Connecting Words for Both IELTS Tasks

To get higher marks in the IELTS Writing Test, more linking words are required. To achieve coherence
and cohesion, you must employ a variety of phrases to connect one thought to the next, allowing
the reader to follow your reasoning.

Here are the most effective and common phrases in the IELTS Writing Test:

Transitional Words

Addition

Likewise…

In addition…

Moreover…

Furthermore…

Additionally…

On top of that…

Cause and effect

Therefore…

As a result…

Accordingly…

Consequently…

On that account…

For that reason…

Comparison/Contrast

However…

In contrast…

Meanwhile…

Alternatively…

Nevertheless…

On the other hand…

Finally…

In the end…

To sum up…

To conclude…

To summarize…

In conclusion…

Condition

If…

Unless…

As long as…

Provided that…

Supposing that…

On the condition that…

Emphasis

Clearly…

Especially…

In particular…

Particularly…

Importantly…

Without a doubt…

Listing

…,such as…

To illustrate…

For instance…

For example…

The best example is…

Opinion

I concur that…

I agree that….

I think/feel/believe that…

Personally, I feel that…

As far as I am concerned…

From my point of view…

Concession

Although…

Despite…

In spite of…

Although…

Admittedly…

Even though…

Order

First of all…

To start with…

Secondly…

Next…

Thirdly/fourthly/etc…

Finally…

Vocabulary to Use in Writing Task 1

Academic Test: Vocabulary to Describe Graphs

Introducing the graph

The graph/table/pie chart/bar chart/diagram…

illustrates …

explains why …

describes …

gives information about/on …

provides information about/on …

Changes in the graph

a rise of…

a growth of…

a peak of…

a surge of…

a fall in…

a decrease in…

a decline in…

a dip in…

a fluctuation in…

a variation in…

Verbs

surge

grow

leap

rocket

soar

dive

plunge

plummet

fluctuate

vary

Adverbs
gently

wildly

rapidly

slightly

sharply

suddenly

abruptly

gradually

steadily

markedly

modestly

marginally

dramatically

significantly

considerably

Adjectives

sharp

sudden

rapid

abrupt

dramatic

steep

significant

considerable

marked

substantial

gradual

steady

consistent
modest

marginal

General Training Test: Vocabulary to Write Letters

1. Introduction of the Letter

Formal

I am writing to inform you that …

I am writing to ask/inquire …

I am writing with regard to …

I am writing in connection with …

I am writing with reference to …

Informal

It’s been a long time. I am writing to…

I’m simply writing to inform you that…

I haven’t seen you in a long time.

Please accept my apologies for not writing in such a long time. I’ve been quite busy…

2. Body of the Letter

Asking for Information

I’d like for you to…

Could let me know if…

I’d appreciate it if you could…

I’m hoping you could inform me…

I’d like to seek your opinion on…

Complaining

This letter is to express my dissatisfaction…

I’m writing to express my displeasure with…

I’m writing to voice my disappointment with…

I’m writing to tell you that I am disappointed…

Expressing Gratitude

I am thankful for…

I’m very grateful for…

I very much appreciated…

Apologizing

I really regret that/about…

Please accept my apologies for…

I’d like to express my regret for…

Please accept my sincere apologies for…

Giving Advice

You should…

You ought to…

Why don’t you…

If I were you, I’d…

Giving Suggestion

If you like, I can…

Do you want me to…

What do you think about…

I believe it would be fantastic if you…

3. Closing of the Letter

Formal

I eagerly await your response.

Thank you so much for your assistance.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.

I’m hoping for a quick resolution to the matter.

Please do not hesitate to call me if you need any additional information.

Informal

Please stay in contact!

I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.

Thanks a lot for your assistance, send me a message soon.

Anyway, I have to leave now. If you need additional details, please write again.

