IELTS Simon

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'old object' example

Here's my example description for the old object question. You'll hear me speak for exactly 2 minutes until my alarm stops me.

Click here to listen

Notice that it doesn't sound like a perfect scripted presentation: you'll hear hesitations and moments where I seem unsure of what to say. This is normal for an unprepared speech; the examiner is not expecting perfection.

IELTS Writing Task 1: 'hot dog' bar chart

I enjoyed writing today's report about the chart below!

Note: I've underlined some good phrases.

The bar chart shows the number of hot dogs and buns eaten in 15 minutes by the winners of ‘Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest’ in Brooklyn, USA between 1980 and 2010.

It is noticeable that the number of hot dogs and buns eaten by winners of the contest increased dramatically over the period shown. The majority of winners were American or Japanese, and only one woman had ever won the contest.

Americans dominated the contest from 1980 to 1996, and the winning number of hot dogs and buns consumed rose from only 8 to around 21 during that time. 1983 and 1984 were notable exceptions to the trend for American winners. In 1983 a Mexican won the contest after eating 19.5 hot dogs, almost double the amount that any previous winner had eaten, and 1984 saw the only female winner, Birgit Felden from Germany.

A Japanese contestant, Takeru Kobayashi, reigned as hot dog eating champion for six years from 2001 to 2006. Kobayashi’s winning totals of around 50 hot dogs were roughly double the amount that any previous winner had managed. However, the current champion, American Joey Chestnut, took hot dog eating to new heights in 2009 when he consumed an incredible 68 hot dogs and buns in the allotted 15 minutes.

IELTS Writing Task 2: consumer society

A few days ago, I looked at the question in this lesson with my students here in Manchester. The phrase 'consumer society' is a negative one because it suggests that our lives revolve around money and possessions.

Here's part of an essay that my students helped me to write:

It is true that many people criticize modern society because it seems to be too materialistic. I agree with this to some extent, but I do not think it is the case that everyone is a victim of consumer culture.

On the one hand, many people do seem to focus too much on money and possessions. Wherever we go, we are bombarded with advertising to sell us products and services, many of which we do not need. For example, people may be persuaded to purchase the latest model of iPhone, when their old phone is still perfectly functional. This could be seen as a demonstration that we are obsessive consumers; we buy things based on fashion and branding, and shopping has become a hobby or even an addiction.

Task:
Which phrases in the paragraphs would you highlight as 'band 7-9 vocabulary'?

IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following excerpt from a book review:

What constitutes the good life? What is the true value of money? Why do we work such long hours merely to acquire greater wealth? These are some of the questions that many asked themselves when the financial system crashed in 2008. This book tackles such questions head-on. The authors begin with the great economist John Maynard Keynes. In 1930, Keynes predicted that within a century people’s basic needs would be met, and no one would have to work more than fifteen hours a week.

Clearly, he was wrong: though income has increased as he envisioned, our wants have seemingly gone unsatisfied, and we continue to work long hours. The authors explain why Keynes was mistaken. Then, arguing from the premise that economics is a moral science, they trace the concept of the good life from Aristotle to the present and show how our lives over the last half century have strayed from that ideal. Finally, they issue a call to think anew about what really matters in our lives and how to attain it.

Are the following statements true, false or not given?

1. Before 2008, people were less concerned about economics.
2. Keynes’ prediction about working hours was wide of the mark.
3. The book asks us to consider what is important in life.

IELTS General Writing: another informal letter

Here's a recent question from task 1 of the general writing test:

Note: Read this lesson and this similar example before you write anything.

IELTS Vocabulary: band 7-9 descriptions

Here are some suggestions for ways to improve the sentences in yesterday's exercise:

1. The clock is very old.
= The clock is an antique; it's probably a collector's item.

2. It is big and made of wood.
= It is housed in a large wooden cabinet that stands nearly two metres tall.

(The kind of clock I'm describing)

3. It has been in my family for a long time.
= It has been in my family for several generations.

4. Everyone in my family likes the clock.
= We've all become quite attached to the clock; it's like part of the family.

5. I hope my parents will give it to me one day.
= The clock is a real family heirloom, so hopefully I'll inherit it one day.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: band 7-9 descriptions

Today I'm going to reuse a video lesson that I made 3 years ago. Watch the video, then try the exercise below it.

