Language Boosters
Language boosters are high-impact words and phrases that replace basic vocabulary and signal a higher level of English. Use them in Speaking and Writing to push your score from adequate to strong.
Opinion Boosters
Use these instead of "I think" or "I believe":
| Basic |
Boosted |
| I think |
I am convinced / I firmly believe / It is my view that |
| I agree |
I wholeheartedly agree / I couldn't agree more |
| I disagree |
I respectfully disagree / I take a different stance |
| In my opinion |
From my perspective / As I see it / In my estimation |
| I feel |
I am inclined to think / I tend to feel that |
Emphasis Boosters
Add weight to your points:
| Basic |
Boosted |
| very important |
crucial / vital / essential / paramount |
| very good |
excellent / outstanding / remarkable / exceptional |
| very bad |
terrible / dreadful / detrimental / devastating |
| very big |
enormous / substantial / significant / immense |
| very small |
minimal / negligible / trivial / insignificant |
| a lot |
a great deal / considerably / substantially / tremendously |
| many |
numerous / a wide range of / a multitude of |
Cause & Effect Boosters
| Basic |
Boosted |
| because |
due to / owing to / as a result of / on account of |
| so |
consequently / as a consequence / therefore / thus |
| this leads to |
this gives rise to / this results in / this contributes to |
| makes better |
enhances / improves / strengthens / elevates |
| makes worse |
undermines / diminishes / exacerbates / aggravates |
Agreement & Support Boosters
| Basic |
Boosted |
| I support this |
I am in favour of / I advocate for / I endorse |
| this is a good idea |
this is a worthwhile initiative / a commendable approach |
| this helps |
this facilitates / this fosters / this promotes |
| it works |
it proves effective / it yields positive results |
Disagreement & Criticism Boosters
| Basic |
Boosted |
| this is bad |
this is problematic / this raises concerns / this is counterproductive |
| I don't like it |
I have reservations about / I am skeptical of |
| it doesn't work |
it falls short / it fails to deliver / it proves ineffective |
| this is wrong |
this is misguided / this is flawed / this overlooks |
Suggestion & Recommendation Boosters
| Basic |
Boosted |
| I think we should |
I would recommend / I would suggest / It would be advisable to |
| we need to |
it is imperative that / it is essential that / we ought to |
| a good way is |
an effective approach would be / a viable solution is |
| we could try |
one option worth considering is / it might be beneficial to |
Hedging Boosters (Softeners)
Use these to sound balanced and academic:
- It could be argued that…
- There is a tendency to…
- This may / might / could lead to…
- To a certain extent…
- It appears that… / It seems that…
- One possible explanation is…
- This is not necessarily…
Certainty Boosters
Use when you want to sound definitive:
- There is no doubt that…
- It is widely acknowledged that…
- The evidence clearly suggests…
- It goes without saying that…
- It is universally accepted that…
- Without question…
Comparison Boosters
| Basic |
Boosted |
| better than |
superior to / preferable to / more advantageous than |
| worse than |
inferior to / less desirable than |
| the same as |
comparable to / equivalent to / on par with |
| different from |
distinct from / in contrast to / as opposed to |
Quantity & Frequency Boosters
| Basic |
Boosted |
| always |
invariably / consistently / without exception |
| sometimes |
occasionally / from time to time / on occasion |
| never |
under no circumstances / by no means / at no point |
| often |
frequently / regularly / on a regular basis |
| rarely |
seldom / hardly ever / infrequently |
Time Boosters
| Basic |
Boosted |
| now |
currently / at present / at this point in time |
| before |
previously / formerly / prior to |
| after |
subsequently / thereafter / following |
| soon |
in the near future / shortly / in due course |
| recently |
as of late / in recent times / lately |
How to Use These
- Don't overload — use 3–5 boosters per response, not one per sentence
- Match the register — formal boosters for formal prompts, moderate ones for casual prompts
- Practice in pairs — learn one booster per category and use it until it's automatic
- Speak naturally — if a booster feels awkward in your mouth, swap it for a simpler one you can deliver smoothly
Common Mistake
Using boosters you can't pronounce or don't fully understand will hurt your score more than using simple words clearly. Clarity beats complexity.