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1) What is a paraphrase:
Paraphrasing is simply re-writing a phrase or sentence so that it has the same meaning, but with different words.
The mental processes required to paraphrase will also help you to fully understand the question.
Example: Paraphrasing is one of the most important skills to learn before doing your IELTS test.
Paraphrased sentence: Prior to taking the IELTS test, mastering paraphrasing is one of the most crucial things to do.
The paraphrased sentence uses synonyms to:
Change some vocabulary (e.g., ‘important’ for ‘crucial’ and ‘’prior’’ to ‘before’)
Changes the grammar (e.g., Paraphrasing is one of the most important skills” for “mastering paraphrasing”).
2) How to paraphrase:
(1) Method Number 1: Using Synonyms
Synonyms are different words that have the same meaning.
Example: My car needs petrol.
Paraphrased sentence: My vehicle requires fuel.
Prevent to use words with similar meaning. Similar meanings are not good enough and will lose you marks.
Example: Violent crime is on the rise among teenagers.
Wrong Paraphrased sentence: Violent offences are rising among young people. (NO)
Paraphrased sentence: Violent offences are rising among adolescents. (YES)
Good example:
Example: Global warming is mostly caused by emissions from internal combustion engines.
Paraphrased sentence: Climate change is mainly caused by the release of fumes from motor vehicles.
(2) Method Number 2: Change the Word Order
Changing the word order also allows us to effectively paraphrase a sentence. By changing the word order you may have to add a word, subtract a word or change the form of the word.
There are two straightforward ways we can change the word order
You can easily change the order of the clauses, if the original sentence has more than one clause.
Example: As languages such as Spanish, Chinese and English become more widely used, there is a fear that that many minority languages may die out.
Paraphrased by changing word order: There is a fear that many minority languages may die out, as languages such as Spanish, Chinese and English become more widely used.
Paraphrased with changing word order AND synonyms: There is dismay that many lesser used languages may pass away, as languages such as Chinese, English and Spanish become more broadly spoken.
You can also change the word order if there is an adjective or noun in the question. You do this by simply changing the adjective into a relative clause.
Example: Learning to manage money is one of the key aspects to adult life.
Paraphrased using a relative clause: Learning to manage money is one of the aspects to adult life that is key.
(3) Method Number 3: Change the Form of the Word
There are many different forms of words including nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.
Question: Longer life spans and improvements in the health of older people suggest that people over the age of sixty-five can continue to live full and active lives.
Paraphrased by changing word form: Longer life spans and improvements in the health of older people are suggesting that people over the age of sixty-five can continue living full and active lives.
(4) Method Number 4: Change from Active to Passive
The passive voice is often used in academic writing and can therefore be used in the IELTS academic writing test. Only verbs with an object can be turned into the passive.
Example active: The property developers invested $20 million in the development of the shopping centre.
Example passive: $20 million was invested in the development of shopping centres.
We often use the passive voice in academic writing when we don’t want to say it is our opinion.
Example active: People say that global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
Example passive: Global warming is said to be caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
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