Understanding ‘Intensive’: A Key Word for IELTS Success
Learn the meaning, usage, and common mistakes associated with the word ‘intensive’. This video explains its definition, provides examples, and highlights the differences between ‘intensive’, ‘extensive’, and ‘intense’ to help IELTS learners aiming for a 6.5 band score or higher.
Imagine studying for sixteen hours straight without a break. That’s what we call intensive. Today, we’re exploring the word intensive, an essential term for IELTS learners aiming for a band score of six point five or higher.
Word type: Intensive is primarily used as an adjective.
Meaning: Intensive describes something that involves a lot of work or activity in a short period of time.
It can also mean very thorough or concentrated.
Word history: The word intensive comes from the Latin word intensivus, meaning stretched, strained, or intense.
It entered the English language in the late fifteenth century.
Antonyms: Some opposites of intensive include relaxed, casual, and superficial.
Synonyms: Words with similar meanings to intensive are concentrated, rigorous, and thorough.
Examples use in sentences:
The students attended an intensive English course to prepare for their IELTS exam. Farmers use intensive farming methods to maximize crop yields in limited space.
The police conducted an intensive search of the area to find the missing child. Common errors in use:
One common mistake is confusing intensive with extensive. While intensive refers to something concentrated or thorough, extensive means covering a large area or amount.
For example, you might say The researcher conducted an extensive study over many years, but An intensive study of a specific topic over a short period.
Another error is using intensive when you mean intense. Intense describes a high degree of strength, power, or emotion, while intensive focuses more on concentration and thoroughness.
For instance, The workout was intense, leaving me exhausted is correct, not The workout was intensive.
To wrap up, remember that intensive describes something concentrated, thorough, or involving a lot of activity in a short time.
Use it to describe focused efforts or in-depth studies. By incorporating this word into your vocabulary, you’ll be one step closer to achieving that six point five band score in IELTS.
