The most common words band 6 students use when talking about their job are: busy, stressful, interesting, good, bad, boring, easy, difficult and nice. Read 28 more precise alternatives below:
| Band 6 Word (basic) | Band 7 Alternative (precise/natural) | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| good | rewarding / fulfilling / creative / enjoyable / well-paid | My job is very rewarding because I help people every day, and it’s also quite well-paid. |
| bad | stressful / demanding / monotonous / taxing/ to be or feel under pressure | Sometimes the job can be quite taxing, especially when I’ve got deadlines coming up; most of my colleagues are under pressure too. |
| busy | hectic / fast-paced / full-on / flat-out | The work environment is pretty hectic sometimes; I’ve been flat-out the past two weeks because we have lots of new clients at the moment. |
| interesting | enjoyable / stimulating | I find teaching enjoyable and stimulating because of the interaction with the students. |
| boring | repetitive / monotonous / dull | Most of my tasks are quite monotonous, and I’m pretty fed up with it, so I’ve recently decided to find a new job- hopefully something that isn’t as dull. |
| easy | straightforward / manageable/ chill | The job is fairly straightforward once you know the process. Overall it’s pretty chill. |
| difficult | challenging / demanding | The role is fairly demanding, but that’s what I like; all my jobs in the past have also been challenging. |
| nice (colleagues, boss) | friendly / supportive / approachable / easy to get on with | My colleagues are really supportive and easy to get on with. |
These words are not ‘fancy‘ or ‘sophisticated‘, they are precise and descriptive, which is exactly what the examiner wants.
Note: Using the ‘basic words’ sometimes will NOT lower your score, BUT if you only use these words and do not use precise language, then your score will be negatively affected.
Practice Exercise 1: Interpret the job!
Task: Look at the pictures below and decide how you would describe each job using the vocabulary above.
Possible Answers
1: stressful / demanding/ taxing/ to be or feel under pressure
2: well-paid
3: repetitive / monotonous / dull
4: enjoyable / stimulating/ rewarding / fulfilling / creative
5: rewarding / fulfilling/ straightforward / manageable/ chill
6: challenging / demanding/ rewarding / fulfilling / creative / enjoyable / well-paid / stimulating
7: rewarding / fulfilling / enjoyable
8: hectic / fast-paced / full-on / flat-out/ stressful / demanding/ taxing/ to be or feel under pressure
9: enjoyable/ rewarding / fulfilling / creative/
Practice Exercise 2: Storytime!
Task: Create a story with 5-10 characters where you describe their jobs using the new vocabulary.
E.g. Colin was an accountant. He found his job pretty monotonous at times, but at the end of the tax year, he was under piles of pressure to meet deadlines. At least he was well-paid though! Cindy, on the other hand, worked as a dentist. Her work is challenging but stimulating, and she finds it quite rewarding helping her clients with their dental issues!
