IELTS Simon

IELTS Writing Advice: don't use these phrases

When writing a conclusion for task 2, I always start with the words "In conclusion". There's no reason why you should learn any alternatives.

Here are some phrases that I would not use:

1. All things considered
2. To sum up
3. In summary
4. To summarize
5. In short
6. In a nutshell
7. To put it in a nutshell

Note:
Phrases 1 to 5 are acceptable, but I still wouldn't use them myself.
Don't use any phrase containing the word "nutshell". 6 and 7 are not appropriate for an academic essay.

IELTS Writing Task 1: how something works

A diagram showing how something works is a type of 'process diagram'. Here's an example:

The diagram below shows how solar panels can be used to provide electricity for domestic use.

(Click on image to enlarge. Source: http://www.easyassolar.com.au/solar-power-2/)

For tips about writing a 'process diagram' report, go to this lesson.

IELTS Writing Task 2: add your own conclusion

In the essay below, the conclusion is missing. Can you suggest one? Remember to keep it short and simple. Don't add any new information; just repeat or summarise your answer.

Nowadays celebrities are more famous for their glamour and wealth than for their achievements, and this sets a bad example to young people.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

It is true that some celebrities are known for their glamorous lifestyles rather than for the work they do. While I agree that these celebrities set a bad example for children, I believe that other famous people act as positive role models.

On the one hand, many people do achieve fame without really working for it. They may have inherited money from parents, married a famous or wealthy person, or they may have appeared in gossip magazines or on a reality TV programme. A good example would be Paris Hilton, who is rich and famous for the wrong reasons. She spends her time attending parties and nightclubs, and her behaviour promotes the idea that appearance, glamour and media profile are more important than hard work and good character. The message to young people is that success can be achieved easily, and that school work is not necessary.

On the other hand, there are at least as many celebrities whose accomplishments make them excellent role models for young people. Actors, musicians and sports stars become famous idols because they have worked hard and applied themselves to develop real skills and abilities. They demonstrate great effort, determination and ambition, which is required for someone who wants to be truly successful in their chosen field. An example is the actor and martial artist Jackie Chan, who has become world famous through years of practice and hard work. This kind of self-made celebrity can inspire children to develop their talents through application and perseverance.

(Add your own conclusion)

IELTS Listening: gap-fill

Listen to the recording and fill the gaps in the summary below.

Click here to listen

How to save money and stop spending

It's impossible to stop spending completely, but you can stop ______ spending, or ______ it. You really need to set up a ______; just take a look at how much money you bring home in your ______, and write down everything you spend on a piece of paper. The aim is to get a ______ on how much money you are bringing in and where it is going. Whether you use plastic or ______, record what you bought, where you bought it, and how much you ______. At the end of the month it's a real ______. You'll see a whole lot of ______ you can do.

IELTS Advice: how long will it take?

Many students want to know how long it will take to get the score they need. It's impossible for me to answer this question because it depends on too many things. For example:

- How many hours of study do you do each day?
- What kind of study do you do?
- Do you have a teacher or someone who can help you?
- Do you live in an English-speaking country?
- Do you like learning English, or do you just need an IELTS score?

Maybe the last question is the most important one. In my experience, people who enjoy learning English tend to make the fastest progress.

IELTS Writing Task 1: essay analysis

Did you analyse the bar chart essay in last week's lesson?

For example, did you highlight the paraphrasing used in the introduction, or the two main points in the overview paragraph? Did you note the words and phrases used to compare numbers or to describe changes in numbers?

It's not enough to simply read a model answer and understand it. You need to analyse it carefully, and use as much of it as you can in your own work.

IELTS Writing Task 2: a real example

Here's a paragraph that I wrote with my students as part of an essay about last week's question. Who would you use as your 'real example' to fill the gap near the end of the paragraph?

On the other hand, there are at least as many celebrities whose accomplishments make them excellent role models for young people. Actors, musicians and sports stars become famous idols because they have worked hard and applied themselves to develop real skills and abilities. They demonstrate great effort, determination and ambition, which is required for someone who wants to be truly successful in their chosen field. An example is ______, who has become world famous through years of practice and hard work. This kind of self-made celebrity can inspire children to develop their talents through application and perseverance.

