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vocabulary-for-academic-ielts-writing-task-2-part-1

Vocabulary for Academic IELTS Writing Task 2 (part 1)

IELTS Writing Task 2 (IELTS Essay Writing) requires a candidate to use a

wide range of vocabulary. Connective words and phrases are very
important to finish the writing task 2 in a logical and coherent way. You
must use the transitional or connective words in your writing task 2 as it is
considered one of the important factors for a high band score. The essay
writing for IELTS requires you to present convincing arguments, reasoning,
examples, and point of view. To make your essay impressive and to show
pieces of evidence or examples in a coherent and logical way, you have to
use these connective words. However, do not overuse the linking phrases
or connective phrases just to show that you know so many of them. Use
those connective phrases/words or linking phrases/words properly.

The general format for writing academic writing task 2/ IELTS Essay is
as follows:

Introduction + your opinion/ your thinking/ your point of view/ whether you
agree or disagree/ main advantages or disadvantages +
2nd paragraph with an example, explanation, evidence and extra details +
3rd paragraph with an example, explanation, evidence and extra details +
4th paragraph with an example, explanation, evidence and extra details +
.................
.................
Conclusion + restating the main point of your discussion/ your position on
the issue.
Vocabulary for the Introduction Part:
In the introduction part of your IELTS essay, you should write sentences
relevant to the topic given and generally accepted ideas about it. Use your
best English here as it will attract or bore your reader about the whole
writing. You will make or break your impression in this paragraph. Be very
cautious about the introduction part. Never just copy the sentence of the
question. If you really need to, use synonyms and different sentence
structure.
Examples:
1) Mobile phones and the Internet are two great innovations of science for
communication and have been facilitating people for a long time. These two
technologies are widely used in almost all the countries of the world and
had become a part of our daily lives. We can't deny the usefulness of these
technologies as they had made our life easier than it was ever before. In
my opinion, the advantages of these two devices far outweigh the demerits
they have.
2) Every human being with an ambition of getting higher knowledge
requires attending colleges or universities. The main reason for attending
universities or colleges may differ man to man. Someone may aspire to
achieve greater knowledge, someone may just want to earn a certificate or
someone might attribute it as a step towards career development.

3) Compared with people in the past, we concern far less on the

preparation of food today, thanks to the development of agriculture and
scientific technology. A fair amount of beneficial influence is occurring to us
consequently.

Useful vocabulary/phrases to open/start the essay:

Many/some people claim/opine/believe that...
There is no denying that...
It is often said that...
These days.../ Nowadays.../ In this day and age...
It goes without saying that...
It is universally accepted that...
We live in an age when many of us are...
People are divided in their opinion regarding...
.... is one of the most important issues...
Whether .... or .... is a controversial issue...

Useful vocabulary/phrases to end the Introduction part:

Let us examine both views before reaching a concrete decision.
The following paragraphs discuss whether ...... or ...... and reach a
reasonable conclusion.
The following essay takes a look at both sides of the argument.
My two cents go for...
However, I strongly believe that...
I oppose the view and my reasons will be explained in the following
paragraphs.
I will support this view with arguments in the following paragraphs.
I personally believe that...
Thus the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages...
I wholeheartedly believe that this trend should be changed.

Vocabulary for the opinion part:

