One word for writing that is easy to read

How to learn English words: fast and easy, forever and without cramming

как запоминать английские слова быстро и легко

How to learn English words by reading texts, books or articles. My proven method.

Hello dear readers of my blog. In this article, I will tell you how to learn English words correctly and effectively. I have been using this method for several years now, because it helps me learn expressions quickly and easily. It really works with me, allows me to read a lot and learn by reading in English. Most importantly, I have tested this method on my students.

Entry

When we learn a foreign language, we all the time think of this process as «learning», that is, as something that makes us tense. I propose to diversify this process a bit by using reading books, news or topics so that you read what you are interested in. Then it will be perceived as a rest, it will help to memorize English words forever and without cramming. 

How does reading help you learn English words?

Reading texts, books, articles helps to repeat and practice already learned phrases. Thus, you fix them in your memory, learn according to the context correctly, for memorization. And this helps them not only to begin to understand, but to use them in their speech.

Most importantly, it expands your vocabulary and improves your pronunciation of words when read aloud. Additionally, while reading books, you also repeat grammar, develop the skill of understanding the text in English without translating it in your mind. This skill is called Reading Comprehesion.

What Reading Comprehension?

compensation comes from the verb «comprehend / ˌkɑːmprɪˈhend / to comprehend». The definition in the Oxford Dictionary is: comprehesion / ˌkɑːmprɪˈhenʃn / 

Source: https://irasenglish.com/lexis/kak-uchit-slova-chitaya-teksty.html

How to Memorize English Words Quickly and Easily — SpaceDeer AntiSchool Tips

как запоминать английские слова быстро и легко

ANTON LAZORENKO / 14.08.2019

Doctor English

Conducts weekly consultations

He teaches English at the AntiSchool. Believes that every teacher should be a psychologist.

Nikita

A person who wants to learn English

Learns English all his life. The same number of people forgets and remembers English words.

So many videos have already been shot about how to memorize English words. And we still don’t remember them. Maybe because Dr. English hasn’t talked about it yet?

The most effective way to memorize

Doctor English

We all want the most effective tool to do something important to us. But the most effective means suitable for absolutely everyone. And we are all different. There is no most effective way to lose weight that will work for everyone. Or quit smoking. Or become rich. The same is with memorizing foreign words. How to memorize English words?

I would be glad to tell you — take this application and your problem is solved, but I am your doctor, and I cannot deceive.

And yet, what methods work?

Nikita

For example, I post stickers at home on different things, with their names in English.

What is wrong, are you going to scold me?

Doctor English

I never scold students, and for that I will even praise you. This is how the context is established with the appearance of the things that surround you every day, and with the place where they lie. When you need to remember a word, you can imagine the room in the house and the place where the object is. It works great with nouns. What about other parts of speech or abstract concepts like happiness, coincidence, liberty?

Nikita

Well, here I use a dictionary application, different words on cards pop up to me, and I study them, honestly, a few words every day. But where do they go then? How to quickly memorize English words?

Doctor English

There is no context in the application if you see only the word and the translation — therefore, there is very little chance of remembering. Let’s expand on your sticky method to memorize any words. A similar method is used by the hero of Benedict Cumberbatch in the TV series Sherlock. It is called the Palace of Memory or Halls of Mind, and does not even require the use of stickers. This is a completely scientific method of memorization based on visualization.

You imagine a well-known place — a long street, building, or store, and for each item or location you assign a piece of information that you want to remember. In our case, this is some kind of English word.

When you need to remember a word again, it’s like you go for a walk around this place, and you find an object that you associated with the word. How well to memorize English words? It is the Halls of Mind that are used by the participants of the competitions from memory.

This way you can memorize large amounts of information.

Doctor English

You can use the Leitner system. You write a list of words you want to memorize, each word on a separate sheet, with a translation on the back. Then you work with it in a convenient way — you learn by heart, stick stickers, take an application or go to the palaces of the mind. You check your memorization in the following way — you take sheets with words, read the version in your native language and translate.

If it works, you send the word into a separate pile, which you will use in 4 days. If it didn’t work out, the word remains in the same pile, and tomorrow you will work with it again, as you do every day. When the fourth day comes, you take both shots and repeat the procedure. And you continue to work on the same system further, moving words from pile to pile.

Remember — if you forget even one word, you start repeating it again every day. There is even a special application for this — Anki Flashcards.

Leitner system

The method consists in repeating foreign words at different intervals depending on the result of the reproduction of the word from memory.

AntiSchool of English Space Deer

In the classroom, we talk for 90 minutes, instead of 10. And we do interactive homework online, because it’s more interesting.

I remember. How to use it?

Doctor English

Remember and use are two different things. To use, in addition to the name of the word, you need to understand its context and place in the sentence. To successfully learn and use a word, you need the following:

  1. Learn the name of a word
  2. Write it. Not typing, but writing with your own hand is also a very effective memorization method.
  3. Read and recognize it in the text
  4. Be able to hear a word in a song or video
  5. Write a few sentences with him
  6. Use it spoken several times. This does not have to be done in a live conversation, although it would be ideal for memorization. You can imagine with whom and how you could use this word, simulate a phrase and pronounce it.

Nikita

So why didn’t you say about this instruction on how to memorize English words in 5 minutes before? Now everything is clear, with every word I just do these six steps. I ran, goodbye!

Doctor English

Wait, Nikita. These 6 steps cannot be done right away, during one lesson or day. I meant that if these actions occur with a word, then we can assume that you have memorized it and can use it in speech.

Nikita

Dr. English, how easy is it to memorize new English words? Is it possible to learn at least something in English in an easy way?

Doctor English

Oh Nikita, it looks like we still have a lot of sessions

How do you like the article?

Source: https://www.spacedeer.com.ua/blog/kak-zapominat-anglijskie-slova/

How to Memorize 100 English Words a Day Easily: Resources to Test and Practice English Words

как запоминать английские слова быстро и легко

It would seem like a simple math problem from the fourth grade: if you learn 30-35 English words a day every day, how many words of English can you learn in a month and a year?

Of course, you easily calculated: you can learn about a thousand English words in a month and, accordingly, 12000 words in a year. I wonder what experience and practice say?

As vocabulary shrinks, the number of feelings that you can express, the number of events that you can describe, the number of objects that you can name decreases. Not only understanding is limited, but also experience. A person grows thanks to language. Whenever he limits the language, he decays.

~ Sheri S. Tepper

As practice shows, you can learn something, but you will not be able to keep it in an active reserve and regularly use it in speech. Words without practice and associative connections are quickly forgotten, which the creators of intensive English courses keep silent about.

True, you always have a chance memorize a large number of English words — it all depends on the peculiarities of memory and techniques for memorizing English words, which we will talk about today.

How to learn a lot of English words quickly

Learning English words is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Signing the names of unfamiliar words is one of the most effective methods for memorizing.

Want to learn a lot of English words in a short time? The German scientist Ebinghaus found that with mechanical memorization, that is, when a person does not understand the meaning of the material and does not use mnemonics, after an hour only 44% of the information remains in memory, and after a week less than 25%. Fortunately, with conscious memorization, information is forgotten much more slowly.

First of all, you need to determine how it is easier for you to assimilate new information: by ear, to see it, or to write it down?

It will not take much time, but it will greatly facilitate the training and selection of effective techniques for you in the future. One of the tests that will help you determine how it is easier for you to remember new information is presented on this site. By answering 30 questions, you will be able to know exactly what type you are.

In short, we recall that visuals easily memorize new words after seeing or reading, audials — by ear, and kinesthetics need to be in motion, for example, to write information on paper.

In the modern world, most people are dominated by the visual type of perception of new information. Remember how long annoying commercials seen on TV or posters and banners that dot the streets of the city are kept in our memory.

You also need to know that 100% visuals or audials don’t exist. But some channel is still dominant, and it is this channel that should be used if your goal is learn a lot of English words quickly.

Visual method of memorizing English words

Characteristics and scheme of information perception by visuals.

If you have read the novel «Martin Eden» by Jack London, then most likely remember that the main character learned a huge number of academic words, pasting sheets of paper with new words at home.

Visual method for memorizing English words — this is pasting all the objects that surround you with stickers with new words. How does the visual method work? You constantly stumble upon an abundance of English words, read, memorize and, of course, use English words.

Purchase from the store or make your own cards with new words, translation, transcription, and even an example of use. It is convenient to take such cards with you if you take a long time to get to work or constantly disappear in queues. They can be classically done on paper or downloaded to your phone.

If you are just starting to learn English, you will be interested in the article «How to start learning English: learning secrets»

On the Internet, you can find and download applications for mobile phones that use a visual way to expand vocabulary. The most popular are Words, Easy Ten and Duolingo: Learn Languages ​​Free.

Vivid pictures with captions, memory simulators, verification tests that use these mobile applications will help you learn a lot of English words in a short time … And most importantly, they are always at hand!

If your level is not initial (Pre-Intermediate and higher), you can watch films, programs and videos with and without subtitles, writing out not only new words, but also useful colloquial phrases.

English audio tutorials and podcasts

Characteristics and scheme of information perception by auditors.

If you belong to a rare category of people (about 10%) who love and remember with their ears, then this is the method for you.

The main condition for expanding vocabulary is to constantly listen to English speech, whether at home in the kitchen or in the car in traffic. New words and expressions can be written down and repeated periodically.

With this method, you will not be afraid to perceive speech by ear and your listening skills will improve.

Start with simple, short audio podcasts, possibly with translation. Then go to speech of the carriers. You can also listen and translate songs, watch movies in English and TV shows in the original.

TPR method for expanding vocabulary

Characteristics and scheme of information perception by kinesthetics.

The third type of information perception, which includes kinesthetics, prefers movement to static learning. If you are a kinesthetic, remember to write down new words on paper. It is better if you have a diary dictionary that you can refer to from time to time.

In teaching children, it is often used TPR (Total Physical Response) method … But, believe me, if you are a kinesthetic, this method is also for you: with its help you can easily learn English words and phrases.

The essence of the method consists in memorizing new words, phrases and lexical constructions using gestures, command execution, pantomime and games. For example, on the word ball (ball), you need to perform an action associated with this object, for example, a ball game.

For more information on the TPR method, read the article “TPR or Actively Learn English”.

Mnemonics and memorization of English words

An illustrative example of how mnemonics works.

One of the most effective ways to memorize English, and indeed foreign words, is mnemonics. The method of mnemonics (or mnemonics) is based on creating images in your mind. You take information that needs to be remembered and turn it into an image through association.

First you need to understand that the brain does not remember the images that appear in the head, but the connections between several images. This is very important to remember, because immediately during memorization, it is necessary to focus on this.

Mnemonics actively develops memory and thinking. the task is to create images that are connected in the imagination in various ways. Images should be colored, large and detailed.

Learning English words with mnemonics is incredibly easy! We select the most consonant word (or a few words) from the native language for a foreign word.

How mnemonics works when memorizing English words, let’s look at an example:

Source: https://ienglish.ru/blog/interesno-ob-angliiskom/kak-viuchit-angliiskiy-bistro-samomu/kak-bistro-vyuchit-mnogo-angliskikh-slov-tekhniki-zapominania

Memorizing words — fast and easy

Memorizing words Is a very important and most voluminous part of language learning. The more you know the words, the better you will understand what you hear and read, the easier it will be for you to convey your thought to the foreign interlocutor.

3000 words is the minimum required to at least somehow communicate with at least some foreigner. 3000 words is 800 hours of boring cramming. By the way, it takes less time to study higher mathematics in universities. Therefore, nothing saves you time and energy as correct method of memorizing words.

How easy is it to memorize English words? What are the ways to memorize English words? How to memorize English words forever? You will find the answers in this article.

I will tell you about the most effective techniques for memorizing words, which will allow you to spend only 2-3 minutes on deep memorization of one word. It is based on two time-tested techniques for memorizing words — mnemonics and the method of cards. But before you start, you need to prepare material for memorization. I will tell you in steps how to do it.

Selection of words to memorize

Not all words are created equal. Obviously, you shouldn’t memorize words that you will never use. Here are some ideas for where to find the words you really need:

  • Learn the basic vocabulary needed to understand foreign speech. There are eternal topics like «Greetings», «Family», «Food», everyone needs to know them.
  • Do you read a lot in English? Learn English by the Ilya Frank Method? Then take the vocabulary from the texts you read. You will involuntarily notice unfamiliar words that are more common than others.
  • Are you a schoolboy or a student? Surely you are being asked to take home lessons. This is also good vocabulary building material.
  • Are you going to work for a large company? Learn Business English. Do you work as a programmer? Learn terms in your specialty.

These tips will help you build an impressive list of memorized words. The list will contain a lot of useful vocabulary, but also a lot of unnecessary ones. Extra words need to be filtered out:

  • The first (main) filter is a frequency dictionary. You can see the frequency of use of words in English here. If your English is at an elementary level, you are only interested in the first 2000 positions of the frequency dictionary, if the intermediate level, then the first 4000 positions. Cross the rest of the words off the list.
  • Filter the second (optional) to come up with a situation in which you could apply the memorized word. If the situation seems unlikely, then cross the word off the list.

