Lesson 7 of 8 · 10 min read

Vocabulary & grammar for a higher band

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Moving from band 6 to 7 in Writing and Speaking is mostly about range and accuracy: using less common words and complex sentences correctly, not just trying them.

Vocabulary moves

Instead of…	Try…
very important	crucial, essential, vital
a lot of people	a significant number of people, the majority of
get better	improve, enhance, make progress
big problem	serious issue, major concern, pressing challenge
I think	I would argue that, In my view, I am convinced that
bad effects	negative consequences, harmful impact, drawbacks

Collocations: words that belong together

make a decision (not do a decision)
pay attention, take responsibility, raise awareness
heavy traffic, strong evidence, rapid growth, a wide range
have an impact on, play a role in, draw a conclusion

Grammar for band 7

Conditionals: "If governments invested more in public transport, fewer people would drive."
Relative clauses: "Students who work part-time often manage their time better."
Passives, to sound objective: "It is widely believed that…" / "Measures should be taken to…"
Concession: "Although technology saves time, it can also…" / "Despite the cost, …"
Varied tenses: present perfect for change over time ("Prices have risen…")

Errors examiners see most

Wrong	Right
People is…	People are…
He have	He has
The informations / advices	The information / advice (uncountable)
Discuss about the problem	Discuss the problem
In the other hand	On the other hand
Since five years	For five years
Peoples' lives	People's lives

Keep an error log: every time a teacher or our AI marking corrects you, write the mistake and the correct form. Review it weekly. Most people repeat the same five or six errors.