Ielts Writing Task 2 Vocabulary

Vocabulary for Academic IELTS Writing Task 2 (part 1)

IELTS Writing Task 2 (IELTS Essay Writing) requires a wide range of vocabulary to be used by candidates. Connective words and phrases are highly important to ensure that writing task 2 is completed in a logical and coherent manner. The use of transitional or connective words is considered crucial for achieving a high band score. The essay writing section of IELTS requires candidates to present convincing arguments, reasoning, examples, and points of view. To make their essays impressive and to present evidence or examples in a coherent and logical way, candidates must incorporate these connective words. However, it is important not to overuse these phrases in order to display excessive knowledge. It is essential to use these connective phrases/words or linking phrases/words appropriately.

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

Introduction + your opinion/ your viewpoint/ what you think about the statement/ whether you agree or disagree/ main advantages or disadvantages +

2nd paragraph with an example, and/or explanation, and/or evidence ( and/or extra details) +

3rd paragraph with an example, and/or explanation, and/or evidence ( and/or extra details) +

4th paragraph with an example, and/or explanation, and/or evidence ( and/or extra details) +

…………….. …………….. …………….. ……………..)

Conclusion + restating the main point of your discussion/ your position on the issue/ proposing a solution.

Vocabulary for the Introduction Part:

In the introduction part of your IELTS essay, it is important to write sentences that are relevant to the given topic and reflect generally accepted ideas about it. Use your best English here as it will captivate or bore your reader throughout the entire writing. Your impression will be made or broken in this paragraph, so be extremely cautious. Never copy the sentence of the question directly. If necessary, use synonyms and different sentence structures.

Examples:

Mobile phones and the Internet are two revolutionary scientific innovations for communication that have been facilitating people for a long time. These two technologies are widely used in almost all countries around the world and have become an integral part of our daily lives. We cannot deny the usefulness of these technologies as they have made our lives easier than ever before. In my opinion, the advantages of these two devices outweigh any disadvantages they may have.
Every individual with the ambition to acquire higher knowledge needs to attend colleges or universities. The main reasons for attending universities or colleges may vary from person to person. Some may aspire to achieve greater knowledge, others may simply want to earn a certificate, and some may view it as a step towards career development.
Compared to people in the past, we worry much less about food preparation today, thanks to advancements in agriculture and scientific technology. As a result, we are experiencing a fair amount of beneficial influence.

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 express your opinion. However, remember that if the question does not specifically ask for your opinion but rather to compare advantages and disadvantages, you should refrain from strongly expressing your opinion. An opinion should only be written for opinion essays.

In my opinion… I strongly opine that… I strongly agree with the idea that… I strongly disagree with the given topic… I think… My opinion is that… Personally speaking… In my view… I believe… Apparently… Personally speaking… According to me… From my point of view… (Not ‘In my point of view’) As far as I am concerned… From my perspective… I realize… To my way of thinking… It seems to me that… To me… To my mind… My own view on the matter is… It appears that… I feel that… I understand… I suppose…

Examples:

But in my opinion, granting access to mobile phones and the internet to every unemployed person is a matter of great dispute. I believe that this idea can help countries that have sufficient funds for the entire fiscal year and have already adopted technologies like the internet for an extended period. However, it might lead to a complete loss for underdeveloped countries.
I believe parents always teach us in many ways intentionally and unintentionally; however, the contributions teachers make to our learning process cannot be ignored.
I strongly agree with the idea that the gender issue is only a factor in the battle of the sexes, not in conflicts among nations and peoples. It is therefore inappropriate, if not irrational, to conclude that world conflicts result from the domination of a particular gender and that the opposite sex would do a better job at maintaining peace if selectively put in charge of human nations.

Vocabulary for the 2nd paragraph:

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

Examples:

It is true that an unemployed educated person with a mobile phone and an internet connection can have increased access to local and foreign job sectors, and can use these technologies to find a job or become self-employed.
First of all, the majority of cars are owned by wealthy individuals, and fuel prices would not deter them from using cars. In fact, fuel prices have increased significantly over the past 12 years, yet car usage has not decreased.
To begin with, individuals from lower-income groups who are constructing houses tend to prioritize cost-effectiveness. In doing so, they often opt for cheaper materials and compromise on the quality of construction.

Vocabulary for the 3rd, 4th …… paragraph:

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

Examples:

Besides, unemployed individuals living in urban areas can easily access information related to job opportunities with the help of these technologies. Furthermore, the use of these technologies provides them with advantages over others.
Besides, people would learn more about outer space as experiments and scientific research in outer space are progressing steadily.
Apart from that, computers will become more powerful and possess superior artificial intelligence. We will have robots capable of carrying out hazardous tasks such as mining and conducting research in outer space. Surprisingly, e-commerce will become more convenient, and most people will choose to purchase online rather than visiting physical shops.

Vocabulary to show comparison:

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

Examples:

Similarly, all companies and offices are becoming automated and extensively utilizing computers, the internet, and other technologies.
At the same time, software can be used for various purposes, such as computer-based learning, accounting, drawing, information storage, and information sharing.
Also, reading books is like stepping into the minds of the greatest people. A book is like a conversation with the writer, and reading many books provides us with insight into the thought processes of different writers.

