HK IELTS Teacher 
Over 500 high-scoring terms from my band 9 writing sample answers with Chinese translations.
indicates the term in new (added in the last 7 days)
a
- a good deal
- a great deal (of/more)
- a means to an end
- a natural at (sth)
- a reflection on
- a shift
- absorb
- accept my apologies
- accompany
- accomplishment
- acquaintance
- acquainted
- acquire
- action figure
- adapt
- address
- adequate
- adhere to
- adjacent
- adolescent
- adoration
- advocate
- affluent
- afford
- albeit
- alert
- alight
- alignment
- all manner of (sth)
- alleviate
- ambience
- ambiguity
- Americanise
- ample
- anomaly
- anticipate
- apparent
- apply
- array
- as a last resort
- as a token of ...
- aside from
- aspire to sth
- at a crossroads
- at the expense of sth
- atmospheric
- attend to (somebody)
- attribute
- authentic
- autonomous
- autonomy
- avid
- awkward
b
- backward
- ballroom
- bar
- bar chart
- barrage of
- barricade tape
- be resigned to
- be right up somebody's alley
- beaming
- bellow
- bevel
- beverage
- binder
- black eye
- bland
- bombard sb with sth
- boogie
- brief
- bring one undone
- bring/call st into question
- burden
- by no means
c
- capitalize on
- captivate
- cardiologist
- categorise
- cater for
- censorship
- chain
- chamber
- chandelier
- chest of drawers
- chip
- circulate
- close of business
- COB
- commence
- commensurate
- committed
- compensation
- competency
- complex (of shopping/housing/apartment/sports/leisure)
- complicated
- comprise
- concern
- confidential
- confine
- confiscate
- confronted with/by
- congested
- consecutive
- consent
- consequence
- constitute
- constraint
- contaminate
- conventional wisdom
- convey
- correlation
- counterpart
- critical thinking
- cross off
- cross-section
- crossroads
- cufflink
- cuisine
- cul-de-sac
- culprit
- cultivate
- current affairs
- cylinder
- cylindrical
d
- dated
- debauchery
- decade
- decency
- decline
- deduce
- deem
- degradation
- degrees Celsius
- delectable
- delve
- demographics
- dependents
- depiction
- depletion
- derive
- despite one's best efforts
- deter
- deteriorate
- detract from sth
- detrimental
- dibs (on something)
- dismiss
- disobedient
- dispose of
- disproportionate
- disrupt
- disseminate
- dissimilar
- distinction
- distinguish
- divert
- double-edged sword
- draconian
- dramatically
- draw
- draw (something) down
- draw blood
- drawback
- drift
- drift apart
- durable
- dwell
e
- elusive
- emanate
- enclave
- enclose
- encounter
- encrusted
- endanger
- endorsement
- endure
- engage in
- engaging
- enlighten
- enormity
- entitlement
- entrepreneur
- establish yourself
- establishment
- ethic
- etiquette
- exacerbate
- exceed
- excess
- exempt
- exhibit
- expedite
- expletive
- explicit
- exploit
- exploitation
- exposure
- extendable
- extended
- extended family
- extenuating
f
- fasten
- father-in-law
- figure
- finesse
- fixate
- fixed equipment
- fixed-line
- flair
- fledgling
- follow someone's lead
- follow through (on sth)
- foreshore
- fossil fuel
- frequent
- fulfilment
- fully-paid up member
- further
- futile
g
- gainful
- generosity
- get a/your foot in the door
- get down
- gifted
- give rise to
- glorify
- gradual
- granted,
- grateful
- gratifying
h
- hard of hearing
- hard science
- harmony
- hear (back) from sb
- hefty
- heinous
- hierarchy
- high-profile
- hostile
- humble
- humiliated
- hurdle
i
- I wish to express
- ideology
- illicit
- illustrates
- immediate family
- impetus
- implement
- implicit
