VOCABULARY LISTS

IELTS Band 8 Writing - 2

September 24, 2012 By Vidhi

1.

a ectation
a deliberate pretense or exaggerated display
To a vast majority, fountain pens are an a ectation.
BBC (May 22, 2012)

2.

complacent
contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions
Paul believes the medical advances made in treating HIV over the

= self-satis ed

past decade have led to people becoming more complacent and

taking more risks.
BBC (Aug 7, 2012)

3.

concomitant
an event or situation that happens at the same time
Quality and equity in education must be conceived as

= co-occurrence

concomitant.

> subsequent

Washington Post (Apr 17, 2012)

4.

culpable
deserving blame or censure as being wrong or injurious
But the state is even more culpable, making bad decisions about

= blameworthy, blameable, guilty

the design of the program, particularly the contractual

requirements related to eld testing.
New York Times (Jun 26, 2012)

5.

depravity
moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles
The depravities of leading men in TV dramas traditionally dont

= a corrupt or degenerate act or practice

leave permanent scars.

New York Times (Jul 6, 2011)

6.

espouse
choose and follow
But one complicating factor potentially cancels out much of the

- adopt, embrace

optimism espoused yesterday.

Scienti c American (May 11, 2011)

7.

galling
causing irritation or annoyance
The high pay phone costs in Germany are particularly galling for

= annoying, irritating

many troops because they can call home from combat areas for
much less.
New York Times (Mar 2, 2012)

8.

hallmark
a distinctive characteristic or attribute
And within those types, they found hallmark genetic changes that
are driving many cancers.
New York Times (Sep 24, 2012)

9.

ignominious
deserving or bringing disgrace or shame
After an ignominious two years, the program was scrapped.

= dishonourable,disgraceful, inglorious, shameful

BusinessWeek (Nov 4, 2011)

10.

nefarious
extremely wicked
According to my hospitality insider, nefarious guest activities are

= villainous

only becoming more foul and disturbing.

Slate (Jul 3, 2012)

11.

nonchalant
marked by blithe unconcern
Indian society's nonchalant attitude towards the disease must

= unconcerned, casual

change as well.
Nature (May 23, 2012)

12.

mitigate
make less severe or harsh
Here are a few ways to mitigate problems and frustrations.
Nature (Jul 5, 2012)

13.

perpetuate
cause to continue or prevail

= lighten, palliate,

Many accused the show of mocking Islam and perpetuating racial

stereotypes.
BBC (Sep 7, 2012)

14.

propensity
a natural inclination
Most unfortunate, and misleading, are the links these reporters
imply between military service, mental health and an increased
propensity for extreme violence.
New York Times (Jul 3, 2012)

15.

reconcile
come to terms
Fighting and reconciling is a major part of any healthy

= harmonise

relationship.
Slate (Apr 24, 2012)

16.

scapegoat
someone who is punished for the errors of others
Our folks are so angry and frustrated about being used as a
scapegoat that theyre going to continue to engage in this battle.
New York Times (Jun 9, 2012)

17.

squander
spend thoughtlessly; throw away
In his world fortunes are constantly being made and squandered.

= spend extravagantly

New York Times (Sep 14, 2012)

18.

supersede
take the place or move into the position of
Company o cials say they hoped to see a national sales tax law in

= replace

place that will supersede state laws.

New York Times (Sep 12, 2012)

19.

ludicrous
inviting ridicule
A few years ago, the idea of blind drivers seemed ludicrous.
Time (May 7, 2012)

20.

latent

= absurd, nonsensical, idiotic, humorous, laughable, ridiculous

potentially existing but not presently evident or realized

Uncertainties about the scal outlook in the United States present

= potential, possible

a particular latent risk to global nancial stability, Mr. Vials said.

> inactive (not presently active)

New York Times (Jul 16, 2012)

21.

tenacity
persistent determination
The work is pushed steadily, with tenacity, but results are slow in
coming.
Orth, Samuel P.

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