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How is the Speaking test assessed? How to respond quickly in the IELTS speaking The format of the IELTS Speaking Test Sample Speaking Test Questions and Model Answers How to improve your IELTS Speaking Vocabulary for the IELTS Speaking Test IELTS Speaking Tutorials Speaking Feedback Service Here you will find everything you need to know about how to prepare for the IELTS Speaking Test. We offer free tutorials, tips, model questions and answers to help you do well in the IELTS Speaking exam.
The academic and general IELTS speaking test is the same. It's an informal face-to-face interview with the IELTS examiner, even if you're doing a computer-delivered test.

The speaking test comprises 3 parts and the objective is to test your fluency, pronunciation, fluency and grammar.

How is the IELTS Speaking test assessed?

Your test will be marked according to the following speaking band descriptors criteria:

Fluency and coherence (25%)

Your fluency is assessed by your ability to speak smoothly with little effort and little to no hesitation. To increase your score for fluency and cohesion, make sure that you're able to connect your sentences by using connective in your sentences. Speak smoothly and continuously, while using pauses correctly and extending your answers with as much relevant details as possible. This refers to the speaking vocabulary that you have learnt to be able to communicate your ideas and opinions clearly. To achieve a high band score, it is important to use a wide range of vocabulary. You need to show that you're able to communicate freely, using appropriate vocabulary. Using idiomatic language correctly in your speaking exam will increase your score.

Take a look at our comprehensive list of IELTS vocabulary to help you with your IELTS speaking and writing exam.

Grammatical range and accuracy (25%)

This criteria refers to how good your grammar is. It is important to avoid making grammatical mistakes and to use more advanced grammatical structures in your responses. In the IELTS exam, pronunciation is very important criteria to focus on. You need to be sure that the examiner can understand what you are saying so that they are able to assess you.
How to Respond Quickly and Automatically in IELTS Speaking

The format of the IELTS speaking test:

In this section of the IELTS speaking test, the examiner will introduce him/herself and check your identity for the IELTS exam. Examiners are required to follow a script throughout the interview to help ensure consistency across all IELTS speaking tests.

Being nervous about this part of the exam is entirely normal, here is a podcast we made all about greeting the examiner.

The examiner will ask you everyday questions about your life like where you live and what work you do .He/She will also touch on questions about your family and what you do in your free time.

The goal of part 1 of the exam is to make you feel comfortable and relaxed. Being assessed in this state is fairer than being judged when you are nervous and worried.

Sample Part 1 Speaking Questions To Expect:- What is your full name?- Can I see your ID?- Where are you from?- Do you work or study?- What do you do?- Where do you live now?- What is the most interesting place to visit in your hometown?- Do many tourists visit your country?- Do you like long or short holidays?- Where do you like to go on holiday?- Do you prefer beach holidays or city holidays?- Do you have close friends?- What do you value the most in your friends?- Do you meet often with your friends?

IELTS Speaking Part Two (3-4 minutes)

In this section of the test, you will be asked to give a short talk using a cue card. You will have one minute to prepare what you're going to say and then you're expected to speak for 1-2 minutes. When the time is up, the examiner will ask another question or two to wrap up this stage of the test.
Sample Cue Card Questions for Part 2 1.Cue Card:
Describe a new public building you want to visit. Please say - What building it is - Where and when was it built? - Why do you want to visit it? Possible Follow up questions - What types of buildings are there in your hometown? - Is it a good trend to have skyscrapers in the city? - Do you think buildings' shapes and structures will change in the future? - Would you like to live in a different-shaped building, round or triangular? - Why is that?
2. Cue Card: Talk about advice you received from someone that was very helpful.
Please say - What was the advice? - Who gave it to you? - Why was it helpful? Possible Follow-up Questions - Do you often get advice from older people? - Do you like to give advice to others? - Why don't many people follow good advice?

IELTS Speaking Part Three ( Duration: 4-5 minutes)

Part 3 of the IELTS Speaking exam involves a discussion where you will have the opportunity to really develop your answers. You will be asked open-ended questions relating to part 2 of your exam. There is no set number of questions that you can be asked to answer. The questions are usually quite abstract and will most likely seem they are asking the same thing over and over again. When this happens the examiner is assessing whether you can say the same thing in a different way than before.

Take a look at our tips for giving your opinion in the speaking part 3.

Sample Speaking Test Questions and Model Answers

Take a look at recent IELTS Speaking Topics to help you prepare for your speaking exam here.

How to Improve your IELTS Speaking

When starting your IELTS Speaking practice, you need to understand the marking criteria. This will help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses.

Find a speaking partner online. Being able to talk to a partner will help build your confidence and speaking fluency.

Enrol in a speaking course. The quickest way to progress is when you receive feedback on what to improve from a professional.

Read up on recent IELTS Speaking questions that have been reported by students, this will give you an idea of what to expect.

Enrol in a mock speaking exam online. Doing a mock IELTS speaking exam will give you an idea of exactly what to expect on your test. You will also be able to receive feedback on which areas you need to improve.

Practice using real questions from official sources:

Here are a few IELTS Speaking Practice tests from British Council so that you can use these real questions to practice from home:

Detailed information about the band descriptors can be found in this tutorial.

Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking

Vocabulary is very important for your IELTS Speaking, it is important to be able to communicate your English skills. Take a look these vocabulary resources when preparing for your IELTS Speaking:

In order to achieve a Band 6 score in the speaking test for IELTS test, you will need to show that you:

are willing to speak at length

have a wide enough vocabulary to discuss topics at length

use a mix of simple and complex structures

use a range of pronunciation features

If it's a Band 8 score you're after, you will need to:

speak fluently with only occasional repetition or self-correction

use a wide vocabulary resource readily and flexibly

use a wide range of structures flexibly

use a wide range of pronunciation features

IELTS Speaking Tutorials:

Speaking Feedback Service

A fast and effective way to improve is to find out where you are making your biggest mistakes. Find out by enrolling in our IELTS speaking feedback service.

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IELTS Speaking | Free Lessons, Tips and Recent Exam Questions

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How is the Speaking test assessed? How to respond quickly in the IELTS speaking The format of the IELTS Speaking Test Sample Speaking Test Questions and Model Answers How to improve your IELTS Speaking Vocabulary for the IELTS Speaking Test IELTS Speaking Tutorials Speaking Feedback Service Here you will find everything you need to know about how to prepare for the IELTS Speaking Test.

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60 minutes - 3 paragraphs to 20 minutes each one - 40 ANSWERS

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60 minutes - 3 paragraphs to 20 minutes each one - 40 ANSWERS

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🖋️ You must write an essay in response to a question.

📚 Most IELTS Writing Task 1 essays follow the same basic 3 paragraph structure:

Introduction - Main Body Paragraph 1 - Main Body Paragraph 2 - Conclusion

❓ 3 types

1- GRAPHS WITH A TREND

a- Line graphs

b- Pie charts

c- Tables

d- Bar charts

2- COMPARATIVE GRAPHS

Introduction (paragraph 1)

Give an overview of the main ideas in the graph (paragraph 2)

Describe the most important details, including numbers (paragraphs 3 y 4)

3- PROCESSES AND MAPS

a- Describe a process (how to produce chocolate)

b- Describe 2 maps (often in 2 cities in different time periods)

📋 It is important that you write 150 words or more. Better 170 words or more

⌛ You should spend around 20 minutes on this section of the IELTS test: PLAN, WRITE and CHECK

📝 Task 2 is worth 1/3 of your total mark for IELTS Writing.

🗝️ The key to doing well is knowing exactly what the examiners want and giving it to them.

***

How you will be assessed in IELTS Writing Task 1:

✔️ Task Achievement (25%)
✔️ Coherence and Cohesion (25%)
✔️ Lexical Resource (25%)
✔️ Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)

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🖋️ You must write an essay in response to a question.

📚 Most IELTS Writing Task 2 essays follow the same basic four paragraph structure:

Introduction - Main Body Paragraph 1 - Main Body Paragraph 2 - Conclusion

❓ 3 types
a- 1- Advantages and disadvantages / Discuss the positive and negative sides + Express your view

b- Problems and Solution / To explain the causes of a common social problem  + make some suggestions

c- Opinion Essays / State your point of view about a topic + justify your opinion

📋 It is important that you write 250 words or more. Better 270 words or more

⌛ You should spend around 40 minutes on this section of the IELTS test: PLAN, WRITE and CHECK

📝 Task 2 is worth 2/3 of your total mark for IELTS Writing.

🗝️ The key to doing well is knowing exactly what the examiners want and giving it to them.

***

How you will be assessed in IELTS Writing Task 2:

✔️ Task Achievement (25%)
✔️ Coherence and Cohesion (25%)
✔️ Lexical Resource (25%)
✔️ Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)

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Stop saying “VERY” in IELTS Speaking: Build your Vocabulary

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Introduce Yourself Fluently

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IELTS Speaking: How to Introduce Yourself - Tips and Tricks

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IELTS Speaking Topic - Home and Accommodation

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How to Compare and Contrast: Phrases, Connectors and Idioms

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The IELTS Listening test will take about 30 minutes, and you will have an extra 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the answer sheet.

The four parts of this practice Listening test are presented over four separate web pages. Make sure you move swiftly from one page to the next so that your practice is as realistic as possible.