Translation preparation

Almost every English word has a variety of translation options. You shouldn’t even try to memorize them all. The most comfortable situation for your memory is one translation for each memorized word. How to choose one of the many options?

Try to generalize, find a translation that will be synonymous with all other translation options. A translation that will be correct in most situations of using the memorized word.

For example, a word walk has about 20 translation options, including walking, walking and even marching. I would translate it as walk… Because if you translate

«I walk down the street» instead «I’m walking down the street»

or

«Soldiers Walking on Red Square» instead «Soldiers Marching on Red Square»,

then the meaning of the sentence will be clear anyway.

Preparing cards.   

With the flashcard method, generations of translators have been increasing their vocabulary in record time. Flashcards for memorizing English words are prepared as follows. Buy a 10 x 10 cm stack of paper cards from a stationery store. Fold each card in half, write the memorized word with transcription on one side, and the translation on the other. In the middle (in the place of the fold) we will take notes that will make it easier for us to memorize words.

We make one card for each memorized word. We collect cards by topic in piles of 20-30 cards. Transport in one pile, business words in another, travel in a third. Cards grouped by topic are easier to remember.

Memorizing words

So, we have done some serious preparatory work. It’s time to start directly memorizing English words. We will memorize words in two ways and in two stages:

  • Stage one. We memorize words using mnemonics. This method ensures that after some effort the word stays in your memory for at least a few weeks. It is much more effective than cramming, since it allows you to immediately throw information into long-term memory, bypassing short-term memory (read the detailed description of the method here).
  • Stage two. Repetition using the flashcards method will provide an even stronger memorization of words — you can confidently translate the vocabulary learned after many months or even years.

A few facts that are mentioned in any book on mnemonics:

  • the method was used by the outstanding ancient Greek orator Cicero;
  • mnemonics is an order of magnitude more effective than cramming, because it uses the hidden reserves of the human brain;
  • there are unique people, such as the Guinness record holder Samvel Gharibyan, who, using this method, memorized 1000 words per hour.

The method of mnemonics is worthy of a separate article (you can read it here) and even a whole book (here), I highly recommend reading it. But for those in a hurry, I will try to summarize the essence so that you can start using this most effective technique for memorizing English words.

The essence of the method is to invent a connection between a word and its translation. This relationship is called a mnemonic association. Let me explain with an example how to quickly memorize English words. Let’s try to remember

Eagle [needle] — eagle

Eagle is consonant with the Russian «igla». We need to come up with a connection between an eagle and a needle. And according to the rules of mnemonics, this connection should be unexpected, as absurd as possible. Our brains are designed in such a way that illogical connections are better remembered.

Imagine an eagle with medical needles instead of claws — this will be our association.

You need to come up with a reinforcement — a sentence describing the association. This will help you memorize the word faster and deeper. Like association, reinforcement should be flamboyant and unexpected. For our memorized word, I propose this version of reinforcement — «The claws of an eagle are ten hellish needles.»

We write reinforcement on the card — in the middle of the card. We folded the cards in half just so we could record the reinforcement at the fold. In the future, if you cannot translate some kind of card, then open it, look at the reinforcement and remember the association.

I am sure that the word eagle is already firmly embedded in your memory, but memorization can be made even more solid. Do the following:

  • Turn on your imagination and try to represent the association as vividly as possible. Try to use all your senses — sight, hearing (like an eagle screams), touch (like an eagle digs into your hand with sharp needles).
  • Make some English sentences with a memorable word.

I hope the essence of the method is clear. Use mnemonic techniques to learn all the flashcards in the stack you have prepared.

Method of cards. Memorizing words through repetition

The card method is very simple. You already have everything you need. The memorized vocabulary must be repeated after a week, then after a month, then after three months, then after a year. To repeat, take a stack of cards and do the following with each card:

  • look at the card and try to remember the translation;
  • turn the card over and check what you remember with what is written;
  • if you made a mistake in the translation, open the card, look at the reinforcement, remember the association;
  • put the card at the end of the pile.

Try translating flashcards in both directions — from English to Russian and from Russian to English. When translating from Russian into English, try to remember both the spelling of the word and its pronunciation (transcription).

Thus, you need to go through all the cards in the pile 5-10 times, until you transfer all the cards without errors. After each repetition, the cards in the pile must be shuffled. Sometimes there are flashcards that cause special difficulties that you cannot translate with confidence even after 10 repetitions. These cards should be put in a separate pile; this pile should be repeated more carefully.

Always carry several stacks of cards with you, then you won’t have to spend your free time on repetition at all. You will repeat the stack, standing in line or in transport on the way to work — you can use every minute of waiting to your advantage.

There is a detailed description of the card method here. The frequency and number of repetitions, everything is described in detail.

Language practice is the best way to memorize words

Mnemonics and flashcards are great techniques for memorizing words. They will teach you to memorize words quickly and for a long time. But remember that without use, any knowledge is quickly forgotten and the best way to keep your English at a high level is constant language practice. To improve your vocabulary, the best way to practice is reading in English.

Of course, not many people can just pick up and start reading fiction in English. This requires memorizing a lot of words. Good grammar knowledge is also required. But there are specially selected and prepared adapted texts in English. These are texts written using a limited set of commonly used vocabulary.

It is enough to memorize 2000 words that are used most often, and you can already read the text in English. Memorizing words through reading it is much faster and another advantage of this method is that it is interesting to read. Much more interesting than just memorizing words. And this interest gives you additional motivation to learn the language.

Ilya Frank’s reading method should be noted separately. These are parallel texts, parallel text means that a translation is written next to each sentence in brackets.

It is easy to read such texts, because if something is not clear, you can immediately look into the translation. Memorization of words happens by itself, in addition, while reading, you will notice the words that occur most often.

It is also worth remembering these words. You need to write them down on cards and memorize them as described above.

There is a whole encyclopedia of Wikipedia simple English in adapted English, and there is a radio station Voice of America broadcasting in simplified English. So, everyone can find materials of interest, the reading of which will ensure the memorization of words.

Source: http://pcards.hreminder.com/15-strategii/8-words-main.html

5 ways to learn English words and not forget them

Learning English words is much easier than it sounds. If you disagree with this, then, apparently, because at school you were forced to cram the columns of words that were remembered with difficulty, but were forgotten the next day. Fortunately, learning words is now a pleasure using simple techniques, tutorials, and readily available English materials.

Learning English words and learning a language are not the same thing.

First of all, we note that language learning is not limited to memorizing words. Yes, you cannot erase words from the language, but their interaction in speech occurs according to the rules of grammar. In addition, vocabulary and grammar will not be «animated» without practice in reading, listening, speaking and writing. Some of the techniques listed below involve memorizing words in the context of live speech.

Cards with words

Ordinary cards made of cardboard are a powerful tool for memorizing words. Cut out cards of a convenient size from thick cardboard, write on one side English words or phrases, on the other — Russian and repeat.

To be more effective, take sets of 15-30 flashcards and learn words in two directions — English-Russian and Russian-English — in four steps:

  1. Acquaintance with words. Skim the cards as you speak the words aloud, trying to imagine the objects, actions, and even abstractions they represent. Don’t try to memorize words thoroughly, just get to know them, hook them on the memory hook. Some of the words will be remembered already at this stage, but not reliably.
  2. Repetition of English — Russian. Looking at the English side, remember the Russian translation. Go through the deck until you can guess all the words (usually 2-4 runs). Be sure to shuffle the cards! Memorizing words with a list is ineffective largely due to the fact that words are memorized in a certain order. The cards do not have this drawback.
  3. Repetition Russian — English. The same, but from Russian to English. This task is a little more difficult, but 2–4 rounds will be enough.
  4. Fastening. At this point, time the time with a stopwatch. Run the deck as quickly as possible, achieving instant recognition of the word without hesitation. Do 2-4 rounds, trying to keep the stopwatch at a shorter time each round. Don’t forget to shuffle the cards. Words can be run in both directions or optionally in one (better in Russian-English, as it is more difficult). At this stage, you will achieve instant, without translation in your mind, recognition of the word.

It is not necessary to make cards out of cardboard; there are convenient programs for creating electronic cards, for example, Quizlet. With the help of this service, you can make voiced cards, add pictures to them, teach in different modes, including games.

Price: Free

Spaced repetition method

The method consists of repeating words using flashcards, but at intervals. It is believed that, following a certain repetition algorithm, a student fixes information in long-term memory. If the information is not repeated, it will be forgotten as unnecessary.

The most popular spaced-repetition word memorization program is Anki. Create a deck of words, and the application itself will select the half-forgotten material and offer to repeat it at regular intervals.

Convenience is that you only need to load the words, and the program itself will tell you when and what to repeat. But sometimes the interval method is simply not necessary. If you are learning a selection of such common words as days of the week and months, verbs of movement, vehicles, then there is no need to repeat them according to a special algorithm: they will already be encountered very often in the textbook, when reading, in speech.

Memorizing words while reading in English

It makes sense to learn words with flashcards when the vocabulary is still insufficient even to understand the simplest texts. If you do not yet know such basic vocabulary as days of the week, colors, motion verbs, politeness formulas, then it is convenient to lay the foundation of your vocabulary by memorizing words from flashcards. According to linguists, the minimum vocabulary for understanding simple texts and speech is about 2-3 thousand words.

But, if you can already read in English, try to write words out of the text as you read. It will not be just vocabulary taken from a dictionary, but living words, surrounded by context, associatively tied to the plot, the content of the text.

Don’t write out every unfamiliar word in a row. Write out useful words and phrases, as well as words, without understanding which it is impossible to understand even the basic meaning. Write just a few words per page to reduce distraction from your reading. After reading an article or chapter of a book, words can be quickly repeated.

By the way, if you just read in English without writing anything out, the vocabulary will also grow, but much more slowly and only if you read a lot and regularly, for example, every day for half an hour or an hour.

Learning programs can greatly simplify and speed up the memorization of words. For example, when reading texts online, you can save words with a single click and then repeat them using the Leo-Translator browser extension.

Memorizing words from video and audio recordings

While it is easy to underline or write out a word while reading, it is more difficult with a film or audio recording. But listening (listening) for vocabulary learning is no less interesting than books. In live speech of native speakers, there are fewer bookish, uncommon words and more popular colloquial expressions. In addition, listening develops not only vocabulary, but also the skill of listening comprehension.

The easiest way to learn English from films and audio recordings is to just watch or listen without being distracted by spelling out words. This is the easiest approach, but this way you are unlikely to learn something new, just fix the already familiar words well (which is also important).

If you write out and then repeat new words, then you will not only enjoy the movie, but also replenish your vocabulary. Of course, while watching, it is very inconvenient to be distracted by pause and writing down words, but you can take short notes, and then return to them and analyze the material in more detail. As with reading, you do not need to write out all the incomprehensible words in a row.

It is much easier to study audio and video using dedicated sites. Most of all, the popular online services LinguaLeo and Puzzle English are suitable for this, which use a special interface for easy viewing of videos with the ability to quickly (click on a word in subtitles) translate and save words.

Memorizing words while writing and speaking

Reading and listening is passive speech activity, speech perception. Speaking and writing is an active use of language. When you write or speak, vocabulary develops in a different way: you have to practice using already familiar words, translating them from passive (at the level of comprehension) to active vocabulary.

While writing, whether it be an essay or informal chatting, you have to constantly select words and try to understand, more accurately express the idea. A situation often arises when you want to say something, but do not know the right word or expression. It is not difficult to find it with the help of a dictionary, but do not let this valuable find be immediately forgotten — write down such small discoveries and repeat in your free time. Practice in vigorous speech activity is great for identifying such gaps.

Of course, you won’t be able to look into the dictionary during an oral conversation, but speaking practice forces you to work out already familiar words and constructions. You have to strain your memory, remember everything that is stored even in its most distant corners in order to express a thought. Conversational practice for learning a language is like training for the body: you strengthen, develop your «language form», transferring words from passive to active stock.

Conclusion

The first two methods — flashcards and spaced repetition — are suitable for memorizing collections of words, such as “In the city,” “Clothes,” and so on. Methods three through five are designed to memorize words during speech practice.

If you want the words to be not only remembered but also not forgotten, regularly practice reading and listening. Having met a familiar word several times in a living context, you will remember it forever. If you want not only to have a passive vocabulary, but also to freely express thoughts — communicate in the language. This will help you transform dry knowledge into confident skills. After all, we do not learn languages ​​in order to know them, but in order to use them.

Source: https://lifehacker.ru/english-words/

How to memorize English words without doing anything. Especially for the lazy — Cynical English

Hello!

The topic of today’s post is extremely straightforward. How to memorize English wordswithout resorting to any special techniques. Let’s say you are incredibly lazy, you have enough enhanced brain activity at work and there is not the slightest desire to delve into the intricacies of memorization when using the tabbed method, look for a good illustrated dictionary or construct associations to memorize words.

And is there such a way? There is, as without it. It is quite possible, quickly and easily to memorize English words without doing anything special. Although no, I’m lying. You still have to do something. For example breathe

How to memorize English words. A guide for the laziest

First, a few numbers. It is believed (and I am ready to subscribe to each number based on my own experience) that in order to memorize a particular English word qualitatively, it is necessary to hear it (or read it) at least 20 times, of course in different contexts. But this is only for those who are doing well with their memory.

