First published in Great Britain 2001 by A & C Black Publishers Ltd
This second edition published 2012 by
Bloomsbury Publishing Pic
50 Bedford Square
London
W C1B 3DP
www.bloomsbury.com
Copyright © Rawdon Wyatt, 2012
All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of the Publisher.
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-1-4081-5393-2
This book is produced using paper that is made from wood grown in
managed, sustainable forests. It is natural, renewable and recyclable.
The logging and manufacturing processes conform to the
environmental regulations of the country of origin.
Typeset by Saxon Graphics Ltd, Derby
Printed and bound in Great Britain by MPG Books Limited


Introduction
This w o rk b o o k has been w ritten for students w h o are planning to sit either the Academic or General
Training modules of the IELTS examination. It covers some of the main vocabulary areas tha t you will
need for, or come across in, the Listening, Reading, W ritin g and Speaking sections of the exam.
W e hope that you find the exercises in this book useful, and that the vocabulary you acquire will
help you to achieve the grade you w a n t in the IELTS.
G o o d luck!

Structure of the hook
Each vocabulary area is presented in the form of a self-contained m odule w ith task-based activities
w hich present each vocabulary item in context.
• Pages 1 - 5 7 focus on genera! vocabulary items. Some of these are relevant to specific tasks or
questions in the IELTS examination (for example, describing h o w something works, talking
abo u t changes shown in a graph or table, saying w h e re things are and fo llow ing directions).
• Pages 5 8 - 1 0 4 focus on topic-specific vocabulary areas w hich may be required in the
examination (for example, education, architecture, family matters and science and technology).
Each m odule consists of three tasks: the first t w o present vocabulary items in context, each w ith
a practice or recognition exercise, and the third gives you the o p p o rtu n ity to review the
vocabulary in a gap-fill exercise.
• Pages 1 0 5 - 1 2 4 contain a comprehensive key so you can check y o u r answers. T h e answer key
also gives additional information abo u t specific vocabulary items or general vocabulary areas, as
well as other useful w ords or phrases.

Using the workbook
You should not w o rk through the book mechanically from beginning to end. It is better to choose areas
that you are unfamiliar with, or areas that you feel are of specific interest or importance to yourself.

Recording, reviewing and extending your vocabulary
Rem em ber tha t you should keep a record of n e w words, phrases and expressions tha t you acquire,
and review these on a regular basis so that they become part of yo u r active vocabulary. Also
rem em ber tha t there are other ways of acquiring n e w vocabulary. For example, you should read as
much as possible from a variety of authentic reading materials (books, newspapers, magazines,
web-based articles, etc.).

Using an English dictionary
To help you develop y o u r vocabulary m ore effectively, you should use a go o d m onolingual English
dictionary. This should clearly explain w h a t the w ords mean, sh o w you h o w they are pronounced,
sh o w you their various forms w h e re relevant (e.g., w h a t the noun fo rm o f an adjective is), tell you

which w ords or phrases the y collocate w ith, and give sample sentences to sh o w yo u h o w the w ords
are used. W e particularly recom m end the M acm illan English D ictio n a ry fo r A d v a n c e d Learners (ISBN
978-1405026284). A free on-line version o f this can also be fo un d at www.m acm illandictionary.com .

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
T h e IELTS is administered by the University of Cam bridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), the
British Council and IDP Education Australia. For further information, visit w w w .u d e s .o r g .u k . Note
that this book is not endorsed by any of these organisations.

about this workbook

About this workbook


contents
iv

Contents
Page Title

Page Title

General vocabulary

47

Reason & result

1


Addition, equation and conclusion

48

Shape & features

2

Around the world

49

Size, quantity & dimension

3

Changes 1

51

Spelling

5

Changes 2

52

Stopping something


7

Condition

53

Success & failure

8

Confusing words & false friends 1

54

Task commands

10

Confusing words & false friends 2

55

Time

12

Context & meaning 1

56


Useful interview expressions

14

Context & meaning 2

16

Context & meaning 3

58

Architecture

18

Contrast and comparison

61

The arts

19

Emphasis & misunderstanding

64

Business & industry


20

Focusing attention

67

Children & the family

21

Generalisations & specifics

69

Crime & the law

23

Groups

71

Education

24

How something works

73


The environment

25

Joining or becoming part of something bigger

75

Food & diet

26

Likes & dislikes

78

Geography

27

Location & direction

80

Global problems

30

Modified words


82

Healthcare

32

Objects & actions

84

The media

34

Obligation & option

86

Men & women

35

Opinion, attitude & belief

89

Money & finance

37


Opposites: adjectives

91

On the road

38

Opposites: verbs

93

Science & technology

39

Ownership, giving, lending & borrowing

96

Sport

40

Phrasal verbs 1

98

Town & country


41

Phrasal verbs 2

100

Travel

43

Phrasal verbs 3

102

Work

44

Phrasal verbs 4

46

Presenting an argument

105

Answers

Topic-specific vocabulary



1 Put the follow ing words and phrases into their correct place in the table depending on their
function.

along with
also and as well as besides correspondingly
equaHy furthermore in addition in brief in conclusion
in the same way likewise moreover similarly thus therefore
to conclude to summarise to sum up briefly too
we can conclude that
what's more
Addition
and

Equation
equally

general vocabulary

Addition, equation & conclusion

Conclusion
in conclusion

2 Complete these sentences w ith one of the w ords or phrases from above. In most cases, more than
one answer is possible.
1.

Tourism brings m uch-needed m o ney to developing countries............................................................... .. it
provides e m plo ym e n t fo r the local population.


2 .................................................................. b rin ging m uch-needed m oney to developing countries, tourism
provides e m plo ym e n t fo r the local population.
3.

Tourists should respect the local e n viro n m e n t............................................................... the y should respect
the local customs.

4 ..................................................................
e nviro nm ent.

industrial waste, pollution from car fum es is poisoning the

5.

In o rde r to travel, yo u need a passport................................................................, you m ig h t need a visa,
im m unisation jabs and w ritte n permission to visit certain areas.

6.

Drugs are banned in Britain - .............................................................w eapons such as guns and knives.

7.

A ll p o w e r corrupts............................................................... .. absolute p o w e r corrupts absolutely.

8.

