Essential Vocabulary to Improve Your Writing
Discover how to improve your writing skills. There are various forms of vocabulary required for good academic writing. Firstly, you need the correct vocabulary to structure your writing task response or essay.
This vocabulary will make your writing organized, coherent and cohesive. What’s more, you can use this vocabulary again and again in different tasks because it is not topic specific.
It’s not necessary to learn all the phrases and vocabulary – concentrate on learning a new word or a few new words for each purpose and learn to use them correctly and appropriately in your academic writing. Doing so will improve your vocabulary for writing assignments, college papers, and writing tests.
[Click on each writing vocabulary phrase to see an example of how it is used in an essay answer]
Sentence Starters - Presenting an impersonal point of view/opinion
- It is often said that
- It is generally accepted that
- It can be argued that
- One argument put forward is that
- A popular belief is that
- A common opinion is that
- Many commentators are of the view that
- There are those who say that
Sentence Starters - Presenting a Personal point of view/opinion
- In my experience
- I would argue that
- I am of the opinion that
- I tend to believe that
- It seems to me that
- My personal view is that
Sentence Starters - Demonstrating or commenting on the strength of a point of view/opinion
(can be used with both impersonal and personal point of view/opinion)Generalizing (used when giving non-specific examples, reasons, etc.)
- Often / frequently / sometimes / usually
- may / might / could
- tends
- by and large
- typically
- on the whole,
- generally speaking,
Sentence Starters - Explaining a point of view/opinion
Sentence Starters - Explaining using examples/evidence
- We can see this when
- Evidence for this is provided by
- If we take an example
- A good illustration of this is
- For instance
- For example
Sentence Starters - Showing cause and effect
- This has led to
- As a result,
- This has resulted in
- One of the causes of this is
- The immediate cause of this
- One reason for this is
Paragraph Starter Words - Making conclusions
- If we look at both sides of the argument
- This is a complex issue with no clear answers
- On balance,
- In conclusion,
- To summarize,
Here are some examples based on an academic writing exam task question from Cambridge IELTS:
Writing Task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.Countries are becoming more and more similar because people are able to buy the same products anywhere in the world.
Do you think this is a positive or negative development? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevent examples from your own knowledge or experience.Write at least 250 words.
It is often said that nations across the world are becoming the same due to the fact that…
It is generally accepted that because people all over the world can purchase the same products, there is a growing common culture now shared worldwide by various countries…
It can be argued that the availability of the same products to people in different countries all over the world is leading to less and less distinction between different nations…
One argument put forward is that a universal worldwide culture brought about by the purchasing of similar products by people in distinct countries is…
A popular belief is that an emerging world culture is developing based on people in different regions having access to similar products...
A common opinion is that the ability to purchase the same product anywhere in the world is leading to…
Many commentators are of the view that because people all over the world can now buy the same things, there is an emerging trend of…
There are those who say that the emergence of a common shared culture between various different countries around the world is a direct result of different populations being able to consume the same products as each other…
… whether or not this is the case. In my experience, there is no doubt that a shared common culture is evolving due to …
…on the other hand, I would argue that if countries are becoming more similar as a result of this then it can be seen as a positive development because…
Considering all things, I am of the opinion that this phenomenon should be seen as something to be encouraged as the more common culture which exists across borders, the more integrated various nations will become…
Whilst there might be an argument regarding the loss of national identity, in some cases, I tend to believe that the advantages gained far outweigh any disadvantages overall…
It seems to me that this is simply an inevitable trend which has resulted from the ongoing process of globalization…
…some people believe this to be true. My personal view is that such a development should be welcomed as it leads to greater integration of cultures and therefore a better understanding between various peoples across the world…
… common products. Evidently, the process of globalization and the growing shared culture, especially among young people, is an advantage for many corporations because…
…may result in even greater similarities between countries. Naturally, this will led to further examples of cross-culture sharing such as…
…widespread adoption of shared technology platforms is just one example. Of course, this leads to even more opportunities for people across the world in different countries to access information regarding similar products and information in general, but more importantly…
Often it can be seen that this type of change actually brings various benefits to people…
This is frequently the case in developing countries…
…however, sometimes there are benefits which can be obtained from such changes in consumer purchasing patterns…
This results in a greater degree of commonality between different nations. Typically, such changes are a welcome development due to the enhanced understanding and cooperation which usually accompanies them…
With regard to the impact of such changes, it may result in even greater integration of…
A more globalized, worldwide product market might lead to even better levels of efficiency in terms of production and distribution costs for manufacturers, which in turn could be reflected in even lower prices for consumers.
Greater demand, brought about by a wider consumer base, tends to lead to better choices for consumers in general, which typically benefits them in the long term.
On the whole, less product differentiation leads to corporations focusing more on customer service related aspects of their business in order to differentiate themselves in the marketplace and, generally speaking, consumers are the beneficiaries of this.
By and large, a greater level of competition between product manufacturers is considered a good thing by consumers, resulting in lower prices and greater choice.
