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Contents
Exam Page
Unit Topic Vocabulary S k ill S u b -s k ills practice num ber
1 People and Nouns fo r people Listening Recognizing Listening 6
O relationships and relationships; adjectives from Section 4 -
adjectives th e ir endings; MCQs
to describe w orking out
character the meaning
of words from
listening context
2 Health Nouns fo r Reading Recognizing Reading - 10
sym ptom s; synonyms and T/F/NG
verbs fo r collocations
treatm ents
3 Education Nouns for W riting Choosing the W riting 14
academic righ t part of Task 2
subjects; verbs speech; w ritin g
fo r academic in an academic
study style
4 Adventure Verbs and nouns Speaking Expressing Speaking 18
fo r travelling; fin e r shades of Part 2
adjectives meaning; using
to describe common and
experiences less common
vocabulary; word
stress
5 Gadgets Nouns to describe Listening Collocations; Listening 22
dim ensions; words with Sections
verbs to describe different senses 1 and 2 -
processes labelling a
diagram -
classifying
6 Cities Nouns associated Reading Recognizing Reading - 26
with human superordinate matching
geography; term s; headings
adjectives to recognizing
describe places positive and
negative
connotation
Exam Page
Unit Topic V ocabulary S k ill S u b -s k ills practice nu m be r
7 The art of Reporting verbs; W riting Expressing W riting 30
persuasion nouns associated d iffe re nt Task 2
w ith persuasion points of view;
presenting an
argum ent
8 Getting involved Nouns fo r form s Speaking Expressing Speaking 34
of entertainm ent; likes and Part 1
o
*1 1*
verbs associated dislikes; using
w ith involvem ent phrasal verbs;
pronouncing the
le tte r 's ’
9 Global warming Verbs to describe Listening Recognizing Listening 38
natural processes; antonyms; Section 4 -
o
*1 I*
nouns associated prefixes com pleting
with clim ate notes
10 Revision 1 Selection of words A ll s k ills Selection of sub- 42
fro m units 1-9 s k ills fro m units
Q
1-9
11 Words for Nouns fo r types of W riting Describing and W riting 46
describing graphics and th e ir sum m arizing Task 1
graphs and com ponents visual data
diagrams
12 Words for Nouns and verbs Speaking Positive and Speaking 50
describing fo r describing negative Part 3
■■ r
change change; tim e connotation;
expressions pronouncing
consonants
13 Words Words fo r Listening Collocation; Listening 54
(^ expressing com parison and parts of speech Section 3 -
•• r
sim ilarity and contrast com pleting a
difference sum m ary
u Words Verbs and nouns Reading Recognizing Reading - 58
describing indicating cause synonyms, MCQs
cause and effect and effect antonyms,
superordinates
and examples
Exam Page
Unit Topic Vocabulary Skill Sub-skills practice num ber
15 Signposting Words fo r W riting Linking W riting 62
expressions for ordering, addition, sentences; Task 2
writing concession, signposting an
generalizations, essay
and conclusions
(w ritten register)
16 Adverbs Adverbs fo r Speaking Adding interest Speaking 66
O expressing
attitude and
to spoken
answers;
Part 1 -
introduction
adding detail pronouncing and interview
schwa
17 Words for Nouns fo r Listening Recognizing Listening - 70
problems and different collocations; short-answ er
■i i1 problem s; verbs spelling questions
solutions
fo r solving
problem s
18 Words for Nouns associated Reading Recognizing Reading - 74
talking about with ideas; fin e r shades com pleting
ideas adjectives fo r of meaning; a sum m ary;
evaluating ideas positive and matching
negative sentence
connotation endings
19 Emphasis and Words describing W riting Recognizing W riting 78
understatement quantity, degree strength of Task 1 -
and degree of claim ; more sum m arizing
certainty collocations visual
inform ation
20 Revision 2 Selection of words A ll s k ills Selection of 82
o from units 11-19 s u b -s k ills from
units 11-19
Audio script 86
Answer key 104
Collocations 111
IELTS information 124
Introduction
Who is this book for?
Vocabulary for IELTS helps you improve your vocabulary when preparing fo r the IELTS examination.
You can use the book to study on your own or as supplem entary m aterial fo r IELTS preparation
classes. It is suitable fo r learners at level 5.0 to 5.5 aiming fo r band score 6.0 or higher.
Sum m ary
The Vocabulary fo r IELTS book and CD cover vocabulary item s and s k ills which are relevant to all
fo u r exam papers: Listening, Reading, W riting and Speaking. In each unit, you w ork tow ards an
exam practice exercise which is m odelled on the actual IELTS exam. Each unit contains activities
that help you develop, step-by-step, the vocabulary knowledge and s k ills to help you tackle the
exam. Exam tips throughout the book highlight essential vocabulary-related learning strategies
and exam techniques.
Content
Units
Each unit is divided into three parts.
Part 1: Vocabulary introduces vocabulary related to the topic or function of the unit. Definitions
fo r this vocabulary are presented using C ollins COBUILD full-se n te n ce definitions, and IELTS-
style example sentences show how the w ords are used in context. Parts of speech and the
different fo rm s of the w ords are also listed.
Part 2: Practice exercises provide a stru ctu re d set of exercises which help you develop the
s k ills to successfully apply vocabulary knowledge to the exam. Each unit focuses on developing
vocabulary and s k ills fo r a p a rticu la r paper, and the practice exercises provide practice fo r the
p a rticu la r paper.
Part 3: Exam practice provides exam practice exercises in a form at that follows the actual exam
giving you the opportunity to fam iliarize yourself with the kinds of questions you w ill encounter in the
exam. This section focuses on a particular exam paper and is highlighted in grey fo r easy reference.
Exam tips
There are exam tips and strategies in each unit. These are in boxes fo r easy reference.
Audio script
A ll audio fo r the Listening and Speaking paper has been recorded on the CD using native
speakers of English. A fu ll audio script is provided at the back of the book so that you can check
the language used in the listening and speaking exercises, if needed.
Answer key
A com prehensive answer key is provided fo r a ll sections of the book including m odel answers fo r
more open-ended w ritin g and speaking tasks.
Collocations
At the back of the book, you can fu rth e r develop your vocabulary by studying the list of the most
common collocations fo r the vocabulary presented in the units.
Howto use this book
The book is divided into 20 units. Units 1-9 cover vocabulary fo r topics that frequently appear in
the exam, such as health and education. Units 11-19 cover w ords fo r general functions, such as
describing problem s and solutions. Units 10 and 20 provide revision exercises. Unit 10 revises
the vocabulary and s k ills covered in Units 1-9, and Unit 20 revises the vocabulary and s kills
covered in Units 11 -19. A ll 20 units help you develop s k ills such as paraphrasing and w orking out
the meaning of u n fa m iliar w ords from context.
Each unit is self-contained so that you can study the units in any order. You can choose the unit
you want to study either by selecting the topic you want to study, or by selecting which exam
paper you w ant to practise. Only the units w ith practice on the Speaking and Listening papers
contain audio. The contents pages at the beginning of the book provide an overview of what is
in each unit so you can use this to choose which units you would like to study first. These pages
also give you inform ation on which units contain audio.
You w ill probably find it helpful to begin each unit by reading the vocabulary items in part 1, then
w orking through the exercises in preparation fo r the exam practice exercise at the end. Try to do
the exam exercises w ithin the tim e lim it to give yourself realistic exam practice.
In order to learn a new word, it is usually necessary to revisit it several tim es. The revision units
help you to do this. However, it is also a good idea to avoid w ritin g your answers in the book so
that you can do the exercises again at a later date.
It is also advisable to keep a vocabulary notebook. Knowing a word and how to use it involves
understanding many aspects of it. The more inform ation you can record about the words you are
learning, the more useful it w ill be. Key definitions, partis] of speech, common collocations and
example sentences are a ll very helpful. Don’t forget to use the Collocations section at the back of
the book to help w ith this.
Getting w ell-in fo rm e d feedback on your w ritin g and speaking exam practice exercises would also
be an advantage. However, if this is not possible it is s till im portant to do the exercises in fu ll.
Studying model answers can help you develop the ability to assess your own work. If possible,
record yourself when speaking, and listen carefully to your perform ance. Avoid m em orising
model answers. Rem em ber that in the actual exam, it is im portant to answer the question and
not ju st speak or w rite about the topic
As a final preparation before the exam, you could re-read the exam tips in the boxes. This w ill
rem ind you of the strategies fo r success in the exam.
