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IELTS Vocabulary and Lexical Resource

IELTS Vocabulary means using a more academic style and word choice (Lexical Resource) when writing your essay. Using Topic Specific Vocabulary, collocations and words from the Academic Word List will help considerably.

This lesson focuses on what to learn, the importance of context, and how to learn / memorise these new terms so you can improve your writing.

Topic Specific Vocabulary

The best vocabulary to score in IELTS is Topic Specific Vocabulary – a vocabulary

that focuses on one topic.

In this article we will give you plenty of detailed explanations, tips, examples and resources for practice on this subject.

Topic Specific Vocabulary also contains lots of collocations, so you can expect a thorough explanation on what they are and how to use them.

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

Using collocations in your writing and speaking helps to make your language sound more natural and fluent. This in turn makes your skills higher and gets you better scoring in essays.

What is the best way to learn Topic Specific Collocations?

The best way is to learn Topic Specific Collocations is to look for them being used in context, in their natural environment.

Each topic below contains a list of collocations, a sample band 9 essay in a gap fill exercise.


1. IELTS Topic Vocabulary – Employment – Equal pay

Collocation Example

Feminist theory Many women discuss feminist theory and the differences in why women

are oppressed the way they are.

Gender equality Gender equality is an issue we have been struggling with in the world for

centuries and has yet to be fixed completely.

Equal pay Men and women do not always receive equal pay in the workplace even

when they are doing the same work.

Balancing

responsibilities

Some men believe that women have trouble balancing responsibilities

involving the home and the workplace and therefore cannot do both things.

Empower women We must empower women to achieve their goals no matter how big they

are in order to see gender equality succeed.

Affirmative action Affirmative action involves choosing someone for a job based on their race

or gender as opposed to their skills alone.

Male entitlement Male entitlement is a problem in today’s society because men have been

raised to think they are in control of everything.

Patriarchal society Many countries in the world revolve around the idea of a patriarchal society

where the male leads the household and make the decisions.

Equally beneficial Gender equality proves to be equally beneficial to both men and women in

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Collocation Example

the long run.

Task Two Sample Essay - with collocations removed (Gap fill task)

Firstly, women should be given the same opportunities in the workplace, because ____ ___________ is unfair and out of date. Men should not be given privileges over women just because of their gender. We need to promote ______ ________ in the workplace as well as give men and women _____ ___. Studies show that women excel just as quickly if not faster than men do in their careers when given the opportunity. Therefore, we need to _______ _____ and allow them to grow with no boundaries.

Secondly, women should not be hindered in their careers, because a working woman can be _______ __________ to the man as well. If the woman in the home is working alongside the man, the family can bring in more income and support their family more efficiently. ________ ______ studies how women are discriminated against in their jobs and how this can be a disadvantage to the family as a whole. Scientists have proved that couples who are equal when it comes to gender are happier overall.

In conclusion, we must allow women to thrive in the workplace and use ___________ ______ initiatives in order to ensure that women get the same opportunities as men. It is better for the world as a whole if we see both men and women in the home and leading successful careers.


2. IELTS Topic Vocabulary – Sport

Collocation Examples

Performance

enhancing Many athletes use performance enhancing drugs to do better in sports.

Record improved Many students saw that their behavior record improved when they started

to behave better.

Competitive sports Americans love watching competitive sports because they are inherently

competitive.

Average body The average body weight for a 5 foot female is 105 pounds.

Ultra-endurance Ultra-endurance sports force humans to work their hardest for as long as

possible.

Specialized bodies Tall people have specialized bodies for the sport of basketball.

Financial incentives Many athletes take steroids because performing better provides financial

incentives.

Athletic performance Athletic performance varies between people and is based on body type

and experience.

Energy efficient It is most energy efficient to eat protein and carbs before playing sports.

Changing genes Over time, changing genes in humans has caused athletes to perform

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Collocation Examples

better.

Different mindset We have a different mindset today about global warming than we did

twenty years ago.

Tearing tendons Athletes must be careful when lifting weights because tearing tendons is

a serious concern.

Human health Taking drugs and drinking alcohol is not good for human health.

Controversial issue Global warming is a controversial issue in today’s political world.


Performance enhancing drugs are a _____________ _____ in the sports world today. While

some people believe these drugs can increase ________ ___________, it is obvious that these

drugs are detrimental to _____ ______. These drugs cause athletes to have unfair benefits over

others as well.

Firstly, supplements to increase athletic performance should not be allowed because they can cause significant harm to the human body. For example, athletes who take these supplements may overwork their bodies and end up _______ _______ in the process. While professional athletes take these supplements because of _________ __________ in order to perform better, they are not ______ _________ to the body. Most athletes end up crashing after taking these drugs. Therefore, these performance drugs should be banned from all markets.


