Today, we are going to discuss vocabulary range and accuracy, which is another important aspect in IELTS Writing Task 2. Some people have difficulty finding and using words for Writing Task 2 for various reasons. Dealing with difficult terms could cause us some troubles, paraphrasing a sentence may be difficult at times, and finding English equivalent for certain word may take us some time (if English is not our first language). A very difficult and unfamiliar topic can also be a factor why our vocabulary score is considerably lower compared to, let's say, grammatical accuracy and range. To demonstrate some skills that need to be mastered to maximize our score in vocabulary range and accuracy, we are going to use this sample topic.
It is argued that some ex-prisoneers are having difficulty rejoining the community and end up committing other crimes after they are released from prison
What do you think cause the problem and how should we resolve this issue?
Here is the sample answer
People have to go to jail because of the crimes that they have committed. Some of them will be released after serving their time in prison and will re-join the society. Being in a prison itself is harsh and difficult, but what ex-prisoners have to go through after getting back their freedom may even be more difficult.
While in prison, inmates can reflect on what they have done so wrong and try to redeem their mistakes by doing what is right. It is expected that they will find the right direction in life. However, things do not always go as planned. Many of those who were imprisoned find it hard to integrate into the society because of the stigma of ex-prisoners. Some people are avoiding them regardless of the fact that they have been fully rehabilitated. They also find it more difficult to get a job because of their criminal record. As a result, some of them are put in a very difficult situation where they become jobless and cannot support themselves and their family. Some of them are not so fortunate and end up committing other crimes due to financial difficulties. Besides the bad stereotypes, several ex-convicts also get involved in another crime because they are rejected by their family. Family could be the main reason why someone changes for the better, and rejection from those whom they love the most can be extremely harsh on former prisoners. Other than external factors, there is also an internal factor that make former inmates more prone to committing another felony. Several ex-felons feel like they have nothing to lose because they have lost their family, job opportunities, and trust from the society when they were put in jail. As a result, they may become a recidivist who spend years of going in and out of prison.
To overcome this issue, there has to be a thorough change in the correctional system. Instead of just punishing people, prisons should focus on rehabilitating them and helping them re-integrate into society. Vocational training program is one things that can help a former inmate rejoin society. In some prisons, inmates have the chance to learn occupational skills like sewing and carpentry. This will help them survive and thrive after they get their freedom back, because they can get a decent job or start a small business to support themselves. Stigmatization against ex-prisoners should also be stopped, especially when they have successfully avoided reoffending. Family and community should also be supportive, since the feeling of being left alone will turn someone into an outcast, making it more likely that they will engage in illegal activities.
It can be concluded that there are a lot of factors that can make an ex-prisoner more prone to committing another crime. To avoid this, there has to be some efforts to keep them away from prison, and one of the most viable solutions is to help ex-felons re-integrate into society.
Okay, now let's discuss some of the tips that we can use to maximize our score in vocabulary range and accuracy
Do not overuse certain word
I often see someone uses words such as like, really and very both in spoken and written English. This is a normal thing, but has to be avoided when taking IELTS test (or any other English Proficiency Test). We can replace the word like with words like such as, a case on point, or linking words like for example and for instance. Take a look at some examples below:
Original Sentence
Prisoners should be given a chance to learn occupational skills like sewing and carpentry, with a hope that they will become more financially independent after being released
Let's say I want to avoid overusing the word like, I will have to find another word to replace it, or even rephrase the whole sentence.
Paraphrased Sentence
(1) Prisoners should be given a chance to learn occupational skills such as sewing and carpentry, with a hope that they will become more financially independent after being released
(2) Prisoners should be given a chance to learn occupational skills. For example, they can be taught sewing and carpentry with a hope that they will become more financially independent after being released
(3) Prisoners should be given a chance to learn occupational skills. Sewing and carpentry training is a case on point. It is hoped that these skills can help ex-prisoners become more financially independent after being released
(4) Prisoners should be given a chance to learn occupational skills. For instance, they can be taught sewing and carpentry with a hope that they will become more financially independent after being releasedsewing and carpentry
Paraphrase words whenever possible
We have to try paraphrase words whenever possible, and this can only be done if you have a vast vocabulary. I don't have any specific tips for expanding vocabulary, except reading, making a list of new and difficult words, as well as using new words that you find in a passage. I know this method sounds like a very old school way of improving our vocabulary, but unlike grammar, vocabulary is not something that can be learned by a magic formula, you have to work hard for this one. If you don't feel like reading because it's too much of a burden for you, you can listen to news in English, listen to podcast, watch movies, and listen to your favorite songs and try to find as many new words as possible. After that, try to use that word in a sentence. When you find an opportunity to use that word in your essay, use it. That way, expanding vocabulary will be less of a burden because you learn it doing what you love.
As for me, I can expand my vocabulary by listening to podcasts alone. I really like listening to mystery and crime podcast on youtube. For me, it is a very fun activity. I don't quite realize just how many new words that I can learn only by listening to these podcasts, until very recently. It is more effortless to learn English by doing what we love rather than cramping our brain with words that we will soon forget.
Look at the complete essay below. I marked words that have similar meaning with different colors. Many of the colorful words that you find below is the result of listening to a lot of mystery and crime podcasts.
People have to go to jail because of the crimes that they have committed. Some of them will be released after serving their time in prison and will re-join the society. Being in a prison itself is harsh and difficult, but what ex-prisoners have to go through after getting back their freedom may even be more difficult.
