Expand Your Vocabulary for IELTS – Key Word: Work

The word work is one of the most common and versatile terms in English, but to score well in IELTS, you need to use it with precision. Collocations like hard work, search of work, or give up work show examiners your vocabulary range and natural usage.

In this blog, we’ll explore verb + work, phrasal verbs with work, adjective collocations, and noun + of + work expressions. These exercises will help you improve your fluency in IELTS Writing and Speaking.

1. Verb + Work

When work is combined with certain verbs, the meaning changes significantly.

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

Use the correct form of these verbs: check, do, make, find, complete, face, give up, involve

1. I’d ______ work if I could afford to.
2. I’m still looking for a job. It’s so difficult to ______ work in the present economic climate.
3. There’s plenty of work to be ______ in the garden at this time of year.
4. I just couldn’t ______ work yesterday, so I took the day off.
5. Payment will be withheld until the work is ______ to my satisfaction.
6. As a salesman my work ______ a lot of driving.
7. Make sure you ______ your work before handing it in. Silly mistakes can lose marks.
8. These new regulations have ______ a lot of extra work for me.

Answer Key: 1. give up | 2. find | 3. done | 4. face | 5. completed | 6. involves | 7. check | 8. made

IELTS Tip: Phrases like “involve a lot of work” or “complete work to a high standard” are excellent for IELTS Writing Task 2 essays on jobs, education, or technology.

2. Phrasal Verbs with Work

Phrasal verbs make your English sound more natural, which is essential in IELTS Speaking.

Exercise 2: Complete the sentences

Use these phrasal verbs: put…into, get off, get down, get on with, go into, go out

1. Stop talking and ______ your work. I want this finished by the end of the lesson.
2. After the baby’s born, I won’t have to ______ to work any more – at least not for a few years.
3. Can you try to ______ work early tomorrow so that we can visit Sue in hospital?
4. He’s ______ a lot of work ______ improving his maths. He studies for hours most nights.
5. A tremendous amount of work has ______ the preparations for the wedding.
6. I’ve been avoiding ______ to work all day. I just feel so tired and lifeless at the moment.

Answer Key: 1. get on with | 2. go out | 3. get off | 4. put…into | 5. gone into | 6. getting down

IELTS Tip: Try using “get on with work” or “put a lot of work into something” in IELTS Speaking Part 2 when describing projects or personal achievements.

3. Common Adjective Collocations with Work

Adjectives add detail and description, helping you show stronger lexical resource in IELTS.

Exercise 3: Fill in the blanks

Use these adjectives: back-breaking, extra, hard, monotonous, skilled, hard day’s

1. There is no doubt that teaching is ______ work, but it can be very fulfilling.
2. Washing dishes all day is pretty ______ work.
3. I’m afraid we can’t take on any ______ work at the moment. We’re already working to capacity.
4. Furniture-making is very ______ work and involves years and years of training.
5. Digging the garden is ______ work. It’s so physically demanding. => Then, why not get your son to do it for you!
6. After a ______ work, it’s nice to get home and put your feet up.

Answer Key: 1. hard | 2. monotonous | 3. extra | 4. skilled | 5. back-breaking | 6. hard day’s

IELTS Tip: Instead of simply saying “my work is difficult”, use richer collocations like “back-breaking work” or “monotonous work” to impress examiners.

4. Noun + of + Work

Nouns used with of + work create useful phrases for IELTS Writing.

Exercise 4: Fill in the blanks

Use these nouns: backlog of, piles of, pressure of, standard of, rewards of, search of

1. Many young people travel to the large cities in ______ work.
2. Sorry, I can’t come to the meeting this evening. I’ve got ______ work to do for tomorrow.
3. It was good to see her reaping the ______ all her hard work.
4. The ______ his written work is extremely high. His speaking is less good.
5. The only way to clear this huge ______ work is to take on more part-time staff.
6. The ______ work is beginning to get to him. Unless he cuts down the time he’s at the office, his health will suffer.

Answer Key: 1. search of | 2. piles of | 3. rewards of | 4. standard of | 5. backlog of | 6. pressure of

IELTS Tip: In IELTS Writing Task 2 essays about education or careers, “pressure of work” and “rewards of work” are excellent collocations to include.

How to Use Work in IELTS?

• IELTS Writing Task 2:
  “The pressure of work has increased in recent years due to longer working hours and greater competition.”
• IELTS Speaking Part 1:
  “I’m in freelance work, which gives me flexibility but also comes with uncertainty.”
• IELTS Speaking Part 2:
  “I once put a lot of work into organizing a school event, and although it was back-breaking, the rewards of work made it worthwhile.”

By mastering collocations with work, you’ll expand your vocabulary range and show examiners that you can handle both academic and conversational English.

The keyword work connects to multiple contexts, employment, effort, and even daily tasks. Whether it’s finding work, doing skilled work, or facing the pressure of work, these collocations will help you communicate effectively in IELTS Writing and Speaking. 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.

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