNG and other question types that appear in IELTS reading.
  • My IELTS Writing Task 2 Main Page which contains lots of tips for essay writing as well as paraphrasing practice.
Main IELTS Pages Develop your IELTS skills with tips, lessons, free videos and more. IELTS Listening IELTS Reading IELTS Writing Task 1 IELTS Writing Task 2 IELTS Speaking Vocabulary for IELTS

Get my free lessons by email

Subscribe for free to get my new IELTS lessons sent to your email inbox.

Email Address

' src=

Hello! First of all, thank you for all of those advices! My question is quite basic : it’s the first time I’m doing a IELTS training, and if I’m not mistaken, the writting tast 2 is : we have subject, and we need to develop. So, when exactly can we use paraphrase? If I have a text that I need to analyze, I would understand, but I looked over some subjects, and there are no such things… So when do the paraphrasing skills come into play?

' src=

See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ Read all pages to learn more about writing task 2.

' src=

Hi there, Dear Liz. I have question for you because I got confused on this matter. Can we use the structure like “The given is a line graph illustrating…. Thanks in advance. I WILL LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU.

IELTS writing is about being accurate. So try to avoid being too creative with your writing. Task 1 is a report for the academic test. Keep to report language. See my model answers for task 1 to learn how to begin your report: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-1-lessons-and-tips/ . No, your suggestion isn’t an option.

' src=

Should wealthy nations be required to share their wealth amongst the poorer ones by providing food and education? Or is it the responsiblilty of the governments to look after its people interests themselves.

How do you paraphrase this type of sentence. Its a question.

While some people think rich countries should be forced to support poorer countries with food and education, others think the poor countries should help themselves.

' src=

Hi Liz, thank you so much Large businesses have big budgets for marketing and promotion and as a result, people gravitate towards buying their products. What problems does this cause? What could be done to encourage people to buy local products?

Nowadays, you can see on the social network or TV that lots of advertisements because of a large number of businesses have extremely more budgets related to doing advertising. Hence, people are interesting and trying to buying their products. In this essay, I will explain that marketing is not bringing some kind of problems and also I believe that naturally advertising that about the local products so beneficial for people to buy them.

You can use the words “marketing” and “promotion”. Are you allowed to use those words. You don’t have to avoid them. Also do not write “this essay will…”. The examiner knows it’s an essay. All you need to do is put down your causes in the intro and add the solutions if you want.

' src=

Hi Liz, thank you so much for amazing exam tips and videos. I need your help to determine whether I did paraphrasing correctly or not:)

Rising university fees and scarce employment prospects for graduates have led some people to say that universities should not teach arts subjects , like philosophy and history, and only offer practical degree courses that maximise chances of employment.

Due to increasing university fees and paucity of employment opportunities, Some people argue that university should not teach subjects like philosophy and history, and only provide practical degree courses that increases chances of getting job

You are trying to change words instead of just writing it your own way. Take the whole meaning rather than word for word. It’s fine to paraphrase as you have but it is not flexible. If you are aiming for band 6 and 6.5, it’s fine. But for band 7, 8 and 9, you want to show more skills and the ability to express yourself your way.

Some people think that, due to the lack of graduate jobs and the high cost of university, subjects such as philosophy or other arts degrees should not be offered and the focus should be on vocational degrees with a clear aim of employment. In my opinion, …

' src=

Dear Mam Liz, First of all thank you for your amazing website I have given my ielts exam on 17 November and task 1was about two bar graph representing the participation of boys and girls on cultural and sports activities in the university of Australia in the year 2003. I think, I forgot to mention the country while paraphrasing the introduction.Does it impact seriously on my score?(i mean a 0.5 band difference in task achievement).Now i still have 10 long days to get the result,I am really tensed. Thanks Awaiting for your reply

Your score is not calculated in that way. It is not possible to predict a score based on one single thing.

thank you……..

' src=

How to paraphrase following statement, which has two sentences.

Some people think it is more beneficial to play sports that are played in teams. However, some people think it is beneficial to play individual games. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

While it is thought by some that team sports are more beneficial, others believe individual sports are better.

' src=

Hello Liz I really need your help in this essay. It was in IELTS Cambridge book 12. In many places new homes are needed but only space available for building them is in the countryside. Some people believe it’s important to protect countryside and not build new homes there. What is your opinion about this?? My question is how to answer such a question. Do I have to state importance of countryside and than state advantages of building homes in city center. …I’m confused and I’m short of ideas as well. ..Pls help me Thanks alot

Try to write yourself a question: Do you think new homes should be built in the countryside rather than in cities? That is the issue in the essay question. Nearly all questions relate to current world issues. Cities are becoming more crowded and it is hard to build homes there so should we build in the countryside instead? All you need to do is answer the question with your opinion and then explain your opinion.

Well thanks very much…I do hope to write a good supportive essay

' src=

Thanks a lot Liz.

' src=

Hi mam, I am very confused with the thesis for discussion essay. Please help me

See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

' src=

Hi liz..i took my ielts academic test.there was a bar chart with two information..once i completed my writing i noticed that i have mixed up the two details given in the graph and my whole analysis was based on this mix up..how badly will it affect my band score..im looking for 7..

It will affect your score for Task Achievement and also possibly for CC.

' src=

Is there any difference between academic or GT essay.

See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-gt-academic-writing-differences/

' src=

Hi Liz, Can I use for in place of because? Many people have poor health for they are failing to excercise and are not exercising enough.

You can use “as”, not “for”. “Many people have poor health AS they are failing to exercise OR are not exercising enough” Review both your linking words and prepositions.

' src=

I honestly enjoyed watching this video. Knowledge is power indeed. Thanks Liz.

Glad it was useful 🙂

' src=

Thanks a lot for this useful lesson and priceless tips .😻

' src=

Hi Liz, thanks.

' src=

Hi Liz Thankyou your tips are very helpful and easy to understand. I have question about writing introduction in task2. How many word limit are required in introduction of task2. Thankyou

There is no word limit, only recommendations. See my main writing task 2 page.

