Formal Words for IELTS Writing

Improving your score from 5.5 to 7

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Dear candidates: This short but useful pamphlet is intended to boost your vocabulary knowledge for both academic and general training students preparing for IELTS writing task 2. This is, in fact, a list of useful Verbs, Nouns, Adjectives and Adverbs helping students to boost their score from 5.5 to nearly 7 in the IELTS test.

About the terms: Low lexis: are the words that are less formal. High lexis: are the words that are more formal and are recommended for higher scores.

You need to check the meaning of high lexis words to see how they are used in writing.

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Task 2 useful academic words Useful adjectives for task 2 (nearly 165 words)

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Useful adjectives for task 2 (nearly 165 words) Low lexis / meaning Bad Good Harmful

Useful

Busy

Crowded

Empty Hopeful Sad

Happy Satisfied Satisfactory Having controlling ability Can be measured Possible Present Not present Producing unusual ideas Can be seen, clear

Different

Trustable Loyal

High lexis Abominable, deplorable Acceptable, palatable, satisfactory, reasonable Adverse, deleterious, detrimental, inimical, injurious, destructive Effective, fruitful, advantageous, constructive, beneficial Active, engaged, involved,

Low lexis / meaning Relating to money Imaginary

High lexis Financial Fictional, fabulous

Showing that sth exists

Indicative, demonstrative

Related to understanding or explaining

Interpretive, analytical

More important

Congested, replete, crammed, cramped, flooded Blank, bare Life affirming, optimistic, sanguine, Bereft , disconsolate, desolate, despondent

Needed

Major, significant, cardinal, main, focal, dominant Vital, crucial, necessary

Looking the same Changing often

Similar, akin, comparable Variable

Can be reached or done, possible

Blissful, charmed, cheerful, delighted Complacent, content,

Right

Achievable, attainable, feasible, manageable, potential Suitable, apropos, apt

Palatable, acceptable Authoritative, commanding Assessable Susceptible

Certain Limited

Available, accessible, obtainable Unavailable, inaccessible

Done or said in a strong way Having good reason for sth Morally correct

Creative, stimulating, visionary Evident, apparent, conspicuous, distinct, noticeable Alternative, contrasting, discrepancy, disparate, distinctive Reliable Committed, dedicated

Difficult to understand

Related, connected with Having good organization

Of or at the beginning

Abstruse, complex, byzantine Conclusive Restricted, ambit Relevant Coordinated, wellorganized Emphatic, assertive Justifiable Righteous, principled, upstanding, virtuous Initial, introductory, primary

Happening a lot or all the time

Constant, frequent, endless

Enough Essential or important part, basic

Adequate, fair Fundamental, integral indispensable, requisite

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Useful adjectives for task 2 Low lexis / meaning Exact Can do Completely new and effective Great, extremely large

High lexis Precise, accurate, correct, infallible Capable

Low lexis / meaning Around the world

Revolutionary, avantgarde, emerging, innovative Enormous, colossal, immense, inordinate

Very near, next to

In different order

Powerful

High lexis Global, universal, world wide Graded, arranged, categorized, classified Adjacent, bordering, coterminous, neighboring Prodigious, invulnerable, omnipotent, robust

Useful prepositions for task 2 Low lexis / meaning About

After Under

High lexis Regarding, with regard to, in terms of, concerning, on the subject of, connected with Subsequent Below,

Low lexis / meaning Before

High lexis prior to, preceding

By Above

Through, via more

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Task 2 useful academic words Useful verbs for task 2 (nearly 250 words)

