Phrase Bank

Phrase Bank for IELTS and TOFLE

Academic Writing
Table /Chart/Diagram
Introductory phrases - when you start your talk:

Im going to talk about

Id like to talk about
I want to talk about
What I'm going to talk about is
I'm going to describe
Developing phrases - when you want to expand your argument:

First of all
Secondly,
Additionally,
Another thing
Another reason why
Furthermore
On top of that
Background phrases - when you want to add some detail:

It's near
It happened
It took place
Its been going on for/since
At that time
Impression phrases - when you want to say something that made an
impression on you:
impressed me
motivated me
moved me
disturbed me
touched me deeply
had an effect on me
affected me
... influenced me.

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Things you like phrases - when you want to describe or talk about things
you like:

I like most of all

I enjoy

I love doing...

really appeals to me because

I take great pleasure in
Give yourself time to think repeat/reformulate the question
What did I enjoy doing as a child? Let me see
Thats not something Ive thought about before. Its an interesting question.
If it was a word or phrase you didn't quite understand just say
something on the lines of:
"Sorry but could you explain what you mean by ........"
"I haven't come across that word/expression before.
Could you explain what you mean?"
If you just didn't understand what the interviewer has said, ask them to
repeat the question
"Sorry, I didn't catch that. Could you say that again?"
"Excuse me. Could you repeat that?"
And if you're looking for clarification ask the interviewer to confirm
what you think was asked.
"Do you mean ........"
"When you say ........, are you asking/do you mean ........?"
Vocabulary : Numbers
1990

1995

1200

1800

1992
500

1994
1000

1996
3000

1998
12000

You could describe the above table using numbers,

fractions or percentages:
The number went up by 600, from 1200 to 800. (Number)
The number went up by half, from 1200 to 1800. (Fraction)
The number went up by 50%, from 1200 to 1800. Percentage)
The number went up 150%, to 1800. (Percentage)

Use "trebled," "-fold," and "times:"

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The number doubled between 1992 and 1994.

The number trebled between 1994 and 1996.
The number quadrupled from 1996 to 1998
There was a twofold increase between 1992 and 1994.
The number went up sixfold between 1992 and 1996.
The figure in 1996 was three times the 1992 figure.
The figure in 1998 was four times the 1996 figure.

Use Fractions:
Between 1992 and 1994, the figure fell by one-fifth.
Between 1994 and 1996, the number dropped by a half.
The figure in 1998 was one-tenth the 1992 total.
The Language of Graphs

Word/Phrases
Description/Example
Prepositions
Between 1995 and 2000
From 1995 to 2000

Movement: Down
Fell
Declined
Dropped
Decreased
Sank
Went down

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Movement: Up
Rose
Went up
Increased
Grew

No Movement
remained steady
were unchanged
did not change
remained constant
remained stable

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stabilized
Strong Words (Use Carefully!)
Fell
Shot up
Rocketed
Surged
Plummeted
plunged

Adjectives
slightly
a little
a lot
sharply
suddenly
steeply
gradually
gently
steadily

Noun
Plateau
Pattern
Increase
Decrease
Decline
Upward trend
Downward trend
Tops and Bottoms
reached a peak
peaked
reached their highest level
fell to a low
sank to a trough
reached a bottom

Percentage
Account for two-third
Comprise a third of

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Make up 21%

Process : Diagram/Flowchart/Map
If the flow chart is simple and linear then you may be able to link the stages
together by simply using some of the following transition signals.
To begin with
First of all
First
Secondly, thirdly, etc
Then
Next
After that
Finally
If the process is more complex, as in the example above, then you may need to
also use these words
Alternatively
Otherwise
In addition
At the same time
Concurrently

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