IELTS Simon

IELTS Listening: keywords

Here's a table showing keywords from the most recent listening lessons here on the blog. It's always a good idea to review keywords, even if they seem to be easy.

IELTS Advice: don't get too technical

A student wrote to me with a useful question:

"My IELTS teacher told us not to mention complex subjects and show off knowledge in the speaking test. I tend to talk about my major using big words and terms to expand my answers. Would this be seen as "showing off knowledge"? And what do you think about this advice?"

To answer this question, let's compare two answers to the question "how often do you eat chocolate?":

Answer 1:
I probably eat something that contains chocolate, like a chocolate bar or a cake, every couple of days.

Answer 2:
I try to keep my chocolate intake to a minimum because it is relatively high in calories, and because sugary foods can lead to insulin resistance.

The second answer might look more difficult and impressive, but it actually seems inappropriate and unnatural. I much prefer the first answer. So, I think this is what the teacher meant when he/she advised students not to "show off their knowledge", and I agree with this advice.

IELTS Writing Task 2: three recent questions

Here are 3 exam questions that people have sent me recently. Which one do you think we should work on next?

1.
It is inevitable that traditional cultures will be lost as technology develops. Technology and traditional cultures are incompatible. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this view?

2.
Some universities now offer their courses on the Internet so that people everywhere can study them. Is this a positive or negative development?

3.
Some people believe that the main benefit of international cooperation is the protection of the environment, while others think that the main benefits are in the world of business. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

IELTS Listening: film course transcript

Here's the transcript for the recording from last week's lesson. Listen again, and fill the gaps that I've left.

Click here to listen

Fill each gap with one word only.

Students, when they’re applying, really need to reflect, pause for a moment and think what it is that _____ bringing to the course, and _____ they want to go with it. We want to see evidence that they do have some experience of thinking of telling stories visually. We don’t need to see a great deal; they shouldn’t panic about quantity, but they should reflect on what they have got that can show _____ talent and _____ creative ability. Ideally we would like to see moving image work, but if an applicant has not had the chance to do that, then _____ welcome to show us drawings, photographs, animations - any work that is thinking about telling stories over time.

IELTS Writing Task 2: convert notes into sentences

It's a good idea to practise converting basic notes into full sentences. For example, the notes below come from an essay plan for the question about banning mobile phones (which you can see here).

1. cigarettes - toxic fumes, passive smoking, health issues
2. mobile phones - loud conversations - annoying, not dangerous
3. instead of banning, encourage polite behaviour
4. e.g. turning phones off in cinema - respect

Let's convert the above notes into full sentences:

1. Cigarettes produce toxic fumes which are inhaled by others; this is known as passive smoking, and can lead to serious health issues.
2. While loud conversations on mobile phones can be annoying for others, this is not comparable with the dangers of inhaling cigarette smoke.
3. Rather than imposing a ban, it is much more sensible to encourage polite mobile phone behaviour.
4. In cinemas, for instance, the audience is politely asked to turn phones off during the film, and most people respect this request.

If you can convert notes into sentences, you'll be able to convert an essay plan into a full essay. So practise doing this as much as you can!

IELTS Listening: multiple choice about film course

Listen to a teacher's advice for students who are applying to a film-making course.

Click here to listen

Which TWO things should students do when applying to the course?

A ... Understand what the course is about.
B ... Think carefully about what they can contribute to the course.
C ... Tell a story about an experience that they have had.
D ... Provide a large quantity of work that shows their ability.
E ... Show an example of their own film work if possible.
F ... Explain why they are interested in the course.

IELTS Reading: keyword review

The table below shows 'keywords' (similar words in the questions and passage) from four recent reading lessons here on the blog.

The reading test certainly becomes easier as you get better at noticing keywords, so it's always a good idea to review them.

IELTS Grammar: test it with an easier sentence

If you're unsure about a bit of grammar, see what happens when you look at it in a much easier sentence. I'll demonstrate this with an example.

A student asked me this question:

Should we write "Companies A and B saw waste output fall" or "Companies A and B saw waste output fell"?

I told the student to consider an easier example:

Do we say "I saw him go" or "I saw him went"?

