Band 7+ IELTS Vocabulary- Stop Saying 'Some'!

Jessica Beck, an examiner with 14 years of experience, discusses vocabulary alternatives to the word 'sum' in academic writing. She emphasizes the importance of using words that carry meaning and avoiding unnecessary qualifiers like 'some'. Beck provides examples of how to replace 'some' with stronger expressions such as 'few', 'a small minority', or 'a scant number' to convey a more precise meaning.

Provide an alternative phrase for 'only some citizens vote' that conveys a similar meaning.

• only a few citizens vote

• many citizens vote

• all citizens vote

• no citizens vote

Explain why using the word 'few' can be considered impressive grammar in academic writing.