IELTS Simon

IELTS Writing Task 1: verbs exercise

The table below shows the amount of waste production (in millions of tonnes) in six different countries over a twenty-year period.

I've missed out the verbs in the following description of the table. For some of the gaps, more than one verb is possible. Please note that the description is not a full essay.

Missing words:
risen, created, recorded, is, produced (x2), managed, given, had (x2), stood, were, increased

Description:
The US, Japan and Korea ______ by far the most waste. In 1980, the US ______ 131 million tonnes of waste, while the figure for Japan ______ at 28 million tonnes. No figure ______ ______ for Korea in 1980, but in 1990, 31 million tonnes of waste ______ ______ in that country. By 2000, waste production in the USA ______ ______ to 192 million tonnes, while Japan’s figure ______ ______ to 53 million tonnes. However, Korea ______ to reduce its output to 19 million tonnes. Ireland, Poland and Portugal only ______ a total of around 30 million tonnes of waste between them, adding the figures for all three years together.

Video lesson 4 (free)

My latest video lesson, about conclusions for writing task 2, is now available here (at the bottom of the page). This one is free.

IELTS Writing Task 2: research and write

If you're writing an IELTS essay at home, try doing some Internet research first.

For example, I did a Google search for "benefits of CCTV" (for this question), and I found lots of great ideas and vocabulary. Click here to download the best article that I found. Underline the good vocabulary, then choose 3 benefits and try to write a "firstly, secondly, finally" paragraph.

PS. My next video lesson will be ready later today. This one will be free.

IELTS Vocabulary: review

Let's review the useful vocabulary that we've seen in this week's lessons:

• inconvenient
• nearby
• surfing the web
• an initiative
• communal
• tuition fees
• applicants
• surveillance
• commonplace
• an invasion of privacy
• aged (adjective meaning 'elderly')

Would you be able to use all of these words and phrases in your own sentences?

IELTS Writing Task 1: percentages

Let's look at where to put the number in sentences that describe percentages.

...
You could put the percentage at the beginning of the sentence (example 1), or at the end of the sentence (example 2):

1. 6% of single aged people were living in poverty.
2. The level of poverty among single aged people stood at 6%.

You could also add a comparison:

1. 6% of single aged people were living in poverty, compared to only 4% of aged couples.
2. The level of poverty among single aged people stood at 6%, whereas the figure for aged couples was only 4%.

Which sentence do you think is clearer? Also, why have I used "people" and "couples" in my sentences when the table says "person" and "couple"?

Video lesson 3

My third video lesson, about main body paragraphs, is now available here.

IELTS Writing Task 2: CCTV introduction

Here's my introduction for the question in last week's lesson:

It is true that video surveillance has become commonplace in many cities in recent years. While I understand that critics may see this as an invasion of privacy, I believe that there are more benefits than drawbacks.

If you watched lesson 2 in my video course, you will notice that I used the same techniques when writing the introduction above:

- 2 sentences
- introduce the topic, then answer the question
- accept what the question is saying: "It is true that..."
- compare the two views in a 'while' sentence

PS. There will be a new video lesson later today.

IELTS Listening: 'study abroad' topic

Watch the following short video, and fill the gaps in the summary below.

The 'study abroad' topic could also appear in the writing and speaking tests, so note the reasons why some students choose to study in a different country.

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

Click here to listen

Amsterdam is one of the places that is becoming increasingly popular as a destination for a sort of ‘_____ _____’. Amsterdam University College offers courses in English in order to attract _____ from all over the world. The amount of British students has _____ over the last year, and they expect the numbers to increase considerably when tuition _____ in the UK rise next year.

IELTS Reading: it's a vocabulary test!

Here's my keyword table for a general reading test section in Cambridge IELTS book 5 (page 121-122).

IELTS reading is really a vocabulary test.

For example, if you know that 'communal bathrooms' means 'shared bathrooms', you'll be able to match that with 'do not have your own bathroom'. If you don't know the meaning of 'communal', it will be difficult to get the right answer.

IELTS Vocabulary: less common alternatives

Let's look at some of the vocabulary from Friday's speaking lesson, and some interesting alternatives. The alternatives on the right are a bit less common, and might impress the examiner if you used them.

1. with three bedrooms = a three-bedroomed house
2. in a suburb of Manchester = on the outskirts of Manchester
3. relax = unwind, put my feet up, wind down
4. it needs a new kitchen = it could do with a new kitchen

Note:
"could do with" is an informal way of saying "need" e.g. I could do with a drink, I could do with some help, I could do with another few days to finish this project.

