How to Talk About Improving Things

1. Why This Skill Matters

Improvement questions reward three things: a concrete, doable fix (not "make it better" or "I don't know"), a named actor (who would actually carry it out), and a reason it would work (a result clause showing you understand why the fix solves the problem, not just that it exists).

2. How IELTS Tests This Across All Three Parts

• Part 1: How would you improve your bedroom? What would you change about your hometown? Personal-scale questions rewarding a specific fix.
• Part 2: you may need to describe a change you'd like to make to somewhere you know, sustaining the fix-plus-reason structure across a longer answer.
• Part 3: discussion moves to society-wide problems and solutions — What could governments do about traffic congestion? — needing formal problem-identifying and solution-suggesting language.

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3. The Core Toolkit: Structures for Talking About Improvement

3.1. Name a Concrete Actor, Then Say How You'd Improve It Yourself

Saying "the city council" or "local schools" instead of a vague "they" turns a wish into something that sounds like a real plan. For fixes you'd make personally, use a direct structure:

• I would improve/make X by + verb-ing

❌ I don't know, maybe just make it nicer or something. ✅ I would improve my hometown by adding more green spaces — the local council could spend more money on turning the empty lots near the centre into small parks.

3.2. Suggest Someone Else Take Action

When the fix isn't yours to make personally, name who should act and use a suggestion structure:

• I suggest (the government/the school authorities/they) improve X by + verb-ing
• Higher-register solution phrases: should take measures to... / ought to take steps to... / could spend more money on... / should pay more attention to... / ought to make an effort to... / can provide more... / could try harder to...

❌ I'm not sure, I guess make the buses better. ✅ I would improve public transport by adding more bus routes — the city ought to take steps to run buses every ten minutes instead of every half hour.

3.3. Commission the Work: The Causative "Have Something Done"

There's an important difference between improving something yourself and paying or arranging for someone else to do it:

• I would make the windows bigger — you do it yourself
• I would have the windows made bigger — you get someone else (a professional) to do it

I would have a new kitchen installed. I would have the walls painted different colours. I would have my motorbike fixed.

3.4. Name the Problem Before the Fix

A suggestion without a clearly named problem sounds like a random guess. State exactly what's wrong first:

• The main problem with X is... / The biggest problem with X is Y.
• One major concern with X that needs addressing is Y.
• The main reasons behind X are Y and Z.
• The main issue many people have with X is Y.
• Most people believe that X is the main problem.

❌ They should build more train lines. ✅ The main problem with public transport here is that trains run too infrequently, so I think the city should take measures to add more trains during rush hour, which would mean fewer people driving to work.

3.5. Add the Payoff: A Result Clause

Naming the fix isn't enough on its own — add one sentence on why or how it would actually solve the problem:

• ..., which would mean... / ..., so that...
• ...then X would be + comparative — then my dorm would be more attractive
• Having X done would make... + comparative — Having a carpet fitted would make my room warmer.

3.6. Name a Definite Action Verb

Concrete action verbs sound like an actual plan, not a repeat of the complaint:

• get rid of / abolish — remove something entirely (abolish is more formal, often legal/institutional)
• clean up / repair / renovate — restore or improve a physical thing
• impose tighter regulations on / put pressure on — control or influence behaviour
• encourage people to — persuade rather than force
• spend more money on — invest resources directly

3.7. Switch From Problem Language to Suggestion Language

If you're asked what can be done, don't just restate that it's a problem — switch into a suggestion phrase (should, could, ought to) and name an actual action:

❌ Well, there's a lot of problems with pollution, factories produce a lot of smoke and cars too. ✅ Since there're a lot of problems with air pollution from cars, I think the government should encourage people to use public transport instead, maybe by making it free during peak hours.

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4. How These Words and Structures Relate to Each Other

This is the "relationships" map, showing how personal-scale and society-scale improvement language connect.

• I would improve/make X by + verb-ing (personal, Part 1–2) ↔ should take measures to / ought to take steps to (Part 3) — alternative_structure: the same underlying move — naming a concrete fix — dressed for a personal answer versus a formal discussion of policy.
• I would make the windows bigger ↔ I would have the windows made bigger — complementary_rule: identical intention, but one is DIY and the other is commissioned; the causative form is essential whenever you mean "get someone else to do it."
• The main problem with X is... ↔ the biggest problem with X is Y ↔ one major concern with X that needs addressing is Y — a near_synonym cluster for identifying a problem, letting you rotate instead of repeating one opener.
• get rid of ↔ abolish — a near_synonym pair with a real register gap: get rid of is everyday and physical; abolish is formal and usually institutional (a law, a system, a practice).
• "...which would mean..." / "...so that..." (§3.5) ↔ "add a reason" in How to Expand an Answer — the same underlying move: a suggestion without a result clause is exactly as thin as an opinion without a reason.
• Problem language ("there's a lot of problems with...") ↔ suggestion language ("should take measures to...") — opposite_structure: describing what's wrong versus describing what to do about it; switching from the first to the second is what actually answers an improvement question.

