At a glance
| Technique | Original | Paraphrase |
|---|---|---|
| Synonyms | Many children spend too much time online. | A large number of young people spend excessive time on the internet. |
| Word form | Pollution has increased rapidly. | There has been a rapid increase in pollution. |
| Structure | The government built new hospitals. | New hospitals were built by the government. |
1Where paraphrasing matters
In Writing, your introduction should rephrase the question, not copy it. In Reading and Listening, the question almost never uses the same words as the text, so spotting paraphrase is how you find answers. In Speaking, it lets you keep going when you forget a word.
2Keep the meaning exactly
A paraphrase that changes the meaning is worse than no paraphrase. "Some people" is not "most people". "Should" is not "must". Check that the strength and scope of the claim stay the same.
Practice questions
Paraphrase each sentence, then tap to see a suggested answer.
- 1
More and more people are choosing to work from home.
Answer: A growing number of people now prefer to work remotely.
Synonyms for "more and more", "choose" and "from home".
- 2
The population of the city doubled between 1990 and 2020.
Answer: The number of residents in the city rose twofold from 1990 to 2020.
Synonyms plus a slightly different structure.
- 3
It is important to protect endangered animals.
Answer: Protecting endangered species is essential.
A change of structure: the verb becomes the subject.
- 4
Students who exercise regularly tend to perform better.
Answer: Regular exercise is often linked to better academic results.
Word form change: "exercise regularly" becomes "regular exercise".
- 5
Some people think that cars should be banned from city centres.
Answer: It is argued by some that vehicles ought to be prohibited in urban centres.
"Some" stays "some", so the meaning is unchanged.
Up next
IELTS vocabulary by topic
Useful words and collocations for common themes
Written by the AdmitVerse team. Last reviewed on . AdmitVerse is not affiliated with IELTS, the British Council or IDP. For official rules and test dates, see ielts.org.