Every IELTS student understands that vocabulary is vital when striving to achieve a high band score, but do they realise how beneficial knowing a large number of synonyms is? In fact, mastering synonyms is an excellent strategy to Improve all Aspects of Your IELTS Performance. In today’s session, we’ll look at the significance of synonyms in IELTS.
What are Synonyms?
A synonym is a term that has the same or similar meaning as another word. Because English has such a large vocabulary (some claim almost a million words!), there are naturally numerous synonyms. These enliven the language while reducing the necessity for repetition.
Examples:
- children/kids
- speak/talk
- ill/sick
- plants/flowers
- houses/homes
- present/gift
It is worth noting that the meanings of the terms above are not identical, although they are extremely near.
How to Learn Synonyms
You do not need to learn synonyms explicitly. It would not be beneficial to your English skills to learn and repeat lists of synonyms. However, it is critical to have a broad and varied vocabulary, and a dictionary may help you with this. Synonyms may be suggested by dictionaries, or you may detect parallels in meaning. You may double-check by consulting a thesaurus.
When reading an English book, you may observe that some terms are utilised to avoid repetition. When an article mentions an object, such as a book, they may substitute “text,” “tome,” or even “read” (used as a noun). These are synonyms that keep the writing from seeming monotonous.
Synonyms For IELTS Reading
A good band score on the IELTS Reading Exam necessitates a variety of critical abilities. Skimming and scanning are two of the most critical IELTS reading abilities. This is due to the fact that the time restriction is so short. It would be simple if the IELTS Reading Exam was only two hours long! However, with only 60 minutes to complete the exam, it is critical to be able to read swiftly. This requires a strong command of synonyms.
When reviewing questions in the IELTS Reading Exam, search for crucial terms. Perhaps a question regarding “criminals” is appropriate. You may or may not locate the exact term used while scanning the text for information on offenders. “Criminals” may also be referred to as “thieves,” “prisoners,” “murderers,” “lawbreakers,” or another term or phrase. Make a mental note to examine the text for allusions to crime and punishment, or even police – this will help you discover the section of the book to focus on.
Being able to do this means you may save a lot of time, which is essential for IELTS reading success.
Synonyms For IELTS Listening
This is comparable to IELTS reading. When considering questions, consider terms with comparable meanings in case the word or phrase in the question does not exist exactly in the listening section. If you ask about a population, you can hear “number of people who reside there.”
Synonyms are very useful when conducting summary completion. This is a typical question type, and students should be prepared to listen to the material while following the synopsis.
Synonyms For IELTS Speaking
Native English speakers employ synonyms without even thinking about it. However, for English learners, it is vital to purposefully introduce them into conversation. Examine this discourse and consider what is wrong with it:
Examiner: Do you do any sports?
Candidate: Yes, I participate in sports. I enjoy sports. Sports are a terrific opportunity to meet new people, therefore I participate in them as frequently as possible. Sports are an important part of my life, and I believe that more people should participate in sports and incorporate them into their daily lives.
What is the problem?
To a native speaker, the repetition of “sports” sounds terrible. This can be reduced by employing pronouns; however, synonyms can also be used.
Here is the candidate’s speech again:
I do, indeed. I enjoy sports. I think it’s a terrific way to meet new people, therefore I try to play football and basketball as frequently as I can. Exercise is an important part of my life, and I believe that more people should participate in physical activities and incorporate them into their everyday lives.
Synonyms For IELTS Writing
In the writing test, you must write either 150 words (for task 1) or 250 words (for task 2). (for task 2). Many pupils, in their concern over word count, end up repeating themselves. They depend too heavily on the content in front of them and overuse what they believe to be essential terms. In activity 1, students typically refer to the diagram or chart by utilising the language provided, which is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your lexical resource (vocabulary).
It is very beneficial to make little wording modifications that can have a significant influence on your description of the graphic or graph. Consider an upward trend. You may say:
- increase
- go up
- rise
- soar
- improve
- rocket
Just make sure that your wording follows the trend perfectly.
It is also vital to employ synonyms in assignment 2 to make your writing intriguing and engaging. Don’t replicate the question, but if you do pick a few words to include in your essay, be sure not to repeat them. If the inquiry is about pollution, you could wish to alter your phrasing by using the following words:
- dirt
- dust
- 5 levels
- smog
- emissions
- toxic gases
Again, make sure your message is clear and corresponds to the question. Accuracy matters more than lexical range.
Conclusion
A strong vocabulary is essential for IELTS Achievement, so as you acquire new terms, consider their synonyms. Pay attention to synonyms from the question and text while practising reading and listening, and attempt to diversify your own language use whether speaking or writing. When practising your writing, a thesaurus may come in handy.
But… Be Careful Choosing New Words
Hello, everyone. I’ll only add one piece of advice later: Use caution while selecting synonyms. It is often tempting to pick really lengthy terms in order to impress the examiner. Don’t do it!
