IELTS Simon

Simon's on holiday

I'm taking a short holiday until Monday 4th August, so I won't be able to post a lesson for the next four days.

See you on Monday!

IELTS Reading: keywords

Did you make a keyword table for last week's reading exercise? Here's mine:

IELTS Advice: worrying wastes time!

I posted this advice back in 2011, but I thought I would post it again today for people who haven't seen it. The first diagram below illustrates the idea that hard work is the only path to IELTS success:

...
Compare this with what happens if you spend all of your time worrying and hoping to find the 'secret' IELTS technique:
...

 

So, which cycle are you in - the 'success' cycle or the 'worry' cycle?

IELTS Advice: topic research

If you're preparing for a writing or speaking topic, I recommend doing an Internet search for ideas first.

To find ideas for yesterday's speaking questions, I typed the phrase "what makes a good adviser" into Google, and found this webpage. Look at some of the great language that we can steal from it:

• turning to an adviser
• a wise choice
• make decisions with more confidence
• the decision requires expertise
• use knowledge and experience
• make an informed decision
• some qualities are characteristic of good advisers
• trustworthy, someone you can trust
• possesses a strong base of knowledge

Remember: the key to high speaking and writing scores is good vocabulary, so topic research is a vital part of your IELTS preparation.

IELTS Speaking Part 3: 'advice' topic

Here are some recent questions from part 3 of the speaking test:

1. Is it better to get advice from a friend or from a family member?
2. What would you say are the characteristics of a good adviser?
3. Should people make their own work and career decisions, or is it a good idea to ask for advice about this?

Try answering these questions using the 'paragraph' method in this lesson.

IELTS Writing Task 1: describing details

Here are my two "details" paragraphs for the question that I started in last week's lesson. Notice that I only mention three of the years, but I make lots of comparisons between the four groups of people.

Fill the gaps to complete my description:

In 1993, around 18% of English 16 to 24-year-olds living _____ London were unemployed, but the figure for those living in the capital was 5% higher, at 22%. Similarly, the overall adult unemployment rate in London, at 14%, was 4% higher than the rate in the rest of England. While levels of joblessness fell significantly over the _____ 10 years, the trend for higher levels in London and among young adults _____.

Young adult unemployment in England rose _____ between 2002 and 2012, from 12% to 21% outside London, and from around 15% to a _____ of 25% in the capital. By contrast, the proportions of all adults without work _____ below 10%, both in London and in the rest of the country.

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'family history' topic

Today I'm attaching a document about the 'family history' question in last week's lesson. Open and download it to see some tips and my full essay plan.

Click here to open the document

IELTS Listening: capital letters and plurals

Here are two common questions about the IELTS listening test:

1. Is it acceptable to use lower case instead of upper case e.g. "central station" when the answer is "Central Station"?
2. Will you lose marks if you miss the "s" when the answer should be plural?

Here are my answers:

1. Using lower case is fine, so "central station" would be correct. You can even write everything in capital letters if you want.
2. Missing the "s" is sometimes acceptable and sometimes not. It's not acceptable when the grammar requires a plural e.g. "the journey takes three hour" would be wrong. Some answers can be singular or plural. Check the context of the question and the sentence grammar carefully.

IELTS Reading: match the names

Read the following passage about the meaning of 'genius'.

A genius is a person who displays exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of an unprecedented leap of insight. Various philosophers have proposed definitions of what genius is.

In the philosophy of David Hume, a genius is seen by others as a person disconnected from society, who works remotely, away from the rest of the world. For Immanuel Kant, genius is the ability to independently arrive at and understand concepts that would normally have to be taught by another person. Arthur Schopenhauer defined a genius as someone in whom intellect predominates over "will". According to Bertrand Russell, a genius possesses unique qualities and talents that make him or her especially valuable to society.

Match each of the following statements to one of the philosophers below.