' src=

thanks mam this post is very useful.

' src=

thanks liz mam .this is very useful for me.

' src=

it is a priceless lesson..thanks indeed

please I have a question

in (discussion essay and give your opinion) should I only write my opinion in the introduction and restate it in the conclusion ? or should I write a separate body paragraph explaining my opinion..? thanks in advance

The opinion is equally as important as the discussion – intro, body and concl.

' src=

Tq Liz.. Ur providing valuable tips, I like ur videos very much and the way u explain is awesome .😃😃

' src=

I have a question about opinion essay, do we have to write ( in my opinion, I partially agree) in case I’m partially agreeing with the statement ?!

And, can I write In my opinion, I agree/disagree with the previous statement. Doing daily exercise …my ideas ??

You can learn about how to express your opinion on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

' src=

It is very useful to improve paraphrasing and vocabulary.

' src=

It is so clear and useful.thanks a lot

' src=

Thanks Liz… I love your lessons, very clear and precise. Keep up the good work. I will be writing the IELTS on the 2nd of December. Wish me luck, as i need to score 8 and above in all the test criteria.☺☺

The key to band 8 is two fold: 1) Avoid errors in English (this is particularly strict in writing). This is one of the main differences between 7 and 8. Band 8 means the majority of sentences are error free. 2) Learn as much as you can about the test, the requirements and the techniques. Good luck!!

Thanks Liz.

' src=

Dear Liz, first thank you very much for your plenty valuable tips for WT-1 & WT-2, which i did used in my IELTS exam (28th Oct. 2017), and hope my band score must be improve because your ‘r my guide person. And result will be announce on coming 10th or 11th Nov. 2017. Again thx & God bless you

' src=

Hello Liz, This is vry useful. Nd thank u so much

' src=

I need your help to understand what is required for band 7+ essay. Any suggestions in this regard would be helpful. May be do’s or don’t or some tips we can follow to ensure atleast we are covering what is needed for 7+ essay.

There is a link to band score tips and information on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Thank you Liz.

' src=

Hello Liz, Thanks so much for your tips in IELTS exams.I hope to get high band score.

Speak Your Mind Cancel reply

Notify me of new posts by email.

Advanced IELTS Lessons & E-books

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

Recent Lessons

50% discount advanced ielts lessons & e-books final day, answers to age group bar chart lesson, ielts bar chart of age groups 2024, 50% discount: advanced ielts lessons & e-books, ielts topic: urban planning, ielts listening transcripts: when and how to use them.

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

Click Below to Learn:

  • IELTS Test Information

Copyright Notice

Copyright © Elizabeth Ferguson, 2014 – 2024

All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

  • Click here:  Privacy Policy 
  • Click here: Disclaimer

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2024 · Prose on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

IELTS Advantage

IELTS Advantage

IELTS Preparation Courses

IELTS Writing Task 2: ✍️ Everything You Need to Know

When helping students prepare for the IELTS test, one of the biggest fears is how to do well in IELTS Writing Task 2. 

IELTS Writing Task 2 is the second part of the writing test, where you are presented with a point of view, argument or problem and asked to write an essay in response. Your essay should be in a formal style, at least 250 words in length and you should aim to complete it in under 40 minutes. 

IELTS Writing Task 2: Everything You Need to Know

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

In this video, I’ll outline exactly what you must do to create an IELTS Writing Task 2 essay that could score a Band 7, 8 or 9.

It doesn’t matter if you’re new to IELTS or if you’ve failed the exam before – I’ve broken everything down into a simple 3-step process that anyone can use to improve their scores! Watch the video above to find out what they are.

5 Steps to a Band 7 in IELTS Writing Task 2

1. Understand the question.

You must understand the question before you attempt to answer it. This way, you’ll know exactly what the examiner is looking for. One of the biggest mistakes students make is not answering the question fully, which stops them from getting a score higher than a Band 5.

To analyse the question , you must first identify the question type, then identify the keywords in the question and finally identify the instructions words. This will help you understand exactly what the examiner wants you to do with the question.

2. Plan your answer.

The students who get the highest marks in Writing Task 2 always plan their answers for up to 10 minutes. Planning helps you organise your ideas and structure your essay before you write it, saving you time and helping you produce a clear and coherent essay.

3. Write an introduction.

The introduction should answer the question directly. This tells the examiner that you know what you are doing straight away and helps you write your main body paragraphs.

4. Write the main body paragraphs.

This is where you give the examiner more detail . You do this by stating your main points and supporting these with explanations and relevant examples.

5. Write a conclusion.

In your conclusion , you should provide a summary of what you already said in the rest of your essay.

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

4 Ways to Improve your Score in IELTS Writing Task 2

Many people know they need to improve their writing skills but don’t know how to do it. Here are 4 ways you can boost your score in Writing Task 2:

1. Understand the exam.

You must first understand what IELTS Writing Task 2 is, what you are expected to do and how to give the examiners what they want. This is the first stage and one that is often overlooked.

There are many online resources, often with conflicting and poor-quality information, so finding a reliable source of information is key.

2. Identify your weak areas.

If your car breaks down, you would try and identify which part caused the problem. If you get sick, your doctor will run tests to determine the exact cause of your symptoms.

IELTS Writing Task 2 is the same. We must first identify WHY you are not getting the score you need before we can help you improve.

However, be very careful! You wouldn’t ask the average man on the street for medical advice, so make sure you find someone who knows what they are doing and has the expertise to help you with this.

3. Fix the problems.

Now that we know what the problems are, we must fix them.

If your grammar needs work, fix those issues. If your vocabulary is lacking, work on fixing this issue.

Just as a good doctor can help you fix a medical problem, a good IELTS teacher can help you fix your specific issues.

4. Practice and get feedback.

Practice alone will not help you. It is an essential part of your preparation, but you must also get feedback on your work if you are really going to improve.

