What's new on IELTS with Fiona

Please ignore what your teacher or someone on YouTube told you. These words and expressions should NOT be used in IELTS Writing Task 2:

• PLETHORA (pretentious, often used wrongly - use 'many' or 'a significant number of' equivalents)
• Some people OPINE (Shakespearean and wrong on so many levels. Just say 'Some people think/believe /argue')
• I CONCUR (old-fashioned, sometimes use ironically - use other alternatives like 'I agree')
• I INSIST THAT (wrong meaning - use 'I strongly believe')
• I am CONVINCED that (different meaning from 'I believe' - can be used in specific contexts only)
• EVERY COIN HAS TWO SIDES (cliche and too obvious - be specific)
• KIDS (informal - use 'children')
• 'GREAT' (informal - use 'good' or something more specific like 'effective' or 'appropriate')
• a TOUGH decision (informal - use 'difficult' or 'challenging')
• The charts ELUCIDATE - it is absolutely fine to say 'It shows' in Academic Task 1
• most WRONG synonyms for people (individuals, human beings, residents, civilians etc)

AVOID ALL OF the lists of "Don't say ____" that you find on social media.

*CLAPTRAP = Crap 💩Language Advice Posts