You sh o uld n 't smoke, drink, take drugs o r eat unhealthy f o o d ..................................................................
you should live a m ore healthy lifestyle.


9.

Th e o zo ne layer is becom ing depleted, the air in the cities is becom ing to o d irty to breathe and
o u r seas and rivers are no longer safe to swim in................................................................ pollution is
slowly destroying the planet.

10. Yo u r grades have been very p o or fo r the past tw o years................................................................. you need
to w o rk really hard if you w a n t to pass yo u r exams next m onth.

1


general vocabulary

Around the world
1 Choose the correct w o rd or phrase in bold to com plete these sentences.
1.

Japan, Korea and Taiw a n are all in the Near East / the M id dle East / the Far East.

2.

Th e South Pole is situated in the

3.

N e w Zealand is part of A ustria / Australia / Australasia.

4.


Bangladesh is part of the Indian su bcontine n t / India / Indiana.

5.

Guatem ala is a co un try in N o rth A m erica / South Am erica / Central Am erica.

Arctic / A ntarctic / Antarctica.

6.

A rg e n tin a , Brazil, C olom bia, Panama and Honduras all form part of w h a t is often referred to as
Latin A m erica / South Am erica / Spanish Am erica.

7.

Botswana is in South Africa / southern Africa / Central Africa.

8.

England, Scotland, W ales and N orthern Ireland are kn o w n collectively as Britain / Great Britain /
the U nited K ing d o m .

9.

T h e United K ing d om and the Republic of Ireland are part of C o ntinental Europe / M ainland
Europe / Europe.

10. K uw ait, O m a n and the United A ra b Emirates form part of w h a t are k n o w n as the W e st Indies /
the G u lf States / the European U nion.

11. Denm ark, Finland, N o rw a y and Sw eden are kn o w n collectively as the Baltic Republics / the
Caribbean / Scandinavia.
12. Bangkok, Lima and Tunis are examples of capital / capitol / capitalism cities.
2 W h a t are the nationalities of the people w h o com e from these countries?
1.

A f g h a n i s t a n . ..................

2. A rg e n tin a ...........................

3. A u s tra lia ..........................................

4. B an gla d esh .....................................

5. B e lg iu m .................................

6. B ra zil.................................................

7.

C a n a d a ...........................................

8. D e n m a rk ..............................

9. E g y p t..................................................

10. E n g la n d ..........................................

11. F in la n d ................................


12. G reece.............................................

13. In d ia ................................................

14. Ira n .......................................

15. Ira q...................................................

16. Ireland............................................

17. Israel....................................

18. Jap a n ...............................................

19. K u w a it............................................

20. Le b a n on .............................

21. M alaysia.........................................

22. M exico.............................................

23. M o ro cco .............................

24. the N e th e rla n d s.........................

25. N o rw a y...........................................

26. P akistan.............................


27. P eru.................................................

28. the Philippines.............................

29. P olan d .................................

30. P o rtu g a l.........................................

31. Russia..............................................

32. Saudi A ra b ia .....................

33. Scotla n d .........................................

34. S p a in ...............................................

35. S w e d e n ..............................

36. S w itze rla n d ...................................

37. T h a ila n d .........................................

38. T u r k e y .................................

39. W ales .............................................

40. Y e m e n .............................................

Is you r country on this list? If not, h o w do you say yo u r nationality in English?


2


1 Look at the gra ph , and com plete the sentences w ith the correct form of the w o rd s and phrases in
the box. In m ost cases, m ore than one o ption is possible.

decline decrease drop
go up increase peak at
remain steady rise

fall fluctuate
reach a peak of

go down
remain constant

English school student numbers: May - August.
□

Briarwood School of English

Speakeasy School of Languages

[= □

W indsor Language Centre

Harefield College

May


June

July

general vocabulary

Changes 1

August

Between M ay and A ug ust...
1.

...student numbers at the Briarwood School of English increa sed / .................... / .......................

2.

...student numbers at the W indsor Language C e n t r e ....................... / .................. / .................... /

.................... / ......................
3.

...student numbers at the Speakeasy School of L a n g u a g e s .................... / ...............................................

4.

...student numbers at Harefield C o l le g e .......................... T h e y .................. / ....................

120 in June.


2 Look at this table, and com plete the sentences on the next page w ith w o rd s and phrases from
the box. In som e cases, m ore tha n one a n s w e r is possible. Th e re is one w o rd o r phrase th a t yo u do
n o t need.
Petrol prices
January

£1.10/ litre

June

£ 1 .5 5 /litre

February

£ 1 .1 2 /litre

July

£ 1 .5 2 /litre

March

£1.15/litre

August

£ 1 .5 3 /litre

April


£1.18/litre

September

£1.58 /litre

M ay

£1.16/litre

October

£1.60 /litre

downward trend
upward trend

dramatically

gradually

sharply

slightly

steadily

3



general vocabulary

Changes 1
1.

Between January and April, petrol prices incre as ed ............. ...... / ......................

2.

In May, petrol prices fell —

3.

In June, petrol prices rose .. ................. / ........................

4.

Overall, there has been an . ................... in petrol prices

3 Look at the task in the box, the n com plete the sam ple a nsw e r w ith w o rd s and phrases from
Exercises 1 and 2. In som e cases, m ore than one a nsw e r m a y be possible.
The graph b e lo w shows the n u m b e r o f visitors to three seaside tow ns over a five-m onth period.
Summ arise the in fo rm a tio n b y selecting a n d re p o rtin g the m ain features, a n d m ake
com parisons w here relevant.

MB Seahaven

W e stha m pto n


Bridgeport

16
15
14
13
o
o
o
X

l/l

_Q

E
d
c
L_
o
'i/i
>

12
11
10
9
8
7

6
5
4
3
2
1

August

May

April
Sample answer

T h e graph shows h o w m a ny people visited three seaside to w ns betw een April and August.
T h e n u m b e r of visitors to Seahaven (1) .increased ( 2 ) ....................
( 3 ) ....................

( 4 ) ....................

betw een April and June, then

in July, and continued to ( 5 ) ....................

in August. For the first four

months, visitor numbers to B ridgeport ( 6 ) .................... .. but then ( 7 ) ....................

( 8 ) ....................

in the final m onth. W e stha m pto n visitor numbers ( 9 ) .................... from April to June, then
( 1 0 ) ....................