5
1 People and relationships
D escrib in g people I R ecognizing a d je ctive s I W o rk in g out m eaning fro m co n te xt
Vocabulary
People in relationship: Describing people:
• client (clients) • autonomous
NOUN A client of a professional person ADJECTIVE An autonomous person
o r organization is a person that receives a makes th e ir own decisions ra th e r than
service from them in return fo r payment. ■ a being influenced by someone else ■ They
solicitor and his client ■ The company requires proudly declared themselves p art of a new
clients to pay substantial fees in advance. autonomous province. ■ the liberal idea of the
• colleague (colleagues) autonomous individual
NOUN Your colleagues are the people you • consistent
w ork w ith, especially in a professional job. ADJECTIVE Someone who is consistent
■ Female academics are s till paid less than always behaves in the same way, has the
their male colleagues. ■ In the corporate same attitudes tow ards people or things,
world, the best sources of business are your or achieves the same level of success in
form er colleagues. som ething. ■ Becker has never been the most
• employer (employers) consistent of players anyway. ■ his consistent
NOUN Your employer is the person or support of free trade ■ a consistent character
organization that you w ork for. ■ employers with a m ajor thematic function
who hire illegal workers ■ The telephone • conventional
company is the country's largest employer. ADJECTIVE Someone who is conventional
• parent (parents) has behaviour and opinions that are
NOUN Your parents are your m other and ordinary and norm al. ■ a respectable
father. ■ Children need their parents. ■ When m arried woman with conventional opinions
you become a parent the things you once ■ this close, fairly conventional English family
cared about seem to have less value. • co-operative also cooperative
• sibling (siblings) ADJECTIVE If you say that someone is
NOUN Your siblings are your brothers and co-operative, you mean that they do what
sisters. [FORMAL] ■ Some studies have found you ask them w ithout com plaining or
that children are more friendly to younger arguing. ■ The president said the visit would
siblings of the same sex. ■ Sibling rivalry often develop friendly and co-operative relations
causes parents anxieties. between the two countries. ■ a contented and
• spouse (spouses) co-operative workforce
NOUN Someone’s spouse is the person they • efficient
are married to. Husbands and wives do not have ADJECTIVE If som ething or someone
to pay any inheritance tax when their spouse dies. is efficient, they are able to do tasks
Vocabulary for IELTS
successfully, w ithout wasting tim e or if this may be impractical. ■ Idealistic young
energy. ■ With today’s more efficient people died for the cause. ■ an over-simplistic
contraception women can plan their families and idealistic vision of family dynamics
and careers. ■ Technological advances allow • tolerant
more efficient use of labour. ■ an efficient way
ADJECTIVE If you describe someone as
of testing thousands of compounds
tolerant, you approve of the fact that they
• flexible allow other people to say and do as they like,
ADJECTIVE Something or someone that is even if they do not agree with or like it. ■ [+of]
flexible is able to change easily and adapt They need to be tolerant of different points of
to different conditions and circum stances. view. ■ Other changes include more tolerant
■ more flexible arrangements to allow access attitudes to unmarried couples having children.
to services a fte r normal working hours • We • vulnerable
encourage flexible working. ADJECTIVE Someone who is vulnerable
• idealistic is weak and w ithout protection, w ith the
ADJECTIVE If you describe someone as re su lt that they are easily hurt physically
idealistic, you mean that they have ideals, and or em otionally. ■ Old people are particularly
base their behaviour on these ideals, even vulnerable members of our society.
Practice exercises
C ircle the w ords that you associate w ith fa m ily relationships. U nderline the w ords you
associate w ith professional relationships.
a client d colleague
b parent e spouse
c sibling f em ployer
Listen to three speakers ta lkin g about people who have been im po rta n t to them . Indicate
the person each speaker describes by w ritin g a le tte r a - f fro m Exercise 1 in each space.
1
2
3
j Exam tip:
i • You can often recognize w hether a word is a noun, verb, adjective or adverb
from its ending.
: • Adjectives can have many different endings, but these are common.
-a b le /-ib le vulnerable, flexible -ic idealistic
-al conventional -ive co-operative
-a n t/-e n t tolerant, consistent, efficient -ous autonomous
j • Learn to recognize these.
People and relationships
5i 3 Listen again to the th re e speakers and w rite down the adjectives fro m the table above
01 th a t you hear. Listen fo r the w ord endings: -able, -ib le , -a l, -ant, -ent, -ic, -ive, -ous.
1
2
3
Exam tip: In Part 4 of the IELTS Listening exam you have to listen to a ta lk on a topic of
general academic interest.
You do not need to know a ll of the vocabulary.
If you hear a word you don’t know, listen fo r expressions like:
a i.e.
b in other w ords
c that is
d by ... I mean
e that is to say
The text that follow s these expressions helps you understand the word.
Example: Employers value conscientious workers, that is workers who complete tasks
with care.
Listen to the e xtra ct fro m a lectu re about only ch ild re n and notice the expression the
02 speaker uses to indicate she is defining the key expressions 1-6 below. Look back at the
Exam tip and w rite a le tte r a -e in each space.
1 only children
2 parental resources
3 to le ran t ......
4 rn-nperative
5 autonom y
6 unconventional
0 5 Listen to the e xtra ct again and com plete the d e finitio n s the speaker gives fo r w ords 1-6
02 above. W rite one w ord in each space.
1 only children - ‘children w ith o u t____________ ’
2 parental resources - ‘not ju st money, but a ls o ____________ a n d ____________ ’
3 to le ra n t - ‘able to a c c e p t___________ ’
4 co-operative - ‘able to w o r k ____________ w it h --------------------- ’
5 autonom y - ‘ability t o ____________ th e ir o w n --------------------- ’
6 unconventional - ‘not q u ite ____________ in social te rm s ’
8 Vocabulary for IELTS
Unit 1
Exam practice: Listening exam Section 4
O Listen to the lecture extract about birth ord er and personality and answ er
03 questions 1 -5 by choosing the correct le tte r A, B or C.
Exam tip: Listen fo r key adjectives and clues in the context fo r what they mean.
1 What does the speaker discuss in relation to personality?
A Family size
B The relationship between children and th e ir parents
C People’s position in the fam ily
2 What does the speaker im ply about anxiety?
A It is a positive tra it.
B It is a negative trait.
C It is experienced by younger siblings.
3 What do some researchers say about youngest children?
A They form relationships easily.
B They agree w ith the opinions of other people.
C They like it if people agree w ith them.
4 Why are m iddle children considered to be rebellious?
A They don’t like to be told w hat to do.
B They don’t know how to be agreeable.
C They like to be different from others.
5 What does the speaker say about the quality of research on birth order?
A Most research has been done correctly.
B Most research has been done incorrectly.
C Most research has come to a clear conclusion.
People and relationships 9
2 Health
N am ing health p ro b le m s and tre a tm e n ts I Recognizing synonym s | Recognizing co llo ca tion s
Vocabulary
Health problems: • stroke (strokes)
NOUN If someone has a stroke, a blood
• addiction (addictions) vessel in th e ir brain bursts or becomes
NOUN Addiction is the condition of taking blocked, which may k ill them or make them
h a rm fu l drugs and being unable to stop unable to move one side of th e ir body. ■ He
taking them . ■ long-term addiction to had a m inor stroke in 1987, which left him
nicotine partly paralyzed.
• allergy (allergies)
NOUN If you have a p a rticular allergy, you Verbs associated with treatment:
become ill or get a rash when you eat, sm ell, • adm inister (administers, administering,
or touch som ething that does not norm ally administered)
make people ill. ■ Food allergies can result in VERB If a doctor or nurse administers
an enormous variety of different symptoms.
a drug, they give it to a patient. ■ Paramedics
• cancer (cancers) are trained to adm inister certain drugs.
NOUN Cancer is a serious disease in which • admit (admits, admitting, admitted)
cells in a person’s body increase rapidly in VERB If someone is admitted to hospital
an uncontrolled way, producing abnorm al they are taken into hospital fo r tre a tm e n t
growths. ■ a cancer research charity and kept there un til they are w e ll enough to
• dehydration go home. ■ She was admitted to hospital with
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN You are suffering a soaring temperature.
from dehydration if you lose too much w ate r • diagnose (diagnoses, diagnosing,
from your body. ■ Cholera causes severe diagnosed)
dehydration. VERB If someone or som ething is diagnosed
• disease (diseases) as having a p a rticu la r illness or problem ,
NOUN A disease is an illness that affects th e ir illness o r problem is identified.
people, anim als or plants, fo r example one ■ Alm ost a m illion people are diagnosed with
w hich is caused by bacteria or infection. colon cancer each year.
■ the rapid spread of disease in the area • discharge (discharges, discharging,
• infection (infections) discharged)
NOUN An infection is a disease caused VERB When someone is discharged from
by germ s or bacteria. ■ Ear infections are hospital, they are o fficially allowed to leave,
common in pre-school children. or told they m ust leave. ■ He has a broken
• obesity nose but may be discharged today.
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Someone suffering • examine (examines, examining, examined)
from obesity is extrem ely fat. ■ The excessive VERB If a doctor examines you, he or she
consumption of sugar leads to obesity looks at your body, feels it, or does sim ple
Vocabulary for IELTS
Unit 2
tests in order to check how healthy you are. • vaccinate (vaccinates, vaccinating,
■ Another doctor examined her and could s till vaccinated)
find nothing wrong. VERB A vaccine is a harm less form of
• screen (screens, screening, screened) the germ s that cause a p a rticula r disease.
VERB To screen for a disease means If a person or anim al is vaccinated, they
to examine people to make sure that they are given a vaccine, usually by injection, to
do not have it. ■ Men over 50 are routinely prevent them getting that disease. ■ Dogs
screened for prostate abnormalities. must be vaccinated against distemper.