Vocabulary to Use in IELTS Writing Task 2 (Both Academic and General Training)

Vocabulary to Write Essays

Expressing Opinions
I’d argue that…

In my opinion…

Personally, I believe…

It appears to me that…

I have to admit that…

As far as I can tell…

As for me, I believe…

That is something I cannot deny…

I’d like to emphasize that…

In my personal experience…

Proving Arguments

To attest…

To prove…

This is testified by…

This is evidenced by…

This establishes that…

This is attested/proven by…

Expressing General Point of View

It is commonly stated that…

According to popular belief…

It is commonly assumed that…

It is generally assumed that…

It is largely agreed upon that…

It’s a widely held assumption that…

Outlining Facts

It is evident that …

The truth is that …

It is obvious that …

This shows that …

There is no doubt that …

As an example…

Take for instance…

We can see this in…

A good illustration of this is…

Evidence for this is manifested in…

Concluding

To summarize…

In conclusion…

In general…

On balance…

Taking everything into account…

Additional Reading: IELTS Grammar

Top 100 IELTS Phrasal Verbs

Grammar for IELTS Exam: Complete Guide

50 Useful Phrases for the IELTS Speaking Test

IELTS Writing Sample Responses

The IELTS Writing Test is by no means easy. Most candidates would agree that this part of the test
made them anxious.

To impress the examiners and get a high band score, it is advised that you read and study different
sample and model responses and learn the different writing techniques to help you achieve your
desired band score.

Here are some of them. Take note of the transition words and vocabulary used.

Example 1:

CountryFood and Drink Housing Clothing Entertainment

France 25% 30% 7% 13%

Germany 22% 33% 15% 19%

Turkey 36% 20% 12% 10%

Spain 31% 18% 8% 15%

Sample Response:

"The table depicts the amount of monthly household income spent on four products in five
European nations. The percentages were used to calibrate the data. Housing is clearly the top
expense item for France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, since they each spend around one third
of their income on it, at 30%, 33%, and 37%, respectively.

They, on the other hand, spend about a quarter of their income on food and drink. Surprisingly,
Turkey and Spain follow the exact opposite pattern, spending a fifth of their income on housing but
one-third on food and drink.

Furthermore, clothing and entertainment are two areas where all five countries spend significantly
less. In terms of clothing, France and Spain spend the least, at less than 10%. The other three
countries, however, spend almost the same amount, ranging between 12% and 15%. At 19%,
Germany spends one fifth of its budget on entertainment. The UK and Turkey, moreover, spend
roughly half of this amount.

Overall, the bulk of each country's money is spent on food and drink, as well as housing. Clothing
and entertainment were far less expensive."

Example 2:

Topic:

You were supposed to start a new job next week, but you won’t be able to because of certain issues.
Send a letter to your new boss. In your letter,

give an explanation of your circumstances

state your issues

inform him/her when you think you’ll be able to begin.

Sample Response:

Dear Ms Smith,
I am writing with regards to the position of Assistant Office Manager that I am supposed to start next
week. However, an unfortunate incident has arisen.

Like I said during the interview, I am currently working at my aunt's company, where I gained
significant experience. However, she had been hospitalized, so my uncle is now taking charge of the
business. She has asked me to stay a little longer and help him with the business operations because
this is an especially hectic time of year.

I do understand that this will not be convenient for you, but I genuinely hope that, given the
situation, you will be willing to let me start with you three weeks later than what we have agreed
upon.

I would like you to know that I remain very keen to work with you, and that I will be obtaining
further useful knowledge and skills during this time.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Nathan Dills

Example 3:

Topic:

How much do you agree or disagree with the claim that e-books and modern technology will
completely replace conventional newspapers and magazines?

Sample Response:

"Technology is advancing at a breakneck pace, opening up new doors for us while keeping us
informed about the latest news and events. As a result, many people believe that traditional
newspaper reading will become obsolete. I disagree since the easiest and cheapest way to obtain
news is through a traditional newspaper.
To begin, there are a variety of reasons why traditional news gathering methods remain popular.
First, many people have developed a strong desire to read the newspaper. Everyone, whether
affluent or middle class, can be seen eagerly anticipating the arrival of the newspaper in the morning
and reading it with a cup of tea.

Furthermore, these are the most portable, least expensive, and simplest ways of staying informed
about global events. It may be taken from one location to another in a bag and is reasonably priced.
It's quite useful, and simply flipping through the pages can make you omniscient. Second, there is no
need for power or other equipment.