( 1 1 ) ....................

in July and finally ( 1 2 ) .................... 11,000 in August.

Overall, there was an ( 1 3 ) .................... in the n u m b e r of visitors to Seahaven and W e stham pton,
but a ( 1 4 ) .................... in the n u m b e r of people visiting Bridgeport.

4


1 C o m p lete these sentences w ith the correct form of one of the verbs in th e box. Both sentences
in each sentence pair should use the same ve rb . In som e cases, the m e an in g of the ve rb m ay
change slightly.

adjust
swell

aftef deteriorate
switch vary

exchange

fade

reduce

renovate

1.

M o vin g to the countryside radically altered
our lifestyle.

Some people choose to 3Iter their
appearance w ith surgery.

2.

B y .................... to a different provider, it can
be possible to pay much less for yo u r mobile
phone bills.

I chose drama as an extra-curricular activity,
b u t .................... to p h o to grap hy a f e w weeks
later.

3.

It can take time to
different country.

4.

Th e noise built up rapidly, and then just as
quickly i t .................... into the distance.

As the applause

started talking.

5.

Th e a m o u n t of tax you pay on a car
.................... according to the a m o u n t of
carbon dioxide it emits.

People's reactions to the medicine
.................... a lot, w ith some people
complaining it has no effect at all.

6.

Everyone should try t o .................... the
a m o u n t of fat in their diet.

M a n y companies were forced t o .......
their workforce during the recession.

7.

Economic crises often
unrest.

8.

Ankles and other joints often
w h e n people travel by air.

9.

T h e tokens can be
student canteen.

to living in a

into social

general vocabulary

Changes 2

Prices seem low, but w h e n y o u ....................
them to allow for tax, they are considerably
higher.

., the speaker

Th e w e a t h e r ......................rapidly w h e n it
started raining and the winds picked up.

T h e t o w n is home to 3,000 people, but this
f i g u r e .................... to 12,000 in the same
summer.

for food in the

10. Businesses in the city centre were offered
fun din g so they c o u l d .................... their

premises.

Shops will n o r m a l l y .................... damaged
goods if you have a receipt.

In some cases it can be more expensive to
.................... an old building than knock it
d o w n and build a n e w one.

5


general vocabulary

Changes 2
2 N o w do the same w ith these.

adapt
relax

cut decline disappear
replace transform

improve

promote

T h e plan is t o .................... all the old desktop
com puters in the library w ith netbooks.

1.

Email has la rg e ly .................... the traditional
letter as a means o f w ritte n business
com m unication.

2.

Som e com panies are slow to
cha n gin g m arket.

to a

Courses can b e ..........................to suit th e needs
o f individual students.

3.

T h e sym ptom s o f illnesses like measles a re n't
usually serious, a n d .................... w ith in a fe w
days.

As the s u n ....................... behind th e clouds, the
tem p e ra ture quickly d ro p p e d .

4.

A college course can help you to find a jo b
o r g e t .................... at w o rk .

Th e 'Peter Principle' is a th e o ry w h ich says
th a t in a big com pany, everyone eventually
g e t s .................... to a jo b th a t is beyond their
ability.

5.

Som e people th in k th a t the go ve rn m e n t
s h o u ld ................... the rules regarding
b uildin g on protected land.

For the final part of the exercise, yo u need
to repeatedly tig h te n , t h e n .................... yo u r
stomach muscles.

6.

T h e go vern m en t's aim in the next five years
is t o .................... educational standards.

T h e best w a y o f .................... y o u r English is to
practise using it as m uch as possible.

7.

W a te r freezes in th e pipes, forcing th e m to
.................... and burst.

Britain's u n iversitie s.......... ..........at an
unprecedented rate at the end o f th e

tw e n tie th century.

8.

S u p e rm a rk e ts .................... prices on m any
basic items to attract m ore customers.

I believe th a t govern m en ts should increase
spending on the arts instead o f .................... it.

9.

Email and social n e tw o rk in g websites have
.................... the w a y people com m unicate.

W h e n it was closed d o w n , the old fire
station w a s .................... into an art gallery.

10. House prices are so high th a t the n u m b e r o f
people b uyin g th e ir o w n hom e has
.................... in th e last five years.

6

expand

Because so m any people are o u t o f w o rk ,
living standards a r e .................... rapidly.

1 Complete the second sentence in each pair so that it has the same or a similar meaning to the first
sentence. Use the words or phrases in bold, and any other w ords that are necessary.
1.

You can b o rro w m y dictionary if yo u return it before you g o hom e,

providing that
You can b o rro w m y dictionary P JQ v jd jn g th a tyo u .return \\ before you go hom e.
2.

I should get m y assignm ent finished this w eekend if I have e no u gh tim e,

provided that

general vocabulary

Condition

I should get m y assignm ent finished this w e e k e n d .......................................e nou gh tim e.
3.

You can't go to university if you d o n 't get go o d exam grades at school,

unless
You can't g o to u n iv e rs ity .......................................go od exam grades at school.
4.

Students can use the com m o n room in the evening if the y tid y up any mess th e y make,

on condition that

Students can use the com m on room in the e v e n in g .......................................... up any mess they make.
5.

Pollution will get worse if w e continue to live in a th ro w a w a y society,

as long as
Pollution w ill get w o r s e .......................................to live in a th ro w a w a y society.
6.

Children w ill always prefer fast food to fresh fru it and vegetables, even if you tell them h o w
unhealthy it is.

no matter h o w
Children will always prefer fast food to fresh fru it and v e g e ta b le s ,.......................................tell them
it is unhealthy.
7.

C o m p uter p rog ra m m in g is complicated, even if you read a lot of books abou t it.

how ever many
Com p uter p ro g ra m m in g is c o m p lic a te d ,.................................................................................... read abou t it.
8.

Crim e is a problem , even if you live in a small to w n or in

the countryside,

wherever
Crim e is a p ro b le m ,.......................................live.
2 Complete these sentences using an appropriate w ord or phrase from above and your ow n ideas.

1.

British universities w ill accept students from a b r o a d ........................................................................................