If you can't see the video, listen to the recording below.

Click here to listen

The following sentences describing an 'old object' (last week's topic) are too simple. Use the technique described in the video to improve them.

1. The clock is very old.
2. It is big and made of wood.
3. It has been in my family for a long time.
4. Everyone in my family likes the clock.
5. I hope my parents will give it to me one day.

I'll share my examples of improved sentences in tomorrow's lesson.

IELTS Writing Task 1: a funny topic!

I doubt the bar chart below would be used in a real IELTS test, but I think it's a brilliant topic! Let's see if we can describe it in the normal way.

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'perfect society' paragraph

Last week I made a video lesson to show you how I would do an essay plan. Today I want to show you how I turned part of that plan into a full paragraph.

• Paragraph topic: The most important element of a perfect society.
• Planned ideas: Safety = No crime, trust our neighbours, feel part of a community, able to leave doors unlocked. Trust institutions (police, government), feel protected by the law. Safety is the most basic freedom.

Here's my paragraph using the ideas above:

If I had to choose the one, most desirable element of an ideal society, it would have to be safety. A safe society would be one in which crime did not exist, and in which all citizens trusted their neighbours, felt part of a community, and were even able to leave their doors unlocked without fear. A broader definition of safety could also include belief in the integrity of state institutions, such as governments or police forces, and confidence that we are all protected by fair laws. In this sense, safety could be described as the most basic freedom and the starting point for the creation of a perfect society.

IELTS Listening: 'litter' topic

Listen to the following interview about the problem of litter on a beach in England.

Click here to listen

Fill the gaps in the summary below:

Over the _____ of the last weekend, the local authority collected 20 tonnes of rubbish from one beach. It costs the authority a great _____ of money to collect the rubbish, but they take _____ in their beach, and they want to _____ visitors. The leader of the local council would like people to take _____ for their rubbish and take it home.

He believes that there is an _____ of personal responsibility, but that suppliers should also think about how they _____ their goods. He says that the council needs to attack the problem at both _____.

IELTS Reading: another keyword table

The table below shows the keywords that my students found in reading test 3, passage 3 in Cambridge IELTS book 4.

A reminder about questions in 'comments'

Unfortunately it's impossible for me to find the time to answer all of the questions that people ask me in the comments below lessons. However, I do still read every comment, and your questions help me with the creation of new lessons.

PS. This week's video lesson will be about IELTS speaking (on Friday).

IELTS Speaking: correct the mistakes

The following sentences were written by students about the describe an old object question from last week's lesson. Try to correct and improve them.

1. It has been kept since since the day of my parents got married.
2. Whenever my friend came to visit me I feel proud to explain the history of this sword.
3. In that time did not available any colour television.
4. About the how long time it was held in my family I have to say, it was almost forgotten for a while.
5. This old piece of item has been kept in my home for a long time.

PS. There are some really interesting descriptions in the comments below last week's lesson. Thanks to those of you who shared them!

IELTS Writing Task 1: pie charts essay

Today I'm attaching my full band 9 report for the question we looked at last week.

Click here to see the question and essay

Notice that I separate the description of 'details' into two paragraphs: one about the first year, and one about the second year. I don't recommend writing a separate paragraph about each country (because this will mean that you don't compare the countries properly).

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'perfect society' essay plan

Here's my video lesson about essay planning:

You can also watch the lesson on Vimeo by clicking here.

An update from Simon

Monday's video lesson is now also on Vimeo, so hopefully people without access to YouTube can watch it. This week's video lesson will be on Wednesday.

I've also updated the recent exam questions page. If you've just had your test, please share anything that you can remember about it. If your test was yesterday, I hope it went well.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe an old object

We've prepared for the describe an object question already, but it seems that the IELTS people have introduced a variation on this question:

Describe an old object which your family has kept for a long time.
You should say

- what the object is
- where it came from
- how long it has been in your family
- and why your family has kept it.