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Useful verbs for task 2 (nearly 250 words) Low Lexis Keep

store

show

feel unhappy

make rule

refresh

become disappointed, disappoint restore, rejuvenate

High Lexis indicate, illustrate, demonstrate, reveal legislate

happen

occur

make happen faster

accelerate

(to cause)move forward

proceed, propel, inspire

send out Begin go to school

emit commence attend school

need ask for do research

require demand, request conduct, carry out, undertake

receive education Force Want

acquire an education oblige, compel, impose intend to, plan to

say yes answer make

accept, approve, admit respond, reply structure, form, construct

put up Try keep eye on sb/sth

install make an effort supervise, monitor

change do sth successfully get

alter, vary achieve, fulfill, attain gain, acquire, become, obtain

pay attention to be keen on, interested in

do put into categories

administer categorize, classify

Love spend time on

attend to be enthusiastic about, show enthusiasm regarding show affection towards devote, contribute to

help to end sth, finish

assist conclude, terminate, adjourn

Use

consume, utilize, apply in

calculate the value, judge

evaluate

Work understand, tell from

function recognize, discern, identify, interpret,absorb comment on afford compensate argue, believe, maintain, claim recommend, pose approach assume benefit

look for choose

seek select, adopt

to live believe buy to move to

reside perceive purchase transfer

to control sth combine, match help communicate

regulate coordinate, aggregate Coordinate. Provide aid interact

limit, control write capitalize on sth make sure

constrain correspond emphasize, highlight ensure

Explain

possess to have access to sth consist of sth constitute, involve, comprise justify

fill

occupy, obsess

test open sth, set up

assess establish, found

depend on no have in sth

rely on exclude, remove

give opinion about pay for sth make up for say suggest move toward think take advantage, be useful to have sth to be able to use sth make up of sth make up

High Lexis

Low Lexis

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Low Lexis help with money provide money for sth have sth in sth find the place print write your name in classes, etc make able make larger

High Lexis

Low Lexis

High Lexis

finance, provide financial support fund, sponsor contain locate publish register, enroll

make better

improve, promote

keep in mind say before it happens change to fit worsen talk to sb

Retain predict, forecast adjust, modify compound, exacerbate consult

enable expand

evolve expose

make sth (electricity,etc)

generate, manufacture

change gradually leave open to, no to protect make easy

become familiar with say no replace give example say before

orientate reject, refute substitute cite, illustrate mention, aforementioned

follow keep on thank sb connect, join grow

pursue continue, sustain acknowledge attach enhance, increase, rise

not give attention to slow down sth to get rid of, escape delete, cross out to add sth to sth separate pile up make clear discover make less live stop continue to exist dig do business use sth a lot say formally, say to connect in mind Solve

ignore inhibit, prevent dispose of, eliminate insert isolate accumulate clarify detect reduce, minimize dwell cease persist quarry commerce overuse announce, express associate tackle, handle, approach the problem

to tell sb how to do sth Go forward introduce new ideas forbid to stay alive to go with sb value obey to show publicly to give room make certain act against, not obey face use wrongly buy and sell to put in order to encourage to grow copy To gather sth

Instruct advance Innovate Prohibit Survive Accompany Appreciate conform to Exhibit Accommodate Assure Violate encounter, confront misuse, abuse Trade to prioritize Stimulate imitate, replicate Compile, accumulate, collect

facilitate

Now turn to next page for a list of Nouns.

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Task 2 useful academic words Useful nouns for task 2 (nearly 250 words)

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Useful Nouns for task 2 (nearly 250 words) High Lexis verb store

High Lexis Noun storage

become disappointed, disappoint restore, rejuvenate

Disappointment

High Lexis verb indicate, illustrate, demonstrate, reveal legislate

High Lexis Noun indication, illustration, demonstration Legislation

restoration, rejuvenation

occur

Occurrence

accelerate emit commence attend school

Acceleration Emission Commencement Attendance

proceedings, inspiration Requirement demand, request ------

acquire an education

Acquisition of an education

proceed, propel, inspire require demand, request conduct, carry out, undertake accept, approve, admit

oblige, compel, impose

respond, reply

intend to, plan to

obligation, compulsion, imposition intention, plan

install make an effort

Installation an effort

alter, vary achieve, fulfill, attain

supervise, monitor

supervision, monitoring

attend to be enthusiastic about, show enthusiasm regarding show affection towards devote, contribute to