2. W o rk in g fo r a large com pany can be a fulfilling experience

3. T h e environm ental situation will continue to worsen

4. Travelling helps you understand m ore abou t the w o rld around you

7


general vocabulary

Confusing words & false friends 1
Confusing words are tw o or more w ords which:
(a) have a similar meaning to each other but which are used in a different w a y

(b ) are related to the same topic, but have a different meaning

(c) look similar, but have a different meaning.

False friends are w ords in English which have a similar-looking w o rd in another language, but
w hich have a different meaning.
Complete the follow ing sentence pairs w ith the appropriate w ord.
1.

aboard / abroad
M o re and m ore people g o abroad fo r th e ir holiday.

In 2002, she becam e th e first w o m a n to travel aboard the space shuttle Discovery.

2.

action / activity
W e decided to take im m e d ia te .................... w h e n w e realised there was a problem .
T h e e nviro nm e n ta l changes in the area are th e result o f h u m a n .......................

3.

advice / advise
Can y o u ...................m e on the best course of action to take?
He offered me some e x c e lle n t.......................

4.

affect / effect
D iverting the course of the river w ill have a m a jo r ...................on the local ecosystem.
Frequent traffic jams in th e suburbs se rio u s ly.................... jo u rn e y times into the city.

5.

appreciable / appreciative
W id e n in g the road m ade a n ...................difference to th e flo w of traffic.
T h e applause at the end o f the concert was w a rm a n d .....................

6.

avoid / prevent
Rapid international action m anaged t o .................... an enviro nm e n ta l disaster fro m tak in g place.

Th e re are areas in th e city th a t are wise t o .................... after dark.

7.

beside / besides
T h e com pany's m ain office i s .................... th e railw ay station.
.................... th e ir regular daytim e jo b , m any people d o extra w o rk in the evening.

8.

briefly /shortly
.................... before th e earthquake began, m a ny animals w e re seen to be behaving in an unusual
manner.
She s p o k e .................... b u t passionately a b o u t th e need to help those in d eve lop in g countries.

8


9.

canal / channel
A .................... system join ed the tw o m ain rivers, w hich m ade transporting goods m uch quicker.
W h e n television first became p o pular in the early 1950s, there was only o n e .......................

10. conscientious / conscious
Most people a r e .................o f the need to protect the e nvironm ent.
.................... w orkers should be rew arded fo r their hard w o rk .

11. considerable / considerate
In m y o pinio n, some people are not v e r y .................... of those around them .

A ............................................a m o u n t of m o n ey was spent on developing the product.

12. continual / continuous
T h e co m p uter system has given u s .................... problem s ever since w e installed it. Some days it
works, o ther days it doesn't.
T h e ........................noise fro m the n e w m o to rw a y has forced m any people to move.

13. control / inspect
N e w teachers often find it difficult t o .................... the ir classes.
Environm ental health inspectors regularly ....................
especially those in restaurants.

comm ercial kitchens fo r cleanliness,

14. criticism / objection
I have n o .................... to people using their m obile phones on buses o r trains.
Plans fo r the n e w stadium have attracted fie rc e .................... from local people.

15. damage / harm / injury
He suffered a se rio u s .................... w hich needed im m ediate hospital treatm ent.
T h e lo w levels of dangerous chemicals in the river w ere enough to ca u se .................... to aquatic life.
A lot o f .................... was caused to buildings along the coast d urin g the storm.

16. during / for / while
T h e college closes.................... t w o weeks at the end of December.
He d i e d .................... tryin g to cross the desert alone.
M a n y creatures stay u n d e r g ro u n d .................. d ayligh t hours.

17. how ever / moreover
Th e plan was g o o d in t h e o ry ..................... . in practice it was extrem ely difficult to im plem ent.

T h e plan was excellent....................... it was clear fro m the begin n in g th a t it was goin g to attract a
lot o f interest.

18. injured / w ounded
I believe th a t w e should do m ore to help and support soldiers w h o have been .................... in
com bat.
Several w orkers w e r e .................... w h e n the drilling platform collapsed.

general vocabulary

Confusing words & false friends 1


general vocabulary

Confusing words & false friends 2
C o m p lete th e fo llo w in g sentence pairs w ith th e a pp ro p ria te w o rd o r phrase.
1.

jo b / w o rk
Everybody has the rig h t to a d e c e n t .................... w ith g o o d pay.
D u rin g the econom ic recession, a lot of people fo u n d themselves o u t o f .......................

2.

lay / lie
If y o u 're suffering fro m d e h yd ra tio n , yo u should d rin k p lenty of w a te r and sit o r .................... d o w n
fo r a w hile.
Before yo u begin the experim ent, you s h o u ld .................... a large plastic sheet on the g ro u n d .

3.

look at / w a tch
W e need to .................... th e situation carefully over the next fe w w eeks and see h o w things
develop.
W e need t o .................... the problem carefully and decide if there is a n yth in g w e can d o a b o u t it.

4.

loose / lose
Som e people are ve ry com petitive and hate t o .................................a gam e or com petitio n.
T h e surface is m ainly com posed o f .................... soil and small stones.

5.

m ake / cause
T h e noise fro m traffic outside th e school c a n .................... it hard to hear w h a t the teacher is saying.
H u rric a n e s .................... w idespread d am a ge in urban areas.

6.

nature / countryside
Thousands o f .................... lovers head fo r th e national parks every w ee ke nd .
I'd rather live in t h e .................... tha n in a city.

7.

per cent / percentage
It is a m yth th a t o n ly t e n ....................... of Am ericans hold a passport.
O n ly a s m a ll............................... o f land is privately o w n e d .

8.

perm ission / p erm it
I'm afraid w e c a n 't .................... p h o to g ra p h y in th e m useum .
.

W e re c e iv e d t o attend th e m eeting, as long as w e d id n 't interrupt.
9.

personal / personnel
M y o w n .................... v ie w is th a t professional football players are paid far to o m uch.
T h e co m p an y w as in tro u b le until there was a change o f .................... on th e m a n a g e m e n t team .

10. possibility / chance
W e m ig h t go to Spain fo r o u r field trip . A n o t h e r .................... is th a t w e 'll g o to Italy instead.
If w e act now , w e have a g o o d .................... of fin d in g a cure fo r the disease.

