IELTS Vocab - U6 Flashcards
to work correctly and as expected
(verb, I)
… effectively/properly/well
Flights were delayed because the airport computer system was not … .
function
/ˈfʌŋkʃən/
the ability to speak or write a language easily, well, and quickly
(noun, B2)
One of the requirements of the job is … in two or more African languages.
His time here is certainly improving his … .
fluency
/ˈfluː.ən.si/
(a) talk between two or more people in which thoughts, feelings, and ideas are expressed, questions are asked and answered, or news and information is exchanged
(noun)
She had a strange … with the man who moved in upstairs.
It’s impossible to hold/carry on a … with all this noise going on!
I struck up (= started) an interesting conversation with your uncle.
Because of television, many people have lost the art of … (= talking to each other).
Whenever I’m in a social situation with my boss, we seem to run out of … (= things to say to each other) after two minutes!
conversation
ˌ/kɑːn.vɚˈseɪ.ʃən/
to say things to someone who you do not know well, in order to be polite
(idiom)
I was just trying to … … .
make conversation
/kɑːn.vɚˈseɪ.ʃən/
purpose or usefulness
(noun)
[ + -ing verb ] informal There’s no … arguing about it - we’re going and that’s that.
I’d like to write to him, but what’s the …? He never writes back.
I see little … in discussing this further.
point
/pɔɪnt/
a place to stay or live
(noun)
They paid for his flights and hotel … .
There’s a shortage of cheap … in the city.
There is … for about five hundred students on campus.
Hostels are a temporary solution until the families can be housed in permanent … .
accommodation
/əˌkɑː.məˈdeɪ.ʃən/
the fact of being exact or correct
(noun)
Patricia has checked the reports and can vouch for the … of the information.
Experience is needed to use the machine with … .
The computer will calculate your position with pinpoint … .
He always hits the ball with great … .
Predictions can be made with a high degree of ….
accuracy
/ˈæk.jɚ.ə.si/
to change words into a different language
(verb)
We were asked to … a list of sentences.
She works for the UN, … from English into French.
translate
/trænsˈleɪt/
to create something or bring into existence
(verb)
Bukowski .. poetry and novels.
Dairy goods and beef are … locally.
produce
/prəˈduːs/
to get a particular number of points on a test or in an examination
(verb)
She did well in her exam, … 85, well above the necessary 60.
All the youngsters … well in intelligence tests.
score
/skɔːr/
to continue making an effort to do or achieve something, even when this is difficult or takes a long time
(verb)
If you … long enough and work hard enough, you’ll eventually succeed.
I did not … with learning to play the violin.
We will … in this struggle for peace, no matter how long it takes.
The prime minister is aware of the risks of … with an unpopular policy.
He urged them to … in keeping the promises they had made.
persevere
/ˌpɝː.səˈvɪr/
to find something or someone annoying or offensive
(idiom)
I … … real … with people who use their mobile phones on the train.
She can smoke - I don’t … … … with that.
have a problem with something/someone
said when you are about to tell someone the most important fact they should remember in a situation
(idiom)
… … … … … …, you can only do your best.
when all is said and done
to experience difficulty and make a very great effort in order to do something
[ + to infinitive ] The dog had been … to get free of the wire noose.
I’ve been … to understand this article all afternoon.
Fish … for survival when the water level drops in the lake.
struggle
/ˈstrʌɡ.əl/
If something … someone or something, it is too much, or almost too much, for them to manage
(verb)
An attack that injures massive numbers would … hospitals.
Doctors’ offices would be … with phone calls.
overwhelm
/ˌoʊ·vərˈhwelm/
or more exactly
(idiom)
Our friends, … … … … our son’s friends, will meet us at the airport.
this is to say …
as you would expect; added to, or used to introduce, a remark giving information that is expected and not surprising
(idiom)
… … …, he’ll be off work for a while.
needless to say
used to show that what you are describing is in fact much more serious or important than you have suggested
(idiom, C1)
It’s going to be awkward, … … … … .
to say the least
said to mean that something has advantages
(idiom)
… … … … … … … living alone.
there’s something to be said for
(also there’s a lot to be said for)
despite what has just been said
(idiom)
He forgets most things, but … … …, he always remembers my birthday.
having said that
used to show that you completely agree with what someone has said
(idiom)
you can say that again!
to repeat the main points of an explanation or a description
(verb)
Finally, the teacher … the main points of the lesson.
