IELTS & PTE lesson · Vocabulary

IELTS & PTE ASQ Topic Words Vocabulary notesEveryday words for short questions

Six word groups to fetch answers from, fast. This IELTS & PTE lesson is a deck of 9 visual cards from BandLadder's own study library, written and fact-checked by our team.
  • 9 cards
  • Free to read online
  • PDF with any plan
  • Updated 30 September 2026

Original BandLadder material

What's inside

Along the way you get worked examples with the key words marked, before-and-after fixes that show why the first version loses marks, a one-page visual summary, word cards with meanings and examples (herbivore, elbow, decade and thermometer), a quick check to test yourself and a recap of the rules to remember. Each card holds one idea, so you can read it on a phone between practice sessions.

Reading it online is free: create a free BandLadder account and the whole lesson opens in our study reader, on the web and in the app. Downloading the PDF to keep needs a plan; the free reader has every card.

The first 3 of 9 cards

Preview

  1. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · ASQ topic words

    You know it. You can't say it.

    the idea comes, the word doesn't

    Short questions ask about ordinary things. The hard part is fetching one clear word in a second or two.

    You hear: “What do we call the frame of bones inside your body?” You say: “Um... the bone thingskeleton.”

    Right idea. The word never arrived.

    © 2026 BandLadder · original material1 / 9
  2. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · ASQ topic words

    Six groups to fetch from

    sort the question, then find the word

    GroupClue you hearYou say
    animalshas a trunkelephant
    bodypumps bloodthe heart
    timeafter MarchApril
    measurementscales show itweight
    materialscomes from sheepwool
    placesborrow booksa library

    Sort the question, then follow the clue.

    © 2026 BandLadder · original material2 / 9
  3. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · ASQ topic words

    Animals, body and time

    learn each word with its neighbours

    • herbivorean animal that eats only plants

      A rabbit is a herbivore.

      carnivoreomnivore
    • elbowthe joint in the middle of your arm

      You bend your arm at the elbow.

      wristankle
    • decadea period of ten years

      The bridge is a decade old.

      century: 100 yearsfortnight: 14 days
    © 2026 BandLadder · original material3 / 9
  4. Card 4 of 9 onwards

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9 cards

Contents

  1. 1You know it. You can't say it.the idea comes, the word doesn'tIn the preview
  2. 2Six groups to fetch fromsort the question, then find the wordIn the preview
  3. 3Animals, body and timelearn each word with its neighboursIn the preview
  4. 4Tools, materials, placesthe tool, the stuff, the placeFree account
  5. 5In IELTS Listeningthe same everyday words turn upFree account
  6. 6In a PTE short questiongroup, clues, one wordFree account
  7. 7Two near missesthe wrong answer was next doorFree account
  8. 8Your turnname the group, then fetch the wordFree account
  9. 9Save thisthe short-question word checklistFree account

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FAQ

Is the Everyday words for short questions lesson free?+

Yes, to read online. Create a free BandLadder account and the full lesson opens in the study reader. No card details are needed.

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The PDF download comes with any BandLadder plan. Free accounts read the lesson online in the study reader, on the web and in the app.

Who wrote this lesson?+

The BandLadder team wrote and checked it. It is original BandLadder material, not copied from books or other websites, and its exam facts are checked against the official IELTS and PTE pages.

Is it for IELTS or PTE?+

Both. The lesson is in the IELTS and the PTE study library, so it opens whichever exam you prepare for.

IELTS is a registered trademark of the University of Cambridge, the British Council and IDP Education Australia. PTE is a trademark of Pearson. BandLadder is not affiliated with either.

© 2026 BandLadder. Written and checked by the BandLadder team. You may quote or cite this page with credit to BandLadder and a link to it; republishing it in full needs our written permission. Content use policy

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