Today you’ll learn how to use the very native word ‘especially’ on IELTS.
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This is a very native emphasis word- especially.
I recently did a video lesson about the misuse of the word ‘besides’, but ‘especially‘ is often not used correctly as well!
The more informal way to use it is to say ‘specially‘, which would not be appropriate for writing, but is fine for IELTS Speaking Part 1 and 2.
Now, the word ‘especially‘, also, is on the informal vocabulary side, so I would not recommend using it in academic writing.
What does it mean, and is there a formal replacement?
Especially is an adverb, and we usually use it to mean ‘notably‘, or ‘really‘.
You could say, for instance, ‘My country is especially hot in the summer, as temperatures reach into the 100’s‘.
It can also be used to mean ‘specifically‘.
You could say, ‘I have been working very hard to improve my English, especially my writing. That’s the hardest for me.‘
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In more formal communication, such as Writing Task 1 and 2 and Speaking Part 3, I would replace it with:
meaning ‘notably‘
- notably (of course)
- particularly
- markedly
Example:
‘This is markedly true in the case of students, who are dealing with not only bullying in person, but also online.’
meaning ‘specifically‘
- chiefly
- expressly
- primarily
- particularly (can be used for both meanings!)
Example:
‘Television could assuredly play a role in education, expressly in the realm of science.’
How would you use some of today’s adverbs?
Share your example sentence in the comments section below!
