“Words become tools only when you know what they’re really doing.”
— The Voice of Transmission
This glossary will define terms we use repeatedly across lessons — not textbook definitions, but clear, energetic, and strategic meanings that help students think like writers, not just pass the test.
Glossary
Core Thinking Concepts
Term: Transmission
Definition: A focused burst of structured thought, moving clearly from your mind to the reader’s.
Why it matters: IELTS essays aren’t just about information — they’re about sending clarity. This is how your ideas travel.
Student Signal: I feel like I’m sending something real — not just filling space.
Practice Prompt: Choose one paragraph you’ve written. Rewrite it like you’re sending a message someone must act on.
Common Mistake: Writing without intention — just trying to fill space or repeat templates.
Before: “In today’s world, people are doing different things and society is also changing in many ways.”
After: “Today, people rely on remote work and flexible hours to balance career and family life.”
Term: Clarity Field
Definition: The mental space where thoughts are calm, focused, and logically ordered before writing.
Why it matters: Great writing starts before the page. A clear field means clear sentences.
Student Signal: Before writing, I already know what I want to say and how to say it.
Practice Prompt: Write 3 bullet points before drafting. Did it help your focus?
Common Mistake: Writing while mentally cluttered, rushing to “get started.”
Before: (No plan) “There are many factors in the modern world affecting people in many ways.”
After: (With clarity field) “Social media affects how young adults form opinions, often replacing direct communication.”
Term: Idea Unit
Definition: A single, complete thought — one sentence = one idea unit.
Why it matters: Each sentence should do one thing. When you cram too much in, coherence collapses.
Student Signal: Each sentence in my paragraph expresses one clear, complete thought.
Practice Prompt: Break one long sentence into 2–3 smaller idea units.
Common Mistake: Trying to pack multiple thoughts into one long, unclear sentence.
Before: “People should eat healthy because it’s better and helps them and exercise is good too which helps people live longer.”
After: “Eating healthy improves energy levels. Regular exercise also increases life expectancy.”
Term: Band 6 Fog
Definition: Writing that’s vague, imprecise, or slightly off — not wrong, just not clear.
Why it matters: Most Band 6 students live in this fog. Naming it helps them walk out of it.
Student Signal: Something feels off when I reread, even if I can’t explain it.
Practice Prompt: Replace all vague phrases in a paragraph.
Common Mistake: Using terms like “these days,” “stuff,” “a lot of things.”
Before: “These days, a lot of people are using technology which is helpful in some ways and bad in others.”
After: “Many people rely on smartphones to manage work schedules, but this constant connection can also lead to burnout.”
Term: Identity Tone
Definition: The emotional and linguistic tone that reflects your writing self.
Why it matters: Examiners respond to confidence and control. Your tone shapes trust.
Student Signal: My writing sounds like someone with direction, not someone guessing.
Practice Prompt: Read your paragraph aloud. Does it sound certain and clear?
Common Mistake: Sounding robotic or unsure, even when the content is good.
Before: “It could possibly be true that education is somehow important for life.”
After: “Education equips people with essential skills to navigate adult life confidently.”
Term: Reader Anchor
Definition: A sentence that grounds the reader and shows where the paragraph is going.
Why it matters: Without an anchor, the examiner gets lost.
Student Signal: My topic sentences guide the reader clearly.
Practice Prompt: Rewrite your first sentence of each paragraph to be anchoring.
Common Mistake: Opening with facts or details instead of the main idea.
Before: “For example, children in Finland start school later than in other countries.”
After: “One reason Finland’s education system succeeds is its delayed school starting age.”
Term: Thought Flow
Definition: The logical progression of ideas that makes writing smooth.
Why it matters: If your ideas don’t flow, the reader stumbles.
Student Signal: My ideas connect like a conversation.
Practice Prompt: Read your writing aloud and adjust jumps.
Common Mistake: Jumping between unrelated thoughts.
Before: “Technology has improved. Pollution is a major issue. Education is changing.”
After: “While technology has advanced rapidly, it also contributes to environmental problems, which schools are beginning to address through awareness programs.”