Practice exercises
The w ords below describe d iffe re n t disorders. C ircle the w ords that you associate w ith
rich countries. U nderline the w ords you associate w ith poor countries.
a infection e stroke
b heart disease f dehydration
c allergies g addiction
d obesity
Read the passage below and com pare yo u r answers to Exercise 1 w ith the inform ation in
the passage.
Diseases of Affluence - Diseases of Poverty
Health conditions associated w ith wealth are som etim es referred to as diseases of
affluence. These include diseases which are not com m unicable, such as Type 2 diabetes,
cancer, and stroke as w e ll as alcohol and drug addiction, obesity and some allergies.
Risk factors fo r these conditions are associated w ith the lifestyle of the econom ically
prosperous, in particular: physical inactivity, easy availability of meat, sugar, salt and
processed foods, excessive consum ption of alcohol and tobacco, and low er exposure to
infectious agents.
The diseases of poverty, in contrast, are predom inantly infectious diseases such as
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, m alaria and diarrhoeal diseases. Risk factors fo r these conditions
include: overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, m alnutrition, and inadequate access to
health care. M illions of lives could be saved every year by addressing these underlying
problem s and by sim ple preventive measures such as im m unizing the population against
common infectious agents.
Exam tip: In the IELTS Reading exam you may have to indicate w hether statem ents
about a passage are True, False or Not given (i.e. not mentioned).
You can often recognize a True statem ent if you can match it to a part of the passage
that expresses the same idea in different words.
Recognizing synonyms (words with approximately the same meaning) can help you do this.
Example: Allergies are common in w ealthy countries. Allergies are common in a fflu e n t
countries.
Health 11
3 U nderline w ords in the passage fo r Exercise 2 w hich could be replaced by the w ords in
bold below.
1 M inor skin diso rd e rs do not n o rm a lly require hospital treatm ent.
2 Misuse of prescription drugs is a growing problem .
3 Germs can cause stom ach upsets.
4 Vaccinating children against m easles has reduced the prevalence of this disease.
4 The w ords below describe actions th a t m edical s ta ff may take when a person enters
hospital. N um ber the verbs fro m 1 to 5 to show the o rd e r in w hich they typ ica lly occur.
diagnose___ d isch a rg e ___ a d m it___ tr e a t____ examine
Exam tip: In the IELTS Reading exam you may have to com plete gaps in sentences w ith
w ords from a reading passage. Recognizing collocations (i.e. words that com m only go
together) can help you do this.
If you look carefully at the w ords on eith er side of the gap you may be able to use your
knowledge of collocations to choose the right word(s).
Example: The patient w as_______fo r cancer. The patient was treated fo r cancer.
Com plete the sentences below w ith w ords a -e . Look c a re fu lly at the prepositions a fte r
the gaps to help you choose the rig h t w ord.
a vaccinated b diagnosed c screened d adm inistered e discharged
1 In poor countries patients are s o m e tim e s ___________________fro m hospital before
they are fu lly cured.
2 If a ll women over the age of 50 a r e __________________ fo r breast cancer, many lives
can be saved.
3 The patient w a s ___________________w ith heart disease.
U A ll children should b e ___________________against infectious diseases such as
measles.
5 The d o c to r_a drug to the patient to help him sleep.
Vocabulary for IELTS
Unit 2
Exam practice: Reading - answering True/False/
Not given questions - completing sentences
QUESTIONS 1-4
Do the statements 7-4 below agree with the information given in the following text? Write:
TRUE if the text confirms the statement
FALSE if the text confirms the opposite of the statement
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to know from the text
Tip: Look fo r synonyms fo r key term s.
Scientists from the UK and USA have recently reported that over the last 30 years the incidence
of Type 2 diabetes has m ore than doubled. They estim ate that nearly 350 m illion adults
w orldw ide now have the disease. In every country studied, rates of diabetes had either remained
the same or increased. The rise has been p a rticula rly acute in the Pacific Islands w ith up to
th irty per cent of women in some areas suffering fro m the condition.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic progressive condition which occurs when there is too much glucose
in the blood, either because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or because cells have
become resistant to insulin. Com plications resulting from diabetes include damage to kidneys,
blindness, heart disease and strokes.
The condition is associated w ith obesity; however, nearly th re e -q u a rte rs of the rise has been
attributed to longer lifespans and better diagnosis. Having a close relative w ith the disease is
also a risk factor.
Type 2 diabetes has also become a m ajor burden on health care systems around the w orld.
Expenditure on treating the condition is projected to rise to over £30 billion annually w ithin the
next three years. However, a recent study has shown that if the condition is diagnosed w ithin
four years of onset, it can be reversed by follow ing a low -calorie diet. Lim iting food intake to
600 calories per day fo r eight weeks was shown to have a lasting effect on the m ajority of subjects
who took part in the tria l. For many, Type 2 diabetes can be cured - and it need not cost the earth.
1 More than twice as many adults have Type 2 diabetes as did th irty years ago.
2 Nearly a th ird of people in the Pacific Islands have diabetes.
3 Type 2 diabetes is a long-term illness which can be caused by insufficient insulin production.
4 The increase in Type 2 diabetes is partly due to greater life expectancy.
QUESTIONS 5 -7
Complete the sentences 5 -7 using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage above.
5 Treating diabetes places a significant on health care budgets.
6 If a person _ w ith diabetes early, he or she can be cured.
7 Most people _ in the low -calorie diet study made a good recovery.
Health 13
3 Education
N am ing academ ic su b je cts I Verbs, nouns and a d jectives associated w ith academ ic study I
C hoosing th e c o rre c t p a rt of speech
Vocabulary
Academic subjects: • sociology
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Sociology is the
• archaeology also archeology study of society or of the way society is
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Archaeology is the
organized. ■ a sociology professor at the
study of the societies and peoples of the past University of North Carolina ■ a treatise on
by examining the rem ains of th e ir buildings,
the sociology of religion
tools, and other objects. ■ an archaeology
professor at Florida State University Academic activities:
• astronomy • analyse (analyses, analysing, analysed)
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Astronomy is the VERB If you analyse something, you consider
scientific study of the stars, planets, and it carefully or use statistical methods in
other n atural objects in space. ■ a 10-day order to fu lly understand it. [US analyze]
astronomy mission ■ McCarthy was asked to analyse the data
• economics from the first phase of trials of the vaccine.
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Economics is the ■ [+ what] This book teaches you how to
study of the way in which money, industry, analyse what is causing the stress in your life.
and trade are organized in a society. • claim (claims, claiming, claimed)
■ He gained a firs t class Honours degree VERB If you say that someone claims that
in economics. ■ having previously studied something is true, you mean they say that it is
economics and fine art true but you are not sure w hether or not they
• geology are telling the truth. ■ [+ that] He claimed that
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Geology is the it was all a conspiracy against him. ■ [+ to-inf]
study of the E arth’s structure, surface, and A man claiming to be a journalist threatened to
origins. ■ He was visiting professor of geology reveal details about her private life. ■ He claims
at the University of Jordan. a 70 to 80 per cent success rate.
• linguistics • define (defines, defining, defined)
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Linguistics is the VERB If you define a word or expression,
study of the way in which language works. you explain its meaning, fo r example in a
■ Modern linguistics emerged as a distinct dictionary. ■ [+ as] Collins English Dictionary
field in the nineteenth century. defines a workaholic as 'a person obsessively
• psychology addicted to work'.
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Psychology is the • evaluate (evaluates, evaluating, evaluated)
scientific study of the human mind and the VERB If you evaluate som ething or
reasons fo r people's behaviour. ■ Professor someone, you consider them in order to
of Psychology at Bedford College ■ research in make a judgm ent about them , fo r example
educational psychology about how good or bad they are. ■ They w ill
Vocabulary for IELTS
Unit 3
first send in trained nurses to evaluate the or has really happened. ■ [+ of/for] a report
needs of the individual situation. ■ The market on the scientific evidence for global warming
situation is difficult to evaluate. ■ [+ how] we ■ [+ that] There is a lot of evidence that stress
evaluate how well we do something is partly responsible for disease. ■ [+ to-inf] To
• investigate (investigates, investigating, date there is no evidence to support this theory.
investigated) • hypothesis (hypotheses)
VERB If you investigate som ething, you NOUN A hypothesis is an idea which is
study or examine it carefully to find out suggested as a possible explanation fo r a
the tru th about it. ■ Research in Oxford is p a rticu la r situation or condition, but which
now investigating a possible link between has not yet been proved to be correct.
endometriosis and the immune system. [FORMAL] ■ Work w ill now begin to test the
■ [+ how] Police are s till investigating how the hypothesis in rats. ■ Different hypotheses have
accident happened. been put forward to explain why these foods
are more likely to cause problems.
Nouns associated with research:
• theory (theories)
• evidence NOUN A theory is a fo rm a l idea or set of
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Evidence is anything ideas that is intended to explain som ething.
that you see, experience, read, or are told that ■ [+ of] Einstein formulated the Theory of
causes you to believe that something is true Relativity in 1905.
Practice exercises
Exam tip: Words fo r academic subjects can have many different endings, but these are
common.
-ics: statistics -logy: biology -y: philosophy
Learn to recognize these.
Complete w ords 1-7 below w ith the ending -ic s , -lo g y , o r - y to fo rm the names of
subjects. Then match them to the topics of study a-g.
