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Academic Vocabulary Builder

Lexical Resource is a full quarter of your writing and speaking score. This free course gives you the topic vocabulary, collocations and linking phrases that make your English sound natural and academic — not memorised.

How vocabulary is really scored

Examiners are not counting "big words". They reward range (variety), precision (the right word), and collocation (words that naturally go together). "Do a mistake" is wrong; "make a mistake" is a collocation. Getting collocations right matters more than rare vocabulary.

Lesson 1 · Topic word banks

Build small banks for the common test topics so you are never stuck:

Environment: carbon footprint, renewable energy, conservation, emissions, sustainable, biodiversity.
Education: curriculum, tuition fees, vocational training, literacy, lifelong learning.
Technology: automation, digital divide, innovation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence.
Health: sedentary lifestyle, preventive care, life expectancy, mental wellbeing, obesity.

Lesson 2 · Collocations that sound native

make a decision · take responsibility · raise awareness · pose a threat · play a role · meet a deadline · draw a conclusion · address an issue
Learn verbs + nouns together, never single words. "Address an issue" scores; "solve an issue" is weaker.

Lesson 3 · Linking words (used correctly)

Adding: moreover, in addition, furthermore. Contrast: however, nevertheless, on the other hand. Cause: consequently, as a result, therefore. Example: for instance, namely, to illustrate.

Overuse warning: Starting every sentence with "Moreover" hurts your score. Use one linker per idea, then vary the sentence itself.

Lesson 4 · Paraphrasing the question

Every IELTS/PTE writing task rewards paraphrasing the prompt in your own words. "Many people believe children spend too much time on the internet" → "It is widely argued that young people devote excessive hours to online activity."

Swap the subject, the verb, and one key noun — three changes is enough. Don't force a synonym for every word.

Put it to work

Write a paragraph using five collocations above, then paste it into the free Band Checker for a Lexical Resource score with fixes in your language. For speaking practice, use the Speaking Coach.

Check your vocabulary score →