Essay Structure
Term: Power Opening
Definition: A first sentence that’s bold, clear, and instantly authoritative.
Why it matters: It sets the tone. A weak start makes everything that follows harder to believe.
Student Signal: My first sentence feels bold and clear — like a confident handshake.
Practice Prompt: Write three opening sentences for the same essay question. Which one feels the strongest? Why?
Common Mistake: Using a memorized, overused phrase like “Nowadays, it is often said that…”
Before: “Nowadays, there are many opinions about this topic.”
After: “In today’s competitive job market, academic performance alone is no longer enough.”
Term: Topic Sentence
Definition: The sentence that tells the reader what the paragraph will be about.
Why it matters: It’s the backbone of your paragraph. Without it, structure collapses.
Student Signal: If someone read just my topic sentence, they’d know what the paragraph is about.
Practice Prompt: Underline each topic sentence in your essay. Does each one tell the reader what’s coming next?
Common Mistake: Starting with an example or detail before giving the main idea.
Before: “For example, many students in Asia attend cram schools.”
After: “Parental pressure plays a key role in shaping students’ after-school learning choices.”
Term: Paragraph Rhythm
Definition: The balance and pacing of sentences in a paragraph.
Why it matters: Rhythm keeps the reader engaged. It prevents monotony or overload.
Student Signal: My paragraph doesn’t feel too fast or too slow — it flows.
Practice Prompt: Look at one paragraph. Are all the sentences the same length? Adjust for flow — short, medium, long.
Common Mistake: Writing all short sentences (choppy) or all long ones (bloated) without variation.
Before: “Children play. Education is important. Tests are stressful.”
After: “While play is essential for development, excessive testing has made education increasingly stressful for children.”
Term: Essay Skeleton
Definition: The outline of your whole essay — intro, body, conclusion.
Why it matters: Without a skeleton, your ideas can’t stand. It’s how you hold your argument together.
Student Signal: Before I write, I can sketch the whole shape of my essay in under 3 minutes.
Practice Prompt: Plan your next essay using just 1 sentence for each section. Then write.
Common Mistake: Writing without a plan — discovering the structure while writing.
Before: (Unstructured essay)
After: Intro → Body 1 (Cause) → Body 2 (Effect) → Conclusion (Solution)
Term: SVO Spine
Definition: Subject–Verb–Object structure: the core frame of clear English sentences.
Why it matters: This is how English thinks. Mastering it makes your writing sound natural and strong.
Student Signal: My sentences feel clean, strong, and easy to read — no wobble.
Practice Prompt: Choose three complex sentences and rewrite them using SVO structure.
Common Mistake: Writing passive or inverted sentences that confuse the reader.
Before: “It is seen that the communication was improved by the using of internet.”
After: “The internet has improved communication.”
Term: Narrative Line
Definition: The invisible thread connecting your ideas across the essay.
Why it matters: This is what makes your essay feel like a story instead of random thoughts.
Student Signal: My essay feels like it’s going somewhere, not just jumping between ideas.
Practice Prompt: Write a short summary of what your essay is trying to say. Does your structure follow that line?
Common Mistake: Losing the thread by jumping into unrelated topics.
Before: Paragraphs: education → pollution → TikTok.
After: Paragraphs: education system → student pressure → mental health consequences.
Term: Clarity Triad
Definition: A mini-structure: idea → support → outcome.
Why it matters: It builds strong paragraphs that are impossible to misread.
Student Signal: Each paragraph moves: idea → support → conclusion — no missing steps.
Practice Prompt: Label idea, support, and outcome in one body paragraph.
Common Mistake: Giving a main idea and example but skipping the conclusion.
Before: “Exercise is good. Many people do it.”
After: “Regular exercise improves mental focus. Many workers now include walking breaks in their routine. This habit boosts productivity.”
✍️ Language and Grammar
Term: Band Language
Definition: Language that meets Band 7+: precise, flexible, natural.
Why it matters: Using “big words” doesn’t help — well-chosen words do.