10


11. practice / practise
It's im p o rta n t t o .................... yo u r English w h e n e ve r possible.
I th in k I need m o r e .................... before I take the exam.
12. priceless / w orthless
.................. paintings by artists like Van G o g h and R em brandt should not be in the hands of private
collectors.

general vocabulary

Confusing words & false friends 2

As inflation spiralled o u t of control, paper m oney suddenly became a lm o s t.......................
13. principal / principle
M a n y people refuse to eat m eat o n .....................
She was appointed U n iv e rs ity .................... in 2009.
T h e c o u n try 's .................... fo o d products are coffee and sugar.
I believe in t h e .................... th a t healthcare should be free fo r everyone.
14. problem / trou b le
A t night, the streets are full of people fig h tin g and generally causing .......................
I was w o n d e rin g if you could help me w ith a litt le .................... I'm having.
15. process / procession
T h e h igh lig h t of the carnival is a h u g e .................... along the to w n's main street.
In some cases, applying fo r a visa can be a long and fru s tra tin g .......................
16. raise / rise
As p ric e s .................... . dem and usually drops.
In response to th e oil crisis, most airlines had t o .................... th e ir fares.
17. rem em ber / rem ind
I

c a n ........m y first day at school really w ell.

Language teachers o f t e n ..................... th e ir students th a t th e best w a y to rem em ber n e w w ords is to
use the m as m uch as possible.
18. respectable / respectful
W e all listened i n .................... silence as she outlined her plans fo r the museum's future.
Everybody w ants to bring th e ir children up in a .................... n e igh b o u rh o o d .
19. tolerable / to lerant
People need to be m o r e .................... of th e ir neighbours, and not com plain every tim e th e y make
to o m uch noise.

Th e local authorities say th a t the noise fro m passing trains i s .................... . b ut m any living near the
railw ay lines disagree.
20. treat / cure
M a n y hospitals are so understaffed th a t the y are refusing t o ................patients w ith m inor injuries.
Th e n e w d ru g was unable t o .................... the disease, and hundreds died as a result.

11


general vocabulary

Context & meaning 1
W h e n w e see a n e w w o rd (in a reading passage, fo r exam ple), w e can often w o rk o u t w h a t
it means, o r ge t an idea o f w h a t it means, by looking at the context in w hich it appears (fo r
exam ple, w h a t is th e passage a bo ut, w h a t is the sentence a bo u t and w h a t info rm a tio n
comes before and after the w o rd ? ).
Identifying th e m ean in g o f a w o rd fro m its context is an especially useful skill in th e IELTS
Reading Test.

1

Look at these words, and answer the questions which follow.

nocturnal
1.

2.

cites

coherently

feat

W ith o u t seeing them in a sentence, do you k n o w (or can you guess) w h a t the w ords in the box mean?
nocturnal:

Yes/N o

cites:

Yes/N o

coherently:

Yes / No

feat:

Yes / No

N o w look at th e w o rd s in the passage. Can yo u guess w h a t they m ean n o w ? In y o u r o w n w ords,
explain w h a t th e y m ig h t mean.

T h e rem arkable success o f Sim on W e be r's b o o k on ow ls, bats, foxes and o th e r nocturnal
creatures, A Call in the Dark, is p ro b a b ly n o t surprising in vie w of th e p o p u la rity o f his
recent television series, 'N ig h t Prow lers'. It is a ve ry th o ro u g h b o o k by an a u th o r w h o is an
e xpert in his field a nd w h o has clearly d o n e a lot o f research. In a d d itio n to describing his
o w n findings, he cites th e research carried o u t by others, inclu d in g W r ig h t and Lawson in
the 1990s, and discusses w h e re th e y m ig h t have g o n e w ro n g w ith som e of th e ir

assum ptions. He w rites coherently on th e subject, b e g in n in g by lo o kin g at basic facts
before discussing progressively com plex theories, w ith o u t once confusing his readers. This
is a rem arkable feat, considering th e com p lexity o f the subject and th e science th a t is
o ften involved.

nocturnal:
cites:
coherently:
feat:

2

Look at the w ords in bold in sentences 1 - 1 5 , and try to decide w h a t they mean.

1.

T h e jo u rn e y across the hills was long and arduous, m uch o f it having to be d o ne on fo o t in
tem peratures o f over 40°C.

2.

Foxes are a co m m o n sight in o u r to w n s and cities, w h e re th e y forage in dustbins, in gardens and
on waste g ro u n d .

3.

T h e cuckoo is a rare and elusive bird w hich is often heard b u t rarely seen.

4.

T h e research th e y carried o ut was exhaustive, so by the tim e th e project was com plete, th e y knew
e verything th e y had to k n o w a b o u t th e ir subject.

5.

T h e hotel w e stayed in was a mediocre place, w ith small rooms, rather dull fo od and an uninspiring
v ie w o f a car park.


6.

Research suggests th a t children are m ore resilient than adults w h e n it comes to ge ttin g over an
illness.

7.

T h e room was extrem ely untidy, w ith stacks of books and piles of paper all over th e floor, and
unw ashed coffee cups on the tables.

8.

He was an extrem ely prolific author, w ritin g three or fo u r novels a year as w ell as m any short
stories.

9.

W a te r is essential fo r hum an life, so it is im perative w e make sure th a t in the future there is
e no u gh fo r everyone.

general vocabulary

Context & meaning 1

10. A tte m p ts to im ple m en t change m et w ith strong resistance at first, b ut gradually people realised
th a t this change was needed.
11. M a n y m en say th a t the y are w illin g to share the b urden o f domestic duties like w ashing and
cooking, b u t I d o u b t th a t th e y m ean it.
12. Th e building is designed to s w a y slightly in strong w inds, b ut it's still a rather frig h te n in g sensation
w h e n you are on th e uppe r floors.
13. M a n y people w o u ld like to o w n a house in the city centre, b u t pro h ib itive pro p erty prices m ean
th a t very fe w o f the m w o u ld ever be able to buy such a place.
14. Th e city centre has some beautiful old buildings, b u t there are some extrem ely ugly industrial
estates on the fringe.
15. Employees are encouraged to use the ir initiative w h e n th e y are faced w ith a problem and there
is n o b o d y m ore senior there to help them .

3

N o w match the w ords in bold in sentences 1 - 1 5 above w ith their definitions (a) - (o) below.

(a)

A serious or difficult responsibility th a t yo u have to deal w ith , burden

(b )

Producing a lot of things, ideas, etc..............................

