IELTS Guide Phil

If you’re preparing for the IELTS exam, you may have encountered words and phrases that seem specific to this test. Understanding the terminology used in the IELTS exam is crucial for test day success. This A–Z glossary provides 100 essential IELTS-specific terms and phrases to help you navigate every section of the test with confidence.

A

1. Academic Writing – A formal writing module focusing on reports based on data or visuals.
2. Agreement/Disagreement Essay – A Task 2 essay type requiring the writer to take a stance.
3. Assessment Criteria – Band descriptors like task achievement, coherence, lexical resource, and grammar.
4. Adverb of Frequency – Words such as often, rarely, used in Speaking Part 1 to discuss habits.
5. Answer Sheet – The official document where Listening and Reading answers are written.
6. Academic Vocabulary – Formal, precise words suitable for IELTS Writing and Speaking.

B

7. Band Score – A number (0–9) indicating English proficiency.
8. Bar Chart – A common visual in Academic Writing Task 1.
9. Body Paragraph – Main section in Writing Task 2, including topic sentence and examples.
10. Brainstorming – Idea-generation strategy before writing.

C

11. Cohesion – Use of linking phrases to connect ideas.
12. Coherence – Logical organization of ideas.
13. Cue Card – Card in Speaking Part 2 with a topic and prompts.
14. Comparative Language – Phrases like whereas or similarly used in data description.
15. Conclusion – Final paragraph summarizing the essay in Task 2.

D

16. Data Description – Analysis of visuals in Writing Task 1.
17. Diagram – A type of graphic in Task 1 Academic.
18. Discourse Markers – Words like however, therefore to show relationships between ideas.
19. Double Question Essay – Task 2 essay with two distinct questions.
20. Duration – Total time allocated to each IELTS section.

E

21. Essay Structure – The general format: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.
22. Ellipsis – Omitting repeated words for fluency.
23. Examiners – IELTS-certified professionals who score Writing and Speaking.
24. Example Sentence – Supporting sentence in Writing Task 2.
25. Expansion – Elaborating on ideas in Speaking.

F

26. Formal Language – No contractions or slang; used in writing.
27. Flowchart – Type of visual data for Task 1.
28. Fluency – Smooth, natural speech in Speaking.
29. False Start – Rephrasing or restarting a sentence in Speaking.
30. Follow-Up Questions – Questions in Part 3 that encourage extended answers.

G

31. General Training Module – IELTS version for immigration or work.
32. Grammatical Range – Variety of sentence structures.
33. Gap-Fill Question – Common Reading or Listening task.
34. Graphs – Line/bar charts for Academic Writing Task 1.
35. Giving Opinions – Required in Task 2 and Speaking Part 3.

H

36. Highlighting Trends – Describing changes over time.
37. Hedging – Using cautious language like may, seems.
38. Handwriting – Should be legible for Writing tasks.
39. Hypothetical Language – Used in Speaking, e.g., “If I had the chance…”
40. Headings Matching – A type of Reading question.

I

41. Idiomatic Language – Informal phrases used naturally in Speaking.
42. Introduction Paragraph – The first part of an essay.
43. Irregular Verbs – Essential for grammatical accuracy.
44. IELTS Indicator – Online version of the IELTS exam.
45. Infographic – Visual format for Task 1 Academic.

J

46. Justification – Explaining reasons behind your opinion.
47. Joining Words – Basic conjunctions like and, but, so.
48. Jargon – Specialized language; best avoided in Writing.

K

49. Key Features – Main details in visual descriptions.
50. Keywords – Words in questions to help locate answers.

L

51. Linking Devices – Words like in contrast, furthermore.
52. Lexical Resource – The range and precision of vocabulary.
53. Line Graph – Common visual in Task 1 Academic.
54. Letter Writing – GT Task 1, varies in tone.
55. Listening Sections – Four parts with varied formats.

M

56. Main Idea – Central concept of a paragraph.
57. Multiple Choice – Question format in Listening/Reading.
58. Model Answer – Sample Band 9 responses.
59. Mock Test – Full practice test under timed conditions.
60. Markers – Examiners who score your responses.

N

61. Note Completion – Task format requiring short answers.
62. Nominalization – Using nouns instead of verbs.
63. Neutral Tone – Balanced and objective.
64. Numbering Sequence – Often used in flowcharts.

O

65. Overview – Summary of key trends in Task 1.
66. Opinion Essay – Task 2 essay format.
67. Open-Ended Question – Promotes detailed Speaking responses.
68. One-Way Conversation – Listening format (e.g., lecture).

P

69. Paraphrasing – Restating ideas using different words.
70. Prepositions – Important for grammar precision.
71. Pie Chart – A visual for data distribution.
72. Prediction – Anticipating answers using logic.
73. Pronunciation – Clarity and stress in Speaking.

Q

74. Question Type – Each section has unique tasks.
75. Qualifier – Words that reduce the strength of a claim.

R

76. Reading Passage – Text used in Reading test.
77. Range of Vocabulary – Evaluated in both Writing and Speaking.
78. Reported Speech – Used in grammar.
79. Repetition – Avoid in Writing unless intentional.
80. Register – Level of formality.

S

81. Skimming – Reading quickly for the gist.
82. Scanning – Looking for specific information.
83. Sentence Variety – Different lengths/types of sentences.
84. Speaking Fluency – Ability to speak naturally and continuously.
85. Summary Completion – Reading/Listening task.
86. Semi-Formal Tone – Used in letters to acquaintances.

T

87. Task Achievement – Whether the task was fully addressed.
88. Topic Sentence – First sentence of a paragraph.
89. Trend – Increase, decrease, or stability in data.
90. True/False/Not Given – Reading question format.

U

91. Underline Keywords – Strategy to identify focus areas.
92. Understanding the Prompt – Essential for accurate answers.
93. Unfamiliar Vocabulary – Challenging words on the test.
94. Unstructured Response – Lacks logical flow.

V

95. Verb Tense Consistency – Crucial for grammar accuracy.
96. Visual Data – Charts and graphs in Writing Task 1.
97. Vocabulary Range – Important criterion in band scores.

W

98. Word Count – 150 words (Task 1), 250 words (Task 2).
99. Writing Task 1 – Describing visuals (Academic) or writing letters (GT).
100. Writing Task 2 – Essay on a social issue or argument.

Final Thoughts

Learning these IELTS-specific terms and phrases will boost your familiarity with the test format and improve your strategy across all four skills. Review this glossary often and incorporate these concepts into your practice.

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