1. A genius is someone who does not require instruction.
2. We tend to regard geniuses as solitary figures.
3. A genius has the ability to make an exceptional contribution to society.

A) Hume
B) Kant
C) Schopenhauer
D) Russell

An update from Simon

On the 1st January this year I set myself two aims. The first was to make 10 video lessons for YouTube, which I managed to do.

However, one of my students reminded me of the second aim: to do some "live" video lessons or to record some of the lessons that I teach here in Manchester.

Although I didn't achieve the aim of doing this by February, I'm still working on it. I'm aiming to start producing a course of video lessons (where you'll see me teaching) from September. Let's see if I can achieve the aim this time!

IELTS Vocabulary: nice bits of language!

There were a few nice bits of language that you might have noticed in yesterday's speaking lesson:

• all sorts of things
• a certain amount of
• I pick up a newspaper most days
• I usually have a book on the go
• I couldn't put it down
• opens the door to all aspects of education

These phrases made my answers sound very natural and "native-speaker-like". Try using them in your own sentences.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: 'reading' topic

Here are some part 1 questions with example answers. Remember to keep your part 1 answers short and simple.

1. Do you like reading?

Yes, I like reading a lot. I read all sorts of things, including novels, newspapers, magazines, and online articles.

2. Do you usually read for leisure or for work purposes?

Well, I have to do a certain amount of reading as part of my job, but I probably read more for enjoyment. I pick up a newspaper most days, and I usually have a book on the go.

3. What was your favourite book or story when you were a child?

The first book that I remember really enjoying was '..........'. It only took me a few days to read because I liked it so much that I couldn't put it down.

4. Do you think it's important that children read regularly?

Definitely. I think reading is possibly the most important skill that children learn. The ability to read opens the door to all aspects of education.

IELTS Writing Task 1: introduction and overview

Let's look at an introduction and overview for the line graph below.

The graph below shows changes in young adult unemployment rates in England between 1993 and 2012.

Introduction and overview paragraphs:

The line graph compares levels of unemployment among 16 to 24-year-olds with overall unemployment figures over a period of 20 years in England.

It is clear that the proportion of young adults who were unemployed at any time between 1993 and 2012 was significantly higher than the overall proportion of adults without work. Unemployment rates for both groups of adults were consistently higher in London than in the rest of England.

Analysis:
Can you see examples of paraphrasing in my introduction? Can you see which two main points I chose for my overview?

IELTS Writing Task 2: a recent question

Here's a recent exam question that was given to me by one of my students:

In some parts of the world it is becoming popular to research the history of one's own family. Why might people want to do this? Is it a positive or negative development?

Try planning some ideas. I'll share mine next week.

IELTS Listening: listen for interest

As well as doing IELTS listening test practice, anything else that you listen to in English will help to improve your 'ear'. I recommend using websites like YouTube for daily listening practice: choose a topic that you find interesting, and search for videos about it.

For example, I'm interested in language learning (of course!). Here's a YouTube video that I found and watched yesterday:

If you found this video interesting, watch it a second time and note any new or useful phrases that you hear. If you didn't find it interesting, search for something different. As the speaker says at the start of the film, the key is to expose yourself to as much "comprehensible input" as possible!

IELTS Grammar: are phrasal verbs ok?

People often ask me whether it's ok to use phrasal verbs in the IELTS writing and speaking tests.

My answer is yes; phrasal verbs are generally fine. In Friday's speaking lesson I used the phrasal verb to grow up, and the 'multi-word verbs' to take place and to make sure. In this essay, I used the phrasal verb to result in.

It isn't true that all phrasal verbs are informal. Read this article for a full explanation.

IELTS Vocabulary: for your notebook

Did you write the good vocabulary from yesterday's lesson in your notebook? Here are the words and phrases that I think you should have noted down:

• took place a few years ago
• where I grew up
• the marriage ceremony was held in a church
• the wedding reception
• members of my family
• the bride and groom
• my mother made sure that...
• we all dressed for the occasion
• and so on (instead of "etc.")
• her big day
• we had a fantastic time
• it's rare for me to see
• what made the day so memorable

IELTS Speaking Part 2: family celebration

Describe a family celebration that you remember. You should say

- what you were celebrating
- who was present
- what you and your family did to make the celebration special
- and why you enjoyed the occasion.

