In the left column are the words that are quite common or the candidate uses incorrect semantics. In the right column are the words you should use when taking the IELTS test to get a high score.
| Quite common | Should use | Example |
| Hard-working | Diligent/industrious/studious | I have never seen such a diligent guy like him. |
| Intelligent | Brainy (infml) | She is the brainiest girl in our class. |
| Attractive | Appealing/tempting | I found Brad Pitt greatly appealing. |
| Hang out with | Socialise/interact | Dancing is a way of socialising with different people. |
| Do... without being told | Self-starter | Self-starters tend to achieve success more easily. |
| Cover a variety of ground | Well-rounded | The essence of education is to provide well-rounded knowledge. |
| Confidence | Self-belief | I want to see a bit more self-belief from you. |
| Good friend | Intimate companion | As an intimate companion, she told me everything about her family. |
| Toughness | Strong-mindedness | I really admire his strong-mindedness. |
| Work hard on | Apply oneself to | We can all make a success provided that we apply ourselves to what we're doing. |
| Practical | Be down-to-earth | We need to be down-to-earth to start it over. |
| Encourage | Inspire/motivate | A leader should be able to inspire hí subordinates. |
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