Vocabulary (Lexical Resource) is worth 25% of your overall IELTS Speaking and IELTS Writing score. One of the ways to do well in this rating criteria is to have a good range of words that you use in your speaking and writing. Letâs look at some ways of expanding your range of language.
Parts of speech
Different parts of speech include verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs. Rather than repeating the same word again, you can change the form of the word. This is a good way to have variety in your speaking and writing. The word âpreferâ is a good example to demonstrate.
prefer (verb)
I prefer traditional food because âĤ
preferably (adverb)
Preferably, I would have traditional food daily for the reason that âĤ
preference (noun)
I have a preference for fast food given I donât have time to âĤ
preferable (adverb)
I find traditional food more preferable given that it is âĤ
You will also see that by changing the part of speech your language can become more complex as different collocations can be formed such as:
have a preference for
find (something) more preferable
Therefore, when learning new vocabulary, also note the different parts of speech of a word. By doing this, you may find an alternative that is less common. For example:
beautiful (adjective): common
beautifully (adverb): common
beauty (noun): less common
beautify (verb): uncommon
beautification (noun): uncommon
Another way to change the word form is with prefixes. Here are just a few examples:
helpful
unhelpful
patient
impatient
logical
illogical
expensive
inexpensive
This can be a quick and easy way to avoid repetition of your vocabulary.
Synonyms
One way to show your range of vocabulary is to use synonyms. However, make sure that you are using them in the right context and with the correct collocation. It can also be helpful to use less common words when thinking of synonyms. For example:
I prefer fast food because âĤ
I am quite partial to fast food because âĤ
I have more of a leaning towards fast food because âĤ
âam quite partial toâ means the same as âpreferâ and it is a useful synonym because it is less common and is a more complex collocation. âhave more of a leaning towardsâ is also less common than âpreferâ, plus it is useful because there are 6 words in the total collocation (meaning it is 6 times more complex than simply âpreferâ which is only 1 word).
When looking at synonyms in your dictionary, make sure you use understand how to use them correctly in the right context too. For example âshowâ can sometimes mean âmanifestâ, but there are some contexts where this doesnât work. For example:
The line graph shows the number of people who âĤ
The line graph manifests the number of people who âĤ
In this case, âmanifestâ is not used in the right context. The word means to show a quality or a feeling through what someone does or through their appearance. A line graph cannot do that.
Synonyms that mean âshowâ that can be used in a similar context can include:
The line graph demonstrates the number of people who âĤ
The line graph displays the number of people who âĤ
The line graph illustrates the number of people who âĤ
Paraphrasing questions in Speaking
A useful way to show your range of vocabulary is to paraphrase a key word in the question you receive in your IELTS Speaking test. This is a good way to immediately show the examiner that you can use a variety of language. Letâs look at some examples:
Do you enjoy going to the cinema?
Speaker 1: Yes, I enjoy going to the cinema as I âĤ (copied)
Speaker 2: Yes, I do get a lot of enjoyment from going to a movie theatre as I âĤ (paraphrased)
Are foreign movies popular in your country?
Speaker 1: No, foreign moves are not very popular in my country because âĤ (copied)
Speaker 2: No, international films donât have a lot of popularity where Iâm from because âĤ (paraphrased)
Is it important to you where you watch a movie?
Speaker 1: No, it is not important to me where I watch a movie given that âĤ (copied)
Speaker 2: In terms of importance, where I view a film doesnât matter given that âĤ (paraphrased)
In these examples, the first speaker copies a lot from what the examiner has asked, while the second speaker rephrases some of the key words that they have heard, instantly showing a wider range of vocabulary.
The A to Z of IELTS
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