To …, our main aim is to increase sales by 15 percent this year.
recap
/ˈriː.kæp/ /ˌriːˈkæp/
to bring the memory of a past event into your mind, and often to give a description of what you remember
(verb, B2)
he old man …the city as it had been before the war.
“As I …,” he said with some irritation, “you still owe me €150.”
[ + (that) ] He …(that) he had sent the letter over a month ago.
[ + question word ] Can you …what happened last night?
[ + -ing verb ] She …seeing him outside the shop on the night of the robbery.
recall
/riː.’kɑːl/
a guess about something based on how it seems and not on proof
(noun [ C or U ])
There’s been a lot of … in the media recently about the marriage.
conjecture
/kənˈdʒek.tʃɚ/
to make clear what you think or want without saying it directly
(verb [ T ] formal)
[ + (that) ] She has …that she will resign if she loses the vote.
intimate
/ˈɪn.tə.meɪt/
the official right to belong to a particular country
She has British ….
What …are you?
nationality
/ˌnæʃ.ənˈæl.ə.t̬i/ /ˌnæʃˈnæl.ə.t̬i/
If someone has a …to do or like something, they will probably do it or like it
(noun [ C ], C1)
[ + to infinitive ] His … to exaggerate is well known.
tendency
/ˈten.dən.si/
to receive money, a house, etc. from someone after they have died
(verb, C2 )
Who will … the house when he dies?
All her children will … equally.
inherit
/ɪnˈher.ɪt/
existing as a natural or basic part of something
(adjective, C2)
There are dangers/risks …in almost every sport.
I have an …distrust of lawyers.
inherent
/ɪnˈhɪr.ənt/
to interest someone a lot, especially by being strange, unusual, or mysterious
(verb [ T ])
Throughout history, people have been … by the question of whether there is intelligent life elsewhere in the universe.
intrigue
/ɪnˈtriːɡ/
to communicate what you think or feel, by speaking or writing, or in some other way
(verb [ T ], B2)
I’m afraid I’m not … … very clearly.
Children often … … in painting.
He felt he was unable to … … freely when his boss was around.
We were raised to debate issues and not to be afraid to … … .
Everyone she meets is impressed by the ease with which she … … .
express yourself
to show, point, or make clear in another way
(verb, B2)
Exploratory investigations have … large amounts of oil below the sea bed.
[ + question word ] Please … which free gift you would like to receive.
[ + (that) ] She … to me (that) she didn’t want me to say anything.
indicate
/ˈɪn.də.keɪt/
used when you want to say that two or more things are not true
(phrase, B2)
… my mother … my father went to university.
They speak … French … German, but a mixture of the two.
I … know … care what happened to him.
He had … the energy … the inclination to help.
We have … the time … the resources to address the problem.
I … praise … criticize him.
neither … nor
only; and nothing more
(adverb, B2)
I wasn’t complaining, I … said that I was tired.
I didn’t say that you had to go - I … suggested that you might want to go.
merely
/ˈmɪr.li/
to talk or write about someone or something, especially in only a few words
(phrasal verb, B2)
In her autobiography she occasionally … … her unhappy schooldays.
He always … … the house as his “refuge”.
refer to someone/something
/rɪˈfɝː/
to have a conversation with someone
(verb, formal)
She’s so shy that … with her can be pretty hard.
converse
/kənˈvɝːs/
to notice or understand the difference between two things, or to make one person or thing seem different from another
(verb, B2)
He’s colour-blind and can’t …(the difference) between red and green easily.
I sometimes have difficulty …Spanish from Portuguese.
It’s important to …between business and pleasure.
It’s not the beauty so much as the range of his voice that …him from other tenors.
distinguish
/dɪˈstɪŋ.ɡwɪʃ/
existing or happening independently or in a different physical space
(adjective, B1)
The art department and the music department are in two … buildings.