1 archaeo a the human mind
2 astrnnnm b people of the past
3 eronnm c society
U geo d money, industry and trade
5 linguist e the Earth
6 psycho ...... ............. ......... f how language w orks
7 s o c io ....... g stars and planets
Exam tip: Words fo r naming people by th e ir occupations often end in -er.
Examples: teacher/farm er/m iner
W ords fo r naming people who study academic subjects fo r a living usually end in -ist.
Examples: biologist/physicist
Learn to recognize these.
Education 15
Choose the co rre ct w ords fo r academ ic subjects and the people who study them to
com plete sentences 1-7.
1 A n ___________at the Royal Observatory has discovered a new moon in our solar system.
2 She wanted to understand why people feel, think, and behave in certain ways, so she
decided to do a degree in ___________
3 ___________is the study of language in general, not any p a rticu la r language such as
French or Mandarin.
U The governm ent’s predictions fo r economic growth and inflation were not endorsed by
le a d in g ___________
5 Students from the departm ent o f ___________spent the weekend studying rock
form ations off the coast of Scotland.
6 Graduates i n ___________often take jobs which involve analysing data and fo rm ulating
social policy.
7 ___________were called in to investigate the Iron Age tools discovered on the building site.
j Exam tip : When w riting in the IELTS exam you need to use not only the right words but
j also the right parts of speech, for example:
Thompson and her colleagues analyse IverbJ the samples using the antibody test.
The main results of the analysis [noun] are summarized below.
i I have an analytical Iadjective] approach to every survey.
I When you learn a new word, learn its associated parts of speech.
3 The w ords in the table are com m only linked to academic study. Use your dictionary to
com plete the table.
verb noun adjective
claim x
definition x
evaluate
investigation
X evidence
hypothesis
theoretical
4 Choose the co rrect part of speech fro m the w ords in ita lics fo r sentences 1-6.
1 When giving a presentation, it is im portant to define/definition key term s.
2 An effective essay is not ju st descriptive but also evaluation/evaluative.
3 It is im portant to investigate/investigation the causes of inequality.
U It is now evidence/evident that stress contributes to disease.
5 Most scientific research begins w ith a hypothesize/hypothesis.
6 There is no theory/theoretical model to explain the impact of inflation on economic growth.
Vocabulary for IELTS
Unit 3
5 Choose w ords fro m the table in Exercise 3 to com plete the sentences 1-5.
1 In academic discussions, it is im portant t o ____________ argum ents fo r th e ir strengths
and weaknesses.
2 It would be difficult to design a scientific experiment to test th e ____________ that m ultiple
time dimensions exist.
3 To date there is n o ____________ to support this theory.
4 A fte r le n g th y ____________ , they were s till unable to identify the source of the leak.
5 There is no general agreem ent on a s ta n d a rd ____________ of the term ‘intelligence’.
Exam practice: Writing Task 2
Below is a student’s answer to an IELTS W riting Task 2, in which candidates are required to w rite
a 250 word essay on a given topic. Complete the essay w ith w ords from the unit. There may be
more than one correct answer. Hint: make sure you choose the correct part of speech.
WRITING TASK 2
W rite about the fo llo w ing topic:
Is there any value in studying academic subjects that are not 'useful' in terms of generating
wealth for the country?
Give reasons fo r your answ er and include any relevant exam ples fro m yo u r own knowledge o r
experience.
W rite at least 250 w ords.
Many people these days (1)__________ that a useful education is one that prepares graduates for
occupations that create wealth. However, when we (2)__________ the usefulness of an academic
subject we should think carefully about how we (3)__________ the term ‘useful’. In this essay, I argue
that many academic subjects that do not directly generate great wealth can s till be very useful.
Some subjects can be useful because they create knowledge that can be applied in related fields.
(4) , fo r example, study the way language w orks. Their (5)__________ can be used to
create more effective methods of language teaching. Improved international com m unication can
result in better trading relations, which can in turn generate wealth. (6)__________ (7)__________
the lives of people in the past through th e ir artifacts. Many of these w ill be displayed in museums,
which can a ttract to urists who generate income fo r hoteliers, restaurants and so on.
Many academic subjects can also be ‘useful’ in te rm s of contributing to people’s quality of
life. Some people pursue hobbies in fields such as (8 )__________ in order to have a better
understanding of the planet we live on. Others w ith an interest in stars and planets may become
am ateur (9 )__________ Curiosity is an im portant human tra it, and many academic subjects
allow people to satisfy this need.
In short, there is little (10)__________ that sim ply educating people to be efficient w orkers
makes them happier or riche r in the broader sense. Human curiosity and the unpredictable
nature of knowledge creation mean that a variety of academic disciplines should be valued.
Now com plete the essay in your own w ords.
Education 17
Verbs and nouns associated w ith tra v e l and a d v e n tu re I G etting w o rd s tre s s rig h t I
C hoosing v o c a b u la ry to e xp re ss y o u rs e lf p re c is e ly
Vocabulary
Verbs associated with travel and sought for the post of Conservative Party
adventure: chairman. • Always seek professional legal
advice before entering into any agreement.
• accompany (accompanies, accompanying, ■ [+ from ] The couple have sought help from
accompanied) marriage guidance counsellors.
VERB If you accompany someone, you go
• venture (ventures, venturing, ventured)
som ewhere w ith them . [FORMAL] ■ Ken
VERB If you venture somewhere, you go
agreed to accompany me on a trip to Africa.
som ewhere that m ight be dangerous.
■ The Prime Minister, accompanied by the
[LITERARY] ■ People are afraid to venture out
governor, led the President up to the house.
for fear of sniper attacks.
• encounter (encounters, encountering,
encountered) Nouns associated with travel and
VERB If you encounter problems or adventure:
difficulties, you experience them. ■ Everyday
of our lives we encounter stresses of one kind or • challenge (challenges)
another. • Environmental problems they found in NOUN A challenge is som ething new and
Poland were among the worst they encountered. difficu lt which requires great effort and
determ ination. ■ I like a big challenge and
• overcome (overcomes, overcoming,
they don’t come much bigger than this. ■ The
overcame)
new governm ent’s first challenge is the
VERB If you overcome a problem or a
economy.
feeling, you successfully deal w ith it and
control it. ■ Molly had fought and overcome • destination (destinations)
her fear of flying. ■ One way of helping NOUN The destination of someone or
children to overcome shyness is to boost their something is the place to which they are going
self-confidence. or being sent. ■ Spain is still our most popular
holiday destination. ■ Only half of the emergency
• reschedule (reschedules, rescheduling,
supplies have reached their destination.
rescheduled)
VERB If someone reschedules an event, • itinerary (itineraries)
they change the tim e at which it is supposed NOUN An itinerary is a plan of a journey,
to happen. ■ Since I'll be away, I'd like to including the route and the places that you
reschedule the meeting. ■ [+ for] They've w ill visit. ■ The next place on our itinerary was
rescheduled the opening fo r February 14th. Silistra.
• seek (seeks, seeking, sought) • journey (journeys)
VERB If you seek som ething, you try to find NOUN When you make a journey, you travel
it or obtain it. [FORMAL] ■ Four people who from one place to another. ■ [ + to ] There is
sought refuge in the Italian embassy have left an express service from Paris which completes
voluntarily. ■ [+ for] Candidates are urgently the journey to Bordeaux in under 4 hours.
Vocabulary for IELTS
Adjectives to describe experiences: of Appeal has a pivotal role in the English
legal system. ■ The elections may prove to be
• dreary pivotal in Colombia's political history.
ADJECTIVE If you describe som ething
• profound
as dreary, you mean that it is d u ll and
ADJECTIVE You use profound to emphasize
depressing. ■ a dreary little town in the
that som ething is very great or intense.
Midwest
■ discoveries which had a profound effect on
• intense many areas of medicine ■ The overwhelming
ADJECTIVE Intense is used to describe feeling is ju s t deep, profound shock and
som ething that is very great or extrem e in anger. ■ Anna's patriotism was profound.
strength or degree. ■ He was sweating from • valuable
the intense heat. ■ His threats become more
ADJECTIVE If you describe som ething or
intense, agitated, and frequent. someone as valuable, you mean that they
• pivotal are very useful and helpful. ■ Many of our
ADJECTIVE A pivotal role, point, or figure in teachers also have valuable academic links
som ething is one that is very im portant and with Heidelberg University. • The experience
affects the success of that thing. ■ The Court was very valuable.
Practice exercises
Listen to speakers 1-6 describing th e ir adventures. Indicate which of the verbs a -g each
speaker uses by w ritin g a le tte r in the spaces below:
a accompany Speaker 1 .............
b reschedule Speaker 2 ......
c venture Speaker 3
d encounter Speaker L
e overcome Speaker Fi
f seek Speaker 6 ................
Exam tip: You can improve your m ark in the IELTS Speaking exam if you learn to
pronounce words correctly.
For m u lti-sylla b le words it is im portant to get the stress pattern right.
When you learn a new word, learn which syllable is pronounced most strongly.
Listen again to speakers 1-6 in Exercise 1. U nderline the stressed syllable of each key
verb a -f. Practise saying the w ords out loud.
