IELTS & PTE lesson · Vocabulary

IELTS & PTE Technology Vocabulary notesTechnology: say what it does

Name the gain, the cost and the change. 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 (widen access to, boost productivity, automate routine tasks and bridge the digital divide), 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.

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The first 3 of 9 cards

Preview

  1. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · Technology

    Very useful, very vague

    true, but it says nothing

    "Very useful" and "bad" are true, but vague. Useful how? Bad in what way? Name the effect.

    Technology is very usefuluseful how? at work, but it has a lot of bad effectswhich ones? on children.

    Better: it boosts productivity but can disturb sleep.

    © 2026 BandLadder · original material1 / 9
  2. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · Technology

    Ask: useful how?

    swap the vague word for what it does

    VaguePrecise
    very usefulboosts productivity
    helps everyonewidens access to services
    bad for childrendisturbs children's sleep
    takes jobsleads to job losses
    used too muchencourages over-reliance

    IELTS Band 7 Lexical Resource asks for "awareness of style and collocation".

    © 2026 BandLadder · original material2 / 9
  3. IELTS · PTEVocabulary · Technology

    What it does for us

    verb + noun: name the gain

    • widen access toopen it to more people

      Online courses widen access to education.

    • boost productivityhelp people do more

      Shared calendars can boost productivity.

    • automate routine taskslet apps do them

      Many firms now automate routine tasks.

    • bridge the digital divideclose the gap

      Free internet access helps bridge the digital divide.

    © 2026 BandLadder · original material3 / 9
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9 cards

Contents

  1. 1Very useful, very vaguetrue, but it says nothingIn the preview
  2. 2Ask: useful how?swap the vague word for what it doesIn the preview
  3. 3What it does for usverb + noun: name the gainIn the preview
  4. 4What it costs usname the harm, not just "bad"Free account
  5. 5Talk about the changethe pace, and the people keeping upFree account
  6. 6In an essaythe prompt: all council services online?Free account
  7. 7Wrong word partnersright idea, wrong partnerFree account
  8. 8Your turnpick the word partnerFree account
  9. 9Save thisthe technology 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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