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5. Part 1 in Practice: Short Answers Across 5 Topics

Topic — Home & Hometown

Weak: I don't know, maybe just make it nicer or something. Upgraded: I would improve my hometown by adding more green spaces — the local council could spend more money on turning the empty lots near the centre into small parks.

Topic — Travel & Transport

Weak: I'm not sure, I guess make the buses better. Upgraded: I would improve public transport by adding more bus routes — the city ought to take steps to run buses every ten minutes instead of every half hour.

Topic — Environment

Weak: I don't know, people should just be nicer to the environment. Upgraded: I would improve air quality by getting stricter with factories — the government should take measures to impose tighter regulations on how much smoke they're allowed to release.

Topic — Noise

Weak: The government should do something about the noise. Upgraded: One major concern with traffic noise that needs addressing is how late trucks are allowed to drive through residential streets, so the council ought to make an effort to restrict deliveries to daytime hours, which would let people actually sleep.

Topic — Work & Career

Weak: My office could be better I guess. Upgraded: The main problem with my office is that there's nowhere quiet to focus, so I'd suggest management provide a couple of small, silent rooms for calls and deep work, which would cut down on people wearing headphones all day just to concentrate.

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6. Part 2 in Practice: A Full Model Monologue

Cue card: Describe a change you would like to make to somewhere you live. You should say what the place is, what's wrong with it now, what you would change, and explain how it would improve things.

I'd like to talk about my bedroom, which I've lived in for about three years now without really updating anything. The main problem with it is that it still has the same furniture I had as a teenager, so it doesn't really feel like an adult's room anymore — it's a bit cramped, and the colours are honestly a little childish at this point.

If I could change one thing, I would improve the room by getting rid of the old wardrobe and putting up some proper shelving instead, which would free up a surprising amount of floor space. I'd also have the walls painted a much calmer colour, since I'm not confident enough with a paintbrush to do a neat job myself — I'd rather commission that part than risk making a mess of it.

Having a bit more space and a calmer colour scheme done properly would make the whole room feel considerably bigger and more relaxing, which matters a lot to me since I work from home and spend most of my day in there. So it's a fairly small, personal kind of improvement, but I think it would genuinely change how it feels to just be in the room every day.

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7. Applying the Improvement Skill at Part 3 Register

The same problem-then-fix pattern climbs to formal, institutional language for society-wide questions.

Q: What could governments do to reduce traffic congestion in major cities?

The main problem with congestion in most large cities is that road capacity simply hasn't kept pace with the number of vehicles, so I think governments should take measures to expand and subsidise public transport rather than continuing to build more roads, which tend to fill up again within a few years regardless. Alongside that, cities could impose tighter regulations on private vehicle access to the busiest central areas during peak hours, similar to schemes already used in a number of European capitals. Encouraging people to cycle or walk short distances would also help, though that alone probably isn't sufficient without the transport investment behind it. Ultimately, a combination of these measures tends to work far better than relying on any single fix.

Q: What can be done to address the housing shortage in many cities?

One major concern with housing that needs addressing is the mismatch between where jobs are concentrated and where affordable homes are actually being built, so I'd argue local authorities ought to make an effort to release more land for development closer to major employment centres, rather than pushing new housing further and further into the outskirts. Governments could also provide more direct support for first-time buyers, which would reduce demand pressure at the lower end of the market. That said, this is a complex issue with several contributing factors, so no single intervention is likely to solve it on its own.

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8. Academic Words (AWL) for Talking About Improvement

Word	Definition	Example
implement (v)	to put a plan or decision into action	The council plans to implement the new scheme next year.
enhance (v)	to improve the quality or value of something	Better lighting would enhance the whole street.
address (v)	to deal with or attempt to solve a problem	The plan aims to address the root cause, not just the symptoms.
allocate (v)	to set something aside for a particular purpose	More funding should be allocated to public transport.
initiative (n)	a new plan or process to solve a problem	The recycling initiative has already reduced waste considerably.
intervention (n)	an action taken to improve a situation	Some form of government intervention seems necessary here.
mechanism (n)	a system or process for achieving something	There's no clear mechanism for reporting these problems.
sufficient (adj)	enough for a particular purpose	One measure alone is rarely sufficient to fix the issue.
considerable (adj)	fairly large in amount or degree	This would require considerable investment.
factor (n)	one of several things influencing a result	Cost is a major factor in any proposed solution.
ultimately (adv)	in the end, after everything is considered	Ultimately, a combination of measures works best.
context (n)	the circumstances shaping a problem or solution	The right fix depends heavily on local context.