If you are honest with yourself and are ready to admit that your memory is so-so, average, the required number of repetitions rises to 30-35 times.

And finally, if the head is in real trouble (like mine), you need to hear or see an unfamiliar word in English, about 50 times to remember it completely. I don’t know how the definitions “fast” and “easy” are applicable here, but nevertheless.

Let’s consider the last case, as the most difficult, in more detail.

You can try to “pull” from a dictionary, for example Longman’s, ten 2 examples with the use of an unfamiliar English word, look for sentences with an unfamiliar word on English-language news resources, thus dial the desired number 50 and read the resulting “vinaigrette”.

But it’s like going to Moscow from St. Petersburg by electric trains, with three transfers. There are comfortable long-distance trains

Today, teacher Luke from London will act as such a «train», and I will modestly assist. Don’t you know this? Check out Luke’s website.

Now I will not dwell on the achievements of this absolutely amazing person, I will only say that he and the smiling American AJ Hoge, in my opinion, are real revolutionaries in the field of teaching English, especially independent, such Che Guevaras of the spirit who challenged the established system, consisting of both from school education, and a variety of English courses.

True, Comandante Che was shot by Bolivian militarists, and AJ Hoge and Luke are in good health, which inspires some hopes for a successful outcome.

Try it yourself how easy it is to remember the English word stammer

You can see for yourself the effectiveness of this approach to memorizing English words. What did Luke do? He recorded almost an hour-long audio, with a fairly detailed analysis of the British film “King’s speech”, we know it as “The King Speaks”.

  Very briefly, the content is as follows, a peasant needs to sit on the throne, and he stammer — stutters and, therefore, is not quite suitable for public speaking, which were necessary in the era of the absence of television and the Internet.

But the character, brilliantly embodied on the screen by Colin Firth, turned out to be a guy made of flint and steel, and with the help of a loser actor who cleverly masqueraded as a speech therapist, he managed to turn himself around, conquered the illness and became the national leader of Britain during the Second World War.

“Nails would be made of these people, everyone in Russia would have more fun.”

However, let’s all the same, closer to 50 repetitions of the word stammer, since it is it that acts as a guinea pig, experiments on which teacher Luke is conducting. Luke’s ranting monologue is fascinating, replete with unexpected excursions into the history of the treatment of stammer — stuttering, in Britain, or the sudden appearance of a person who suffered from a similar disorder and now talks about it in detail and frankly.

Personally, you DO NOT DO ANYTHING! You just listen, sometimes with a smile, but nevertheless with interest. Luke plays the word stammer over and over again in all sorts of variations.

Source: http://sinenglish.ru/kak-zapominat-anglijskie-slova/kak-zapominat-anglijskie-slova-nichego-ne-delaya-tolko-dlya-lenivyx.html

How to quickly learn English words: a detailed description of the methods | Articles in English on Study.ru

  1. About memory work
  2. How to understand what needs to be taught and what not
  3. Common mistakes in learning new vocabulary
  4. Repeat, repeat, repeat
  5. Word groups
  6. Cards
  7. Cards-2
  8. Making lists
  9. Native language
  10. Learn interesting
  11. Mobile phone applications
  12. additional services

I have a memory like a fish: I just can’t remember English words! How can you ever learn so many new words? I devote a lot of time to increasing my vocabulary, but when it comes time to show off fresh knowledge, I can’t remember the right word! I want my vocabulary to be like an Oxford dictionary, but I keep forgetting what I already learned! vocabulary is really an important aspect. I would even say — one of the most important. Little schoolchildren come to their first English lesson, and where do you think their learning begins? With grammar? From the alphabet? No. Acquaintance with the language always begins with new words and expressions.

Therefore, today we will talk about how learn to teach new words, how to make sure that they do not fly in transit over your head, but remain in your memory and appear in the right place and at the right time.

Now there will be a small excursion into psychology. Let’s remember that our memory is divided into two types:

  1. Long-term.
  2. Short-term. It is also called operational.

All information coming from the outside to the brain is first stored in short-term memory. If we constantly use it, if we introduce it into our daily life more and more often, then it smoothly turns into a long-term one and remains there forever. You won’t be able to press the delete button here, even if these are “Pythagorean pants are equal in all directions”, about which you want to forget forever.

Also, our brain has a wonderful quality: it does not like boredom. Everything that he considers boring, uninteresting and irrelevant, he erases mercilessly. Therefore, it is here that it is worth noting a very important point:

Don’t even try to learn long sheets of new words 100 at a time. Nothing good will come of it. The main thing: there is no point in learning words that you will never use anywhere!

How to understand what needs to be taught and what not

Earlier we talked about how many words you need to know in order to speak fluently and understand English. Now our main question is — which words should be included in the 3000 units you need specifically?

Someone before us has deduced a golden formula, thanks to which you can easily calculate the required vocabulary: base + your personal dictionary, where Base is the most frequently used words by native speakers in a given period of time (they are also called high-frequency words), and Personal dictionary — this is already what is your personal interest.

Therefore, it is important to develop your vocabulary in the direction that is close to you, and where knowledge of the necessary vocabulary will definitely come in handy for you:

  • being just a student of a foreign university;
  • on work trips and interviews;

Source: https://www.study.ru/article/sovety/kak-bystro-vyuchit-angliyskie-slova

We memorize English words easily. Six strategies for effective learning

Learning a foreign language (especially new words) is hard painstaking work, impossible without tedious hours of cramming, isn’t it? Not really. “If you use the power of your brain correctly, learning can become a much faster and more exciting process,” says Inna Maksimenko, founder of the author’s English language courses.

Why do small children mastering their native language, as well as polyglots who easily master several languages ​​at once, do not experience any particular difficulties? Inna told us about effective learning strategies that these people use. Take advantage of their secrets, and you will also learn to memorize words much easier and faster.

Strategy 1. Harness the Power of Emotions

What comes to your mind when you mention the word honey? Only an English textbook or an English-Russian dictionary? But people who memorize English words most quickly and easily know how to associate them with something important to themselves.

For example, the same word honey can conjure up the image of a beloved girl (after all, this is how Americans call those they love). And if you come across a new word in an interesting story, then it will connect with the emotions that you experience while reading the story. An interesting conversation in English will also help you quickly memorize a new word.

Why it works: Any positive emotion activates our ability to learn. After all, they signal that a given word refers to something meaningful to us.

Recommended: Learn English with the help of texts, films, books that interest you. Chat with interesting people. Then the very experience of such learning will become a positive emotional factor that will help you remember the words.

Strategy 2. «Embed» a new word in your experience

“When young children learn their native language,” says Inna Maksimenko, they begin to notice a new word in a variety of situations, environments, and contexts. ” For example, hearing the word «white» for the first time, a small child begins to repeat it when he sees white snow, white paper, white sugar.

And this is what helps him remember the word quickly and easily.

Why it works: Thus, the brain forms associations with different parts of the previous experience, the new word is associated with what the child already knows well, becomes more familiar and familiar. And to reproduce it in memory, you no longer need to strain, it is enough just to remember about sugar or snow.

Recommended: Use the new word more often in different situations — try to use it by retelling the text, doing your homework, practicing English with fellow students, with native speakers.

Strategy 3. Believe in your capabilities

Tell me, do you have a good memory? Is it easy for you to memorize English words? Whatever your opinion about your own abilities, sooner or later it will turn into reality. People who successfully learned English believed in their ability to do so.

Why it works: Self-beliefs often turn into self-fulfilling prophecies. By mentally repeating that languages ​​are difficult for you, you are programming your brain to resist learning. «Why memorize these words — your unconscious is sure, — after all, nothing will work out anyway.»

Recommended: If you feel like learning languages ​​isn’t good for you, try to understand where this belief came from. “It is confirmed by past experience,” you say, “so at school I grabbed a C for the language, and I passed the exam twice at the institute”.

In fact, these events have nothing to do with your abilities. The reason for the failure could be poor health, lack of time to prepare, or the fact that you did not need to know the language at that time.

Learn to share isolated failures and your abilities in general, and believe in yourself.

Strategy 4. Remember forever

«How long will the knowledge of English remain after your courses?» — many listeners ask. “If I don’t use the language, will I forget it a year after graduation?” The answer to this question also largely depends on the beliefs and motivation of the person himself. People who are successful in learning languages ​​usually believe in their ability to quickly regain knowledge. “When I have such a need, I will quickly remember everything I need,” they say.

Why it works: Our beliefs shape not only the ability to perceive information, but also the ability to store it. We can believe that we have a good, in principle, memory — only a little short. “It will fly into one ear and fly out into the other,” we say in such cases, and reality, as always, confirms our expectations.

We recommend: Form in your mind an image of a quick recovery of lost skills. Determine the period of time during which your skills will recover. For example: «A week of working on the language will be enough for me to remember everything.» “Two hours of communication with a foreigner is enough for me to start speaking fluently and confidently again.”

Strategy 5. Remember the goal

Studies have shown that people with a good reason to learn a language are able to learn it much faster than others. For example, one of the Moscow doctors was able to master English in just a month — knowing that this would allow him to go on a foreign internship. Students who are told that certain words will be required in the next lesson are statistically better remembered than those who are not told about it.

Why it works: Any undertaking is impossible without a good reason, desire, motivation. Motivation gives strength. People who start learning English because it is fashionable often drop out halfway through. And if you have a goal, then your chances of successfully mastering the language are much greater.

Recommended: Remember why you are learning English. Perhaps you are dreaming of going to study in the USA, or watching the famous musical «Cats» in the original version, you want to get a promotion, or you dream of giving lectures in English. When memorizing words, choose, first of all, those that you actively use in Russian.

Strategy 6. Learning unconsciously

A small child easily masters his native language in the process of playing, communicating, learning about the world. A person who finds himself in the country of the language being studied quickly «absorbs» dozens and hundreds of new words along with the peculiarities of pronunciation and grammar. But they do not sit over textbooks and do not memorize words on purpose!

Why it works: It’s no secret that the average person uses only a tiny fraction of the potential of their own brain. But people who successfully master any languages ​​were able to use the hidden capabilities of their unconscious.

It is known that the unconscious learns several times faster than the consciousness. This happens in those moments when the consciousness is «loaded» with other activities. For example, while you are watching a movie or chatting with a friend, you focus on the topic of the conversation.

And at this time, your unconscious is memorizing new words.

Recommended: Practice English vocabulary. For example, read an interesting story, watch movies, listen to audio materials, news, and often communicate with people in English. Then your consciousness will be occupied with the plot, and the unconscious will be able to easily assimilate new words and expressions. “In our courses,” says Inna Maksimenko, “we don’t learn words on purpose. And yet they are easy to remember. «

I hope I have convinced you that it is easy to memorize foreign words — quite possible. You just need to set a goal, believe in yourself and start working on the English language. And then, one day, the ability to easily communicate or lecture in the language will become a reality for you.

Natalia Eremeeva, englishmax.ru

Source: https://www.native-english.ru/articles/simple

How to quickly learn English words: techniques, tips for choosing vocabulary

Learn English: memorize a large number of words forever. How to increase vocabulary in the shortest possible time?

Words are the basis of the language and without them no knowledge of the rules helps. But as most people say, the hardest part of learning English is learning the required number of words.

Yes, as soon as you learn the words, you will not become a polyglot, but you will be able to understand speech without difficulty, express yourself somehow and convey your thoughts, but the most important thing is probably to watch movies, listen to music and read in English.

In this article, we will go over the basic principles of learning a large number of English words.

Learning English words simply: memorization technique

Standard cramming of English words is considered the least effective, because it is boring in the first place, and everything that is boring our brain is intuitively repulsive. On average, pupils learn no more than 1.5 thousand words for their studies at school, half of which are simply forgotten. We propose to abandon such a system and learn English words with fun and pleasure.

Mobile apps and games are a great way to learn English words

So, let’s take a look at the main problems of learning English words:

  • As soon as you stop repeating words, they are instantly forgotten;
  • Learning a large number of words at a time is not very easy, and sometimes impossible;
  • Not entirely correct understanding of the process of effectively learning words in general;
  • Short-term memory is a dangerous thing, because as soon as words get there, they are forgotten immediately after repetition.

After that, scientists once again conducted a series of studies that showed a certain result. First, we learn words, the second is repetition in a certain order:

  • 20-30 minutes break and again you need to repeat the English words;
  • After 1-2 hours, go through the same program again;
  • Repeat the next day;
  • After 7 days, repeat again;
  • After 14 days, another repeat;
  • After 60 days, repeat again.

This combination of traditional repetition and spaced learning is the perfect way to learn a large number of words forever, rather than for a short period of time.

Memorizing English words: tips

In this section, we offer several options for learning English words according to the above scheme. Which one is more effective depends entirely on the person. Try all the methods and then through trial and error you will surely find your ideal option.

We learn English words in order — take a dictionary and start learning along the way. On the one hand, it is boring, on the other hand, words of different complexity are memorized by many easier. The downside is that you don’t know the context in which this or that word is used, but on the other hand, it’s a great option for the base.

