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IELTS Podcast

Pass IELTS with expert help.

IELTS Vocabulary

Read this before using your new vocabulary!

Memorising standalone vocabulary or phrases has one major drawback – knowing the definition of a word does not necessarily mean that you know when or how to appropriately use it.

Nuances: Do you know the difference between “convenience” and “convenient”?

Vocabulary is often nuanced – do you know the difference between “convenience” and “convenient”? When do you use one vs. the other? Would a native speaker say that “technology makes our lives more convenience” or “technology makes our lives more convenient”? (FYI – it’s the latter.)

The Listening and Reading tests are vocabulary tests in disguise...

Learning words and phrases in context is of utmost importance – especially for those who are preparing for the IELTS. The Listening and Reading tests are vocabulary tests in disguise – the text may refer to something using one set of words, i.e. “to organise public events” whereas a question may include the phrase “to coordinate communal activities.”

These both mean the same thing, but use different vocabulary to do so – and if you don’t know that “coordinate” can mean “organise” (in addition to meaning that the colour of your pants goes with the colour of your socks), then you may find yourself lost.

The solution? Learn and study vocabulary in context (read, read, read and read some more!) so that you are exposed to the different ways that words are used.

Practicing using new words in the correct context is an important final step. My Spanish teacher recently gave me the assignment to use all the new words and phrases I had learned over our last few lessons in a story. That forced me to review them all and consciously use them correctly (and get additional feedback if I didn’t!). Enlist the help of a native speaker to help you practice and ensure you’re using your new words correctly!

Take a look at the below some tutorials that will explain some tips and strategies to expand your IELTS Vocabulary before the exam

IELTS Essay and Vocabulary (Climate change)

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To score high in IELTS Writing you first need to understand how IELTS examiners grade this part of the IELTS test. IELTS examiners do not give you one grade, they give you four grades. You never see these but they are added together to create an overall band score in IELTS Writing. The four areas […]

Employment – Immigration

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IELTS VOCABULARY: Employment – Immigration In this brand new tutorial, we dive into high scoring IELTS vocabulary, included in the tutorial is a model essay, a guide for generating ideas, and a list of collocations you can use in your next essay. Here is a summary: – First we look at the vocabulary list and definitions […]

Vocabulary for IELTS : Topic Specific lists, exercises and free resources

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Mastering the right vocabulary for the IELTS exam is very important as this counts 25% of your mark for the writing and speaking section. Here you’ll find detailed explanations, tips, examples and resources to practice and improve you IELTS vocabulary. Our Topic Specific Vocabulary pages also contain lots of collocations. So you can expect a […]

How to Expand your Vocabulary for IELTS Writing

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In this great tutorial we not only look at basic words to UPGRADE to score higher, we also look at some lovely CONNECTORS! The words we look at include: “Alternatively” offers us a way of introducing a different angle on a particular question. “Nevertheless” does two things at once: it both connects and contrasts the […]

IELTS Band 8 Vocabulary and Collocations

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This tutorial focuses entirely on collocations and vocabulary. We look at: The 6 different types of collocations How to use the collocations The AWL (Academic Word List) -Here is a link to the 20 most frequent academic words used (pdf). Three valuable tips if you are going for Band 8 or higher. Here is one of […]