Students' questions

Please remember that I can't answer every question in the comments area below lessons. Here are a few questions that people asked recently:

1) Which is correct: "we students are having a party" or "us students are having a party"?

"We students" is correct because it's the subject of the verb. If you delete the word "students", the sentence doesn't make sense if you say "us are having". Note: you might hear native speakers saying "us students", but this would be in very informal contexts.

2) Is it a good idea to write "It is disagreed that" or "It is believed that" to make task 2 essays seem more academic?

Be careful. If you write "it is believed", you are saying "people generally believe". Therefore, it does not tell the examiner what your opinion is. If the question asks for your opinion, do not use these phrases to express it. You need to write "I disagree" or "I believe".

3) What is the difference between "in + year" and "by + year"?

When you write "in 2007", you are only talking about that year. For example, "House prices were at their highest point in 2007" does not tell us what happened before 2007.

We use "by 2007" to express what happened in the period before and leading up to that year. For example, "House prices had risen to their highest point by 2007" suggests that prices were rising in the years leading up to 2007.

Notice that I used the past simple "were" with "in 2007" and the past perfect "had reached" with "by 2007".

Comments

[ayesha]

Hi simon,
while i was reading your reading section i came across a lesson saying that TRUE is, when the statement agree with the passage,FALSE is when it disagree,OR DESCRIBE IN A DIFFERENT WAY, and N.G is when it is not mentioned or when it cannot be true or false,
my question is WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY IN A DIFFERENT MANNER FOR FALSE BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME FALSE IS CONFUSED WITH N/G SATEMENT.kindly reply
thanks
ayesha

[Jb]

Hi simon , if the examiner cross one anwser in listening because i didn't stop on time what happen ?

[NganHa]

Hi Simon,
I have a question that " What is difference between a rising fluctuation and a increasing fluctuation?"
Thanks

[taliah]

hi every one
IM LOOKING FOR FEMALE PARTNER TO PRACTISE SPEAKING WITH ON SKYPE......WHO INTERESTED??

[Simon]

Hi Ayesha,

There's a good example of "false" in the last few lines of this lesson (where it says 'another question'):

http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2012/06/ielts-reading-more-keywords.html

...

Hi JB,

I guess it will be marked wrong.

...

Hi NganHa,

I probably wouldn't write either of those things.

[ayesha]

hi simon.
i understand what you mean to say but sometime if the idea is written in a different way (for false)we think that it is not given in the text in that context so write it n/g.it is a problem because if we make silly mistakes in first 2 paragrahs for t/f/ng/answers then we r left with less option for passage3 and we have to be perfect for passage3 which is quite difficult.
one solution is to avoid this is first to answer it no (false) and if it sounds that it doesnot fit it in false category then mark it n/g ????????////am i right.??//as you say that the one which is not t or f is n/g.kindly clarify.is it the type of question whish define 8 from 9 score. do answer, simon
thanks
ayesha

[Simon]

Hi Ayesha,

I agree that it's sometimes difficult. Your idea seems quite good - if you're confused, assume that the answer is false, and only put NG if there is no information at all.

Not all F,NG questions are band 8-9, but I'd say that some of them are.

[Ziaul huda]

Hi MR. Simon,
The synonym of the following sentence
It is too late to preserve animal and plant species.
Can I write this sentence as
It is excessively delayed to safeguard these species.

[Simon]

Hi Ziaul,

The problem with looking for synonyms is that sometimes they don't work: "excessively delayed" seems strange, but "safeguard" is fine.

[LaLa]

Hi Simon,
I am quite confused about how to write the date.
Which is correct, 15th May or 15 May?
and day or month first?
Thanks

[Simon]

Both ways are fine, and you can even put the month first if you want.