Thematic version of the study of words — take a notebook dictionary and write down words on the topic, for example «Home». Thus, you not only learn words, but also organize them. For example: a house, a private house, an apartment building, a skyscraper, a shopping center, a cinema, a country house, etc.

These schemes are one of the most effective ways to memorize words forever, but drawing on your own is very laborious, albeit interesting.

Learn words by flashcards.

This option previously assumed the production or purchase of cards, on which on the one hand an English word is written, on the other — its translation.

Today there are many mobile applications with such a system, supplemented with transcription and sound transmission of the word.

Learning words in context… Suitable for those who have already passed to the second and higher level. You watch a video in English, and when you encounter an unfamiliar word, you write down and learn the whole sentence in order to understand not only the word, but also its binders.

Now, having chosen the technique, let’s move on to the very system of memorizing English words. If you decide to learn words on your own, and not according to a ready-made program, remember this formula.

80% repetitions, 20% new words. At the same time, it is necessary to repeat both yesterday’s words and the words of two months ago. Thus, it will be easiest to remember new words, and not to forget already learned material.

You can learn words in different ways, but as soon as your stock goes beyond 1000 words, connect associations. Without them, it will be much more difficult to memorize the rest of the words.

How to quickly learn words in English?

In this part, we propose to study words in Mnemonics. This system is rapidly gaining momentum and becoming one of the most popular in the world. A word is a set of letters and a meaning. So, this technique suggests constructing associations between words and meanings in such a way that at the sight of a given set of letters, you recreate the necessary association and response in the brain.

Mnemonics is an effective way to learn words

Why Mnemonics works:

  • After years of research, scientists have proven that the brain is best for creating visual connections;
  • The technique appeared a long time ago and was actively used in Ancient Rome and Greece. Socrates was especially fond of her;
  • Mnemonics is given to everyone in different ways, but after learning 1000 words using this technique, almost all supporters of the technique say that they can memorize about 100 words per hour! That speaks about its high efficiency.

Four reasons to choose mnemonics:

  • The visual lobes in the human brain are the most powerful and contain the highest percentage of neurons, and, accordingly, they can assimilate the largest amount of information in a certain time, in comparison with other lobes;
  • The brain does not store sets of letters; the brain stores a picture with meaning (word) and sound. That is, regardless of whether we see the letters «dog», we hear the word dog, we still represent a dog;
  • Associations, like feelings, they take us to the place where we first got acquainted with something new, or in the period when emotions were at the highest level. The melody started playing, and you feel a gust of wind, goosebumps and before your eyes that time when this melody was special? This means that this direction is well developed for you, and you can memorize many words without any problems from the very first lessons. If not, then after a few weeks you will reach the desired level and can easily memorize a large number of words in one lesson;
  • 90% of those who started using this technique reported that after the first week of classes they memorize about 100-300 words (the indicator is individual and largely depends on the initial skills).

How to study Mnemonics:

  1. The visuals are good, but they are not suitable for this direction. Turn on the image and draw a picture in the head. For example, we learn the word sun. We close our eyes (if it doesn’t work with open eyes) and imagine a bright sun on a clear day. Not the street, but the sun, we «look» at it repeating the word and reading the letters;
  2. If the first rule isn’t working hard, try the second. Association with absurdity. We are looking for a suitable word in Russian, for example, for English fist so Russian begs pistachio… Now imagine a pistachio in a fist and say the word fist. Now it will definitely pop up in consciousness as the most vivid memory from a sound or a set of letters fist. But here it is important not to confuse that the word fist is a fist, not a pistachio;
  3. The plot associated with the picture. Another bright direction of abstraction. Introducing a giant crane lifting a giant fish and repeating fish;
  4. It is important to put your eyes correctly. For each word, you repeat 4-5 times and set your eyes in this way: slightly lifting and pointing at the bridge of the nose. According to scientists, in this position of the eyes, the neutrons of the visual part of the brain are most active;
  5. Learn to remember with open eyes, this is important, since memories come depending on whether you kept your eyes initially closed or open (to remember, you need to return your eyes to the same position);
  6. Repetition is the mother of learning. Do not forget the associations well, but without repeating the scheme given in the first section, the associations will disappear.

The main mistakes in quickly memorizing English words

No matter how hard you try to learn English words, you can make mistakes, so we propose to analyze the most basic ones, and ways to solve them.

  • «Today I will learn everything. « Do you know how muscles ache after the first workout? And then how does the body not want to train again, so as not to suffer in the end? So in studies, moderation is good, otherwise the lesson will quickly get bored and it will be very difficult to return to it.
  • «I’ll memorize the most difficult, and leave the easy for later.» Of course, the initiative is good, but then you simply have a «mess», because each level has its own vocabulary. English teachers recommend starting with simple words, especially verbs, and only after a month, try to move to a more difficult level.

Great association for learning the word «mistake»

  • «Today I will learn something new, and next week I will repeat it.» And again, deception, it is necessary to repeat it according to the compiled schedule, as well as 80% of the repetition and only 20% of the new, only in this way you can effectively remember everything and forever.
  • We teach without understanding the context. Do you know that the same object, the action is called differently depending on the situation? So, you need to memorize the word in context, and not separately, in order to minimize the «bloopers».
  • Learning words with incorrect pronunciation. Even if you don’t speak out loud, you are thinking with one pronunciation or another. We strongly recommend that you think several times and only then pronounce. This is very important, as retraining is 10 times more difficult than learning.

How to learn and memorize English words forever? Five tips

Source: https://crownenglishclub.ru/uprazhneniya/kak-bystro-vyuchit-anglijskie-slova-metodiki-sovety-po-vyboru-leksiki.html

Knowledge of the English year has always been in demand. It is the international language of business, culture, tourism, cinema and other important spheres of life, spoken by hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Recently, learning English has become extremely popular — moreover, fashionable. They strive to teach children from an early age, so that in the future it will become a good help for them in the professional field. Knowledge of the English language is highly valued by employers — because it emphasizes the professionalism of the employee and helps to solve complex problems.

However, learning English, like any other foreign language, is not easy. Learning is based primarily on memorizing unfamiliar words to form the student’s vocabulary. Without it, communication in a foreign language will be impossible, because it is through vocabulary that communication is carried out — both oral and written.

English for different groups of people

How can you speed up the learning process? For this, there are a number of effective methods that will help to firmly consolidate the vocabulary in the head and apply it in various communicative situations.

To choose the most effective method or several of them, it is worth first distinguishing three main groups of people according to the method of memorization:

  1. Visuals. About a third of the population has a predominantly visual memory. For these learners, the emphasis should be on eye contact with new vocabulary.
  2. Audials. New information in such people is better perceived and remembered through sounds. In this case, listening to audio and video recordings, frequent pronouncing of new words is suitable.
  3. Kinesthetics. New knowledge is fixed in the memory of such people through emotions, sensations, feelings. In this case, the use of pens, pencils, a computer keyboard for accelerated memorization of foreign vocabulary will be effective.

How to quickly memorize English words

  • Method of marking surrounding objects. For the speedy memorization of English words, it is worth sticking stickers with the names of objects, written with a marker, on all objects at home or in the office. Both kinesthetic memory (working with a marker) and visual (constant eye contact with stickers) work here. Constantly having English words in sight, the brain firmly fixes them in memory.
  • To memorize English words quickly and easily, you need to write flashcards with difficult vocabulary and carry them with you. In any free time, you can take them out and repeat — this reliable method will help to firmly fix the material.

Source: http://cool-english.com/kak-bystro-zapomnit-anglijskie-slova/

How easy it is to memorize English words

All learners want to memorize English words quickly and easily. But, of course, there is no such universal way that allows you to learn 100 English words in 5 minutes and not forget any of them. However, it is quite possible to learn to quickly memorize vocabulary and be able to retain it in memory for a long time. To do this, you just need to be able to choose the right technique. In this section, we will introduce you to the best of them.

Mnemonics

The question of how to quickly learn many English words has been considered by many linguists and scientists. Thanks to their searches and efforts, a unique method of memorizing foreign words was invented, based on the peculiarities of memory.

The standard approach to the study of vocabulary is carried out according to the following scheme: English spelling — transcription — translation. With this method, the memorized word is recognized primarily by its spelling, i.e. clearly. Therefore, we read and translate texts well, and in a conversation we often get lost and cannot remember a suitable expression.

The mnemonic method offers the opposite scheme: meaning — sound — spelling. At the same time, work with translation and pronunciation is carried out with the help of associations of the native language.

For example, let’s take the word monkey. The student’s task is to present a vivid image of a monkey and associate it with a phrase that is consonant with an English word. For example, the MONKEY ate a plate of MANKEY, or simply the MONKEY ate a MONKEY. And we imagine how a monkey eats semolina. A bright and consonant image 100% will settle in memory for a long time, and when you need to talk about monkeys in English, the word «decoys» will automatically be remembered.

Mnemonics is the most popular method of memorizing new information. If you urgently need to learn English words for a dictation or an exam, this technique will not be equal in effectiveness. But, if associative thinking is not at all your strong point, then it is better to find another easy and quick way to memorize English words.

, video, writing, logic circuits and maps

This is not really a technique, but rather a tip: if you want to learn words in English as quickly as possible, include your individual qualities in the work.

  • Do you hear information better? Listen to special audio recordings or record your own audio lessons.
  • Prefer visual design? Watch videos with popular vocabulary, study words with pictures, independently compose images for the studied expressions.
  • Are you accustomed to trusting feelings more? Learn vocabulary in writing or on the move. Manually rewrite thematic collections of words, animate words with gestures and movements, tap out the rhythm of syllables.

Source: https://vk.com/@abclanguage-kak-legko-zapominat-angliiskie-slova

If you are taking the IELTS Writing Test, it is beneficial to have some key phrases in handy to assist you in getting a high band score. 

Expanding your IELTS Writing vocabulary is a good idea, but it is even more crucial to write naturally and articulately to get the best results. 

Phrases like ‘It can extend a person’s horizon,’ ‘The essence of the debate is, and ‘very debatable’ is now regarded as ‘scripted phrases,’ and using them in your IELTS Writing Test will only result in you losing marks.

To ace the IELTS Writing Test, you will need to use essential words and phrases to convey the points you want to make in an articulate, intelligent, and compelling manner. 

While we do not encourage you to memorize phrases, having a better comprehension of the terms that should be used in an academic writing test will help you build the vocabulary that will quickly improve your marks in the IELTS Writing Test. 

Continue reading and learn the most effective and common phrases in IELTS Writing to give you the band score that will be your ultimate ticket to achieving your dreams of studying, working, or living abroad. 

Top 100 Phrases for IELTS Writing Test


What is the IELTS Writing Task?

The IELTS Writing Test is one of the four sections in the IELTS Test, the other three being Speaking, Listening, and Reading Tests. 

It is different for the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training modules, but both tests have two tasks to be completed. It lasts about 60 minutes, and you are advised to spend only 20 minutes on the first task because the second task has more weight. 

The first task in the IELTS Academic Writing Test requires you to describe and explain the information given in either a graph, chart, map, table, or diagram. 

On the other hand, Task 1 of the IELTS General Training Writing Test asks you to compose a letter responding to a situation and requesting information and explanation. You should write at least 150 words in IELTS Writing Task 1

Moreover, the second task in the IELTS Academic Writing and IELTS General Training Writing is the same. You need to respond to a point of view, problem, or argument by writing an essay. You need at least 250 words in IELTS Writing Task 2


Linking Structures and Cohesive Devices

The IELTS Writing Task will be marked on the following criteria: grammar and sentence structure, vocabulary utilization, task response, and coherence and cohesion. 

Each contributes 25% to the overall score. Over the years, examiners have been impressed by candidates’ vocabulary and mastery of syntax but frustrated by how incoherently one sentence flows into the next.

Learn how to use linking structures and cohesive devices below:

How to Use Linking Words for IELTS Writing Task 1?

Academic Test:

You can use the different linking words in the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 for:

  • transitioning from a description of one visual to the next
  • comparing and contrasting the key features of the visuals
  • pointing out and emphasizing details of the visuals 

General Training Test:

You can use the different linking words in the IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 for:

  • describing the problem or situation 
  • transitioning from one viewpoint to the next
  • explaining your requests

How to Use Linking Words for IELTS Writing Task 2?

Academic and General Training:

You can use the different linking words in the IELTS Writing Task 2 for:

  • presenting your opinion
  • transitioning from one paragraph to the next
  • providing reasons
  • giving examples
  • explaining conditions and consequences of different scenarios 

Connecting Words for Both IELTS Tasks

To get higher marks in the IELTS Writing Test, more linking words are required. To achieve coherence and cohesion, you must employ a variety of phrases to connect one thought to the next, allowing the reader to follow your reasoning. 

