IELTS Simon

IELTS Advice: acceptable templates

Yesterday I showed you a 'bad' conclusion template, but what does a 'good' template look like?

One way for me to answer this is to recommend that you forget about templates completely. Just use the shortest, most basic 'organising' phrases, like "In conclusion", and focus on answering the question. In other words, you should worry about 'topic language', not 'template language'.

On the other hand, if you really want a template for conclusions, have a look at this lesson. The templates you'll see there are acceptable.

IELTS Advice: don't use 'templates' like this

A student sent me the following 'template' for writing task 2 conclusions:

In conclusion, not only..... but also..... I believe..... . So, that’s why without a doubt that everyone should concern alongside authority and help each other's out to have a good and updated (topic).

My advice is simple: throw this template away! First, it contains mistakes. Second, it doesn't really make sense. And third, it's an example of the kind of "memorised language" that I wrote about in last Sunday's lesson. You'll probably get a lower score if you write in this way.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'happy' vs 'laugh'

Can you see a difference between the two tasks below?

1. Describe an experience or situation that made you happy.
2. Describe an experience or situation that made you laugh.

Do you think you could talk about passing an exam for the second task above?

IELTS Writing Task 1: line graph 'details' tips

After writing your introduction and overview paragraphs, you need to describe the information in detail. Here are my tips for describing line graph details:

1. Try to write two paragraphs. This isn't a 'rule', but it's a good idea because it forces you to group the information, and this should improve the organisation and coherence of your report. One big paragraph full of numbers can look messy, whereas two separate paragraphs will look neater and be easier to read.
2. Aim for just two or three sentences in each 'details' paragraph. Some of your sentences will be quite long, because you'll be comparing several numbers, so two sentences can sometimes be enough.
3. Always compare the lines; never describe each line separately.
4. Select key numbers only. You won't have time to describe every number in every year.
5. Start at the beginning, with the first year on the left of the x axis. Compare the numbers (i.e. all lines) in that year.
6. Then choose an interesting point towards the middle of the graph, and compare the figures at that point.
7. OR: Summarise the line trends over the first half of the period (to somewhere around the middle of the graph).
8. Then start a new paragraph for the second half of the time period.
9. Compare the figures for all of the lines at any key points. Or summarise the line trends over the second half of the period.
10. Finish at the end, with the last year shown. Compare the numbers (i.e. all lines) in that year.

Here's a short version of the advice above:

Paragraph 3
Compare the lines (giving numbers) in the first year shown, then describe any significant numbers or overall trends in the first half of the time period.

Paragraph 4
Describe any significant numbers or overall trends in the second half of the time period, then compare the lines (giving numbers) in the last year shown.

Task:
See if you can follow this advice to write two 'details' paragraphs about the line graph in last week's lesson.

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'agree or disagree' essay samples

Here are links to four of my essays, each of which demonstrates one of the four "systems" that I recommended in last week's lesson.

1. Click here to see a strong answer with two supporting ideas.

2. Click here to see a strong answer in which I refute the opposite view.

3. Click here to see a balanced answer.

4. Click here to see an "almost balanced" answer, favouring one side.

Remember:
All four systems are equally good. I don't really have a favourite one - it all depends on the question and the ideas that I have. However, if you prefer to choose one or two of these systems and just practise it / them, that's fine!

IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Here's the passage from last week's lesson, but this time we have some 'true, false, not given' questions.

Chores for children

Assigning new jobs for children as they mature will develop their work ethic, says Gregg Murset, CEO of BusyKid, a chore and allowance tracking app. “The most important thing is to challenge them,” he says. “Once they have some proficiency you need to make them stretch to do the next job.” Mr. Murset, a father of six children ages 10 to 20, believes parents should teach children to do housework when they’re young, no matter if it yields imperfect results. “Even though it’s easier to just clean the toilet by yourself and be done with it, you have to take the long view and realise that these fundamental life skills are so important,” he says.

Attaching an allowance to chores teaches children not to expect handouts, says Michael Eisenberg, a financial advisor and member of the National Financial Literacy Commission. “At earlier ages, it instills within children the reality that you do something and you get paid for it,” he says. “Later on in life, they learn that the only way we get money is if we produce stuff at our jobs.” Some 68% of U.S. parents say they pay an allowance to their children, at an average rate of $67.80 per month, according to a 2016 survey of 1,005 adults. More than 80% of respondents who pay an allowance say they want to teach their child the value of money and financial responsibility, the survey found.