According to the essay types (Learn what are the IELTS essay types) use
one of the following connective words/ linking phrases to write down your
opinion However remember that if the question does not ask you to give
your opinion but to compare advantages and disadvantages, then you
should not strongly express your opinion. Opinion should only be written for
opinion essays.
In my opinion... (Not 'In my point of view')
I strongly opine that... As far as I am concerned...
I strongly agree with the idea From my perspective...
that... I realise...
I strongly disagree with the To my way of thinking...
given topic... It seems to me that...
I think... To me...
My opinion is that... To my mind...
Personally speaking... My own view on the matter is...
In my view... It appears that...
I believe... I feel that...
Apparently... I understand...
Personally speaking... I suppose...
According to me...
From my point of view...
Examples:
1) But in my opinion, giving access to a mobile phone & the internet to each
and every unemployed person is a matter of great dispute. I believe, this
idea can help the countries who have sufficient funds for the whole fiscal
year and already adopted technologies like the internet for a very long
period. But this might turn out a complete loss for an undeveloped country.
2) I believe parents are always teaching us in many ways intentionally and
unintentionally; however, the contributions teachers have in our learning
process cannot be ignored.
3) I strongly agree with the idea that the gender issue is only a determinant
in the battle of the sexes, not the battles among nations and peoples. It is
therefore impertinent, if not irrational, to conclude that world conflicts result
from the rule of a particular gender and the finer sex would do a better job
at prevailing peace if selectively put at the helm of human nations.

Vocabulary for the 2nd paragraph Part:

It is true that... It is worth considering...
First... In the first place...
First of all... Though it is true that...
Firstly... Some people believe that...
First and foremost... Many people think that...
Initially... According to many...
To begin with... Some people believe that...
To start with... Many support the view that...
Let us take a look at... On the one hand...

Examples:
1) It is true that an unemployed educated person with a mobile phone and
the internet connection can get more access to the local and foreign job
sectors and can use these technologies to get a job or become self-
employed.
2) First of all, the maximum number of cars are owned by the rich people
and fuel price would not restrain them from using the cars. The price of
fuel, in fact, increased significantly over the past 12 years and that has
done nothing to reduce car usage.

3) To begin, houses that are being constructed by those in the lower

income groups do look at the most cost-effective option. In this process,
they invariably explore cheaper options that include a compromise on
material and construction quality.

Vocabulary for the 3rd, 4th ...... paragraph Part:

Second(ly)... In addition...
(Not 'Second of all') Consequently...
Third(ly)... What’s more...
Then... Furthermore...
Next... Moreover...
After that... Other people think that...
And... Other people believe that...
Again... On the other hand...
Also... Apart from that...
Besides... Finally...
Likewise... Last but not (the) least...

Examples:
1) Besides, unemployed persons living in urban areas; can easily get the
information related to the job-offering companies with these
technologies................ Furthermore, the use of these technologies give
them advantages than others.......
2) Besides, people would learn more about outer space as the experiment
and scientific research in outer space is going on more steadily than ever.

3) Apart from that, computers would become more powerful and they will
have superior artificial intelligence. We will have robots to do hazardous
works like mining and outer space research. Surprisingly, e-commerce
would be in more convenient form and most of the people will purchase
online rather than going to shops in person.

Vocabulary to show the comparison:

In the same way... Similar to...
Likewise... Also...
Similarly... At the same time...
Like the previous point... Just as...

Examples:
1) Similarly, all the companies and offices are becoming automated and
using computers, the internet and other technologies vastly than any other
time in history.......
2) At the same time software could be used for many purposes such as
learning through computers, accounting in computers, drawing, storage of
information, sending information from one person to other persons etc.

3) Also reading books is like peeking into the minds of the greatest people -
A book is like a conversation with the writer and reading many books gives
us an insight into the thinking process of different writers.

Vocabulary to show contrast:

On the other hand... Though...
On the contrary... Even though...
However... Despite... / In spite of...
Nevertheless.../ Nonetheless... In spite of the fact that...
But... Alternatively...
Nonetheless/ Nevertheless... In contrast to this...
Oppositely... Then again...
Alternatively... On the other hand...
Unlike... Despite the fact that...
While... Even so...
Whilst... Yet...
Although... Meanwhile...

Examples:
1) On the contrary, poor countries suffer from the lack of sufficient budgets
to ensure some very basic needs of people like health, education,
medicines etc. Then again, those countries don't have a chance to spend a
lot of money to initiate a superficial project........
2) Unlike a TV, a radio cannot display an image or a video, and the
communication is limited to voice only. Typically, a radio is used for access
information such as news and live traffic updates.........

3) In contrast to this, the consumption of fuels to run the car is contributing

to the rise if global warming and affecting the ozone layer. So, using
bicycles in cities would be a better alternative.........

