🎯 Objective
To help learners understand and practice using 10 essential academic vocabulary words in proper context, focusing on meaning, collocations, and appropriate usage in academic writing.
📝 Target Vocabulary
Today's lesson focuses on these 10 academic words that frequently appear in IELTS and academic contexts:
| Word | Part of Speech | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| archaeologist | noun | A person who studies ancient cultures through excavation and analysis |
| identity | noun | The characteristics that make someone/something recognizable |
| obtain | verb | To get, acquire, or secure something |
| unclear | adjective | Not easy to understand; ambiguous or confusing |
| carry out | phrasal verb | To perform, conduct, or complete a task or activity |
| mention | verb/noun | To refer to something briefly; a brief reference |
| sample | noun/verb | A small part representing the whole; to test or try |
| combination | noun | A mixture or joining of different elements |
| moreover | adverb | In addition; furthermore (formal linking word) |
| suffer from | phrasal verb | To experience something unpleasant or harmful |
📚 Step-by-Step Guide: Mastering Academic Vocabulary
Understanding Academic Vocabulary
What makes vocabulary "academic"? Academic vocabulary consists of words that appear frequently in formal writing, research papers, and academic discussions. These words are more formal than everyday vocabulary and often have specific meanings in academic contexts.
The 4 Keys to Vocabulary Mastery
1. 🔍 Understanding Meaning
What to do: Learn the core meaning and any nuances
Include: Synonyms, antonyms, related words
Remember: Context affects meaning
2. 🔗 Learning Collocations
What to do: Study words that commonly go together
Examples: "carry out research," "obtain permission"
Why: Natural combinations sound more fluent
3. 📝 Recognizing Word Forms
What to do: Learn different forms (noun, verb, adjective)
Example: identity → identify → identifiable
Benefit: Increases vocabulary range significantly
4. 🎯 Using in Context
What to do: Practice in meaningful sentences
Focus on: Academic writing, formal speech
Goal: Natural, accurate usage
Common Collocations & Usage Patterns
Archaeologist:
Common collocations: "marine archaeologist," "field archaeologist," "archaeologist discovered"
Academic context: "The archaeologist's findings suggest..."
Identity:
Common collocations: "cultural identity," "establish identity," "sense of identity"
Academic context: "National identity plays a crucial role in..."
Obtain:
Common collocations: "obtain data," "obtain permission," "obtain results"
Academic context: "Researchers were able to obtain significant results..."
Carry out:
Common collocations: "carry out research," "carry out experiments," "carry out analysis"
Academic context: "The team will carry out a comprehensive study..."
Moreover:
Usage: Connects ideas, shows addition
Academic context: "The results were significant. Moreover, they supported the hypothesis."
Word Formation Patterns
✅ Word Families to Learn:
- Identity: identify, identification, identifiable
- Obtain: obtainable, unobtainable
- Clear: unclear, clarity, clarify, clarification
- Combine: combination, combined, combinable
- Sample: sampling, sampled
- Mention: mentionable, aforementioned
❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Using "get" instead of "obtain" in formal writing
- Confusing "unclear" with "not clear" in academic texts
- Using "do research" instead of "carry out research"
- Overusing "moreover" (use sparingly)
- Wrong preposition: "suffer with" instead of "suffer from"
Academic Writing Tips
Formal vs Informal:
Informal: "The scientist got some dirt samples."
Academic: "The archaeologist obtained soil samples from the excavation site."
Linking Ideas:
Good: "The data was inconclusive. Moreover, the methodology had limitations."
Better: "The data was inconclusive; moreover, the methodology suffered from significant limitations."
🧩 Task: Complete the Academic Text
Read the paragraph below with missing words. Choose the correct word from the vocabulary list to complete each gap.
📝 Academic Text (with gaps):
Dr. Sarah Chen, a renowned __________(1), recently completed an extensive study of ancient civilizations in Peru. The research team was able to __________(2) rare artifacts from the site, which helped establish the cultural __________(3) of the ancient inhabitants. However, the exact dating of some findings remains __________(4) due to contamination of the soil __________.(5)
The team decided to __________(6) further analysis using carbon dating techniques. The professor made a brief __________(7) of these challenges in her recent publication. __________(8), the study revealed that the civilization may have __________(9) a prolonged period of drought, which could explain their eventual migration.
The research employed a __________(10) of traditional excavation methods and modern technology to achieve these groundbreaking results.
1. Choose the word that best fits gap (1):
2. Choose the word that best fits gap (2):
3. Choose the word that best fits gap (3):
4. Choose the word that best fits gap (4):
5. Choose the word/phrase that best fits gap (5):
6. Choose the word/phrase that best fits gap (6):
7. Choose the word that best fits gap (7):
8. Choose the word that best fits gap (8):
9. Choose the word/phrase that best fits gap (9):
10. Choose the word that best fits gap (10):
✅ Answer Key & Explanation
1. archaeologist
Why? The context mentions "study of ancient civilizations" and "artifacts," which clearly indicates this person is an archaeologist. The title "Dr." and "renowned" suggest a professional in this field.
2. obtain
Why? "Obtain" is the formal academic word for "get" or "acquire." The collocation "obtain artifacts" is common in academic writing about archaeology.
3. identity
Why? "Cultural identity" is a common academic collocation. The artifacts helped establish who these ancient people were and what characterized their culture.
4. unclear
Why? The dating is uncertain or ambiguous due to soil contamination. "Unclear" fits the academic tone better than "not clear."
5. samples
Why? "Soil samples" is the correct scientific term. The contamination affected the samples that were collected for analysis.
6. carry out
Why? "Carry out analysis" is a standard academic collocation meaning to perform or conduct analysis. More formal than "do analysis."
7. mention
Why? A "brief mention" means a short reference to something. The professor briefly referred to these challenges in her publication.
8. Moreover
Why? "Moreover" is a formal linking word meaning "in addition" or "furthermore." It connects the two paragraphs and adds new information.
9. suffered from
Why? "Suffer from" means to experience something negative. The civilization experienced/endured a drought, which was harmful to them.
10. combination
Why? A "combination of methods" means using different approaches together. This is common in academic research methodology.
🏆 Complete Academic Text
Dr. Sarah Chen, a renowned archaeologist, recently completed an extensive study of ancient civilizations in Peru. The research team was able to obtain rare artifacts from the site, which helped establish the cultural identity of the ancient inhabitants. However, the exact dating of some findings remains unclear due to contamination of the soil samples.
The team decided to carry out further analysis using carbon dating techniques. The professor made a brief mention of these challenges in her recent publication. Moreover, the study revealed that the civilization may have suffered from a prolonged period of drought, which could explain their eventual migration.
The research employed a combination of traditional excavation methods and modern technology to achieve these groundbreaking results.
Why This Text Uses Academic Vocabulary Effectively:
- ✅ Uses formal vocabulary appropriate for academic context
- ✅ Employs correct collocations (obtain artifacts, carry out analysis)
- ✅ Links ideas with appropriate connectors (Moreover)
- ✅ Uses precise vocabulary to convey specific meanings
- ✅ Maintains consistent academic tone throughout
- ✅ Avoids informal language and contractions