(c)

T h e ability to decide w h a t to do in an independent

(d )

A b le to quickly becom e healthy, happy or strong a g a in ...............................

(e)

M o ve o r sw ing slightly fro m side to side..........................................

(f)

Difficult or impossible to catch o r fin d ..............................................

(g )

M ake som ething such as in idea, plan, system, etc., start to w o rk ................................

(h)

w a y .................

Extremely difficult and involving a lot of effort..............................

(i)

Th e oute r edge of som e thing...............................

(j)

So expensive th a t n o bo d y can afford it............................................

(k)

T h o ro u g h and co m p lete ...............................

(I)

To search in a w id e area fo r som ething, especially f o o d ...............................

(m )

Piles of things placed one on to p of another. ...........................

(n )

Extrem ely im po rtan t and u rg e n t................................

(o )

A vera ge o r b e lo w average...............................

13


general vocabulary

Context & meaning 2
1 Read these sentences carefully, and decide if the definitions in italics of the w ords in bold are
correct or incorrect. If they are incorrect, try to give a correct definition. Th e first one has been done

as an example.
1.

I'm w o rrie d th a t a lack o f suitable qualifications w ill hinder m y search fo r a job .
H elp som eone o r som eth ing, o r m ake so m e th in g easier.

Correct / Incorrect

H in d e r kvtefliA-s to stop som-eo^e or so^vtethli/vg fro m w -atel^g progress or developing.

2.

Research was g oing well, but there was a risk that cuts in funding w o u ld jeopardise the entire project.
Risk d a m a g in g o r de stro ying so m e th in g im p o rta n t.

3.

W h e n yo u address a m eeting, it is im p o rta n t to speak clearly, confidently and at a g o o d pace.
W rite a le tte r to som eone.

4.

Correct / Incorrect

T h e villas w e re basically flimsy w o o d e n huts th a t shook every tim e there w as a bit of w in d .
S tro n g a n d w e ll b u ilt o r m ade.

5.

Correct / Incorrect

Correct / Incorrect

A lth o u g h several species of turtle can be fo u n d in relatively cool seas, w a rm w a te r provides the
optimal conditions fo r breeding.
The best o r m o st suitable w ith in a ra n g e o f possibilities.

6.

It can be very difficult fo r im m igrants to integrate into local society, especially if the re are m arked
cultural differences.
M e e t p e o p le o r m ake useful contacts.

7.

Correct / Incorrect

He was a talented yo u n g film director w hose unique and innovative style inspired generations of
film students.
D ifficult to understand.

9.

Correct / Incorrect

From the outset o f the expedition th e y k n e w th e y w e re g o in g to have problem s, so it was no
surprise w h e n o nly t w o days later things started to go very w ro n g .
The e n d o f som eth ing.

8.

Correct / Incorrect

Correct / Incorrect

T h e b uildin g is 200 metres tall and tapers g e n tly to a point, giving it the appearance o f a thin,
glass pyram id.
G ra d u a lly becom es w id e r tow a rds o ne end.

Correct / Incorrect

10. Th e re are one or tw o similarities b etw een m y coun try and the UK, b u t on the w h o le th e y are so
disparate th a t it is difficult to find a ny com m o n g ro u n d .
H a vin g m a n y differences.

Correct / Incorrect

11. M ost m o d ern fu rn itu re is functional b u t n o t especially aesthetic, especially w h e n com pared w ith
some o f the beautiful and elegant designs of the past.
Cheap b u t com fortable.

Correct / Incorrect

12. Shops k n o w th a t the y can attract m ore customers if th e y have a large array of colourful products
on display by o r near the m ain entrance.
A large g ro u p o f p e o p le o r things.

14

Correct / Incorrect

2

N o w do th e same w ith these.

1.

Th e track has a coarse surface, providing better grip fo r bicycle tyres and m aking the m less likely
to skid on tig h t corners.
S o ft a n d sm ooth.

2.

Correct / Incorrect

Th e idea o f a tunnel und er th e sea was first propagated by engineers in the nineteenth century,
b ut it was almost 200 years before it became a reality.
De signed a n d b u ilt

3.

Everyone was in favo u r o f m aking the city centre traffic free, b ut public opinion shifted w h e n
locals realised th a t vehicles w o u ld need to be diverted th ro u g h residential areas.
C h a n g e d o r m oved.

4.

Correct / Incorrect

People like the n e w system, b u t because of the costs involved w e d o not believe it is viable, and
w e need to look fo r o th e r options.
P o p u la r w ith people.

5.

Correct / Incorrect

Correct / Incorrect

Som e of Shakespeare's plays are often attrib u te d to o th e r writers, a lth o ugh m ore recent research
suggests th a t the y w e re all his o w n w o rk .
G iven to som eone else as a gift, d ona tion, etc.

6.

Correct / Incorrect

A lth o u g h the inventor had a patent fo r his n e w product, o ther companies
and selling it, and he was forced to take legal action against them .
A n a w a rd o r prize.

7.

Spiders usually trap th e ir prey in webs, b u t others actively h u n t fo r it.
Correct / Incorrect

Som e illnesses are serious e no u gh to require medical trea tm en t, b ut fo r m in o r health problem s, a
visit to the doctor is usually n o t w a rra n te d .
To be unable to do som ething.

9.

rapidly began copying

Correct / Incorrect

A n an im a l th a t is ca u g h t a n d eaten b y a n o th e r anim al.

8.

general vocabulary

Context & meaning 2

Correct / Incorrect

W e need to com e up w ith a radical solution to the problem of crime in o u r to w n s and cities, since
everything else seems to have failed.
N e w a n d very d iffe re nt from the usual way.

Correct / Incorrect

10. D u rin g the m eeting, w e m ade progress on peripheral issues, b u t un fo rtu na tely w e failed to deal
w ith the issues th a t had been causing us the most problems.
The m ain o r m ost im p o rta n t p a rt o f som ething.

Correct / Incorrect

11. 1 hate flying, and n o th in g could induce m e to get on an aeroplane.

Stop o r p re v e n t som ething.

Correct / Incorrect

12. Th e re w e re several small problem s w ith th e original device, and it needed to be refined slightly
before it could go on sale.
Turned o ff a n d then on again.