You wouldn’t try to teach yourself how to drive without an instructor, would you?

Find someone who will give you accurate and helpful feedback on your work. Otherwise, you will not be able to move to the last stage.

Now that you have understood what you need to do, identified the exact areas you need to work on, improved those areas, and received feedback on your work, you are now ready to get the IELTS Writing Task 2 score you deserve.

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

Writing Task 2 Structures 

I want to warn you about structures because they are not a magic wand that will help you automatically get a higher score. They WILL help you, but please realise that they are just a small part of your overall score.

These structures provide a sentence-by-sentence template for all the main Task 2 question types, making your job much easier on exam day.

  • Task 2 Essay Structures

Essential Writing Task 2 Skills 

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

No matter how good your English is, you must still learn IELTS writing skills before taking the Writing Task 2 test. These helpful guides will take you through each of these skills step-by-step:

  • How to Plan an Essay

Making a good plan actually saves you time when you write your essay. This guide will show you how to plan and write a clear essay every time.

  • How to Think of Relevant Ideas

This guide provides 5 different methods to help you quickly think of relevant ideas that are directly linked to the question.

  • How to Write a Complex Sentence

Complex sentences help you boost your score for grammar. They are actually very simple to write and are not complex at all.

  • How to Paraphrase

Paraphrasing is one of the essential IELTS skills for all parts of the IELTS test. You should paraphrase the question in the very first sentence of your essay to help boost your vocabulary score in Writing Task 2.

  • How to Write a Supporting Paragraph

Supporting paragraphs are the main body paragraphs and are the meat in the sandwich. This is where you provide the detail the examiner is looking for in the form of explanations and examples.

  • How to Write a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement tells the examiner your opinion. Many IELTS Writing Task 2 questions specifically ask for your opinion, and if you don’t write it clearly, you have not answered the question properly. This article shows you how, where and when to give your opinion.

How many words should I write?

Around 250 words? Exactly 250 words or over 250 words? How many words over? How do I know how many words I have? Will I lose marks if I write too many words? This article answers all those questions.

  • How to Understand and Analyse Any Question

A critical part of answering any question. This article shows you how to break down any Task 2 question and identify the keywords, micro-keywords and instruction words to help you answer the question effectively.

  • How to Write a Great Introduction

The introduction is the first thing the examiner reads; therefore, we must give them a good first impression. I share a very specific sentence-by-sentence structure in this article to help you write introductions quickly and effectively.

  • Task 2 Marking Criteria 

Do you know how Task 2 is marked? What is the difference between a Band 5 and a Band 8 answer? This article breaks down the marking criteria and explains it in simple language so you can give the IELTS examiners exactly what they want.

  • How to Write a Conclusion

A good conclusion should be a summary of your main points. The conclusion is the last thing the examiner reads, and if you can write a good one, you will leave them with a very good impression.

  • Using Examples

Each of your supporting paragraphs should have a specific example that supports and illustrates your main point. This is an essential skill to learn if you want to get one of the higher band scores.

  • Cohesive Devices

Cohesive devices (sometimes called linking words) are one of the most misunderstood and misused elements of writing. Therefore, you must learn how to use them and when to use them.

  • The Danger of Synonyms

While synonyms are very important, they can also really reduce your mark if used incorrectly.

  • Paragraphing and Editing

This article will show you how to make your writing as clear and as easy to read as possible. It will also advise you on whether to use a pen or pencil.

  • IELTS Writing Task 2: 8 Steps to Success

Read this blog now to access our 61-page Task 2 strategy.

  • IELTS Writing Tips

I have compiled these tips after years of teaching IELTS, and all of them have been approved by IELTS examiners.

  • Coherence and Cohesion

This is a video lesson that shows you in practical terms how to improve your coherence and cohesion score.

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

Writing Task 2 Common Topics 

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

Knowing the common topics can help you prepare for the test more efficiently. Here are the 10 most common topics over the last few years. Studying hard is great, but don’t forget to study smart.

The article below will show you the top 10 most common IELTS topics.

  • Most Common Task 2 Topics 

Full IELTS Writing Task 2 Practice Lessons 

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

Here are some lessons that I have used when teaching students about IELTS Writing Task 2. I have changed them so that you can easily learn from home. They are very long but contain all the necessary information combined with the skills above.

  • Agree or Disagree (Opinion) Lesson

In this lesson, we look at how to tackle an ‘agree or disagree’ question. Many people worry about whether to take one side of the other or discuss both sides. Additionally, people also worry about how to deal with ‘To what extent’ question types. We allay all of these fears in this lesson.

  • Discussion Essay Lesson

‘Discuss both views’ questions often confuse people because you are asked to do many things in one essay. As such, it is very important to remember that the question asks you to discuss BOTH views AND give YOUR opinion.

  • Problem and Solution Essay Lesson

These questions are much easier than you think. You probably discuss problems and solutions in your day-to-day life all the time. Keep it simple.

  • Advantages and Disadvantages Lesson 

There are a couple of different types of advantages and disadvantages questions. This lesson will show you how to answer them.

  • Writing Task 2 Exercise with Video

Writing is a skill, and just like any other skill, it is important to practice to improve.

  • From Band 6.5 to 8 Demo Lesson

This is my most comprehensive free lesson on IELTS Writing Task 2. We show you how we took one VIP student from Band 6.5 to an amazing 8.

Sample Answers

You must have some good examples to compare your writing and see if you are on the right track. Click the link below for lots of sample answers and over 100 questions.