Student Signal: My word choices feel natural, not memorized or awkward.
Practice Prompt: Highlight three “high-level” words. Are they precise or just fancy?
Common Mistake: Forcing difficult vocabulary into simple ideas.
Before: “People should be good at stuff to have better chances.”
After: “Applicants must develop time management and communication skills to increase their employability.”
Term: High-Precision Verb
Definition: A verb that delivers exact meaning with no waste.
Why it matters: Strong verbs build strong impressions. Weak verbs blur everything.
Student Signal: I don’t need extra words — my verb already says what I mean.
Practice Prompt: Circle verbs. Could any be sharper or more specific?
Common Mistake: Using “do,” “make,” “get,” or “have” for everything.
Before: “The school does a lot to help students.”
After: “The school implements mentoring programs to support underperforming students.”
Term: Grammar Echo
Definition: Repeating the same grammar patterns too often.
Why it matters: It makes your writing flat and robotic — examiners want variation and control.
Student Signal: My sentences don’t sound the same over and over.
Practice Prompt: Rewrite repeated sentence types in one paragraph.
Common Mistake: Overusing “There is…” or “It is…”
Before: “There are many people. There are many jobs. There are many problems.”
After: “Many people face unstable jobs, which creates both financial and emotional stress.”
Term: Modifier Fog
Definition: Confusing or misplaced adjectives and adverbs.
Why it matters: Modifiers can either clarify or clutter. Most students clutter.
Student Signal: My modifiers sharpen meaning, not soften it.
Practice Prompt: Cut unnecessary modifiers in one sentence.
Common Mistake: Adding “really,” “very,” “so,” “just,” and “extremely” unnecessarily.
Before: “Some extremely very important issues are seriously really bad for society.”
After: “Several urgent issues continue to affect society negatively.”
Term: IELTS Fog Sentence
Definition: A sentence that sounds okay but lacks clarity or control.
Why it matters: Examiners know this instantly. These sentences sink Band 7 dreams.
Student Signal: I can explain exactly what each sentence means.
Practice Prompt: Rewrite one “foggy” sentence using clearer nouns and verbs.
Common Mistake: Writing long, vague structures with no subject/action clarity.
Before: “This is because of how things are now and what has been going on recently, like the internet and such.”
After: “Social media has changed how people communicate, often replacing face-to-face conversation.”
Term: Adverb Trap
Definition: Overusing words like “very,” “really,” “clearly” to boost impact.
Why it matters: Adverbs are often emotional crutches. Precision beats padding.
Student Signal: I use strong words, not just stronger emotions.
Practice Prompt: Delete all unnecessary adverbs in a paragraph.
Common Mistake: Stacking adverbs to cover up weak ideas.
Before: “It is very really clear that the results are very effective.”
After: “The results are conclusive.”
Mindset + Energetic Language
Term: Emotional Geometry
Definition: The shape and emotional flow created by your sentences.
Why it matters: Your writing carries a feeling. Geometry makes that feeling land — or not.
Student Signal: My writing feels like it has shape and mood — not just information.
Practice Prompt: Read your paragraph aloud. Does the rhythm match the mood of what you’re saying?
Common Mistake: Writing flat, mechanical sentences with no pacing or tone variation.
Before: “Pollution is bad. It happens a lot. People don’t like it.”
After: “Pollution silently spreads through cities, turning clean air into a daily threat.”
Term: Clarity Compass
Definition: Your internal sense of what needs to be said — and how to say it clearly.
Why it matters: If you can’t feel when your sentence is off, you can’t fix it.
Student Signal: I can feel when a sentence is off — and I know how to fix it.
Practice Prompt: Write a short paragraph, then close your eyes and ask: “Did I say what I really meant?”
Common Mistake: Ignoring your own feeling that something is wrong.
Before: “There is a possibility that perhaps this might be an issue that should maybe be considered.”
After: “This issue deserves immediate attention from educators and policymakers.”
Term: Writer’s State
Definition: The mindset and energy you bring to writing.
Why it matters: Rushed mind = rushed writing. Calm mind = clarity and flow.
