List of vocabulary

Do not repeat the same words all over in your speech. Try to come up with synonyms or other ways of conveying your answers. Use high level words in your Speakings.

LIST OF KEYWORDS

Useful adjective for speaking

• Essential – crucial: I am learning English as it is essential for my degree.

• Worthwhile – valuable: They carried out the experiment as it was a worthwhile project.

• Pointless – useless: It is pointless to carry on so we should give up.

• Feasible – possible: It isn´t feasible to carry on.

• Inevitable – certain: The outcome was inevitable so we gave up.

Key phrases for speaking

• There is no point in – There was no point in doing that course; it was useless.

• Make sense – be logical: I won´t do it that way as it doesn´t make sense.

• Make no difference – serve for nothing: It makes no difference how you do it, it won´t work.

• Be out of the question – not be an option: Redoing the project it out of the question; there is no time for that.

• Be a matter of – be a question of: It is only a matter of time before he finds out what you did.

• Have no option, but (infinitive) – have no choice: They had no option, but to look for an alternative route.

• The be all and end all – be of importance: Going to university is not the be all and end all.

• Be a waste of time – be a misuse of time: That course was a complete waste of time; hence I will not do another one in the same place.

LIST OF THE MOST GENERIC WORDS (NOUNS AND VERBS)

• People -> individuals, most of us, the vast majority of, society, citizens, the public, residents, community.

• Improve -> enhance, upgrade, boost.

• Important > meaningful, pivotal, paramount, crucial, significant, relevant.

• Activity > pursuit.

• Hobby> passtime.

• Task > assignment.

• Advantage > profit, benefit, perk, silver lining, plus.

• Answer > reply, response, comeback, return.

• Child > kid, minor, offspring, youngling.

• Consequence > result, outcome, repercussion, effect.

• Emphasize > draw/call attention to, stress on, underline, point out, make clear.

• Fast > quick, rapid, speedy, hasty.

• Run > rush, hurry, hustle.

• Language > mother tongue, native tongue, first tongue.

• Look > appereance, aspect, looks.

• Moody > temperamental, changeable, short-tempered.

• Nature > environment, rural setting, the outdoors.

• New > recent, fresh, original.

• Now > at the present, at the moment, these days, nowadays, currently.

• Number > quantity, amount, total, sum.

• Place > region, area, zone, territory, location.

• People > society, the majority, citizens, the public, individuals, residents, community.

• Picture > image, illustration, photograph, photo.

• Plan > strategy, procedure, method, outline.

• Problem > bind, pickle, quandary, predicament, challenge.

• Really > indeed, actually, honestly, no kidding.

• Some > a little, somewhat, to a certain extent, to a degree.

• Sometimes > at times, on and off, more often than not, every once in a while.

• Time > schedule, arrangement, timetable.

• Thing > issue, matter, aspect, topic, trait, detail, attribute, point.

• Way > approach, method, means, course of action.

• Work > occupation, profession, job.

• Vocation > calling, pursuit.

• Young > the young’uns, youngsters, adolescents.

LIST OF THE MOST GENERIC WORDS (ADJECTIVES)

Make sure you decorate your speech by using plenty of adjectives whenever you are describing something.

• Good (example 1):  positive, top-notch, optimal, high-end, first-rate, ethical, safe.

• Good (example 2): awesome, great, beneficial, effective, positive.

• Bad: dreadful, negative, inadequate, second-hand, suboptimal, inferior, wrong, unethical, regretful, detrimental, unfavourable.

• Difficult: challenging, uphill, taxing, troublesome.

• Important: relevant, paramount, imperative, crucial.

• big: large, giant, enormous, expansive.

• blank: empty, plain, clear, clean.

• broad: wide, large, deep, immense, extended.

• center: middle, midpoint, heart, core, central point.

• intelligent: clever, genius, cunning, wise.

• dangerous: risky, unsafe, hazardous.

• false: untrue, incorrect, mistaken, fake.

• fertile: fruitful, productive, rich.

• happy: glad, cheerful, joyful, content.

• high: tall, gigantic.

• huge: enormous, large, colossal.

• smart: clever, bright, savvy, wise.

• lazy: indolent, slothful, idle, lethargic.

• little: small, bit, pinch.

• loving: fond, tender, caring, warm.

• mad: crazy, angry, furious, upset.

• new: modern, fashionable, cutting-edge, trendy, in fashion.

• nice: kind, sweat, lovely, warm.

• noisy: rowdy, loud, ear-shattering.

• old: ancient, antique, elder.

• polite: courteous, considerate, well-mannered, respectful.

