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100 Common Vocabulary Words and Their High-Scoring Synonyms for IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 (Letters)

1–20: Common Verbs (Requests, Actions, and Feelings)

  1. Ask → request, inquire, seek
    I am writing to request further information regarding your services.
  2. Tell → inform, notify, advise
    I am writing to inform you of a recent change in my address.
  3. Say → express, state, mention
    I would like to express my appreciation for your support.
  4. Want → wish, desire, would like
    I would like to request a refund for the defective product.
  5. Need → require, demand, be in need of
    I require urgent assistance with the issue I reported.
  6. Get → receive, obtain, acquire
    I received your email regarding the delivery schedule.
  7. Give → provide, offer, grant
    Could you please provide me with the necessary documents?
  8. Think → believe, suppose, assume
    I believe the delay may have been caused by a technical error.
  9. Feel → consider, perceive, regard
    I consider this matter to be of high importance.
  10. Help → assist, aid, support
    I would appreciate it if you could assist me with the application process.
  11. Tell off → reprimand, scold, rebuke
    I was unfairly reprimanded by my supervisor last week.
  12. Fix → repair, resolve, rectify
    I hope your team can resolve the issue at the earliest convenience.
  13. Show → demonstrate, illustrate, display
    The attached document clearly demonstrates the issue I encountered.
  14. Start → commence, initiate, begin
    We plan to commence the training session next Monday.
  15. Finish → complete, conclude, finalize
    I was unable to complete the registration form due to a technical glitch.
  16. Say sorry → apologize, express regret, extend apologies
    I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
  17. Complain → raise a concern, express dissatisfaction, lodge a complaint
    I am writing to lodge a formal complaint regarding poor customer service.
  18. Plan → intend, propose, aim
    I intend to visit your office in person next week.
  19. Cancel → terminate, call off, withdraw
    I regret to inform you that I must cancel my appointment.
  20. Explain → clarify, elaborate, specify
    Please clarify the steps required to complete the return process.

21–40: Time & Date Expressions

  1. Now → at present, currently, as of now
    I am currently facing difficulties accessing my account.
  2. Later → subsequently, in due course, afterward
    I will follow up with additional documents subsequently.
  3. Soon → shortly, in the near future, momentarily
    I expect to receive the confirmation email shortly.
  4. Before → prior to, in advance of, earlier
    Please submit your request prior to the deadline.
  5. After → following, subsequent to, once
    I will contact you again following my return from vacation.
  6. Next → upcoming, ensuing, forthcoming
    I am available to meet during the upcoming week.
  7. Last → previous, preceding, former
    During the previous meeting, several issues were raised.
  8. Today → this day, as of today, at present
    As of today, I have not received the promised compensation.
  9. Tomorrow → the next day, the following day
    The interview has been rescheduled for the following day.
  10. Yesterday → the previous day, a day ago
    I visited your office the previous day to submit the form.
  11. Always → consistently, regularly, invariably
    Your team has consistently delivered excellent service.
  12. Usually → generally, typically, ordinarily
    I generally receive my orders within two business days.
  13. Often → frequently, repeatedly, commonly
    This issue has occurred frequently in recent months.
  14. Sometimes → occasionally, periodically, from time to time
    I occasionally encounter delays in the delivery process.
  15. Never → not at all, under no circumstances, at no time
    I have never experienced such a delay before.
  16. Early → ahead of time, in advance, promptly
    I arrived at the venue ahead of schedule.
  17. Late → behind schedule, delayed, overdue
    My payment was marked as overdue despite being sent.
  18. Immediately → at once, without delay, promptly
    Please look into this matter without delay.
  19. Long ago → previously, in the past, some time back
    I had applied for the refund some time back.
  20. For a long time → over an extended period, for several months, for a considerable time
    I have been a loyal customer for a considerable time.

