Ritu from Ludhiana scanned the passage for “expensive” for two minutes. The text said “not cheap”.

IELTS questions often use different words from the text, so scanning for the exact question words can fail. Learn the common ways a sentence can be reworded, such as synonyms, different word forms, active to passive and negatives, and scan for the meaning instead.

The Eight Common Ways to Reword Information

IDP IELTS advises that the text often uses different words or phrases from the question, so look out for paraphrasing. The table shows eight ways a sentence can be reworded; it is our own list, not an official one.

Text says Question says Type of paraphrase
The firm postponed the meeting. The firm delayed the meeting. Synonym
Prices rose sharply. There was a sharp rise in prices. Different word form
Volunteers planted five hundred trees. Five hundred trees were planted. Active to passive
The road was not safe. The road was dangerous. Negative to positive
The shop sells guitars and drums. The shop sells musical instruments. Specific to general
Poor soil caused crop failure. The crops failed because of poor soil. Cause and effect reversed
The commute took forty-five minutes. The commute lasted three quarters of an hour. Number written differently
People living nearby objected. Residents objected. Phrase to single word

Two of these have their own lessons: active and passive voice and rewriting sentences as negatives.

How to Anticipate Reworded Ideas Before Scanning

Before your eyes move across the page, pause over the question. Pick out the core noun or verb, then think of one or two ways a writer might restate it.

If a question asks about “financial assistance”, prepare to spot “funding”, “grants” or “subsidies”. If it mentions “increasing rapidly”, expect “soaring”, “climbing” or “sharp growth”.

Anchors That May Stay the Same

IDP IELTS notes that keywords such as names and dates may be repeated in the text, so check every place they appear. These details can help you reach the right paragraph quickly:

  • Names of people, organisations or towns.
  • Dates, centuries and time periods.
  • Numbers and units, though a number may be written differently, as in the table.

Once an anchor leads you to a sentence, read that sentence closely and compare the question’s claim with it.

Building Your Lexical Range

Learning word families and synonyms in context can help you notice reworded ideas. Our lesson on suffixes and word formation explains how suffixes change word class, and the lesson on synonyms and shades of meaning shows how close words differ in intensity and register.

Practice Paraphrase Identification

Practice passage (written for this post)

(1) In March 2024, a town council replaced its ageing diesel buses with thirty battery-powered ones. (2) Officials said the quiet vehicles would cut pollution and reduce operating costs. (3) Although the purchase price was high, planners expect to recover the whole cost through lower maintenance bills over eight years. (4) Commuter surveys show that passenger satisfaction rose by twenty-two per cent during the first six months of operation. (5) Technicians also converted two central bus depots to house solar-powered charging stations, so the daily recharge produces no exhaust emissions. (6) The council has not yet said whether it will buy more buses.

Questions

Each statement below rewords one numbered sentence in the passage. Write the number of the sentence it matches.

  1. Officials expected the new vehicles to be cleaner and cheaper to run.
  2. Planners believe savings on repairs will eventually pay back the high purchase price.
  3. Within half a year of the buses entering service, riders’ satisfaction had risen by 22 per cent.
  4. Two bus garages were altered so that the vehicles can be charged with solar power.
Show answers
  1. Sentence 2 — “would cut pollution and reduce operating costs” becomes “cleaner and cheaper to run”, with phrases replaced by shorter forms. Sentence 3 also mentions cost, but it is about the purchase price.
  2. Sentence 3 — “planners expect to recover the whole cost through lower maintenance bills over eight years” becomes “believe savings on repairs will eventually pay back”, using synonyms and “eventually” for a specific period.
  3. Sentence 4 — “rose by twenty-two per cent during the first six months” becomes “risen by 22 per cent” within “half a year”, with the numbers written differently.
  4. Sentence 5 — “converted two central bus depots to house solar-powered charging stations” becomes “Two bus garages were altered” and “charged with solar power”, using active to passive, synonyms and a changed word form.

Common Traps to Avoid

Incorrect: “I should scan only for the exact words used in the question.”

Correct: Scan for the idea: in the practice, statement 1 is about running costs (sentence 2), while sentence 3 also mentions cost but concerns repaying the purchase price.

Tip

Keep a list of paraphrase pairs from your practice tests, such as “postponed” and “delayed”, and review it each week.

Key Takeaways

  • Questions often use different words from the text, so scan for meaning.
  • Common rewording types include synonyms, word forms, voice and negatives.
  • Names and dates may be repeated in the text, so they make useful anchors.
  • Learn word families and synonyms in context to notice rewording faster.

The bottom line: When a word you expect is missing, ask how else it could be said before you decide the idea is not there.