Correct / Incorrect

15


general vocabulary

Context & meaning 3
Sometimes, in a dditio n to its context, w e can w o rk o u t w h a t a w o rd means fro m 'clues' in
the w o rd itself. These clues are usually in th e fo rm o f one or tw o w o rd s (o r parts o f w ord s)
th a t w e already know , often w ith the a ddition of prefixes and / or suffixes.
For exam ple:

Healthcare = health + care
The to w n lacks basic healthcare facilities, so p e o p le have to travel m a n y miles to see a
doctor.

Deforestation = de + forest + ation.
D e forestation has resulted in the destruction o f thousands o f acres o f tropical forest.
Facial = face + ial (th e e is rem oved)
The co m p a n y started o f f p ro d u c in g a range o f facial cleansers a n d moisturisers w hich h a d
n o t been tested o n animals.

1 Can you w o rk out w h a t the w ords in bold in these sentences mean? Check yo u r answers at the
back of the book.
1. T h e co un try is ve ry poor, and one in seven children dies in infancy.

2.

A ll the em ployees are asked to produce a w ritte n evaluation of th e ir perform ance and hand it to
the personnel m anager.

3.

T h e n e w d ru g does n o t cure th e illness, b u t can prolong the patient's life by up to five years.

4.

T h e farm was on to p o f a w ind sw ept hill, miles fro m the nearest to w n .

5.

Oil prices increased threefold over a five -ye a r period.

6.

T h e historical d o cu m e n t has been exam ined by several distinguished scholars, b u t none of the m
can tell if it is g e n uine o r fake.

7.

W h e n yo u deliver the package, m ake sure th a t th e recipient signs fo r it.

8.

T h e centrepiece o f the n e w m useum is a H enry M o o re sculpture th a t was b o u g h t fro m a private
collector.

9.

T h e city offers a m ultitude o f interesting and exciting activities fo r people of all ages.

10. G o v e rn m e n t statistics on the numeracy skills of ten-year-olds suggests th a t m ore emphasis needs
to be placed on th e teaching of m athem atics in school.

11. T h e average lifespan o f an elep ha nt is 60 - 70 years.

12. Several interesting objects w e re fo u n d d u rin g the archaeological dig, b u t none o f th e m w ere of
any great m onetary value.

16


13. From the to p of the tow er, w e looked o u t over a city of incredible grandeur.

14. From a traveller's standpoint, the com petition betw een airlines to w in customers is a g o o d th ing .

2

N o w do the same w ith these.

1.

Th e city was over 60 miles fro m the epicentre of the earthquake, b ut still suffered substantial
dam age.

2.

In some cases, hospital outpatients have to w a it over three hours to see a doctor.

3.

To many, the evidence he provided did not validate his claim th a t the Earth m oved a ro u nd the
Sun.

4.

M a n y medical professionals are concerned abo u t the widespread use of antibiotics to treat m inor
medical conditions.

5.

M o d e rn seafarers rely on m odern techn ology to help th e m navigate th e oceans.

6.

A fte r the accident, he tem p o rarily lost spatial awareness, and could only pick up objects w h e n he
closed one eye.

7.

A monorail connects th e airpo rt w ith the city, taking visitors into the heart of the city in less than

20 minutes.

8.

A n e w device w hich stimulates th e auditory areas of the brain offers hope to those w h o have
serious hearing problem s.

9.

I d o n 't consider myself to be particularly industrious, b u t w h e n I'm given a job, I make sure it gets
done.

general vocabulary

Context & meaning 3

10. W h e n , on his 104th birthday, he was asked abou t the secret to his longevity, he replied th a t he
only ever ate raw vegetables and had never smoked.

11. T h e n e w airliner is m ore enviro nm e n ta lly-frie n dly than o the r aircraft, its only drawback being its
lim ited flying range.

12. Th e M useum of C o n tem p o ra ry A rt showcases all th a t is best a b o u t m odern art.

13. Th e Alaskan wilderness is not a place yo u w a n t to be w h e n w in te r comes.

14. In this rem ote, poverty-stricken area, only a fe w children g o to school, and consequently a b o u t a
qua rte r of the country's population is illiterate.

17

general vocabulary

Contrast & comparison
Complete these sentences w ith the most appropriate w o rd or phrase from A, B or C.
I.

T h e tw o machines differ considerably. O n e has an electric m otor, the oth e r runs on oil.

A. differ
2

B. differentiate

C. differential

T h e ..............................................................in w e a th e r b etw ee n the north and the south of the country
is ve ry noticeable.

A. comparison
3.

B. differentiate

B.

contrast

B.

distinctive

C. contrast

B.

contrast

C. discriminate

Asia covers a h u ge area......................................................................................................... Europe is very small.

A. By w a y o f contrast
9.

C. distinction

T h e m a n a ge m e n t m ust n o t ..............................................................b etw ee n m ale and fem ale applicants.

A. differ
8.

C. distinguish

Can you tell t h e ..............................................................b etw ee n a g o o d boss and a bad one?

A. difference B. differentiate
7.

C. contrast

Th e re is a .............................................................. b etw ee n being interested in politics and jo in in g a
political party.

A. distinguish
6.

C. compare

Children m ust be ta u g h t t o ..............................................................b etw ee n rig h t and w ro n g .

A. differ
5.

contrast

M a n y people c a n n o t ............................................................. b etw ee n lem on juice and lime juice.

A. differ
4.

B.

B. By ways o f comparing

C. By similar means

T h e n e w m odel o f car is v e r y ............................................................. to the old one.

A. same

B.

similar

C. common

10. H er political opinions a r e ............................................................. to mine.

A. same

B. exactly

C. identical

I I . Som e political parties have such similar manifestoes th a t they are difficult to

A. tell apart

B. say apart

C. speak apart

12. M y friends and I enjoy d o in g m any of th e same things. In that respect, w e have a lot

A. in similar

B. in particular

C. in common

13. Th e re seems to be a la rg e ............................................................... betw een the n u m b e r of people em ployed
in service industries, and those em ployed in the prim ary sector.

A. discriminate

B. discretion

C. discrepancy

14. T h e nation's eco no m y is largely based on its industry, .............................................................. a fe w
h u n d re d years a go it was an agrarian country.

A. while

B. whereas

C. whereby

15. British and Australian people share the same language, but in oth e r respects th e y are as different
a s ................................................................