Vocabulary to show an example:

As an example... As far .... is concerned...
For instance... To show an example...
For example... To give an example...
Like... To cite an example...
As... As an evidence...
Among others... To illustrate...
Such as... To paraphrase...
Particularly... An example is...
Regarding... ...could be a good/ideal example
In particular... here
Namely... A case...
With respect to... When it comes to...

Examples:
1) For instance, there is no guaranty that all unemployed person will use
technology positively........
2) As an example, many governments of the first world countries have
initiated other projects like:.........

3) For example, if a public bus gets busted in the middle of a road, the
passenger can easily leave it a look for another one.

Always use a comma (,) after 'For example', 'for instance' etc.

Vocabulary to present an idea:

Research shows that... With respect to...
Research has found that... Not only... but also...
When it comes to... In terms of...
Examples:
1) Research shows that employment opportunity and crime ratio in a city
has a deep underlying relationship and that is why...

2) When it comes to deciding who should be responsible to teach children

the discipline...

3) With respect to mix-school classrooms, it is quite evident that...

Phrases to introduce more ideas/ examples:
Furthermore... Another point worth noting is...
In addition... Another factor to consider is...
On top of that... Furthermore...
Besides... Not only .... but also...
What is more... Also...

Examples:
1) On top of that, rich countries emit more CO2 than the rest of the world
does and this is why they have greater responsibilities.

2) Another point worth noting is the number of TV channels we have these

days.

3) What is more, leaders are born not made.

Vocabulary to show consequence, effects or result:

As a result... On account of...
Consequently... Because of...
As a consequent... Hence...
As an effect... Eventually...
Thus... For this/that reason...
So... Thereby...
The reason why... Due to...
Therefore... Owing to...
Examples:
1) Therefore, we should avoid using our budget in an uncertain project........
2) As a result, people are struggling much to lead a healthy and secure
life.........

3) Consequently, local residents will be able to find more job opportunities

in this factory and have a better socio-economic status.........

Vocabulary to show result & reason:

As a result...
As a result of...
Due to...
One reason behind this is...
... has led to/ ... has resulted in...
Consequently...
Therefore...
Examples:
1) The overuse of natural resources has already resulted in the scarcity of
such valuable resources that we can not do without...

2) This has led to a moral degradation and we are at a tough time to look
back much behind.

3) One reason behind this is the negligence of individuals who are already
suffering from minor health-related issues.

Vocabulary to sum up at the end of a paragraph:

To sum up...
In short...
In a word...
To put it simply...
That is to say...
To repeat in short....
To summarise...
Examples:
1) In a word, I think, the idea can be very useful for the developing
countries but for us, it might be sinister...
2) That is to say, we must ensure the safety of our children first.........

3) In short, the overall infrastructure of the area will develop.

N.B. The above vocabulary is specifically useful while finishing a

paragraph. You can use these words/ phrases to re-state your topic of the
paragraph.
Vocabulary to make a point stronger/ Adding emphasis:

It goes without saying that... Nevertheless...

Obviously... Still...
Needless to say... Yet...
There is little doubt that... Must.... After
Although... After all...
Thought... Even if...
Nonetheless... Therefore...
Thus.....
Examples:
1) Although, Parents are important teachers in our lives and none can
deny their invaluable role to make us what we are, but they aren't always
the best teachers.......
2) Thus air and water pollution caused by this factory will ruin the local
environment and wildlife fundamentally.........

3) Although industrialisation is necessary for the growth of a country it must

be regulated. The proper measures must be in place to reduce the negative
impacts of byproducts on the environment.

Vocabulary for clarifying or rephrasing:

To put it simply...
To put in another way...
That is to say...
In other words...
Examples:
1) To put in another way, nuclear power has a great potential to provide
power requirement of the industries all around the world.
2) In other words, fathers have a great role to play when it comes to
upbringing children in a proper way.
3) To put it simply, co-education can bring advantages that far outweigh the
demerits it has.