Here are the most effective and common phrases in the IELTS Writing Test:

Transitional Words

Addition

  • Likewise…
  • In addition…
  • Moreover…
  • Furthermore…
  • Additionally…
  • On top of that…

Cause and effect

  • Therefore…
  • As a result…
  • Accordingly…
  • Consequently…
  • On that account…
  • For that reason…

Comparison/Contrast

  • However…
  • In contrast…
  • Meanwhile…
  • Alternatively…
  • Nevertheless…
  • On the other hand…

Conclusion

  • Finally…
  • In the end…
  • To sum up… 
  • To conclude…
  • To summarize…
  • In conclusion…

Condition

  • If…
  • Unless…
  • As long as…
  • Provided that…
  • Supposing that…
  • On the condition that…

Emphasis

  • Clearly…
  • Especially…
  • In particular…
  • Particularly…
  • Importantly…
  • Without a doubt…

Listing

  • …,such as…
  • To illustrate…
  • For instance…
  • For example…
  • The best example is…
  • A very good example is…

Opinion 

  • I concur that…
  • I agree that….
  • I think/feel/believe that…
  • Personally, I feel that…
  • As far as I am concerned…
  • From my point of view…

Concession

  • Although…
  • Despite…
  • In spite of…
  • Although…
  • Admittedly…
  • Even though…

Order

  • First of all…
  • To start with…
  • Secondly…
  • Next…
  • Thirdly/fourthly/etc…
  • Finally…

Vocabulary to Use in Writing Task 1

Academic Test:  Vocabulary to Describe Graphs

Introducing the graph

The graph/table/pie chart/bar chart/diagram…

  • shows …
  • illustrates …
  • explains why …
  • describes …
  • gives information about/on …
  • provides information about/on …

Changes in the graph

  • a rise of…
  • a growth of…
  • a peak of…
  • a surge of…
  • a fall in…
  • a decrease in…
  • a decline in…
  • a dip in…
  • a fluctuation in…
  • a variation in…

Verbs

  • surge
  • grow
  • leap
  • rocket
  • soar
  • dive
  • plunge
  • plummet
  • fluctuate
  • vary

Adverbs

  • gently
  • wildly
  • rapidly
  • slightly
  • sharply
  • suddenly
  • abruptly
  • gradually
  • steadily
  • markedly
  • modestly
  • marginally
  • dramatically
  • significantly
  • considerably

  • sharp
  • sudden
  • rapid
  • abrupt
  • dramatic
  • steep
  • significant
  • considerable
  • marked
  • substantial
  • gradual
  • steady
  • consistent
  • modest
  • marginal

General Training Test: Vocabulary to Write Letters

1. Introduction of the Letter

Formal

  • I am writing to inform you that …
  • I am writing to ask/inquire …
  • I am writing with regard to …
  • I am writing in connection with …
  • I am writing with reference to …

Informal

  • It’s been a long time. I am writing to…
  • I’m simply writing to inform you that…
  • I haven’t seen you in a long time.
  • Please accept my apologies for not writing in such a long time. I’ve been quite busy…

2. Body of the Letter

Asking for Information

  • I’d like for you to…
  • Could let me know if…
  • I’d appreciate it if you could…
  • I’m hoping you could inform me…
  • I’d like to seek your opinion on…

Complaining

  • This letter is to express my dissatisfaction…
  • I’m writing to express my displeasure with…
  • I’m writing to voice my disappointment with…
  • I’m writing to tell you that I am disappointed… 

Expressing Gratitude

  • I am thankful for…
  • I’m very grateful for…
  • I very much appreciated…
  • I’d like to thank you very much for…

Apologizing

  • I really regret that/about…
  • Please accept my apologies for…
  • I’d like to express my regret for…
  • Please accept my sincere apologies for…

Giving Advice

  • You should…
  • You ought to…
  • Why don’t you…
  • If I were you, I’d…

Giving Suggestion

  • If you like, I can…
  • Do you want me to…
  • What do you think about…
  • I believe it would be fantastic if you…

3. Closing of the Letter

Formal

  • I eagerly await your response.
  • Thank you so much for your assistance.
  • Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.
  • I’m hoping for a quick resolution to the matter.
  • Please do not hesitate to call me if you need any additional information.

Informal

  • Please stay in contact!
  • I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.
  • Thanks a lot for your assistance, send me a message soon.
  • Anyway, I have to leave now. If you need additional details, please write again.

Vocabulary to Use in IELTS Writing Task 2 (Both Academic and General Training)

Vocabulary to Write Essays

Expressing Opinions

  • I’d argue that… 
  • In my opinion…
  • Personally, I believe…
  • It appears to me that… 
  • I have to admit that…
  • As far as I can tell…
  • As for me, I believe…
  • That is something I cannot deny…
  • I’d like to emphasize that…
  • In my personal experience…

Proving Arguments

  • To attest…
  • To prove…
  • This is testified by…
  • This is evidenced by…
  • This establishes that…
  • This is attested/proven by…

Expressing General Point of View

  • It is commonly stated that…
  • According to popular belief…
  • It is commonly assumed that…
  • It is generally assumed that…
  • It is largely agreed upon that…
  • It’s a widely held assumption that…

Outlining Facts

  • It is evident that …
  • The truth is that …
  • It is obvious that …
  • This shows that …
  • There is no doubt that …

Giving Examples

  • As an example…
  • Take for instance…
  • We can see this in…
  • A good illustration of this is…
  • Evidence for this is manifested in…

Concluding

  • To summarize… 
  • In conclusion… 
  • In general…
  • On balance… 
  • Taking everything into account…

Additional Reading: IELTS Grammar


IELTS Writing Sample Responses

The IELTS Writing Test is by no means easy. Most candidates would agree that this part of the test made them anxious. 

To impress the examiners and get a high band score, it is advised that you read and study different sample and model responses and learn the different writing techniques to help you achieve your desired band score. 

Here are some of them. Take note of the transition words and vocabulary used. 

Example 1:

Country Food and Drink Housing Clothing Entertainment
France 25% 30% 7% 13%
Germany 22% 33% 15% 19%
UK 27% 37% 11% 11%
Turkey 36% 20% 12% 10%
Spain 31% 18% 8% 15%
Sample Response:  

"The table depicts the amount of monthly household income spent on four products in five European nations. The percentages were used to calibrate the data.  Housing is clearly the top expense item for France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, since they each spend around one third of their income on it, at 30%, 33%, and 37%, respectively. 

They, on the other hand, spend about a quarter of their income on food and drink. Surprisingly, Turkey and Spain follow the exact opposite pattern, spending a fifth of their income on housing but one-third on food and drink.  

Furthermore, clothing and entertainment are two areas where all five countries spend significantly less. In terms of clothing, France and Spain spend the least, at less than 10%. The other three countries, however, spend almost the same amount, ranging between 12% and 15%. At 19%, Germany spends one fifth of its budget on entertainment. The UK and Turkey, moreover, spend roughly half of this amount.   

Overall, the bulk of each country's money is spent on food and drink, as well as housing. Clothing and entertainment were far less expensive."

Example 2:

Topic:

You were supposed to start a new job next week, but you won’t be able to because of certain issues. Send a letter to your new boss. In your letter, 

  • give an explanation of your circumstances
  • state your issues
  • inform him/her when you think you’ll be able to begin.
Sample Response:

Dear Ms Smith, 

I am writing with regards to the position of Assistant Office Manager that I am supposed to start next week. However, an unfortunate incident has arisen. 

Like I said during the interview, I am currently working at my aunt's company, where I gained significant experience. However, she had been hospitalized, so my uncle is now taking charge of the business. She has asked me to stay a little longer and help him with the business operations because this is an especially hectic time of year. 

I do understand that this will not be convenient for you, but I genuinely hope that, given the situation, you will be willing to let me start with you three weeks later than what we have agreed upon. 

I would like you to know that I remain very keen to work with you, and that I will be obtaining further useful knowledge and skills during this time. 

I look forward to hearing from you. 

Sincerely, 

Nathan Dills

Example 3:

Topic:

How much do you agree or disagree with the claim that e-books and modern technology will completely replace conventional newspapers and magazines?

Sample Response:   

"Technology is advancing at a breakneck pace, opening up new doors for us while keeping us informed about the latest news and events. As a result, many people believe that traditional newspaper reading will become obsolete. I disagree since the easiest and cheapest way to obtain news is through a traditional newspaper.  

To begin, there are a variety of reasons why traditional news gathering methods remain popular. First, many people have developed a strong desire to read the newspaper. Everyone, whether affluent or middle class, can be seen eagerly anticipating the arrival of the newspaper in the morning and reading it with a cup of tea. 

Furthermore, these are the most portable, least expensive, and simplest ways of staying informed about global events. It may be taken from one location to another in a bag and is reasonably priced. It's quite useful, and simply flipping through the pages can make you omniscient. Second, there is no need for power or other equipment. 

Furthermore, the additional accessories are frosting on the cake. The Hindustan Times, for example, has a variety of articles such as women's fashion, job advice, culinary art, and so on. 

However, technology has surely changed the way we read news. For example, videos provide a full and clear view of what we're reading, and we can also save, share, and forward it to our family and friends. Technophobia, it goes without saying, will have no place in an ever-advanced modern society. 

To summarize, improved versions of technology have a significant impact on people's lives, but they will not, in my opinion, be able to threaten the existence of conventional newspapers and periodicals."

Example 4: 

Topic:

Some argue that children should be educated to compete, while others argue that they should be taught to cooperate. What are your thoughts on the matter?

Sample Response: 

"Children are society's future, and they must be instilled with true life values. As a result, there are those who believe that a competitive spirit should be instilled in them, while others believe that cooperative qualities must be possessed. Before forming a judgment, I shall discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each view. 

Firstly, there are numerous reasons why children should have competitive ideals. Competition encourages young people to work harder in order to advance in their studies and other endeavors. They begin to work hard in order to compete with others and learn the value of perseverance. They are able to achieve first place in every competition because of their dedication and hard work. Second, competitive values instill in children self-confidence and self-reliance. They are highly likely to have self-achievement and fulfillment when they join in activities and compete with others. They believe they are deserving of a calm and peaceful mind. They tend to become self-sufficient, and as a result, they have the best decision-making abilities. Furthermore, a sense of accomplishment is a requirement. Without a doubt, people in the current period confront rivalry from infancy to adulthood. For example, in school there is a dance competition, a race competition, a poem competition, and as they get older, they face competition in finding a job, applying for college, and even completing an exam. As a result, a value is essential. 

On the other hand, it is obvious how critical it is to instill the value of cooperation. This is the only way a youngster may learn teamwork, team spirit, coexistence, tolerance, and patience through their feelings. Furthermore, when looking at history, it is clear that the well-known icons of society are only those that have a helpful and sacrificing mentality. A self-centered person will never achieve fame in society. Second, constant competitiveness preaching may develop feelings of rivalry among peers and others. These feelings of rivalry quickly evolve into jealousy and personal grudges. A heart filled with resentment towards others can never be good for themselves or others. 

To sum up, after weighing both competitive and cooperative values, I believe that each has its own significance. As a result, a child should be raised by evenly imparting both."

IELTS Academic Writing Test : Word Lists

The IELTS Writing Test requires an extensive vocabulary. Having a diverse vocabulary is one of the secrets to writing an effective essay. However, it is not enough to memorize the words; you also need to know how to use them in your writing.

We have listed a set of word lists to help you with your IELTS Writing Test.

Do not be worried if you will not memorize all the word lists: quality trumps quantity! It is far preferable to learn 1 word-lists well rather than 5 word-lists poorly.

Word List 1

Words 1 to 10 Words 11 to 20 Words 21 to 30 Words 31 to 40 Words 41 to 50
  • abandon
  • abstract
  • academy
  • access
  • accommodate
  • accompany
  • accumulate
  • accurate
  • achieve
  • acknowledge
  • available
  • aware
  • behalf
  • benefit
  • bias
  • bond
  • brief
  • bulk
  • capable
  • capacity
  • circumstance
  • cite
  • civil
  • clarify
  • classic
  • clause
  • code
  • coherent
  • coincide
  • collapse
  • data
  • debate
  • decline
  • deduce
  • define
  • definite
  • demonstrate
  • denote
  • deny
  • derive
  • economy
  • edit
  • element
  • eliminate
  • emerge
  • emphasis
  • empirical
  • enable
  • encounter
  • energy
Words 51 to 60 Words 61 to 70 Words 71 to 80 Words 81 to 90 Words 91 to 100
  • expose
  • external
  • extract
  • facilitate
  • factor
  • feature
  • federal
  • fee
  • file
  • final
  • generation
  • globe
  • goal
  • grade
  • grant
  • guarantee
  • guideline
  • hence
  • hierarchy
  • highlight
  • invoke
  • involve
  • isolate
  • issue
  • item
  • job
  • journal
  • justify
  • label
  • labor
  • locate
  • logic
  • maintain
  • major
  • manipulate
  • manual
  • margin
  • mature
  • maximize
  • mechanism
  • normal
  • notion
  • notwithstanding 
  • nuclear
  • objective
  • obtain
  • obvious
  • occupy
  • occur
  • odd

Word List 2

Words 1 to 10 Words 11 to 20 Words 21 to 30 Words 31 to 40 Words 41 to 50
  • acquire
  • adapt
  • adequate
  • adjacent
  • adjust
  • administrate
  • adult
  • advocate
  • affect
  • aggregate
  • colleague
  • commence
  • comment
  • commission
  • commit
  • commodity
  • communicate
  • community
  • compatible
  • compensate

