Hi there it’s Asiya. Today I’ve prepared
for you synonyms for some of the most common words that we use in IELTS Writing Task 2.
These synonyms will help you avoid repeating the same words over and over and, in this
way, boost your Lexical Resource score. You’ll also be able to download a PDF guide supplementing
this video. Okay? Let’s get started. Let’s begin with the main words you’ll
need in different types of Task 2 essays. One type of essay is about advantages and
disadvantages of something. Here’re some other words to use instead: benefits and drawbacks perhaps I use these
two most frequently strengths and weaknesses merits and demerits pros and cons these two are slightly less
formal than the rest but are still acceptable for task Here’re some examples: A considerable benefit of teaching children
at home is… something A major drawback of children studying at home
is… or
Home-schooling has both its pros and cons Another type of Task 2 essay is to discuss
two views of other people and give your opinion. When referring to the views of others, you
can say: a point of view, an opinion, a belief, a position, a way of thinking, an attitude Let me show you how to use the last two in
sentences. A way of thinking is something you can say
about someone’s views on big subjects. Some people think that finding a stable job is
the best way to build a successful career. However, this way of thinking is more common
among the older generation. The next word is an attitude. You can say
an attitude about/on/to/towards something. Some people may have a negative attitude towards
private schools. Memorize this collocation, this combination of words, a negative attitude.
There is a sign of changing attitudes on issues such as early marriage. The next type of essay is an agree/disagree
essay. Here’re a couple of useful words. To agree is to support a certain view or position.
I support the view that this policy should be promoted but not enforced. This means that
people should be encouraged to do something but not made not forced to do it against their
will. To disagree is to oppose, or not to support,
or to be against I disagree that raising taxes is an effective
way to...do something. You could say: I am opposed to raising taxes. I am against the proposal to raise taxes. In some essays, for example, two views and
your opinion, you need to clearly express your opinion. Here’re some alternatives
to saying in my opinion: It seems to me that… In my view… You can
use it in the middle of your sentence: Home-schooling, in my view, should be discouraged. Don’t
forget to put commas before and after this phrase. My own view is that… You can use this phrase
to disagree with something you’ve just mentioned. Some people believe that universities are
not for everyone. My own view is that higher education benefits every person without exception.
I show the contrast between the opinion of other people and my own opinion. In a situation
when you want to agree which what you’ve said, use: I entirely support this position.
Some people believe that higher education benefits every person, and I entirely support
this position. You can also use more universal I am convinced,
I think and I believe. Then, there’re essays about causes of a
problem and solutions. A problem can be called an issue if that’s
the problem people discuss or argue about. It’s common to say to solve/tackle the problem/issue Another synonyms is a hurdle but this is
a problem that you have to deal with before you can make progress. A hurdle prevents
you from doing something you want Passing the IELTS exam is the first hurdle
to overcome. And an obstacle. This is something that makes
it difficult for you to achieve something else. For example, a lack of qualifications
can be a major obstacle to finding a job. Please note to preposition: an obstacle TO
something. How can we talk about the cause of our problem?
You can refer to a root of the problem or a root cause. For example, The root cause of
air pollution is… You can say a reason for something. The main reason for air pollution…
Again, I wanna draw your attention to prepositions, a root cause of something but a reason for
something. Now, the solutions TO the problem. There aren’t
many synonyms to be honest. You could simply paraphase it by saying a way to solve this
problem. Let me show you a couple of collocations that can help you use this word in a smart
way. You can say something offers a solution. Education may offer a solution to the country’s economic problems. A solution can be effective /acceptable/ long-term
or immediate. Education is seen as a long-term solution
to poverty Yes, you could say a way out. This is a way
of escaping from a difficult situation. Education is seen as a way out of poverty. Okay, we’re done with types of essays. Let’s
have a look at some other very common words. One of them is A LOT. We use it well A LOT.
But it’s informal and not really suitable for Task 2. lots/plenty are informal too.
Avoid them. You’ve probably learned at school that you
should only use many and much in negative sentences or when you ask a question. In spoken
English, yes. In FORMAL English, many and much are totally acceptable. Many people support
the provision of free medical services for everyone. Another great alternative is a number of or
a large number of. A large number of people support this. If you feel that you need more synonyms because
you always say a number of… then perhaps you overuse these expressions. Try to slightly
change your sentence structure. Instead of using an adjective, use an adverb. Often and
usually are the most important ones, the most common ones. You can also say frequently generally
on certain/numerous occasions in some/many/most cases in some/many instances repeatedly That’s how instead of saying Many people
support something… you can say People generally support something, for instance, the provision
of free medical services for everyone. Or Vegetables are generally low in calories. Speaking about regularity. If I may ask you,
Do you regular watch my video lessons? Do you like them? If yes, please subscribe to
this channel. It means a lot to me. We’ve just discussed how you can replace a lot.
What if you don’t have enough of something? You can say few for countable nouns few cars
or less for nouns that we can’t count less preparation. What are the synonyms? We often
say a couple of something. Again, this expression is informal and isn’t suitable for Task
2. Instead, say a small/insufficient number of something or in rare cases in rare instances Some other words we often overuse are common
adjectives good, bad, serious, important and so on. Words good and bad are simple
and they are rarely used in more formal writing. Let me give you some synonyms that are more
appropriate for IELTS Writing. Good. The first synonym is Suitable. It means
it’s right or appropriate for a particular purpose. This programme is not suitable for
children. Acceptable it means that you agree that it’s
of a good enough standard or it’s allowed A political solution should be acceptable
to all parties. Satisfactory good enough for a particular
purpose You can talk about a satisfactory explanation/answer/solution/conclusion The next word is bad. Instead, you could say
that something is harmful It means causing damage or injury. We use
it to talk about our health or the environment. The harmful effects of alcohol are well established. Detrimental – this is an even more formal
synonym of harmful but the meaning is wider. The policy will be detrimental to the peace
process. Next, inappropriate not suitable in a particular
situation The existing practice is totally inappropriate
to the needs of modern society. There’re many more adjectives that we use
all the time – interesting, important, serious, simple, to name a few. I’ve copied the synonyms
and examples for good and bad from the PDF list of synonyms for 20 most common adjectives
used in IELTS Writing Task 2. And you can download it right now. The link is on the
screen and in the video description box below. The list of synonyms from todays’ video
is in the description too. Thank you so much for watching me today. Good
luck with your preparation and your exam. Bye