Are the following statements true, false or not given?

1. Gregg Murset’s experiences of fatherhood led him to develop the BusyKid app.
2. Michael Eisenberg believes in giving children financial incentives to do certain tasks.
3. The majority of U.S. parents give their children pocket money.

Partner in Vietnam

I have recently made a partnership agreement with a website in Vietnam called 'IELTS Planet'. If you live in Vietnam, you can now buy my video lessons through their site too. The prices are the same as those on my video course website, but you might find it easier to make a payment to a local provider.

Here are the links to my videos on 'IELTS Planet':

Full academic course

Reading and Listening

Writing Task 1

Writing Task 2

Speaking

IELTS Advice: memorised language

What do examiners consider to be "memorised language", and how will your score be affected if you use it?

Words
Individual words will not be considered memorised. However, if you have learnt some "big" words, you should make sure that you can use them in a natural and appropriate way, because incorrect use of words will affect your vocabulary score.

Phrases
It's fine to memorise and use "topic vocabulary" phrases (e.g. the opportunity to engage face-to-face) and short organising phrases (e.g. people have different views about...). However, I recommend that you avoid learning long "any essay" phrases (e.g. ... is a controversial and hotly debated issue in today's world). These "phrases for any essay" are very obvious to the examiner, and you'll probably get a lower score if you use them.

Sentences
Again, "topic vocabulary" is fine, but "any essay" sentences are not. So, if the question is about environmental problems, you can use a full sentence from my blog (e.g. Human activity is a major factor in the rise of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming). Having said that, it isn't easy to memorise full sentences for a wide range of topics, so I advise people to learn shorter "topic" phrases instead.

Paragraphs and full essays
If you write a perfect paragraph or full essay from memory and it fits the question, the examiner will not know and you will not be penalised. However, you would need to memorise hundreds of essays, so I don't recommend that you take this approach! Furthermore, if you write a perfect essay but it doesn't match the question, you will score zero!

My final tip
I recommend that you learn words and phrases (and maybe a few full sentences) for common IELTS topics, as well as some simple words and phrases for linking and organising your ideas. Don't learn lists of "phrases for any essay".

IELTS Advice: it's fine to use my ideas

If you use words, phrases or sentences from this website or from my ebook, will the examiner know that you have copied me, and therefore consider part of your answer to be memorised?

The answer is no! You can, and you should, use the language that you find on this site. If you can't use the language that a teacher gives you, how are you expected to learn English?

For example, look at the following sentence from my most recent essay:

"Students may not have the opportunity to engage face-to-face with their teachers."

It would be fine to use a word (e.g. engage) or a phrase (e.g. the opportunity to engage face-to-face) from this sentence. You can even use the whole sentence, as long as it's relevant to the question that you have been asked.

So what do examiners consider to be "memorised language"? I'll explain that in tomorrow's lesson.

IELTS Writing Task 1: graph introduction and overview

The graph below shows changes in global food and oil prices between 2000 and 2011.

...
Here are my first two paragraphs, the introduction and overview:

The line graph compares the average price of a barrel of oil with the food price index over a period of 11 years.

It is clear that average global prices of both food and oil rose considerably between 2000 and 2011, although many price fluctuations can be seen during those 11 years. Furthermore, the trends for both commodities are very similar, and so a strong correlation is suggested.

IELTS Grammar: 'overview' mistakes

Here are some sentences that people wrote below Thursday's writing task 1 lesson. Can you find and correct the mistakes?

1. There are a lot of fluctuations in cost these years.
2. Prices of both food and oil have a significant increase in eleven years.
3. The trends show almost similar figures throughout the period.
4. Oil and food prices follow nearly same trends within period.
5. Both goods increased theirs prices throughout the period shown.
6. Both goods had their prices increased throughout the period shown.

IELTS Writing Task 1: overview practice

The graph below shows changes in global food and oil prices between 2000 and 2011.

(Source: http://www.paulchefurka.ca/Food_Energy.html)

Task:
Using the advice in last week's lesson, how would you write an overview / summary of the information shown on the graph?