- impoverished
- in a position
- In any case
- in favour of
- in the lead up to sth / lead up to sth
- in the meantime
- in-house
- inaccurate
- inadvertently
- inappropriate
- incarcerate
- incentive
- inclination
- inclined
- indigenous
- inevitable
- inextricable
- infiltration
- informed choice
- inherent
- initiate
- insight
- instigate
- insurmountable
- intake
- integrate
- interact
- interlocutor
- intimate
- intricacy
- intrinsic
- inundated
- invoke
- irate
- irrelevant
- issue
- itinerary
j
- jeopardize
k
- keynote
- kudos
l
- laid off
- laminated
- lateral thinking
- lectern
- legislation
- lend support to
- lessen
- lest
- liberate
- likewise
- limestone
- linguistic
- lining
- livelihood
- locate (something / somebody)
- long-time
- longitudinal study
- loved one
- low-key
- lucrative
m
- make a mint
- make up
- make up for
- manifest
- mannerism
- meanwhile
- measure
- menial
- merely
- merit
- midst
- minor
- misdemeanour
- mishap
- misplace (something)
- misrepresent
- mitigate
- moderate
- molten
- mould
- multi-ethnic
- multidisciplinary
- mutual
- mutually
- my sincere apologies
- myriad
n
- neglect to
- negotiate
- nevertheless
- nibbles
- not exactly
- not one's cup of tea / not one's thing
- not to mention
- notion
- notwithstanding
o
- occupied
- off-ramp
- offense
- offset
- on my behalf
- on-call
- on-ramp
- one-sided
- opt
- ordinance
- outage
- outstrip
- outweigh
- overwhelm
p
- par
- patron
- pay the ultimate price
- pedagogy
- per se
- perk
- perpetrator
- perpetuate
- persona
- pertinent
- phenomenon
- portray
- post-usage
- precision
- predominant
- premeditated
- presumably
- prevalent
- prey
- prime
- principle
- privilege
- product support
- proficient
- proliferation
- prolonged
- proportion
- prospective
- prospects
- prostate
- prove
- proviso
- proximity
- prudent
- punctuality
- pursuit
- put (somebody) to death
- put in a good word
q
- quick fix
r
- rampant
- rapport
- raw material
- readily
- real estate
- reassurance
- reciprocal
- recover (something)
- rectify
- referee
- regarding
- regretful
- regulate
- rehabilitation
- reimburse
- relatively
- relevance
- relevant
- relic
- relocate
- remain constant
- reminisce
- remorse
- repercussion
- reprimand
- rerun
- resigned
- respectively
- restriction
- retiree
- retribution
- revenue
- revenue stream
- rival
- rudimentary
- runoff
s
- scar
- scrutinize
- sector
- sedentary
- segue
- seize
- self-esteem
- self-made
- sense of purpose
- setting
- severity
- sharp
- shortcoming
- skew
- slight
- slip
- soak up
- soar
- social circle
- societal
- socioeconomic
- soda ash
- solidify
- somewhat
- sort out
- span
- splurge
- static
- stature
- stem from
- stifle
- stifling
- strain
- strike
- strive
- struggle to
- sturdy
- sub-optimal
- subsequent
- substance abuse
- succumb
- suspicion
- sway
- sweltering
- switch over
- systems analyst
t
- take a swing
- take advantage of sth or sb
- take on the role
- take up
- take up the slack
- taken aback
- the food chain
- the luxury of
- the vast majority
- thumbtack
- trample
- transit
- transition
- trauma
- treason
- trickle-down
u
- ubiquitious
- ubiquity
- ultimate
- ultimately
- undertake
- unfounded
- uninspiring
- unscrupulous
- unsound
- uphold
v
- validate
- variety is the spice of life
- venture
- verbiage
- vie
w
- walk someone through something
- well versed
- what with
- which brings me to write
- with a fine-tooth comb
- with flying colours
- with great/deep regret
- without notice
- witnessed
- work ethic