Download the question paper and blank answer sheet before you start, and write your answers on the question paper while you are listening. Use a pencil.

Listen to the instructions for each section of the test carefully. Answer all of the questions.There are 40 questions altogether. Each question carries one mark.

For each part of the test, there will be time for you to look through the questions and time for you to check your answers.When you have completed all four parts of the Listening test you will have ten minutes to copy your answers on to a separate answer sheet.

We can make special arrangements for test takers with disabilities. If you require a modified version of the test, for example, in Braille, contact your test centre three months in advance to discuss your requirements.

Instructions to test takers

In the actual test you will be given the following instructions:

do not open this question paper until you are told to do so

write your name and candidate number in the spaces at the top of this page

listen to the instructions for each part of the paper carefully

answer all the questions

while you are listening, write your answers on the question paper

you will have 10 minutes at the end of the test to copy your answers onto the separate answer sheet; use a pencil

At the end of the test you will be asked to hand in the question paper.

Review

Once you have completed the practice test, download the answers and see how well you have done.

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Free Online IELTS Listening Practice Tests | Take IELTS

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Free online IELTS Listening practice tests to help improve your IELTS Listening scores and prepare you for your IELTS exam. Access here.

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IELTS vocabulary: Adjectives for Speaking

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IELTS vocabulary: Adjectives for Speaking

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Keith English Speaking Success

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IELTS vocabulary: Adjectives for Speaking

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IELTS Speaking Lesson: Art - Keith Speaking Academy

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A wide range of vocabulary, expressions, idioms and collocations to help you talk confidently about the IELTS Speaking topic of ART.

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Learn IELTS COLLOCATIONS and much more on Memrise

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a visual art considered to have been created primarily for aesthetic and intellectual purposes and judged for its beauty and meaningfulness, specifically, painting, sculpture, drawing, watercolour, graphics, and architecture

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IELTS Speaking Questions and Answers  - Part 3 Topic HEALTH

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Computer-delivered IELTS Tutorials and Practice Tests

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Computer-delivered IELTS Tutorials and Practice Tests

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You've come to the right place. At IDP IELTS, we provide a library of IELTS tutorials and practice materials to help you ace the test.

In this section, you will find the following tutorials to help you get familiarized with the test:

How to use the IELTS on a computer platform

Making notes

Highlighting text

Using the Help button

Computer-delivered IELTS - Writing

Computer-delivered IELTS Listening

Computer-delivered IELTS Reading

For computer-delivered IELTS practice tests, click here.
Tutorial 1: How to use the IELTS on a computer platform Tutorial 2: Making Notes Tutorial 3: Highlighting Text Tutorial 4: How to Use the Help Button Tutorial 5: Computer-delivered IELTS - Writing Tutorial 6: Computer-delivered IELTS - Listening Tutorial 7: Computer-delivered IELTS - Reading Computer-delivered IELTS - Quick Tips Videos

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Tutorial 1: How to use the IELTS on a computer platform Tutorial 2: Making Notes Tutorial 3: Highlighting Text Tutorial 4: How to Use the Help Button Tutorial 5: Computer-delivered IELTS - Writing Tutorial 6: Computer-delivered IELTS - Listening Tutorial 7: Computer-delivered IELTS - Reading Computer-delivered IELTS - [...]

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Canada has always faced several obstacles in defining itself to the outside world. For one, it's a thinly populated country of 35 million all too easily overshadowed by its neighbour, a hugely powerful country of 319 million with economic clout, an enormous film industry and high-quality TV. Then there's its history, which lacks the grand mythical arc of most other countries. And, more esoterically, there is the conundrum of the Canadian accent: to most people outside of North America, it is almost impossible to distinguish from the typical US accent - to the point that so many foreigners confuse the two when they're travelling abroad and Canadians feel the need to attach a flag to their backpacks.

By the War of 1812, in which the US invaded Canada and the UK invaded the US, much of Canada's population consisted of exiles from south of the border (Credit: Getty Images)

But despite some people's skepticism there is, in fact, a unique Canadian way of speaking and, despite its subtlety, it remains remarkably resilient. Over the last several decades, the increasing interconnectivity of the world has threatened a number of local dialects across the world, but according to Charles Boberg, an associate professor of linguistics at McGill University and the author of The English Language in Canada , the Canadian accent is stubbornly persistent: "Canadian linguistic identity is here to stay on the long term."

While exiled American loyalists to the Crown shaped the English accent in Ontario, the immigrants who settled the Maritime Provinces came from the UK and France (Credit: Alamy)

The primary reason for Canadians' hard-to-identify accent is, of course, historical. Canadian English was partly shaped by early immigrants from the UK and Ireland, but it was affected much more by the arrival of about 45,000 loyalists to the British crown during the American Revolutionary War. By the outbreak of the War of 1812 a few decades later, a significant part of the population of Ontario - which had about 100,000 inhabitants - were of US extraction. The result, especially west of Quebec, was an accent lightly shaped by British English, but much more so by 18th Century colonial American English. Since Ontarians were largely responsible for settling Western Canada in the following decades, their Americanised accent spread across the country and eventually became the de facto accent for the majority of Canadians.

There are a few exceptions: Newfoundland's population was disproportionally shaped by immigrants from southwestern England and southeastern Ireland, and since the island is geographically isolated and only joined Canada in 1949, it has retained a way of speaking that is dramatically unlike the rest of the country. Other parts of Eastern Canada - including Cape Breton Island and in parts of Prince Edward Island - have also retained distinctive accents.
History, eh?
But if a person travels into western Canada - into Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia - the accent becomes more American-sounding and locally indistinguishable. "The West was a melting pot for settlers from many regions, so there was this leveling out of differences, not only in Canada, but in the US," says Boberg. "The settlement depth in Western Canada goes into the 1890s, so it is about a century old. The time depth and the population density being very sparse, those encourage widespread leveling and homogeneity." This makes it very difficult, even for Canadians, to tell the difference between someone from Winnipeg and someone from Vancouver - or from Seattle.

For most non-native English speakers, distinguishing more generally between American and Canadian accents is extremely difficult - Boberg compares it to telling the difference between two minor areas in Britain - but linguists have isolated some distinctive qualities that are helpful. A feature of Canadian speech called 'the Canadian shift' involves something called a 'low-back merger', which describes Canadians' tendency to erase the difference between certain vowels that come from the lower part of the mouth - 'lot' and 'thought', for example. Canadians in Windsor pronounce the word 'stack' in the same way that Americans pronounce the word 'stock' in the neighboring US city of Detroit.

According to Boberg, people casually trying to identify a Canadian accent should focus two sounds. Canadians do something called 'Canadian Raising', meaning that they pronounce some two-part vowels (known as dipthongs) with a higher part of their mouths than people from other English-speaking regions - this is what causes the 'ou' sounds in words like 'out' and 'about' to be pronounced something like 'oot' and 'aboot'.

The most telltale sound, according to Boberg, is Canadians' tendency to use the 'æ' sound in words like 'mantra' and 'pasta', unlike the lower (more 'oh'-sounding) pronunciation favored by Americans. If someone says that, Boberg explains, it is almost impossible that they come from anywhere except Canada. The sound, he adds, "makes Americans' skin crawl".
Continental drift
In recent years, academics have noticed that the Canadian accent is undergoing a curious change. Known as 'the Canadian vowel shift', the vowels among a wide variety of Canadian demographics are becoming higher and pronounced further back in the mouth - bagel is turning into 'bahgel', shoes into 'shahs'. The reasons aren't clear, and despite the name of the shift, Canadians are not alone in undergoing the change: something similar is happening in parts of the US, including California (some people are describing this process as the 'Valley Girl-isation' of the Canadian accent). Other parts of the US, including some northern regions, aren't experiencing the shift, so it may end up amplifying differences between the two accents rather than muddling them.

Canadian English is so similar to US English that Canadians traveling abroad often affix their flag to their backpacks to identify themselves (Credit: Alamy)

The fact that the Canadian accent has survived this long, despite centuries of close physical and cultural proximity with the US, is a testament to people's attachment to their Canadian national identity. When new immigrants arrive in Canada, they still adopt distinctive Canadian patterns of speech - and that's not likely to change any time soon.

As Boberg explains, there are two dynamics that generally determine how the members of a contemporary community speak: one is a person's desire to be "global" and sophisticated, and the other is their desire to sound like a member of their own community. "There's that conflict of not wanting to sound embarrassingly local, but not wanting to sound snobbishly global," he says. Because people rarely want to go too far in one direction, this allows accents to evolve without fully disappearing. "Language is one of the few ways we have left of making statements of local belonging since we now all dress the same, we all watch the same movies." And as long as both of those dynamics remain in play, Canadians will continue to sound like Canadians.

If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.
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Canada has always faced several obstacles in defining itself to the outside world. For one, it's a thinly populated country of 35 million all too easily overshadowed by its neighbour, a hugely powerful country of 319 million with economic clout, an enormous film industry and high-quality TV.

