How to Paraphrase the Question in IELTS Writing Task 2 (Band 7 Guide)

Students often treat the first sentence like a photocopy job: keep as many prompt words as possible and hope Lexical Resource still looks strong. When we mark those scripts, the opening usually looks stiff — and LR does not move. Paraphrasing means restating the question in your own words while keeping the same meaning. Synonyms, word-form changes, and a new sentence shape help. Copying the prompt hurts LR; twisting the meaning hurts Task Response.

You mostly need this skill in the introduction (and sometimes a light echo in the conclusion). Related: introduction paragraph examples · band descriptors (LR).

Last updated: July 27, 2026

Why paraphrasing matters

Paraphrasing is not decoration. Done well, it supports three criteria at once: Lexical Resource (range without recycling the prompt), Task Response (you clearly understood the question), and Coherence (the intro flows into a real thesis instead of a pasted stem).

Band 6 pattern: the first sentence keeps eight or more content words from the question.
Band 7 pattern: same meaning, with only a few identical content words — and then a clear lean or map.

One student stuck around overall 6 kept opening education essays with almost the full prompt, then bolted on I will discuss this topic. On the next timed draft we forced a rewrite of sentence 1 only: swap the main noun, change the clause shape, keep the opinion. LR did not jump overnight, but the intro stopped looking copied — and TR became easier to follow because the lean finally sat next to a clean restatement.

Four paraphrasing techniques

Synonym substitution

Useful swaps when you control the collocation: important → significant; children → young people / pupils; governments → authorities / the state; increase → rise / grow.

Caution: solve and resolve are not always interchangeable. If the synonym feels flashy but fuzzy, keep the everyday word you can use accurately.

Word-form change

• Global warming is increasing → rising global temperatures
• People are dependent on cars → car dependence has grown
• Many students fail → academic failure affects many students

This often sounds more natural than stacking three synonyms in one line.

Active ↔ passive

• Governments should invest more in public transport → Public transport should receive greater government investment

Use this when a synonym list is making the sentence stiff. Do not force passive into every opener.

Clause restructuring

• Some people think X, while others believe Y → X remains controversial, with critics arguing Y

Here you just need a new shape, not a rarer dictionary. Read it out loud — if it still sounds like the prompt with one word changed, restructure again.

Worked examples

Original: Some people believe that advertising targeted at children should be banned. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Band 6 (too close): Some people believe advertising aimed at children should be banned. I agree to a large extent.

Almost the same stem. The opinion is there, but the restatement barely works.

Band 7: Marketing campaigns directed at young consumers are widely criticised, and some argue they should be prohibited by law. I largely support such a ban because…

I include this pair because the gap is not “more advanced vocabulary.” It is fewer copied chunks, plus a lean that starts the argument immediately. Full openings by type: introduction examples.

Original: In many countries, the number of people studying abroad is increasing. Why is this? Is it positive or negative?

Band 7 sentence 1: International student mobility has expanded in numerous countries as more learners enrol in overseas universities.

Sentence 2 still has to map why and positive/negative. Paraphrase alone does not finish a two-part intro.

Common paraphrasing errors

Changing the topic is the expensive mistake — you answered a different question, and TR falls apart even if the English looks polished. Wrong near-synonyms also leak marks: economic vs economical, sensible vs sensitive. Over-paraphrasing names (IELTS, COVID-19) into obscure labels usually looks forced. And a memorised opener (In this day and age…) plus a copied question is a combination examiners recognise instantly.

What works instead: smaller changes, stay near the prompt, then practise the lean. Between timed essays, short mixed work — rewrite one thin intro, swap vague nouns, check the thesis — beats a “vocab week.” That habit matches Personalized Practice: Practices 1–15 mix drills; Practices 16–20 are timed essays; Practices 1–2 are free.

Questions students ask

Should I paraphrase every word?

No. Key topic words may repeat (education, technology). From the scripts I mark, the problem is copying whole phrases from the stem, not repeating a single necessary noun.

Can I paraphrase in body paragraphs?

Yes — especially in topic sentences and the conclusion. Varying the wording when you refer back to the issue helps cohesion without stuffing every line with a linker.

Does paraphrasing alone guarantee Band 7 LR?

No. I notice students who rewrite the intro beautifully and then pile collocation errors in the bodies. You still need accurate wording and error control across the full essay — paraphrase is one early signal, not the whole criterion.

After you check your score

Most free tools stop at another band estimate. EssayGradeWise adds criterion drills inside a 20-practice plan (TR, CC, LR, GRA) so you practise the weak spot — not another full essay at random.

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