🔃 How large a vocabulary is needed to get a Band 7 for Writing? Does vocabulary really matter in Writing?
To achieve a Band 7 in Writing, a large vocabulary matters a lot. If you look at the IELTS public band descriptors (see here), you’ll notice that the Band 7 category for vocabulary (“Lexical Resource”) says the following:
— Uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision;
— Uses less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation;
— May produce occasional errors in word choice, spelling and/or word formation.
It is important to pay attention to the phrase “sufficient range”. This means that you need to use a wide range of simple AND less common vocabulary. For example, if the topic of the question relates to cars, don’t just keep writing “cars” for the whole essay; use less common synonyms for “car” like “vehicle”, “automobile”, etc. It would be unnatural to only use less common vocabulary, so remember to use a mixture of simple and more complex words.
It is also important that you show “some awareness of style and collocation” as you use less common vocabulary. This means that you shouldn’t just use a less common word because you memorized it; you should be able to use it in an appropriate context where native speakers would be likely to use it. To become skilled at this, you should:
— watch a wide range of English language videos (TED talks, TV shows, movies, etc.);
— read a wide range of English language texts (website and newspaper articles, books, etc.) so that you can develop a feel for the language.
#IELTS #Writing #Tips
✅@Essays_band9-Road to band 9️⃣
To achieve a Band 7 in Writing, a large vocabulary matters a lot. If you look at the IELTS public band descriptors (see here), you’ll notice that the Band 7 category for vocabulary (“Lexical Resource”) says the following:
— Uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision;
— Uses less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation;
— May produce occasional errors in word choice, spelling and/or word formation.
It is important to pay attention to the phrase “sufficient range”. This means that you need to use a wide range of simple AND less common vocabulary. For example, if the topic of the question relates to cars, don’t just keep writing “cars” for the whole essay; use less common synonyms for “car” like “vehicle”, “automobile”, etc. It would be unnatural to only use less common vocabulary, so remember to use a mixture of simple and more complex words.
It is also important that you show “some awareness of style and collocation” as you use less common vocabulary. This means that you shouldn’t just use a less common word because you memorized it; you should be able to use it in an appropriate context where native speakers would be likely to use it. To become skilled at this, you should:
— watch a wide range of English language videos (TED talks, TV shows, movies, etc.);
— read a wide range of English language texts (website and newspaper articles, books, etc.) so that you can develop a feel for the language.
#IELTS #Writing #Tips
✅@Essays_band9-Road to band 9️⃣