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ELTS Vocabulary Guide. - TABLE OF CONTENTS

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ELTS Vocabulary Guide. - TABLE OF CONTENTS

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What kind of IELTS vocabulary words are on the test? Just how many words do you need to learn? Read on to find the answers to these important questions, along with resources to help expand your IELTS vocabulary.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Click the links below to go to each section of our IELTS Vocabulary Guide. Introduction to IELTS Vocabulary IELTS Academic Vocabulary IELTS Conversational Vocabulary Learn IELTS Vocab with Magoosh Comics Magoosh IELTS Vocabulary Flashcards All About IELTS Speaking Vocabulary The Magoosh IELTS Vocabulary PDF Additional Vocabulary Resources The Takeaway
All About IELTS Vocabulary: An Introduction

What is vocabulary like on the IELTS test? Before I give you an answer, there's one thing you should remember: when it comes to vocabulary, the IELTS isn't one test. It's really four tests. Each section of the IELTS-Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking-has its own unique mix of vocabulary.

Still, these sections do have one thing in common: each part of the IELTS features either academic vocabulary, conversational vocabulary, or a combination of both.

Here is a helpful video we've made that introduces you to a handful of the vocabulary words you'll encounter.

There are many different IELTS word lists out there, and each list has a different number of words. So, exactly how many words do you need to know for the IELTS? The answer is that you can't know. There's no exact number of words that is guaranteed to give you full mastery of vocabulary for the test. In general, the more words you know, the better.

How to Expand Your IELTS Vocabulary

The real way to see if you know enough words isn't to memorize a fixed number of them. Instead, you should start by doing IELTS practice questions. As you practice IELTS questions, how do you do with vocabulary? How many words do you not know? How does this affect your IELTS performance?

One quick way to get a feel for this is to take a full-length IELTS practice test. As you take an IELTS practice test, ask yourself: Can I understand all the necessary information in the recordings and the reading passages? Can I express my ideas in both written and spoken language effectively and accurately, by using various words?

Once you've taken a practice exam and have an idea of your current level of vocabulary, you can start to work to expand your vocabulary.

Keep in mind: Expanding your vocabulary is not just remembering the spelling and translation of vocabulary lists. It is about learning meanings, functions, phrases, and more. Therefore, learning new words should be based on meaningful contexts. Check out our free list of IELTS vocabulary words, five ways to learn and remember English vocabulary, and our other vocabulary posts for suggestions!

Another quick way to expand your vocabulary is to learn the meaning of prefixes and suffixes. Prefixes are letters attached to the beginning of a word root while suffixes are letters attached to the ending of a word root. Each prefix and suffix carry a certain meaning. We can deduce the meaning of new words based on the prefix or suffix, and the word root.

For example, the word imperfect consists of the prefix im- and the word root perfect. We know im- means "not" and perfect means "having no mistakes and flaws." Then we can deduce that imperfect means "not perfect, having mistakes and flaws." Here is a list of common prefixes and suffixes with examples provided.

Academic Vocabulary on the IELTS

You'll find academic passages in IELTS Reading, and these passages are full of academic vocabulary. This is true both for IELTS Academic Reading and IELTS General Training Reading. On either version of the exam, you'll read educational nonfiction articles that deal with specific academic topics. This means you'll need to know vocabulary related to science, history, economics, and so on.

Similarly, on both tests, the IELTS Listening sections also touch on academic vocabulary, with educational talks and university-style lectures. Vocabulary for IELTS essays varies, depending on the Writing task.

Academic Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 1

In IELTS Academic Writing, the vocabulary for Writing Task 1 is related to summarizing factual information. The task requires you to describe the contents of a detailed informational graph or chart. This means you need to write a factual, source-based essay. You'll be required to use "reporting verbs," or verbs that describe the way information is given. For example, you might say "the chart illustrates..." or "the graph presents..." or "the table demonstrates ...." You'll also need to use adjectives such as "approximately" or "gradually" to describe data, or changes to data over time.

You can find a full guide to vocabulary in the Academic Writing Task 1 in the Magoosh IELTS Vocabulary PDF. Then, to get a full picture of what this task looks like, read Eliot's Complete Guide to IELTS Writing Task 1. Eliot's guide helps you to really apply the vocabulary, and create a well-formed, complete graph essay.

In contrast, vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 1 on the General Training test is more informal and conversational. For General Training, the first Writing task involves personal and professional emails and letters.

Academic Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 2

For both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, the second Writing task is the same. Here, you'll need to use vocabulary that's appropriate for a short, university style essay.

Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 2 depends a lot on the specific essay question you are given. And we have specific vocabulary resources for specific question types:

What's important is that you are good at using written vocabulary in context. For more information on how to use vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 2, see Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 2. Finally, if you are looking to improve your writing for Task 2, take a look at Magoosh's Complete Guide to IELTS Writing Task 2.

Academic Vocabulary on the IELTS and GRE

It's also worth noting that the academic vocabulary on the IELTS is similar to academic vocabulary on a number of other standardized tests. This is convenient for the many students who need to take both the IELTS and the GRE. IELTS Reading and GRE Reading Comprehension feature very similar vocabulary words.

But the similarities don't end there. The IELTS Writing Task and the GRE's AWA issue task have very similar questions, and you can use very similar vocabulary in both essays. Moreover, even GRE Quant, which focuses on math rather than language, has some vocabulary in common with the IELTS. You'll need to read and understand similar graph and chart labels in GRE Quant, and on the graphs found in IELTS Listening and IELTS Academic Writing Task 1.

Links to Academic IELTS Vocabulary Lists

Magoosh has a number of posts that define common academic vocabulary words that appear on the IELTS. For your convenience, here are links to all of our posts in one place, as well as a video to get you started.

IELTS Conversational Vocabulary

On both versions of the IELTS exam, IELTS Listening also has a lot of conversational vocabulary. But don't get the wrong idea. You're not simply listening to informal conversations between friends. Instead, in IELTS Listening, you'll hear people having business-related conversations. You might hear an exchange between a customer and a clerk at a store, or listen to someone make a phone call to a travel agent.

On the IELTS General Training exam, you see some of this conversational vocabulary in the Reading section as well. IELTS General Training Reading includes short flyers and bulletins about things like public events, services, store refund policies, products for sale, and so on. These short written pieces are full of IELTS conversational vocabulary.

So how are these flyers and bulletins "conversational?" I'm glad you asked! These kinds of IELTS texts contain the same kinds of words you'd use if you were actually talking to someone about events, services, shopping, or goods. To see what I mean, you can check out some real IELTS General Training passages on the official IELTS website. Take, for example, this bulletin about a recalled product, or this handbill for a group bicycling activity.

The IELTS General Training exam also has a conversational Writing Task. In IELTS General Training Writing Task 1, you need to write a letter, either to a colleague or a friend. This kind of writing is very informal, similar to speech, and it requires a good range of conversational English vocabulary.

Links to IELTS Conversational Vocabulary Word Lists

Learn IELTS Vocab the Magoosh Way... With Comics

Magoosh offers a special resource to help you really remember and master all the IELTS vocabulary you need. In our Magoosh Comics series, you'll find cartoons that help you remember the meanings of academic words. We also offer comic strips that let you visualize the use of IELTS conversational vocabulary in context. You can see a few examples below.

Sample Science Word Cartoon

Sample University Vocabulary Comic Strip

Sample Conversational Vocabulary Comic Strip

Magoosh Comics: The Complete IELTS Vocabulary Collection

Below is a complete set of links to all of the Magoosh Comics I've created on the IELTS Blog... so far.

Learn IELTS Vocab with Magoosh IELTS Flashcards

In addition to our comic strips, Magoosh IELTS offers free flashcards for over 600 common IELTS words. So what are you waiting for? Check out the Magoosh IELTS Vocabulary Flashcards online right now, or get on your phone and download our app for Android or Apple.

IELTS Speaking Vocabulary: A Little Academic, a Little Conversational

If you're an observant IELTS student, you've probably been getting impatient with me. "Why hasn't he mentioned IELTS English vocabulary for Speaking?" you may have asked.

Don't worry-I've been building up to it... and for good reason. The IELTS Speaking section deserves special attention. This section tests your vocabulary in a way that is unique and challenging.

For one thing, in IELTS Speaking Part 1 and IELTS Speaking Part 3, you need to actually use vocabulary in a live, ongoing conversation. You can't pause to think of the right word, the way that you would in IELTS Writing. You are expected to respond immediately to vocabulary words you hear. You have little time to pause and think about what you've heard. This means you'll need more than just passive listening or reading skills in conversational vocabulary.

Part 2 of IELTS Speaking is an even more special case. This is the IELTS Speaking "long turn." Here, you need to give a speech-2 to 3 minutes long-where you express a personal opinion about a social issue. This is similar to the kind of talk you might give in a university speech class. So you'll need to know the vocabulary of formal speech, rather than conversation... and you'll need to know some good academic transition words.

Above all, IELTS vocab for Speaking is a huge part of your Speaking score. In fact, "lexical resource," meaning variety and range of vocabulary, makes up 25% of your IELTS Speaking score. (See the official IELTS Speaking band descriptors.) So you need to develop a good range of high-level vocabulary.

Elsewhere on this blog, Trisha offers a lot of powerful advice on how to broaden your English vocabulary for speaking with the interviewer. Read her post, " High-Level Vocabulary in the IELTS Speaking Test," for skills-building advice.

Scroll down for a look at the types of vocabulary you need for the three parts of the IELTS Speaking Interview. From there, be sure to check out the list of IELTS Speaking Vocabulary words in the Magoosh IELTS Vocabulary PDF.