In fact, when manufacturers or service providers are pressured to provide competitive pricing for consumers it drives them to innovate and adopt new ways of doing things, which leads to further development and progress. That is to say, a manufacturer can benefit from being pressured to continually seek greater levels of efficiency or even adopt new processes and technology to remain competitive.
…resulting in a better deal for consumers. To be more precise, consumers can benefit in several ways from greater competition between product manufacturers or service providers.
…which results in a more competitive market. In other words, the purchasing of similar products on a worldwide scale definitely benefits consumers in the long term.
…which leads to lower prices for consumers. What this means is, manufacturing companies are obliged, by oversupply of the market, to maintain a competitive pricing strategy in order to appeal to consumers, who are the ones who ultimately benefit most from this.
…the opening up of markets results in greater economic activity, and hence growth. We can see this when traditional markets which have been previously dominated by a state-run entities eventually allow foreign companies to enter and participate in the domestic economy…
Evidence for this is provided by cases such as China, which following its opening-up policy experienced considerable economic growth…
The purchasing of similar products allows global sharing and communication to occur. This is especially true in the case of technology products. If we take an example like Apple’s iPhone, which is possibly the product which is most common throughout the world…
…the purchasing of comparable products. A good illustration of this is the global mobile phone market which has experienced tremendous growth over the …
For instance, the merging of smaller individual companies into large mega-conglomerates provides opportunity to access foreign markets which otherwise would not have been possible…
...even more commonly shared behavioral patterns. For example, the use of social media platforms such as Facebook, YoutTube, Snapchat, Twitter and others has quickly developed a common pattern of interaction between users which clearly leads to a common body of knowledge which is disseminated between users of such…
…has resulted in lower product prices. This has led to even more consumers being able to afford to purchase the company’s products…
The company experienced a sharp increase in worldwide sales. As a result, the company has been able to grow rapidly and improve its product range and customer service offered to consumers…
Globalization has made it much easier for enterprises to function on a cross-border basis. This has resulted in an even more rapid development and growth of previously untapped markets…
One of the causes of this is that developing countries are typically hungry for such products, and in many cases, consumers with new found wealth wish to purchase similar products to those they see on popular TV programs or in movies…
More people across the world now share similar attitudes towards many aspects of life. The immediate cause of this has largely been the power of social media and its influence among the younger generations…
…leading to the likelihood of a worldwide shared culture. One reason for this is that more and more young people are already sharing the same cultural experiences through technology and greater international mobility…
If we look at both sides of the argument, it can be concluded that…
Undoubtedly, there is no way to foresee the long-term consequences and what further changes this might bring about. This is a complex issue with no clear answers ; however, currently it appears to be a positive change…
On balance, it could be said that this development is a welcome one and will serve to further globalize many aspects of life for many people around the world as they share more...
In conclusion, it is clear that this change brings many benefits for all concerned and therefore it should be positively encouraged.
To summarize, while there exist both positive and negative aspects associated with this change, it is clear that for the overall benefit of mankind, it is inevitable that we share more aspects of life on a global basis. The purchasing of similar products is simply an initial, and positive, step towards sharing much more in the future.
Essay Sentence Starters
When writing a compelling essay, the first sentence can often be the hardest to come up with. However, there are a few simple tricks you can use as sentence starters to grab your reader's attention.
One approach is to begin with a pertinent quote or statistic related to your topic. Another is to start with an interesting anecdote or story that ties into the subject of your essay.
You could also try posing a thought-provoking question, or engage readers by painting a vivid picture or detailing a specific scene related to your topic.
No matter which strategy you choose, starting your essay with a strong hook will draw in your audience and leave them wanting more.
- A compelling essay sentence starter must be attention-grabbing.
- It should make the reader want to continue reading the essay.
- A good sentence starter for a persuasive essay will make the reader question their beliefs.
- It should be something that provokes thought and encourages further exploration of the topic.
- An excellent sentence starter for an argumentative essay will challenge the status quo.
- It should make the reader question why they hold certain beliefs and consider other viewpoints.
- A powerful sentence starter for a personal essay will evoke emotion in the reader.
- It should make them feel something, whether it be anger, sadness, joy, or anything else.
- A moving sentence starter for a descriptive essay will transport the reader to another place and time.
- It should create a vivid image in the reader's mind that they can experience along with the writer.
Essay Sentence Starters - Specific Phrases
- In this essay, I will argue that…
- It is my contention that…
- I believe that…
- My argument is that…
- The purpose of this essay is to explore/examine/evaluate/analyze…
- In this paper, I will examine/explore/evaluate…
- The focus of this essay is on…
- This essay seeks to investigate/answer the question…
- In this essay, I will attempt to answer the question…
- The goal of this paper is to…
By using a dictionary and thesaurus, writing becomes much easier. However, it is still important to practice writing before expecting major results.
Reading also helps writers become better at their craft by seeing how other people put their thoughts into words. There are many strategies that good readers use that can be implemented when writing, such as underlining unknown vocabulary and looking up meanings afterward.
Another helpful tip is creating flashcards with new vocabulary; then you can study them whenever you have some free time!
Learn more about how to improve your writing skills significantly and become a compelling writer.