Unfortunately we can't use our 'mobile phone' description! I'll share my answer next week, but feel free to share your own ideas in the comments below.

IELTS Writing Task 1: pie charts

Here are the first two paragraphs of a 4-paragraph report about the pie chart question from last week's lesson:
...
The pie charts compare the proportions of people falling into three distinct age groups in Yemen and Italy in two different years.

It is clear that Italy had the older population in the year 2000, and the same is predicted for the year 2050. The populations of both countries are expected to age over the fifty-year period.
...
Notice that the first paragraph has been written by paraphrasing the question, and the second paragraph is an overview of two main or general points.

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'perfect society' question

Here's an interesting recent exam question that someone sent me:

Throughout history, people have dreamed of living in a perfect society. However, there is still no agreement about what a perfect society would be like. What, in your opinion, would be the most important element of a perfect society? What can people do to help create an ideal society?

Before we write anything, we'll need some good ideas. If you have any ideas, please share them in the 'comments' below this lesson, and I'll try to use them in next week's lesson.

IELTS Listening: keywords

I've talked about 'keywords' and keyword tables in many of my reading lessons (including yesterday's video lesson), but we haven't really looked at the same idea in the context of the listening test.

The table below shows the key vocabulary for test 4, section 3 in Cambridge IELTS book 5. Notice how the questions and answers contain similar words, just like those in the reading test.

Have you ever made a keyword table for a listening test? I think it's a really useful exercise, especially for sections 3 and 4.

IELTS Reading: video lesson

Here's the short video lesson that I promised for today:

If you don't have access to YouTube, try watching on Vimeo by clicking here.

New Year's Resolutions

Here are a few articles about New Year's resolutions. You might find them interesting, but if you don't, you'll definitely find some good vocabulary in there.

Britain's most popular New Year's resolutions

Tips for success

Alternative resolutions for children

Students' questions

Here are some questions that people have asked me recently:

1) Can we be less formal in the speaking test e.g. can I say "kids"?

Yes, you could say "kids" in the speaking test, but use "children" in the writing test. Of course, it's also fine to say "children" in the speaking test. Just be careful not to be too informal i.e. avoid slang.

2) Is it a mistake to write "effect" if the answer is "effects"?

It depends whether the answer was clearly in a plural context or not. For example, if it's a gap-fill question and the word before the gap is "several", you would need the plural. If the answer is not part of a sentence, both singular and plural may be accepted.

3) Can you predict the writing questions for the next test?

No. I've tried predicting before, but it's a lottery! I wouldn't believe any predictions you read on the Internet if I were you. Just make sure you are prepared for the most common topics, like education, family, work...

4) Should answers always start with a capital in the reading test?

It doesn't matter. They don't care about capital letters in the reading or listening tests. Now they even accept essays written completely in capitals (in the writing test), although I still think it's best to write in the normal way.

5) Can you make the "recent exam questions" page easier to use?

A few people have mentioned this. Maybe we need a proper forum for recent questions. Any suggestions would be welcome, and I'll look into it myself.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: using 'old' ideas

You can often use 'old' ideas from a topic that you have already prepared to answer a new question. Take this question for example:

We haven't prepared for this question before, but I can think of a few previous topics that might help us. Maybe you could describe a visit from a family member during a festival, or you could talk about a visit from a friend who is interested in the same hobby as you. Can you think of any other previous topics that we could use for ideas?

IELTS Writing Task 1: pie charts

Several people have asked me about the pie chart question in Cambridge IELTS book 9 (page 76). Click here to see the pie charts, then consider the following questions:

1. Which country has the older population?
2. What trend do both countries have in common?
3. In a 4-paragraph essay, what would each paragraph be about?

I'll continue with this question next week.

Happy New Year!

Like many people at this time of the year, I've been thinking about New Year's resolutions. Here are two things that I've decided to do in 2014:

1. My first aim is to put some more lessons on my YouTube channel. I'll make a short video lesson once a week for 10 weeks, starting next Monday.
2. My second resolution is to do some "live" teaching online. I've been experimenting with ways to allow people to watch the lessons I teach here in Manchester, and I'm aiming to do my first online lesson in February.