Core education words by topic
People and places
- student, classmate, candidate, teacher, lecturer, supervisor, principal, librarian
- classroom, lecture hall, laboratory, library, campus, dormitory
Courses and levels
- subject, elective, core course, syllabus, curriculum, module, semester, term, credit, prerequisite, foundation course, undergraduate, postgraduate
Assessment
- exam, test, quiz, assignment, essay, report, presentation, project, dissertation, thesis, deadline, grade, score, rubric, feedback
Resources and tools
- textbook, workbook, handout, notes, highlighter, flashcards, whiteboard, projector, software, spreadsheet, citation, reference
High value collocations
- take an exam, sit an exam, pass or fail an exam
- meet a deadline, request an extension, submit an assignment
- attend a lecture, miss a class, catch up on notes
- do research, conduct a survey, collect data, analyze results
- make a presentation, give feedback, receive feedback
- academic performance, study plan, learning goals, time management
- practical skills, theoretical knowledge, critical thinking
Model sentences
- I submitted my essay and received detailed feedback.
- She conducted a small survey for her research project.
- We have to meet the deadline for the group report.
Study skills verbs you need
- outline, draft, revise, edit, proofread, paraphrase, summarize
- highlight, annotate, organize, prioritize, schedule
- memorize, recall, retrieve, practice, review
- brainstorm, compare, contrast, evaluate, justify
Tip
Use a verb that matches the task. Example: summarize a paragraph, paraphrase a sentence, evaluate an argument.
Classroom English
- Could you explain that again
- What do you mean by this term
- Could I ask a question
- I agree to some extent
- In my opinion, the key point is clarity
- The evidence suggests that attendance improves results
Phrasal verbs for study
- hand in = submit. I will hand in my report tomorrow.
- hand out = distribute. The teacher handed out a worksheet.
- look up = search for information. Look up the definition.
- go over = review. Let us go over the answers.
- keep up with = stay at the same level. It is hard to keep up with the reading.
- catch up on = do something you missed. I need to catch up on lectures.
- fall behind = make less progress. He fell behind after he was ill.
- drop out = leave a course before finishing. She dropped out in the second term.
- sign up for = enroll in. I signed up for an elective.
- work on = focus effort. I am working on my thesis.
Common academic nouns with prepositions
- an increase in applications
- a decrease in errors
- an improvement in performance
- influence on motivation
- impact on results
- solution to a problem
- approach to learning
- reasons for failure
- feedback on an essay
Small grammar notes
- Advice and information are uncountable. Say some advice, a piece of information.
- People is the plural of person. Peoples means nations.
- Each or every takes a singular verb. Each student needs an ID.
- Data is common as plural in formal science. Data show a clear trend. Consistency is more important than the choice.
Mini dialogues
Asking for help
- A: I am struggling with the deadline.
- B: Ask for an extension and outline a new plan. I can help you proofread.
Group work
- A: Who will present
- B: I can present if you prepare the slides.
- A: Deal. Let us go over the key points.
Typical mistakes and fixes
- ❌ I did a research about pollution.
✅ I did research about pollution.
✅ I conducted a study on pollution. - ❌ He gave me many informations.
✅ He gave me a lot of information.
✅ He gave me a piece of information. - ❌ I will give an exam tomorrow.
✅ I will take an exam tomorrow.
✅ The teacher will give an exam tomorrow. - ❌ We discussed about the topic.
✅ We discussed the topic. - ❌ She is weak in vocabulary.
✅ She has a weak vocabulary.
✅ She needs to improve her vocabulary.
11) Quick practice with answers
A. Choose the best option
- I need to (submit or hand in) my assignment by Friday.
- We must (meet or reach) the deadline tomorrow.
- She will (sign up for or sign in) a coding module.
- The professor (handed out or handed in) the reading list.
- I will (go over or look over) the notes tonight.
Answers
- submit or hand in
- meet
- sign up for
- handed out
- go over
B. Fix the sentence
6) We had many homeworks last week.
7) The result depends from the sample size.
8) I want to improve my speaking skill s.
Suggested answers
6) We had a lot of homework last week.
7) The result depends on the sample size.
8) I want to improve my speaking skills.
Writing frames you can reuse
Email to a teacher
- Dear Dr Ahmed,
I am writing to request a short meeting about my project. I would like feedback on my research question and the outline. Are you available on Tuesday afternoon
Kind regards,
Samira
Presentation opener
- Good morning. Today I will outline my aims, explain the method and present the results. Finally, I will discuss the limitations and suggestions for future work.
10 minute drills
- Make 10 collocations with your subject. Example: conduct an experiment, analyze data.
- Paraphrase 3 course objectives in your own words.
- Record a 60 second summary of a lecture. Use at least 5 words from this guide.
- Create 8 flashcards: front term, back definition plus example sentence.
7 day review plan
- Day 1 core words for people and places
- Day 2 assessment and resources
- Day 3 study skills verbs and phrasal verbs
- Day 4 collocations from your subject
- Day 5 pronunciation and mini dialogues
- Day 6 error correction practice
- Day 7 write a 120 word study routine using 12 target items