Other transitional words/connective words:

Then...
Else...
Otherwise...
Besides...
As soon as...
As much as.....
Examples:
1) They take care of the children as much as parents do ..................
2) As soon as we realise the problem ..................
3) Otherwise, the unemployed graduates' number will keep on increasing
..................
Some correct and incorrect expressions:
Correct Incorrect
In my opinion… From my opinion…
From my point of view... In my point of view…
Second/ Secondly… Second of all
On the other hand… On the other hand
Last but not the least… Last but not least…
In conclusion/ To conclude... In a nutshell.

Vocabulary for the conclusion part:

In conclusion... In short...
In summary... All in all...
To conclude... Overall...
To conclude with... On the whole...
To sum up... To draw the conclusion...
In general... In a nutshell...
To summarise...
To elucidate...('To elucidate' means - 'make something clear' or 'to
explain'.)
All things considered...
By and large...
Taking everything into consideration...
Taking everything into account...
Weighing up both sides of the argument...
(Useful Tip: Avoid using 'In a nutshell' as it is not formal. Use 'In
conclusion/ to conclude' instead.)

Examples:
1) In general, even though it is preferable to study English in an English-
speaking country, a reasonable level of English can be achieved in one's
own country, if a student is gifted and dedicated to studying.
2) To sum up, if the population explosion continues, many more people will
die of starvation in poor countries, and life in the cities, even in affluent
nations, will become increasingly difficult.

3) To conclude, I recommend that the only sensible way to solve this

problem is to educate young people about the dangers of drug use and to
take steps to reduce the pressure of competition placed upon them.

4) In conclusion, nuclear technology certainly has positive uses but is

nonetheless dangerous. However, it would have been better if it had never
been used to create nuclear weapons. If life on Earth is to continue, all the
nuclear nations of the world should agree to disarm as soon as possible.
N.B. The conclusion part of the IELTS Essay or IELTS Academic writing
task 2 usually begins with a special concluding phrase that links it to the
rest of the essay. Notice that a conditional sentence can be very effective in
the conclusion. One reason for this is that it can refer to what might occur
as a result of your suggestions or recommendations. Of course, you can
use conditional sentences elsewhere in your essay as well. If you do use
conditionals, be sure that the construction of your sentences is
grammatically correct.

Also, in a short essay of approximately 250 words the conclusion can be

just one or two sentences long. The conclusion should briefly sum up what
you have said in your essay and does not usually contribute a new idea
unless it is a minor point. However, it is a good place to make
recommendations or suggestions or to give advice and offer solutions, if
you are asked to do so.

Vocabulary for generalising a statement:

Whenever you need to show a generalisation or general idea, you can use
these vocabularies to present your point.
Generally..... Basically.....
Generally speaking..... As a rule.....
In general..... Essentially.....
Overall..... On the whole....
All in all..... All things considered.....
By and large.....

Examples:
1) All things considered, a certain reserved position for women in high-level
jobs is actually a good idea to empower the women towards the overall
betterment of the organisation and society.
2) In general, it can be stated that in upcoming few years human will be
blessed with adequate facilities, which definitely will make their lives quite
easier, due to advanced technology.

3) As a rule, in most of the countries, a zoological garden is monitored

strictly and the health, treatment and food are properly ensured for the
animals they keep.
Vocabulary for expressing condition:
Some arguments and statements in your essay would require you to show
that it is dependent on some condition. Following is the list of vocabularies
you can use to present condition in your writing.
If..... Providing that.....
Provided that..... So that.....
Because of that..... In case.....
For this reason..... Whether....
Unless.....

Examples:
1) If the proper measurements and initiatives are not taken, the pollution
will keep on increasing and that would someday threaten the existence of
our life.
2) Unless we change our diet and get involved in some sort of outdoor
activities and sports, the average weight would keep on increasing.

3) For this reasons, we should preserve a certain percentage of high-level

jobs for qualified women.