Here's my sample answer:

• I’m going to describe my sister’s wedding day, which took place a few years ago in the town where I grew up. For my sister it was the biggest and most important day of her life.
• I think there were around 100 people at the marriage ceremony, which was held in a church. Even more people came to the party, or the wedding reception as we call it, after the ceremony. Of course, most members of my family were there, as well as the groom’s family and a collection of the bride and groom's friends and colleagues.
• To make the celebration special, we did what families normally do. My mother made sure that the church and the reception venue were nicely decorated - there were flowers everywhere! Obviously we all dressed for the occasion, and there were bridesmaids, gifts, a huge wedding cake, and so on.
• I enjoyed the occasion because it was great to see my sister so happy on her big day. The ceremony was perfect, and we all had a fantastic time at the reception. It’s rare for me to see all of my family and friends together in one place, so that’s probably what made the day so memorable for me.

IELTS Writing Task 1: line graph

We haven't looked at a line graph for a while, so let's try describing the one shown below.

The graph below shows changes in young adult unemployment rates in England between 1993 and 2012.

(Click on the graph to make it bigger)

IELTS Writing Task 2: try this exercise

Try this exercise using the essay in last week's lesson:

1. Read the essay and make sure you understand it.
2. Read it again slowly, and make notes on a separate piece of paper. Just write the main idea or key words from each sentence (there are only 13 sentences in the whole essay).
3. Hide my essay, and try to rewrite it using only your notes. Don't try to memorise the essay exactly as I wrote it; the aim is to see if you can write a similar essay using the same key ideas.
4. Compare your essay with mine. Did you write the same number of sentences? Did you include the same key vocabulary? Did you use the vocabulary correctly? Does your essay 'flow' as well as mine does?

You can learn a lot by doing this exercise. Apparently, this is how Benjamin Franklin worked on his writing skills! He describes the technique in chapter 2, paragraph 6 of his autobiography, which you can read here.

IELTS Listening: gap-fill exercise

Listen to the information about a university visiting day.

click here to listen

Fill the gaps below using a maximum of three words and/or numbers.

1. The minimum notice period to arrange a visit is ______.

2. You may send your booking form by post, fax or ______.

3. If there are no places for your first choice, you will be offered an ______.

4. On arrival, you should go to the ______ between 9 and 9.15.

5. The maximum number of guests is ______.

IELTS Reading: work on vocabulary

If you want to improve your IELTS reading score, the most important thing to work on is your knowledge of vocabulary. Exam techniques are of little use if you don't understand the words that you are reading.

I tell my students to keep a vocabulary notebook, and to use a dictionary to find meanings and examples of usage. Here are some words and phrases that we noted in an IELTS reading lesson that I taught last week:

• exclusive of
• to dab
• to mimic
• a static image
• mastery
• cognitive
• a pitfall
• ground rules
• the likelihood
• to pick up a signal

To help my students, I tried to explain the meanings and to give some example sentences. Can you write your own sentences to show that you can use the vocabulary above?

IELTS Grammar: be careful with the 's'

Notice where we put the "s" on the end of a word and where we don't:

• Thousands of people watched the show.
• Fifty thousand people watched the show.
• over a period of ten years
• over a ten-year period
• The fish weighed 5 kilos.
• It was a five-kilo fish.
• The boy is three years old.
• He is a three-year-old boy.

Advice about language learning

Are some people naturally better at learning languages?

Maybe, but in my opinion, good language learners are people who enjoy practising the language as much as possible. I've never taught a "language learning genius" who learnt English without hard work and lots of practice!

Everyone who keeps trying passes the IELTS test in the end, so don't give up!