Task 2 Sample Answers

  • Agree or Disagree Sample Essays
  • Task 2 Band 9 Sample Essay
  • Latest Real Task 2 Questions
  • Official Sample Test Questions
  • Cambridge Sample Questions
  • Free Practice Test
  • How To Use Task 2 Samples
  • Recent Confusing Questions
  • IELTS Writing Practice Guide

IELTS Writing Task 2 Essential Information

  • You must write an essay in response to a question.
  • You must write 250 words or more.
  • Task 2 is worth 2/3 of your total mark on the Writing test.
  • You should spend around 40 minutes on this part of the test.
  • General Training and Academic are essentially the same for Task 2. However, they are different for Task 1.
  • There are certain types of questions that you will be asked, for example, opinion, discussion etc. See below for more detail on these.
  • Task Achievement (25%)
  • Coherence and Cohesion (25%)
  • Lexical Resource (25%)
  • Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)

Grammar and Vocabulary

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

Grammar is one of the four things you will be marked on in the Writing Task 2 test. Finding out what your common grammar mistakes are and then fixing them is a very powerful way to boost your score in this area. Here are some common grammar mistakes I have found after making hundreds of tests.

  • Top 10 Grammar Mistakes

For most IELTS students, the problem is not grammar in general. In fact, it is usually just 1-2 problem areas. Therefore, when you fix these main weaknesses, you’ll be able to improve your grammar and your writing score dramatically.

  • Using Personal Pronouns

Hint- They aren’t as big of a deal as you think.

See the interactive tool below for the answers to the most commonly asked questions we receive about IELTS Writing Task 2: 

IELTS Writing Task 2 FAQs

How can i improve my writing.

You will find all the resources you need on our Writing Task 2 page. Click the link below:

Writing Task 2

We also have two Task 2 courses for those that need to improve their Task 2 skills and strategy. They are both based online and completely free of charge. Learn more about them below:

Task 2 5 Day Challenge

Task 2 Essay Builder

If you need serious help or personalised feedback, you should check out our VIP Course. There is a waiting list, but you can add your name here:

How can I get a Band 7, 8 or 9?

The answer to this question is different for every individual IELTS student, as it depends on a number of factors, including your work ethic, English skills and exam strategy. You'll find a guide to answering this question in this article

If you need serious help with improving your IELTS scores, you should check out our online writing course. There is a waiting list, but you can add your name by clicking the link below:

Can you correct my writing?

Please click the link below and it will give you all the information you need about our writing correction service:

Writing Correction Service

Do you have any sample answers?

Yes, you will find them at the link below:

Will using 'high level' or 'academic' words help me improve my score?

Probably not.

Read my recent article about IELTS vocabulary here:

5 Things You Need to Know about IELTS Vocabulary

Can I use idioms?

No, you should not write idioms for Task 2.

Can I use personal pronouns?

You should avoid using personal pronouns, but it is fine to use them when giving your personal opinion.

Do you write a conclusion for Task 2?

Yes, it is very difficult to get a good score in Task 2 if you haven't finished your essay with a conclusion. You will find an in-depth lesson on conclusions here:

How to Write an Effective Task 2 Conclusion

How many paragraphs should I write?

Most IELTS task 2 essays follow the same basic four paragraph structure:

  • Introduction
  • Supporting Paragraph 1
  • Supporting Paragraph 2

However, you can find more comprehensive help with structuring your Task 2 essays here:

5 Day Challenge

Do I need to plan my essay?

I would highly recommend planning your essay. A good plan acts like a map that guides you through the essay, ensuring that you give the examiner exactly what they need to award you the score you need. You can find help with planning your essays here: How to Plan an IELTS Essay

You must write at least 250 words in Writing Task 2.

I would suggest that you aim to write around 270-280 words in total. Aiming for 20-30 words more than the required amount makes you more likely to reach the word limit without setting an unrealistic goal.

Will I lose marks if I don't write enough words?

Yes, if you don't write the required number of words, you will lose marks in 'Task Achievement' for not answering the question fully. Read more here .

Can I use contractions?

No, should not use contractions when you are writing an academic essay.

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

IELTS Writing Task 2 Exercises & Activities

Below you'll be able to access information, exercises and activities which are designed to help you improve and perfect your IELTS Writing Task 2 answers. After completing these, you should have a clear idea of what is required and how to reach band 7 or higher in this part of the IELTS test.

You will find exercises and activities for each topic. The answers to the exercises are at the bottom of each page. The activities involve free practice so no answers are included in the answer key. If you have a tutor or teacher, you could ask them to assess your answers to these activities. If not, I recommend you do the activities anyway, as they offer a good opportunity to practice the skills explained.

Planning 1: Planning your answer

Planning 2: does the question ask for your opinion, introductions 1: paraphrasing the question, introductions 2:  outlining main ideas, grammatical range: contrast with while/ although & however, grammatical range: not only… but… (inversion), body paragraphs 1: topic sentences, body paragraphs 2: developing & supporting main ideas, body paragraphs 3: linking adverbs and phrases:, body paragraphs 4: extending ideas with 2nd conditionals, body paragraphs 5: giving examples, body paragraphs 6: relating back to the question, grammatical range: using the passive voice, grammatical range: gerund clauses, grammatical range: relative clauses to make complex sentences, coherence & cohesion: how to reference using it and this, grammatical range: cleft sentences, conclusions, task response: showing a clear position, lexical resource: how to avoid informal english in academic writing.

How To Paraphrase in IELTS Writing

May 30, 2020

How to paraphrase in IELTS writing and speaking

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’ .

IELTS paraphrasing examples

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.

IELTS paraphrasing exercises

  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 .

How do you paraphrase

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 . 

What is paraphrasing in IELTS?

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.

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

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:

how do you paraphrase in IELTS writing?

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 .

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

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!

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

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!

