Make sure that you have a strategy to actively expand your vocabulary. When you are at an Intermediate level of English, you can communicate on a lot of familiar and day-to-day topics, but to really know a language, you need to have a large vocabulary and a good understanding of nuance.

When you learn new vocab, make sure that you note collocations too. For this group of words some collocations are:
migrate to, migrate from, migratory patterns, migratory birds, minimum wage, minister to, Ministry of, motivational talk, motivated by, motivated to, neutralise a threat, neutral stance

Check the meanings of the words if you don’t already know them. Check the meanings of the various forms as sometimes they are different. You can check them at Time4english by clicking the words (http://www.time4english.com/aamain/lounge/awl.asp).

Vocabulary for IELTS – Academic Word List 69

Complete the sentences. Choose the correct word and then use the correct form of the word.

1. The ______________ of Education is planning major changes in the curriculum. (ministry, migrate)
2. The ______________ passing grade in this college is 50%. (neutral, minimum)
3. He is highly _______________ to study physics because he wants to be a scientist. (minimum, motivate)
4. My family _______________ to Australia in the 1950s. (migrate, motivate)
5. Some people argue that wnen you are in business, you need to find a way to ______________ any threats. (neutral, ministry)

Answers (in the wrong order)

5. neutralise 3. motivated  2. minimum  1. Ministry     4. migrated