Adventure
Exam Page
Unit Topic Vocabulary S k ill S u b -s k ills practice num ber
1 People and Nouns fo r people Listening Recognizing Listening 6
O relationships and relationships; adjectives from Section 4 -
adjectives th e ir endings; MCQs
to describe w orking out
character the meaning
of words from
listening context
2 Health Nouns fo r Reading Recognizing Reading - 10
sym ptom s; synonyms and T/F/NG
verbs fo r collocations
treatm ents
3 Education Nouns for W riting Choosing the W riting 14
academic righ t part of Task 2
subjects; verbs speech; w ritin g
fo r academic in an academic
study style
4 Adventure Verbs and nouns Speaking Expressing Speaking 18
fo r travelling; fin e r shades of Part 2
adjectives meaning; using
to describe common and
experiences less common
vocabulary; word
stress
5 Gadgets Nouns to describe Listening Collocations; Listening 22
dim ensions; words with Sections
verbs to describe different senses 1 and 2 -
processes labelling a
diagram -
classifying
6 Cities Nouns associated Reading Recognizing Reading - 26
with human superordinate matching
geography; term s; headings
adjectives to recognizing
describe places positive and
negative
connotation
Exam Page
Unit Topic V ocabulary S k ill S u b -s k ills practice nu m be r
7 The art of Reporting verbs; W riting Expressing W riting 30
persuasion nouns associated d iffe re nt Task 2
w ith persuasion points of view;
presenting an
argum ent
8 Getting involved Nouns fo r form s Speaking Expressing Speaking 34
of entertainm ent; likes and Part 1
o
*1 1*
verbs associated dislikes; using
w ith involvem ent phrasal verbs;
pronouncing the
le tte r 's ’
9 Global warming Verbs to describe Listening Recognizing Listening 38
natural processes; antonyms; Section 4 -
o
*1 I*
nouns associated prefixes com pleting
with clim ate notes
10 Revision 1 Selection of words A ll s k ills Selection of sub- 42
fro m units 1-9 s k ills fro m units
Q
1-9
11 Words for Nouns fo r types of W riting Describing and W riting 46
describing graphics and th e ir sum m arizing Task 1
graphs and com ponents visual data
diagrams
12 Words for Nouns and verbs Speaking Positive and Speaking 50
describing fo r describing negative Part 3
■■ r
change change; tim e connotation;
expressions pronouncing
consonants
13 Words Words fo r Listening Collocation; Listening 54
(^ expressing com parison and parts of speech Section 3 -
•• r
sim ilarity and contrast com pleting a
difference sum m ary
u Words Verbs and nouns Reading Recognizing Reading - 58
describing indicating cause synonyms, MCQs
cause and effect and effect antonyms,
superordinates
and examples
Exam Page
Unit Topic Vocabulary Skill Sub-skills practice num ber
15 Signposting Words fo r W riting Linking W riting 62
expressions for ordering, addition, sentences; Task 2
writing concession, signposting an
generalizations, essay
and conclusions
(w ritten register)
16 Adverbs Adverbs fo r Speaking Adding interest Speaking 66
O expressing
attitude and
to spoken
answers;
Part 1 -
introduction
adding detail pronouncing and interview
schwa
17 Words for Nouns fo r Listening Recognizing Listening - 70
problems and different collocations; short-answ er
■i i1 problem s; verbs spelling questions
solutions
fo r solving
problem s
18 Words for Nouns associated Reading Recognizing Reading - 74
talking about with ideas; fin e r shades com pleting
ideas adjectives fo r of meaning; a sum m ary;
evaluating ideas positive and matching
negative sentence
connotation endings
19 Emphasis and Words describing W riting Recognizing W riting 78
understatement quantity, degree strength of Task 1 -
and degree of claim ; more sum m arizing
certainty collocations visual
inform ation
20 Revision 2 Selection of words A ll s k ills Selection of 82
o from units 11-19 s u b -s k ills from
units 11-19
Audio script 86
Answer key 104
Collocations 111
IELTS information 124
Introduction
Who is this book for?
Vocabulary for IELTS helps you improve your vocabulary when preparing fo r the IELTS examination.
You can use the book to study on your own or as supplem entary m aterial fo r IELTS preparation
classes. It is suitable fo r learners at level 5.0 to 5.5 aiming fo r band score 6.0 or higher.
Sum m ary
The Vocabulary fo r IELTS book and CD cover vocabulary item s and s k ills which are relevant to all
fo u r exam papers: Listening, Reading, W riting and Speaking. In each unit, you w ork tow ards an
exam practice exercise which is m odelled on the actual IELTS exam. Each unit contains activities
that help you develop, step-by-step, the vocabulary knowledge and s k ills to help you tackle the
exam. Exam tips throughout the book highlight essential vocabulary-related learning strategies
and exam techniques.
Content
Units
Each unit is divided into three parts.
Part 1: Vocabulary introduces vocabulary related to the topic or function of the unit. Definitions
fo r this vocabulary are presented using C ollins COBUILD full-se n te n ce definitions, and IELTS-
style example sentences show how the w ords are used in context. Parts of speech and the
different fo rm s of the w ords are also listed.
Part 2: Practice exercises provide a stru ctu re d set of exercises which help you develop the
s k ills to successfully apply vocabulary knowledge to the exam. Each unit focuses on developing
vocabulary and s k ills fo r a p a rticu la r paper, and the practice exercises provide practice fo r the
p a rticu la r paper.
Part 3: Exam practice provides exam practice exercises in a form at that follows the actual exam
giving you the opportunity to fam iliarize yourself with the kinds of questions you w ill encounter in the
exam. This section focuses on a particular exam paper and is highlighted in grey fo r easy reference.
Exam tips
There are exam tips and strategies in each unit. These are in boxes fo r easy reference.
Audio script
A ll audio fo r the Listening and Speaking paper has been recorded on the CD using native
speakers of English. A fu ll audio script is provided at the back of the book so that you can check
the language used in the listening and speaking exercises, if needed.
Answer key
A com prehensive answer key is provided fo r a ll sections of the book including m odel answers fo r
more open-ended w ritin g and speaking tasks.
Collocations
At the back of the book, you can fu rth e r develop your vocabulary by studying the list of the most
common collocations fo r the vocabulary presented in the units.
Howto use this book
The book is divided into 20 units. Units 1-9 cover vocabulary fo r topics that frequently appear in
the exam, such as health and education. Units 11-19 cover w ords fo r general functions, such as
describing problem s and solutions. Units 10 and 20 provide revision exercises. Unit 10 revises
the vocabulary and s k ills covered in Units 1-9, and Unit 20 revises the vocabulary and s kills
covered in Units 11 -19. A ll 20 units help you develop s k ills such as paraphrasing and w orking out
the meaning of u n fa m iliar w ords from context.
Each unit is self-contained so that you can study the units in any order. You can choose the unit
you want to study either by selecting the topic you want to study, or by selecting which exam
paper you w ant to practise. Only the units w ith practice on the Speaking and Listening papers
contain audio. The contents pages at the beginning of the book provide an overview of what is
in each unit so you can use this to choose which units you would like to study first. These pages
also give you inform ation on which units contain audio.
You w ill probably find it helpful to begin each unit by reading the vocabulary items in part 1, then
w orking through the exercises in preparation fo r the exam practice exercise at the end. Try to do
the exam exercises w ithin the tim e lim it to give yourself realistic exam practice.
In order to learn a new word, it is usually necessary to revisit it several tim es. The revision units
help you to do this. However, it is also a good idea to avoid w ritin g your answers in the book so
that you can do the exercises again at a later date.
It is also advisable to keep a vocabulary notebook. Knowing a word and how to use it involves
understanding many aspects of it. The more inform ation you can record about the words you are
learning, the more useful it w ill be. Key definitions, partis] of speech, common collocations and
example sentences are a ll very helpful. Don’t forget to use the Collocations section at the back of
the book to help w ith this.
Getting w ell-in fo rm e d feedback on your w ritin g and speaking exam practice exercises would also
be an advantage. However, if this is not possible it is s till im portant to do the exercises in fu ll.
Studying model answers can help you develop the ability to assess your own work. If possible,
record yourself when speaking, and listen carefully to your perform ance. Avoid m em orising
model answers. Rem em ber that in the actual exam, it is im portant to answer the question and
not ju st speak or w rite about the topic
As a final preparation before the exam, you could re-read the exam tips in the boxes. This w ill
rem ind you of the strategies fo r success in the exam.