Student Signal: I write best when I’m calm and present — and I can tell when I’m not.
Practice Prompt: Before writing, ask: What’s my state right now? Wait for calm.
Common Mistake: Writing while stressed, distracted, or panicked.
Before: “Nowadays everything changes and students do things and life is stressful.”
After: “Students today face significant academic stress due to increased parental expectations.”
Term: Thought Weight
Definition: How dense or clean your idea feels when you write it.
Why it matters: If it feels heavy, it’s probably overloaded. Lightness = precision.
Student Signal: My sentences feel light and direct, not overloaded or heavy.
Practice Prompt: Break heavy sentences into clean, smaller ones.
Common Mistake: Trying to cram every clause into a single sentence.
Before: “Because of pollution, which is caused by many different reasons, some of which are human and some of which are not, things are getting worse.”
After: “Human activity, especially industrial waste and traffic emissions, has accelerated urban pollution.”
Term: Signal vs Structure
Definition: Signal = message. Structure = how you deliver it.
Why it matters: A good signal in a broken structure gets ignored. Both must work together.
Student Signal: What I say and how I say it both work — nothing’s getting lost.
Practice Prompt: Rewrite a strong idea three different ways.
Common Mistake: Great point, bad sentence.
Before: “The way in which society now acts and what is expected by people today in life is, it seems, maybe changing.”
After: “Social expectations are shifting. Many people now measure success through social media engagement instead of traditional career goals.”
🧰 Meta Tools / Signature Concepts
Term: Feedback Mirror
Definition: Using feedback to reflect on your writing instead of just reacting.
Why it matters: Feedback isn’t a verdict — it’s a doorway to your next level.
Student Signal: I use feedback to improve, not defend myself or shut down.
Practice Prompt: Take a piece of feedback and rewrite based on it.
Common Mistake: Arguing with feedback or ignoring it completely.
Before: “I don’t see what’s wrong with this sentence.”
After: “Rewritten version: ‘Parents often influence their children’s career choices more than schools do.’”
Term: Writing Frequency
Definition: The mood or vibration of your writing — slow, rushed, clear, fuzzy.
Why it matters: Examiners feel your rhythm. Clean frequency = trust and flow.
Student Signal: My writing has a feeling — I can sense if it’s smooth, tense, rushed, or calm.
Practice Prompt: Read your paragraph with your hand on your chest. Feel the tempo.
Common Mistake: Letting test anxiety infect your writing flow.
Before: “The topic is about this and that and it is really, really important to say something about it.”
After: “This issue requires urgent attention from both local leaders and global organizations.”
Term: Clarity Loop
Definition: The process of revising until the sentence clicks into focus.
Why it matters: Band 7+ writers loop, not just edit.
Student Signal: I keep revising until the sentence clicks and feels right.
Practice Prompt: Rewrite a foggy sentence three times.
Common Mistake: One draft = done.
Before: “It’s kind of bad that people don’t exercise.”
After: “A sedentary lifestyle contributes to long-term health problems.”
Term: Self-Rewrite
Definition: Rewriting your own sentence into something simpler and truer.
Why it matters: This is how clarity is built — sentence by sentence.
Student Signal: I can take a sentence I just wrote and make it better.
Practice Prompt: Rewrite a sentence as if teaching a 12-year-old.
Common Mistake: Falling in love with your first draft.
Before: “Jobs are important because people work to get money and they use it to do things.”
After: “Employment gives people the money they need to support themselves and their families.”
Term: Sentence Sculpting
Definition: Removing everything unnecessary to reveal the clean idea underneath.
Why it matters: This is mastery. When nothing extra remains, the sentence shines.
Student Signal: When I’m done editing, only the essential meaning remains — and it shines.
Practice Prompt: Choose a paragraph. Cut it down to just the essentials.
Common Mistake: Leaving in filler words that sound academic but do nothing.
Before: “There are some people who may possibly say that perhaps education is something that is important in a lot of ways.”
After: “Many agree that education is essential for personal and professional success.”
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