PARAPHRASE

How to Paraphrase | Step-by-Step Guide & Examples

Published on April 8, 2022 by Courtney Gahan and Jack Caulfield. Revised on June 1, 2023.

Paraphrasing means putting someone else’s ideas into your own words. Paraphrasing a source
involves changing the wording while preserving the original meaning.
How to paraphrase correctly
Putting an idea into your own words can be easier said than done. Let’s say you want to paraphrase
the text below, about population decline in a particular species of sea snails.
Example: Source text“Like other marine animals living near heavily populated coasts, horse conchs
(ốc biển) have lost considerable habitat to development and pollution, including favorite breeding
grounds along mud flats and seagrass beds. Their Gulf habitat is also warming due to climate
change, which scientists think further pressures the animals, based on the negative effects extra heat
has on other big mollusks” (Barnett, 2022).
You might make a first attempt to paraphrase it by swapping out a few words for synonyms.
Example: Incorrect paraphrasing
Like other sea creatures inhabiting the vicinity of highly populated coasts, horse conchs have
lost substantial territory to advancement and contamination, including preferred breeding grounds
along mud flats and seagrass beds. Their Gulf home is also heating up due to global warming,
which scientists think further puts pressure on the creatures, predicated upon the harmful effects
extra warmth has on other large mollusks (Barnett, 2022).
This attempt at paraphrasing doesn’t change the sentence structure or order of information, only
some of the word choices. And the synonyms chosen are poor:
“Advancement and contamination” doesn’t really convey the same meaning as
“development and pollution.”
Sometimes the changes make the tone less academic: “home” for “habitat” and “sea
creatures” for “marine animals.”
Global warming is related to climate change, but they don’t mean exactly the same thing.
Because of this, the text reads awkwardly, is longer than it needs to be, and remains too close to the
original phrasing. This means you risk being accused of plagiarism.
Correct paraphrasing
Let’s look at a more effective way of paraphrasing the same text.
Example: Correct paraphrasing
Scientists believe that temperature rises resulting from climate change are negatively impacting
horse conchs living in the Gulf of Mexico. Development and pollution have also deprived them of
important breeding grounds (Barnett, 2022).
Here, we’ve:

Only included the information that’s relevant to our argument (note that the paraphrase is
shorter than the original)
Introduced the information with the signal phrase “Scientists believe that …”
Retained key terms like “development and pollution,” since changing them could alter the
meaning
Structured sentences in our own way instead of copying the structure of the original
Started from a different point, presenting information in a different order
Because of this, we’re able to clearly convey the relevant information from the source without
sticking too close to the original phrasing.

Examples in IELTS WRITING

1. It is more important to spend public money on promoting a healthy lifestyle in order to prevent
illness than to spend it on treatment of people who are already ill.
- A higher proportion of the national budget should be allocated to support those in need at hospitals
than to promote healthy lifestyle programs.
- In order to fight diseases, the government should invest more money in encouraging a healthy
lifestyle instead of spending money on the treatment of people who are already suffering from
illness.

2. In the modern world it is possible to shop, work and communicate with people via the internet and
live without any face-to-face contact with others
- Thanks to the wonders of the internet and computer technology, it has become possible in many
places around the world to live and work without having to have any face-to-face contact with others.
- With the ongoing development of technologies and now devices, all interpersonal communication
and activities can be done through the online world.

3. For school children, their teachers have more influence on their intelligence and social
development than their parents
- Teachers are more influential in the development of children’s intellectual and social abilities,
compared to parents.
- The development of children’s intelligence and social abilities are affected by their teachers more
than by their parents.
Ways to paraphrase
1. Using synonyms
Thinking of some synonyms to rewrite these following sentences:
1. Universities should accept equal numbers of men and women in every subject.

