IELTS & PTE lesson · Vocabulary

IELTS & PTE Environment Vocabulary notesEnvironment words: name what happens

Word pairs for the problem and the fix. This IELTS & PTE lesson is a deck of 8 visual cards from BandLadder's own study library, written and fact-checked by our team.
  • 8 cards
  • Free to read online
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  • Updated 30 September 2026

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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, word cards with meanings and examples (air pollution, carbon emissions, fossil fuels and habitat loss), 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 8 cards

Preview

  1. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · Environment

    Bad for nature?

    true, but your reader learns nothing

    Words like good, bad and a lot of aren't wrong. They just don't say what happens. A precise word pair does.

    Factories are bad for naturebad how? in many ways. They make a lot of pollutionweak verb, no detail, so we must do good thingswhich things? for the planet.

    Better: harm wildlife, cause serious pollution, cut emissions.

    © 2026 BandLadder · original material1 / 8
  2. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · Environment

    Name the problem

    the cause and the effect

    • air pollutiondirty, harmful air

      Heavy traffic is a major cause of air pollution.

      cause air pollutionreduce air pollution
    • carbon emissionsCO₂ from burning fuel

      The plan aims to lower carbon emissions by 2035.

    • fossil fuelscoal, oil and gas

      The town plans to stop burning fossil fuels.

      rely on fossil fuelsmove away from fossil fuels
    • habitat lossanimals losing their homes

      New housing can lead to habitat loss for birds.

    © 2026 BandLadder · original material2 / 8
  3. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · Environment

    Verbs that do the work

    the verb is half the phrase

    • tackle climate changedeal with it

      No single country can tackle climate change alone.

      tackle pollutiontackle plastic waste
    • cut emissionsmake them smaller

      Electric buses help the city cut emissions.

    • protect wildlifekeep wild animals safe

      Farmers can protect wildlife by planting hedges.

    • pose a threat tobe a danger to

      Rising seas pose a threat to coastal towns.

      pose a serious threat topose a growing threat to
    © 2026 BandLadder · original material3 / 8
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8 cards

Contents

  1. 1Bad for nature?true, but your reader learns nothingIn the preview
  2. 2Name the problemthe cause and the effectIn the preview
  3. 3Verbs that do the workthe verb is half the phraseIn the preview
  4. 4Talk about solutionsPTE Essay scores vocabulary rangeFree account
  5. 5In an essaythe prompt: pay for home solar panels?Free account
  6. 6Two pairs to swapIELTS Band 7: aware of collocationFree account
  7. 7Your turnpick the partner word for each gapFree account
  8. 8Save thisthe environment word checklistFree account

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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.

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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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