  • design
  • despite
  • detect
  • deviate
  • device
  • devote
  • differentiate
  • dimension
  • diminish
  • discriminate
  • enforce
  • enhance
  • enormous
  • ensure
  • entity
  • environment
  • equate
  • equip
  • equivalent
  • erode
  • finance
  • finite
  • flexible
  • fluctuate
  • focus
  • format
  • formula
  • forthcoming
  • found
  • foundation
Words 51 to 60 Words 61 to 70 Words 71 to 80 Words 81 to 90 Words 91 to 100
  • hypothesis  
  • identical
  • identify
  • ideology
  • ignorant
  • illustrate
  • image
  • immigrate
  • impact
  • implement
  • layer
  • lecture
  • legal
  • legislate
  • levy
  • liberal
  • license
  • likewise
  • link
  • limit
  • media
  • mediate
  • medical
  • medium  
  • mental
  • method
  • migrate
  • military  
  • minimal
  • minimize
  • offset
  • ongoing
  • option
  • orient
  • outcome
  • output
  • overall  
  • overlap
  • overseas
  • panel
  • prohibit
  • project
  • promote
  • proportion
  • prospect
  • protocol
  • psychology
  • publication
  • publish
  • purchase

Word List 3

Words 1 to 10 Words 11 to 20 Words 21 to 30 Words 31 to 40 Words 41 to 50
  • aid
  • albeit  
  • allocate
  • alter
  • ambiguous
  • amend
  • analogy
  • analyze
  • annual
  • anticipate
  • concept
  • conclude
  • concurrent
  • conduct
  • confer
  • confine
  • confirm
  • conflict
  • conform
  • consent
  • displace
  • display
  • dispose
  • distinct
  • distort
  • distribute
  • diverse
  • document
  • domain
  • domestic
  • error
  • establish
  • estate
  • estimate
  • ethic
  • ethnic
  • evaluate
  • eventual
  • evident
  • evolve
  • framework
  • function
  • fund
  • fundamental
  • furthermore  
  • gender
  • generate
  • gestate
  • gradual
  • gratitude
Words 51 to 60 Words 61 to 70 Words 71 to 80 Words 81 to 90 Words 91 to 100
  • implicate
  • implicit
  • imply
  • impose
  • incentive
  • incidence
  • incline
  • income
  • incorporate
  • index
  • minimum
  • ministry
  • minor
  • mode
  • modify
  • monitor
  • motive
  • mutual
  • negate
  • network
  • paradigm
  • paragraph
  • parallel
  • parameter
  • participate
  • partner
  • passive
  • perceive
  • percent
  • period
  • positive
  • potential
  • practitioner
  • precede
  • precise
  • predict
  • predominant
  • predominates
  • preliminary
  • presume
  • pursue
  • qualitative
  • quote
  • radical
  • random
  • range
  • ratio
  • rational
  • react
  • recover

Word List 4

Words 1 to 10 Words 11 to 20 Words 21 to 30 Words 31 to 40 Words 41 to 50
  • apparent
  • append
  • appreciate
  • approach
  • appropriate
  • approximate
  • arbitrary
  • area
  • aspect
  • assemble
  • cooperate
  • coordinate
  • core
  • corporate
  • correspond
  • creator
  • credit
  • criteria
  • crucial
  • culture
  • devote
  • differentiation
  • diminish
  • displacement
  • display
  • distinction
  • distorted
  • dramatic
  • duration
  • ethical
  • economic
  • element
  • environment
  • error
  • equation
  • establish
  • estimate
  • evaluation
  • eventually
  • evidence
  • exhibit
  • explicit
  • exploitation
  • extract
  • federal
  • fluctuations
  • format
  • founded
  • guidelines
  • highlighted
Words 51 to 60 Words 61 to 70 Words 71 to 80 Words 81 to 90 Words 91 to 100
  • indicate
  • individual
  • induce
  • inevitable
  • infer
  • infrastructure
  • inherent
  • inhibit
  • initial
  • initiate
  • neutral
  • neighbor
  • niche
  • nibble
  • nowhere
  • obtain
  • obsolete 
  • occasion
  • opportunity
  • opaque
  • persist
  • perspective
  • phase
  • phenomenon
  • philosophy
  • physical
  • plus
  • policy
  • portion
  • pose
  • previous
  • primary
  • prime
  • principal
  • principle
  • prior
  • priority
  • proceed
  • process
  • professional
  • refine
  • regime
  • region
  • register
  • regulate
  • reinforce
  • reject
  • relax
  • release
  • relevant


Commonly Confused Words in the English Language

English is a complicated language. Some words look the same, and some sound the same.

Recognizing the difference between these similar words could be tricky. 

We want to help you succeed on your IELTS journey, so we are providing you with some of the most commonly confused words in the English language. Pay close attention to these words and avoid the past mistakes most candidates have committed. 

Affect vs. Effect

Affect

Meaning: To have an influence or effect on something/someone

Example Sentence:

Not winning the competition did not affect her as much as I thought it would.” 

Effect

Meaning: To cause something to happen

Example Sentence:

“The effect of her medications on her illness was surprisingly quick.”

Loose vs. Lose

Loose

Meaning: Not fitting tightly or closely

Example Sentence:

“The dress she is wearing is obviously loose on her.”

Lose

Meaning: (1) To fail to win or

(2) to misplace something

Example Sentence:

(1) “I hate losing at chess against my sister.”
(2) “He lost his keys at the party last night.”

Lay vs. Lie

Lay

Meaning: To put down gently or carefully

Example Sentence:

“She laid her bracelet on the study.”

Lie

Meaning: To assume a horizontal position on a resting surface

Example Sentence:

“He lies down on the bed and takes a nap.”

Accept vs. Except

Accept

Meaning: To consent to receive

Example Sentence:

“She accepted the award graciously.”

Except

Meaning: Not included

Example Sentence:

“They go to the park every day except on Sundays.” 

Complement vs. Compliment

Complement

Meaning: Something that fills up, completes, or makes better

Example Sentence:

“Her scarf is a complete complement to her outfit.”

Compliment

Meaning: A polite expression of praise

Example Sentence:

“I was surprised by how he reacted over a small compliment.”

Farther vs. Further

Farther

Meaning: Over a large expanse of physical distance

Example Sentence:

“The black car is farther away than the white car.” 

Further

Meaning: Over a large expanse figurative distance

Example Sentence:

“The newly-hired employee asked further questions from the manager.”

Passed vs. Past

Passed

Meaning: Simple past tense of ‘pass’

Example Sentence:

“She passed her exams in flying colors.”

Past

Meaning: Gone by in time and no longer existing

Example Sentence:

“She has to move forward and leave the past behind her.”

Elicit vs. Illicit

Elicit

Meaning: Draw out a response from someone

Example Sentence:

“I was not able to elicit any response from him.”

Illicit

Meaning: Forbidden by law

Example Sentence:

“I have advised him to stop the use of illicit drugs.”

Any way vs. Anyway

Any way

Meaning: A phrase that means in any manner or method

Example Sentence:

“Any way you suggest is fine, as long as we reach the venue in half an hour.” 

Anyway

Meaning: Used to confirm an idea just mentioned 

Example Sentence:

“It’s fine, I don’t mind. It’s my fault anyway.”

Than vs. Then

Than

Meaning: Used before the second element in a comparison 

Example Sentence:

“The weather yesterday was warmer than today’s.”

Then

Meaning: An adverb indicating time or sequence.

Example Sentence:

“We went to the park, then ate at our favorite restaurant.”

Its vs. It’s

Its

Meaning: Belonging to or associated with a thing previously mentioned

Example Sentence:

“The milk is past its expiration date.”

It’s

Meaning: Contraction of ‘it is’

Example Sentence:

“It’s raining outside, bring an umbrella.”

Their vs. There vs. They’re

Their

Meaning: Belonging to or associated with people or things previously mentioned 

Example Sentence:

“The tourists left their shoes outside the temple.”

There

Meaning: An adverb of place (in, at, to)

Example Sentence:

“We went to Singapore and stayed there for a week.”

They’re

Meaning: Contraction of ‘they are’

Example Sentence:

“They’re planning a surprise party for their parents.”

Your vs. You’re

Your

Meaning: Belonging to or associated with the person or people the speaker is talking to

Example Sentence:

“Your dress looks lovely.”

You’re 

Meaning: Contraction of ‘you are’

Example Sentence:

“You’re chosen to represent the class in the competition next week.”

Who vs. Whom

Who

Meaning: A pronoun used as a subject refers to a person or people

Example Sentence:

“Who is the richest man in the world?”

Whom

Meaning:  A pronoun used as an object referring to a person or people

Example Sentence:

“Whom did he marry?”

That vs. Which

That

Meaning: Used when the phrase after it is essential in the sentence

Example Sentence:

“Products that do not pass the standards are not sold to consumers.”

Which

Meaning: Used when the phrase after it is not essential in the sentence

Example Sentence:

“The homeless cat, which a stranger adopted, turned out to be my neighbor's lost pet."           

To vs. Too

To

Example Sentence:

“I go to the supermarket every week.”

Too

Meaning: An adverb that means in addition or also

Example Sentence:

“I love apples and grapes too.”


Tricks to Learn and Remember English Vocabulary

You will not get very far with your language skills, no matter how brilliant your grammar is if you do not know any words to use it with. Vocabulary brings up new worlds while also making studying enjoyable and rewarding.

However, extending your vocabulary is like going on a diet. You need to exert effort, and there is no magic trick, no secret, and no one-size-fits-all method for doing so. You must identify what works best for you. Nevertheless, being patient, setting reasonable objectives, and rewarding yourself when you achieve them are sound strategies that can be supplemented with the following suggestions.

  • Make Use of Memory Tricks: Mnemonics are mental shortcuts that will help you remember more complicated concepts or words. It is a popular approach to memorizing a language. You can make associations between words. For example, when you need to buy Spaghetti, Tomatoes, Olives, Rice, and Eggs from the STORE. Furthermore, the more you think about acronyms or associations, the better you will remember the phrases that go with them.
  • Create an Environment Conducive to Learning: When you study abroad, you will hear and read the language everywhere, allowing you to acquire the language far more quickly through immersion. Luckily, you do not need to travel overseas to enhance your vocabulary gradually. You may create an inspirational and study-friendly environment wherever you are. Purchase publications or books in the new language, watch movies and prepare (or simply eat) local cuisine.
  • Make Use of a Notebook: Writing new words in a tangible notebook has a romantic quality to it. Just add a new word to a running vocabulary list when you come across a new word that you do not recognize. Then, a few times a week, go over the list, obliterating the English definitions and attempting to recall what each term meant. The more you read through the notebook, the easier it will be to recall the words. You can eventually cross off the words you know, so you do not have to go over them again.
  • Put the Words in Their Proper Context: Putting words in context is a fantastic way to learn more vocabulary faster. Consider putting them together in phrases rather than composing lists of random words. That way, you will understand how the word is utilized in everyday situations. It will also be easier to remember if you come up with entertaining sentences. You can also generate drawings or discover visuals that will complement the sentences and place the words in their natural home, depending on how you learn.
  • Take it a Step Further: Allow adequate space for mind maps with connected words, synonyms, and antonyms if you want to take your learning a step higher. If you’re going to make the most of your learning, try explaining and describing the word in English rather than translating it into your original tongue.
  • Put in The Effort: The most crucial thing you will need to recall English words is the appropriate attitude and the willingness to put in the effort. However, there is no such thing as a magical system. None of the approaches listed above are “correct” or “incorrect.” Find something that works for you and utilize it regularly. Experiment with a few to find which produces the greatest results.

Additional Reading: How to Improve Your English Speaking Skills


Additional FAQs on IELTS Writing Test

Is it Okay to Write 400 Words in IELTS Writing?

Candidates should write words that are slightly above the word limit. That is 170 – 190 words in the IELTS Writing Task 1 and 270 – 290 words in the IELTS Writing Task 2.

However, note that there is no word limit, and you will not lose marks for exceeding the word limit.

Keep in mind that the examiners will mark your IELTS Writing not based on the number of words you write but on the quality of your work. 

Is a 7 in IELTS Writing Good?

Yes, a band score of 7 in the IELTS Writing Test is good. It means that you are a ‘good user’ and that you have impressed the examiner enough to give you a 7.

Most candidates have not been able to achieve this as the IELTS Writing Test is arguably the most challenging.

So if you get a 7 (or higher) band score, be proud.

How is the IELTS Writing Marked?

The examiner will focus on four primary areas: 

(1) how you were able to answer the question well; 
(2) how well you connect an idea to the text; 
(3) your vocabulary range and accuracy; and 
(4) your grammatical forms range and accuracy. Each criterion contributes 25 percent of your overall marks in the IELTS Writing Test. 

M: So, Rory, do you often write things?

R: I think I wrote something down just about every other day, whether it’s university notes or something I need to remember in my diary, it sounds pretty old-school, but there’s evidence to suggest that if you write things down, then they stick in your head longer.

M: Do you prefer to write by hand or write using a computer?

R: Oh, almost exclusively with a pen and paper. I really don’t like typing, even if it can be faster and more effective in terms of storage and options to edit. It’s just the way I was brought up, and it’s how my head works.

M: Do you often write things with a pen?

R: Again, almost always, I can’t imagine writing with a pencil these days. Possibly I would draw with one but if I’m presented with a choice, then it’s got to be a pen. And ideally, a fine-tipped one at that.

