Buy a notebook that is
small enough to carry
around with you, so
that you can add and
refer to it at any time.
My
Vocab
Notebook
Name : Alice May
Class : S3 ISFP
Term : Term 1 2015
Contents
This is just one example of how an IELTS
student might decide to organise their
vocabulary notebook (you will need to
have different sections for your different
subjects too e.g. Maths, Chemistry,
Biology, etc.) It is important that you
choose your own, preferred way or
‘system’ since this is part of your
independent learning. As long as it
makes sense to you and you can find
words again easily then that is OK.
IELTS Vocab & Phrases
1. Writing Task 1
i. Language of
ii. Language of
iii. Language of
iv. Language of
change over time (e.g. line graphs)
comparison (e.g. tables/pie charts)
sequence (e.g. process questions)
location (e.g. map questions)
2. Writing Task 2
i. Introduction phrases
ii. Conclusion phrases
iii. Formal expressions for giving your opinion
iv. Linking words and phrases
v. Language of uncertainty (“It is considered by some that…”)
vi. Reporting language (“It is said that…”)
3. Speaking
i. Part 1 (introducing yourself)
ii. Part 2 (introducing a topic)
iii. Part 3 (giving your opinion)
iv. Language for hesitation (e.g. “Let me see”)
v. Asking for clarification (e.g. “Do you mean..?”)
Topic-related vocabulary
4. Environment
5. Education
6. Entertainment
7. Clothes
8. Crime
9. Globalisation (see examples on the next two pages)
10. Finance/Economy
11. Health
12. Immigration
13. Politics
Other useful language
14. Irregular verbs
15. ‘False friends’ (words similar to my own language but with different meanings in
English)
16. Language to describe people
17. Language to give opinions
18. Language to agree/disagree
Style 1: A mind map or ‘spider diagram’ can work well for some topics,
and you can keep adding more related words to the same page.
collaboration
(n)
Related words:
 partnership
 cooperation
 alliance

joint enterprise
capitalism (n)
Related
words or
concepts.
9. Globalisation
(n)
multilateral
(adj)
Collocations:
 ~ agreement
 ~ diplomacy
 ~ negotiation
 ~ talk

~ treaty
Related words:
 commercialism
 industrialism
 free market
 liberalism
Writing an example
sentence can help
you to remember
the word.
Example sentence:
“The UK is a multiethnic
society”.
homogenization
(n)
Other parts of speech:
 homogenize (v)
 homogenized (adj)
You could
include
collocations
(common word
combinations)
multiethnic
(adj)
For
grammatical
accuracy, it is
important to
know the other
word forms.
Sometimes
a
definition
might be
useful.
International Monetary
Fund (IMF)
Definition:
International organization into
which 188 member countries pay and
when in need can receive financial
support. MD = Christine Lagarde.
9. Globalisation
The word and its form
(v/n/adj/adv)
collaboration (n)
Def: Working together on something e.g. a project
Other parts of speech: collaborate (v); collaborative (adj);
collaboratively (adv)
Synonym(s) ≈ cooperation (n)
Antonym(s) ≈ resistance (n)
My e.g. There was collaboration between the two universities.
multi-ethnic (adj)
Def: Consisting of many races of people
Other parts of speech: ethnicity (n); ethnic origins (n)
Synonym(s) ≈ multi-racial (adj); heterogeneous population
Antonym(s) ≈ homogeneous population
My e.g. The UK is a multi-ethnic society.
Try to put the definition in
English when possible
Other members of that word
family
Words with similar meaning
Words with the opposite
meaning
Your example sentence
to exploit (v)
Def: To use something unfairly
Other parts of speech: exploitation (n) exploitative (adj)
Synonym(s) ≈ to capitalize [on something]
Antonym(s) ≈ to treat fairly
My e.g. Labourers in sweatshops are exploited.
Reviewed 
You must regularly review vocabulary and
test yourself in order to remember it and be
able to use it correctly.
Style 2: Some students
may prefer a ‘list’ style,
using different colours
for different information.
Choose any style (or
combination of styles)
that works best for you.