Lesson 1: Accommodation – Writing Band 8 Vocabulary

Lesson 1: Accommodation

1. Balcony – an area with a wall or bars around it that is joined to the outside wall of a building on an upper level
2. Brick – a rectangular block of hard material used for building walls and houses
3. ceiling – the upper surface of a room that you see when you look above you
4. concrete – a very hard building material made by mixing together cement, sand, small stones, and water
5. cottage – a small house, usually in the countryside
6. gadget – a small device or machine with a particular purpose
7. housing – buildings for people to live in
8. landmark – a building or place that is easily recognized
9. lift shaft – a vertical shaft in a building through which a lift moves to different levels.
10. occupant – a person who lives or works in a room or building
11. platform – a flat raised area or structure
12. quarry – a large artificial hole in the ground where stone, sand, etc. is dug for use as building material
13. residence – a home; the place where someone lives
14. steel – a strong metal that is a mixture of iron and carbon
15. timber – wood that is prepared for use in building, etc
16. airy – with a lot of light and space
17. conventional – traditional and ordinary
18. cosy – comfortable and pleasant, especially (of a building) because of being small and warm
19. cramped – not having enough space or time.
20. disposable – used once then thrown away
21. exterior – outer; on or from the outside
22. futuristic – relating to the future, or very modern or advanced
23. high-rise – a tall modern building with many floors
24. mass-produced – produced in large numbers using machinery
25. multi-storey – a building that has several floors
26. ornate – having a lot of decoration
27. prefabricated – built from parts that have been made in a factory and can be put together quickly
28. spacious – large and with a lot of space
29. state-of-the-art – very modern and using the most recent ideas and methods
30. ultra-modern – extremely modern; advanced
31. automate – to change a factory, office, or process so that machines do the work instead of people
32. condemn – to criticize something or someone strongly, usually for moral reasons
33. demolish – knock down, destroy thoroughly
34. devise – to invent something, esp. with intelligence or imagination
35. haul – to pull something heavy slowly and with difficulty
36. hoist – to lift something heavy, often with special equipment
37. renovate – to repair and improve something, especially a building
38. skyward – in the direction of the sky
39. warehouse – a large building for storing things before they are sold, used, or sent out to shops
40. tough – strong; not easily broken or made weaker or defeated
41. spring system – is an elastic object used to store mechanical energy.
42. mesh – to join together in the correct position
43. ratchet – a part of a machine that allows movement in one direction only.
44. unveil – to show or make something known for the first time
45. slack – not tight; loose
46. contraption – device
47. tenant – a person who rents a room, a building, or land
48. screw – a thin pointed piece of metal like a nail with a raised spiral line
49. heading – words written or printed at the top of a text as a title
50. obsession – something or someone that you think about all the time
51. consolidate – to combine into a single unit; to group together or join.
52. indebted – grateful because of help given
53. depict – to represent or show something in a picture, story, movie, etc.; portray
54. mixed success – successful only on few issues not on all of them
55. appliance – a device, machine, or piece of equipment, especially an electrical one that is used in the house
56. team up – to join another person, or form a group with other people, in order to do something together
57. surround – to be around something on all sides
58. combustion – the process of burning
59. self-propelled – able to move by its own power
60. stack – to arrange things in an ordered pile
61. marvel – a wonderful and surprising person or thing
62. apparent – easily seen or perceived, easily understood
63. hose – a long plastic or rubber pipe, used to direct water onto fires, gardens, etc.
64. drapery – cloth arranged in folds
65. blast – a sudden strong blow of air
66. overriding – more important
67. acquisition – the process of getting something
68. incorporation – the act of including something
69. turmoil – a state of confusion, excitement, or anxiety
70. masculine – of man; male
71. rough and ready – produced quickly, with little preparation
72. stark – extreme
73. pejorative – insulting, disapproving
74. cherished – bringing the pleasure of love
75. utopian – romantic
76. blur – to make something hard to see
77. deployment – the use of something or someone in an effective way
78. rosy – optimistic, bright, happy
79. exhort – to strongly encourage or persuade someone to do something
80. self-indulgent – allowing yourself to have or do anything that you enjoy
81. free rein – the freedom to do, say, or feel what you want
82. spa – a town where water comes out of the ground and people come to drink it or lie in it because they think it will improve their health
83. discotheque – disco
84. ebb – to becomes less strong or disappear
85. hectic – full of busy activity
86. imperative – extremely important or urgent
87. envisage – to have a mental picture of; visualize.
88. consumerism – the state of an advanced industrial society in which a lot of goods are bought and sold

Some questions asked in previous IELTS Writing Paper that you would be
able to write with the help of the vocabulary in this lesson:

1. In some countries prisoners are allowed comfortable accommodation, good food, and healthcare.
   Do you think this is appropriate?
   To what extent do you agree or disagree?
   Give specific reasons and examples to support your position.
2. People are more mobile nowadays. They seldom live in one city all of their lives.
   Why do you think this is happening?
   What are the consequences of this trend?
   Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this situation. Provide specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
3. In some countries prisons are overcrowded which leads to many expenses for the government. To lessen the cost for prisoners’ cost of living, reduced sentences are implemented.
   What do you suggest could be done?
   Provide specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
4. Some parents allow their teenage children to live independently, away from home. Other parents don’t want their teenage children to live away from them.
   Which do you think is better and why?
   Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
5. In some countries, people live with their parents and siblings until their old age.
   Do you think there are more advantages or disadvantages to this behaviour?
   Discuss your opinion and provide specific reasons and examples to support your answer