41–60: Description & Condition

  1. Good → excellent, satisfactory, commendable
    The quality of service has always been commendable.
  2. Bad → unsatisfactory, poor, substandard
    I received an item in poor condition.
  3. Big → large, substantial, considerable
    There was a substantial delay in processing my order.
  4. Small → minor, slight, negligible
    There was a minor issue with the packaging.
  5. Easy → straightforward, simple, effortless
    The registration process was straightforward and efficient.
  6. Hard → difficult, challenging, troublesome
    I encountered a challenging situation during my trip.
  7. Clean → spotless, tidy, neat
    The facility was spotless and well-maintained.
  8. Dirty → unclean, unhygienic, messy
    The room was in an unhygienic state upon arrival.
  9. Fast → quick, rapid, swift
    I appreciate the swift resolution of my issue.
  10. Slow → sluggish, delayed, lengthy
    The response to my complaint was sluggish.
  11. High → elevated, excessive, steep
    The charges were excessively high for the service offered.
  12. Low → minimal, modest, limited
    The refund I received was rather minimal.
  13. Right → correct, appropriate, accurate
    Please confirm if the attached details are accurate.
  14. Wrong → incorrect, mistaken, inaccurate
    The product delivered was the incorrect model.
  15. Safe → secure, protected, risk-free
    The hotel provided a secure environment.
  16. Dangerous → hazardous, unsafe, risky
    The broken staircase posed a hazardous risk.
  17. Important → essential, crucial, significant
    This information is crucial to finalize my visa application.
  18. Unimportant → trivial, insignificant, negligible
    The issue may seem trivial but it affected my schedule.
  19. Usual → customary, routine, regular
    As per our routine policy, all items are returnable within 7 days.
  20. Unusual → exceptional, rare, uncommon
    This type of delay is quite uncommon with your service.

61–80: Travel, Accommodation, and Communication

  1. Trip → journey, travel, excursion
    My journey to your city was delayed due to weather conditions.
  2. Hotel → accommodation, lodging, guesthouse
    The accommodation provided was clean and convenient.
  3. Flight → plane ride, air travel, airline service
    The airline service was disrupted due to technical faults.
  4. Bus → coach, public transport, transit vehicle
    The coach service was unavailable on that day.
  5. Ticket → pass, fare receipt, boarding card
    I lost my boarding card and was denied entry.
  6. Ride → commute, transfer, transportation
    I arranged for transportation through your website.
  7. Luggage → baggage, suitcase, belongings
    My baggage was damaged upon arrival.
  8. Lost → misplaced, gone missing, unaccounted for
    My belongings have gone missing from the room.
  9. Late → delayed, postponed, behind schedule
    The train was delayed by over an hour.
  10. Reservation → booking, appointment, arrangement
    I made a booking under the name of Mr. Adams.
  11. Call → phone, contact, ring
    I tried to contact your office but was unsuccessful.
  12. Email → message, correspondence, written communication
    I am sending this message to clarify my situation.
  13. Talk → speak, converse, discuss
    I would like to speak with a representative.
  14. Message → note, memo, communication
    I left a message with your receptionist.
  15. Reply → respond, answer, get back
    Please respond to this inquiry at your earliest convenience.
  16. Hear → be informed, receive word, learn
    I have yet to receive word regarding my application.
  17. Complain → raise concern, express dissatisfaction, protest
    I would like to raise a concern regarding my recent visit.
  18. Send → dispatch, forward, transmit
    I have forwarded all required documents via email.
  19. Receive → get, obtain, be sent
    I have not obtained any receipt for my payment.
  20. Confirm → verify, acknowledge, approve
    Please verify the status of my order.

81–100: Polite & Formal Expressions

  1. Thanks → gratitude, appreciation, gratefulness
    I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your help.
  2. Sorry → regret, apology, remorse
    I extend my apologies for the inconvenience.
  3. Happy → pleased, satisfied, content
    I am pleased with the swift action taken.
  4. Sad → disappointed, upset, dissatisfied
    I was disappointed with the room condition.
  5. Nice → pleasant, enjoyable, agreeable
    The staff provided a pleasant experience.
  6. Mean → signify, indicate, imply
    I did not fully understand what the letter implied.
  7. Think → believe, assume, suppose
    I believe this issue warrants immediate attention.
  8. Want → wish, prefer, would like
    I would like to discuss this matter further.
  9. Say → state, mention, assert
    As stated in your last message, my package was dispatched.
  10. Do → perform, undertake, carry out
    Please undertake the necessary steps to resolve this.
  11. Make → create, generate, produce
    This delay has created considerable inconvenience.
  12. Use → utilize, employ, apply
    Please utilize the reference number for future communication.
  13. Try → attempt, endeavor, strive
    I have attempted to contact your customer service several times.
  14. Check → examine, inspect, verify
    Kindly inspect the attached photos for clarification.
  15. Wait → remain on hold, be patient, expect a delay
    I was asked to remain on hold for 30 minutes.
  16. Work → operate, function, perform
    The air conditioner did not function properly.
  17. Look at → review, assess, examine
    Please review the attached document for details.
  18. Show → display, present, illustrate
    I have presented all the necessary receipts.
  19. Leave → depart, vacate, exit
    I had to vacate the premises due to a medical emergency.
  20. Come → arrive, reach, turn up
    I arrived at the hotel on the scheduled date.

Final Thoughts

Using precise, formal, and context-appropriate vocabulary is essential to scoring well in IELTS General Training Writing Task 1, especially in formal and semi-formal letters. Replace basic vocabulary with more refined synonyms and practice them in your writing for better coherence and lexical resource.

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