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Introduction
In this tutorial, we examine an important IELTS skill for starting Writing Task 2: paraphrasing.
Firstly, let’s start by defining paraphrasing.
What is paraphrasing?
Paraphrasing is the expression of another phrase or sentence in another way.
For example, the sentence
‘’The school student listened attentively to the podcast’’
can be paraphrased as:
‘’The pupil listened very carefully to the digital audio file’’.
This technique is used frequently in the writing, reading and listening components of the IELTS exam.
***
Why is paraphrasing important in the IELTS Writing Task 2?
Paraphrasing is important because it
Helps you to focus on the Main Topic, using your own words
Provides you with the skill to develop an idea, reformulate a concept and offer variety to your writing style
Prevents redundancy and makes the essay or written material more appealing to the reader
***
Strategy
In this tutorial, let’s review paraphrasing techniques to apply in Writing Task 2 of the IELTS exam.
We’ll examine three principle paraphrasing strategies:
Use of synonyms
Verb transformation
Sentence restructuring
Secondly, we will apply these techniques with examples when applying them to written skills of Writing Task 2 in the IELTS exam. Writing skills in this component of the exam include:
Giving an opinion
Discussing causes and suggesting solutions
Discussing arguments for or against an idea or situation
Discussing advantages and disadvantages
***
Strategy 1: Use of synonyms
Let’s start with our first strategy: the use of synonyms.
First, read and understand the question.
Use a highlighter to highlight the key words in the question.
Select synonyms to replace those key words.
Let’s take an example. Read and understand the title of this Writing Task 2:
Unemployment is one of the most serious problems facing developed nations today. What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of reducing the working week to thirty five hours?
This essay topic asks the writer to provide the advantages and disadvantages of an idea or solution.
In your opening introduction, you should not immediately provide an opinion on the essay topic.
Instead, paraphrase two sentences, using our 3-step strategy.
First, read and understand the question:
Unemployment is one of the most serious problems for developed nations.
A 35-hour working week is a possible solution to unemployment.
Use a pen to highlight or underline the key words in the question:
Unemployment is one of the most serious problems facing developed nations today. What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of reducing the working week to thirty five hours?
Select synonyms to replace those key words.
Unemployment = Lack of jobs
Serious problems = Grave issues
Developed nations = Industrialized country
Advantages and/or disadvantages = pros and/or cons
Working week = professional schedule
***
Strategy 2: Verb transformation
Let’s take the same essay topic example and apply our second strategy to it: Verb transformation.
In this strategy, we:
Highlight the key verbs
Select new verbs or synonyms OR transform the verb
Unemployment is one of the most serious problems facing developed nations today. What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of reducing the working week to thirty five hours?
Facing = confronting
Reducing = lessening
***
Strategy 3: Sentence restructuring
Let’s apply our third strategy to the same essay topic. Sentence restructuring is using a new sentence format, based on the writing skill. In this example, the writer is expected to explain the advantages and / or disadvantages or an idea. The sentence
What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of reducing the working week to thirty five hours?
Can be paraphrased as
Let’s examine the pros and/or cons of …
Let’s look at the pros and / or cons of …
Okay! Let’s now put our 3 strategies together to write sentences with our new synonyms to create an introduction:
Lack of jobs is indeed a grave issue confronting industrialized countries at this time. Let’s examine the pros and/or cons of lessening professional schedules to thirty-five hours.
***
In this part, we’ll take a look at more examples of IELTS Writing Task 2.
Firstly, we’ll take an example of a common essay writing skill, discussing causes and suggesting solutions. Let’s look at the example and then, apply our 3-step paraphrasing strategy to write an introduction.
***
Nowadays, many schools are using computer games to teach lessons to many children inside and outside the classroom. What are the negative and positive effects of using computer games on education and what can be done to minimize the negative effects?
Strategy 1: Use of synonyms
Let’s start with our first strategy: the use of synonyms.
First, read and understand question:
Schools use computer games to teach lessons to many children
These lessons are done inside and outside the classroom
Write about the negative and positive effects of computer games on education
Provide solutions to minimize the negative effects
Use a highlighter to highlight the key words in the question:
Nowadays, many schools are using computer games to teach lessons to many children inside and outside the classroom. What are the negative and positive effects of using computer games on education and what can be done to minimize the negative effects?
Select synonyms to replace those key words.
Nowadays = in modern times
Schools = Academic institutions
Computer games = Electronic activities and exercises
Lessons = courses
Inside and outside the classroom = at school and at home
Negative and positive effects = good and bad impacts
Education = academic development
***
Strategy 2: Verb transformation
Let’s take the same essay topic example and apply our second strategy to it: Verb transformation.
In this strategy, we:
Highlight the key verbs
Nowadays, many schools are using computer games to teach lessons to many children inside and outside the classroom. What are the negative and positive effects of using computer games on education and what can be done to minimize the negative effects?
Select new verbs or synonyms OR transform the verb
Using = employing
Teach = instruct
Can be done = solution
Minimize = reduce
***
Strategy 3: Sentence restructuring
Let’s apply our third strategy to the same essay topic. Sentence restructuring is the skills of applying a new sentence format, based on the writing objective required. In this example, the writer is expected to outline both the negative and positive effects of using computer games on education. The sentence
What are the negative and positive effects of using computer games on education?
Can be restructured into an answer format:
In this essay, I will outline the bad and good impacts of employing electronic activities and exercises on academic development.
The second question
What can be done to minimize the negative effects?
can be transformed to:
I will also examine solutions to reducing the bad impacts of electronic activities.
Okay! We are now ready to put our introduction together, using our 3-step strategy:
In modern times, many academic institutions are employing electronic activities and exercises to instruct courses to children both at school and at home. In this essay, I will outline the bad and good impacts of employing electronic activities and exercises on academic development.
I will also examine solutions to reducing the bad impacts of these electronic activities.
The post IELTS Writing: How to Start IELTS Writing Task 2 appeared first on IELTS podcast.
Concerns are growing that the supposedly benign philosophy behind the new wave of internet star names such as Airbnb and Uber simply disguises a rapacious business model, writes Charles Arthur
Concerns are growing that the supposedly benign philosophy behind the new wave of internet star names such as Airbnb and Uber simply disguises a rapacious business model, writes Charles Arthur
A team of researchers at the University of Bristol has used ultrasound to create three-dimensional shapes in mid-air that can be felt by a human hand