Vocabulary for expressing Agreement:

In agreement/ disagreement essay you will often need to express whether
you agree/ disagree or partially agree with a given statement or opinion.
Following vocabularies would be helpful to express your agreement with
something.
I quite agree that....
I strongly agree.....
I completely agree that.....
I totally agree with the given idea that.....
I agree with the opinion that.....
I am quite inclined to the opinion that.....
I could not agree more.....
I concur with the group who believe that.....
I accept that.....
I accept the fact that.....
I approve the idea.....
I am in agreement.....
I consent that.....
Examples:
1) I quite agree that owning a car have far more advantages than
disadvantages.
2) I am in agreement with the group of people who believe that the
government should build more sports facilitates to promote public health.

3) I agree with the opinion that more taxes should be imposed on fast food
items.

Vocabulary for expressing Disagreement:

Following are some useful vocabulary to use whenever you want to
express your disagreement with an idea, opinion or statement. You will
usually use those in agreement/ disagreement type IELTS essay.
I disagree with the opinion that....
I strongly disagree.....
I completely disagree with.....
I totally disagree with the given idea that.....
I disagree with the statement.....
I quite oppose the opinion that.....
I disapprove that.....
I totally do not accept the fact that.....
My own opinion contradicts.....
I disagree with the group of people.....
However, my opinion is different.....
Examples:
1) I quite disagree that building more roads only can solve the ever-
increasing traffic problem in most cities.
2) I oppose the opinion that government has no responsibilities for
supporting the senior citizens.

3) My opinion contradicts with the group of people who believe that space
research has no value for us.

Vocabulary for expressing partial agreement:

In some cases, you will have opinion or point of view that would not
completely agree or disagree with a given opinion or statement. In this
case, you should clearly mention that you partially agree with the opinion
but to some extent, you also disagree to this. In these cases, using the
following vocabulary will be very helpful.
To some extent…..
In a way…..
I agree with the given statement to some extent…..
Up to a point, I agree…..
More or less…..
So to speak…..
Examples:
1) In a way, I agree that it is government’s responsibility to keep the
environment clean, but without individual effort, it cannot be achieved.
2) To some extent, I agree with the opinion that space research is a waste
of money but the invaluable effects these research can have could not be
denied.
3) So to speak, mothers play the most important role in upbringing the
children, however, the contribution a father can have to the children can't
be ignored.

Vocabulary for expressing certainty:

To make a point or argument stronger, you often need to show the certainty
of your expression. To do so use the following list of vocabularies:
Certainly….. Doubtlessly…..
Definitely….. Without any doubt…..
No doubt….. Undoubtedly…..
Of course…..

Examples:
1) Of course, learning from books in a formal educational institution and
learning from books for someone's own interest are both highly important.
2) Definitely, practical lessons help us to have more deeply understanding,
while theory learned from books will be forgotten far easier.

3) Undoubtedly ultimate exhaust of natural resources would create a chaos

and many wild lives would be endangered as well.

Vocabulary for Adding further information:

In your essay, you need to present reasons and arguments to make your
point of view stronger. For this, you often need to add multiple examples or
cases and those examples or cases should be connected using some
linking words. Such linking words are given below so that you can use them
in your IELTS essay.
In addition….. Besides…..Even…..
And….. Too…..
Moreover….. What’s more…..
Similarly….. Again…..
Furthermore….. In a similar fashion…..
Also….. Likewise…..
As well as…..
Examples:
1) What's more, university education should be based on talent and
performance, not based on equal gender opportunity.
2) Likewise, if the popular media provides good news such as educational,
scientific and so on, this can motivate the young generation to achieve
more knowledge.

3) Even, second or third changes to those heinous criminals are often

found fruitless and they committed crimes again.

Vocabulary for presenting time or sequence:

Expressing the time or sequence is important to show a natural flow in your
arguments and paragraphs. Important vocabularies that can be used to
show time or sequence are given below.
First/ Firstly….. After this / that…..
Second/ Secondly….. Before…..
Third/ Thirdly….. After…..
Last/ Lastly….. Afterwards …..
Then….. During…..
At the same time….. While…..
Meanwhile….. Simultaneously…..
Since….. Following this…..
As soon as….. When…..

