Improving your score from 5.

5 to 7

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

10

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

For more practice on IELTS

www.facebook.com/ieltsacademy2013

and

information

about

the

author

visit

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