Paraphrasing for Writing

What you'll learn: three concrete paraphrase techniques — synonym swap, word-form shift, and structure change — that you can apply to any Writing Task 1 or Task 2 prompt in under a minute.

Why raters notice copied prompt language

Writing Task 1 and Task 2 prompts are written in clear, correct English on purpose — copying that language directly into your response doesn't demonstrate anything about your vocabulary. Raters are trained to notice when a candidate's opening sentence lifts phrasing straight from the prompt, and it typically caps how high the vocabulary score can go, even if the rest of the response is strong. The fix isn't avoiding the prompt's topic — it's restating the idea in different words.

Technique 1: synonym swap

Replace key content words with accurate synonyms, keeping the sentence structure similar.

• Prompt: "Some people think employees should be allowed to work from home."
• Paraphrase: "Certain individuals believe staff members ought to have the option of working remotely."

Technique 2: word-form shift

Change the part of speech of a key word, which usually forces a restructured sentence too.

• Prompt: "The city plans to reduce traffic congestion downtown."
• Paraphrase: "A reduction in downtown traffic congestion is one of the city's key goals." (verb reduce → noun reduction)

Technique 3: structure change

Reorder clauses, switch active to passive (or the reverse), or turn a statement into a different sentence type entirely.

• Prompt: "Many companies now offer flexible working hours to their employees."
• Paraphrase: "Flexible working hours are now offered by many companies." (active → passive), or "It has become common for companies to offer employees flexible hours." (restructured)

Worked example: combining all three

Prompt: "The survey shows that most residents want more public parks in the neighborhood."

Combined paraphrase: "According to the survey results, a reduction in green space has led most residents to request additional public parks in the area." — this uses synonym swap (residents want → residents request), word-form shift is implied through restructuring, and the sentence order is changed to lead with the source ("According to the survey results") rather than copying "the survey shows."

Paraphrase checklist for your opening sentence

• Have I changed at least two content words to accurate synonyms?
• Have I changed the sentence structure, not just swapped words in the same order?
• Does the paraphrase still mean exactly what the prompt meant — no added or lost information?
• Would this sentence make sense to someone who had never read the original prompt?

Common mistakes

• Over-paraphrasing until meaning shifts — swapping "reduce" for "eliminate" changes the meaning; a paraphrase must stay accurate, not just different.
• Synonym misuse under pressure — grabbing the first thesaurus option without checking it collocates correctly (see Lesson 4 on synonym precision).
• Paraphrasing everything except the opening line — the first sentence is where copied language is most visible, so prioritize paraphrasing it even under time pressure.
• Word-for-word substitution with identical structure — swapping single words but keeping the exact same clause order still reads as copied; combine at least two techniques.

Recap

Paraphrasing for writing is a repeatable, three-tool process: swap synonyms, shift word forms, and change structure. Practice on five real or sample prompts by writing one paraphrased opening sentence each, checking every one against the checklist above — this single skill protects your vocabulary score on both Writing tasks every time you sit the test.