IELTS Vocabulary Focus
IELTS assesses vocabulary in Speaking and Writing, so it’s important to focus on a broad range of vocabulary, especially in more formal and academic contexts.
1. Academic Vocabulary
- Useful Phrases for Task 2 (Essay Writing):
- Expressing Opinions: In my opinion, I believe that, From my perspective, It seems to me that.
- Giving Examples: For example, For instance, A case in point is, Such as.
- Linking Ideas: Moreover, Furthermore, In addition, However, On the other hand.
- Making Comparisons: Similarly, In contrast, Unlike, On the contrary.
- Concluding: In conclusion, To sum up, In summary.
- Topic-Specific Vocabulary: Learn vocabulary related to common IELTS topics like education, environment, health, technology, globalization, economy, and society.
- Example (Environment): climate change, sustainability, pollution, renewable energy, carbon footprint, conservation.
2. Collocations
- Verb + Noun: Make progress, take action, conduct research, give an example, raise awareness.
- Adjective + Noun: Strong argument, significant impact, great potential, critical issue.
- Adverb + Adjective: Highly likely, incredibly important, extremely difficult, relatively simple.
3. Formal and Informal Vocabulary
- Formal Vocabulary (for Writing Task 2): Acquire (instead of get), assist (instead of help), commence (instead of start), a vast majority (instead of many).
- Informal Vocabulary (for Speaking Task): “A lot of” → “Many” / “Kids” → “Children”.
4. Synonyms and Paraphrasing
- Paraphrasing is essential, especially in Writing Task 1 (Describing Data) and Speaking, to avoid repeating words or phrases.
- Common Examples:
- Increase → Rise, grow, escalate, surge, climb
- Decrease → Fall, drop, decline, reduce, dip
- Important → Significant, crucial, vital, essential, key
- Common Examples:
5. Linking Words and Connectors
- Addition: Moreover, In addition, Furthermore, Also, Not only… but also.
- Contrast: However, On the other hand, In contrast, Whereas, Although.
- Cause and Effect: Because, Due to, Therefore, Consequently, As a result.
- Examples: For example, For instance, In particular.
- Conclusion: In conclusion, To summarize, Overall, In short.
6. Idiomatic Expressions (for Speaking)
- While you should avoid overusing idioms, using one or two appropriate ones can boost your Speaking score, showing that you have a natural command of the language.
- Example: It’s a piece of cake (It’s very easy).
- Example: Break the ice (To make people feel more comfortable in a social situation).
Study Tips
- Learn Vocabulary in Context: It’s important to learn words in sentences, not in isolation. This will help with collocations and natural usage.
- Use a Thesaurus: For IELTS Writing and Speaking, using synonyms to avoid repetition can elevate your language.
- Practice Paraphrasing: Especially for Task 1 and Task 2, practice rephrasing questions, instructions, or prompts to demonstrate your range of vocabulary.