IELTS Vocabulary for Speaking: Parts 1 and 3

In IELTS Speaking Part 1, you'll have a fast-paced conversation about your personal experiences. In Part 3, you will again have an active, personal conversation. The difference is that in Part 3, you aren't just giving basic facts about your personal life. In this final section of IELTS Speaking, you also reflect on your personal life. This means you state your opinions about personal experiences you've had, and describe how these experiences affected you.

The topics of discussion in IELTS Speaking Parts 1 and 3 vary, but there are several common topics. You can find example questions for these topics in Magoosh's IELTS Speaking Topics PDF.

Magoosh also provides a long list of words related to common IELTS Speaking topics and common Part 1 and 3 transitions. They're in our IELTS Vocabulary PDF.

IELTS Vocabulary for Speaking: Part 2

IELTS Speaking Part 2 serves as a kind of "bridge" between Parts 1 and 3 of the IELTS interview. After giving basic personal facts in Part 1, Part 2 gives you a chance to reflect on your personal experiences in a longer speech.

The Part 1 and Part 3 vocabulary words are also potentially useful in IELTS Speaking Part 2. However, IELTS Speaking Part 2 requires you to use additional types of academic words. You'll need your speech to be just a little bit more formal than usual.

Don't worry-you don't need to use the highly formal vocabulary you'd use in IELTS Writing. Your speech can still have a natural, informal tone, for the most part. But it is a good idea to use formal transition words.

Because you are talking "solo," without any replies from your interviewer, strong transition words are important. They help your interviewer understand your ideas, even though he or she cannot stop you to ask for clarification or extra information. In our IELTS Vocabulary PDF, you can find a list of formal transition words for the Speaking long turn.

The Magoosh IELTS Vocabulary PDF

Many Magoosh students have asked if I know of any test-specific vocabulary lists with meanings for each word, available as a free PDF download. I researched this, and found surprisingly few good vocabulary PDFs that are available on the web for free. So, I talked with the Magoosh IELTS management. We decided to solve this vocabulary PDF problem with a new resource for all of you Magooshers: the Magoosh IELTS Vocabulary PDF!

You'll notice we've referenced the new PDF frequently in this post. It's a great resource with vocabulary word lists and advice for each section of the IELTS. We're proud to present this wonderful new study aid to anyone who wants to use it. Enjoy, and feel free to let us know what you think in the comments.

Additional IELTS Vocabulary Resources

It's best to approach all of your Magoosh study materials with vocabulary in mind. If you use a study schedule, such as our academic IELTS one month study schedule or our one week IELTS study schedule, be sure to think carefully about how vocabulary fits into all of your study and practice activities. And as you look for the best IELTS books and resources, think about how these resources can help you build your vocabulary, directly or indirectly.

Beyond the resources Magoosh currently offers, there are other places where you can find excellent vocabulary study materials. Cambridge has made an especially good official IELTS vocabulary book, " Vocabulary for IELTS." I own a copy of this book, and I highly recommend it.

If you don't want to buy a book and would prefer to find word lists online, I recommend the IELTS word lists you can find on Vocabulary.com. For especially ambitious scholars, I specifically recommend Vocabulary.com's IELTS vocabulary for 8 band page.

For a particularly good academic vocabulary list, I also recommend the Academic Word List, or AWL. It wasn't created specifically for the IELTS, but it does cover all the kinds of academic words you'll find on the test. The AWL features the academic vocabulary words that most often appear in university-level texts and lectures.

The Takeaway

IELTS vocab skills lead to exam success. There are many good resources, both here at Magoosh and in other places, that can help you learn IELTS vocabulary.

To truly master IELTS vocabulary, memorization exercises and flashcards are helpful. But there's far more to vocabulary than just memorization. To really shine on the IELTS, make sure you are ready to not just recall vocabulary, but also to understand vocabulary in context. And of course, be prepared to fluently use IELTS English vocabulary in context, in your own writing and speech. Good luck!

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The Complete Guide to IELTS Vocabulary - Magoosh Blog - IELTS® Exam

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What kind of IELTS vocabulary words are on the test? Just how many words do you need to learn? Read on to find the answers to these important questions, along with resources to help expand your IELTS vocabulary. Click the links below to go to each section of our IELTS Vocabulary Guide.

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IELTS Writing - Master the IELTS Writing Test - British Council

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IELTS Writing - Master the IELTS Writing Test - British Council

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IELTS Writing - Master the IELTS Writing Test - British Council

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IELTS Writing Task 2 | Everything You Need To Know

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IELTS Writing Task 2 | Everything You Need To Know

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by @ieltsadvantage  @ChristopherPell

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IELTS Writing Task 2 | Everything You Need To Know

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30 Tough but Very Important Advanced Verbs for Daily Use

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30 Tough but Very Important Advanced Verbs for Daily Use | Learn English Vocabulary

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En un lago hay una superficie cubierta de nenúfares y cada día esa extensión dobla su tamaño. Si tarda 10 días en cubrir el lago, ¿cuánto tarda en cubrir la mitad del lago?

Una pareja de recién casados, quieren contraer matrimonio pero la iglesia está cerrada ¿Cómo se casan?

Ver respuesta

Un bate y una pelota cuestan 110 € en conjunto. El bate cuesta 100 € más que la pelota. ¿Cuánto cuesta la pelota?

Ver respuesta

Entre pared y pared
hay una santa mujer,
ni es de carne,
ni es de hueso
y siempre lo tiene tieso.

Ver respuesta

Viste de chaleco blanco
Y también de negro frac.
Es un ave que no vuela
Pero sí sabe nadar.

Ver respuesta

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En un lago hay una superficie cubierta de nenúfares y cada día esa... Adivinanza

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En un lago hay una superficie cubierta de nenúfares y cada día esa extensión dobla su tamaño. Si tarda 10 días en cubrir el lago, ¿cuánto tarda en cubrir la mitad del lago? Una pareja de recién casados, quieren contraer matrimonio pero la iglesia está cerrada ¿Cómo se casan?

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Free IELTS preparation webinars and IELTS Study PacK

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Sign up for your free webinar

Our free weekly IELTS webinars cover a wide range of topics across all four IELTS skills. Each webinar is conducted by a qualified IELTS expert, who provides in-depth guidance on various aspects of the test and answers your questions to help your preparation.

These webinars have been a tremendous success with people participating from all around the world, and we have received excellent feedback from many of you.

Based on your feedback and suggestions, we have created a brand new series of topics.

Webinars will be held twice a day at 9:30 am and 3:00 pm UK time. So sign up and get ready for your IELTS test!

Webinars schedule

Thursday 01 April 2021

Speaking: Narrative tenses

Thursday 08 April 2021

Academic writing task 1: Processes and maps

Thursday 15 April 2021

Reading: True/False/Not Given and Multiple choice questions

Thursday 22 April 2021

Grammar for Writing task 1

Thursday 29 April 2021

Writing task 2: Problems and solutions

Thursday 06 May 2021

Vocabulary for IELTS Speaking: lexical sets

Thursday 13 May 2021

IELTS Reading: Flow chart and table completion questions

Thursday 20 May 2021

Writing task 1: 2-diagram questions

Thursday 27 May 2021

Writing task 2: Coherence and cohesion

We suggest you join the webinars as early as possible since the number of participants is limited and places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Please note: If you signed up for our webinars previously, you don't need to do it again. You'll receive an email with the updated schedule automatically.

IELTS expert Facebook sessions

You can also join our IELTS Expert Facebook live sessions - Join now!

Friday 9 April 2021, 08:00 GMT

Time Management on IELTS Test Day

Friday 16 April 2021, 08:00 GMT

Sentence Types/Improving Grammatical Range

Friday 23 April 2021, 08:00 GMT

Developing Responses for IELTS Speaking Part 3

Friday 7 May 2021, 08:00 GMT

Vocabulary Games

Friday 14 May 2021, 08:00 GMT

Formal/Informal language

Friday 21 May 2021, 08:00 GMT

Reading Skills for IELTS General Training

Sign up for your free webinar

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Sign up for your free webinar Our free weekly IELTS webinars cover a wide range of topics across all four IELTS skills. Each webinar is conducted by a qualified IELTS expert, who provides in-depth guidance on various aspects of the test and answers your questions to help your preparation.

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IELTS True False Not GivenReading Lesson 3

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IELTS True False Not GivenReading Lesson 3

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TIPS AND STRATEGIES

If the fact you are given is clearly in the reading it is True

If the reading says the opposite of the fact you've been given it is False

If it is not true or false, it is Not Given

Strategies to answer the questions

The questions follow the order of the text.

Read the question carefully to make sure you fully understand what it is saying.

Scan the text to find where the answer is using key words from the question

When you find where the answer is, read the text carefully to identify if you think it is T, F or NG.

The questions will probably use synonyms rather than the words in the text.

Look out for controlling words such as “only”, “all’, “never” etc. For example, if the fact in the question says 'some' and the fact in the text says 'all', then it is F.

Do not spend a long time looking for the answer to one question; it is probably NG, if you cannot find it.

