IELTS Writing Advice: don't use the word 'plethora'

I spoke to an IELTS examiner friend the other day, and one of the things that he said was this:

"I keep seeing the word 'plethora' in essays, and it's driving me mad!"

But what's wrong with the word 'plethora'? Use the comments area below to let me know what you think, and I'll try to explain the problem tomorrow.

Comments

[Csaj]

"plethora" is formal.

https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/a-plethora-of-something

Phrases such as"too much", "a great deal of", "an abundance of" are all more common in writing.

https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=a+plethora+of%2Ca+glut+of%2Can+excess+of%2Ca+surfeit+of%2Ca+slew+of%2Can+abundance+of%2Ca+great+deal+of%2Ctoo+much&case_insensitive=on&year_start=1960&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t4%3B%2Ca%20plethora%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Ba%20plethora%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BA%20plethora%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Ca%20glut%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Ba%20glut%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BA%20glut%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Can%20excess%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Ban%20excess%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BAn%20excess%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Ca%20surfeit%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Ba%20surfeit%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BA%20surfeit%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BA%20Surfeit%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Ca%20slew%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Ba%20slew%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BA%20slew%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Can%20abundance%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Ban%20abundance%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BAn%20abundance%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Ca%20great%20deal%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Ba%20great%20deal%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BA%20great%20deal%20of%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Ctoo%20much%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Btoo%20much%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BToo%20much%3B%2Cc0

https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=a+plethora+of+*%2Ca+glut+of+*%2Can+excess+of+*%2Ca+surfeit+of+*%2Ca+slew+of%2Can+abundance+of+*%2Ca+great+deal+of+*+%2Ctoo+much+*&year_start=1960&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=

[arch1001face]

Hi,

As I thought about writing an essay before that I tried to write something by translating own words in mind to English language. By doing so, I used 'plethora' words as simply a synonym and did not get the exact meaning of words and tried to impress the examiner. So I think we get wrong from this.

Now I think each word certainly has different meaning and I should use right words for different situations. If you want to use exact words you just need to copy this I suppose.

[Hazel]

Simon,

I think the biggest problem with "plethora" is those words would make the essay too lengthy and tedious-no one likes others beating one's gums.

When we respond the task, we should use a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision,that's it.

[Csaj]

"Today, plethora is not only used negatively. If you are happy to have options, you may say you have a plethora of choices. Although this may be ahistorical, it is not necessarily incorrect."

"The word [plethora] is perfectly fine, but keep in mind that it needs to flow with the rest of the sentence and the context of your writing. The focus of academic writing should be on your argument or theory—not on the words you use."
https://www.quora.com/What-is-plethora-is-it-often-used-in-academic-writing

[Arash]

a very large amount of something, especially a larger amount than you need, want, or can deal with:

There's a plethora of books about the royal family.
The plethora of regulations is both contradictory and confusing.

[Pachu]

Yes sir, I always trying to use uncommon words to Greta effects. Thanks sir

[Shohjahon]

In my opinion,there is no problem with using
the word "plethora" in essays.
BUT,It becomes a problen when students use it
inappropriately.

[Pachu]

I do not see any problem with this word .This basically means lots of .However, most of the students use this word frequently in writing as well as speaking.

[Zoe]

"Strictly, a plethora is not just an abundance of something, it is an excessive amount. However, the new, looser sense is now so dominant that it must be regarded as part of standard English": Oxford dictionary.

[Olek]

"The Real Living Stuff", living English is far from what dictionaries say. Dictionaries are a step behind from the real life most of the times. I prefer to go with someone who lives, eats, drinks, travels etc. the language every waking hour.

[Matt]

The following conversation comes in wiktionary under the ‘plethora’ definition and shows how an improper use cause an argument :
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/plethora

1986, ¡Three Amigos!
Jefe: We have many beautiful piñatas for your birthday celebration, each one filled with little surprises!
El Guapo: How many piñatas?
Jefe: Many piñatas, many!
El Guapo: Jefe, would you say I have a plethora of piñatas?
Jefe: A what?
El Guapo: A plethora.
Jefe: Oh yes, El Guapo. You have a plethora.
El Guapo: Jefe, what is a plethora?
Jefe: Why, El Guapo?
El Guapo: Well, you just told me that I had a plethora, and I would just like to know if you know what it means to have a plethora. I would not like to think that someone would tell someone else he has a plethora, and then find out that that person has no idea what it means to have a plethora.
Jefe: El Guapo, I know that I, Jefe, do not have your superior intellect and education, but could it be that once again, you are angry at something else, and are looking to take it out on me?

[Dr. IELTS Examiner]

I'm an examiner and have gotten so peeved by seeing a plethora of "plethoras" that I looked up discussions and gripes about it online.

Look, the word "plethora" means a great abundance of something. In 90% of the cases I see it used, it doesn't fit because the writer proceeds to list only one or two instances. Secondly, it's an unusual word. It's simply not used in everyday speech or even writing, which brings me to my third point: It looks phony. It's obviously learned on purpose and deployed in the hope of getting a higher score. When it's written amid a sea of spelling mistakes and narrow vocabulary, it looks really out of place.

Try instead: "quite a few," "several," "a considerable number of," etc. If you really mean "numerous" or "copious," there's "a cornucopia of" (to be used very sparingly) or "an abundance of."

That said, a far bigger annoyance to me is crappy handwriting (except 1/2 band off for that!) and answering the topic you'd like to answer rather than the one you've been given.