In A Hurry To Pass IELTS? Then Check Out…

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

Copyright & copy; 2017 · IELTSfreeway.com · All Rights Reserved

Powered by OptimizePress 2.0

  • Practice Test
  • Useful Tips – Tricks
  • Full Writing Review
  • General Writing Task
  • Writing Task 1
  • Writing Task 2
  • Writing Exercises
  • Writing Sample – Topics
  • Writing Vocabulary
  • Speaking Vocabulary
  • Intro Question
  • Speaking Part 1
  • Speaking Part 2
  • Speaking Part 2 – Audio
  • Speaking Part 3
  • IELTS Books
  • Recent Exams
  • IELTS Vocabulary
  • Essay from Examiners
  • IELTS Ideas

Logo

IELTS App - For Mobile

Ready for the IELTS exam with our IELTS app. Over 2 million downloads

Download App

Popular Last 24h

Describe something difficult you would like to succeed in doing, [ebook] ielts listening strategies pdf, ielts writing task 1: the table below shows the salaries of secondary/high school teachers in 2009., cue card 2020 #34: describe a person who likes to travel by plane, ielts listening actual test with answers – test 3, listening full test 1 - section 1, describe a wedding that you have attended..

  • IELTS Test/Skills FAQs
  • IELTS Scoring in Detail
  • Forecast Speaking – 2023
  • List IELTS Speaking Part 3
  • List IELTS Speaking Part 1
  • IELTS Writing 2023 – Actual Test

Our Telegram

Join our community for IELTS preparation and share and download materials.

The information on this site is for informational purposes only. IELTS is a registered trademark of the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. This site and its owners are not affiliated, approved or endorsed by University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, or IDP Education Australia.

Latest Articles

Ielts speaking part 1: advertisements (audio), describe a place where you like to go shopping  , describe an event you attended, ielts speaking part 3: bicycle, describe a trip you took by bike, most popular, describe a film that made you laugh, describe a person whom you met for the first time and made you happy, topic: experience is the best teacher, in many countries,today there are many highly qualified graduates without employment..

ieltspracticeonline All Rights Reserved

  • E-mail: [email protected]

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

  • IELTS Practice Tests
  • Recent Actual Tests
  • Speaking Part 1
  • Speaking Part 2
  • Speaking Part 3
  • General Training Writing Task 1
  • Process Diagram
  • Mixed Charts
  • Advantages & Disadvantages Essays
  • Agree or Disagree Essays
  • Discuss Both Views Essays
  • Direct Questions Essays
  • Problems/Causes & Solutions Essays
  • Speaking Vocabulary
  • Writing Vocabulary
  • Collocations for IELTS

Common Paraphrase for IELTS Writing Task 2

9IELTS

2. Importance

3. minimize, 4. describe people, 5. describe the action “lead to …”., male and female internet users aged 15-24 in canada, ielts writing vocabulary: technology, leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

POPULAR POSTS

Ielts listening practice test 204, ielts recent actual tests [full pdf + audio], 200 ielts speaking sample answers [pdf + audio], ielts books collection: 200+ books, audio & videos [frequently updated], ielts reading practice test 320, hackers ielts reading, listening, speaking, writing [pdf + audio], ielts writing recent actual tests 2023 [frequently updated], the key to ielts writing task 2 by pauline cullen [pdf + audio], ielts listening practice test 203, ielts speaking vocabulary: business.

9ielts logo

9IELTS is dedicated to providing free materials and resources for IELTS conquerors. Stay constantly updated with a wide range of ultimate tips, strategies, and practice tests to crack the high-stakes IELTS exam!

Recent Posts

The highest level of education achieved by women in someland, school should prepare students for university rather than work, get ready for ielts listening, reading, speaking, writing [pdf + audio], ielts reading recent actual test 04, describe a couple you know who have a happy marriage.

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

© 2024 9IELTS . All Rights Reserved.

The official IELTS by IDP app is here! Download it today.

  • IELTS tests IELTS Academic IELTS General Training IELTS UKVI IELTS One Skill Retake LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS Academic? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test Find a test centre WAYS TO TAKE IELTS ACADEMIC IELTS on paper IELTS on computer IELTS Online LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS General Training? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test Find a test centre WAYS TO TAKE IELTS GENERAL TRAINING IELTS on paper IELTS on computer LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS UKVI? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test Find a test centre WAYS TO TAKE IELTS UKVI IELTS on paper IELTS on computer LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS One Skill Retake? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test READ MORE ABOUT IELTS ONE SKILL RETAKE Where is IELTS One Skill Retake available? FIND THE RIGHT TEST IELTS for study IELTS for work IELTS for migration

Get your results

Check your provisional IELTS results online and do more.

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

Task 1 & 2: Paraphrasing

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

Content Tags

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

What is paraphrasing?

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

How do I paraphrase?

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

Use synonyms

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Also, grammar is important when using synonyms.

Wealth does not necessarily guarantee happiness.

Having money does not necessarily ensure satisfaction.

2. Change word order

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. Change word form

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

Nowadays, crimes are becoming more violent.

Nowadays, crimes are being committed more violently.

Once again, grammar is important when changing word form.

The level of crime has increased noticeably in different ways.

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

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

4. Active to Passive

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

Active: Technological advances have replaced people in the workforce.

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

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

Children today play very violent video games.

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

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

5. Combine sentences

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Ashlee Hunter

Share this article

You may also like.

IELTS One Skill Retake: How do you get your OSR results?

Don't overdo it: How to ace your IELTS Speaking test

Your official guide to IELTS preparation materials

The A to Z of IELTS: L is for Lexical Resource

IELTS Academic Writing free practice questions

IELTS Speaking: How to perform at your best in the part 2 long turn

Grammar 101: Subjects and Objects in English

IELTS General Training, Writing Task 1: How to write a letter

IELTS Writing Task 2: How to write a good introduction

Grammar 101: How to use who and whom correctly?