• poor: destitute, broke, needy.

• real: genuine, authentic, true, original.

• rich: wealthy, affluent, opulent, prosperous.

• rude: impolite, disrespectful, offensive, inconsiderate.

• sad: unhappy, gloomy, miserable, discouraged.

• safe: secure, safe and sound.

• slim: slender, skinny, thin, lean.

• usual: normal, ordinary, typical, common, standard.

• vacant: empty, unoccupied, void.

• weak: feeble, delicate, faint, soft.

• well-known: famous, recognized, notorious, popular, public.

LIST OF LIKES AND DISLIKES

Expressing DISLIKES in different ways:

• Dislike: I dislike my new boss; be is so annoying.

• Despise: I despise being treated like a child.

• Detest: I detest working overtime on weekends.

• Hate: I hate going to church on Sundays.

• Can´t stand: I can´t stand doing Pilates.

• Loathe: I loathe eating fish and chips.

• Feel distaste for: I feel a distaste for doing calculus at school.

• Go off: I have gone off my job.

• Object to: I object to having to do things that I don´t want to do.

• Have an aversion to: I have an aversion to listening to people complain all the time.

• Show hostility towards: We should never show hostility towards other people.

Expressing LIKES and TASTES in different ways:

• Love: I love going to the cinema with my kids.

• Enjoy: I enjoy working out in the morning.

• Adore: I adore reading a good book on the beach.

• Prefer: I prefer listening to music to watching TV.

• Be hooked on: I am hooked on drinking freshly squeezed orange juice each morning.

• Be keen on: I am keen on spending time with my friends and family.

• Be fond of: I am fond of surfing the internet.

• Be a fan of: I am fan of writing articles for my blog.

• Be interested in: Are you interesting in learning languages?

• Be crazy about: I am crazy about speaking foreign languages when I am abroad.

• Be mad about: I am mad about meeting new people and having a good time.

• Be addicted to (colloquial): My sister is addicted to using her mobile phone; she can´t put it down.

• Be into: I am into working in a team more than working by myself.

• Appeal to: Learning a foreign language really appeals to me.

• Be pleased by: I am pleased by your latest news; congratulations!

• Take to: I have taken to eating blue cheese.

• Cannot get enough of: I cannot get enough of this beer; it is delicious.

LIST OF INTENSIFIERS FOR THE SPEAKING

Use as many adverbs as possible across your Speaking. They provide coherence and fluency.

• Actually: This is actually a pretty good question.

• Apparently: The Korean ship was apparently undamaged.

• Awfully ¡Be careful! Awful means very bad, but awfully usually describes something great, like: The cake was awfully delicious!

• Basically: Basically, the system ought to have worked.

• Categorically:  Indeed, he had categorically denied that there was any danger.

• Certainly: There certainly wasn’t any malice in her comments.

• Definitely: I definitely remember sending the letter.

• Deeply: The opinion is deeply divided on this issue.

• Enthusiastically: We all clapped his performance enthusiastically.

• Essentially: A society is essentially an organism.

• Generally: It is now generally accepted that …

• Honestly: I honestly don’t know.

• Incredibly: I felt incredibly ashamed of myself for getting so angry.

• Literally: She was literally blue with cold.

• Phenomenally: This product has been phenomenally successful.

• Possibly: How can I possibly do it?

• Positively: She was positively beaming with pleasure.

• Probably: Most scientists would probably lean toward this viewpoint.

• Not likely: Also, eating is not likely to be viewed as a cardinal sin.

• Readily: The plants readily respond to these stimuli.

• Seriously: Many rivers and lakes are seriously polluted.

• Strongly: He remained strongly optimistic that an agreement could be reached.

• Sincerely: We are sincerely grateful for your help.

• Super: Sorry, I’m super tired, I have to turn in.

• Undecidedly: Tom was staggering around undecidedly among the bushes, when he noticed a man on a horse behind himself.

• Unlikely: They are unlikely to have changed their thinking so soon.

• Terribly: My son’s terribly untidy; my daughter’s no different.

• Truly: Only a truly free person has human dignity.

• Virtually (prácticamente): This new material is virtually unbreakable.

LIST OF GENERAL OPINIONS IN PASSIVE

The impersonal passive: General opinions

• It is said that…

• It is thought that…

• It is stated that…

• It is known that…

• It is believed…

• It is often said that…

• It is normally thought that…

• It is usually stated that…

• It is widely known that…

• It is almost always believed …

LIST OF ACADEMIC VOCABULARY C1 LEVEL

Vocabulario académico en inglés C1