Education & Knowledge
Words for learning, studying, and education systems
Overview
25 A2 words for talking about education, studying, academic subjects, and the learning process.
Words
ability /əˈbɪləti/
noun — A2
Meaning: the power or skill to do something
Examples:
- She has the ability to learn quickly.
- His ability to speak three languages helped him get the job.
Collocations: ability to, natural ability, reading ability
Word Family: ability (n.) → able (adj.) → unable (adj.) → disability (n.)
chapter /ˈtʃæptər/
noun — A2
Meaning: one of the main sections of a book
Examples:
- Please read Chapter 3 for homework.
- The book has fifteen chapters.
Collocations: first chapter, next chapter, chapter title
concentrate /ˈkɒnsntreɪt/
verb — A2
Meaning: to give all your attention to something
Examples:
- I can’t concentrate with all this noise.
- She concentrated on her studies.
Collocations: concentrate on, hard to concentrate, fully concentrate
Word Family: concentrate (v.) → concentration (n.)
course /kɔːs/
noun — A2
Meaning: a series of lessons or lectures on a subject
Examples:
- She’s doing a course in web design.
- I signed up for an online course.
Collocations: training course, course material, of course
degree /dɪˈɡriː/
noun — A2
Meaning: a qualification from a university; a unit of measurement
Examples:
- She has a degree in business.
- The temperature is 35 degrees.
Collocations: university degree, degree course, to a certain degree
develop /dɪˈveləp/
verb — A2
Meaning: to grow or change into something more advanced
Examples:
- The company is developing a new app.
- Children develop at different rates.
Collocations: develop skills, develop a plan, develop into
Word Family: develop (v.) → development (n.) → developer (n.)
educate /ˈedʒukeɪt/
verb — A2
Meaning: to teach or train someone
Examples:
- The aim is to educate children about health.
- She was educated at Oxford.
Collocations: well-educated, educate yourself, educate the public
Word Family: educate (v.) → education (n.) → educational (adj.)
essay /ˈeseɪ/
noun — A2
Meaning: a short piece of writing on a particular subject
Examples:
- I have to write an essay for my English class.
- She got a good grade on her essay.
Collocations: write an essay, essay question, essay topic
exam /ɪɡˈzæm/
noun — A2
Meaning: a formal test of knowledge
Examples:
- I have an exam next week.
- She passed all her exams.
Collocations: exam results, pass an exam, fail an exam, take an exam
Word Family: exam (n.) → examine (v.) → examination (n.)
fail /feɪl/
verb — A2
Meaning: to not succeed; to not pass a test
Examples:
- He failed his driving test.
- The plan failed completely.
Collocations: fail an exam, fail to, without fail
Word Family: fail (v.) → failure (n.)
geography /dʒiˈɒɡrəfi/
noun — A2
Meaning: the study of places, the earth, and its features
Examples:
- She teaches geography at the high school.
- I love studying the geography of different countries.
Collocations: physical geography, geography lesson, geography teacher
Word Family: geography (n.) → geographical (adj.)
grade /ɡreɪd/
noun, verb — A2
Meaning: a mark showing how good work is; a level in school
Examples:
- She got the highest grade in the class.
- What grade is your son in?
Collocations: good grade, grade point, grade school
history /ˈhɪstri/
noun — A2
Meaning: the study of past events; past events themselves
Examples:
- She studied history at university.
- The building has a long history.
Collocations: history lesson, world history, history book, make history
Word Family: history (n.) → historical (adj.) → historian (n.)
improve /ɪmˈpruːv/
verb — A2
Meaning: to get better; to make something better
Examples:
- My English has improved a lot.
- We need to improve customer service.
Collocations: improve your skills, improve dramatically, room for improvement
Word Family: improve (v.) → improvement (n.)
instruction /ɪnˈstrʌkʃn/
noun — A2
Meaning: detailed information on how to do something
Examples:
- Follow the instructions on the packet.
- The teacher gave clear instructions.
Collocations: follow instructions, clear instructions, instruction manual
Word Family: instruction (n.) → instruct (v.) → instructor (n.)
knowledge /ˈnɒlɪdʒ/
noun — A2
Meaning: information and understanding gained through learning
Examples:
- She has a good knowledge of French.
- His knowledge of computers is impressive.
Collocations: general knowledge, knowledge of, common knowledge
Word Family: knowledge (n.) → knowledgeable (adj.)
lesson /ˈlesn/
noun — A2
Meaning: a period of time for learning a subject; something learned from experience
Examples:
- I have a piano lesson at four.
- The accident taught him a valuable lesson.
Collocations: piano lesson, learn a lesson, lesson plan
library /ˈlaɪbrəri/
noun — A2
Meaning: a building or room with books for people to read or borrow
Examples:
- I borrowed the book from the library.
- She studies at the public library.
Collocations: public library, library card, library book
Word Family: library (n.) → librarian (n.)
mathematics /ˌmæθəˈmætɪks/
noun — A2
Meaning: the study of numbers, quantities, and shapes
Examples:
- She’s very good at mathematics.
- Mathematics is my favourite subject.
Collocations: mathematics teacher, mathematics exam
Word Family: mathematics (n.) → mathematical (adj.) → mathematician (n.)
pass /pɑːs/
verb — A2
Meaning: to succeed in a test or exam
Examples:
- I hope I’ll pass the exam.
- She passed with flying colours.
Collocations: pass an exam, pass a test, pass or fail
practice /ˈpræktɪs/
noun, verb — A2
Meaning: (n.) repeated action to improve; (v.) to do repeatedly to get better
Examples:
- I need more practice speaking English.
- She practises the piano every day.
Collocations: practice makes perfect, practice session, in practice
Word Family: practice (n.) → practise (v.) → practical (adj.)
research /rɪˈsɜːtʃ/
noun, verb — A2
Meaning: careful study of a subject to discover new facts
Examples:
- She’s doing research on climate change.
- They researched the topic thoroughly.
Collocations: scientific research, research project, do research
Word Family: research (n./v.) → researcher (n.)
science /ˈsaɪəns/
noun — A2
Meaning: the study of the physical world through observation and experiment
Examples:
- She loves science, especially biology.
- The science museum is very popular.
Collocations: science fiction, science teacher, computer science
Word Family: science (n.) → scientist (n.) → scientific (adj.)
score /skɔːr/
noun, verb — A2
Meaning: (n.) the number of points in a game or test; (v.) to get points
Examples:
- What was the final score?
- She scored 90% on the test.
Collocations: high score, final score, score a goal
subject /ˈsʌbdʒɪkt/
noun — A2
Meaning: an area of knowledge studied in school
Examples:
- What’s your favourite subject?
- History is a popular subject.
Collocations: school subject, subject matter, change the subject
Quick Review
| Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ability | n. | power to do |
| chapter | n. | book section |
| concentrate | v. | focus attention |
| course | n. | series of lessons |
| degree | n. | qualification; unit |
| develop | v. | grow; advance |
| educate | v. | teach |
| essay | n. | written piece |
| exam | n. | formal test |
| fail | v. | not succeed |
| geography | n. | study of places |
| grade | n./v. | mark; school level |
| history | n. | study of past |
| improve | v. | get better |
| instruction | n. | how-to details |
| knowledge | n. | understanding |
| lesson | n. | learning period |
| library | n. | book building |
| mathematics | n. | number study |
| pass | v. | succeed in test |
| practice | n./v. | repeated action |
| research | n./v. | careful study |
| science | n. | physical study |
| score | n./v. | points |
| subject | n. | knowledge area |