IELTS Grammar: some conditionals

Did you notice that I used several conditional sentences in yesterday's speaking lesson? Here they are again:

• But if I had to choose, I'd say the living room...
• ...so that's what I'd change first.
• I'd definitely move again at some point if I could afford to.

Notice that I use I'd instead of the full I would because these are spoken answers (although it's fine to say I would).

Notice also that the 'if' conditional clause is missing from the second example. Sometimes we miss the condition because it is understood from the context. We understand from the context that I mean: "If I redecorated my home, that's what I would change first".

IELTS Speaking Part 1: sample answers

Remember to keep your part 1 answers short and direct; the examiner will interrupt you if you don't. Here are my sample answers to the 'house or apartment' questions from two weeks ago:

1. Do you live in a house or an apartment?

I live in a semi-detached house with three bedrooms in a suburb of Manchester. I've lived there for just over a year.

2. Which is your favourite room in your home? Why?

I don't really have a favourite room. But if I had to choose, I'd say the living room because that's where I go to sit and relax.

3. Would you change anything about your home? Why / why not?

Yes, I've been meaning to redecorate it since I moved in last year. It needs a new kitchen, so that's what I'd change first.

4. Would you like to move to a different home in the future?

Yes, I'd definitely move again at some point if I could afford to. I'd like to live in the countryside, or maybe in a different city or country.

IELTS Writing Task 1: verbs

Fill the gaps in the following sentences with suitable verbs.

1. In 1995, people in the UK ______ around 72 billion minutes of local phone calls.
2. They ______ about half this amount of time making national or international calls.
3. In the same year, less than 5 billion minutes of mobile calls ______ made.
4. National and international calls ______ a high point of around 61 billion minutes in 2002.
5. The time spent on mobiles ______ from 15 billion minutes in 1999 to 45 billion in 2002.

Note: these sentences refer to a bar chart in Cambridge IELTS book 9.

New video lesson

The second video lesson for writing task 2 is now available here. It costs $8 USD to access this one; I hope people see this as a reasonable price.

In the lesson, I demonstrate how to write introductions for the four types of task 2 question. There's also an accompanying worksheet with a focus on vocabulary.

IELTS Writing Task 2: CCTV topic

Here's a question about the same topic as yesterday's listening lesson:

In many cities the use of video cameras in public places is being increased in order to reduce crime, but some people believe that these measures restrict our individual freedom.
Do the benefits of increased security outweigh the drawbacks?

This is my suggestion for an essay outline:

1. Introduce the topic, and say that the benefits do outweigh the drawbacks.
2. Explain the drawbacks of CCTV (see yesterday's ideas).
3. Explain the security benefits.
4. Conclude by repeating / summarising your opinion.

PS. The next lesson in my video course should be ready later today.

IELTS Listening: CCTV topic

Watch the following news broadcast about CCTV (closed-circuit television). Do you think that having video cameras in public places is a good idea?

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

Click here to listen

Here are some of the points that were mentioned in the film. Try to organise them into arguments for and arguments against CCTV.

- invades privacy
- safety of the community
- invading every part of your life
- prosecutions with CCTV evidence
- crime prevention
- financial and privacy costs
- intrusion
- feel safer
- protection
- an excuse to have fewer police officers

IELTS Advice: practise paraphrasing yourself

In yesterday's lesson I suggested that the sign of an advanced learner of English is the ability to express the same thing in different ways. But how can you get better at doing this?

Here's a simple exercise:
Imagine that you have to explain a word, phrase or idea to somebody who doesn't understand it. You have to explain it in as many different ways as you can, until you are sure that the other person understands.

Let's try this with the word 'paraphrasing'. Can you explain the concept of paraphrasing in a variety of different ways to someone who doesn't know what it means?

IELTS Advice: the same thing in different ways

English students at beginner level learn to say "How are you?", but they probably don't know any other ways to say this. For example:

- How (are) you doing?
- How's life?
- How's it going?
- How are things? / How's things (with you)?
- What's up?
- How's tricks?
- How's everything going?
- Alright?

As a native speaker, I could keep going and add several more phrases to this list. The same happens in IELTS contexts: click here to see an example.

If you can express the same thing in several different ways, it usually means that you have a good level of English.

IELTS Speaking: correct the mistakes

Here are some sentences that students wrote below last week's lesson. Can you correct the mistake(s) in each one?

1. I would want the walls to be painted in bright colors, arrange the furniture with some good interior designers.
2. If I am well off, I would like to move into much more bigger house.
3. If I had enough money, I will buy some more household appliances.
4. My favourite room is my living room because most of the time I spent in that room.
5. It goes without saying that I am quite passionate about my bedroom.

