Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0+: Different Kinds of People (Part 2)

A strong vocabulary allows you to describe people more precisely in IELTS Speaking and Writing tasks. In this lesson, we focus on advanced adjectives that highlight different kinds of personalities, their good qualities as well as character flaws. By practicing meaning recognition and word transformation, you’ll strengthen your ability to use these words naturally.

Vocabulary Practice: Understanding Personality Traits

Before learning to use advanced words in context, it’s important to grasp their core meanings. The following exercise helps you identify what each adjective in the IELTS Vocabulary truly represents.

Exercise A: Choose the Closest Meaning

Tick the option (a or b) that best matches the meaning of the underlined word.

1. To be insolent is to be …
   (a) rude (b) likeable
2. To be irascible is to be …
   (a) short-tempered (b) good-humoured
3. To be mendacious is to be …
   (a) dishonest (b) motivated
4. To be mercurial is to be …
   (a) even-tempered (b) lively but unpredictable
5. To be pedantic is to …
   (a) pay attention to detail (b) always be in a hurry
6. To be pensive is to be …
   (a) deep in thought (b) anxious about something
7. To be pernickety is to be …
   (a) very witty (b) overly fussy
8. To be quixotic is to be …
   (a) a visionary (b) predictable and boring
9. To be recalcitrant is to be …
   (a) disobedient (b) creative
10. To be sanguine is to be …
    (a) serious in character (b) cheerful and optimistic
11. To be scrupulous is to be …
    (a) loyal (b) principled
12. To be steadfast is to remain …
    (a) faithful to something (b) critical of something
13. To be stoic is to be …
    (a) very emotional (b) impassive
14. To be vociferous is to be …
    (a) noisy (b) shy
15. To be wilful is to be …
    (a) easy to please (b) overly stubborn

Vocabulary Transformation: From Adjectives to Nouns and Adverbs

IELTS tasks often require flexibility with word forms. Being able to shift from adjectives to nouns or adverbs is a key skill for Band 7.0+. The next exercise will help you practice this transformation.

Exercise B: Transform and Complete the Sentences

Use the correct noun or adverb form of the adjectives from Exercise A to fill the blanks.

1. If you are steadfast in your belief, you will defend that belief steadfastly.
2. If you are wilful by nature, you come to be known for your wilfulness.
3. Someone who is stoic is known for their stoicism.
4. If you want to complain in a vociferous manner, you might shout vociferously.
5. A wistful person thinks wistfully about their long-lost love.
6. Scrupulousness is not a characteristic of someone who is unscrupulous.
7. If you do something in a sanguine manner, you do it sanguinely.
8. If you communicate with your parents in a way that is insolent, you speak insolently to them.
9. A mendacious person has the unbecoming characteristic of mendaciousness.
10. He is mercurial, so his mercuriality is what makes him interesting.
11. He threw the stone in an irascible rage because of his innate irascibility.
12. She looked pensively towards the sky because she was in a very pensive mood.
13. His pernicketiness is very annoying; he should really try not to be so pernickety.
14. Recalcitrance is a quality found in those who tend to be recalcitrant.
15. He sanguinely predicted great things for the economy; after all, it was in his nature to be sanguine.

Answer Key for the Vocabulary Exercises

Check your answers to ensure you’ve understood the vocabulary and transformations correctly.

Exercise A: Meanings

Overall, mastering advanced personality vocabulary will not only improve your IELTS Speaking and Writing but also help you sound more precise and fluent. Practice these adjectives, their meanings, and their word forms to confidently describe different kinds of people in the IELTS test. For those aiming for top scores, following the IELTS Exam Preparation Tips for Band Score of 8+ can further enhance your vocabulary and overall test performance.

Also Check: 

• Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 + : Medical and Health Issues (Part 4)
• Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0+ : Medical and Health Issues (Part 3)
• Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0 +: Medical and Health Issues (Part 1)
• Grammar For IELTS : The Common Grammars And Sentence Structures In English (Part 1
• Grammar For IELTS : The Common Grammars And Sentence Structures In English (Part 2)
• Using Contrast in IELTS Speaking & Writing: Advanced Grammar in IELTS
• 100+ Advanced Vocabulary Word List for IELTS (PDF Available)