International English Language Testing System is a proficiency test given by candidates who wish to pursue higher education or desire to be employed in a professional organisation. However, to score well in this exam, one must polish their IELTS vocabulary and use it to develop good answers.
For achieving a band score of 7 or more, students should possess a wide range of vocabulary which will help them to talk about various topics. In case a student is unable to use the correct words, it becomes a major drawback and can affect the overall score.
This blog will outline vocabulary IELTS and its integral part of it. Keep reading!
What are the Common Topics of IELTS?
Candidates must have a wide range of vocabulary as it can help ace the IELTS exam, demonstrates a stronghold over the language and it will help them explain a multitude of topics.
Candidates also need to use a wide range of vocabulary. If one cannot use it in the correct context, it can affect the overall score too. Moreover, some common topics appear in IELTS.
Candidates must practice common topics to help them develop a stronghold over vocabulary. It is underlined below for easier understanding:
- Environment
- Science
- IT
- Work
- Covid-19
- Movies
- Newspapers
- Technology
- Education
- Advertisement
- Food,
In addition, the topic may demand that candidates use synonyms to explain the issues. Some common examples are given below:
Environment
- Pollution
- Habitat
- Sustainable
- Mammal
- Flora and fauna
- Species
- Commute
- Domestic waste
- Endangered species
- Fertilise
Travel
- City centre
- Accommodation
- Traditional
- Storey
- High-rise
- Journey
- Pilgrimage
- Sightseeing
- Lodging
- Destination
How to use Phrasal Verbs
A phrasal verb has two or three words from different grammatical groups. When all of them are combined, a new meaning is derived. Hence, phrasal verbs must be used carefully according to the context. Phrasal verbs are in the IELTS vocabulary list and students may use them to demonstrate their command over the English language. One must understand its meaning before using it. A list is given below for easier understanding:
- Do away with
- Conduct
- Publish
- Investigate
- Complete
- Occur
- Tolerate
- Discover
- Eradicate
- Communicate
What are Uncountable Nouns?
An uncountable noun can be placed before an article. Moreover, they are linked to liquids, emotions, abstract ideas, natural phenomena etc. It is underlined below:
- Bread
- Calm
- Metal
- Management
- Cheese
- Economics
- Speed
- Tea
- Tennis
- Trade
Idioms in IELTS
IELTS Speaking section is often a challenging area for many candidates. Nevertheless, it is in this section that the candidates can demonstrate their fluency, pronunciation and vocabulary of the English language. Moreover, idioms assist in expressing our ideas more clearly and make them sound natural. But, candidates must not use idioms without comprehending their meaning, as that may lead to a deduction in marks. Hence, it is advisable that candidates use idioms in tasks only if they’re confident about its meaning and context. We have provided a list of common idioms for IELTS that can be used in the Speaking section. Remember, when used properly idioms will lead to a great band score. One can make use of idioms in the speaking section. However, one should not overuse it as that may hamper your overall score:
- If my memory serves me well
- Over the moon
- Piece of cake
- A drop in the ocean
- Change one’s mind
- Pull your eggs in one basket
- Actions speak louder than words
- It winds me up
What are Collocations?
Your written and spoken English may not flow and affect your IELTS scores because you might not be using colloquial language. In colloquial language, two or three words are arranged in a manner that sounds natural to the native speaker of the language. It refers to the assembly of written information into a standard form, arranged in a standard order and including a standard order and arrangement of words.
Being an essential part of the English language, collocations are important for anyone trying to understand it or working on improving their vocabulary. Using the right words together enables you to convey your message without any gaps.
Collocations can be defined as the right arrangement of words in a sentence or the combination of words that appear natural to a native. Collocations can be paired in the following ways:
Adverb & adjective
Noun & noun
Verb & noun
Verb & adverb
Adjective & noun
For easy understanding, here are some examples:
Make someone’s bed
I prefer reading
I have to take the test if I want to take the course
Candidates must also hear audio YouTube videos use the dictionary to widen their IELTS vocabulary. In addition, one must paraphrase while appearing for IELTS as this can help fetch good marks.
Additionally, if you want to have a great vocabulary to ace the IELTS exam or just to prove your mastery of the English language, you could consult a thesaurus, which is basically a dictionary for synonyms. A thesaurus helps you learn different words which have more or less the same meaning. Learning many words for the same meaning has a good advantage as it will not make you sound repetitive when you are writing or speaking.
Watching movies and sitcoms are also a great and fun way to improve your vocabulary. Refer to the subtitles to learn the use of words in different situations when characters speak in films or TV shows. Keep a notepad with you when you are watching something, make note of any words and the context in which that word is being used and try to form your own sentences using that particular word. At the beginning of every day choose five words and try to use them in sentences throughout the day. This will help you familiarise the contexts in which such words can be used.
Having a great vocabulary improves your communication skills and hence your ability to express yourself. At the end of each day or week play a quiz that includes words and meanings. This will help in retaining new words which you may have learnt.