Examples:
1) At the same time, the technological revolution affects all countries
around the world in many ways significantly.
2) Meanwhile, we should try our best to put every effort to make our
environment clean.

3) Afterwards, these steps could help mass people to be aware of the

danger of their fast food intakes.

IELTS Vocabulary: Presenting an argument

A. Read the text below, in which somebody is trying to decide
whether to go straight to university from school, or spend a year
travelling around the world. Put their argument into the correct order,
using the keywords and expressions in italics to help you. The first
one and last one have been done for you.
1. I'm ready in two minds about what to do when I leave school. Should I go
straight to university or should I spend a year travelling around the world?
2. It is often said that knowledge is the key to power, and I cannot disagree
with this.
3. On the one hand, I would experience lots of different cultures.
4. Unfortunately, another point is that if I spent a year travelling I would
need a lot of money.
5.And I'm not alone in this opinion. Many consider a sound career and a
good salary to be an important goal.
6. However, it could be argued that I would also meet lots of interesting
people while I was travelling.
7. Secondly, if I go straight to university, I'll learn so many things that will
help me in my future life.
8.First of all, there are so many benefits of going straight to university.
9. But I believe that it would be easy to make a bit while I was travelling,
giving English lessons or working in hotels and shops.
10. Moreover, I'll be able to take part in the social activities that the
university offers, and meet lots of new friends who share the same
interests.
11. The most important point is that the sooner I get my qualifications, the
quicker I'll get a job and start earning.
12. Nevertheless, these inconveniences would be an inevitable part of
travelling and would be greatly outweighed by the other advantages.
13. In my opinion, starting work and making money is one of the most
important things in life.
14. On the other hand, I could end up suffering from culture shock,
homesickness and some strange tropical diseases.
15. Furthermore, if I spent a year travelling, I would learn more about the
world.
16. All right, I've made my mind up. Now, where's my nearest travel
agency?
When you are asked to present an argument, you should always look
at it from two sides, giving reasons why you agree and disagree
before reaching a conclusion. Other words and expressions which
you might find useful include:
I believe that/ despite this/ in spite of this/ also/ thirdly/I think/ finally/
in conclusion/ nonetheless/ admittedly/ on the contrary/ at any rate/
notwithstanding/ for all that/ even if.
B. Using the keywords and expressions in italic from the last exercise,
present an argument for one of the following issues:

1. A government's main priority is to provide education for its people.

2. The only way to save the environment is for governments to impose
strict quotas on the energy we use (for example, by restricting car
ownership, limiting the water we use).
3. Satisfaction in your job is more important than the money you earn.
4. Living in a town or city is better than living in the countryside.
5. It is our responsibility to help or look after those less fortunate than
ourselves (for example, the homeless, the mentally ill).

Useful Words to show Relations:

across, across from, where, in which, to which, from which, under, over ,
inside, on top of, along, through, as far as, northern, southern, eastern,
western, to the left/ on the left hand side, to the right/ on the right hand
side, to the south, in back, behind the, in front, in front of the ..., in the
middle, adjacent, midpoint halfway, interior, diagonal, edge limit, parallel,
parallel to, perpendicular to, opposite, overlapping, exterior, intersection,
rectangle, square, circle, vertical, horizontal.

Useful Words for Classification:

aspect, attributes, bases, basic kinds of, categories, characteristics,
classes, classifications, classify, contradictory, contrasting, dissimilar,
distinguishable, divide, divided into, factors, falls into, fundamental,
important, insignificant, kinds of, main kinds of, methods, minor, mutually
exclusive, opposing, opposite, origins, parts, primary, secondary, qualities,
significant, similar, sources, types of, unimportant.

Useful Words for Definition:

Aspect, Category, characteristics, clarify, class, condition, define, definition,
explain, explanation, form, in other words, kind, method, paraphrase, type.