Make sure you use the correct code; 'Yes', 'No', 'No Information' is sometimes used (these question are slightly different and you look for opinions rather than facts)

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Lesson 1: Paragraph Headings

Lesson 2: Multiple Choice & Scanning

Lesson 3: True, False, Not Given

Lesson 4: Matching Paragraph Headings

Lesson 5: Sentence Completion

Lesson 6: Multiple Choice / Skimming and Scanning

Lesson 7: Guessing meaning from context

Lesson 8: The difference between false and not given

Lesson 9: IELTS Reading Strategies

Lesson 10: IELTS Short Answer Questions

Lesson 11: IELTS Gapped Summary

Lesson 12: Understanding Not Given Questions

https://www.ieltsbuddy.com/ielts-reading-practice.html

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¡MUY BUENO!

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Learn IELTS COLLOCATIONS and much more on Memrise

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a visual art considered to have been created primarily for aesthetic and intellectual purposes and judged for its beauty and meaningfulness, specifically, painting, sculpture, drawing, watercolour, graphics, and architecture

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Pronunciation with Emma

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How to Pronounce all the VOWEL SOUNDS in BRITISH ENGLISH

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Five essential writing skills for Academic Task 1

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Five essential writing skills for Academic Task 1

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Home " IELTS academic task 1 " Five essential writing skills for Academic Task 1

In this tutorial we look at:

1. Essential language for academic task 1: comparison, change, process, and topic specific vocabulary for the IELTS exam.

2. Task response, identifying trends, overall ideas, maximums, minimums, patterns and changes. BIG TIP GROUPING IS ESSENTIAL AND LISTING IS ABYSMAL!

3. Transforming graph labels into grammatical sentences - key skill (explained below)

4. Superlatives (explained in details below).

5. Paraphrasing.

Transforming graph labels into grammatical sentences - key skill (explained below)

To compare data from a graph or table, it is necessary to create noun phrases by transforming the labels from the diagram (which will usually be single words, or in ungrammatical note-form) into full grammatical phrases which agree grammatically with the rest of your sentence.

For example, we see in the graph:

This label needs to be transformed to fit into a grammatical sentence, e.g.:
The percentage of university educated people (18%) was almost equal to the percentage of non-university educated people (21%). Hair colours in Acme Corp:
Brown 21%
Blonde 18%
Black 12%
Ginger 49% The percentage of blonde workers (18%) was almost equal to the percentage of brown haired employees (21%). Drinking Preferences in Eastern Europe 2015
Filtered 16%
Un-filtered 14%
Purified 40%
Mineralised 30%
Again these labels need to be transformed to fit into a grammatical sentence, e.g.:
The percentage of Eastern Europeans who prefer un-filtered water (14%) was almost equal to the percentage of those who prefer filtered water. Eating Preferences in Eastern Europe 2015
Paleo 16%
Vegan 14%
Carnivore 40%
Vegetarian 30% The percentage of vegans (14%) was almost equal to the percentage of those following a paleo diet (16%).
Bonus tip:
Find a similarity
The percentage of university educated people (18%) was almost equal to the percentage of non-university educated people (21%).
Superlatives - the basics (a quick recap)

If we use a superlative adjective ('the most popular country for tourists') then there is obviously only one (or one group) of the thing we are talking about.
There is one country which is the most popular in the graph, and because it's clear to the listener which one we mean, we usually use the:
In 2018, Germany saw the largest growth in exports. The largest fraction of the pie chart is the foreign section, representing over 20% of the total. The most significant fraction of the pie chart is the imports section, representing almost 90% of the total. The most fluctuations can be seen in the year 1998, ranging from a low of 20 to a high of 100. Although the overseas section is the largest, the smallest section belongs to the domestic sector at just 11%
Remember, we don't use 'the' when there is a possessive:
Russia's best year is clearly 2010 when exports rose to well over 300,000 tonnes. Regarding cereals, wheat has its largest surge in popularity in the final quarter of 2018, reaching just over 500,000. China's most productive year was in 2010, when it almost reached 900,000.
Take a look at sample academic task 1 essays to help you with your IELTS preparation and our IELTS writing evaluation.

More Useful Task 1 Tutorials:

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Writing Skills for IELTS Academic Task 1 | IELTS Podcast

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Home " IELTS academic task 1 " Five essential writing skills for Academic Task 1 Essential language for academic task 1: comparison, change, process, and topic specific vocabulary for the IELTS exam. Task response, identifying trends, overall ideas, maximums, minimums, patterns and changes. BIG TIP GROUPING IS ESSENTIAL AND LISTING IS ABYSMAL!

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Salma was preparing with Daphne and writing essays and getting feedback almost daily.

She soon realised she had made the right decision when her essays were improving.

Daphne helped her with:

sentence constructions

word choice

grammar improvement

And finally, she got a Band 7!

Listen to the full story here: https://www.ieltspodcast.com/audio-tutorials/salma-recently-passed-ielts/

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IELTS podcast - IELTS Writing Band 7 - Salma recently passed her IELTS exam (May 2021)

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Salma was preparing with Daphne and writing essays and getting feedback almost daily. She soon realised she had made the right decision when her essays were improving. Daphne helped her with: * sentence constructions * word choice * grammar improvement And finally, she got a Band 7!

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https://www.allearsenglish.com/episodes/ielts/

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Do you want to get a band 7 on the IELTS exam? IELTS exam preparation doesn't have to be hard or boring! It can be fun! Lindsay and Jessica from All Ears English are back with a new way to help you achieve the IELTS score you need for the General or the Academic exam! We'll give you IELTS strategies, practice, tips, tricks, and secrets using real English examples. We'll show you how to take control of the Speaking Section by reducing anxiety, panic, and fear. You'll learn what to do when your mind goes blank, how to organize your thoughts and how to use intonation, English pronunciation and native English vocabulary such as phrasal verbs and idioms to impress the Examiner. You'll find out which grammar points you should use in the Speaking Test and which ones you should avoid to get a band 7. You'll also get guidance on how to prepare for Writing Task 1 and Writing Task 2 with help on the opinion essay, graphs and charts, and the argument or discursive essay. You'll get tips on how to succeed with IELTS listening comprehension strategies and how to get the highest possible score on the reading test. You'll find out how to use practice tests to get the maximum score increase to go from a 5 or 6 to a 7 or higher. We'll show you the common mistakes that most students make on test day, what to expect on the day of the exam, and how the exam is structured. You'll get the best possible resource recommendations from Jessica Beck who has taught IELTS for more than 14 years.

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Do you want to get a band 7 on the IELTS exam? IELTS exam preparation doesn't have to be hard or boring! It can be fun! Lindsay and Jessica from All Ears English are back with a new way to help you achieve the IELTS score you need for the General or the Academic exam!

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Home " IELTS speaking " Idioms for IELTS speaking

IELTS speaking exam can be a stressful experience. Speaking in English to a person who is judging your every word can feel a little scary to say the least.

That's why we advise you to use as many idioms and collocations as you can. This will make your English language sound a lot more natural and fluent.

Although idioms and collocations are both very much alike, there is a difference between the two:
Collocations can still hold the same meaning when the words are separated. Idioms lose the meaning if the words are split.
Take a look at some idioms for IELTS here:

What is an idiom?

In other words, an idiom is a group of words that creates a specific meaning about a subject. If that group is separated, the meaning is lost.

In this podcast tutorial we cover 14 different idioms. Some of them are good for describing people - a usual task in the IELTS Speaking Exam. Others are useful for describing interests and activities.

Listening to this podcast will help you understand when and how to use these expressions, and most importantly, how to pronounce them.
At the end of this article you will also find all of the idioms we mention with explanations and examples.
Practising idioms for IELTS speaking exam

To practise idioms you can try doing this mock IELTS speaking exam. You can time your answers and get a rough idea on how much time you get to answer a question.

If you would like more useful information to help you with your IELTS Speaking Exam, you can check out more speaking tips and mock IELTS speaking exams with band 9 answers.

Phrases to help you through your IELTS speaking exam

Use these with caution and only when appropriate. Although they are extremely useful, overuse could sound unnatural, scripted and memorised.

If I remember correctly it was...

This is a great phrase to start talking about something in the past. You could use it quite easily in part 2 of the exam, when giving an example. It's also suitable for for use with part 3.

If my memory serves me well...

This is similar to the phrase above. Phrases like these buy you a few seconds of "thinking time" so you can organise the rest of your answer.

I can't remember exactly but I think it was...

Another variation of the previous two. Using all three of the phrases instead of the same one three times will improve your lexical resource score.

Well to be totally honest I've never really thought about before...

Another totally natural sounding native English speaker phrase. For band 9 delivery, remember the intonation and rhythm within this phrase. It starts higher, dips in the middle, then picks up at the end, like you would be asking a question.

I guess you could say...

Similar to the previous one, this is great when you might not be fully convinced with your own answer. For example, you are asked about a topic you have no idea about.

However, you want to show that you are thinking about this topic. This is totally fine and natural for the exam. Never forget, IELTS is a test of language, not intelligence.

It's funny you should mention that because just yesterday...

Use this when you want to convey (or make up) something coincendicial. Here the word "funny" is not connected to humour but more like odd or strange.

It's best to use this if there has been an actual coincidence or you can confidently "manufacture" one.

Well, I think nowadays it's a difficult question because...

This will most likely be useful for part 3, when you start getting more challenging questions and perhaps need a few seconds to prepare.

You would probably never use this in part 1.

Yes definitely, there are a few reasons for this, firstly.... and secondly...

