Technology vocabulary: the words that lift a common topic.
Technology runs through the whole test, in Task 2, in Part 1 and in Part 3. The ideas are familiar to every examiner; the marks are in precise, topic-specific language. Swap the everyday word for the right collocation and the same point reads a band higher.
Why this matters. Lexical Resource is a quarter of your mark, and on a familiar topic the examiner has heard “technology is very useful” a thousand times. The lift is not rarer words; it is accurate collocation, artificial intelligence, data privacy, the digital divide, social media, used naturally. A common academic phrase used correctly beats a showy word used wrongly, every time.
Four clusters that cover most Technology questions.
You do not need a glossary. You need a handful of accurate collocations in each of these areas, ready to deploy.
Devices & connectivity
smart devices · the internet of things · broadband · connectivity
The hardware and the networks that link it, the everyday layer Part 1 asks about.
Faster broadband has made smart devices a part of daily life.
Digital life & society
social media · screen time · digital natives · online communities
How technology shapes behaviour and relationships, the social angle Task 2 leans on.
Social media connects people but can also increase screen time.
Automation & AI
artificial intelligence · automation · algorithms · the digital economy
What machines now do for us, and how it reshapes work, the Part 3 future-of-jobs theme.
Automation is reshaping the labour market faster than expected.
Risks & ethics
data privacy · cybercrime · the digital divide · surveillance
The costs and dangers, the critical angle that lifts an answer beyond “technology is great”.
Concerns about data privacy now shape how people use the internet.
Precision beats rarity
The Lexical Resource trap is reaching for a “big” word and using it wrongly, “technological advancements are ubiquitous” dropped in mechanically, “cybernetic devices” for ordinary gadgets. A common academic collocation used correctly (artificial intelligence, data privacy) scores higher than a rare word used incorrectly. Reach for the precise phrase, not the impressive one.
The same point, from Band 6 to Band 8.
At Band 5
Technology is discussed with very general words (computer, phone, internet, good), repeated often, with occasional wrong collocations (do the internet). Precise topic vocabulary (automation, data privacy) is absent, and meaning becomes vague when a less familiar idea is attempted.
At Band 6
“Technology is very useful because it makes our life easier and helps us do things faster.” The idea is fine, but the language is general, “very useful”, “easier”, and could be about almost any tool.
At Band 7
“The rise of automation is reshaping the labour market, as routine tasks are increasingly performed by machines.” Topic-specific collocations (automation, the labour market, routine tasks) carry real information.
At Band 8+
“While automation raises productivity, it also risks widening the digital divide, displacing low-skilled workers faster than retraining can absorb them.” Precise lexis, abstraction (the digital divide), and a controlled complex sentence.
The upgrade most worth making.
Each swap takes a vague, everyday phrase and replaces it with the collocation an examiner expects on this topic. Use them where they fit naturally, not all at once.
| Instead of… | Use… | For example |
|---|---|---|
| computer brain | artificial intelligence (AI) | Artificial intelligence can now diagnose some illnesses. |
| robots taking jobs | automation / job displacement | Automation threatens many routine jobs. |
| fake news | misinformation / disinformation | Social media accelerates the spread of misinformation. |
| keeping data safe | data privacy / data protection | Users are increasingly worried about data privacy. |
| the gap between who has tech | the digital divide | The digital divide leaves rural areas behind. |
| too much screen | excessive screen time | Excessive screen time can disrupt sleep. |
| online business | the digital economy / e-commerce | The digital economy has overtaken many high streets. |
| connected gadgets | smart devices / the internet of things | Smart devices now manage heating and lighting. |
Two cautions. Do not carpet-bomb the answer with every term, accuracy and natural fit matter more than density. And keep it formal but not pompous: artificial intelligence and AI are both fine once introduced; do not force rare jargon you cannot control. For the general method behind upgrading by band, see vocabulary & cohesion →
Say it another way.
The Lexical Resource descriptors reward paraphrase, and an answer that echoes the question’s own words proves nothing about your range. Each row takes a phrase the question will hand you and shows the version worth writing instead.
| The question says… | You can write… | For example |
|---|---|---|
| robots taking jobs | automation / job displacement | Automation displaces tasks first and workers second, but it does displace. |
| computers that think | artificial intelligence | Artificial intelligence amplifies whoever is holding it. |
| companies collecting your information | threats to data privacy | Data privacy shrinks a little with every free app installed. |
| people who cannot use technology being left out | the digital divide | The digital divide turns every online service into a closed door for someone. |
| children spending too long on screens | excessive screen time | Excessive screen time crowds out the boredom creativity grows from. |
One caution. Paraphrase the idea once, early, and then move on. Recycling every synonym you know reads as display, not control, and control is what the band descriptors actually reward.
Twenty to drill.
Choose the more precise, topic-appropriate option for each gap. Press Check answers for your score and the reason behind each one. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Ten to produce.
Recognising the right word above is the easy half. Now type the word each sentence needs. The first letter is given, and every answer appears somewhere on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Then use it where it counts. Now take it into the exam. Technology & society is a set topic in the speaking topic bank and the essay question bank, so drill it there next, and let the word upgrader ladder the plain words you still fall back on.
You can collect topic words. Using the right one, accurately, under timed pressure is the work.
Memorised “big” words used wrongly cost marks; precise collocations used naturally earn them, and the difference is hard to judge in your own writing.
In a lesson I mark your topic vocabulary the way an examiner does, where a collocation is exactly right, where it is forced, and where a plain word would have been stronger. Lessons are £20 for fifty minutes, one to one, in proper British English; the first lesson doubles as a full assessment. This page is drawn from the vocabulary work in The Proper English Grammar Guide to IELTS Speaking.
The book of the method
The Proper English Grammar Guide to IELTS Speaking
The method this site drills for free, written down properly: five response frameworks, thirteen grammatical structures taken to automation, vocabulary by band, pronunciation with audio demonstrations one scan away, and first-language guidance for eight language families. 614 pages, built from more than two thousand documented one-to-one lessons. Most guides teach every candidate the same English; this one starts from what your first language makes you do.
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