2. Some people think that it is better to educate boys and girls in separate schools.

3. Even though globalization affects the world’s economies in a positive way, the negative side
should not be forgotten.

4. The problem of deforestation is impossible to avoid, especially when people focus too much
on making profits.

5. One of the main reasons for students to have higher education is to get high salary when
graduated.

6. The main factors for dealing with the issue include both government and citizens.

2. Changing sentence structures:

Rewrite the sentences by changing from active into passive and vice versa.
School should strengthen students’ moral education by giving them correct directions and
1
cultivate their ability to tell right from wrong.
2 Teacher in different countries should be paid according to how much their students learn.
3 Women should be allowed to join the army, the navy and the air force just like men.
4 Any child can be taught to ultilize their potentials in some specific aspects.
5 Smoking should be prohibited in public places due to its adverse impacts on health.
Rewrite the sentences, using dummy subject:
1. School should strengthen students’ moral education by giving them correct directions and cultivate
their ability to tell right from wrong.
2. Universities should accept equal numbers of men and women in every subject.
3. The problem of deforestation is impossible to avoid
4. Cycling is unpopular in many countries despite the benefits it brings
5. Imposing heavy punishments is a good way to reduce traffic accidents.
6. Modern technology has made learning easier.
3. Changing word form
Rewrite the sentences, using different form of the words:
1. Teachers take responsibility for shaping their students’ behaviours
=> Teachers should be……………………… for shaping how their students ……………..
2. Imposing heavy punishments is a good way to reduce traffic accidents.
=> Traffic accidents can reduced by punishing …………………………………………….
3. Nowdays, online learning is increasingly popular
=> Nowadays, online learning is gaining an ……………………………………………….
4. Disposing chemical waste can pollute the environment
=> The …………….of chemical waste can lead to ………………………………………..
5. Learning online brings many advantages, but it also has several disadvantages
=> Learning online is not only……………..……., but also…………………………………
4. Changing the order.
Example:
- Due to the heavy workload, many full-time workers cannot balance their life
-> Many full-time workers cannot balance their life because of the heavy workload.
- Many youngsters make friends online but others have a tendency to mix with their peers in the real
world
-> Although many youngsters make friends online, others have a tendency to mix with their peers in
the real world.
1 Smoking should be prohibited in public places due to its adverse impacts on health.
2. Cycling is unpopular in many countries despite the benefits it brings
3. There is no need to find information on books due to the availabilty of online sources.
4. Learning online brings many advantages, but it also has several disadvantages
PARAPHRASING:
TOPIC: RELATIONSHIP – TOURISM – CONSUMERISM – TRANSPORT
Exercise: Paraphrase the following sentences:
I. Topic: Relationship
1. There is no need to maintain a close relationship with distant relatives.
2. Today, parents spend little free time with their children.
3. family members such as grandparents will be good carers for the kids
4. The use of social media is replacing face-to-face interaction among many people in society.

II. Topic: Tourism

1. Organized tour to remote areas and community is increasingly popular.
2. It is necessary to travel to other places to learn the culture of other people
3. International travel has many advantages to both travelers and the country visited.
4. Tourism has negative environmental impacts on tourist areas.

III. Topic: Transport

1. Strict punishments for driving offences are the key to reducing traffic accidents.
2. Building wider roads is a good way to reduce traffic congestion
3. It is important to spend money on upgrading public transport systems
4. The best way to improve safety on roads is to give strict punishments for driving offences

FURTHER PRACTICE:
Rewrite these sentences:
1. It is more important for schoolchildren to learn about local history than world history.
2. Some people think that it is good for a country's culture to import foreign movies and TV
programmes.
3. In many countries, government spends a large amount of money on improving internet
access.
4. Nowadays, the increasing use of computers and mobile phones in communication has
negative effects on face-to-face communication.
5. Students today can easily access information online, so libraries are no longer necessary.
6. Many people think modern gadgets are having some negative effects on social relationships.
7. People should travel to other places to learn about other cultures and tradition.
PARAGRAPH
IELTS Writing Task 2: idea, explain, example
A good way to write main body paragraphs is this:
Start with an idea; Explain it in detail; Give an example; Give result
Here's an example:
A sense of competition is necessary for success in life. Competition motivates children to get good
grades at school or become better at sports, while adults compete to climb the career ladder. In a job
interview, for example, candidates compete to show that they are the most qualified, hard-working
and competent person for the post. Therefore, it should be encouraged.
IELTS Writing Task 2: firstly, secondly, finally
A few people have asked me whether using "firstly, secondly, finally" to organise a paragraph is
too easy.
My answer is that using easy organising language like "firstly, secondly, finally" allows you to focus
on the real content of what you are writing - topic vocabulary, collocations, examples. This is what
the examiner wants to see.
Some simple alternatives to "firstly, secondly, finally" could be:
 The main reason why I believe... is... / Another argument is... / Also,...
 One problem is that... / Furthermore,... / Another drawback is that...
 From a business perspective,... / In terms of education,... / From a social point of view,

Example: The advantage of playing games

- Main idea (what): reduce stress

- Explain
+ (why): interesting activities
+ (how): (solve puzzle)  get higher score to win
+ (result) more relaxed
Here’s the idea:
Firstly, playing games help people reduce stress. The reason is that they can take part in many
interesting activities in games. For example, they can solve puzzles to get a high score, or compete
with other teams in many rounds to win the race. Therefore, they can feel more relaxed after a long
day at work.