Use this to agree with the examiner and build out your answer. Be careful though, if you receive a question with options like this:

Do you think trust is declining or increasing in modern society?

You must choose one side and then adapt it into your answer:
Trust is definitely decreasing, there are a few reasons for this, firstly.... and secondly...
A list of idioms to help your IELTS speaking exam

1. Fresh as a daisy

Someone who is lively and attractive, in a clean, fresh way.
My sister has been travelling for almost 24 hours, and she's still as fresh as a daisy.
2. Couch potato

Spending too much time on the internet or watching TV.
My uncle is such a couch potato! He often spends his Saturdays watching American football on TV.
3. Full of beans

A person who is lively, active and healthy.
My 6 year old nephew is full of beans! He has more energy than three adults.
4. A bad egg

Someone who is untrustworthy.
Hey, Sue, I think your neighbour is a bad egg. He has these scary looking guys in black leather hanging around his place all the time.
5. Down to earth

Someone who is practical and realistic.
My aunt Karen is so down to earth. She can figure out any difficult situation, and offer a good solution.
6. Party pooper

A person who is gloomy, and having no fun at a social gathering.
Listen, my friend, I'm so sorry to be a party pooper, but I have to study for my IELTS speaking exam tomorrow.
7. Eager beaver

A person who is hardworking and enthusiastic.
My colleague drives me crazy! She is such an eager beaver that she always volunteers for overtime.
8. Ball in your court

It's your decision or responsibility to do something now.
Well, my friend, the ball's in your court. I'll wait for your decision.
9. Throw in the towel

Give up.
I've spent too much time on this project to throw in the towel now.
10. Get a head start

Start before all others.
Let's get up early tomorrow to get a head start on our drive to Toronto.
11. Get a second wind

Have a burst of energy after tiring.
After having a coffee and a sandwich, he got his second wind, and finished painting the kitchen.
12. Jump the gun

Start too early.
I think I jumped the gun by buying my friends James and Susan a wedding gift. They just called off their engagement.
13. Give it my best shot

Try your hardest.
This test question is really tough! I'll give it my best shot, and I'll get some marks for doing my best.
14. On the ball

Ready and able.
Our department receptionist is really on the ball when it comes to fielding calls from annoyed students.
For more help with your IELTS speaking, take a look at our online course and some more speaking tutorials here :

Audio tutorial

Download the podcast here:

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Useful idioms for the IELTS Exam | IELTSPodcast

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Home " IELTS speaking " Idioms for IELTS speaking IELTS speaking exam can be a stressful experience. Speaking in English to a person who is judging your every word can feel a little scary to say the least. That's why we advise you to use as many idioms and collocations as you can.

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1. Friends and family

2. Food and nutrition

3. Travel and tourism

4. Modern technology

5. Coronavirus vocabulary (new)

6. Pollution and the environment

7. People, personalities and characters

8. Fitness and health

9. School and education

10. Work and careers

11. University and student life

12. Accommodation

13. Books, film and art

14. Climate change

15. Working from home

16. Social media

17. Advertising

18. Fashion and shopping

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Welcome to the IELTS Vocabulary page! If you're preparing for the IELTS exam, you already know that a strong vocabulary is crucial for success.

Here we put together lists of topic-specific vocabulary and the way you can use them in the exam.

You'll find detailed explanations and an IELTS vocabulary list to practice and improve your vocabulary.

Table of Contents

Vocabulary or lexical resource is responsible for 25% of your final grade, in both the speaking and writing sections.

Here we have a list of the topics you can expect to find on the exam, we are updating it each week.

It's common to be stuck with an IELTS exam score of 6.5 and believe in order to get a band 7 they need to improve their IELTS vocabulary.

However, without feedback, evaluation or expert exam help, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly which area you need to get help for.

How can I improve my vocabulary for IELTS?

Constantly build your passive vocabulary word lists by reading and listening. Then move these words into your active vocabulary by using them when speaking or writing.

To improve faster, when reading, listening or watching English material, try to capture new words in a phrasebook. If you have time add the context too.

The next time you write an essay, review it and look for opportunities to add the words from your list into your text.

Likewise, when speaking try to incorporate your new vocab into your conversations, don't force them though because it will sound odd!

Idioms can be extracted from films and English podcasts, however, I'd recommend audio material because there are no visual clues, making listening a little harder.

Active reading is a great habit to develop and a vital exam preparation skill. Active reading is where you circle, underline and mark the text you are reading, so as to ease comprehension.

If you want to accelerate your learning, have a look at some tutorials about vocabulary acquisition. This page includes how to use a vocabulary phrase book and flashcards.

Take a look at our article which will provide tips and strategies to improve your vocabulary.

Vocabulary for IELTS speaking topics

Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task

IELTS vocabulary for the writing section refers to the academic style and word choice (lexical resource) when writing your essay.

Below we have put together tutorials with word lists to help you improve your IELTS score.

1. Vocabulary about climate change (word list included)

2. Vocabulary: the environment (with Ted Talk and list of collocations)

3. Vocabulary: sports topics (with Ted Talk and list of collocations)

4. Vocabulary: globalisation - with Ted Talk presentation

5. Vocabulary about law and order (word list included)

6. Vocabulary: technology

7. Vocabulary: politics with Ted Talk presentation

8. Vocabulary: language and culture - with Ted Talk

9. Vocabulary: health with Ted Talk presentation

10. Vocabulary: education topic with Ted Talk and list of collocations

11. Vocabulary about crime

12. Vocabulary about employment and equal pay

13. Vocabulary about fossil fuels

14. Vocabulary about employment

15. Vocabulary: employment and highly skilled jobs

16. Vocabulary about sport with Ted Talk presentation

Video: How to Expand Your Writing Vocabulary (+ 10 words)

What is a vocabulary collocation?

A collocation is a group of words that has an above-average possibility of being found together.

Using collocations in your writing and IELTS speaking helps to make your language sound more natural and fluent. This in turn makes your writing flow and helps you get a better scoring essay.

Important Vocabulary List to learn for IELTS

We have compiled a list of the most essential vocabulary words and phrases you need to know to perform well on the exam.

Our expertly curated list covers a range of topics commonly found on the IELTS exam, from education and technology to travel and the environment.

With our guide, you'll be able to expand your vocabulary and improve your overall score on the IELTS.

Modern Technology

Global Warming

Food and Nutrition

Travel
Immigration
What is the best way to learn topic-specific collocations?

The best way to learn topic-specific collocations is to look for them being used in context. We in the lists above, extracted collocations from Ted Talks, so you can identify how they are used in context.

Using topic-specific vocabulary, collocations and words from the academic vocabulary list will help considerably.

Below is a free PDF ebook of lexical resources with lots of vocabulary lists and examples to learn new vocabulary for your English language study. If you are still struggling then check out the Jump to Band 7 or its Free IELTS Course.
Click here for a free master list of collocations!
VIDEO: IELTS Topic Specific Vocabulary and Collocations

Other IELTS Vocabulary Lessons

Audio tutorial

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

To improve your vocabulary you could get feedback from an ex-IELTS examiner, our service offers very detailed IELTS essay feedback on your vocabulary and word choice.

However, if you are on a budget and need instant feedback then try our online IELTS writing evaluation, fast and free!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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IELTS Vocabulary: Lexical Resource, and Topic specific vocabulary

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Take a look at our IELTS Vocabulary. This lexical resource has a range of topic specific vocabulary and collocations. Subscribe for more.

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Vocabulary about climate change (word list included)

Vocabulary: the environment (with Ted Talk and list of collocations)

Vocabulary: sports topics (with Ted Talk and list of collocations)

Vocabulary: globalisation – with Ted Talk presentation

Vocabulary about law and order (word list included)

Vocabulary: technology

Vocabulary: politics with Ted Talk presentation

Vocabulary: language and culture – with Ted Talk

Vocabulary: health with Ted Talk presentation

Vocabulary: education topic with Ted Talk and list of collocations

Vocabulary about Crime

Vocabulary about Employment and Equal Pay

Vocabulary about Fossil Fuels

Vocabulary about Employment

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Welcome to the IELTS Vocabulary page! If you're preparing for the IELTS exam, you already know that a strong vocabulary is crucial for success.

Here we put together lists of topic-specific vocabulary and the way you can use them in the exam.

You'll find detailed explanations and an IELTS vocabulary list to practice and improve your vocabulary.

Table of Contents

Vocabulary or lexical resource is responsible for 25% of your final grade, in both the speaking and writing sections.

Here we have a list of the topics you can expect to find on the exam, we are updating it each week.

It's common to be stuck with an IELTS exam score of 6.5 and believe in order to get a band 7 they need to improve their IELTS vocabulary.

However, without feedback, evaluation or expert exam help, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly which area you need to get help for.

How can I improve my vocabulary for IELTS?

Constantly build your passive vocabulary word lists by reading and listening. Then move these words into your active vocabulary by using them when speaking or writing.

To improve faster, when reading, listening or watching English material, try to capture new words in a phrasebook. If you have time add the context too.

The next time you write an essay, review it and look for opportunities to add the words from your list into your text.

Likewise, when speaking try to incorporate your new vocab into your conversations, don't force them though because it will sound odd!

Idioms can be extracted from films and English podcasts, however, I'd recommend audio material because there are no visual clues, making listening a little harder.

