What 'community' covers: Community is part of the theme Social organization. You need vocabulary to talk about your neighbourhood, neighbours, shared spaces, local projects and helping one another — and to give your opinion about them.
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.
- community
- a group of people who live in the same area or share something in common
- neighbourhood
- the area around where you live, and the people in it
- neighbour
- a person who lives near you
- residents' association
- an organised group of local people who work to improve the area
- public space
- an open area anyone can use — a park, a square, a community centre
- community garden
- a shared plot where local people grow plants together
- volunteering
- giving your time to help others without being paid
- to collaborate / to pull together
- to work together towards a shared goal
- to get along (with)
- to have a friendly relationship with someone
- meeting place / hub
- a spot where people gather and come together
- to lend a hand
- to help someone, often informally
- the common good
- what benefits the whole community, not just one person
- to belong / to fit in
- to feel that you are an accepted part of a group
| Useful expression | What it means |
|---|---|
| I get along really well with my neighbours. | I have a friendly relationship with the people near me. |
| My neighbourhood lacks spaces for young people. | There aren't enough places for teenagers to go. |
| I volunteer on a local project. | I give my time to help a project in my area. |
| If we all pull together, we improve the community. | Working together makes the area better for everyone. |
| I always try to lend a hand to those who need it. | I help people who need it whenever I can. |
Why this matters: This vocabulary turns up in every skill — a reading text about a local project, a listening interview with a neighbour, a Paper 1 blog or letter to the residents' association, 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 community, the common debates are: the lack of public spaces for young people, whether neighbours still help one another today, and how local projects (gardens, volunteering) bring people together. Take a position and back it up.
Opinion phrases (use these to introduce a view)
- In my opinion… / From my point of view… — to introduce what you think
- It seems to me that… / I believe that… — a slightly softer way to give a view
- The most important thing is… — to highlight your main point
- On the one hand… on the other hand… — to weigh up two sides
- I (completely) agree that… / I'm not convinced that… — to react to an idea
Problems in a neighbourhood
- There is a lack of public spaces where young people can meet.
- Sometimes neighbours don't know each other and nobody collaborates.
- Some shared spaces are abandoned or neglected.
A strong community
- Volunteering helps us feel part of something bigger.
- A shared project turns a neighbourhood into a meeting place.
- When neighbours pull together, everyone lives better.
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.
Stop wasting time on topics you know
Our AI identifies your weak areas and focuses your study time where it matters. No more overstudying easy topics.
Try Smart Study Free7-day free trial • No card required
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.
A garden that brings the neighbourhood together: Last year, a group of us neighbours turned an abandoned plot into a community garden. At first I felt a little discouraged, because in my neighbourhood there are almost no spaces for young people.
But everything changed once we started working together. Every Saturday we planted vegetables, painted the benches and put on small snacks for the older residents. Little by little, the garden became a meeting place where people get to know one another and help each other out. I arrived shy, but now I feel part of a community. I have learned that, when neighbours pull together, even an empty plot can turn into something that brings the whole neighbourhood closer.
- an abandoned plot
- a piece of empty land that nobody is using
- discouraged
- having lost confidence or hope; disheartened
- to pull together
- to work together, especially in a difficult situation
- a meeting place
- a spot where people gather and come together
- to bring (people) closer
- to make people feel more connected to one another
IB-style task — one Paper 2 question
One question, step by step
- The question — "According to the text, what did the neighbours turn the abandoned plot into?"
- Find it in the text. Look for the words "abandoned plot": "a group of us neighbours turned an abandoned plot into a community garden."
- The answer — They turned it into a community garden. The words are right there in the text, so no outside knowledge is needed.
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 neighbourhood's residents' association is running a campaign to improve the community. Write a blog post for other young people: describe a local project you know and give advice for taking part more in the community.
Use an informal, friendly register. Write 250–400 words.
Blog structure — 5 steps
1
Catchy title
A title, often a question. "Think there's nothing to do in your neighbourhood?"
2
Greeting + topic
Greet the reader and say what the post is about. "Hi everyone! Today I want to tell you about…"
3
Your experience
Describe the project and how things were before, in the past. "I used to complain a lot…"
4
Two or three tips
Give advice using imperatives. "Talk to your neighbours", "offer one hour of your time", "look after shared spaces".
5
Motivating close
Finish with an encouraging line. "Suggest one idea this week — you'll make a difference."
Title → Greeting → Experience → Tips → Close
Model: the 5 steps in action
The blog post, step by step
- Think there's nothing to do in your neighbourhood? Think again.
- Hi everyone! I'm Marta, and today I want to tell you about something that has changed my neighbourhood: a community garden.
- I used to complain a lot. We had no spaces for young people and hardly anyone knew each other. Although nobody believed in the idea at first, a group of us neighbours transformed an empty plot.
- So here are three tips. First, talk to your neighbours. Second, offer one hour of your time each week. And third, look after the shared spaces as if they were your own home.
- Most importantly, just start. A community is built by everyone together. Suggest one idea this week and you'll make a real difference in your neighbourhood.
Why it scores: This answer hits all three Paper 1 criteria — here's what earns each one:
A — Language /12
- Range of tenses: past "I used to complain", imperatives "talk", "offer", "look after"
- Connectors: "although", "so", "most importantly"
- Topic vocabulary, used accurately
B — Message /12
- Task fully done: describes a project AND gives advice
- Ideas developed with concrete examples
C — Conceptual /6
- Blog conventions: a catchy title
- Direct address: "Hi everyone", "you'll make a difference"
- A persuasive, personal tone
See how examiners mark answers
Access past paper questions with model answers. Learn exactly what earns marks and what doesn't.
Try Exam Vault Free7-day free trial • No card required
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 — Hugo's speech: Good afternoon, neighbours. My name is Hugo and I'm a student from this neighbourhood. As you can see, a lot of us young people don't really know how to use our phones for everyday tasks, and many older residents don't either. So here's my idea: every Saturday, several of us students will give free technology classes at the community centre. That way the older residents will learn to make video calls, and we'll feel useful. If we all pull together, this neighbourhood will become a real meeting place. Thank you very much.
IB-style task — two listening questions
Two questions, step by step
- Q1 — What will the students do every Saturday? Listen just after "here's my idea": "several of us students will give free technology classes at the community centre." That is your answer.
- Q2 — What will the older residents learn? He says it next: "the older residents will learn to make video calls." Answer: how to make video calls.
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.