Vocabulary to show contrast:

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

Examples:

On the contrary, poor countries suffer from insufficient budgets to meet basic needs like health, education, and medicine. In addition, such countries do not have the financial resources to initiate superficial projects.
Unlike a TV, a radio is unable to display images or videos, and communication is limited to voice only. Typically, radios are used to access information such as news and live traffic updates.
In contrast to this, the consumption of fuel for transportation contributes to global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer. Therefore, using bicycles in cities would be a better alternative.

Vocabulary to show an example:

As an example… As an illustration… As an instance… As for instance… For instance… For example… As for example… By way of illustration… By way of example… To illustrate… To paraphrase… To show an example… To give an example… To cite an example… To cite an instance… Take one example… Take one instance… Like… As… That is… Among others… Such as… Particularly… Specifically… Regarding… In particular… Including/ To include… Namely… With respect to… As far …. is concerned… As a piece of evidence… An example is… …could be a good/ideal example here A case… When it comes to… As a model…

Examples:

For instance, there is no guarantee that all unemployed people will use technology positively.
As an example, many governments in first-world countries have initiated various projects.
For example, if a public bus breaks down in the middle of the road, passengers can easily disembark and look for an alternative mode of transportation.

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

Vocabulary to present an idea:

Research shows that… Research has found that… When it comes to… With respect to… Not only… but also… In terms of…

Examples:

Research shows that there is a deep underlying relationship between employment opportunities and the crime rate in a city.
When it comes to determining who should be responsible for teaching children discipline…
With respect to mixed-school classrooms, it is quite evident that…

Phrases to introduce more ideas/examples:

Furthermore… In addition… On top of that… Besides… What is more… Another point worth noting is… Another factor to consider is… Furthermore… Not only…. but also… Also…

Examples:

On top of that, rich countries emit more CO2 than the rest of the world combined, thus they bear greater responsibilities.
Another point worth noting is the number of TV channels available today.
What is more, leaders are born, not made.

Vocabulary to show consequence, effects, or results:

As a result… Consequently… As a consequence… As an effect… Thus… So… The reason why… Therefore… On account of… Because of… Hence… Eventually… For this/that reason… Thereby… Due to… Owing to…

Examples:

Therefore, we should avoid investing our budget into uncertain projects.
As a result, people are facing significant struggles to lead a healthy and secure life.
Consequently, local residents will have more job opportunities in this factory and achieve 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:

The overuse of natural resources has resulted in the scarcity of valuable resources that we cannot do without.
This has led to moral degradation, and we find ourselves struggling to regain lost ground.
One reason behind this is the negligence of individuals who already suffer from minor health 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 summarize…

Examples:

In a word, I think the idea can be very useful for developing countries, but for us, it might have sinister consequences.
That is to say, we must prioritize the safety of our children.
In short, the overall infrastructure of the area will improve.

N.B. The above vocabulary is specifically useful for concluding a paragraph. These words/phrases can be used to restate the topic of the paragraph.

Vocabulary to make a point stronger/Adding emphasis:

It goes without saying that… Obviously… Needless to say… There is little doubt that… Although… Thought… Nonetheless… Nevertheless… Still… Yet… Must… After all… Even if… Therefore… Thus…

Examples:

Although parents are important teachers in our lives and their invaluable role cannot be denied, they are not always the best teachers.
Thus, air and water pollution caused by this factory will fundamentally damage the local environment and wildlife.
Although industrialization is necessary for a country’s growth, it must be regulated. Measures must be put in place to reduce the negative impact of byproducts on the environment.

Vocabulary for clarifying or rephrasing:

To put it simply… To put it in another way… That is to say… In other words…

Examples:

To put it in another way, nuclear power has the potential to provide power for industries worldwide.
In other words, fathers play a significant role in the upbringing of children.

Other transitional words/connective words:

Then… Else… Otherwise… Besides… As soon as… As much as…

Examples:

They take care of children as much as parents do.
As soon as we realize the problem.
Otherwise, the number of unemployed graduates will continue to increase.

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 other hand… Last but not least… Last but not the least… In conclusion/To conclude… In a nutshell…

Vocabulary for the conclusion part:

In conclusion… In summary… To conclude… To conclude with… In closing… To sum up… In general… To summarize… In short… All in all… Overall… On the whole… To draw the conclusion… Given these points… Ultimately… In a nutshell… 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… In light of these arguments… 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:

In general, although 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 the student is talented and dedicated to studying.
To sum up, if the population continues to grow rapidly, more people in poor countries will die from starvation, and life in cities, even in affluent nations, will become increasingly challenging.
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.
In conclusion, nuclear technology undoubtedly has positive applications 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 nuclear nations 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 conditionals 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 summarize what you have said in your essay and should not introduce new ideas unless they are minor points. However, it is a good place to make recommendations, suggestions, give advice, or offer solutions if you are asked to do so.

Next (Vocabulary-Writing Task 2 – part 2) »

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