Active reading is a great habit to develop and a vital exam preparation skill. Active reading is where you circle, underline and mark the text you are reading, so as to ease comprehension.

If you want to accelerate your learning, have a look at some tutorials about vocabulary acquisition. This page includes how to use a vocabulary phrase book and flashcards.

Take a look at our article which will provide tips and strategies to improve your vocabulary.

Vocabulary for IELTS speaking topics

Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task

IELTS vocabulary for the writing section refers to the academic style and word choice (lexical resource) when writing your essay.

Below we have put together tutorials with word lists to help you improve your IELTS score.

1. Vocabulary about climate change (word list included)

2. Vocabulary: the environment (with Ted Talk and list of collocations)

3. Vocabulary: sports topics (with Ted Talk and list of collocations)

4. Vocabulary: globalisation - with Ted Talk presentation

5. Vocabulary about law and order (word list included)

6. Vocabulary: technology

7. Vocabulary: politics with Ted Talk presentation

8. Vocabulary: language and culture - with Ted Talk

9. Vocabulary: health with Ted Talk presentation

10. Vocabulary: education topic with Ted Talk and list of collocations

11. Vocabulary about crime

12. Vocabulary about employment and equal pay

13. Vocabulary about fossil fuels

14. Vocabulary about employment

15. Vocabulary: employment and highly skilled jobs

16. Vocabulary about sport with Ted Talk presentation

Video: How to Expand Your Writing Vocabulary (+ 10 words)

What is a vocabulary collocation?

A collocation is a group of words that has an above-average possibility of being found together.

Using collocations in your writing and IELTS speaking helps to make your language sound more natural and fluent. This in turn makes your writing flow and helps you get a better scoring essay.

Important Vocabulary List to learn for IELTS

We have compiled a list of the most essential vocabulary words and phrases you need to know to perform well on the exam.

Our expertly curated list covers a range of topics commonly found on the IELTS exam, from education and technology to travel and the environment.

With our guide, you'll be able to expand your vocabulary and improve your overall score on the IELTS.

Modern Technology

Global Warming

Food and Nutrition

Travel
Immigration
What is the best way to learn topic-specific collocations?

The best way to learn topic-specific collocations is to look for them being used in context. We in the lists above, extracted collocations from Ted Talks, so you can identify how they are used in context.

Using topic-specific vocabulary, collocations and words from the academic vocabulary list will help considerably.

Below is a free PDF ebook of lexical resources with lots of vocabulary lists and examples to learn new vocabulary for your English language study. If you are still struggling then check out the Jump to Band 7 or its Free IELTS Course.
Click here for a free master list of collocations!
VIDEO: IELTS Topic Specific Vocabulary and Collocations

Other IELTS Vocabulary Lessons

Audio tutorial

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

To improve your vocabulary you could get feedback from an ex-IELTS examiner, our service offers very detailed IELTS essay feedback on your vocabulary and word choice.

However, if you are on a budget and need instant feedback then try our online IELTS writing evaluation, fast and free!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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IELTS Vocabulary: Lexical Resource, and Topic specific vocabulary

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Take a look at our IELTS Vocabulary. This lexical resource has a range of topic specific vocabulary and collocations. Subscribe for more.

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Academic Reading Question and Answers - EXAMPLES

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Academic Reading Question and Answers - EXAMPLES

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https://ieltsfever.org/academic-reading/

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# Academic Reading Practice Test With Answers Free PDF 50 Test Files Part 1 IELTS Exam Dear Friends in This Post You Will Get 1 to 50 Tests PDF Files Free of Cost With Answers Download the Question Exam Number 1 to 50 Then Download the Answers Check Your Score Thanks IELTS reading test
IELTS Academic Reading Practice Tests. Thе Academic Reading test іѕ 60 minutes long. Thеrе аrе 3 sections. Thе total text length іѕ 2,150-2,750 words. dear friends also follow us on IELTSFever Telegram For the Latest Practice Tests and Daily Mock Tests.
-Eасh section соntаіnѕ оnе long text.
-Texts аrе authentic аnd аrе tаkеn frоm books, journals, magazines аnd newspapers. Thеу hаvе bееn written fоr а non-specialist audience аnd аrе оn academic topics оf general interest.

-Texts аrе appropriate, аnd accessible, tо test-takers entering undergraduate оr postgraduate courses, оr seeking professional registration.
-Texts range frоm descriptive аnd factual tо thе discursive аnd analytical.
-Texts mау соntаіn non-verbal materials, ѕuсh аѕ diagrams, graphs оr illustrations.
-If texts соntаіn technical terms, а simple glossary іѕ provided

Question types
A variety оf questions іѕ used, chosen frоm thе fоllоwіng types: multiple-choice, identifying information, identifying writer's views/claims, matching information, matching headings, matching features, matching sentence endings, sentence completion, summary completion, note completion, table completion, flowchart completion, diagram label completion, short-answer questions.IELTS reading test

Eасh correct answer receives 1 mark. Scores оut оf 40 аrе converted tо thе IELTS 9-band scale. Scores аrе reported іn whоlе аnd hаlf bands.

Question and Answers Number 1 To 25

Recommended Books By IELTSFever

Question and Answers Number 26 To 50
Twitter Handler IELTSFever
BEST OF LUCK COMMENT AND SHARE IF YOU LIKE THESE TESTS IELTS reading test
Free IELTS practice tests Along with reading students often struggle with writing. Prepare fоr IELTS wіth thеѕе free practice tests аnd answers. Time уоurѕеlf аnd develop уоur exam technique. Thе practice tests іn thіѕ section offer уоu thе opportunity tо gеt tо knоw thе test format experience thе types оf tasks уоu wіll bе asked tо undertake test уоurѕеlf undеr timed conditions to review уоur answers аnd compare thеm wіth model answers Remember, уоu wіll tаkе thе Listening, Reading аnd Writing tests аll оn оnе day wіth nо breaks іn between, ѕо іt іѕ important tо dо thе practice tests undеr similar conditions.
Eасh test іѕ presented оvеr а number оf web pages. Mаkе ѕurе уоu answer thе questions аnd carry оut thе tasks оn еасh page іn thе correct order.

If уоu prefer tо practice offline, download thе tests, blank answer sheets, transcripts аnd answers frоm thе introductory pages.

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academic reading practice test with answers free PDF 50 test files part 1

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Academic Reading Practice Test With Answers Free PDF 50 Test Files Part 1 IELTS Exam Dear Friends in This Post You Will Get 1 to 50 Tests PDF Files Free of Cost With Answers Download the Question Exam Number 1 to 50 Then Download the Answers Check Your Score Thanks IELTS reading test IELTS Academic Reading Practice Tests.

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Learn the English accents with TV Series - British, Indian, American, Irish, NZ, Canadian etc.

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Learn the English accents with TV Series - British, Indian, American, Irish, NZ, Canadian etc.

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LEARN WITH LUCY

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Learn 25 English accents through TV Series (with Examples & Recommendations)

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This refers to words (often two or three) that are commonly placed together

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What is collocation?

This refers to words (often two or three) that are commonly placed together.

There may be grammatical reasons for this, but there may not be. It may be that through long-term usage, it just sounds correct.

It is one of the most important things to understand and practice when you learn the English language.

Here is an example of some common verb-noun combinations to illustrate:

You can't say ' do the bed' as these words do not collocate together.

Why are they important for IELTS?

The examiner will be judging you on this. For example, here is what the IELTS public band descriptors say for an IELTS band 7 for lexis (vocabulary):

"uses less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation"

So to achieve a band 7 in this criteria, not only do you need to be using some less common words, you also need to show to some extent that you know what other words these less common words are usually used with.

However, this is important for any band - if you have a bad grasp of them, this will have a negative impact on your writing and your speaking.

How do I learn them?

They are not something you can really sit down and say, "Ok, I'm going to learn collocations today".

The important thing is that when you learn a new word, you learn what words are commonly used in combination with it. This is a common approach in English language course books.

To take a simple example, let's say you are fairly new to English and you are learning the word ' to have'. You may be presented with these phrases in your coursebook to help you learn the word:

So you are not just learning the word ' have', you are learning chunks of language. You are also learning words that are usually used with the word ' have'.

Learning words this way is much more effective than learning words in isolation. If you learn words on their own, you are sure to make mistakes when you try to use them in sentences.

Here are some more complex examples using the word'interest' to show you the types of collocation you may find for a word:

adjective + interest
considerable interest
deep interest
great interest
historical interest
long-term interest
musical interest
vested interest
financial interest
business interest

He has a vested interest in the future of the business.

I have varied musical interests - I like jazz, pop, classical and reggae.

adverb + interest
greatly interested
deeply interested
particularly interested
really interested
very interested
quite interested

He is deeply interested in religion.

I'm very interested in studying abroad.

noun + interest
interest rate
interest payment
interest charge
interest group

There are political interest groups in my country that want to change the constitution.

preposition + interest
out of interest
for interest
of interest

I had never heard of the film before but I went to see it out of interest.

interest + preposition
interest among
interest from
interest in

His speech generated interest from many people.

verb + interest
take an interest
have an interest
show an interest
lose interest
attract interest
generate interest
spark interest
be of interest
maintain interest
share an interest
pay interest

I started learning to play the guitar but I lost interest very quickly.

My friends and I share many interests so we get along very well.

