Grammar for IELTS: Especially vs Specially Exercises

Updated On Jun 29, 2021

Grammar for IELTS: Especially vs Specially Exercises

Contents

1 Especially
2 Specially
3 Specially vs Especially
4 Exercise:

It isn’t uncommon to hear these two words used interchangeably, but when it comes down to dictionary definitions, what are the correct and incorrect ways of using both? Let’s check out this post to differentiate especially from specially to strengthen your IELTS vocabulary.

Especially

Pronunciation: \is-ˈpesh-lē, -ˈpe-shə-\

Meaning: Usually, especially means ‘particularly’ and specially means ‘for a particular purpose’.

for a particular purpose
more than usually

For example:

I love Italian food, especially pasta, (not specially pasta)
a car specially designed for cities

Specially

Pronunciation: \ˈspe-sh(ə-)lē\

Meaning:

for a special purpose
to a special or unusual degree

For example:

We specially designed the room for movie nights
She doesn’t want to be treated specially.

Specially vs Especially

Specially is mostly used with an adjective made from a past participle: specially designed / trained / prepared etc.

It is not used at the beginning of a sentence or phrase: a specially-built stadium

Example:

The stadium was built specially for the Olympic Games, (built for that purpose).

Especially is often used at the beginning of a phrase (often after a comma) or before a verb, but not at the beginning of a sentence:

Example:

There’s been a lot of flooding, especially in the south.
I especially liked the big balcony, (not Especially I liked….)

It’s also used before an adjective for emphasis: especially difficult / important, etc.:

Example:

The chocolate cake was especially good.(very good, better than the other cakes)

Exercise:

1. Tick the correct sentence in each pair.

a. Traffic congestion is a serious problem, specially in big cities,
b. Traffic congestion is a serious problem, especially in big cities.
a. The police especially want to speak to anyone who witnessed the attack,
b. Especially, the police want to speak to anyone who witnessed the attack.

2. Are these sentences right or wrong? Correct any that are wrong.

Is it just me or is It specially cold today?_____
I don’t like driving at night specially if it’s raining_____
Especially women should be careful when travelling alone______
I drive a car which especially Is designed for disabled drivers______
These exhibits were especially popular among children_______
The police use specially-trained dogs to search for drags_______
Especially the museum Is renowned for its collection of modern art_______
Malaria is still a big problem, specially In parts of Africa_______

Also check:

Janice Thompson

Soon after graduating with a Master’s in Literature from Southern Arkansas University, she joined an institute as an English language trainer. She has had innumerous student interactions and has produced a couple of research papers on English language teaching. She soon found that non-native speakers struggled to meet the English language requirements set by foreign universities. It was when she decided to jump ship into IELTS training. From then on, she has been mentoring IELTS aspirants. She joined IELTSMaterial about a year ago, and her contributions have been exceptional. Her essay ideas and vocabulary have taken many students to a band 9.