I try to keep meat …from other food in the fridge.
I have my public life and my private life, and as far as possible I try to keep them … .
Three youths have been shot and killed in … incidents this month.
separate
/ˈsep.ɚ.ət/
to explain or examine something in order to make its meaning clearer
(verb, B1, [ T ])
He read the agreed statement to the group and then began to …it for them.
unpack
/ʌnˈpæk/
a principle or idea
(noun)
The … of free speech is unknown to them.
It is very difficult to define the … of beauty.
I failed to grasp the film’s central … .
Kleenbrite is a whole new … in toothpaste!
concept
/ˈkɑːn.sept/
after a period of time
(phrase)
I assume they plan to have children … … … … … .
… … … … …, and once her parents’ estate was settled, she received a small inheritance.
Shakespeare’s plays were first printed in 1616, and, … … … … …, more editions were published.
We hope that … … … … … these two branches of the legal profession may be merged.
It is possible that … … … … … scientific research may be able to shed more light on the origins of the universe.
over the course of time
(also in the course of time)
If a way of thinking, a system, or a machine is …, it is complicated or made with great skill
(adjective, B2)
… computer systems
sophisticated
/səˈfɪs.tə.keɪ.t̬ɪd/
to understand something or to find the answer to something by thinking about it
(phrasal verb, C2)
[ + question word ] There will be a full investigation to … … what caused the accident.
[ + that ] Investigators needed several months to … … that a fraud had been committed.
work something out
(US usually figure sth out)
to teach someone how to do something
(verb, C2)
He works in a sports centre … people in the use of the gym equipment.
instruct
/ɪnˈstrʌkt/
at the beginning
(adverb, B2)
…, most people approved of the new plan.
The damage was far more serious than …believed.
initially
/ɪˈnɪʃ.əl.i/
to appear by coming out of something or out from behind something
She … from the sea, blue with cold.
emerge
=> to appear
appear: One or two clouds appeared in the sky.
be/become visible: As the beach gets darker, the glow of city lights becomes more visible.
show itself: He believes the impact is showing itself clearly already.
emerge: A slender figure is seen emerging from the darkness.
loom: Clouds of volcanic ash loomed menacingly overhead.
to develop gradually, or to cause something or someone to develop gradually
(verb [ I or T ], C1)
Did humans …from apes?
The company has …over the years into a multi-million dollar organization.
Bacteria are …resistance to antibiotics.
evolve
/ɪˈvɑːlv/
=> to make different
change: She’ll always be like that - you can’t change her.
alter: We’ve had to alter our plans.
vary: Try to vary the children’s diet a little.
convert: We’re going to convert the spare bedroom into an office.
turn into: There are plans to turn his latest book into a film.
transform: The riverside area has been transformed into a shopping and sports complex.
a movement of the hands, arms, or head, etc. to express an idea or feeling
(noun, C1)
The prisoner raised his fist in a …of defiance as he was led out of the courtroom.
She made a rude …at the other driver.
gesture
/ˈdʒes.tʃɚ/
a method or way of doing something
(noun, plural: means)
They had no …of communication.
We need to find some other …of transportation.
We need to use every …at our disposal.
She tried to explain by …of sign language.
There is no …of tracing the debt at all.
The family had no …of support (= way of getting money).
means
/miːnz/
in a way that is natural, often sudden, and not planned or forced
(adverb)
This story may prompt you to burst …into uncontrollable sobs.
spontaneously
/spɑːnˈteɪ.ni.əs.li/
a hidden problem or disadvantage
(noun, S)
what’s the catch Free food? It sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch?
catch
/kætʃ/
the way something is naturally made or the way it has been arranged
(noun, C2)
a rock …
cloud …
formation
/fɔːrˈmeɪ.ʃən/
someone or something that is not included in a rule, group, or list or that does not behave in the expected way
(noun, [ C or U ], B2)
Men are usually quite good at map-reading but Tim is the … .
There are … to every rule.
I like all kinds of movies with the … of (= but not) horror movies.
Her books are always entertaining and this one is no … .
You must report here every Tuesday without … .
exception
/ɪkˈsep.ʃən/
