Woes – Word Of The Day For IELTS

Woes – Word Of The Day For IELTS Speaking And Writing

Woes – /woʊs/ (Noun)

Meaning:

(formal) the problems and troubles affecting someone

Synonyms:

Problem, Issue

Collocations:

• With adjective: economic, financial

Examples:

• To win again in 1996 the Clintons must address the country’s economic woes first.
• The threat of at least one multi-million-dollar fine facing Koons and Sonnabend compounds their financial woes at this moment.
• His arrival and the Raiders’ existing financial woes have had an impact on various areas of the organisation.
• He said first he had to deal with the provincial government’s financial woes and an economic downturn.

Exercises:

Try to use this word “woes” in your speech

IELTS Speaking Part 3 Topic

Question 1:  Are people concerned about environmental problems in your country?

Sample Answer:

Well, it’s hard to say for sure. I think some people are concerned but probably not enough of them. There are people who take environmental woes seriously enough to actually recycle their rubbish appropriately but I don’t think there are enough people who concern themselves with resource depletion which I consider to be a pressing issue. So many people are using energy and buying products without any thought to the impact of their actions. We all know that the world’s resources are being used at an alarming rate but no one seems to actually feel it’s their responsibility to change the way they live. So, I guess, although there are some people who are concerned, it’s not enough and more people in my country need to change the way they live.

Question 2: Do you believe climate change is a serious problem?

Sample Answer:

Yes, I do. The woes of climate change have been growing over the past few decades and we are now witnessing serious changes in global weather patterns. While some countries are suffering heat waves, other countries are suffering from terrible snow storms. But that isn’t the worst of the problem. The changes in the climate are also causing extreme weather such as typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis, which are devastating many countries. On top of that, there are also concerns about rising sea levels, which although not a problem now, will be a serious concern to any low-lying country in the future. So, I feel that climate change is something which needs to be taken very seriously.