IELTS Advice: the importance of phrases

Note: I'm using the term 'phrase' to refer to 'a group of words' (not an expression or idiom).

When I studied foreign languages at school, we were mainly taught vocabulary as a list of individual words with a translation of their meanings. The problem with learning a list of individual words is that you don't learn how to use them in a natural way, and you find yourself translating word by word from your own language.

The alternative is to study phrases that native speakers have produced. I was happy to see that the first comment (by 'boburShox') below this lesson was a list of good phrases that I used in my essay. The individual words are easy to understand, but you can learn a lot by analysing the way I put them together.

Comments

[ibrahim]

my list is:
-a wide variety of reasons
-figure for
-importance of being smth
-in a period of time
-over a year of time
-a necessary part of smthing
-be involved in-be engaged in
-come up with
-provide for
-make somebody do something
-take part in
-get stuck in something
-take advantage of something
-to allow somebody to do
-good enough to do

These are only a bit example of my lists in my mind. Thanks for everything, simon

[baljeet kaur]

thank you simon

[Sal]

Hi Simon,
I have an off-topic question for you. When reporting graphs, are we supposed to just report what we see or are we allowed to infer/interpret information as well?
eg. if there was a graph with number of drivers licenses issued over the decades, can I mention how it might reflect potential increase in ownership of cars and how women were eventually allowed to drive or should I just stick to reporting the trend?

Thank you

[boburShox]

Thank you, Simon.
Another thing which I am convinced all the IELTS candidates are aware of already is to use a good dictionary that involves collocations, phrases and possibly idioms. I ,for instance, use the 3rd edition of Cambridge Advanced Learners' Dictionary which meets all my needs in terms of learning new vocabulary. It became my 'friend' ever since I installed. I always highly recommend my friends use it.
Best regards.