The four laws of safe reformulation

1. Meaning stays the same: do not change cause, effect, or stance.
2. Scope stays the same: keep hedges like often, in many cases, to some extent.
3. Data stay the same: copy numbers, dates, units, proper names exactly.
4. Route words stay the same: answer the task type you were given.

Five step Transformer workflow

1. Ring fence non-editables: numbers, dates, names, question route.
2. Mark relations: cause, contrast, condition, concession, result.
3. Lexical swap: choose band-safe synonyms or shift word class.
4. Structural change: switch voice, split long clauses, or compress with phrases.
5. Cohesion rebuild: add clear anchors like this policy, this change.

Technique toolbox

• Synonym with care: effective → beneficial; harmful → costly; people → residents, households, learners
• Word-class shift: expensive (adj) → high cost (noun); regulate (verb) → regulation (noun)
• Voice shift: The city built bus lanes → Bus lanes were built by the city
• Negation flip: not rare → common; not efficient → inefficient
• Clause to phrase: because costs are high → due to high costs
• Merge or split: combine two short facts, or break a long chain into two clear lines
• Nominalisation: when schools train staff → staff training
• Order change: keep logic intact while moving known info first

Swap maps for key functions

Opinion stance

• I agree → I support the view
• I disagree → I do not share this view
• To a large extent → on balance, largely

Contrast

• however → by contrast, nevertheless
• while → although, whereas

Cause

• because → since, as
• leads to → results in, contributes to

Result

• therefore → as a result, consequently

Concession

• although this has costs → despite the costs, this approach can

What never to change

• Numbers and units: 18 percent, 3 years, 2 km
• Comparators: higher than, twice as, fewer than
• Time frame: past vs present vs future
• Polarity: do not turn risk into benefit
• Question route: if it is Discuss both views, your thesis must still discuss both

Before and after models

Prompt paraphrase
Original: Some people think public transport should be free. Do you agree or disagree?
Safe: Some argue that cities ought to remove fares for public transport. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Thesis
Original: I disagree because it is expensive and not targeted.
Safe: I do not support free travel, mainly due to high costs and weak targeting.

Topic sentence
Original: Free buses help poor residents a lot.
Safe: Free bus travel increases access for low income residents.

Mechanism line
Original: It helps because people save money.
Safe: Savings on daily fares free household budgets for essentials.

Balanced line
Original: It always works.
Safe: It often works in dense cities, although rural routes need different support.

Paraphrase patterns you can plug in

Cause → result

• X reduces delays → By reducing delays, X improves punctuality.
• Because training is provided, platforms work → With staff training, platforms operate reliably.

Compare

• A is higher than B → A exceeds B, while C remains lower.
• The advantages outweigh the disadvantages → Benefits outweigh costs for most users.

Problem → solution

• The problem is low sorting → Low sorting at source is the core issue.
• Put bins on each floor → Floor-level bins raise capture rates.

Patchwriting detector and repair

Detector

• Too many one-to-one swaps
• Same clause order
• Same function words repeated

Repair

• Change structure first, then swap words
• Add or move a limiter
• Replace two small clauses with one compact phrase

Mini library by task type

Opinion

• I agree because R1 and R2 → I support this view, chiefly due to R1 and R2.

Discussion

• Discuss both views and give your opinion → Consider both positions, then state your own judgement.

Advantage vs disadvantage

• There are more pros than cons → Benefits are likely to outweigh the drawbacks.

Problem and solution

• The issue is X and Y; the solutions are A and B → X and Y drive the issue, and A plus B can reduce it.

Two part

• Answer the first and second questions → Address Q1 by A1, and Q2 by A2.

Ten quick drills

1. Rewrite a thesis with a limiter: largely, on balance, in many cases.
2. Turn a because clause into a due to phrase.
3. Flip voice: active to passive or passive to active.
4. Replace two verbs with nominalisations.
5. Swap three linkers using the maps in section 4.
6. Rebuild one sentence with not X but Y.
7. Paraphrase a topic sentence while keeping the same comparator.
8. Compress a long example to one line with which.
9. Add one concession line that keeps your stance.
10. Read aloud and check rhythm and clarity.

Two minute end audit

• Meaning, scope, stance unchanged
• Numbers, names, and time frame copied correctly
• Clear anchors after this or it
• Variety of structures, not just word swaps
• Formal tone and band-safe vocabulary
• Paragraphs still follow the original logic

Use this transformer whenever you draft or polish. Ring fence what must not change, choose one structural move, then apply careful swaps. The result is original wording with the same clear message.