Furthermore, the additional accessories are frosting on the cake. The Hindustan Times, for example,
has a variety of articles such as women's fashion, job advice, culinary art, and so on.

However, technology has surely changed the way we read news. For example, videos provide a full
and clear view of what we're reading, and we can also save, share, and forward it to our family and
friends. Technophobia, it goes without saying, will have no place in an ever-advanced modern
society.

To summarize, improved versions of technology have a significant impact on people's lives, but they
will not, in my opinion, be able to threaten the existence of conventional newspapers and
periodicals."

Example 4:

Topic:

Some argue that children should be educated to compete, while others argue that they should be
taught to cooperate. What are your thoughts on the matter?

Sample Response:

"Children are society's future, and they must be instilled with true life values. As a result, there are
those who believe that a competitive spirit should be instilled in them, while others believe that
cooperative qualities must be possessed. Before forming a judgment, I shall discuss the advantages
and disadvantages of each view.

Firstly, there are numerous reasons why children should have competitive ideals. Competition
encourages young people to work harder in order to advance in their studies and other endeavors.
They begin to work hard in order to compete with others and learn the value of perseverance. They
are able to achieve first place in every competition because of their dedication and hard work.
Second, competitive values instill in children self-confidence and self-reliance. They are highly likely
to have self-achievement and fulfillment when they join in activities and compete with others. They
believe they are deserving of a calm and peaceful mind. They tend to become self-sufficient, and as a
result, they have the best decision-making abilities. Furthermore, a sense of accomplishment is a
requirement. Without a doubt, people in the current period confront rivalry from infancy to
adulthood. For example, in school there is a dance competition, a race competition, a poem
competition, and as they get older, they face competition in finding a job, applying for college, and
even completing an exam. As a result, a value is essential.

On the other hand, it is obvious how critical it is to instill the value of cooperation. This is the only
way a youngster may learn teamwork, team spirit, coexistence, tolerance, and patience through
their feelings. Furthermore, when looking at history, it is clear that the well-known icons of society
are only those that have a helpful and sacrificing mentality. A self-centered person will never achieve
fame in society. Second, constant competitiveness preaching may develop feelings of rivalry among
peers and others. These feelings of rivalry quickly evolve into jealousy and personal grudges. A heart
filled with resentment towards others can never be good for themselves or others.

To sum up, after weighing both competitive and cooperative values, I believe that each has its own
significance. As a result, a child should be raised by evenly imparting both."

IELTS Academic Writing Test : Word Lists

The IELTS Writing Test requires an extensive vocabulary. Having a diverse vocabulary is one of the
secrets to writing an effective essay. However, it is not enough to memorize the words; you also
need to know how to use them in your writing.

We have listed a set of word lists to help you with your IELTS Writing Test.

Do not be worried if you will not memorize all the word lists: quality trumps quantity! It is far
preferable to learn 1 word-lists well rather than 5 word-lists poorly.

