The one-sentence truth: The most dangerous synonym is the one that is close enough to look correct while changing the sentence’s actual commitment.
Paper 2 paraphrase errors often arise from substitution without discrimination. Students see a familiar word, reach for a thesaurus-style neighbour and accidentally alter certainty, strength, causation or register.
Error 1: changing degree
Possible → likely, concern → crisis, significant → decisive. Each replacement shifts magnitude. Preserve the original scale.
Error 2: changing causation
Contributes to → causes. Exacerbates → creates. Enables → determines. These are not harmless replacements; they change the causal model.
Error 3: changing scope
Many → all. Often → always. In some contexts → generally. Scope words cannot be discarded just because they seem small.
Error 4: wrong collocation
A dictionary may list two words as related while natural usage differs. We pose a risk, raise a concern, exercise discretion, alleviate suffering. Learn phrases, not only words.
Error 5: wrong register
A replacement can sound archaic, colloquial or emotionally loaded. Paraphrase should preserve tone where relevant and remain natural.
Use the meaning sandwich
Original word → plain-English meaning → new expression. This extra middle step prevents direct synonym hopping. For mitigate: “reduce how severe something is” → “lessen the harm”.
Check the sentence after replacement
Insert your paraphrase back into the original logical structure. Ask whether a reasonable reader would now infer something stronger, weaker or different.
High-risk pairs
Imply/infer; economic/economical; historic/historical; effective/efficient; equality/equity; legitimate/legal; prevent/mitigate; likely/possible; refute/rebut; systemic/systematic.
Seven-day error drill
- Build ten high-risk pairs.
- Rank degree words.
- Rank causal verbs.
- Practise collocations.
- Use the meaning sandwich.
- Audit scope markers.
- Complete a timed paraphrase with an error check.
Continue the JC2 GP vocabulary system
Return to General Paper Vocabulary Year 2 (JC2) and Vocabulary for Junior College (JC1–JC2).
Final thought
Accuracy in paraphrase is not about changing every word. It is about refusing to change the thought.