Secondly, supplements should be banned because they provide an unfair advantage. In the world of __________ ______, an unfair advantage can result in money loss and defamation for the losing athlete. These drugs help athletes create ___________ ______ for the sport in question. Athletes on drugs have _____ _________ capabilities unlike the athlete with the drug-free and _______ ____. This causes the competition to lose its value and the real athletic talent to be lost. These drugs get rid of the real meaning of sports.

In conclusion, performance enhancing drugs and supplements should not be allowed in competitive sports due to unfair advantages, and they should not be allowed in any marketplace, because they are unhealthy.


3. IELTS Topic Vocabulary – Employment – Highly Skilled Jobs

Collocations Examples

Highly skilled There are too many highly skilled people and not enough jobs for these people to fill.

Qualified graduates

Many qualified graduates find themselves without work, because the job market does not need them.

Increased education

Increase education such as graduate degrees has become more necessary when getting jobs, because college degrees are becoming very common and therefore less valuable.

Job requirements The job requirements for companies have become more extensive in order to differentiate between recent graduates.

Company policies Company policies usually require new employees to have ample experience when coming on board.

Internship experience

Internship experience is one of the most common requirements for new graduates looking for work.

Job field The job fields that many graduates are seeking jobs in already have enough workers.

Working world The working world is hard to enter as a graduate when you do not have a unique and extensive resume.

Unemployment problem

The unemployment problem for recent graduates is growing because more people are graduating and there are less jobs becoming available.

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Many college graduates who are ______ _______ for jobs in their preferred fields are finding

themselves without work, because there are not enough jobs to go around. The main problem is

that young adults are being told how important a college degree is, yet in the end, there are too

many people with this degree. A good way to fix this problem would be to send people to

technical schools in order to fill positions that need to be filled. Firstly, _________ _________

are having trouble getting into the _______ _____, because there are not enough jobs for these

qualified people to go around. Many graduates are qualified in specific, popular ___ ______ that

have too many people to being with. Because of this, _________ _________ is beginning to be

required for these jobs. In order to combat this problem, _______ ________ are becoming more

strict and the ___ ____________ now include __________ __________ in order to get the job.

This makes it more difficult for these highly skilled graduates to get jobs.

Secondly, in order to fix the ____________ _______ for recent graduates, we must try and create schooling other than college that will allow students to get more specialized training in fields where employment is needed such as computer systems and technology. By creating and encouraging these schools, we will be able to provide employment for people who are qualified and ready for work. This will increase employment among recent graduates.

In conclusion, recent graduates are unable to find work because there are not enough jobs in the fields they are skilled in. Also, this is causing jobs in these fields to be even harder to get, because requirements are becoming more extensive. In order to fix this problem, we must create and encourage specialized schooling to prepare for the workplace.


4. IELTS Topic Vocabulary – Environment – Global warming


Political issue There are many political issues in America such as women’s rights and immigration.

Climate crisis The climate crisis is a huge problem today, because temperatures are rising and the ice caps are melting.

Global warming Global warming is causing polar bears in the north and deep south to die.

Green consumer

Becoming a green consumer can help fix the climate crisis in the world.

Carbon emissions

Reducing our carbon emissions can slow down the effects of global warming on our planet.

Historical average

The temperatures have risen and beaten the historical average.

Current levels The current levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are dangerously high.

Carbon footprint Every person must reduce their carbon footprint by mindfully treating the environment better.

Climate solutions

There are many climate solutions that can help our planet, but we all must do our part to make a change.

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People are creating more waste and garbage today and it is negatively affecting our planet by

causing _______ ______ of carbon dioxide emissions to rise and the _______ ______ to get

worse. We must fix this issue with _______ _________ that will reduce our personal waste and,

in turn, reduce our ______ __________.

Firstly, we must stop creating so much garbage by becoming _____ _________ . We have to be mindful of our use and learn to be more environmentally friendly. Studies show that the __________ _______ of temperatures has been exceeded and this is related to our amount of waste. We need to recycle more and emit less. Otherwise, our ______ _________ will continue to increase.

Secondly, we need to fix the climate crisis on a personal level. We cannot consider ______ _______ a _________ _____, because we all need to participate in making a change. Scientists agree that in order to make a difference and reduce our garbage, we need to drive our cars less, stop drinking bottled water, and recycle and throw away our trash. With each person making these small changes, we can make a big difference in the world when it comes to climate change.

In conclusion, the amount of garbage we put out in the world is affecting us negatively and causing climates to rise. We must make changes and make them fast in order to fix this issue. Together, we can make a difference.


