When it comes to IELTS writing Task 2, your score will partially be judged by a category called “Lexical Resource” in IELTS Writing Band Descriptors. This basically means “vocabulary” and your score will be assessed by how well you use words and phrases. In this article, I will explain what sort of words and phrases you can use to get a higher score in your next IELTS test.
Table of Contents
Why Vocabulary Matters
First of all, this is not a vocabulary test and so there is not a defined list of words that you need to know. However, you should have a wide vocabulary and you should know for each of those words:
- its precise meaning
- its connotations (the implied meaning, i.e. positive and negative)
- its usage in a sentence
- its various word forms
Understanding Words Deeply
This is absolutely essential if you want to score band 7 or higher. Let’s take the word “convenient,” for example. This is a fairly common word and almost all IELTS candidates would be expected to know it, but it’s not enough to simply know the word’s basic meaning. You need to know those above elements. You need to know to use it in a sentence, for example:
- We decided that the library was a convenient meeting place.
This shows the speaker understands the precise meaning, its part of speech, and also a common collocation: “convenient meeting place.”
Examples of Vocabulary Use
It’s also important to know words that are related, such as “convenience” and “inconvenient.” We must not confuse these and we must be able to switch between them if needed. Other words include “inconvenienced,” which is much less common and therefore could be considered a form of “advanced vocabulary.” We might use it like this:
- Most people nowadays are accustomed to the sensation of being inconvenienced by a technological glitch, such as an app deciding to update just when you needed to use it.
In fact, this sentence contains an array of useful language that is “less common” (a key IELTS marking criteria) but also used in the right context both logically and grammatically.
Modern vs Outdated Vocabulary
In addition to finding the right word and using it in the right way, it can be useful to know modern English rather than archaic forms. When you use outdated language, it shows the examiner that you don’t really have a grasp of contemporary English and thus would struggle to communicate in the real world. Instead, it’s better to show that you keep up-to-date with developments in the language.
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Take the word “equitable” for example. This isn’t a new word exactly but its usage has dramatically increased in recent years. That doesn’t mean it’s a cliché to avoid, but rather it’s a good example of a word that is appropriate and modern. As long as you can use it in the right context, it’s a great word to incorporate into a sentence.
Social Justice Vocabulary
This word is often used in discussions that are commonplace in the modern world and that makes it a great word to know. Here are some related ones:
- diverse / diversity
- inclusive / inclusion
- welfare
- progressive
- activism / activist
These words are frequently found in discussions pertaining to issues of social justice and so they are quite useful when it comes to writing an essay for IELTS. Again, you need to know their precise meaning and common usage or else knowing them is not that helpful.
Technology-Related Vocabulary
Although there isn’t much scope for the use of slang in IELTS, especially not in the writing test, you can still use less formal language in the speaking test and again that can include the use of relatively recent terms. It’s particularly good to keep up with new technologies and social issues and to have a vocabulary that allows for discussion of these issues. You can also find that this language may be appropriate for a Task 2 essay on certain topics.
In the area of technology, you would certainly benefit from knowing modern words that describe the things we do each day with our digital devices. Make sure you can pick apart the noun, verb, and adjective forms of these words. For example, “like” used to only be a verb but now it’s a noun when relating to social media. The word “friend” used to be a noun but now it’s a verb as well. Here are some useful words related to this topic:
| Noun | Verb | Adjective |
|---|---|---|
| Stream | Stream | Steamed |
| Post | Post | |
| Block | Blocked | |
| Download | Download | Downloaded |
| Profile | ||
| Scroll | ||
| Swipe | ||
| Malware | ||
| Follower | Follow | Followed |
High Scoring Phrases for Task 2 Essay
| Phrase | Where to use it | Example snippet |
|---|---|---|
| the extent to which | as part of your subject or object | …depends on the extent to which governments invest in public transport. |
| a growing body of evidence | subject or object | A growing body of evidence suggests remote work boosts productivity. |
| notwithstanding | mid-clause, before noun or clause | Crime rates fell, notwithstanding widespread economic hardship. |
| rather than | mid-sentence comparison | …this approach addresses root causes rather than merely treating symptoms. |
| insofar as | qualifying clause | Policies succeed insofar as they engage local communities. |
| to a large extent | mid- or end-sentence emphasis | …public opinion is shaped to a large extent by social media. |
| coupled with | joining nouns/verbs | Rising fuel costs, coupled with stricter emissions laws, slow transport growth. |
| by virtue of | noun-phrase modifier | He succeeded by virtue of meticulous planning. |
| not only … but also | within a sentence | …offers not only lower costs but also better work–life balance. |
| even if | introducing concessive clause | Even if automation displaces jobs, new industries may emerge. |
| with regard to | noun-phrase modifier | With regard to healthcare, urban areas outperform rural ones. |
| the likelihood of | subject or object | The likelihood of rain increases in coastal regions. |
| in the wake of | clause-internal | Traffic congestion rose in the wake of the bridge closure. |
| regardless of | before noun/clause | …access to education should remain free regardless of income. |
| that being said | mid-or end-sentence pivot | This policy has benefits. That being said, implementation costs are high. |
Personalized Vocabulary for Speaking and Writing
As you can see then, we need to learn language related to common topics and have a good understanding of what those words and phrases mean, as well as knowing how to use them.
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It’s also good to know words that relate to you and your life. Obviously, this will vary from one candidate to the next. If you love cricket, then it’s a good idea to know the language because you might have to talk about it in Part One of the speaking test, for example. However, if you don’t care about cricket then it’s not worth learning this language because it’s very unlikely to occur without you bringing it up yourself. For the writing task, it’s still possible that this sort of language could prove useful but it totally depends on the topic.
This also extends to issues such as nationality. If your country is famous for something, then it’s good to be able to talk about that but this will vary from one country to another. Someone from a mountainous nation should know a language related to mountains and someone whose country is small and urban would be better off learning that sort of language.
Final Tips for Building IELTS Vocabulary
Ultimately, though, there are no particular words that you absolutely must know to succeed at IELTS. You should instead aim to cultivate:
- a thorough understanding of basic English
- a wide range of vocabulary, with a good knowledge of meaning and use
- an understanding of common collocations
- modern language or language related to common modern topics
- a good range of language related to your and your life
If you can master the above, then you will surely get an excellent score for Lexical Resource