Hopefully the easy example above makes the grammar point much clearer. "Companies A and B saw waste output fall" and "I saw him go" are of course correct.

IELTS Writing Task 2: question types

People often ask me about question types. If you don't know what the 4 types of question are, start by reading the lesson linked here.

Now look at the two questions below. A student wrote to me this week to ask whether they should be treated as "opinion" or "discussion" questions.

1. Is this a positive or negative development?
2. Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

What do you think? Which of the four question categories (opinion, discussion, problem / solution, two-part question) do the above questions fit into? And can you find any previous lessons on this website that could help the student who asked me about this?

IELTS Listening: underlining

Last week I asked you which words you would underline in the questions below. Now let's see if we can get the correct answers, using only the underlined keywords.

Here are the questions again, with keywords underlined:

1. How might a guest feel when staying in a luxury hotel?

A     impressed with the facilities
B     depressed by the experience
C     concerned at the high costs

2. According to recent research, luxury hotels overlook the need to

A     provide for the demands of important guests
B     create a comfortable environment
C     offer an individual and personal welcome

3. What is the impact of the outside environment on a hotel guest?

A     It has a considerable effect.
B     It has a very limited effect.
C     It has no effect whatsoever.

Now here's the transcript of the recording. Choose the correct answers and explain them by referring to keywords in the questions and transcript.

You wake up in the middle of the night in a strange hotel miles away from home, disoriented most probably from jet lag, when even the most expensive surroundings can seem empty and dispiriting. The research suggests that even the most opulent, luxurious hotels seem to have underestimated the most basic needs of their customers - be they travelling for work or pleasure: the need to feel at home in surroundings which are both familiar and inviting. And the research concluded that what was outside the hotel building simply didn’t matter.

IELTS Advice: yesterday's challenge

In yesterday's lesson I challenged you to read, watch or listen to something new and interesting (in English of course). Thanks to those of you who replied.

Here's my response to the challenge:
After trying to help my nephew to solve his 'Rubik's Revenge' (see picture below), I gave up and went online to find a proper strategy. The interesting text that I ended up reading was this one about how the Rubik's cube is similar to life. In some ways, I think it's also similar to the IELTS exam!

IELTS Advice: for 'down days'

If you're having a 'down day' when you don't feel like studying, my advice is this: just read (or watch or listen to) something interesting in English. Search the Internet for a hobby or an interesting topic, and see what you can find.

Here's a challenge to help you:
Can you find a short text or video about something that you have never thought about before today? I'll share my own response to this challenge tomorrow.

IELTS Writing Task 2: correct the mistakes

Here are some sentences that people wrote in the 'comments' area below the lesson on this page. Can you find and correct the mistakes?

1. Mobile phone has been widely used by people around the world.
2. Prohibiting mobile phone in public places is unequal with smoking ban.
3. Firstly, when people not respecting others privacy by talking aloud or not using vibration mode while in public areas.
4. They go to these places for having a good time such as playing a game by smartphone.
5. The main reason to ban smoking in certain places is passive smoking has a negative effect on public health, while mobile phones do not have.

IELTS General Writing: new video

I forgot to mention last week that I had published another video lesson for General IELTS writing task 1. The video is at the bottom of this web page.

IELTS Listening: minimal underlining

Before the recording starts, you should use the breaks to read through the questions and underline the key words that you'll need to listen for.

But don't underline too many words. For example, if I told you that you could underline only one or two key words in each of the choices (A, B and C) below, which words would you choose?

1. How might a guest feel when staying in a luxury hotel?

A     impressed with the facilities
B     depressed by the experience
C     concerned at the high costs

2. According to recent research, luxury hotels overlook the need to

A     provide for the demands of important guests
B     create a comfortable environment
C     offer an individual and personal welcome

3. What is the impact of the outside environment on a hotel guest?

A     It has a considerable effect.
B     It has a very limited effect.
C     It has no effect whatsoever.

(Questions from Cambridge IELTS 7)

Happy New Year!

The beginning of a new year is always a good time to assess where you are and to make some plans. I hope that you're feeling positive about what you'll achieve in 2017. My prediction is that most of the people who are reading this will pass the IELTS test at some point this year!