IELTS Listening: keyword analysis

The table below shows 'keywords' from section 2 of listening test 3 in Cambridge IELTS book 5.

I think this table demonstrates that you need to be listening for 'similar words'. Also, I think the table shows how important it is to analyse the vocabulary in every practice test that you do. There are some great vocabulary items here: hold-up, the norm, demand exceeds supply, deal with, on your behalf.

IELTS Reading: find the keywords

The following exercise comes from a 'match the headings' question in Cambridge IELTS book 5. I have given you the correct heading for each description, but can you find the 'keywords' that prove why the two answers are correct?

Description 1:
This book describes the creativity of Aboriginal people living in the driest parts of Australia. Stunning reproductions of paintings, beautiful photography and informative text.

Answer:
Guide to the Art of the Australian Desert

Description 2:
Graphic artists have worked with researchers and scientists to illustrate how these prehistoric animals lived and died on the Australian continent.

Answer:
A Pictorial History of the Dinosaur in Australia

IELTS Vocabulary: practise using it

Have you practised using the vocabulary from yesterday's lesson? For example, you could try making your own sentences using these phrases:

- As far as I remember...
- One of my first memories was...
- What really struck* me about... was...
- The experience (of doing something) made me keen to...

*what struck me = what surprised / impressed me

IELTS Vocabulary: band 7-9 phrases

There was some good vocabulary in yesterday's speaking lesson. Here's a list of the phrases that I think would impress an examiner:

• it was great to share that experience
• The positive experience wasn’t confined to one particular place
• As far as I remember
• visits to various tourist attractions
• one of my first memories was
• a group of close friends
• which made the experience more enjoyable
• What really struck me about London was
• historic but modern and thriving at the same time
• a lively, fashionable and cosmopolitan place
• Coming from a relatively small town
• the experience made me keen to visit more capital cities

IELTS Writing Task 1: bar chart essay

Here's my full essay for last week's question:

The bar chart compares the turnover in dollars from sales of video games for four different platforms, namely mobile phones, online, consoles and handheld devices, from 2000 to 2006.

It is clear that sales of games for three out of the four platforms rose each year, leading to a significant rise in total global turnover over the 7-year period. Sales figures for handheld games were at least twice as high as those for any other platform in almost every year.

In 2000, worldwide sales of handheld games stood at around $11 billion, while console games earned just under $6 billion. No figures are given for mobile or online games in that year. Over the next 3 years, sales of handheld video games rose by about $4 billion, but the figure for consoles decreased by $2 billion. Mobile phone and online games started to become popular, with sales reaching around $3 billion in 2003.

In 2006, sales of handheld, online and mobile games reached peaks of 17, 9 and 7 billion dollars respectively. By contrast, turnover from console games dropped to its lowest point, at around $2.5 billion.

IELTS Writing Task 2: balanced answer

If you want to write a balanced answer for an "agree or disagree" question, it's important to get the introduction right. Let's use last week's question as an example:

Nowadays celebrities are more famous for their glamour and wealth than for their achievements, and this sets a bad example to young people.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Here's my introduction. Notice that I use a "while" sentence to express my balanced opinion.

It is true that some celebrities are known for their glamorous lifestyles rather than for the work they do. While I agree that these celebrities set a bad example for children, I believe that other famous people act as positive role models.

IELTS Listening: ten tips

Here's a recording of my Ten tips for IELTS study video lesson. I made it primarily for people who can't see the video, but you might find it useful for listening practice even if you have seen the video.

Click here to listen

IELTS Reading: keywords from recent exercises

The table below contains keywords from two recent exercises here on the blog. The first three rows of the table refer to this exercise about the effects of television, and the last three rows refer to this passage about the performer Houdini.

Ten tips for IELTS study

Here's my latest video lesson. It contains a collection of my best tips from previous lessons here on the blog.