5
1 People and relationships
D escrib in g people I R ecognizing a d je ctive s I W o rk in g out m eaning fro m co n te xt
Vocabulary
People in relationship: Describing people:
• client (clients) • autonomous
NOUN A client of a professional person ADJECTIVE An autonomous person
o r organization is a person that receives a makes th e ir own decisions ra th e r than
service from them in return fo r payment. ■ a being influenced by someone else ■ They
solicitor and his client ■ The company requires proudly declared themselves p art of a new
clients to pay substantial fees in advance. autonomous province. ■ the liberal idea of the
• colleague (colleagues) autonomous individual
NOUN Your colleagues are the people you • consistent
w ork w ith, especially in a professional job. ADJECTIVE Someone who is consistent
■ Female academics are s till paid less than always behaves in the same way, has the
their male colleagues. ■ In the corporate same attitudes tow ards people or things,
world, the best sources of business are your or achieves the same level of success in
form er colleagues. som ething. ■ Becker has never been the most
• employer (employers) consistent of players anyway. ■ his consistent
NOUN Your employer is the person or support of free trade ■ a consistent character
organization that you w ork for. ■ employers with a m ajor thematic function
who hire illegal workers ■ The telephone • conventional
company is the country's largest employer. ADJECTIVE Someone who is conventional
• parent (parents) has behaviour and opinions that are
NOUN Your parents are your m other and ordinary and norm al. ■ a respectable
father. ■ Children need their parents. ■ When m arried woman with conventional opinions
you become a parent the things you once ■ this close, fairly conventional English family
cared about seem to have less value. • co-operative also cooperative
• sibling (siblings) ADJECTIVE If you say that someone is
NOUN Your siblings are your brothers and co-operative, you mean that they do what
sisters. [FORMAL] ■ Some studies have found you ask them w ithout com plaining or
that children are more friendly to younger arguing. ■ The president said the visit would
siblings of the same sex. ■ Sibling rivalry often develop friendly and co-operative relations
causes parents anxieties. between the two countries. ■ a contented and
• spouse (spouses) co-operative workforce
NOUN Someone’s spouse is the person they • efficient
are married to. Husbands and wives do not have ADJECTIVE If som ething or someone
to pay any inheritance tax when their spouse dies. is efficient, they are able to do tasks
Vocabulary for IELTS
successfully, w ithout wasting tim e or if this may be impractical. ■ Idealistic young
energy. ■ With today’s more efficient people died for the cause. ■ an over-simplistic
contraception women can plan their families and idealistic vision of family dynamics
and careers. ■ Technological advances allow • tolerant
more efficient use of labour. ■ an efficient way
ADJECTIVE If you describe someone as
of testing thousands of compounds
tolerant, you approve of the fact that they
• flexible allow other people to say and do as they like,
ADJECTIVE Something or someone that is even if they do not agree with or like it. ■ [+of]
flexible is able to change easily and adapt They need to be tolerant of different points of
to different conditions and circum stances. view. ■ Other changes include more tolerant
■ more flexible arrangements to allow access attitudes to unmarried couples having children.
to services a fte r normal working hours • We • vulnerable
encourage flexible working. ADJECTIVE Someone who is vulnerable
• idealistic is weak and w ithout protection, w ith the
ADJECTIVE If you describe someone as re su lt that they are easily hurt physically
idealistic, you mean that they have ideals, and or em otionally. ■ Old people are particularly
base their behaviour on these ideals, even vulnerable members of our society.
Practice exercises
C ircle the w ords that you associate w ith fa m ily relationships. U nderline the w ords you
associate w ith professional relationships.
a client d colleague
b parent e spouse
c sibling f em ployer
Listen to three speakers ta lkin g about people who have been im po rta n t to them . Indicate
the person each speaker describes by w ritin g a le tte r a - f fro m Exercise 1 in each space.
1
2
3
j Exam tip:
i • You can often recognize w hether a word is a noun, verb, adjective or adverb
from its ending.
: • Adjectives can have many different endings, but these are common.
-a b le /-ib le vulnerable, flexible -ic idealistic
-al conventional -ive co-operative
-a n t/-e n t tolerant, consistent, efficient -ous autonomous
j • Learn to recognize these.
People and relationships
5i 3 Listen again to the th re e speakers and w rite down the adjectives fro m the table above
01 th a t you hear. Listen fo r the w ord endings: -able, -ib le , -a l, -ant, -ent, -ic, -ive, -ous.
1
2
3
Exam tip: In Part 4 of the IELTS Listening exam you have to listen to a ta lk on a topic of
general academic interest.
You do not need to know a ll of the vocabulary.
If you hear a word you don’t know, listen fo r expressions like:
a i.e.
b in other w ords
c that is
d by ... I mean
e that is to say
The text that follow s these expressions helps you understand the word.
Example: Employers value conscientious workers, that is workers who complete tasks
with care.
Listen to the e xtra ct fro m a lectu re about only ch ild re n and notice the expression the
02 speaker uses to indicate she is defining the key expressions 1-6 below. Look back at the
Exam tip and w rite a le tte r a -e in each space.
1 only children
2 parental resources
3 to le ran t ......
4 rn-nperative
5 autonom y
6 unconventional
0 5 Listen to the e xtra ct again and com plete the d e finitio n s the speaker gives fo r w ords 1-6
02 above. W rite one w ord in each space.
1 only children - ‘children w ith o u t____________ ’
2 parental resources - ‘not ju st money, but a ls o ____________ a n d ____________ ’
3 to le ra n t - ‘able to a c c e p t___________ ’
4 co-operative - ‘able to w o r k ____________ w it h --------------------- ’
5 autonom y - ‘ability t o ____________ th e ir o w n --------------------- ’
6 unconventional - ‘not q u ite ____________ in social te rm s ’
8 Vocabulary for IELTS
Unit 1
Exam practice: Listening exam Section 4
O Listen to the lecture extract about birth ord er and personality and answ er
03 questions 1 -5 by choosing the correct le tte r A, B or C.
Exam tip: Listen fo r key adjectives and clues in the context fo r what they mean.
1 What does the speaker discuss in relation to personality?
A Family size
B The relationship between children and th e ir parents
C People’s position in the fam ily
2 What does the speaker im ply about anxiety?
A It is a positive tra it.
B It is a negative trait.
C It is experienced by younger siblings.
3 What do some researchers say about youngest children?
A They form relationships easily.
B They agree w ith the opinions of other people.
C They like it if people agree w ith them.
4 Why are m iddle children considered to be rebellious?
A They don’t like to be told w hat to do.
B They don’t know how to be agreeable.
C They like to be different from others.
5 What does the speaker say about the quality of research on birth order?
A Most research has been done correctly.
B Most research has been done incorrectly.
C Most research has come to a clear conclusion.
People and relationships 9
2 Health
N am ing health p ro b le m s and tre a tm e n ts I Recognizing synonym s | Recognizing co llo ca tion s
Vocabulary
Health problems: • stroke (strokes)
NOUN If someone has a stroke, a blood
• addiction (addictions) vessel in th e ir brain bursts or becomes
NOUN Addiction is the condition of taking blocked, which may k ill them or make them
h a rm fu l drugs and being unable to stop unable to move one side of th e ir body. ■ He
taking them . ■ long-term addiction to had a m inor stroke in 1987, which left him
nicotine partly paralyzed.
• allergy (allergies)
NOUN If you have a p a rticular allergy, you Verbs associated with treatment:
become ill or get a rash when you eat, sm ell, • adm inister (administers, administering,
or touch som ething that does not norm ally administered)
make people ill. ■ Food allergies can result in VERB If a doctor or nurse administers
an enormous variety of different symptoms.
a drug, they give it to a patient. ■ Paramedics
• cancer (cancers) are trained to adm inister certain drugs.
NOUN Cancer is a serious disease in which • admit (admits, admitting, admitted)
cells in a person’s body increase rapidly in VERB If someone is admitted to hospital
an uncontrolled way, producing abnorm al they are taken into hospital fo r tre a tm e n t
growths. ■ a cancer research charity and kept there un til they are w e ll enough to
• dehydration go home. ■ She was admitted to hospital with
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN You are suffering a soaring temperature.
from dehydration if you lose too much w ate r • diagnose (diagnoses, diagnosing,
from your body. ■ Cholera causes severe diagnosed)
dehydration. VERB If someone or som ething is diagnosed
• disease (diseases) as having a p a rticu la r illness or problem ,
NOUN A disease is an illness that affects th e ir illness o r problem is identified.
people, anim als or plants, fo r example one ■ Alm ost a m illion people are diagnosed with
w hich is caused by bacteria or infection. colon cancer each year.
■ the rapid spread of disease in the area • discharge (discharges, discharging,
• infection (infections) discharged)
NOUN An infection is a disease caused VERB When someone is discharged from
by germ s or bacteria. ■ Ear infections are hospital, they are o fficially allowed to leave,
common in pre-school children. or told they m ust leave. ■ He has a broken
• obesity nose but may be discharged today.
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Someone suffering • examine (examines, examining, examined)
from obesity is extrem ely fat. ■ The excessive VERB If a doctor examines you, he or she
consumption of sugar leads to obesity looks at your body, feels it, or does sim ple
Vocabulary for IELTS
Unit 2
tests in order to check how healthy you are. • vaccinate (vaccinates, vaccinating,
■ Another doctor examined her and could s till vaccinated)
find nothing wrong. VERB A vaccine is a harm less form of
• screen (screens, screening, screened) the germ s that cause a p a rticula r disease.
VERB To screen for a disease means If a person or anim al is vaccinated, they
to examine people to make sure that they are given a vaccine, usually by injection, to
do not have it. ■ Men over 50 are routinely prevent them getting that disease. ■ Dogs
screened for prostate abnormalities. must be vaccinated against distemper.