Word List 1

Words 1 to 10 Words 11 to 20 Words 21 to 30 Words 31 to 40 Words 41 to 50

abandon

abstract

academy

access
accommodate

accompany

accumulate

accurate

achieve

acknowledge

available

aware

behalf

benefit

bias

bond

brief

bulk

capable

capacity

circumstance

cite

civil

clarify

classic

clause

code

coherent

coincide

collapse

data

debate

decline

deduce

define
definite

demonstrate

denote

deny

derive

economy

edit

element

eliminate

emerge

emphasis

empirical

enable

encounter

energy

Words 51 to 60 Words 61 to 70 Words 71 to 80 Words 81 to 90 Words 91 to 100

expose

external

extract

facilitate

factor

feature

federal

fee

file

final

generation

globe

goal

grade

grant
guarantee

guideline

hence

hierarchy

highlight

invoke

involve

isolate

issue

item

job

journal

justify

label

labor

locate

logic

maintain

major

manipulate

manual

margin

mature

maximize

mechanism

normal

notion

notwithstanding

nuclear

objective

obtain
obvious

occupy

occur

odd

Word List 2

Words 1 to 10 Words 11 to 20 Words 21 to 30 Words 31 to 40 Words 41 to 50

acquire

adapt

adequate

adjacent

adjust

administrate

adult

advocate

affect

aggregate

colleague

commence

comment

commission

commit

commodity

communicate

community

compatible

compensate

design

despite

detect

deviate
device

devote

differentiate

dimension

diminish

discriminate

enforce

enhance

enormous

ensure

entity

environment

equate

equip

equivalent

erode

finance

finite

flexible

fluctuate

focus

format

formula

forthcoming

found

foundation

Words 51 to 60 Words 61 to 70 Words 71 to 80 Words 81 to 90 Words 91 to 100

hypothesis

identical

identify

ideology
ignorant

illustrate

image

immigrate

impact

implement

layer

lecture

legal

legislate

levy

liberal

license

likewise

link

limit

media

mediate

medical

medium

mental

method

migrate

military

minimal

minimize

offset

ongoing

option

orient

outcome
output

overall

overlap

overseas

panel

prohibit

project

promote

proportion

prospect

protocol

psychology

publication

publish

purchase

Word List 3

Words 1 to 10 Words 11 to 20 Words 21 to 30 Words 31 to 40 Words 41 to 50

aid

albeit

allocate

alter

ambiguous

amend

analogy

analyze

annual

anticipate

concept

conclude

concurrent
conduct

confer

confine

confirm

conflict

conform

consent

displace

display

dispose

distinct

distort

distribute

diverse

document

domain

domestic

error

establish

estate

estimate

ethic

ethnic

evaluate

eventual

evident

evolve

framework

function

fund

fundamental
furthermore

gender

generate

gestate

gradual

gratitude

Words 51 to 60 Words 61 to 70 Words 71 to 80 Words 81 to 90 Words 91 to 100

implicate

implicit

imply

impose

incentive

incidence

incline

income

incorporate

index

minimum

ministry

minor

mode

modify

monitor

motive

mutual

negate

network

paradigm

paragraph

parallel

parameter
participate

partner

passive

perceive

percent

period

positive

potential

practitioner

precede

precise

predict

predominant

predominates

preliminary

presume

pursue

qualitative

quote

radical

random

range

ratio

rational

react

recover

Word List 4

Words 1 to 10 Words 11 to 20 Words 21 to 30 Words 31 to 40 Words 41 to 50

apparent

append
appreciate

approach

appropriate

approximate

arbitrary

area

aspect

assemble

cooperate

coordinate

core

corporate

correspond

creator

credit

criteria

crucial

culture

devote

differentiation

diminish

displacement

display

distinction

distorted

dramatic

duration

ethical

economic

element

environment
error

equation

establish

estimate

evaluation

eventually

evidence

exhibit

explicit

exploitation

extract

federal

fluctuations

format

founded

guidelines

highlighted

Words 51 to 60 Words 61 to 70 Words 71 to 80 Words 81 to 90 Words 91 to 100

indicate

individual

induce

inevitable

infer

infrastructure

inherent

inhibit

initial

initiate

neutral

neighbor

niche
nibble

nowhere

obtain

obsolete

occasion

opportunity

opaque

persist

perspective

phase

phenomenon

philosophy

physical

plus

policy

portion

pose

previous

primary

prime

principal

principle

prior

priority

proceed

process

professional

refine

regime

region

register
regulate

reinforce

reject

relax

release

relevant

Commonly Confused Words in the English Language

English is a complicated language. Some words look the same, and some sound the same.

Recognizing the difference between these similar words could be tricky.

We want to help you succeed on your IELTS journey, so we are providing you with some of the most
commonly confused words in the English language. Pay close attention to these words and avoid the
past mistakes most candidates have committed.

Affect vs. Effect

Affect

Meaning: To have an influence or effect on something/someone

Example Sentence:

“Not winning the competition did not affect her as much as I thought it would.”

Effect

Meaning: To cause something to happen

Example Sentence:

“The effect of her medications on her illness was surprisingly quick.”

Loose

Meaning: Not fitting tightly or closely

Example Sentence:

“The dress she is wearing is obviously loose on her.”