IELTS Advice: error-free sentences

Can you write an error-free sentence? How about an error-free paragraph?

If you want to get a band 7 or higher for IELTS writing, the examiner needs to see that you "regularly write error-free sentences". This means that several of the sentences in your essays should contain no mistakes.

The best way to improve your grammatical accuracy is by learning from your mistakes. Try to find a teacher or native speaker who can check your work and highlight the errors. Then make sure you understand the mistakes you made, and try to avoid making them again. Aim to write more error-free sentences each time you write an essay.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: memorise and adapt

Memorising can be a good strategy for speaking part 2 because the same topics are often repeated. Click here to see the six main topic areas that I tell my students to prepare first.

But memorising can be a risky strategy unless you are able to adapt your answers to the specific question. For example, if you prepared a description of a holiday, would you be able to adapt it for this question about a positive experience you had as a teenager?

The smart way to study for part 2 is to prepare a few key topics, then spend lots of time practising ways to adapt what you prepared to other questions.

IELTS Writing Task 1: bar chart

The bar graph shows the global sales (in billions of dollars) of different types of digital games between 2000 and 2006.

Here's the first half of my model answer, the introduction and overview:

The bar chart compares the turnover in dollars from sales of video games for four different platforms, namely mobile phones, online, consoles and handheld devices, from 2000 to 2006.

It is clear that sales of games for three out of the four platforms rose each year, leading to a significant rise in total global turnover over the 7-year period. Sales figures for handheld games were at least twice as high as those for any other platform in almost every year.

Note:
What examples of paraphrasing can you see in my introduction? Which two main points did I choose for my overview?

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'role models' topic

A 'role model' is a person who acts as an example to others. The following is a recent IELTS exam question about this topic.

Nowadays celebrities are more famous for their glamour and wealth than for their achievements, and this sets a bad example to young people.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Here are some tips to help you plan your answer:

• Start by considering some real examples. Think about the celebrities you know - are they famous for their glamour and wealth, or for their achievements?
• It's usually easier to write about both sides. Think about whether it's possible to 'partly agree', or to have a strong opinion but still mention the other view.
• Plan for a 4-paragraph essay. Decide what your view is, then focus on the main body paragraphs - what will be the central idea in each one?

IELTS Listening: more practice

Listen to the following recording and answer the questions below.

Click here to listen

1. Which 3 things is the speaker going to talk about?

A) how to achieve your goals
B) how to waste time
C) how to deal with your boss
D) how to deal with your advisor
E) how to delegate
F) how to cope with stress

2. According to the speaker, Americans are good at ______ management, but bad at ______ management.

3. Almost nobody starts with the core ______  of "why am I doing this?"

Note:
If you would like to watch the rest of this presentation, click here.

My best study tips for IELTS

For next weekend I'm making a video lesson that brings together my best study tips for IELTS. These will be very general tips like "create good habits", rather than specific tips about each part of the test.

Can you guess what my top 10 tips will be?

IELTS Grammar: lead, contribute, result

Students often make mistakes with the verbs lead, contribute and result. Try to correct the sentences below.

1. Qualifications and skills may lead to get promotions.
2. Lack of exercise contributes to have an unhealthy body.
3. Violence on television is one factor that results to increase the crime rate.

What is the rule for these 3 verbs?

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'teenager' topic

Describe a positive experience that you had as a teenager. You should say

- what the positive experience was
- where you were
- who you were with
- and explain why you found the experience positive

Try practising in the following way: First, note some ideas. Then record yourself speaking for two minutes. Next, listen to the recording and write down what you said. Finally, try to improve the written description.

Tip: choose an easy topic, like a new hobby or a holiday.

IELTS Writing Task 1: recent bar chart

The following question was used in a recent IELTS test. Thanks to Younes for remembering and sharing it.

The bar graph shows the global sales (in billions of dollars) of different types of digital games between 2000 and 2006.
...

Things to consider:
- how you would paraphrase the question for your introduction
- what two things to include in your overview paragraph
- how to separate your description of details into two paragraphs

Note: click on the photo to see a larger version.