  • Useful links
  • Who accepts IELTS?
  • News and articles
  • IELTS Masterclass
  • IELTS Progress check
  • Your IELTS results
  • IELTS General Training
  • IELTS Academic
  • IELTS Online
  • IELTS by IDP app
  • Find a test centre
  • Middle East
  • Netherlands
  • New Caledonia
  • New Zealand
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Philippines
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Solomon Islands
  • South Korea
  • Switzerland
  • Legal notices
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookie policy
  • Copyright 2024 IDP IELTS
  • TOEFL Writing Correction Topics
  • OET Course & Mock Test
  • Writing Correction
  • Speaking Mock Test
  • Reading Course
  • Listening Practice Tests
  • FREE Practice Tests
  • OET Writing Correction
  • OET Reading Course
  • OET Speaking Mock Test
  • TOEFL Writing Correction
  • PTE Writing Correction
  • OET Listening Practice Tests
  • OET (Occupational English Test)
  • PTE (Pearson Test of English)

IELTS Writing Paraphrasing Guide

  • Graph Length
  • Essay Task 2
  • Essay Length
  • Assessment Criteria
  • Paraphrasing

essay paraphrasing ielts guide

Paraphrasing helps to achieve high lexical resource band score in  IELTS Speaking and Writing module. This guide shows what paraphrasing is and how to best use it in your essays, letters, reports and cue-cards.

Table of Contents

  • What is paraphrasing?
  • Importance in IELTS Writing
  • 3.1. Over-paraphrasing
  • 3.2. Sentence Length
  • 4.1. Synonyms & Antonyms
  • 4.2. Modifying sentence structure
  • 4.3. Active-passive voice
  • 4.4. Word forms

5.1 Sample Paraphrasing Guide

1. what is paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing is when you express a written or spoken text in a different way whilst maintaining the same meaning .

Simply put, this means that you need to rephrase a given text in your own words, without changing the overall meaning . This helps you to avoid plagiarism which is when you repeat information that someone has produced as if it is your own work.

Paraphrasing not only shows that you understand the meaning  of an IELTS topic, but also allows you to demonstrate your command of the English language.

2. Why is paraphrasing important in IELTS writing?

Paraphrasing is an essential skill if you want to score high IELTS band score and is important for each section of the exam (reading, listening and speaking), but especially  important for writing.

In IELTS writing tasks 1 and 2 you will always be given an IELTS statement which you need to paraphrase in your introduction . This is demonstrating to the examiner that you have understood the meaning of the statement , and that you have the English language skills to put the statement in your own words.

You will also need to paraphrase yourself at points in the essay to avoid repetition , for example, when you are restating the main ideas of your essay in your writing task 2 conclusion.

Test takers that simply copy the IELTS statement or repeat their ideas in the same way will likely receive a lower score in the written component of the exam.

As paraphrasing is a skill, it needs to be practised so read on for some common mistakes to avoid and tips to follow to paraphrase effectively.

IELTS writing correction

3. Common paraphrasing mistakes made in IELTS writing

3.1 over-paraphrasing.

One major mistake made by candidates is that they try to change every word of a given statement. You should never change every word as you will likely lose the overall meaning of the statement. In fact, there are some words that may not have a suitable synonym and should remain the same. If you over paraphrase, your writing will sound forced and unnatural. You are also more likely to produce mistakes in your writing.

3.2. Sentence length

Test takers that paraphrase unsuccessfully often create very long and overly wordy sentences. If your sentence becomes too long, think about how you can break it up by using punctuation, starting a new sentence, or by creating a new clause. Imagine that you are the reader and read your paraphrase back to yourself to check if it is an appropriate length and flows nicely.

4. How to paraphrase effectively

4.1. using synonyms and antonyms.

A synonym is a word or phrase that has the same meaning (or a very similar meaning) to another word or phrase (like happy and cheerful ).

An antonym is a word or phrase with the opposite meaning of another, for example, good and bad .

Using synonyms and antonyms is one way to create your paraphrase.

Here are some examples of synonyms:

Original : Art is considered an essential part of all cultures around the world .

Paraphrase : Art is considered a fundamental part for civilisations around the globe .

And some examples of antonyms:

Original : With the development of modern society is the loss of traditional ways of life.

Paraphrase : With the decline of modern society is the improvement of traditional ways of life.

Sometimes test takers make the mistake of trying to use synonyms for every word. This will make your paraphrase sound unnatural and forced. Take a look at this (bad) example :

Original : Art is considered an essential part of all cultures around the world.

Paraphrase : Craft is treated as an imperative element of entire civilisations over the globe .

Take a look at our guide on the importance of paraphrasing in IELTS writing for even more tips and examples!

4.2. Modifying the sentence structure

In addition to using synonyms/antonyms, you could also change the sentence structure in some way. This is a bit more tricky than using synonyms as it not only requires you to use your lexical (vocabulary) knowledge, but also your grammatical knowledge.

You have to make sure that your paraphrase is grammatically accurate after you make any changes.

Take a look at what we’ve done here :

Original : As computers translate quickly and accurately, learning languages is a waste of time.

Paraphrase : Some people now consider language learning irrelevant since computers are able to translate language so efficiently.

In this example we have changed the subject of the sentence, used a range of synonyms and added a linking device ‘since’ to create a compound sentence.

4.3. Using the active or passive voice

Changing a sentence from the active to passive or the passive to active can increase your score in Grammatical range and accuracy while you paraphrase.

Using the passive voice allows you to shift the focus from the ‘do-er’ of the sentence to the object. It also allows you to avoid overusing the first person ‘I’ which should be completely avoided in writing task 1 and kept to a minimum in task 2.

Here’s a brief overview of how to form the passive:

4.4. Changing word forms

Being able to change the form of a word is another skill you can use to paraphrase. You can change a word class in the following ways:

  • Adding a prefix to the stem of a word: expense (n) – in expensive (v)
  • Adding a suffix to the stem of a word: employ (v) – employ er (n)
  • Conversion ( change a word class from one to another without any changes to spelling or pronunciation) : an email (n) – to email (v)
  • Compounding (linking two or more bases to create a new word): car + park = carpark

Here are some more examples:

5. Paraphrasing practice

  • The graph shows information about how many people visited Cardiff and Dublin over a 10-year period between 2010 and 2020.
  • The pie charts show information about the percentage of people who studied ten selected university subjects at a university in New York between 2000 and 2010.
  • The diagram shows information about the process of growing tea and the steps involved in making a cup of tea.
  • The flowchart illustrates the procedure for students who have graduated from high school should follow when applying to enter higher education.
  • In recent years, it has become much more common for students to complete their degree overseas instead of their home country. Many people believe that there are significant benefits of doing this, while others argue that there are also drawbacks connected to studying abroad.
  • There is no doubt that the modern world is facing many serious environmental problems, such as climate change, an increase in natural disasters and air pollution. It is often argued that these environmental issues should be tackled globally.
  • These days, the number of species facing extinction is growing, and as a result, a larger number of people are becoming involved in environmental issues. It is argued by some that the protection of endangered animals is wasteful.
  • Nowadays, governments and health experts around the world have become increasingly concerned about the general health of children. They are particularly worried about problems caused by too much time spent in front of a TV, computer or mobile.