Practice exercises
The w ords below describe d iffe re n t disorders. C ircle the w ords that you associate w ith
rich countries. U nderline the w ords you associate w ith poor countries.
a infection e stroke
b heart disease f dehydration
c allergies g addiction
d obesity
Read the passage below and com pare yo u r answers to Exercise 1 w ith the inform ation in
the passage.
Diseases of Affluence - Diseases of Poverty
Health conditions associated w ith wealth are som etim es referred to as diseases of
affluence. These include diseases which are not com m unicable, such as Type 2 diabetes,
cancer, and stroke as w e ll as alcohol and drug addiction, obesity and some allergies.
Risk factors fo r these conditions are associated w ith the lifestyle of the econom ically
prosperous, in particular: physical inactivity, easy availability of meat, sugar, salt and
processed foods, excessive consum ption of alcohol and tobacco, and low er exposure to
infectious agents.
The diseases of poverty, in contrast, are predom inantly infectious diseases such as
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, m alaria and diarrhoeal diseases. Risk factors fo r these conditions
include: overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, m alnutrition, and inadequate access to
health care. M illions of lives could be saved every year by addressing these underlying
problem s and by sim ple preventive measures such as im m unizing the population against
common infectious agents.
Exam tip: In the IELTS Reading exam you may have to indicate w hether statem ents
about a passage are True, False or Not given (i.e. not mentioned).
You can often recognize a True statem ent if you can match it to a part of the passage
that expresses the same idea in different words.
Recognizing synonyms (words with approximately the same meaning) can help you do this.
Example: Allergies are common in w ealthy countries. Allergies are common in a fflu e n t
countries.
Health 11
3 U nderline w ords in the passage fo r Exercise 2 w hich could be replaced by the w ords in
bold below.
1 M inor skin diso rd e rs do not n o rm a lly require hospital treatm ent.
2 Misuse of prescription drugs is a growing problem .
3 Germs can cause stom ach upsets.
4 Vaccinating children against m easles has reduced the prevalence of this disease.
4 The w ords below describe actions th a t m edical s ta ff may take when a person enters
hospital. N um ber the verbs fro m 1 to 5 to show the o rd e r in w hich they typ ica lly occur.
diagnose___ d isch a rg e ___ a d m it___ tr e a t____ examine
Exam tip: In the IELTS Reading exam you may have to com plete gaps in sentences w ith
w ords from a reading passage. Recognizing collocations (i.e. words that com m only go
together) can help you do this.
If you look carefully at the w ords on eith er side of the gap you may be able to use your
knowledge of collocations to choose the right word(s).
Example: The patient w as_______fo r cancer. The patient was treated fo r cancer.
Com plete the sentences below w ith w ords a -e . Look c a re fu lly at the prepositions a fte r
the gaps to help you choose the rig h t w ord.
a vaccinated b diagnosed c screened d adm inistered e discharged
1 In poor countries patients are s o m e tim e s ___________________fro m hospital before
they are fu lly cured.
2 If a ll women over the age of 50 a r e __________________ fo r breast cancer, many lives
can be saved.
3 The patient w a s ___________________w ith heart disease.
U A ll children should b e ___________________against infectious diseases such as
measles.
5 The d o c to r_a drug to the patient to help him sleep.
Vocabulary for IELTS
Unit 2
Exam practice: Reading - answering True/False/
Not given questions - completing sentences
QUESTIONS 1-4
Do the statements 7-4 below agree with the information given in the following text? Write:
TRUE if the text confirms the statement
FALSE if the text confirms the opposite of the statement
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to know from the text
Tip: Look fo r synonyms fo r key term s.
Scientists from the UK and USA have recently reported that over the last 30 years the incidence
of Type 2 diabetes has m ore than doubled. They estim ate that nearly 350 m illion adults
w orldw ide now have the disease. In every country studied, rates of diabetes had either remained
the same or increased. The rise has been p a rticula rly acute in the Pacific Islands w ith up to
th irty per cent of women in some areas suffering fro m the condition.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic progressive condition which occurs when there is too much glucose
in the blood, either because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or because cells have
become resistant to insulin. Com plications resulting from diabetes include damage to kidneys,
blindness, heart disease and strokes.
The condition is associated w ith obesity; however, nearly th re e -q u a rte rs of the rise has been
attributed to longer lifespans and better diagnosis. Having a close relative w ith the disease is
also a risk factor.
Type 2 diabetes has also become a m ajor burden on health care systems around the w orld.
Expenditure on treating the condition is projected to rise to over £30 billion annually w ithin the
next three years. However, a recent study has shown that if the condition is diagnosed w ithin
four years of onset, it can be reversed by follow ing a low -calorie diet. Lim iting food intake to
600 calories per day fo r eight weeks was shown to have a lasting effect on the m ajority of subjects
who took part in the tria l. For many, Type 2 diabetes can be cured - and it need not cost the earth.
1 More than twice as many adults have Type 2 diabetes as did th irty years ago.
2 Nearly a th ird of people in the Pacific Islands have diabetes.
3 Type 2 diabetes is a long-term illness which can be caused by insufficient insulin production.
4 The increase in Type 2 diabetes is partly due to greater life expectancy.
QUESTIONS 5 -7
Complete the sentences 5 -7 using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage above.
5 Treating diabetes places a significant on health care budgets.
6 If a person _ w ith diabetes early, he or she can be cured.
7 Most people _ in the low -calorie diet study made a good recovery.
Health 13
3 Education
N am ing academ ic su b je cts I Verbs, nouns and a d jectives associated w ith academ ic study I
C hoosing th e c o rre c t p a rt of speech
Vocabulary
Academic subjects: • sociology
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Sociology is the
• archaeology also archeology study of society or of the way society is
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Archaeology is the
organized. ■ a sociology professor at the
study of the societies and peoples of the past University of North Carolina ■ a treatise on
by examining the rem ains of th e ir buildings,
the sociology of religion
tools, and other objects. ■ an archaeology
professor at Florida State University Academic activities:
• astronomy • analyse (analyses, analysing, analysed)
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Astronomy is the VERB If you analyse something, you consider
scientific study of the stars, planets, and it carefully or use statistical methods in
other n atural objects in space. ■ a 10-day order to fu lly understand it. [US analyze]
astronomy mission ■ McCarthy was asked to analyse the data
• economics from the first phase of trials of the vaccine.
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Economics is the ■ [+ what] This book teaches you how to
study of the way in which money, industry, analyse what is causing the stress in your life.
and trade are organized in a society. • claim (claims, claiming, claimed)
■ He gained a firs t class Honours degree VERB If you say that someone claims that
in economics. ■ having previously studied something is true, you mean they say that it is
economics and fine art true but you are not sure w hether or not they
• geology are telling the truth. ■ [+ that] He claimed that
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Geology is the it was all a conspiracy against him. ■ [+ to-inf]
study of the E arth’s structure, surface, and A man claiming to be a journalist threatened to
origins. ■ He was visiting professor of geology reveal details about her private life. ■ He claims
at the University of Jordan. a 70 to 80 per cent success rate.
• linguistics • define (defines, defining, defined)
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Linguistics is the VERB If you define a word or expression,
study of the way in which language works. you explain its meaning, fo r example in a
■ Modern linguistics emerged as a distinct dictionary. ■ [+ as] Collins English Dictionary
field in the nineteenth century. defines a workaholic as 'a person obsessively
• psychology addicted to work'.
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Psychology is the • evaluate (evaluates, evaluating, evaluated)
scientific study of the human mind and the VERB If you evaluate som ething or
reasons fo r people's behaviour. ■ Professor someone, you consider them in order to
of Psychology at Bedford College ■ research in make a judgm ent about them , fo r example
educational psychology about how good or bad they are. ■ They w ill
Vocabulary for IELTS
Unit 3
first send in trained nurses to evaluate the or has really happened. ■ [+ of/for] a report
needs of the individual situation. ■ The market on the scientific evidence for global warming
situation is difficult to evaluate. ■ [+ how] we ■ [+ that] There is a lot of evidence that stress
evaluate how well we do something is partly responsible for disease. ■ [+ to-inf] To
• investigate (investigates, investigating, date there is no evidence to support this theory.
investigated) • hypothesis (hypotheses)
VERB If you investigate som ething, you NOUN A hypothesis is an idea which is
study or examine it carefully to find out suggested as a possible explanation fo r a
the tru th about it. ■ Research in Oxford is p a rticu la r situation or condition, but which
now investigating a possible link between has not yet been proved to be correct.
endometriosis and the immune system. [FORMAL] ■ Work w ill now begin to test the
■ [+ how] Police are s till investigating how the hypothesis in rats. ■ Different hypotheses have
accident happened. been put forward to explain why these foods
are more likely to cause problems.
Nouns associated with research:
• theory (theories)
• evidence NOUN A theory is a fo rm a l idea or set of
UNCOUNTABLE NOUN Evidence is anything ideas that is intended to explain som ething.
that you see, experience, read, or are told that ■ [+ of] Einstein formulated the Theory of
causes you to believe that something is true Relativity in 1905.
Practice exercises
Exam tip: Words fo r academic subjects can have many different endings, but these are
common.
-ics: statistics -logy: biology -y: philosophy
Learn to recognize these.
Complete w ords 1-7 below w ith the ending -ic s , -lo g y , o r - y to fo rm the names of
subjects. Then match them to the topics of study a-g.