So as you can see, there are many words that are commonly used with ' interest' in different contexts. If you start to use the wrong words with it, this will be very noticeable.

If you say this, for example, it will be very obvious to the examiner that it is wrong:

I'm completely interested on modern art.

' completely' does not collocate with 'interest' in this sentence, and nor does ' on'. It could instead be said like this:

I'm particularly interested in modern art.

Someone using sentences like this (consistently of course) would achieve a high band score for their lexis because they are demonstrating a good understanding of which words should go together.

Another way to improve your knowledge of what words collocate is reading. The more you read, the more you will notice which words commonly go together.

There are some links to quizzes on the right hand side. More will be added in due course.

If you haven't already signed up to receive automatic updates to the site, do so below and you will then be notified when any exercises are posted.

Band 7+ eBooks

"I think these eBooks are FANTASTIC!!! I know that's not academic language, but it's the truth!"
Linda, from Italy, Scored Band 7.5
You may also be interested in:

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This refers to words (often two or three) that are commonly placed together. There may be grammatical reasons for this, but there may not be. It may be that through long-term usage, it just sounds correct. It is one of the most important things to understand and practice when you learn the English language.

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long-term
a 6-episode series
a 20-hour flight

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have lunch
have a bath
have a rest
have a meeting
have a haircut
have a drink
have a good time
have a relationship
have a holiday
have sympathy
have a problem

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To make the bed / money / a noise

To catch a cold / a bus / a fish

To come late / on time / to a decision

To do homework / the shopping / nothing

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Collocation | Meaning
get away | Leave
get divorced | End a marriage
get drunk | Become intoxicated
get excited | Look forward to something
get going | Start moving / depart
get the impression | A feeling due to experience
get a job | Find work
get a life | Do something different or interesting
get lost | Not know where you are
get the message | Understand what is meant
get nowhere | Failing to achieve something
get off | Leave a vehicle, aircraft etc
get out | Move out of / depart from
get over | Recover from something
get permission | Consent
get the sack | Dismissed from a job
get a shock | Very surprised by something
get started | Begin
get upset | Become mentally unsettled e.g. angry, sad etc
get used to | Unpleasant at first but becomes better

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NOT MY CUP OF TEA
ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

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A phrasal verb is usually a combination of a verb + a preposition which usually changes the meaning from that of the original verb

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American English: or  favor, neighbor, color, favorite

British English: our: favour, neighbor, colour, favourite

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The sample test questions will help you to decide which option you prefer, and to prepare for the test. These sample materials will give you an idea of what to expect in the Listening, Reading and Writing sections.

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Learn about IELTS on computer exams, along with our helpful sample of questions, IELTS mock tests and other practice tests to help improve your English skills.

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Figure ( it) out

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Close to 34% of US adult monthly podcast listeners almost always skip ads in the shows they regularly tune in to, and about 17% do so most of the time. In fact, more than 7 in 10 bypass in-episode commercials-for toothbrush subscriptions, mail-order mattresses, and the like-at least some of the time.

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Podcast listeners fast forward through ads

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Close to 34% of US adult monthly podcast listeners almost always skip ads in the shows they regularly tune in to, and about 17% do so most of the time. In fact, more than 7 in 10 bypass in-episode commercials-for toothbrush subscriptions, mail-order mattresses, and the like-at least some of the time.

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Sentence Guide Writing Task Two Clarity by Ben

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Sentence Guide Writing Task Two Clarity by Ben

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Global Warning

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New normal. Record-breaking. Unprecedented.

In recent days, as Western Canada and the United States have been broiling under a climate-fuelled heat crisis, all sorts of superlatives have been used to describe never-before-seen temperatures: the British Columbia community of Lytton hit a mind-boggling 49.5 C on June 29, breaking all-time temperature records three days in a row.

People are understandably shocked and scared by those numbers. But should this have come as a surprise? No. Scientists have been warning about the link between longer, more intense heat events and climate change for over 40 years. The language of "normals" and "new records" is rapidly becoming meaningless.

But the notion that humanity should have known, or should have done something about the crisis earlier - that we should be ashamed for our lack of action - is unhelpful for dealing with the climate crisis.

Talking climate

So, what's a better, more helpful approach to communicating climate change?

The first thing to do is to spend more time talking about climate change. There is far too little discussion around this issue in the public sphere. Global heating is the biggest emergency the planet has ever faced, but one would not know it reading or listening to the news.

Last year, stories about climate change represented just 0.4 per cent of all major U.S. broadcast news coverage. In 2019, it was 0.7 per cent. Even in the midst of an unprecedented heat wave stretching from California to Yukon, references to climate change are few and far between.

Information deficit model

Ironically, one of the biggest blind spots has to do with how information about this issue is shared with the public.

The conventional approach relies upon what's known as the " information deficit model." The deficit model builds on the assumption that people will take action on climate change if they have more information about it.

Read more: 3 ways cities can prepare for climate emergencies

This information-based approach has shaped all sorts of communication, from public safety ads on drinking and driving to news reporting about climate and other important issues.

Unfortunately, the relationship between how much people know and how they act is not always linear. Feeding more facts to someone who is highly politically motivated to dismiss climate change will not convince them to pay more attention to the problem.

Climate change is a tricky story to wrap one's head around. It can feel too big, too scary and too difficult for any one person to fix. Information, while important, is not always enough.

For there to be engagement with this subject and, by extension, political action, the climate crisis must feel personal, relatable, understandable and, most importantly, solvable.

Charts and graphs - even polar bears - rarely achieve that goal. Eighty-three per cent of Canadians agree that the Earth is getting warmer. But just 47 per cent think climate change will harm them personally.

To have people connect on climate, we need to have more conversations about how people are working to solve it and how those solutions are improving their quality of life where they live. These conversations foist an otherwise abstract, intangible and scary subject into the realm of the everyday - and make it feel solvable.

Solutions matter

Environmental communicators have long pointed to an excessive use of fear messaging around climate change as one of the main problems with engaging the public on this subject.

The challenge is to pair fear messaging with information about efficacy, namely what people can actually do to mitigate the fear. The combination of fear and efficacy leads to what is known as " danger control," actions to mitigate the danger, as opposed to "fear control," actions to shut down the fear.

In the case of COVID-19, the sense of efficacy was clear: hand washing, social distancing, masking. With climate change, efficacy information is far less obvious, and more difficult to act upon.

It's often argued that the large emitters, notably fossil fuel producers, are the ones that harbour the most blame, and are responsible for cleaning up the mess. The Guardian points out that 100 companies are responsible for 71 per cent of emissions.

Yes, it's clear the world needs to stop burning fossil fuels - oil, gas and coal. But to get there, individuals can also set examples of what pro-environmental behaviour looks like.

It can be as simple as posting photos to social media from community cleanup drives, nature walks or posts about any kind of pro-environmental behaviour, such as taking transit. This form of communication - as opposed to images that promote a high-carbon lifestyle - normalizes the urgency, importance and possibility of protecting the Earth.

Some of the most effective communicators are TV news meteorologists, who often have loyal followers. More of them are discussing ways the climate crisis is being addressed where people live.

Seeing is believing

Most communication around risk, builds on the standard of moral injunctions - that one should or must act to do something, or else. For example, a park sign might tell visitors not to feed the ducks because human food is bad for them. And yet, visitors keep feeding the ducks.

Instead, communicators should rely on "descriptive social norms," descriptions of behaviour that others, like them, are already doing and benefiting them.

In the United Kingdom, a 2015 campaign urged people to "Take your litter home, other people do." It was more likely to reduce illegal littering than signs that said "Please keep your park clean by not littering."

Read more: 5 ways families can help tackle climate change

Solutions, notably in the form of stories about people and communities taking action to solve the climate crisis, are among the most effective ways of communicating the emergency.

The National Observer's "First Nations Forward" series is a great example of this type of reporting. Story after story details how First Nations communities in British Columbia are leading the way in the transition to a renewable-energy future.

Mainstream news media outlets, like the one I work for, Global News, are also spending more time on climate and rethinking how they cover it. One recent national story reported on the massive energy transition already under way in Alberta.

Such stories about change that is working send a message that action to mitigate the climate crisis by ordinary people is doable, normal, empowering and desirable. They energize and mobilize members of the public ready to take action, by providing visual examples of who is leading the way.

They also move the conversation beyond the conventional emphasis on skeptics and deniers, and normalize pro-environmental values and behaviours for the growing number of people who are already alarmed or concerned about the climate emergency.

Far from driving the fear narrative, stories of climate solutions unlock people's sense of efficacy and agency in the face of impending danger. In other words, they engage the public on climate change by doing what all good communication does: meeting people where they are at, through a mobilizing story.

This is storytelling 101: engaging audiences, not turning them away, as most climate reports do.

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Record-breaking temperatures mean we must change the way we talk about the climate emergency

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New normal. Record-breaking. Unprecedented. In recent days, as Western Canada and the United States have been broiling under a climate-fuelled heat crisis, all sorts of superlatives have been used to describe...

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I was over the moon when I got 8 in my speaking test.

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Score higher in IELTS Speaking with Idioms

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How to Score higher in IELTS Speaking with Idioms + Most common idioms that you can use to get a higher band score. One of the things that differentiate most IELTS candidates from native English speakers is idioms' correct use.