The Significance of Lexical Resources and Idiomatic Expressions in the IELTS Examination

Lexical Resources

Lexical Resources are a major game-changer as far as IELTS is concerned.

In other words, vocabulary enables an individual to delineate how intricate their knowledge is and how better can they adorn their thoughts. Besides, it also displays the individual's ability to learn/grasp complex structures. Hence, this has been chosen as one of the most pivotal factors in assessing the English Proficiency of an individual. It is a crucial tool in order to use English in the proper manner. The utilization of vocabulary is dependent on a host of factors, essentially, it exhibits the very fact that it should be context-appropriate. The vocabulary can always be learnt and easily applied if one understands the basic context behind the usage of the same.

The better you understand the context, the longer you would remember it. Practicing the usage of vocabulary persistently like any other aspect, would in turn make it a habit and one would be able to utilize the task at hand very well.

The quality of the vocabulary also demarcates the structure and thought process that an individual has. The texture of speech is majorly developed after the 8th fundamental year, and majorly, the vocab uptake elongates for about another 8 years, and by 16 years a certain set of vocabulary, unique to every individual is already set in one's cognition (the mental process of acquiring knowledge).

Reading is one of the most significant ways to develop vocabulary. Studies suggests that it is neither through a teacher nor through individual's memory, but only through reading that the novice (new) vocabulary is being developed and created for the longest time. Our memory can only grow better with age if we are particular about our understanding of the concerned vocabulary.

Listed below are some synonyms which can altogether add meaning as well as purpose to an individual's thoughts.

• Eccentric: Peculiar, Unusual
• Gigantic: Colossal, Vast
• Evident: Apparent, Obvious
• Exceptional: Remarkable, Outstanding
• Explicit: Distinct, Exact
• Elation: Ecstasy, Joy
• Early: Premature, Prior
• Enlarge: Expand, Magnify
• Eternal: Perpetual, Everlasting
• Encourage: Urge, Promote

Idiomatic Expressions

The standardized English Language Proficiency test that is IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is the most preferred as well as the most renowned testing system that assesses an individual's (non-native English-speaking candidate) English Proficiency which is the ability of an individual to satisfactorily Read, Listen, Write as well as Speak. Precisely, it establishes a notion of universal English Proficiency all across the globe besides majorly checking the candidate's ability to work/study in an English-Speaking country.

Hence, there exists 4 major modules which an individual has to go through, namely, Reading; Listening; Writing and Speaking. It has a Band system (0-9) which establishes how good the speaker is in the aforementioned modules, 0 being the lowest whilst 9; the highest.

Therefore, in order to score a band greater than 7, the applicants need to be well versed with vocabulary as well as Idioms as they form the chief aspect of IELTS.

Idioms or Idiomatic expressions/phrases in English Language, are used majorly to denote literal meanings of a circumstance/situation through a metaphor (literary device). Idioms are majorly asked in a plethora of English Proficiency programs.

Pivotal Idioms that facilitate a band great than 7 are as follows:

• To be on the same wavelength: To have a great understanding
• Hustling and Bustling: Extremely swamped; also called as hive of activity
• A close-fisted person: Frugal, somebody unwilling to spend money
• Ducks and Drakes: to spend lavishly
• Under the weather: to be sick
• Down in the dumps: to be extremely sad
• Every cloud has a silver lining: To believe that behind every bad situation, there exists eventually a positive aspect
• To have a whale of time: to enjoy a lot
• On the dot: Exactly at the right time
• At crossroads: At an important decision point
• Hit the books: to study
• Not my cup of tea: not your taste/area of liking/not your capability
• Bookworm: geek, someone who reads a lot
• Go the extra mile: to do more than is expected of you
• Middle of nowhere: a place that is very remote, far from any city/town
• Make the cut: be selected, meet the right standard
• Couch potato: a sluggish/lazy person
• Cut to the chase: Leaving all the necessary details and getting to the point directly