18

A. cats and dogs

B. chalk and cheese

C. salt and pepper

1 (Emphasis) Match the sentences on the left w ith an appropriate sentence on the right.
1.

Th e com m ittee's emphasis on th e w o rd
'recycling' was noticeable.

A . Some, however, are emphatic th a t m ore
research needs to be carried out.

2.

O u r gu id e accentuated the im portance of
rem aining calm if there was trouble.

B.

She emphasised the fact th a t panicking
w o u ld o nly make matters worse.

3.

O u r teacher explained th a t it was crucially
importantto pace ourselves w hile revising

C.

T h e m ain speaker gave prominence in
his speech to the need fo r better jo b

opportunities.

fo r the exam.
4.
5.

A t the conference, the accent was on
une m plo ym e n t.

D. W e consider progress in this field to be

Prominent scientists have stated th a t

E.

He put great stress on the maxim th a t 'All
w o rk and no play makes Jack a dull boy'.

F.

T h e y stressed again and again the
im portance of reusing things as m uch as
possible.

genetically m odified
perfectly safe.
6.

fo o d

extremely important.

is probably

It is o f crucial importance th a t w e make
m ore use of techn o lo gy if w e are to make
progress.

general vocabulary

Emphasis & misunderstanding

2 (Emphasis) Complete these sentences w ith a w o rd or phrase in bold from exercise 1. You m ay need
to change the form of the w ord or phrase. In some cases, more than one answer is possible.
1.

Painting the building w h ite did not make it look any better. In fact, it only
............................................................. its ugliness.

2.

T h e rugged hills are a .................................................... ........ feature of the landscape

3.

A t the m eeting of the Students' Council, the ............................................................. was on better
standards of accom m odation.

4.

Th e Minister of T ra n s p o rt............................................. .............. on the need fo r an integrated transport
policy.

5.

It i s ............................................................. th a t w e try to im prove relations betw een o u r countries.

6.

She banged th e table f o r ............................................. .............. as she spoke.

3 (M isunderstanding) Complete these sentences w ith an appropriate w o rd or expression from
the box. In some cases, more than one answer is possible.

assumed
mistaken

confused confusion
mix-up obscure

impression

misapprehension

1.

I was c o m p le te ly ..............................................................by his explanation, and had to ask som eone else
w h a t he m eant.

2.

Th e re w e re scenes o f ............................................... at the airport w h e n the snow storm stopped all the
flights.

3.

W e nearly d id n 't catch o u r flig h t because of a ............................................................. over the tickets.

4.

Th e re are se v e ra l......................................................................... points in yo u r essay. It's not very clear.

5.

He was under t h e .......................................................... that socialism and communism w ere the same thing.

6.

W e a l l ............................................................. . w ro n g ly as it tu rn e d out, th a t w e w o u ld be interview ed
individually.

7.

M a n y people a r e .............................................................. in the belief th a t organic fo o d is better fo r you
than co n ve n tio n a lly-gro w n food.

8.

She gave us the ..................................................... th a t w e had done som ething to upset her,
a lth o ug h w e had d one n o th in g of the sort.

19


general vocabulary

Focusing attention
1 Rearrange the letters in bold to form w ords which are used to focus attention on something. Th ey
all end w ith the letters -ly. W rite the w ords in the grid underneath. If you do it correctly, you will find
another w o rd used to focus attention in the bold vertical box.
1.

Th e y reduced p o llutio n psim ly by ban n in g cars from the city centre d u rin g the rush hour.

2.

I com e fro m a galerly rural co m m u n ity w h e re life moves at a slow er pace.

3.

W e 're iim prarly exam ining the financial aspects of the case.

4.

People inam ly g o on holiday in the summer.

5.

T h e college library is veceslxuily fo r the use o f students and staff.

6.

It's a ilaptarrculy difficult problem w hich w e hope to resolve as soon as possible.

7.

T h e advertisem ent is elcifipcsaly aim ed at people over 50.

8.

Some western countries, otbanly Canada and th e United States, have a very high standard of living.

9.

T h e tourists w h o visit m y to w n are stom ly Australian.

10. O u r trip to Poland was rpeuly an educational visit.
11. M y hom e to w n is fam ous h fie c lyio r its large n u m b e r of schools and colleges.

T h e w o rd in the in the bold vertical box fits into this sentence:

Th e com pany tra d e s .......................................................... in the Far East.
2 Divide the w ords above into tw o groups, one group being the w ords which mean o n ly or solely.
and one group being the w ords w hich mean in m ost cases, norm ally or the main reason fo r som ething.
In most cases, norm ally or the main
reason for something
sim ply

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chiefly


1 M atch the sentences in th e first list b e lo w w ith an appropriate sentence in the second list on the
next page. T h e underlined words and phrases in the first list should have a similar m eaning to the
w o rd s and phrases in bold in the second list. W rite th e sentence letter (A , B, C, etc.) from th e second
list after th e relevant sentence in the first list.

FIRST LIST

1 . Small items o f information are very im p o rta n t in a curriculum vitae. .Q.

2.

I need to have precise information abo u t yo u r n ew proposals......

3.

Th e plan was unable to go ahead because of a small important detail which is important in order

general vocabulary

Generalisations & specifics

to make something happen ......

4.

5.

He dem anded to k n o w the small. precise and sometimes unimportant details......

W h e n you read a piece of text in th e exam, you should read it quickly first to get the general

idea ......

6.

Before yo u w rite an essay, yo u should plan it first and give a broad description w ithout giving

much detail......

7.

Odd features or details which make something different make the w o rld a m ore interesting
place......

8.

Saying th a t all yo u n g people spend to o much tim e on th e Internet is a bit of a general

statement......

9.

M a n y cars have very similar typical features......

10. Th e huge rise in co m p uter sales is a go o d example of the direction in w hich techn o lo gy is
h e a d in g ......

11. Normally, most students sitting the exam m anage to pass w ith a g o o d g ra d e ......

12. Th e n e w library shows a good example o f British architecture at its best......

13. Before you travel som ew here, it is im p o rta n t to make a detailed list of things th a t you need to
ta k e ......

14. French fries w ith mayonnaise is a dish w hich is an odd feature or detail o f Belgian cuisine......

15. Th e article shows as an example his views on the w a y the com pany should d eve lo p......

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