Paraphrasing is not a search for a different word beside every original word. A sentence may look very different and still express the same claim; it may also use familiar synonyms while quietly changing what the writer meant.
The introductory guidance in Jobin Thomas’s PTE Writing: Practice, Perfect, Perform highlights clear structure, main ideas and paraphrasing. This guide develops a meaning-first method with original examples you can use in a short writing session.
Identify the parts of the claim that must survive
Before rewriting, identify who or what the sentence concerns, what it says about them, and any qualification. Words such as “some,” “may,” “only” and “unless” are small, but they can carry important limits.
Original paraphrasing example
Original: “Recorded lessons may help some shift workers review material when scheduled classes are inconvenient.”
Faithful rewrite: “For some people working shifts, recordings can offer a way to revisit material when class times are unsuitable.”
Changed claim: “Online lessons guarantee better results for all workers.”
The changed version adds a guaranteed outcome, expands “some” to “all,” and replaces reviewing material with achieving better results. None of those changes is supported by the original sentence.
Change the structure, not just isolated words
You can move a phrase, change a clause structure or express an action with a different grammatical pattern. For example, “The college extended library hours so that working students could attend” can become “Longer library hours allowed working students to attend.”
Check the relationship after restructuring. If the original states a purpose rather than a proven result, preserve that distinction: “The college extended library hours to improve access” does not necessarily establish that access actually improved.
Choose words that fit their new neighbours
A dictionary synonym may not work naturally in the same phrase. “Make a decision” and “reach a decision” are both possible, but replacing “make” with any word meaning “create” will not necessarily produce natural English.
Read the complete phrase after a substitution. Check its grammar and its meaning in context. If you are unsure, a clear familiar expression is more reliable than an ambitious word you cannot control.
Which rewrite preserves the limitation?
Original: “The new timetable reduced travel for students attending the evening course.”
Option A: “Students on the evening course travelled less after the timetable changed.”
Option B: “The college eliminated travel for every student.”
Answer: Option A retains the identified group and the reduction. Option B changes a reduction into elimination and extends the claim to all students.
Do not remove useful precision just to avoid repetition
Sometimes a key term is the clearest available term. Replacing “recorded lessons” with a vague phrase such as “these modern things” makes the sentence less precise. You can vary sentence structure while keeping necessary subject vocabulary.
Similarly, use pronouns only when the reference is clear. If a sentence mentions a teacher, a learner and a course organiser, “they” may leave the reader uncertain. Naming the intended person can be the better choice.
Compare the meanings in both directions
After rewriting, ask two questions: does the original support everything in my version, and have I lost anything essential? This catches both added claims and missing qualifications. Then check grammar and natural phrasing.
For practice, rewrite three short sentences and mark the elements you preserved: group, action, certainty and condition. Compare them with the originals before attempting a longer passage. Treat an error as a clue about what to check next.
Explore PTE Writing — Course 6 for the course linked to this source book. Use its writing practice to develop accurate expression, and judge a paraphrase by its meaning as well as its vocabulary.
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PTE Writing — Course 6
Explore the complete course outline and related practice topics.
Source: 2 PTE WRITING.epub, Jobins Training. Examples labelled original or illustrative were written for this article. Independent exam preparation; no affiliation with or endorsement by the examining body. Practice does not predict an official score.