5. IELTS Topic Vocabulary – Law


Violent offender The violent offender was arrested and taken to jail.

Ultimate goal The runner’s ultimate goal was to win the race.

Small confines The puppy was placed in small confines so he would not use the bathroom in his cage.

Cell blocks The cell blocks of the prison held inmates of all shapes and sizes.

General population She was very smart compared to the knowledge of the general population.

Social contact The toddler needed more social contact with other toddlers in order to learn how to share and be kind.

Disruptive behavior I was kicked out of the classroom for my loud antics and disruptive behavior.

Emergency response

The girl collapsed on the floor and we dialed 999 for the emergency response team.

Correctional facility The purpose of the correctional facility was to try and teach prisoners to behave better and be less violent.

Brute force We had to use brute force to open the rusty door.

Training academy The soldier had to go through a training academy in order to become part of the Army.

Internal politics The school’s internal politics involving finding a new principal caused the faculty to fight with one another.

Controversial component

The issue of electing a woman president has become a big controversial component in the 2016 election.

Intimidation The school bully used an intimidation technique of

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technique

Safe environment The church provided a safe environment for members who were feeling threatened at home.


It is a common viewpoint in today’s society that someone who has been labeled as a criminal for

committing illegal activity is unable to change his or her identity and will always be considered a

criminal. Does this viewpoint align with yours? Support your argument with specific reasoning.

Many people in today’s society believe that criminals cannot change their identity and will remain criminals forever. However, there is reason to believe that this viewpoint is false. With increased ______ _______ between prisoners as well as officers, a ____ ___________ can be created in which prisoners can improve themselves and change who they are. This essay will discuss why it may be possible for criminals to abandon their past and live meaningful lives in their future.

Firstly, people always have the power to change their situation and their lives for the better. A criminal’s life is not fixed forever and prison can help these _______ _________ better themselves, hence the titling of most prisons as “____________ ___________.” For example, a recent study showed that when the _______ __________ interacted with prisoners before prison and again after prison, they could tell a positive difference in the prisoner’s demeanor. Therefore, it is possible for prisoners to change with the help of prison.

Secondly, people outside of prison have proven change is possible is everyday life and because criminals are human like everyone else, change is possible for them as well. Various prisons strive to make inmates’ lives more meaningful, because they believe in the power of change. For example, many prisons have abandoned ____________ __________ and the use of _____ _____. Instead, the ________ ____ of officers is to combat __________ ________ with


nonviolence strategies. These radical techniques have resulted in great success and have proven that criminals can change for the better.

In conclusion, while some individuals in prison may not have the power to improve themselves, many criminals have gone through prison and proven that they can abandon their past and live meaningful lives.


6. IELTS Topic Vocabulary – Environment – Fossil Fuels


Modern age In the modern age, we depend on freezers and packaging to preserve our food.

Business models A company’s business model is important to form goals and succeed.

Economic success The economic success of our planet is vital to keeping our world clean and sustainable.

Fossil fuels Coal and oil are two important fossil fuels we use in our society.

Carbon emissions Our carbon emissions are so high that we are seeing global warming occur.

Urgent decarbonization

We must begin urgent decarbonization in order to bring our carbon levels down and slow down global warming.

Climate change Climate change is a serious issue that will affect generations to come.

Energy crisis The energy crisis revolves around the idea that when our fossil fuels are used up, we will not have a way to produce energy.

Energy efficiency We must learn the benefits of energy efficiency so we can use our fossil fuels for as long as possible.


The discovery and researching of safe alternative options to ______ _____ should be the

biggest priority of all government in our world today, because if we do not try to solve the

______ ______ as well as prevent it, our world will be lost when our fossil fuels are all used

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up.Firstly, this should be the world’s first priority, because even if ______ _______________ is

successful, eventually we will still run out of our fossil fuels. When we do run out, we will need

safe alternatives to take their place in order to produce energy and keep our ________

_______. Studies have shown that even with our population incorporating ______ __________

into their lifestyles, we will still run out of both coal and oil in the next few centuries. Therefore,

we need to start thinking of alternatives now.

Secondly, we need to revolve ________ ______ for companies and plans for communities around new energy use, because lowering our ______ __________ is not enough. While it is effective to invest in teaching green methods to prevent _______ ______, we must also invest in teaching sustainability as well in order to survive without fossil fuels in the future. It is possible that we will not find a safe alternative to fossil fuels and we will have to revert back to manual labor and personal farming for our families. Therefore, sustainability and research are just as important as preservation.

In conclusion, while reducing our carbon emissions and slowing down climate change is important, it should be our world’s first priority to look towards the future. We need to find safe alternatives as well as prepare for the worst in the ______ ___, because the future is inevitable.

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