IELTS Listening: try these techniques

Here are 4 techniques that you could experiment with when practising IELTS listening tests from the Cambridge books:

1. Work on specific sections rather than doing full tests. For example, you could focus on section 1 this week, then do lots of examples of section 2 next week.
2. Do a full test, but allow yourself to listen two or three times. See how many extra answers you get the second or third time you listen to the recording.
3. Do a full test, but give yourself as much time as you want during the breaks (by stopping the recording). This takes away the problem of not having time to read the questions properly, and allows you to focus more on your listening skills.
4. Change the listening test into a reading test. Instead of listening to the recording, use the transcript at the back of the book. Did you get a higher score than usual? If you did, your listening skills need more work. If you didn't, maybe your problem is related to vocabulary.

The suggestions above might help you to find where your weaknesses are. They might also make exam practice a bit more interesting!

IELTS Reading: keyword review

When you're doing practice reading tests, it's always a good idea to review the 'keywords' that gave you the answers. Here's a table showing keywords from the three most recent exercises on this website:

IELTS Grammar: a student's question

A student asked me about the following sentence:

• Traffic jams are a feature of everyday life in modern cities.

He asked me if the following version is also correct:

• Traffic jams are a feature of everyday's life in modern cities.

What do you think? Is the second sentence correct? Why / why not?

IELTS Writing Task 2: essay analysis

Here's my analysis of the essay in last week's lesson:

Task response
If you look at the 'skeleton' of my essay (introduction, first sentence of each body paragraph, conclusion), you can see that I answer the question very clearly. Then, within the body paragraphs there are well-developed ideas to support my answer.

Coherence and cohesion (i.e. organisation)
I used my normal method: 4 paragraphs containing 13 sentences in total. The essay is easy to read because it is well organised and the ideas are developed in a very clear, logical way. Linking words (e.g. and, similarly, this, for example, mentioned above, firstly, secondly, finally, while, which) are used to connect ideas, but the linking doesn't distract the reader from the content.

Vocabulary
I reviewed the good vocabulary in this lesson. Remember that your vocabulary score comes from your use of 'topic vocabulary', not linking words or phrases.

Grammar
The essay contains a mix of long and short sentences, and there are no mistakes. Remember: as soon as you use connecting words like and, while or which, you will automatically create compound or complex sentences, so there's no need to worry about "complex grammatical structures".

IELTS Listening: another TED video

Here's another interesting video from the website ted.com. Before you watch it, here are some suggestions about how you could use this kind of video:

1. Watch the full video once for some general English listening practice.
2. Or watch short sections of the video (e.g. 1 or 2 minutes) and note down some good words and phrases. In other words, videos like this can be tools for vocabulary learning.
3. Or do both of the above: watch the video all the way through without subtitles, then watch it again with the subtitles on and pause to note down the good vocabulary.

PS. Did you learn anything interesting from this talk?

IELTS Vocabulary: review

Let's review the good vocabulary from this week's writing and speaking lessons. First, some phrases from my task 2 essay:

• are becoming a common feature of
• Internet-based learning
• less direct interaction
• the opportunity to engage face-to-face with
• rely on written forms of communication
• come into direct contact with
• a negative impact on peer support
• chatting through website forum areas
• element of competition
• study in a flexible way
• cover the material at their own pace
• revenues for institutions
• regardless of age, location, ability and background
• enrolled on an online MBA course

Second, some phrases from Friday's speaking lesson:

• just down the road
• a bite to eat
• I found myself getting distracted
• a change of scenery
• made the short walk
• just the right level of background noise
• over the course of the afternoon
• takes a lot of pride in making
• avoid drinking too much caffeine
• on that occasion
• the atmosphere and noise level
• focus on my work without distractions

Note: You should see a difference in 'tone' (i.e. how formal or informal something is) between the two lists of phrases above. Can you see what I mean?

IELTS Grammar: plural with singular

Did you notice the following sentence in my essay on Wednesday?

Online courses are becoming a common feature of university education.

It might seem strange to mix a plural with a singular like this, but it's correct. The reason is that the courses are being grouped together as one feature. Look at some similar examples:

- Traffic jams are a feature of everyday life in modern cities.
- Online courses are a positive development.
- Electric cars are a good idea.
- Lower birth rates in America are an interesting trend.