IELTS Speaking: correct the mistakes

Before I write my own sample answer to last week's question, let's look at some sentences written by students. Can you suggest corrections or improvements?

1. Each of us helped organised this event.
2. I promised myself to try and spend more time with them henceforth.
3. We were all happy that we had a chance to be next to each other.
4. Hundred of people came to her party to gave her special gift.
5. As for me, a celebration that I never forget is...
6. We arranged many things for enjoying.
7. Last month, my family hold a birthday party for my daddy.
8. We conduct party on our own house.
9. For celebrating this especial event all the family gathering together.
10. Going on my next point which is who was present and what I need to emphasize here is that there were quite a lot of people.

IELTS Writing Task 1: shows, compares, illustrates

I often meet students who have learnt ten different ways to paraphrase "the graph shows". If you look in a dictionary, you'll find many synonyms for the word "show" (e.g. display, exhibit, parade, depict, convey). But is it a good idea to use these synonyms?

The answer is no.

First, most synonyms of the word "show" are not appropriate for descriptions of a graph or chart. The phrase "the graph exhibits" will look very strange to the examiner. Second, if you learn ten synonyms, you'll probably waste time deciding which one to use.

I tell my students to remember just two synonyms for "shows": compares and illustrates (e.g. the bar chart compares; the diagram illustrates). It won't help your score if you use a strange synonym that you found in a dictionary.

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'private schools' essay

Here's an essay that I wrote with my students using the ideas and the advice about organisation in last week's lesson.

Families who send their children to private schools should not be required to pay taxes that support the state education system.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Some people believe that parents of children who attend private schools should not need to contribute to state schools through taxes. Personally, I completely disagree with this view.

For a variety of reasons, it would be wrong to reduce taxes for families who pay for private education. Firstly, it would be difficult to calculate the correct amount of tax reduction for these families, and staff would be required to manage this complex process. Secondly, we all pay a certain amount of tax for public services that we may not use. For example, most people are fortunate enough not to have to call the police or fire brigade at any time in their lives, but they would not expect a tax reduction for this. Finally, if wealthy families were given a tax discount for sending their children to private schools, we might have a situation where poorer people pay higher taxes than the rich.

In my opinion, we should all be happy to pay our share of the money that supports public schools. It is beneficial for all members of society to have a high quality education system with equal opportunities for all young people. This will result in a well-educated workforce, and in turn a more productive and prosperous nation. Parents of children in private schools may also see the advantages of this in their own lives. For example, a company owner will need well qualified and competent staff, and a well-funded education system can provide such employees.

In conclusion, I do not believe that any financial concessions should be made for people who choose private education.

(269 words, band 9)

IELTS Listening: transcript exercise

Here's the full transcript for last week's exercise about train tickets. Listen to the recording again, then fill the gaps in the transcript below.

Click here to listen

The first thing any regular train user should do is to book their tickets in advance, _____ exactly 12 weeks in advance. Those £300 tickets to Manchester, you can get them for just £25 return if you go online. You go to a website called thetrainline.com, you fill in their ticket _____ system, and you’ll get an email telling you when those tickets are available. Because they often _____ _____ very quickly, so when you get that email, act straight away.

But, and I know this sounds a bit sneaky, don’t actually buy them on thetrainline.com, because you’ll have to pay a £1.50 booking fee, and if you’re using your credit card another £1.50. Instead, _____ over to the East Coast website - you’d think that’s only trains down the East coast from London up to Edinburgh - it’s not; they will sell tickets for any trains anywhere in the UK, and they don’t charge a booking fee, and they don’t charge for credit card. So that’s another two or three _____ saved.

If you haven’t been able to buy a ticket a long _____ in advance, it is still worth remembering that up until 6 o’clock on the night before, you can still get Advance tickets. They won’t be as cheap as the Super-Advance ones, 12 weeks in advance, but it’s still _____ trying to buy them the night before.