One thought on “IELTS Writing Paraphrasing Guide”

Its so informative and valuable tips and suggestions.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

OET Writing Correction

  • ielts writing
  • ielts listening
  • ielts speaking
  • ielts reading
  • ielts practice test
  • IELTS Sample Reports
  • IELTS Sample Essays
  • IELTS Sample Letters
  • IELTS Vocabulary

Exam Updates & Tips!

Signup for preparation and special offers!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

IELTS Worldly

Effective Strategies and Examples for Paraphrasing in IELTS Writing Task 2:

Paraphrasing is an essential skill in IELTS Writing Task 2 as it demonstrates your ability to restate information in your own words. Here are some of the best strategies and examples to help you paraphrase effectively in your IELTS Writing Test.

  • Synonyms: Replace words or phrases with similar ones.

Original sentence: “Many people believe that technology has a negative impact on social interactions.”

Paraphrased sentence: “A considerable number of individuals hold the view that the influence of technology on interpersonal relationships is adverse.”

  • Word order changes: Rearrange the word order while maintaining the original meaning.

Original sentence : “Education plays a crucial role in shaping a person’s future.”

Paraphrased sentence : “The future of an individual is significantly shaped by their education.”

  • Passive to active voice and vice versa: Change the sentence structure from active to passive voice or vice versa.

Original sentence : “The government should take action to reduce pollution levels.”

Paraphrased sentence : “Action should be taken by the government to decrease pollution levels.”

  • Use different grammatical structures: Express the same idea using different sentence structures.

Original sentence: “The importance of physical exercise should not be underestimated.”

Paraphrased sentence: “Physical exercise holds significant significance and should not be undervalued.”

When paraphrasing, it is crucial to maintain the original meaning while using your own words. Also, you should ensure that your paraphrased sentences are grammatically correct and coherent. Practice paraphrasing regularly during your IELTS preparation to enhance your skills.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

In this video, you also get impressive sentence structures for your body paragraphs, such as:

1. There are a great number of reasons to support/oppose this belief. 2. There do exist reasons why this notion is out of favor with some. 3. Let’s examine the flaws in this view.

Your Opinion

You will need a few interesting phrases to express your opinion on IELTS exam day, as you must directly give your opinion not only on IELTS Writing Task 2, but also Speaking Part 3.

Here are some interesting ways to do this:

  • My frank and honest opinion is that…
  • It is my firm belief that…
  • I’m inclined to believe that…

Plus, you should learn some idioms to express your opinion . Even on IELTS Writing Task 2, you should use 1 or 2 idioms to raise your vocabulary score.

Solution/Cause/Effect

  • One possible quick fix could be…
  • The key to unraveling the issue is…
  • The origins of the problem can be found in…
  • The genesis of the issue is actually…
  • The aftermath has involved…
  • There are legitimate repercussions, including…

Finally, it is always a good idea to look at exemplary essays and learn from them. One student, after taking our course, got an 8.5 in writing , and in this episode he tells you how .

Practice the phrases from today by adding them to your vocabulary notebook and using them in your own examples.

What do you think of today’s advice?

Leave us a message in the comments section below!

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

Get Your Transcripts Today!

Make sure you understand every word you hear on All Ears English.

Bring your English to the advanced level with new vocabulary and natural expressions.

Subscribe and get the transcripts delivered by email.

Learn to speak naturally with the American accent.

Related Posts

  • IELTS Speaking Vocabulary

IELTS Energy 1365: Hold Your Own on IELTS Speaking With These Idioms

  • IELTS Speaking

IELTS Energy 1363: Examiners Love to Laugh at this Vocabulary

  • IELTS Guest Episodes

IELTS Energy 1361: How Frankie Scored an Overall 8 on IELTS

ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

Privacy Overview

IMAGES

  1. Paraphrasing the introduction in IELTS Essays, Writing task 2

    ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

  2. 2 simple paraphrasing tricks

    ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

  3. How To Paraphrase in IELTS Writing

    ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

  4. How To Paraphrase in IELTS Writing

    ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

  5. Ielts writing task 2

    ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

  6. IELTS writing task 2: how to paraphrase

    ielts writing task 2 paraphrasing exercises

VIDEO

  1. IELTS WRITING TASK 2

  2. IELTS writing

  3. IELTS tips. Paraphrasing in your essay writing. Lesson 1

  4. Advanced Level (Writing)

  5. IELTS Writing Task 2 Paraphrasing Tips & Tricks

  6. IELTS Writing Task 2 Academic

COMMENTS

  1. IELTS Writing Task 2: Paraphrasing Practice

    IELTS Writing Task 2: Paraphrasing Practice. IELTS writing task 2 paraphrasing practice exercise. To get a good mark in IELTS writing task 2 for the criterion of vocabulary, you need to be able to paraphrase. The exercise below is a chance for you to practice your paraphrasing skills. The answers for this exercise have now been posted below.

  2. Paraphrasing in IELTS

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

  3. 3 Best Paraphrasing Tips for IELTS Writing Task 2

    Click here to show/hide answer 3. So, more than one paraphrase can be correct. There are many ways to say the same thing. There is also more than one way to paraphrase. The best way to paraphrase for IELTS Writing Task 2 is to use a combination of these techniques (synonyms, sentence structure and clause order).

