IELTS Writing Task 1: Synonyms and Paraphrasing Tips

7

I. Foundation for Using Synonyms Correctly

Using words out of context: For example, using “rocket” for any increase, even a small one. Always match the word’s strength to the data.
Lack of academic tone: Avoid informal phrases like “go up”, “get bigger”. Use academic verbs such as increase, decrease, fluctuate, decline, expand.
Only replacing single words, not paraphrasing structures: Instead of just swapping words, try to change the sentence structure for more natural and flexible writing.
Example:
❌ The number of students increased → The figure of students increased
✅ There was a significant increase in the number of students

Tip: Before choosing a synonym, determine the degree of change (strong, slight, stable) to ensure your vocabulary accurately reflects the chart.

Increase: rise, grow, increase, climb, surge, soar, rocket
Examples:
– The number of visitors rose steadily from 2010 to 2015.
– Online sales soared in the final quarter.
– Profits rocketed after the new product launch (use only for very strong, sudden increases).
Decrease: fall, drop, decline, decrease, plummet, plunge
Examples:
– The unemployment rate fell gradually over the decade.
– The price of oil plummeted in 2020.
– Exports declined after 2012.
Peak/Bottom: peak at, reach a high of, bottom at, hit a trough at
Examples:
– The number of students peaked at 85,000 in 2020.
– Oil prices hit a trough at $30 per barrel in 2016.
Stable: remain steady/stable/static, stay constant, level off
Examples:
– The figures remained stable throughout the period.
– The amount of CO₂ emissions levelled off after 2010.
Describe/Show: show, illustrate, demonstrate, compare, indicate, give/present information about
Examples:
– The chart illustrates the changes in population.
– The graph demonstrates a steady increase in sales.

Trends: a rise, a fall, a fluctuation, a growth, a drop
Examples:
– There was a sharp rise in the number of users.
– The data shows a fluctuation in prices over the decade.
Data: figure, quantity, proportion, amount, rate, volume, total
Examples:
– The figure for online sales increased significantly.
– The proportion of students choosing science subjects grew.
– The rate of unemployment dropped in 2022.
Degree/Change: a slight increase, a sharp decline, a marginal change
Examples:
– There was a slight increase in production.
– The company experienced a sharp decline in profits.
– The data shows a marginal change in temperature.

Strong/Quick Increase: rapid, significant, dramatic, sharp, remarkable (significantly, dramatically, sharply, remarkably)
Examples:
– Sales increased dramatically in the final quarter.
– There was a significant rise in the number of applicants.
– The population grew rapidly after 2010.
Slight Increase: slight, marginal, minimal, mild (slightly, marginally, mildly)
Examples:
– The number of visitors increased slightly.
– Profits rose marginally in 2021.
– There was a minimal change in the results.

is passed through / is moved to / is transferred to / is transported to
Example: The mixture is passed through a filter before being heated in the next stage.
is then processed / is crushed into / is fermented / to undergo fermentation
Example: The raw material is crushed into powder and then undergoes fermentation.
is mixed with / blended into / is packaged / wrapped
Example: The ingredients are mixed with water and packaged for sale.
subsequently / afterward / in the next stage / at the following stage / This is followed by / Following this
Example: Subsequently, the product is stored in a warehouse.
is converted into / is transformed into / is compressed / liquefied / condensed / undergoes processing / changes
Example: Water vapor is condensed into liquid form in the cooling chamber.

was situated in / located in / was relocated / moved
Example: The school was situated in the center of the village.
The factory was relocated to the east side.
was built / constructed / added / introduced
Example: A new library was constructed next to the main building.
was demolished / removed / replaced / destroyed / knocked down / flattened to make way for
Example: The warehouse was demolished and replaced by a shopping center.
was expanded / extended / was converted into / underwent major redevelopment
Example: The northern area underwent major redevelopment in 2015.
to the north/south/east/west of, adjacent to, next to, beside, between, opposite, in the center/middle, in the right/left-hand corner, on the right/left side, along the main road, beside the river
Example: A new residential area was developed to the east of the school.
The factory was built adjacent to the existing warehouse.

the number of: the figure for, the total, the quantity of
Example: The figure for online sales rose significantly in 2020.
the proportion of: the percentage of, the share of, the rate of, the ratio of
Example: A larger share of spending was allocated to housing.
people/population: the populace, the demographic group, inhabitants, citizens, individuals, residents
Example: The demographic group aged 18-25 showed the highest growth.
data: the metric, the indicator, information, figures, statistics
Example: This metric saw steady growth across all four countries.

Incorrect Usage	Better Alternative	Note
Rocket (for any increase)	Climb / Increase significantly	“Rocket” is for sudden, strong increases only.
The amount of people	The number of people	“Amount” is for uncountable nouns; “people” is countable.
Go up and down	Fluctuate / Vary / Show some variation	“Go up and down” is informal.
Changed a lot	Underwent significant changes	Use more precise, academic phrases.
Very big increase	A dramatic / substantial / tremendous rise	Use strong collocations for higher bands.

Learn phrases in context: Instead of single words, learn full collocations (e.g., “experience a surge in X”).
Practice rewriting overviews: Try writing the overview section of a chart using different collocations and synonyms.
Create your own vocabulary tables: After each practice, summarize useful words and collocations by chart type (line, bar, table, process, map).

Remember: The key to a high band score is not just knowing many synonyms, but using them accurately, naturally, and in the right context.