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Welcome to our four-part series on expanding your vocabulary for the IELTS exam. Don’t forget to check out the other three posts:
Today’s theme is the environment. As with our previous entries, we’ll be looking at creating relevant vocabulary sets to improve your IELTS vocabulary. So let’s get started!
Vocabulary sets related to the environment
As you may already know by now, the environment is a very popular IELTS theme. It's particularly common in Speaking Part 3, where you’re expected to discuss the topic more broadly and in greater depth. Likewise, you could be asked to write about environmental issues in Writing Task 2.
Here, you might have to identify causes for specific environmental problems, suggest solutions, predict consequences and/or give your opinion on the subject in a discussion. Below are three sub-topics related to the environment, each containing words or phrases that you can use to elaborate your answers in both the Speaking and Writing modules of the test:
1. Nature
word/phrase | part of speech | meaning | common collocations | example | pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
habitat | noun | the natural environment where an animal or plant lives | natural habitat, wildlife habitat, threatened/endangered habitat, damage/destroy a habitat, conserve/protect a habitat, loss of habitat | I believe new measures are necessary to protect wildlife habitats. | /ˈhæb.ə.tæt/ |
biodiversity | noun | the number and types of plants and animals in a specific area or in the world | biodiversity loss, biodiversity conservation, global biodiversity, preserve biodiversity | Biodiversity conservation plans should be a priority for governments around the world. | / ˈsɝː.vɪs ˌroʊd/ |
ecosystem | noun | all the people, animals and plants living in an area and the way they affect each other and the environment | forest ecosystem, healthy ecosystem, maintain the ecosystem, benefit the ecosystem, damage the ecosystem, species in an ecosystem | It is well known that commercial fishing can have a very negative impact on the ecosystem, yet little has been done to address this. | /ˈiː.koʊˌsɪs.təm/ |
endangered species | noun | a type of plant or animal that might stop existing | save endangered species, critically endangered species | There are many organizations that are committed to saving endangered species. | /ɪnˈdeɪn·dʒərd ˈspi·ʃiz/ |
vegetation | noun | plants in general | natural vegetation, green vegetation, dense/lush/thick vegetation, native vegetation, destroy the vegetation | The Costa Rican jungles are characterized by thick, green vegetation. | /ˌvedʒ.əˈteɪ.ʃən/ |
2. Environmental problems
word/phrase | part of speech | meaning | common collocations | example | pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
global warming | noun | a gradual increase in the earth’s temperature caused by gases surrounding the earth | contribute to global warming, combat/fight/tackle global warming | We have to fight global warming before it’s too late. | /ˌɡloʊ.bəl ˈwɔːr.mɪŋ/ |
pollute | verb | to make air, water or soil dirty | pollute the environment, pollute the air/water/soil | If we continue to pollute our environment, our children and grandchildren will have to pay the consequences. | /pəˈluːt/ |
deforestation | noun | the cutting down of trees in an area | mass deforestation, illegal deforestation, reduce deforestation | Forest biodiversity is threatened by mass deforestation carried out around the world. | /diːˌfɔːr.əˈsteɪ.ʃən/ |
climate change | noun | changes in the world’s weather, in particular an increase in temperature, caused by human activity | the impacts/results of climate change, climate change talks, climate change sceptic/denier (someone who does not believe in climate change) | Personally, I don’t think that climate change can do us any good. | /ˈklaɪ.mət ˌtʃeɪndʒ/ |
extinct | adjective | no longer existing | be extinct, become/go extinct, completely/totally extinct, almost/nearly/practically/virtually extinct | Many species of plants and animals have become extinct due to human activity. | /ɪkˈstɪŋkt/ |
3. Protecting the environment
word/phrase | part of speech | meaning | common collocations | example | pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sustainable | adjective | causing little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to be continued over a long period of time | sustainable growth, sustainable development, sustainable communities, sustainable energy sources | Big companies should donate a percentage of their profits to support sustainable development. | /səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl/ |
renewable energy | noun | energy that is produced using natural resources such as the wind, sun, etc. | renewable energy industry, renewable energy projects/sources/technology, demand for renewable energy | The environmental benefits of renewable energy are countless. | /rɪˈnuː.ə.bəl ˈen.ɚ.dʒi/ |
conservation | noun | the protection of animals, plants, natural areas and natural substances | wildlife conservation, energy conservation, water conservation, nature/environmental conservation, conservation area | Energy conservation saves us money and helps the environment. | /ˌkɑːn.sɚˈveɪ.ʃən/ |
veganism | noun | the practice of not eating or using animal products (e.g. meat, fish, eggs, etc.) | strict veganism | I believe that veganism, clean energy and environmental conservation are the solution to climate change. | /ˈviː.ɡən.ɪ.zəm/ |
environmentalism | noun | the study of or an interest in the environment and the belief that it must be protected from harmful human activity | promote environmentalism | Some believe that eco-tourism can promote environmentalism. | /ɪnˌvaɪ.rənˈmen.t̬əl.ɪ.zəm/ |
Idioms related to the environment
Idiom | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
reduce, reuse, recycle | phrase used to encourage people to waste less and use things again to protect the environment | The three R’s - reduce, reuse and recycle - all help to cut down on the amount of waste we produce. |
to go green | to change one’s lifestyle to help protect the environment | Grocery stores should go green by using paper bags instead of plastic. |
to have a green thumb | to have the ability to grow plants well | My mother has a green thumb and grows most of the fruit and veggies she consumes. |
to go solar | to collect solar energy by using solar energy panels | What many people don’t know is that by going solar, they’re also saving money. |
Conclusion
Finally, remember that the topic of the environment often goes hand in hand with other common IELTS themes, such as transportation. This increases the chances of having to discuss environmental issues to some extent at some point during the test. It's important that you’re able to determine when you’re being asked to connect topics in order to use this vocabulary in a flexible way.