Grammar lets us build sentences; vocabulary lets us say what we mean. Without enough words, even perfect grammar will not help. In the exam, vocabulary is often not a separate section, yet understanding Reading and Listening texts depends on it, and so does the lexical resource criterion in Writing and Speaking. At higher levels, what matters is not just how many words you know but whether you use them in the right combinations, the right form and the right style. This lesson covers topic vocabulary, word formation, collocations, phrasal verbs, style and ways to learn words.
§1. Topic vocabulary
The most frequent exam topics and their key words:
Education:curriculum, tuition fees, degree, scholarship, distance learning, to graduate, to enrol, assessment.
Work and careers:employer, employee, salary, promotion, to apply for a job, CV, interview, part-time, unemployment.
Technology:device, app, software, social media, artificial intelligence, to download, privacy, screen time.
Health:diet, obesity, to exercise, treatment, symptoms, mental health, healthy lifestyle.
Cities and transport:traffic jam, public transport, commute, crowded, suburb, infrastructure.
Travel and culture:destination, accommodation, sightseeing, heritage, tradition, customs.
Keep a vocabulary notebook by topic: word — pronunciation — example sentence — synonym — typical combinations. Record words in combinations, not alone: not tuition but pay tuition fees.
Word + pronunciation + example + synonym + collocation = a word fully learned
§2. Word formation
One root produces several parts of speech. Exams often include a separate task: put the word in brackets into the form that fits the sentence.
The position in the sentence shows which part of speech you need: after an article or adjective — a noun; after be or before a noun — an adjective; after a verb — an adverb.
Worked example
The ___ of the new bridge took three years. (construct)
The gap follows the and comes before of, so a noun is needed.
The noun from construct is formed with -ion.
Answer: construction.
Worked example
It is ___ to drive without a licence. (legal)
It is ___ — an adjective is needed after be.
The meaning is negative: driving without a licence is against the law.
Adjectives beginning with l take the negative prefix il-.
Answer: illegal.
§3. Collocations
English words go together in fixed partnerships; breaking them sounds unnatural even when there is no grammatical error.
make: a decision, a mistake, progress, an effort, money, a phone call
do: homework, research, business, your best, exercise, the shopping
take: a photo, a break, an exam, part in, care of, place
have: a rest, a shower, fun, a look, an argument
General logic: make is about creating something, a result; do is about activities, work and tasks.
Adjective + noun: heavy rain (✗ strong rain), strong coffee, high price, heavy traffic, serious problem, major role. Adverb + adjective: highly recommended, deeply concerned, fully aware, bitterly cold.
Worked example
She ___ a lot of mistakes in her essay, so she ___ some extra exercises. (make / do)
mistakes collocates with make: make a mistake.
exercises are a task or activity → do.
The tense is past: made, did.
Answer: made, did.
§4. Phrasal verbs
A phrasal verb = verb + particle (up, off, out, on…); its meaning often cannot be guessed from the parts:
give up — stop doing · look after — take care of · look up — search in a dictionary · turn down — refuse · put off — delay · find out — discover
get on with — have a good relationship · run out of — have none left · carry on — continue · bring up — raise a child / mention a topic · set up — establish · come across — find by chance
With separable verbs the object can go in the middle or at the end, but a pronoun must go in the middle: turn the TV off / turn off the TV / turn it off (✗ turn off it). Inseparable verbs: look after the children, look after them.
In formal writing a one-word synonym is often better: postpone (put off), discover (find out), establish (set up), reject (turn down).
§5. Style, synonyms and precision
Formal and informal words:buy — purchase, get — obtain/receive, help — assist, ask — enquire, kids — children. Avoid the informal word in formal letters and essays.
Synonyms avoid repetition:important — significant — crucial — essential; big — large — huge — enormous; show — demonstrate — illustrate. But synonyms are not always interchangeable: a big mistake is natural, a large mistake is odd.
The precise word: instead of good, choose a word that fits: a beneficial effect, a reliable source, a talented student.
False friends: words that look like Uzbek or Russian words may mean something else: magazine is a periodical (not a shop), fabric is cloth (not a factory), sympathetic means understanding (not good-looking).
§6. How to learn words
Learn in context — record every word with a sentence.
Space your revision: 1 day → 3 days → 1 week → 1 month (flashcards or apps).
Use words actively: write a sentence about yourself with each new word and use it in Speaking practice.
Record word families together: decide, decision, decisive, indecisive.
Read and listen a lot — your passive vocabulary is always larger than your active one, and the active one grows out of it.
Check yourself
She ___ a lot of mistakes in her essay. (did / made)
Smoking is ___ for your health. (harm)
I need to ___ this word in the dictionary. (phrasal verb)
The meeting was ___ until next week. (formal, one word)
It’s ___ to drive without a licence. (legal)
Find the wrong collocation: heavy traffic, strong rain, fast food.
There has been a lot of ___ in the city recently. (develop)
This hotel is highly ___ . (recommend)
Common mistakes
Confusing make and do: ✗ do a mistake → ✓ make a mistake.
The wrong part of speech: ✗ It was a success decision → ✓ a successful decision.
Taking the first dictionary translation without checking the context.
Repeating the same word in Writing — use synonyms.
Pronoun position in phrasal verbs: ✗ pick up it → ✓ pick it up.
Informal words in formal texts: ✗ kids, a lot of stuff → ✓ children, many things.