IELTS English Language Foundations Flashcards

24 sample cards from the English Language Foundations deck

Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.

1. What is a word family? Give an example.

   A word family is a group of words formed from the same root through prefixes/suffixes. Example: 'create, creation, creative, creatively, creativity, recreate.'

2. What is the Academic Word List (AWL), and why is it important for IELTS?

   The AWL is a list of 570 word families that appear frequently in academic texts across disciplines. Mastering it improves comprehension of academic reading and the lexical range of writing and speaking.

3. What is meant by 'formal register' in academic English?

   Formal register avoids contractions, slang, and phrasal verbs, uses precise vocabulary and the passive where appropriate, and maintains an objective, impersonal tone suitable for academic writing.

4. What are linking words (transition signals), and name the main categories.

   Linking words connect ideas to show relationships. Main categories: addition (moreover, furthermore), contrast (however, whereas), cause/effect (therefore, consequently), example (for instance), and sequence (firstly, finally).

5. Which linking words signal contrast, and how is one punctuated mid-sentence?

   However, nevertheless, on the other hand, whereas, although. When 'however' joins two clauses it takes a semicolon before and a comma after: '...; however, ...'.

6. What is referencing in cohesion, and what device is most common?

   Referencing means pointing back (or forward) to something already mentioned to avoid repetition. The most common device is pronouns (it, they, this, these), e.g., 'The policy failed; it was unpopular.'

7. What is substitution as a cohesive device? Give an example.

   Substitution replaces a word or phrase with a shorter substitute to avoid repetition, e.g., 'one/ones', 'do so', 'the same': 'I need a pen — do you have one?'

8. What is ellipsis as a cohesive device?

   Ellipsis is the omission of words that can be understood from context, e.g., 'She can speak French and [she can speak] German.' It avoids repetition while keeping clarity.

9. What are the three essential parts of a well-structured academic paragraph?

   A topic sentence (states the main idea), supporting sentences (explanations, evidence, examples), and a concluding/linking sentence (sums up or transitions to the next idea).

10. What does 'logical flow' (coherence) in a paragraph require?

    Ideas must be arranged in a sensible order with one clear central idea (unity), connected by transitions and referencing so each sentence relates logically to the next.

11. Give two features that distinguish informal English from formal English.

    Informal English uses contractions (don't, it's), phrasal verbs (find out), slang, and personal pronouns; formal English uses full forms (do not), single-word verbs (discover), and impersonal structures.

12. Are both British and American spellings accepted in IELTS, and must you be consistent?

    Yes, both British and American spellings are accepted as correct. However, you should be consistent and not mix them within the same piece of writing.

13. Give three common British vs American spelling differences with examples.

    -our/-or (colour/color), -re/-er (centre/center), -ise/-ize (organise/organize). Also -lled/-led (travelled/traveled).

14. When is a semicolon (;) used?

    To join two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction, or to separate items in a list that already contains commas.

15. What is the difference between a colon (:) and a semicolon (;)?

    A colon introduces a list, explanation, or example after a complete clause ('You need three things: X, Y, Z'). A semicolon links two related complete clauses or separates complex list items.

16. What are the main rules for capitalisation in English?

    Capitalise the first word of a sentence, the pronoun 'I', proper nouns (names, places, countries), days/months, nationalities/languages, and titles of works.

17. What is the difference between 'their', 'there', and 'they're'?

    'Their' = possessive (their car); 'there' = place or existence (over there / there is); 'they're' = contraction of 'they are'.

18. What is the difference between 'affect' and 'effect'?

    'Affect' is usually a verb meaning to influence ('The weather affects mood'). 'Effect' is usually a noun meaning a result ('The effect was clear').

19. What is the difference between 'its' and 'it's'?

    'Its' is the possessive form (The dog wagged its tail). 'It's' is the contraction of 'it is' or 'it has' (It's raining).

20. What are homophones? Give two examples.

    Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings, e.g., 'to/too/two' and 'write/right'.

21. What is the difference between 'principal' and 'principle'?

    'Principal' means main/most important, or the head of a school. 'Principle' means a fundamental rule, truth, or belief.

22. What is phonemic awareness?

    Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, e.g., recognising that 'cat' has three sounds: /k/ /æ/ /t/.

23. What is a phoneme, and how many are there in English?

    A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that distinguishes meaning. English has about 44 phonemes (around 24 consonant and 20 vowel sounds), represented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).

24. What is the sound-spelling link (grapheme-phoneme correspondence)?

    It is the relationship between sounds (phonemes) and the letters or letter-groups (graphemes) that represent them, e.g., the /f/ sound can be spelled 'f' (fish), 'ph' (phone), or 'gh' (laugh).

What this deck covers

English Language Foundations flashcards FAQ