Attention Enthusiasm

gain, acquire, become, obtain administer categorize, classify

consume, utilize, apply in function recognize, discern, identify, interpret, absorb comment on afford compensate argue, believe, maintain, claim recommend, pose approach assume benefit

consumption, utilization, application function Recognition , discernment, identification, interpretation ,absorption Comment Affordability Compensation argument, belief, claim

possess to have access to sth consist of sth

affection devotion, contribution to

structure, form, construct

acceptance, approval, admission response, reply structure, formation, construction Alteration, variation achievement, fulfillment, attainment gain, acquisition Administration category, classification

assist conclude, terminate, adjourn evaluate

Assistance conclusion, termination, adjournment Evaluation

seek select, adopt

---selection, adoption

reside perceive purchase transfer

Residence Perception Purchase Transfer

Recommendation , Approach Assumption Benefit

regulate coordinate, aggregate Coordinate. Provide aid interact

Regulation coordination, aggregation Coordination, aid Interaction

Possession access to sth ----

constrain correspond emphasize, highlight

Constraint Correspondence emphasis

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High Lexis verb constitute, involve, comprise justify assess establish, found finance, provide financial support fund, sponsor Contain Locate Publish register, enroll

High Lexis Noun constitution, involvement,

High Lexis verb ensure

High Lexis Noun Insurance

Justification Assessment establishment, foundation finance, financial support

occupy, obsess rely on exclude, remove improve, promote

occupation, obsession Reliance exclusion, removal improvement, promotion

fund, sponsorship ---Location Publication registration, enrollment

Retain predict, forecast adjust, modify compound, exacerbate consult

Retention prediction, forecast adjustment, modification compound, exacerbation Consultation

Enable expand

Ability Expansion

evolve expose

Evolution Exposition

generate, manufacture

generation, manufacture

facilitate

Facilitation

orientate reject, refute substitute cite, illustrate mention, aforementioned ignore inhibit, prevent dispose of, eliminate insert isolate accumulate clarify detect reduce, minimize dwell cease persist quarry commerce overuse announce, express associate tackle, handle, approach the problem

Orientation rejection, refutation Substitution citation, illustration Mention

pursue continue, sustain acknowledge attach enhance, increase, rise

Pursuit ----Acknowledgement Attachment enhancement, increase, rise

Ignorance inhibition, prevention Disposition Elimination Insertion Isolation Accumulation Clarification Detection reduction Dwelling Cease Persistence Quarry Commerce Overuse announcement, expression Association Approach the problem

instruct advance innovate prohibit survive accompany appreciate conform to exhibit accommodate assure violate encounter, confront misuse, abuse trade to prioritize stimulate imitate, replicate Compile, accumulate, collect

Instruction Advancement Innovation Prohibition Survival Company Appreciation Conformity Exhibition Accommodation ---Violation encounter, confrontation misuse, abuse Trade Priority Stimulation imitation, replication Compilation, accumulation, collection

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About the author

Mr. Reza Atashzamzam is an MA graduate of English language teaching. He has been working as a lecturer at university, teacher trainer and teacher in Shiraz and Tehran, Iran since 2004. He has been internationally trained by McMillan University on teaching IELTS. He has spent time on holding workshops for IELTS candidates both in person and online. His teaching career includes:        

Working as lecturer at Shiraz University, the International branch (Qeshm University) Teaching at Dibagaran Complex, Shiraz, Iran Teaching at Aptech College, Shiraz, Iran Teaching at Navid English Institute, Shiraz, Iran Teaching at Shokuoh English Institute, Tehran, Iran Teaching at Tarbiat Moallem University, Tehran, Iran Teaching at Shiraz Azad University, Shiraz, Iran Teaching at Isiran Institute, Shiraz, Iran

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