  4. IELTS paraphrasing lesson and exercise, Writing task 2

    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 ...

  5. IELTS Writing Task 2 Paraphrasing Practice 2

    Paraphrasing Practice Exercise 2. The aim of this lesson is paraphrase the paragraph by using the words given below. This is a great practice for IELTS writing task 2. It is all about choosing the right words. The paragraph below is based on a writing task 2 topic that has been reported this month, May 2017: Companies Sponsoring Sports Events.

  6. IELTS Writing Task 2 Paraphrasing Practice No. 3

    The introduction for an IELTS essay in writing task 2 consists of two sentences: a background statement and a thesis statement. The background statement paraphrases the essay question. The thesis statement gives your answer. Yesterday, a student wrote this to me about paraphrasing: Hi Liz, You said that it's ok to keep some words the same ...

  7. Introductions 1: Paraphrasing the Question

    There are many ways to write an introduction paragraph but a simple and tested technique is the following: Paraphrase the question (use synonyms/ different parts of speech/ different word order etc.) Give your opinion. Outline your 2/ 3 main ideas (which will be in body paragraphs 1 & 2) Let's begin by looking at how to paraphrase the IELTS ...

  8. Paraphrasing the introduction in IELTS Essays, Writing task 2

    Exercises on Paraphrasing the task question. Updated: Oct 20th 2021. In the last paraphrasing exercise here we looked at paraphrasing a part of a body paragraph. Here is a useful blog post on How to paraphrase in IELTS writing.. Paraphrasing is an important skill to practice in IELTS and is necessary for the writing tasks.

  9. Common Paraphrase for IELTS Writing Task 2

    Paraphrase method - means expressing a word, phrase, or whole sentence using other words so that the meaning of the original word or sentence does not change, or is called reinterpretation. This article will synthesize common cluster paraphrase in IELTS Writing Task 2. 1. Solve \bParaphrase Meaning Example Solve to find a way of dealing […]

  10. IELTS Writing Task 2: Tips, Lessons & Models

    1. IELTS Writing Task 2 Test Information. Learn about your IELTS writing task 2 test. IELTS recommend you spend no more than 40 mins on writing task 2. However, the time is yours to manage as you wish. You should write over 250 words. In the lessons below you will learn about word count and essay length.

  11. How to Paraphrase Successfully in IELTS

    paraphrasing practice lessons. 1. Using Synonyms. In IELTS one way to paraphrase is to use synonyms. Using different words with a similar meaning shows the examiner a range of vocabulary which you need to get over band score 6. Here is an example of how a sentence can be re-written by using synonyms:

  12. IELTS Writing Task 2: paraphrasing practice

    Here's an essay introduction that my students and I wrote: It is true that many high school leavers decide to take a gap year before starting university. While there are several benefits for students who do this, there are also some possible drawbacks. Task: Try writing a one-sentence conclusion for the same essay. Start with "In conclusion", and then paraphrase the introduction above. (A 'gap ...

  13. IELTS Writing Task 2: ️ Everything You Need to Know

    Writing Task 2 Exercise with Video; Writing is a skill, and just like any other skill, it is important to practice to improve. From Band 6.5 to 8 Demo Lesson; This is my most comprehensive free lesson on IELTS Writing Task 2. We show you how we took one VIP student from Band 6.5 to an amazing 8. Sample Answers

  14. IELTS Writing Task 2 Exercises & Activities

    Exercises and activities to help you reach band 7 and higher in IELTS Writing Task 2. ... you should have a clear idea of what is required and how to reach band 7 or higher in this part of the IELTS test. You will find exercises and activities for each topic. The answers to the exercises are at the bottom of each page. ... Paraphrasing the ...

  15. IELTS Writing Task 2 Practice [Get paraphrasing feedback]

    Use this video to practice a major skill for IELTS Writing Task 2: paraphrasing. If you leave your paraphrase in the comments, our IELTS expert Eliot will gi...

  16. How To Paraphrase in IELTS Writing

    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 ...

  17. IELTS Writing Task 2: introduction paraphrasing

    Examples of paraphrasing: some people say that = it is often said that. music is a good way of = music has the power to. bringing people together = unite and connect people. of different cultures = regardless of their cultural backgrounds. Tags. writing tips. Previous article.

  18. Common Paraphrase for IELTS Writing Task 2

    Common Paraphrase for IELTS Writing Task 2. Paraphrase method - means expressing a word, phrase, or whole sentence using other words so that the meaning of the original word or sentence does not change, or is called reinterpretation. This article will synthesize common cluster paraphrase in IELTS Writing Task 2. 1. Solve.

  19. Task 1 & 2: Paraphrasing

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

  20. IELTS Writing Paraphrasing Guide

    You will also need to paraphrase yourself at points in the essay to avoid repetition, for example, when you are restating the main ideas of your essay in your writing task 2 conclusion. Test takers that simply copy the IELTS statement or repeat their ideas in the same way will likely receive a lower score in the written component of the exam.

  21. Effective Strategies and Examples for Paraphrasing in IELTS Writing Task 2:

    Here are some of the best strategies and examples to help you paraphrase effectively in your IELTS Writing Test. Synonyms: Replace words or phrases with similar ones. Original sentence: "Many people believe that technology has a negative impact on social interactions.". Paraphrased sentence: "A considerable number of individuals hold the ...

  22. IELTS Writing Task 2: Perfect Paraphrases for a 7+

    Advantages/Disadvantages. In this video, you also get impressive sentence structures for your body paragraphs, such as: 1. There are a great number of reasons to support/oppose this belief. 2. There do exist reasons why this notion is out of favor with some. 3. Let's examine the flaws in this view.

  23. IELTS Writing Task 2: introduction paraphrasing

    Let's look at how paraphrasing can be used in an introduction. My ability to paraphrase demonstrates both range and flexibility of language use. Task / question: Some people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? My introduction: It is often said that music has the power to unite and ...