Beliefs & values

What 'beliefs & values' covers: Beliefs and values is part of the theme Identities. You need vocabulary to describe what people believe, the principles that guide them, and how different views can live side by side — and to give a balanced opinion without judging.

The words below are common English B vocabulary. Treat the list as a glossary: learn each term with its meaning and a synonym, then reuse them in the reading and writing sections.

belief

something you accept as true or feel sure about

value (values)

a principle or standard that guides how you live

faith

strong religious belief; trust in something

religion / to be religious

an organised system of belief / to follow one actively

tradition

a custom passed down from one generation to the next

respect / to respect

to value and treat someone's views or rights as important

tolerance

the willingness to accept views or behaviour you don't share

honesty

the quality of being truthful and sincere

equality

the state of everyone having the same rights and status

to live together / coexist

to share a place or community in harmony

to judge (someone)

to form a critical opinion about a person, often unfairly

to share values

to hold the same guiding principles as someone else

open-minded

willing to consider new or different ideas without prejudice

Why this matters: This vocabulary turns up in every skill — a reading text on traditions, a listening interview about values, a Paper 1 letter, or your oral. Reusing precise topic words is how you score Criterion A (Language).

Have something to say: Examiners reward developed ideas, not just vocabulary. Around beliefs and values, the common debates are: tradition vs change, religious vs secular life, and whether shared values matter more than agreeing on everything. Take a balanced position — this theme rewards comparing perspectives without judging.

Link your ideas: Connectors lift your answer from a list into an argument: moreover (to add), however (to contrast), therefore (to conclude), although (to concede). Use at least two or three in any written answer.

Read like Paper 2: Here is a short blog post — the kind of text Paper 2 (Reading) gives you. Read it once just for the general idea; don't worry about every word. Then we'll work through one exam question together.

My grandmother and me: For my grandmother, the most important things in life are family and faith. She goes to church every Sunday and never misses a family meal.

I'm not religious myself, but I respect her beliefs and I learn a lot from her values: honesty, generosity and respect for other people. Sometimes we don't agree, especially about traditions, but we talk without judging each other. I think the important thing isn't to think the same way, it's to listen to the other person. In the end, my grandmother and I share the same values, even though we express them in different ways.

to go to church

to attend a religious service

to miss (a meal)

to be absent from; to fail to attend

to agree

to share the same opinion

to judge each other

to form critical opinions about one another

to think the same way

to hold identical opinions

Reading technique: For an "according to the text" question, find the exact line that proves your answer — don't rely on memory or general knowledge.

The task: Your school is running a week about respect and living together. Write a blog post for other students: explain which values are important to you and give advice for respecting other people's beliefs.

Use an informal, friendly register. Write 250–400 words.

Why it scores: This answer hits all three Paper 1 criteria — here's what earns each one:

How listening is tested: Paper 2 also tests listening: you hear short clips, each played twice, and you never see the words. Read the questions first, listen for the key idea, then answer.

Here we'll use a transcript so you can practise the technique on the page. Read the questions, then find the answer in the speaker's words.

Transcript — Daniel on respect: Hi, I'm Daniel. At my school there are students from many countries and religions. For me, the most important value is respect: to respect means to listen to others even if you don't think the same way they do. You don't have to share the same faith to be friends; what really brings us together is tolerance and honesty. I believe that difference teaches us new things.

Listening technique: Read the questions before the clip plays. Each question usually points to one short part of the recording — listen for the words around it, not the whole thing.