M: Is your handwriting easy to read?

R: Well, I certainly like to think so. Though, if I’m ever in a rush, then sometimes it can be messy and difficult to read, but it’s hardly doctor’s handwriting levels of eligibility. Especially since I usually write in block capitals, for example.

M: How did you learn to write?

R: Well, I’m not sure actually. Usually, start when you’re quite young. So those early days are sort of lost to the mists of time. I did read a paper though that said, there are stages where it’s just nonsense of scribbling. Then words with correct endings, and then fully-fledged words. It’s an oversimplification, of course, but it was probably something like that for me.

M: Did you like writing things when you were a child?

The way you start a paragraph will determine the quality of your essay. Therefore, you need to be careful when choosing words to start a paragraph. The use of transition words to start a paragraph will make your text more engaging. These transition phrases will tell the reader that you know what you are doing.

Words To Start A Paragraph

Using the right keywords and phrases to start a new paragraph will link it to what you had said in the previous ones. We refer to these link phrases and words to as signposts. The reason is that they inform the reader when one point comes to an end and the beginning of the next one. The words or phrases also indicate the relationship between different points.

When you carefully use transition words to start a paragraph correctly, they will guide the tutors or examiners through your essay. Besides, these statements bolster the impression of a flowing, coherent, and logical piece of work. Here are some tips that will help you learn how to start an essay.

  • Transition Words to Start a Paragraph

    Transition words prompt the reader to establish relationships that exist between your ideas, especially when changing ideas. It is recommended to vary the transition words that you use in your text. Take time and think about the best transition words that will assist you in moving through the ideas you wish to put across. The most important thing is to help your readers get to understand the point that you are putting across. It is meaningless for students to produce academic papers that don’t flow well. For instance, you need different transition words to start a conclusion paragraph than what you use in body paragraphs and the introduction. Take time and make sure that all your points are flowing well within the text of the academic essay.

  • Topic Sentences

    You need to start with a topic sentence at ideas the beginning of ever paragraph. It gives you an exclusive opportunity to introduce what you will be discussing in the paragraph. The words that you use in the essay topic sentences should tell the reader of the ideas that you will be sharing in that paragraph. Remember each paragraph should carry a specific theme and this should be reflected in the topic sentences. You can use a transition phrase or word to elevate your topic sentence. It will tell the reader that you are now switching to a new idea.

  • Organization

    The way you organize your paper can also assist in boosting the transition of paragraphs. As you plan on the supporting ideas that you will include in your body paragraphs, you need to determine the orders that you will use to present them. Think about the best ways in which the ideas in each paragraph will build one another. You need to know whether there is a logical order that you need to follow. Try to re-arrange your ideas until you come up with the right order to present them. The transition words to start a body paragraph are very different from the introduction and conclusion.

  • Relationships

    In addition to how you write your academic essay, you can also enhance how you transition your paragraphs by discussing the relationships that exist between your ideas. For instance, as you end the first supporting paragraph, you can discuss how the idea will lead to the next body paragraphs. Assist the person reading your essay to understand the why you ordered your ideas the way you have done. What is the relationship between the first and second body paragraphs? Do not allow your readers to guess what you are thinking about or trying to communicate. The readers should also know how your ideas relate from the proper use of words to start a paragraph (see the picture below).

Words to start a paragraph

Examples of Transition Phrases and Words to Start a Paragraph

Transitions show how the paragraphs of your academic essay build of one another and work together. When you don’t use these transition words or phrases in your essay, it may end up having a choppy feeling. The readers may begin to struggle while trying to follow your thought train.

Due to this, you need to use paragraph transitions in all your essays. You have to make sure that you are choosing the right words to start a paragraph. In this section, we are going to look as some examples of sentence starters. You will discover that you choose the right transition words to start a body paragraph depending on what you are communicating. You may need transition words to show contrast, add to idea, show cause, or even add emphasis. Moreover, if you’re stuck with your paper and cannot find a motivation to write on, the sound use of words to start a paragraph may be your solution! So, here is a list of transition words that can help you in each category. You can use them as tips to get the right words to start a sentence and bring great expressions to the readers.

Transition Words and Phrases That Show Contrast

  • Otherwise
  • Instead
  • Rather
  • Comparatively
  • Whereas
  • However
  • Conversely
  • Still
  • Nevertheless
  • Yet
  • On the other hand
  • In comparison
  • On the contrary
  • Although
  • In contrast
  • Even though
  • Different from
  • Whereas
  • Even though
  • Other than
  • Comparatively
  • Besides
  • Outside of

Transition Words and Phrases to Add to Idea

  • Additionally
  • For example
  • Again
  • Also
  • Moreover
  • In addition
  • Coupled with
  • Furthermore
  • Similarly
  • As well as
  • In deed
  • One other thing
  • Correspondingly
  • In fact
  • Whereas
  • Another reason
  • Identically
  • Along with
  • Like wise

Transition Words and Phrases That Show Cause

  • Accordingly
  • Particularly
  • Hence
  • Singularly
  • As a result
  • Otherwise
  • Usually
  • Because
  • Generally speaking
  • Consequently
  • Unquestionably
  • For the most part
  • Due to
  • In this situation
  • For this reason
  • Undoubtedly or no doubt
  • For this purpose
  • Obviously
  • Hence
  • Of course
  • Otherwise
  • Ordinarily

Transition Words and Phrases That Add Emphasis

  • As usual
  • As a rule
  • Above all admittedly
  • Granted
  • Especially
  • Chiefly
  • Certainly
  • Assuredly

Remember you don’t need to use the above transition words to start a new paragraph all the time. You may discover that each new paragraph is becoming repetitive and distract you from the key component in the critical analysis of your academic work.
Succinctly identify the key sections or paragraphs of your essay in the introduction paragraph. You also need to restate them in your conclusion paragraph. Students who have this knowledge will not struggle with starting or how to end an essay. You can also be sure that you will please those who read your work. The most important thing is to choose good transition words for your essay. These tips will help you to choose the best words to start a paragraph in your essay.

A. Use the word given in capitals to form a word that fits in the gap.

From one language to another

Finding an accurate (1) ………………….. (TRANSLATE) from one language to another is not always easy and the job of an interpreter can be (2) ………………….. (PREDICT). Many (3) ………………….. (EXPRESS) in one language don’t work in another language and trying to give a good idea of what a (4) ………………….. (SPEAK) wants to say can be difficult. The most important thing is that no (5) ………………….. (INFORM) should be lost. The interpreter has to have complete (6) ………………….. (CERTAIN) that they understand the message and their (7) ………………….. (SPEAK) language has to be very good. Interpreters can provide a real (8) ………………….. (CONNECT) for people who speak different languages. They are (9) ………………….. (CERTAIN) an important part of international (10) ………………….. (COMMUNICATE).

Answers

1 translation   2 unpredictable   3 expressions

4 speaker   5 information   6 certainty

7 spoken   8 connection   9 certainly

10 communication

B. Write one word in each gap.

11   When does Stephen King’s new book come ………………….?

12   We didn’t pay the bill, so they cut our phone …………………. .

13   Could you ask Mr Jones to call me …………………. later today?

14   The woman on the phone started shouting at me, so I hung …………………. .

15   I’d like to print this e-mail …………………. . Is that possible?

16   I logged …………………. my favourite website and started reading the latest news.

17   You have to fill …………………. a form to enter the competition.

18   I finished reading the web page, logged …………………. and then went to watch TV.

Answers

11 out   12 off   13 back   14 up   15 out

16 onto   17 in   18 off

C. Complete each second sentence using the word given, so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Write between two and five words.

19   Katy sent me a text message. received

        I …………………………… Katy.

20   It’s not necessary to pay to use the office phone. have

        You …………………………… pay to use the office phone.

21   Mike is able to read and write Japanese. can

        Mike …………………………… Japanese.

22   It wasn’t necessary for me to buy a stamp for my letter. need

        I …………………………… to buy a stamp for my letter.

23   It’s possible that the e-mail is from Alex. might

        The e-mail …………………………… from Alex.

24   Jill described her holiday to me. told

        Jill …………………………… her holiday.

25   Companies shouldn’t ring people at home to sell them things. ought

        Companies …………………………… ring people at home to sell them things.

26   I’m almost certain this phone is broken because I can’t hear anything. must

        This phone …………………………… because I can’t hear anything.

Answers

19   received a text message from

20   don’t have to

21   can read and write

22   didn’t need

23   might be

24   told me about

25   ought not to

26   must be broken

D. Choose the correct answer.

27   I couldn’t ………………. the programme so I turned the TV up.

        A hear             B heard

        C hearing       D to hear

28   My brother ………………. write when he was just three years old.

        A can              B could

        C might          D should

29   ………………. I use your computer to check my e-mail?

        A Will              B Ought

        C May             D Would

30   My teacher thinks I ………………. to pay more attention in class.

        A might          B may

        C ought          D would

31   All compositions ………………. be handed in to me by Friday at the latest.

        A must           B need

        C have            D ought

32   That ………………. be my mobile – mine is silver and that one is black.

        A mustn’t       B shouldn’t

        C wouldn’t     D can’t

33   I sent the letter yesterday, so it ………………. get there tomorrow.

        A can              B need

        C should         D ought

34   Did you ………………. to pay to send the package back?

        A must           B should

        C ought          D have

Answers

27 A   28 B   29 C   30 C   31 A   32 D   33 C   34 D

E. Choose the correct answer.

35   Did you write to Irina ………………. her visit this summer?

        A for               B of

        C on                D about

36   You have to ………………. on the word ‘Next’ to see the next web page.

        A press           B click

        C push             D hit

37   I read about the accident ………………. the Internet.

        A on                B in

        C to                 D at

38   Please don’t ………………. me when I’m speaking.

        A break           B prevent

        C pause          D interrupt

39   When you have written your letter, save the ………………. in ‘My Documents’.

        A paper          B notebook

        C file               D line

40   I finally managed to ………………. Simon to lend me his laptop.

        A persuade    B make

        C say               D allow

41   Even when he’s very angry, my dad never ………………. or uses bad language.

        A swears        B tells

        C whispers     D broadcasts

42   I didn’t read the message carefully. I just glanced ………………. it.

        A with             B to

        C on                D at

Answers

35 D   36 8   37 A   38 D   39 C   40 A   41 A   42 D

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Image shows a woman reading a book, leading against an orange wall.

There are numerous characteristics of a good essay: original thinking, a tight structure, balanced arguments, and many more.

But one aspect often overlooked is that a good essay should be interesting. It should spark the curiosity of the reader, keep them absorbed, make them want to keep reading and learn more. A boring essay risks losing the reader’s attention; even if the points you make are excellent, a dull writing style or poor handling of a dry subject matter can undermine the positive aspects of the essay. The problem is that many students think that essays should be like this: they think that a dull, dry style is suited to the purposes of academic writing, and don’t consider that the teacher reading their essay wants to find the essay interesting. Academic writing doesn’t have to be – and shouldn’t be – boring. The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to make your writing more interesting, even though you can only do so much while remaining within the formal confines of academic writing. Let’s look at what they are.

1. Be interested in what you’re writing about

Image shows a woman looking very enthusiastic on a carousel.

Don’t go overboard, but you can let your passion for your subject show.

If there’s one thing guaranteed to inject interest into your writing, it’s actually being interested in what you’re writing about. Passion for a subject comes across naturally in your writing, typically making it more lively and engaging, and infusing an infectious enthusiasm into your words – in the same way that it’s easy to chat knowledgeably to someone about something you find interesting. This makes it relatively easy to write interestingly about a subject you have a real passion for. However, problems arise when you’re forced to write an essay about subjects for which you lack enthusiasm. It’s difficult to conjure up passion for your least favourite subjects, and that will come across in your writing. There are steps you can take, though: here are some tips on writing about a subject you don’t enjoy.

  • Adjust your mindset: convince yourself that there are no boring subjects. If the subject or essay comes across as boring, blame yourself; if you find yourself feeling negatively about it, try to find the interest in it. Think about how it relates to the real world and how important the subject is. Find interesting snippets of information about it and look at it from a new angle.
  • Think about your reader: consider the fact that not everyone will find the subject as boring as you do. As you write, keep the reader in mind and imagine them to be the world’s biggest fan of this subject.
  • Find the fans: if you find it impossible to get into the mindset of your audience, try Googling the subject to find forums, videos or blog posts in which the subject is discussed by people who do find it interesting. This will help you picture whom you’re writing for, and give you a different perspective on a subject you may not have found inspiring up to now.

2. Include fascinating details

Image shows a rose blooming.

Focus on any interesting details.

Another factor that can make an essay boring is a dry subject matter. Some subjects or topic areas are naturally dry, and it falls to you to make the essay more interesting through your written style (more on this later) and by trying to find fascinating snippets of information to include that will liven it up a bit and make the information easier to relate to. One way of doing this with a dry subject is to try to make what you’re talking about seem relevant to the real world, as this is easier for the reader to relate to. In a discussion of a seemingly boring piece of legislation, for instance, you could make a comment along the lines of “if it were not for this legislation, none of us would enjoy the freedom to do such and such today”, or “Legislation A ultimately paved the way for Legislation B, which transformed criminal law as we know it.” Make it seem exciting!