While in prison, inmates can reflect on what they have done so wrong and try to redeem their mistakes by doing what is right. It is expected that they will find the right direction in life. However, things do not always go as planned. Many of those who were imprisoned find it hard to integrate into the society because of the stigma of ex-prisoners. Some people are avoiding them regardless of the fact that they have been fully rehabilitated. They also find it more difficult to get a job because of their criminal record. As a result, some of them are put in a very difficult situation where they become jobless and cannot support themselves and their family. Some of them are not so fortunate and end up committing other crimes due to financial difficulties. Besides the bad stereotypes, several ex-convicts also get involved in another crime because they are rejected by their family. Family could be the main reason why someone changes for the better, and rejection from those whom they love the most can be extremely harsh on former prisoners. Other than external factors, there is also an internal factor that make former inmates more prone to committing another felony. Several ex-felons feel like they have nothing to lose because they have lost their family, job opportunities, and trust from the society when they were put in jail. As a result, they may become a recidivist who spend years of going in and out of prison.
To overcome this issue, there has to be a thorough change in the correctional system. Instead of just punishing people, prisons should focus on rehabilitating them and helping them re-integrate into society. Vocational training program is one things that can help a former inmate rejoin society. In some prisons, inmates have the chance to learn occupational skills like sewing and carpentry. This will help them survive and thrive after they get their freedom back, because they can get a decent job or start a small business to support themselves. Stigmatization against ex-prisoners should also be stopped, especially when they have successfully avoided reoffending. Family and community should also be supportive, since the feeling of being left alone will turn someone into an outcast, making it more likely that they will engage in illegal activities.
It can be concluded that there are a lot of factors that can make an ex-prisoner more prone to committing another crime. To avoid this, there has to be some efforts to keep them away from prison, and one of the most viable solutions is to help ex-felons re-integrate into society.
Do not use certain words that in academic writing
Sometimes, we unkowingly use words that are not supposed to be used in academic writing. There are some words that we have to avoid when doing IELTS Writing, here are some of the examples:
Contraction
The most common mistake that I often see is the use of contraction such as don't, doesn't, can't, isn't shouldn't, won't and some other contractions. The use of contractions is very common in spoken English, but not in academic writing.
Slang
Slang is also not allowed in academic writing. We may use words like sort of or kind of in real conversation, but academic writing requires us to use formal language and be more assertive, so these words definitely have to be avoided. There are other words that fall under the general category of informal words that we also have to avoid, such as kind (use type instead) and kid(s) (use child or children instead)
Cliché
You have to be direct and concise when writing an academic writing, so try avoiding expressions like in a blink of an eye (use immediately instead) or little did they know (replace it with there is a lack of awareness among...) or every rose has its thorn (the meaning is too general, you've got to be more specific). These expressions are commonly used in informal communication or creative/fictional writing, but not in an academic writing.
Redundancy
Avoid the use of unnecessary words when writing an academic writing can be pretty hard sometimes. Redundancy may be easily found during a proofreding, so I suggest you to spare some time to re-read your writing. Take a look at an example below:
As they read more books and learn new things at school, students' writing skill will also evolve over time
In the sentence above, the phrase over time doesn't really explain anything because the word evolve means develop gradually. The meaning of the sentence will not change even if the phrase is ommitted. Several redundancies may sound right when we first read or hear it, which makes it difficult to find especially if you write a pretty long essay. But if you pay a close attention to detail, you will know that certain word does not contribute anything to the meaning of a phrase or sentence and hence, should be deleted.
Subjective and Gendered Language
This is one of the most common mistakes that we see in an academic writing. Some people are so used to spoken communication (which is more likely to be casual and personal) and find it extremely difficult to switch to a formal and impersonal writing. I have seen a lot of people using Pronouns like I and we (which makes the writing more personal) as well as gendered language such as she, he, the man and the woman. To avoid this, we can use Pronoun they and some other words like one, someone, or a person. We can also use impersonal pronoun it. So, instead of writing:
We know that stigmatization is the main reason why ex-prisoners find it hard to rejoin the society
We should write:
It is believed that stigmatization is the main reason why ex-prisoners find it hard to rejoin the society
Unsophisticated Words
The key to a good writing is simplicity, but you should avoid overusing simple words because they may give an impression of a low-quality essay. Take a look at an example below.
- It can be seen that there are a lot of children having a fever during the cold winter
- The data indicates that there is an increasing trend of children having a mild fever during the cold winter
Changing the structure of a sentence
Sometimes, we simply can't paraphrase a word because there is no other word to replace it. In this case, we have to be a little bit more creative with out grammatical skill. For example, we can avoid using the same word over and over again by changing it into a Noun Clause. Take a look at an example below:
While in prison, inmates can reflect on what they have done so wrong and try to redeem their mistakes by doing what is right
Notice how I use both the words mistake and what the have done so wrong which actually mean the same thing. This is done when you have to paraphrase certain word but you have run out of options. The same thing can also be done using phrase, like some of the examples below:
Inmates can learn occupational skills to help them become independent and successfully re-integrate into the society
Inmates can learn occupational skills in order to become more independent and successfully re-integrate into the society
Inmates can learn occupational skills so that they successfully re-integrate into the society and become more independent
Inmates can learn occupational skills with a hope that they will become more independent and sucessfully re-integrate into the society
If you pay attention to the sentences above, you notice that all of them explain the goal of learning occupational skills for inmates. I can explain this idea using a variety of grammatical form (to infinitive, prepositional phrase, adverbial clause, etc) so I don't have to rely on my lexical skill (which sometimes gives us very limited options).
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