Simon’s ielts writing task 2

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'band 7 vocabulary' 
I sometimes use the term 'band 7 vocabulary' and several people have asked me to explain what I 
mean by this. Here goes: 
1. First, when I say 'band 7 vocabulary', I'm talking about vocabulary that could help you to get a band 
7 
or higher
. 
2. There is no list of band 7 vocabulary that you can use in any essay. 
3. 'Band 7 vocabulary' refers to words and phrases that 
relate to the question topic
. For example, a 
phrase like "delay the development of a child's first language" would be band 7 vocabulary, but a 
linking word like "moreover" would not. 
4. Examiners are looking for 'less common' vocabulary. They wouldn't expect many students to write 
"delay the development of a child's first language", so this phrase would impress them. 
5. Remember that we are 
not
looking for 'big' words that are difficult to understand. We are looking for 
groups of words used naturally and accurately together. The phrase "delay the development of a 
child's first language" is easy to understand, but not many students would think to use it. 
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IELTS Writing Task 2
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Wednesday, May 29, 2013 
IELTS Writing Task 2: find the good vocabulary 
In 
last week's lesson
I explained what I mean by 'band 7 vocabulary'. Read the lesson again, then 
study the paragraph below. 
Which words or phrases in the following paragraph might be considered 'band 7 or higher'?
It is true that there are some disadvantages to learning a foreign language at primary school age. The 
main problem is that young children need to study other subjects which can be considered as more 
important than a second language. The core subjects in most primary schools are the mother tongue 
language, mathematics and science, and it can be argued that lessons in a new language take 
valuable study time away from these key disciplines, as well as causing confusion in the young 
learners. In particular, some people might worry that lessons in the new language could delay the 
development of a child’s first language.