IELTS Writing: How to Paraphrase Without Plagiarising the Question

Every IELTS Writing Task 2 begins with an instruction like: 'Some people believe that universities should focus only on academic subjects rather than preparing students for employment. To what extent do you agree?'

Your introduction must paraphrase this — not copy it. Copying the exact words scores Band 5 for Task Response because the examiner cannot tell if you understand it.

4 paraphrasing techniques

1. Synonym substitution universities → higher education institutions / tertiary education focus → concentrate / prioritise academic subjects → theoretical disciplines / scholarly study

2. Change the grammatical structure Original: 'Universities should focus only on academic subjects.' Paraphrased: 'Whether higher education institutions ought to restrict their curriculum to scholarly disciplines is a matter of debate.'

3. Change the perspective Original: 'Preparing students for employment.' Paraphrased: 'developing graduates' professional readiness.'

4. Combine techniques Original: 'Some people believe that universities should focus only on academic subjects rather than preparing students for employment.' Paraphrased: 'There is a view in some quarters that tertiary institutions should prioritise theoretical learning over equipping graduates with practical vocational skills.'

What not to do

• Do not change every single word — natural paraphrasing keeps some words the same.
• Do not add your opinion in the first sentence.
• Do not make the paraphrase longer than 2 sentences.