Vocabulary: refrain from, significant(ly), and without.
Are you struggling to break into a band 6.0 or higher for your IELTS writing? Need some amazing new words for your IELTS test?
As an IELTS instructor, my students always ask me for some ‘amazing’ vocabulary words they can use instantly in their essays. While I am always cautious about IELTS hacks, I do have a few that I feel test-takers can pick up on really quick.
Let me give you three of my personal favorites – these amazing new words are easy to use, apply to many test questions, and will impress those grumpy IELTS examiners. Let’s start!
1. Refrain + from
Why “Refrain from”?
“Refrain from” is just a wonderfully adaptable word phrase in terms of its meaning and use. Whether you’re discussing advantages and disadvantages, expressing opinions, or providing solutions, “refrain from” is a go-to phrase.
What does “refrain from” mean?
“Refrain from” means to hold back or resist from doing something. There is a reason stopping us, or other people, when taking a certain action. It shows that you’re making a conscious effort to not engage in a particular behavior.
A simpler way of thinking about it is that ‘refrain from’ can replace words in a phrase like ‘People should not do...’
It’s similar to the word ‘avoid’ except that we can use ‘refrain from’ for more general instances. We may avoid taking pictures in a museum, but we can take them outside. ‘Refrain from’ is more about the big picture (refrain from smoking at all times, refrain from eating too much sugar in our everyday lives, etc).
How can we use this word?
If the question asks about the drawbacks of technology, you could say:
“While technology offers immense benefits, we must refrain from overlooking its potential negative impacts.”
It’s very common to see the modal verb ‘must‘ go before ‘refrain from,’ as in this example. You can also make it a subject, using the gerund phrase:
Refraining from [idea] is/will [effect].
More examples of ‘refrain from’
Here are a few more examples to give you a clear picture:
- Eating Junk Food : “To stay healthy, it’s important to refrain from eating too much junk food.”
- Judging Others : “Let us refrain from judging people based on their appearance.”
- Revealing Secrets : “It is crucial to refrain from sharing confidential information with unauthorized individuals.”
See how nice this looks? When we use the phrase “refrain from,” we are simply saying that we shouldn’t do something, except in a more formal, academic or sophisticated way!
2. Significant/Significantly
Why “Significant/Significantly”?
This word is an IELTS necessity. It can be used both as an adverb and an adjective. When used as an adverb (significantly), it’s perfect for IELTS Writing Task 1, as you may be writing about data that is increasing or decreasing over time. As an adjective, it’s a great synonym for “important,” adding variety to your vocabulary in your Writing Task 2 essay.
What does “Significant” mean?
“Significantly” means in a very noticeable or important way. It’s used when something has a big impact or is quite important in a situation.
How can we use these words?
For Writing Task 1, instead of saying, “The population increased a lot,” you can say:
“The population increased significantly.”
This instantly makes your writing utilize higher level vocabulary (especially if you are finding your essays filled with phrases such as ‘a lot’ or ‘many/much.’
For Writing Task 2, we can refrain from using the word ‘important ‘ too often in our essay, and instead go from ‘This is an important thing’ to maybe something like:
‘This is a very significant aspect.’
Examples of ‘significant’ and ‘significantly’
Here are a few more examples to help you grasp these words better:
- Economic Growth : “In 1999, Germany’s economic growth increased significantly.”
- Environmental Impact : “Contruction projects have a very significant effect on the local environment.”
- Student Achievements : “Studying abroad can be significant in that we can improve our aquisition of a second language.”
Using “significant” and ‘significantly’ allows you to highlight the importance or impact of something, making your writing more powerful and compelling.
3. Without
Why “Without”?
“Without” is a word that kills two birds with one stone. (Author’s note: I love birds and wish there was a less violent idiom that was more commonly used than this!)
Firstly, it’s a great synonym for “to not have.”
Secondly, it also brings a more advanced sentence structure to your writing when used at the beginning of a sentence. This little trick can make your writing more dynamic and engaging as we will soon find out!
What does “Without” mean?
To further explain, “without” indicates the absence of something. Again, it’s like saying you don’t have or you’re not using a particular thing or condition.
How can we use this word?
Instead of saying, “People do not have much time left to save the environment,” you can say,
Without ample time remaining, the environment is facing irreversible consequences.
Look at how the sentence structure, and vocabulary, instantly make this sentence better. Also notice how we can cut out the noun ‘people,’ when we use the word ‘without!’
Examples of ‘without’
Here are a few more examples to demonstrate its use:
- Lacking Resources : “Without proper funding, government agencies cannot save endangered species.”
- Slowing down : “The spread of infectious diseases will continue to worsen without adequate healthcare infrastructure.”
- Climate Change : “Without concerted efforts from governments worldwide, climate change will continue to escalate.”
Starting a sentence with “without” adds not only a more impressive vocabulary word but also improves the sentence’s structure. Is it a secret ingredient? Maybe. It’s also a word that should continue to be part of your English vocabulary beyond the IELTS exam, so again…two birds with one stone (poor birds!).
Start incorporating these words into your practice essays. Notice how they are used when you find them in reading and listening exercises and I promise they will work for you!
Keep up the awesome work you are doing with your IELTS preparation – hopefully you will not need to keep spending money retaking this test! I-lulzzzzz 🙂