3. Emulate the style of writers you find interesting

When you read a lot, you subconsciously start emulating the style of the writers you read. It’s therefore beneficial to read widely, as this exposes you to a range of styles and you can start to take on the characteristics of those you find interesting to read. If you feel engaged with a piece of writing, the writer must be doing something right! As you read, think consciously about what the writer is doing to hold your interest, perhaps underlining or copying out certain phrases, techniques, sentence structures and so on. Then apply their techniques to your own writing.

4. Write in the active voice

Image shows scientists at work in the desert.

If the scientists are doing something active – concluding, analysing, researching – you should avoid the passive voice.

It’s the oldest trick in the book, but using the active rather than the passive voice will automatically make your writing more interesting to read. It results in more direct, energetic writing that makes the reader feel more ‘in the moment’. Unfortunately, many students employ the passive voice in the belief that it makes their writing sound more academic or intellectual; in fact, it makes their writing sound boring. Remember, the active voice is when the subject of the sentence “acts”, while the passive voice is when the subject is acted upon.
Passive: It was concluded by the scientists that the methods used were…
Active: The scientists concluded that the methods used were…
The subject in this example is “the scientists” and the “act” they are carrying out is “concluding”. As you can see in this example, the active voice almost always results in neater and more elegant phrasing, which is more concise and enjoyable to read.

5. Borrow some creative writing techniques

There’s clearly a limit to the amount of actual ‘story-telling’ you can do when you’re writing an essay; after all, essays should be objective, factual and balanced, which doesn’t, at first glance, feel very much like story-telling. However, you can apply some of the principles of story-telling to make your writing more interesting. For example, just as the opening sentence or paragraph of a novel is incredibly important in capturing the attention of the reader early on, so the first paragraph of your essay is essential in making your reader want to continue reading it. Start with an attention-grabbing ‘hook’ to draw them in, such as a controversial statement, a tantalising snippet of information or a rhetorical question (more on these below). Here are some more techniques you can adopt from creative writing to improve your essays.

6. Think about your own opinion

Image shows a baby thinking.

Take the time to work out what it is that you think, rather than regurgitating the opinions of others.

Your essay is bound to be boring if all you do is paraphrase what everyone else says about something. A good essay – in humanities subjects, at least – incorporates the writer’s intelligent responses to what others say, and this critical consideration not only shows that you’re thinking at a high academic level, but it automatically adds more interest and originality to your writing. So, think independently and don’t be afraid to demonstrate that you’re doing as much.

7. Cut the waffle

Rambling on and on is boring, and almost guaranteed to lose the interest of your reader. You’re at risk of waffling if you’re not completely clear about what you want to say, or if you haven’t thought carefully about how you’re going to structure your argument. Doing your research properly and writing an essay plan before you start will help prevent this problem.
Editing is an important part of the essay-writing process, so once you’ve done a first draft, edit out the waffle. Read through your essay objectively and take out the bits that aren’t relevant to the argument or that labour the point. As well as editing out chunks of text, it’s important to be economical with words – not using ten where five will suffice, and avoiding clunky phrases such as those outlined in this article. During the editing process, tighten up your phrasing by eliminating unnecessary words and reordering any sentences that read badly.

8. Using a thesaurus isn’t always a good thing

Image shows a thesaurus against a yellow background.

Avoid using words that are entirely new to you in an essay; there’s too great an likelihood that you’re using them incorrectly.

You may think that using a thesaurus to find more complicated words will make your writing more interesting, or sound more academic, but using overly high-brow language can have the wrong effect. It alienates the reader and makes you sound pompous, with the result that the essay is more laborious to read and the reader may quickly lose interest. Despite this, many undergraduates admit to deliberately over-complicating their language to make it sound more high-brow. If you want to keep your reader interested, keep your language clear and simple.

9. Avoid repetitive phrasing

Avoid using the same sentence structure again and again: it’s a recipe for dullness! Instead, use a range of syntax that demonstrates your writing capabilities as well as making your writing more interesting. Mix simple, compound and complex sentences to avoid your writing becoming predictable.

10. Use some figurative language

Image shows a hawk screeching.

Using analogies with the natural world can often make concepts easier for readers to understand.

As we’ve already seen, it’s easy to end up rambling when you’re explaining difficult concepts, – particularly when you don’t clearly understand it yourself. A way of forcing yourself to think clearly about a concept, as well as explaining it more simply and engagingly, is to make use of figurative language. This means explaining something by comparing it with something else, as in an analogy. For example, you might use the analogy of water escaping from a hole in a bucket to explain the exponential decay of a radioactive substance, as the rate of depletion of both depends on how much remains, making it exponential. This gives the reader something familiar to visualise, making it easier for them to understand a new concept (obviously this will not be a new concept for the teacher who set your essay, but they will want to see that you can explain concepts clearly and that you have a thorough grasp of it yourself).

11. Avoid clichés

Clichés are overused words or phrases that make your writing predictable, and therefore less interesting. An example would be “at the end of the day”, but there are many such favourites of student essay-writers. Don’t forget that your teacher will have a stack of essays to read in one sitting; if you use the same tired expressions everyone else uses, your essay will blend in with all the others. Make it stand out by shunning the clichés you know your classmates will be using.

12. Employ rhetorical questions

Image shows hands being raised to ask questions.

Anticipate the questions your reader might ask.

One of the ways in which ancient orators held the attention of their audiences and increased the dramatic effect of their speeches was by making use of the rhetorical question. What is a rhetorical question? It’s essentially one you ask without expecting your audience to answer – one that you will answer yourself, like the one we asked in the previous sentence. This can be an effective way of introducing a new line of enquiry, or of raising questions that you’re going to address in more detail. A good place to use a rhetorical question is at the end of a paragraph, to lead into the next one, or at the beginning of a new paragraph to introduce a new area for exploration. The rhetorical question, “But is there any evidence to support X’s claim?” could, for instance, begin a paragraph that discusses evidence for an opinion introduced in the previous paragraph. What’s more, as we’ve already seen, you could use a rhetorical question as your ‘hook’ to lure readers in right at the beginning of your essay.

13. Proofread

Finally, you could write the most interesting essay a teacher has ever read, but you’ll undermine your good work if it’s littered with errors, which distract the reader from the actual content and will probably annoy them. Before you submit your essay, proofread it thoroughly to ensure that the grammar is elegant, the punctuation is perfect and the spelling is flawless. Don’t just use a spelling and grammar checker, as these don’t always pick up on all the errors.

Do you want to take your writing to the next level? Our Creative Writing summer school will teach you how to experiment with a number of different writing techniques, plan, edit and proofread your own work and introduce you to new concepts and ideas. 

Image credits: banner; carousel; rose; scientists; baby; thesaurus; hawk; questions. 


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Using words to write short numbers makes your writing look clean and classy. In handwriting, words are easy to read and hard to mistake for each other. While you may not need to write longer numbers as words that much, it’s still helpful practice. This wikiHow will explain how you can write numbers as words.

  1. Image titled Write Numbers in Words Step 1

    1

    Learn to write numbers from 1 to 9. This is where it all starts. Learn these, and the rest gets much easier:

    • 1 = one
    • 2 = two
    • 3 = three
    • 4 = four
    • 5 = five
    • 6 = six
    • 7 = seven
    • 8 = eight
    • 9 = nine
  2. Image titled Write Numbers in Words Step 2

    2

    Write numbers from 10 to 19. Do you see how many of them look just like the numbers above, plus «teen» at the end? «Sixteen» (16) just means «six and ten» (6 + 10).

    • 10 = ten
    • 11 = eleven
    • 12 = twelve
    • 13 = thirteen
    • 14 = fourteen
    • 15 = fifteen
    • 16 = sixteen
    • 17 = seventeen
    • 18 = eighteen
    • 19 = nineteen

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  3. Image titled Write Numbers in Words Step 3

    3

    Count in tens from 20 to 90. Here’s how to write 20, 30, 40, and so on all the way to 100. You can recognize these numbers because they end in «ty» except 100).

    • 20 = twenty
    • 30 = thirty
    • 40 = forty
    • 50 = fifty
    • 60 = sixty
    • 70 = seventy
    • 80 = eighty
    • 90 = ninety
  4. Image titled Write Numbers in Words Step 4

    4

    Combine words to write more numbers. Now you can write any number from 1 to 100. Let’s see how it works for the number 42:

    • 42 is written with two numbers: 4 2.
    • 2 is in the ones place, so this just equals 2. Write this as two.
    • 4 is in the tens place, so this is actually 40. Write this as forty.
    • Write the two parts together: forty-two. Don’t forget the — sign between them.
  5. Image titled Write Numbers in Words Step 5

    5

    Count by hundreds. This part’s easy if you remember the basics. Just write the number as usual and add «hundred:»

    • 100 = one hundred
    • 200 = two hundred
    • 300 = three hundred (and so on)
  6. Image titled Write Numbers in Words Step 6

    6

    Write any number from 100 to 999. Just write the hundreds place, then the rest of the number. You don’t need to write «and» or anything else between them. Here are some examples:

    • 120 = one hundred twenty
    • 405 = four hundred five
    • 556 = five hundred fifty-six
    • 999 = nine hundred ninety-nine
  7. Image titled Write Numbers in Words Step 7

    7

    Test yourself. Try writing a few numbers as words. Work on these, then highlight the space after the = sign to see if you’re right:

    • 21 = twenty-one
    • 37 = thirty-seven
    • 49 = forty-nine
    • 255 = two hundred fifty-five
    • 876 = eight hundred seventy-six
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  1. Image titled Write Numbers in Words Step 8

    1

    Understand place values. We can tell what each digit in a number means based on where it is. Here’s what the first 9 place values are called:[1]

    • 1 → the ones place.
    • 10 → the tens place.
    • 100 → the hundreds place.
    • 1,000 → the thousands place.
    • 10,000 → the ten thousands place.
    • 100,000 → the hundred thousands place.
    • 1000,000 → the millions place.
    • 10,000,000 → the ten millions place.
    • 100,000,000 → the hundred millions place.
  2. Image titled Write Numbers in Words Step 9

    2

    Add commas to long numbers. Start from the right side of the number, at the ones place. Count three digits to the left, then add a comma. Keep separating the number in groups of three.

    • For example, turn 458735 into 458,735.
    • Write 1510800 as 1,510,800.
    • You can use a period instead if that’s how people in your country write numbers.
  3. Image titled Write Numbers in Words Step 10

    3

    Write the last two digits. Look at the two digits at the end of the number. This part is just like writing a normal two-digit number.

    • 5,467,350 looks hard, but don’t worry. Start with just the 50 at the end. Write this as fifty.
  4. Image titled Write Numbers in Words Step 11

    4

    Write the hundreds place. The next digit is the hundreds place. This is an easy one. Just write the number in that place, then add the word «hundred.» Write this in front of your number.

    • In 5,467,350, the 3 is the hundreds place. Write this as ‘three hundred.
    • Now we have ‘three hundred fifty.
  5. Image titled Write Numbers in Words Step 12

    5

    Look at the next chunk of three. You just wrote the hundreds, tens, and ones place. The next three numbers are the thousands «chunk.» These are the hundred thousands, ten thousands, and one thousands. Write these the same way, then add the word «thousand.»

    • In 5,467,350, the 467 is the thousands chunk.
    • Write the 4 as four hundred.
    • Write the 67 as sixty-seven.
    • Write the whole chunk as four hundred sixty-seven thousand.
    • Now we have four hundred sixty-seven thousand, three hundred fifty.
  6. Image titled Write Numbers in Words Step 13

    6

    Do the same for the millions. The next chunk of three numbers are the millions. These are the hundred millions, ten millions, and one millions. This is just the same as before, but with millions at the end.

    • In 5,467,350, we only have a 5 in the millions place.
    • Write this as five million.
    • Finish writing the number: five million, four hundred sixty-seven thousand, three hundred fifty.
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Writing Numbers Practice and Answers

Add New Question

  • Question

    Am I correct if I write 350 as three hundred and fifty.

    Community Answer

    Yes, that form is easily understood. However, as the above article explains, it can also be written as «three hundred fifty.»

  • Question

    How do I write a number with a decimal in words?

    Donagan

    For example, you might express 10.3 as «ten point three» or «ten and three-tenths.»

  • Question

    How do I write 1,105,000?

    Donagan

    One-million, one-hundred-five thousand.

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  • If the commas are confusing, you can write the number with gaps instead.[2]
    For instance, turn 20000000 as 20 000 000.

  • You don’t need to write «and» in the middle of the number. Write «one hundred three,» not «one hundred and three.»

  • It is standard practice to always write numbers under 11, such as three and seven, in words in essays, articles, correspondence etc and use figures for higher number such as 35 and 14,500.

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To write numbers in words, start by learning to write the numbers one through nine. Once you know those words, learn the words for the numbers ten through nineteen. Then, count in tens from twenty to ninety. From there, you can write any number from one to one hundred by combining the words you’ve learned! To count by hundreds, write the number as usual, add the word «hundred,» then write the rest of the number. For tips on writing numbers in the thousands and higher, read on!

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