Vocabulary for IELTS (General) - Literature

Here you will learn some English words about literature, such as "adapt", "caption", "myth", etc. that are needed for the IELTS exam.

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to adapt [verb]

to change a book or play in a way that can be made into a movie, TV series, etc.

Ex: The producers hired a team of writers to adapt the classic play for a modern audience .

anecdote [noun]

a short interesting story about a real event or person, often biographical

Ex: He told an anecdote about meeting a famous musician by accident .

to author [verb]

to be the writer of a book, article, etc.

autobiography [noun]

the story of the life of a person, written by the same person

Ex: She decided to write an autobiography after retiring to reflect on her experiences .

bestseller [noun]

an item, especially a book, that is bought by a large number of people

Ex: He was thrilled when his book became a bestseller in multiple countries .

caption [noun]

a short text accompanying an illustration, giving extra information

commission [noun]

a formal request for an artist to paint, design or compose a piece of art

to draft [verb]

to write something for the first time that needs corrections for the final presentation

Ex: The students were instructed to draft their research papers and then seek feedback from their peers .

critic [noun]

someone who evaluates and provides opinions or judgments about various forms of art, literature, performances, or other creative works

Ex:

edition [noun]

the specific form or version that a book, magazine, or similar publication is in

Ex: This edition of the textbook has been updated with new information and revised chapters to reflect the latest research findings .

to illustrate [verb]

to use pictures in a book, magazine, etc.

Ex: They illustrate the travel guidebook with maps and photographs of landmarks .

index [noun]

an alphabetical listing of topics, names, or terms with references to their locations, typically in a book or document

Ex: The index lists all the authors cited in the text .

literary [adjective]

related to literature, especially in terms of its style, structure, or content

Ex: The literary magazine published short stories , poetry , and essays from emerging writers .

metaphor [noun]

a figure of speech that compares two unrelated things to highlight their similarities and convey a deeper meaning

Ex: His writing style relies heavily on vivid metaphors and imagery .

myth [noun]

a story involving the ancient history of a people, usually about heroes and supernatural events that could be unreal

Ex: The ancient myth described how fire was stolen from the gods .

narrator [noun]

the person who tells the story in a novel, poem, etc.

Ex:

to plot [verb]

to write the series of events forming a novel, movie, play, etc.

Ex: The playwright meticulously plotted the dialogue and scenes to create a captivating drama .

tragedy [noun]

a play with sad events, especially one that the main character dies at the end

Ex: The film adaptation stayed true to the original tragedy elements , eliciting strong emotional responses from audiences .

twist [noun]

an unexpected turn in the course of events

Ex: Just when we thought everything was going smoothly , there was a sudden twist in the story .

symbolic [adjective]

consisting of or employing symbols

Ex:

sequel [noun]

a book, movie, play, etc. that continues and extends the story of an earlier one

Ex: The sequel picked up right where the first book left off , continuing the protagonist 's journey with new challenges and adventures .

to depict [verb]

to describe a specific subject, scene, person, etc.

Ex: The film was depicting life in the 18th century when the power went out .

concise [adjective]

giving a lot of information briefly and clearly

Ex:

autobiographical [adjective]

(of a written work) relating to the author's own life

Ex: The singer-songwriter's lyrics were intensely autobiographical , drawing from her own relationships and experiences .

appendix [noun]

a separate part at the end of a book that gives further information

Ex: Students were instructed to refer to the appendix for additional resources and data related to their coursework .

to abridge [verb]

to make a book, play, etc. short by omitting the details and including the main parts

Ex: The team was abridging the manuscript when the deadline was moved up .

foreword [noun]

a short introductory section at the beginning of a book, usually written by someone other than the author

Ex: The foreword provided insights into the author 's inspiration for the novel .

afterword [noun]

a part at the end of a book including some final words that may not be written by the author

Ex: The afterword included a brief history of the book 's publication journey .

edgy [adjective]

(of a movie, book, piece of music, etc.) characterized by sharpness, intensity, or boldness, often provoking strong reactions

Ex: The play 's edgy dialogue provoked laughter and discomfort simultaneously .

motif [noun]

a subject, idea, or phrase that is repeatedly used in a literary work

Ex: Through the motif of the " fall from grace , " the author explores the consequences of hubris and the fragility of human ambition .

Vocabulary for IELTS (General)
Communication	Art	Music	Literature
Movie and Theater	The Media	Argument and Agreement	Certainty and Uncertainty
Expressing an Opinion	Advice and Suggestion	Making a Decision	Sickness and Health
Cause and Effect	Success and Failure	Education	Space
Money	Business	The environment	Likes and Dislikes
Persuasion and Involvement	Similarity and Difference	Signposting	Problems and Solutions
Being in Charge	Talking about Senses	Possession	Talking about Change
Talking about Events and Incidents	Lifestyles	Tourism	The Planet Earth
Phrasal Verbs