IELTS Writing Task 1: pie charts essay

Here's my full essay for the 3 pie charts question that we've been looking at over the last two weeks:

The pie charts compare the expenditure of a school in the UK in three different years over a 20-year period.

It is clear that teachers’ salaries made up the largest proportion of the school’s spending in all three years (1981, 1991 and 2001). By contrast, insurance was the smallest cost in each year.

In 1981, 40% of the school’s budget went on teachers’ salaries. This figure rose to 50% in 1991, but fell again by 5% in 2001. The proportion of spending on other workers’ wages fell steadily over the 20-year period, from 28% of the budget in 1981 to only 15% in 2001.

Expenditure on insurance stood at only 2% of the total in 1981, but reached 8% in 2001. Finally, the percentages for resources and furniture/equipment fluctuated. The figure for resources was highest in 1991, at 20%, and the proportion of spending on furniture and equipment reached its peak in 2001, at 23%.

(158 words, band 9)

IELTS Writing Task 2: video lesson 1

My first video lesson for writing task 2 is now available here.

In this lesson, I give a basic overview of the requirements of the task, the scoring system, and how I break essay writing into smaller parts to make it easier. There are some useful tips in there, and you could also use the lesson as listening practice!

IELTS Reading: more keywords

Here are some keywords from a General Reading test in Cambridge IELTS book 9. You don't need to do this test; just look at the vocabulary and make sure it's part of your 'repertoire'.

IELTS Advice: stop worrying about the examiner

Many students are overly worried about the examiner. They worry about body language, eye contact, how friendly the examiner is, whether the examiner smiles, whether he/she is making notes, what his/her opinion might be etc.

This kind of worrying is a waste of time and energy. My advice is that you should only worry about 2 things in the speaking test: 1) listening carefully to the questions 2) trying your best to give good answers. It's a language exam, so let's worry about language.

IELTS Vocabulary: notice, look up, use

Notice
A student called herry commented below this lesson that he/she noticed the phrase "resort to" in my paragraph about credit cards.

Look up
Herry then looked the phrase up in a dictionary and found the meaning:
resort to something = do something that you do not want to do because you cannot find any other way.

Use
The next step is to try using the phrase in a sentence of your own (e.g. Many stores have resorted to cutting prices). If possible, ask a teacher to check your sentence to make sure it's correct.

This is a great way to improve your vocabulary repertoire.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: house or apartment?

Here are some very common questions from part 1 of the speaking test. How would you answer them?

1. Do you live in a house or an apartment?
2. Which is your favourite room in your home? Why?
3. Would you change anything about your home? Why / why not?
4. Would you like to move to a different home in the future?

IELTS Writing Task 1: 'details' paragraphs

Last week I asked you to think about how to divide the information from 3 pie charts into 2 groups in order to write 2 'details' paragraphs (click here to see the pie charts again).

Here are two paragraphs that I wrote with my students:

In 1981, 40% of the school’s budget went on teachers’ salaries. This figure rose to 50% in 1991, but fell again by 5% in 2001. The proportion of spending on other workers’ wages fell steadily over the 20-year period, from 28% of the budget in 1981 to only 15% in 2001.

Expenditure on insurance stood at only 2% of the total in 1981, but reached 8% in 2001. Finally, the percentages for resources and furniture/equipment fluctuated. The figure for resources was highest in 1991, at 20%, and the proportion of spending on furniture and equipment reached its peak in 2001, at 23%.

Analysis:
You can see that I chose to put the two types of salaries together in one paragraph, and the other three categories together in the second paragraph. There are other ways to divide the information, but this seemed the most obvious way to me.

IELTS Writing Task 2: five-sentence paragraph

Here are the 5 ideas from last week, about the negatives of credit cards:

1. encourage spending money that people don't have
2. leads to excess shopping, consumer culture
3. more credit cards, debt becomes out of control
4. bankrupt, in court, lose home
5. sometimes fines or even prison

Now here's a 5-sentence paragraph using these ideas:

The main drawback of credit cards is that they encourage people to spend money that they do not have. This has led to the consumer culture and addiction to shopping that we now see in society. When credit card users are unable to pay off their debts, they often resort to signing up for multiple cards, and the debt becomes increasingly overwhelming. Many people in this situation find themselves in court, bankrupt, and without a home as a final consequence of credit card dependence. In the worst cases, they may even face prison sentences.

Note:
Notice that I made one or two changes (e.g. 'overwhelming' instead of 'out of control'), but that I mostly followed the plan, writing one sentence for each idea. Practise doing this yourself.