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9. Idioms for Talking About Improvement

• a step in the right direction — an improvement, even if not a complete solution: It's not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction.
• kill two birds with one stone — a single action that solves two problems at once: Adding bike lanes kills two birds with one stone — less traffic and healthier commuters.
• back to the drawing board — needing to start planning again after a failed attempt: The first plan didn't work, so it's back to the drawing board.
• iron out the kinks — to fix small remaining problems in something mostly working: We just need to iron out a few kinks in the new system.
• a quick fix — a fast, often temporary solution that doesn't address the real problem: That's just a quick fix, not a long-term solution.
• there's room for improvement — something is acceptable but could still be better: The service is fine, but there's definitely room for improvement.
• go the extra mile — to make more effort than is strictly required: The new manager really goes the extra mile for the team.

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10. Native-Speaker Ways of Saying It

• it wouldn't hurt to... — a mild, understated way to suggest an improvement: It wouldn't hurt to add a few more bins around here.
• there's no harm in... — similar, framing a suggestion as low-risk: There's no harm in trying a different approach.
• it's about time (something) was done — signals frustration that an obvious fix has been delayed: It's about time something was done about that junction.
• sort X out (informal) — to fix or deal with something properly: They really need to sort the drainage out before winter.
• a bit of a band-aid solution (informal) — a fix that treats the symptom, not the cause: Honestly, that's a bit of a band-aid solution.
• spruce (something) up (informal) — to make something look nicer, often cosmetically: A coat of paint would really spruce the place up.

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11. Common Mistakes at a Glance

❌ Mistake	✅ Correction
I don't know, maybe just make it better. (vague, no real suggestion)	I would improve X by + [specific verb-ing].
They should build more parks. (bare fix, no reason)	..., which would mean more green space for local families.
Well, there's a lot of problems with X. (restates problem, no fix)	Since there're problems with X, I think Y should take measures to...
I would make the walls painted. (wrong causative form)	I would have the walls painted.
They should fix it. (vague "they")	The city council / local schools / the government should...
It's a problem. It's a big problem. (repeating the complaint)	Switch to a suggestion phrase: should / could / ought to + action verb.

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12. Exercises

A. Fill in the gap with the correct word from the box. (I would improve / have the walls painted / the main problem with / should take measures to / get rid of)

1. ___ my bedroom by adding more shelving.
2. I would ___ a different colour, since I can't paint neatly myself.
3. ___ this street is that there's nowhere to park.
4. The council ___ reduce noise from late-night deliveries.
5. I would ___ the old furniture and buy something new.

B. Correct the vague or bare answer in each sentence.

1. I don't know, maybe just make it nicer or something.
2. They should build more parks.
3. There's a lot of problems with pollution.

C. Choose DIY or causative form for each sentence.

1. I would ___ (paint / have painted) the walls myself, since I actually enjoy it.
2. I would ___ (fix / have fixed) my car, since I know nothing about engines.

D. Match the idiom to its meaning.

1. a quick fix   a) a fast, temporary solution
2. back to the drawing board   b) starting the planning again
3. kill two birds with one stone   c) solve two problems with one action

E. Choose the correct register for the part of the test.

1. (Part 1) I would improve my room ___ (by adding more shelves / by implementing a shelving initiative).
2. (Part 3) The government ___ (should sort it out / ought to take steps to address the issue).

F. Part 3 discussion practice. Answer each question aloud in 3–4 sentences, naming the problem first, then a solution with a result clause.

1. What could be done to reduce plastic waste in most countries?
2. How could schools improve student wellbeing?
3. What steps could cities take to make streets safer for cyclists?

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13. Answer Key

A. 1. I would improve 2. have the walls painted 3. The main problem with 4. should take measures to 5. get rid of B. 1. I would improve X by + [specific action]. 2. They should build more parks, which would mean... 3. Since there're problems with pollution, the government should... C. 1. paint 2. have fixed D. 1–a, 2–b, 3–c E. 1. by adding more shelves 2. ought to take steps to address the issue F. Open answers — check for a named problem and a solution with a result clause.

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14. Glossary

• Causative structure — a grammar pattern for actions you arrange for someone else to do (have something done).
• Definite action verb — a concrete verb naming a specific fix (renovate, abolish, get rid of).
• Near-synonym — a word or phrase close in meaning to another but different in strength or register.
• Register — the level of formality of language; it should rise from Part 1 to Part 3.
• Result clause — a clause explaining the effect of a suggestion (..., which would mean...).