“The course was good” gives an opinion, but the listener cannot tell whether you mean clear explanations, useful practice or convenient organisation. A more precise description makes the judgement understandable.
The vocabulary guidance in IELTS Speaking Academic: 50 Full-Length Band 9 Sample Answers recommends precision. This guide applies that idea without treating unusual vocabulary as an automatic route to a score.
Ask what the word is doing
Before replacing “good,” identify the quality you mean. If the explanation was easy to follow, say that. If the exercises were relevant to your goals, explain the relevance. A random synonym may change the meaning.
Original vocabulary revision
Vague: “The instructions were nice.”
Precise: “The instructions were clear, and each step included an example.”
The second sentence names the quality and supplies evidence for it.
Explain “interesting”
Draft: “The discussion was interesting.”
Possible revision: “The discussion introduced a viewpoint I had not considered, so I wanted to hear the reasons behind it.”
The revision shows what held the speaker's attention. It does not require a rare adjective.
Learn useful combinations
Record phrases such as “clear instructions,” “practical example” or “unexpected result” with a sentence. Knowing how words work together is more useful than keeping an isolated list of alternatives.
Avoid replacing every repeated word
Sometimes repeating the correct term keeps an explanation clear. Change a word when doing so improves precision or naturalness, not merely because you have used it once already.
Review a short recording and choose two vague descriptions. Explain each more specifically, then record a fresh response. Check that the new wording still expresses your intended meaning.
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Source: IELTS Speaking Academic - 50 Full-Length Band 9 Sample Answers.epub, Jobins Training. Examples labelled original or illustrative were written for this article. Independent exam preparation; no affiliation with or endorsement by the examining body. Practice does not predict an official score.