Lose

Meaning: (1) To fail to win or

(2) to misplace something

Example Sentence:

(1) “I hate losing at chess against my sister.”

(2) “He lost his keys at the party last night.”

Lay vs. Lie

Lay

Meaning: To put down gently or carefully

Example Sentence:

“She laid her bracelet on the study.”

Lie

Meaning: To assume a horizontal position on a resting surface

Example Sentence:
“He lies down on the bed and takes a nap.”

Accept vs. Except

Accept

Meaning: To consent to receive

Example Sentence:

“She accepted the award graciously.”

Except

Meaning: Not included

Example Sentence:

“They go to the park every day except on Sundays.”

Complement vs. Compliment

Complement

Meaning: Something that fills up, completes, or makes better

Example Sentence:

“Her scarf is a complete complement to her outfit.”

Compliment

Meaning: A polite expression of praise

Example Sentence:
“I was surprised by how he reacted over a small compliment.”

Farther vs. Further

Farther

Meaning: Over a large expanse of physical distance

Example Sentence:

“The black car is farther away than the white car.”

Further

Meaning: Over a large expanse figurative distance

Example Sentence:

“The newly-hired employee asked further questions from the manager.”

Passed vs. Past

Passed

Meaning: Simple past tense of ‘pass’

Example Sentence:

“She passed her exams in flying colors.”

Past

Meaning: Gone by in time and no longer existing

Example Sentence:
“She has to move forward and leave the past behind her.”

Elicit vs. Illicit

Elicit

Meaning: Draw out a response from someone

Example Sentence:

“I was not able to elicit any response from him.”

Illicit

Meaning: Forbidden by law

Example Sentence:

“I have advised him to stop the use of illicit drugs.”

Any way vs. Anyway

Any way

Meaning: A phrase that means in any manner or method

Example Sentence:

“Any way you suggest is fine, as long as we reach the venue in half an hour.”

Anyway

Meaning: Used to confirm an idea just mentioned

Example Sentence:
“It’s fine, I don’t mind. It’s my fault anyway.”

Than vs. Then

Than

Meaning: Used before the second element in a comparison

Example Sentence:

“The weather yesterday was warmer than today’s.”

Then

Meaning: An adverb indicating time or sequence.

Example Sentence:

“We went to the park, then ate at our favorite restaurant.”

Its vs. It’s

Its

Meaning: Belonging to or associated with a thing previously mentioned

Example Sentence:

“The milk is past its expiration date.”

It’s

Meaning: Contraction of ‘it is’

Example Sentence:
“It’s raining outside, bring an umbrella.”

Their vs. There vs. They’re

Their

Meaning: Belonging to or associated with people or things previously mentioned

Example Sentence:

“The tourists left their shoes outside the temple.”

There

Meaning: An adverb of place (in, at, to)

Example Sentence:

“We went to Singapore and stayed there for a week.”

They’re

Meaning: Contraction of ‘they are’

Example Sentence:

“They’re planning a surprise party for their parents.”

Your vs. You’re

Your

Meaning: Belonging to or associated with the person or people the speaker is talking to

Example Sentence:
“Your dress looks lovely.”

You’re

Meaning: Contraction of ‘you are’

Example Sentence:

“You’re chosen to represent the class in the competition next week.”

Who vs. Whom

Who

Meaning: A pronoun used as a subject refers to a person or people

Example Sentence:

“Who is the richest man in the world?”

Whom

Meaning: A pronoun used as an object referring to a person or people

Example Sentence:

“Whom did he marry?”

That vs. Which

That

Meaning: Used when the phrase after it is essential in the sentence

Example Sentence:
“Products that do not pass the standards are not sold to consumers.”

Which

Meaning: Used when the phrase after it is not essential in the sentence

Example Sentence:

“The homeless cat, which a stranger adopted, turned out to be my neighbor's lost pet."

To vs. Too

To

Meaning: A preposition that indicates the direction

Example Sentence:

“I go to the supermarket every week.”

Too

Meaning: An adverb that means in addition or also

Example Sentence:

“I love apples and grapes too.”