How This Upgrade Works (আপগ্রেড কীভাবে কাজ করে)
PTE's Vocabulary and Written Discourse enabling skills reward range and precision, not obscure or overly complex words. This guide takes the common, overused words most Bangladeshi candidates default to under time pressure, and swaps them for stronger, more precise alternatives — plus the exact collocation that makes each one sound natural rather than forced.
PTE-এর Vocabulary ও Written Discourse skill বৈচিত্র্য ও নির্ভুলতা পুরস্কৃত করে, জটিল শব্দ নয়। এই গাইড সাধারণ, অতিরিক্ত ব্যবহৃত শব্দকে শক্তিশালী বিকল্পে বদলে দেয় — সাথে স্বাভাবিক শোনানোর জন্য সঠিক collocation।
Rule of thumb: upgrade two or three key words per essay or Describe Image answer, not every single word — over-upgrading makes writing sound unnatural and can introduce new errors.
মূলনীতি: প্রতি essay বা Describe Image উত্তরে দুই-তিনটি মূল শব্দ আপগ্রেড করুন, সব শব্দ নয়।
Weak → Precise Verbs
| Overused | Stronger Alternative | Example Collocation |
|---|---|---|
| go up | rise, increase, climb | "unemployment rose sharply" |
| go down | decline, fall, decrease | "emissions declined steadily" |
| make | generate, produce, create | "generate renewable electricity" |
| get | obtain, acquire, achieve | "acquire new skills" |
| help | facilitate, support, contribute to | "facilitate economic growth" |
| show | demonstrate, reveal, indicate | "the data indicate a clear trend" |
Everyday → Academic Adjectives
| Overused | Stronger Alternative | Example Collocation |
|---|---|---|
| good | beneficial, advantageous, valuable | "a beneficial effect on health" |
| bad | detrimental, harmful, adverse | "a detrimental impact on wildlife" |
| big | substantial, considerable, significant | "a substantial increase in demand" |
| important | crucial, essential, pivotal | "a crucial role in the process" |
| interesting | compelling, notable, striking | "a striking pattern in the results" |
| very | (delete, or use a stronger adjective) | "extremely" / "considerably" (sparingly) |
Ready-Made Collocations by Function
Group vocabulary by what job it does in a PTE answer, and memorise whole phrases rather than single words.
- rise/fall steadily
- increase sharply
- remain relatively stable
- fluctuate considerably
- on the other hand
- as a result
- this is largely due to
- in light of this
- is likely to
- may potentially
- tends to suggest
- arguably
- research indicates that
- evidence suggests
- according to recent data
- studies have shown
Before vs After
Two full sentences, rewritten side by side, showing several upgrades working together.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Overused"Renewable energy is good for the environment and it helps countries make more electricity without using too much oil." | Upgraded"Renewable energy is highly beneficial for the environment and facilitates electricity generation without excessive reliance on fossil fuels." |
| Overused"The chart shows that more young people have smartphones than old people." | Upgraded"The chart indicates that smartphone ownership declines steadily with age, with the youngest group showing the highest rate." |
Practise applying this: try the Vocabulary Upgrade Worksheet to rewrite sentences yourself and compare with model answers.