1 archaeo a the human mind
2 astrnnnm b people of the past
3 eronnm c society
U geo d money, industry and trade
5 linguist e the Earth
6 psycho ...... ............. ......... f how language w orks
7 s o c io ....... g stars and planets
Exam tip: Words fo r naming people by th e ir occupations often end in -er.
Examples: teacher/farm er/m iner
W ords fo r naming people who study academic subjects fo r a living usually end in -ist.
Examples: biologist/physicist
Learn to recognize these.
Education 15
Choose the co rre ct w ords fo r academ ic subjects and the people who study them to
com plete sentences 1-7.
1 A n ___________at the Royal Observatory has discovered a new moon in our solar system.
2 She wanted to understand why people feel, think, and behave in certain ways, so she
decided to do a degree in ___________
3 ___________is the study of language in general, not any p a rticu la r language such as
French or Mandarin.
U The governm ent’s predictions fo r economic growth and inflation were not endorsed by
le a d in g ___________
5 Students from the departm ent o f ___________spent the weekend studying rock
form ations off the coast of Scotland.
6 Graduates i n ___________often take jobs which involve analysing data and fo rm ulating
social policy.
7 ___________were called in to investigate the Iron Age tools discovered on the building site.
j Exam tip : When w riting in the IELTS exam you need to use not only the right words but
j also the right parts of speech, for example:
Thompson and her colleagues analyse IverbJ the samples using the antibody test.
The main results of the analysis [noun] are summarized below.
i I have an analytical Iadjective] approach to every survey.
I When you learn a new word, learn its associated parts of speech.
3 The w ords in the table are com m only linked to academic study. Use your dictionary to
com plete the table.
verb noun adjective
claim x
definition x
evaluate
investigation
X evidence
hypothesis
theoretical
4 Choose the co rrect part of speech fro m the w ords in ita lics fo r sentences 1-6.
1 When giving a presentation, it is im portant to define/definition key term s.
2 An effective essay is not ju st descriptive but also evaluation/evaluative.
3 It is im portant to investigate/investigation the causes of inequality.
U It is now evidence/evident that stress contributes to disease.
5 Most scientific research begins w ith a hypothesize/hypothesis.
6 There is no theory/theoretical model to explain the impact of inflation on economic growth.
Vocabulary for IELTS
Unit 3
5 Choose w ords fro m the table in Exercise 3 to com plete the sentences 1-5.
1 In academic discussions, it is im portant t o ____________ argum ents fo r th e ir strengths
and weaknesses.
2 It would be difficult to design a scientific experiment to test th e ____________ that m ultiple
time dimensions exist.
3 To date there is n o ____________ to support this theory.
4 A fte r le n g th y ____________ , they were s till unable to identify the source of the leak.
5 There is no general agreem ent on a s ta n d a rd ____________ of the term ‘intelligence’.
Exam practice: Writing Task 2
Below is a student’s answer to an IELTS W riting Task 2, in which candidates are required to w rite
a 250 word essay on a given topic. Complete the essay w ith w ords from the unit. There may be
more than one correct answer. Hint: make sure you choose the correct part of speech.
WRITING TASK 2
W rite about the fo llo w ing topic:
Is there any value in studying academic subjects that are not 'useful' in terms of generating
wealth for the country?
Give reasons fo r your answ er and include any relevant exam ples fro m yo u r own knowledge o r
experience.
W rite at least 250 w ords.
Many people these days (1)__________ that a useful education is one that prepares graduates for
occupations that create wealth. However, when we (2)__________ the usefulness of an academic
subject we should think carefully about how we (3)__________ the term ‘useful’. In this essay, I argue
that many academic subjects that do not directly generate great wealth can s till be very useful.
Some subjects can be useful because they create knowledge that can be applied in related fields.
(4) , fo r example, study the way language w orks. Their (5)__________ can be used to
create more effective methods of language teaching. Improved international com m unication can
result in better trading relations, which can in turn generate wealth. (6)__________ (7)__________
the lives of people in the past through th e ir artifacts. Many of these w ill be displayed in museums,
which can a ttract to urists who generate income fo r hoteliers, restaurants and so on.
Many academic subjects can also be ‘useful’ in te rm s of contributing to people’s quality of
life. Some people pursue hobbies in fields such as (8 )__________ in order to have a better
understanding of the planet we live on. Others w ith an interest in stars and planets may become
am ateur (9 )__________ Curiosity is an im portant human tra it, and many academic subjects
allow people to satisfy this need.
In short, there is little (10)__________ that sim ply educating people to be efficient w orkers
makes them happier or riche r in the broader sense. Human curiosity and the unpredictable
nature of knowledge creation mean that a variety of academic disciplines should be valued.
Now com plete the essay in your own w ords.
Education 17
Verbs and nouns associated w ith tra v e l and a d v e n tu re I G etting w o rd s tre s s rig h t I
C hoosing v o c a b u la ry to e xp re ss y o u rs e lf p re c is e ly
Vocabulary
Verbs associated with travel and sought for the post of Conservative Party
adventure: chairman. • Always seek professional legal
advice before entering into any agreement.
• accompany (accompanies, accompanying, ■ [+ from ] The couple have sought help from
accompanied) marriage guidance counsellors.
VERB If you accompany someone, you go
• venture (ventures, venturing, ventured)
som ewhere w ith them . [FORMAL] ■ Ken
VERB If you venture somewhere, you go
agreed to accompany me on a trip to Africa.
som ewhere that m ight be dangerous.
■ The Prime Minister, accompanied by the
[LITERARY] ■ People are afraid to venture out
governor, led the President up to the house.
for fear of sniper attacks.
• encounter (encounters, encountering,
encountered) Nouns associated with travel and
VERB If you encounter problems or adventure:
difficulties, you experience them. ■ Everyday
of our lives we encounter stresses of one kind or • challenge (challenges)
another. • Environmental problems they found in NOUN A challenge is som ething new and
Poland were among the worst they encountered. difficu lt which requires great effort and
determ ination. ■ I like a big challenge and
• overcome (overcomes, overcoming,
they don’t come much bigger than this. ■ The
overcame)
new governm ent’s first challenge is the
VERB If you overcome a problem or a
economy.
feeling, you successfully deal w ith it and
control it. ■ Molly had fought and overcome • destination (destinations)
her fear of flying. ■ One way of helping NOUN The destination of someone or
children to overcome shyness is to boost their something is the place to which they are going
self-confidence. or being sent. ■ Spain is still our most popular
holiday destination. ■ Only half of the emergency
• reschedule (reschedules, rescheduling,
supplies have reached their destination.
rescheduled)
VERB If someone reschedules an event, • itinerary (itineraries)
they change the tim e at which it is supposed NOUN An itinerary is a plan of a journey,
to happen. ■ Since I'll be away, I'd like to including the route and the places that you
reschedule the meeting. ■ [+ for] They've w ill visit. ■ The next place on our itinerary was
rescheduled the opening fo r February 14th. Silistra.
• seek (seeks, seeking, sought) • journey (journeys)
VERB If you seek som ething, you try to find NOUN When you make a journey, you travel
it or obtain it. [FORMAL] ■ Four people who from one place to another. ■ [ + to ] There is
sought refuge in the Italian embassy have left an express service from Paris which completes
voluntarily. ■ [+ for] Candidates are urgently the journey to Bordeaux in under 4 hours.
Vocabulary for IELTS
Adjectives to describe experiences: of Appeal has a pivotal role in the English
legal system. ■ The elections may prove to be
• dreary pivotal in Colombia's political history.
ADJECTIVE If you describe som ething
• profound
as dreary, you mean that it is d u ll and
ADJECTIVE You use profound to emphasize
depressing. ■ a dreary little town in the
that som ething is very great or intense.
Midwest
■ discoveries which had a profound effect on
• intense many areas of medicine ■ The overwhelming
ADJECTIVE Intense is used to describe feeling is ju s t deep, profound shock and
som ething that is very great or extrem e in anger. ■ Anna's patriotism was profound.
strength or degree. ■ He was sweating from • valuable
the intense heat. ■ His threats become more
ADJECTIVE If you describe som ething or
intense, agitated, and frequent. someone as valuable, you mean that they
• pivotal are very useful and helpful. ■ Many of our
ADJECTIVE A pivotal role, point, or figure in teachers also have valuable academic links
som ething is one that is very im portant and with Heidelberg University. • The experience
affects the success of that thing. ■ The Court was very valuable.
Practice exercises
Listen to speakers 1-6 describing th e ir adventures. Indicate which of the verbs a -g each
speaker uses by w ritin g a le tte r in the spaces below:
a accompany Speaker 1 .............
b reschedule Speaker 2 ......
c venture Speaker 3
d encounter Speaker L
e overcome Speaker Fi
f seek Speaker 6 ................
Exam tip: You can improve your m ark in the IELTS Speaking exam if you learn to
pronounce words correctly.
For m u lti-sylla b le words it is im portant to get the stress pattern right.
When you learn a new word, learn which syllable is pronounced most strongly.
Listen again to speakers 1-6 in Exercise 1. U nderline the stressed syllable of each key
verb a -f. Practise saying the w ords out loud.
Adventure