IELTS Writing Task 2: using examples

Look at the following question:
Should governments make decisions about people's lifestyle, or should people make their own
decisions?
This question seems difficult, but if you take "smoking" as an example of a lifestyle choice, it
becomes a lot easier. Here's my paragraph:
In some cases, governments can help people to make better lifestyle choices. In the UK, for example,
smoking is now banned in all workplaces, and it is even prohibited for people to smoke in
restaurants, bars and pubs. As a result, many people who used to smoke socially have now given up.
At the same time, the government has ensured that cigarette prices keep going up, and there have
been several campaigns to highlight the health risks of smoking. These measures have also helped to
reduce the number of smokers in this country.
IELTS Writing Task 2: real examples!
On a recent course, my students and I looked at the following question:
Countries are becoming more and more similar because people are able to buy the
same products anywhere in the world. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
Task:
Fill the gaps below with three real examples.
It is easier than ever for travellers to go abroad and find recognisable products by the brands that they
use at home. For example, shops like _____, _____ and _____ can be found on the high streets of
most major cities, and tourists are guaranteed the same quality and standard of product wherever they
are.

IELTS Writing Task 2: example paragraph

Here's a 5-sentence paragraph
Many people believe that sports professionals earn too much money. They argue that sport is a form
of entertainment rather than a vital public service. We could easily live without sportspeople, yet
other professionals who contribute much more to society are undervalued and underpaid. For
example, football players can earn enormous salaries by simply kicking a ball, while doctors, nurses
and teachers earn a fraction of the money despite being essential for our health and prosperity. From
this perspective, sports stars do not deserve the salaries they currently earn.

IELTS Writing Task 2: from plan to paragraph

Here's the question we looked at in last week's lesson:
Some people think that all university students should study whatever they like. Others believe that
they should only be allowed to study subjects that will be useful in the future, such as those related
to science and technology.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
And here's my plan for the second view (one paragraph only):
1. Topic sentence - only study useful subjects, various reasons
2. Give examples of subjects that are more useful than others
3. Personal reasons - job opportunities, career progression, high salary
4. Societal reasons - cover gaps in knowledge / skills in the economy
5. Future reason - new inventions lead to growth and future prosperity
Now here's the paragraph that I wrote with my students, using this plan:
(1) There are various reasons why people may believe that universities should only offer subjects that
will be useful in the future. (2) It is true that university courses like medicine, engineering and
information technology are more likely to be beneficial than certain art degrees. (3) From a personal
perspective, these courses can provide more job opportunities, career progression, better salaries, and
therefore an improved quality of life for students who take them. (4) On the societal level, by forcing
people to choose the most useful university subjects, governments can ensure that any knowledge
and skill gaps in the economy are covered. (5) Finally, a focus on technology in higher education
could lead to new inventions, economic growth, and greater future prosperity.

IELTS Writing Task 2: paragraph

1. Some people think that instead of preventing climate change, we need to find a way to live
with it. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Here are some ideas for the first main paragraph:
 Topic sentence: various measures to prevent climate change
 Governments: introduce laws to limit emissions, impose 'green taxes', invest in renewable
energy
 Individuals: become energy efficient, fly less, use public transport, vote for politicians who
want to tackle the problem
Here's the paragraph, using the ideas above:
There are various measures that governments and individuals could take to prevent, or at least
mitigate, climate change. Governments could introduce laws to limit the carbon dioxide emissions
that lead to global warming. They could impose “green taxes” on drivers, airline companies and
other polluters, and they could invest in renewable energy production from solar, wind or water
power. As individuals, we should also try to limit our contribution to climate change, by becoming
more energy efficient, by flying less, and by using bicycles and public transport. Furthermore, the
public can affect the actions of governments by voting for politicians who propose to tackle climate
change, rather than for those who would prefer to ignore it.

PRACTICE:
Write a short paragraph for the following topics:
- The advantages of students going to school until 18.
- The advantages of using technology in communication.
- The reasons why the government should invest money in promoting a healthy lifestyle.
- The reasons why some people like to take part in team sports.