IELTS Simon

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'homework' mistakes

Here are some sentences that people wrote about the "homework" topic that I shared with you in last week's lesson. Can you correct the mistakes and improve the sentences?

1. Fierce debates have been provoked if assignments ought to be done by students.
2. Although there are some merits of doing homework, I would argue that homework is not as vital as the public reckons.
3. They always garner the top scores in every competition of major subjects.
4. There are people who argue the benefits of getting rid of homework from the students.
5. Since home work is gainful for students, teachers need to ensure that they are not burdening students with excessive tasks.
6. Children in school prefer to undergo everything what they learn rather than try hard in homework.

Note: Apart from any grammar mistakes, each of the sentences above contains a word or phrase that doesn't work in the context. Can you identify the vocabulary problem in each sentence?

From Simon: a rare day off!

I rarely take a break from updating this blog, but today is spring bank holiday here in the UK, and I've been with family and friends all day.

I haven't had time to make an IELTS reading lesson today, but if you want to read something interesting, click here to read about a strange festival that happens here in England on this day every year.

IELTS Advice: focus on YOU, get the job done!

Yesterday I asked you to consider how you would respond to "exam environment" problems, like unfriendly staff or noise from other candidates.

Here's what I think about these problems: they are out of your control, so it's best to ignore them. Instead, you should focus on your own performance only - this is something that you can control.

In the right frame of mind, we are all capable of performing well under pressure. We can ignore other people and external distractions, and we can focus on the job that needs doing. Approach the test as a "professional" - if you've prepared properly, you're ready to get the job done!

IELTS Advice: the exam environment

A student wrote to me recently to tell me about his negative experience of the test centre on the day of his IELTS exam. He said that the test centre staff were unfriendly and unhelpful, and he wondered whether it was a good idea to complain.

Let's consider some problems that you might experience on your test day:

• unfriendly staff
• an unfriendly examiner
• other candidates coughing or sneezing
• unclear instructions from staff
• noises outside the building
• a wobbly table
• any other problem with the exam environment that you can think of

What should you do about these problems? Tell us what you would do in the 'comments' area below, and I'll give you my advice in tomorrow's lesson.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: strange topics, easy answers

Don't worry if the questions in part 1 of the speaking test seem strange. Just give a direct answer and a reason as usual. For example:

'Robots' topic:

1. What do you think of robots?

I think robots are a clever idea. I'd love to have a robot that could speak to me and do things for me!

2. Did you watch any cartoons related to robots in your childhood?

I can't remember watching cartoons with robots, but I remember that I liked the robots in films like Star Wars.

3. Do you like the idea of robots helping you at home or driving your car?

Yes, definitely. It would be great to have a robot helper at home, and I like the idea of driverless cars - I think driving would be safer if cars were controlled by robots.

..........

'Shoes' topic:

1. Do you like to buy expensive shoes?

No. I tend to buy average-priced shoes because I'm more interested in comfort than expensive brands.

2. When you buy shoes, do you prefer convenience or style?

I mainly look for comfort and convenience. But obviously I consider the style too, because I do choose shoes that match the clothes I wear.

3. Why do you think some people buy many pairs of shoes?

I suppose they either like following the latest fashions, or they want a pair of shoes to match all of the different clothes or outfits that they have.

4. Have you ever bought shoes online?

No, I haven't. I always like to try shoes on before I buy them, to make sure that they fit properly and feel comfortable.

IELTS Writing Task 1: line graph answer

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

...
Here's my band 9 answer:

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 oil and food rose considerably between 2000 and 2011. Furthermore, the trends for both commodities were very similar, and so a strong correlation (93.6%) is suggested.

In the year 2000, the average global oil price was close to $25 per barrel, and the food price index stood at just under 90 points. Over the following four years both prices remained relatively stable, before rising steadily between 2004 and 2007. By 2007, the average oil price had more than doubled, to nearly $60 per barrel, and food prices had risen by around 50 points.

A dramatic increase in both commodity prices was seen from 2007 to 2008, with oil prices reaching a peak of approximately $130 per barrel and the food price index rising to 220 points. However, by the beginning of 2009 the price of oil had dropped by roughly $90, and the food price index was down by about 80 points. Finally, in 2011, the average oil price rose once again, to nearly $100 per barrel, while the food price index reached its peak, at almost 240 points.

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'homework' question

Following the video that I shared in yesterday's lesson, here's a writing task 2 question on the same topic:

Some people believe that school children should not be given homework by their teachers, whereas others argue that homework plays an important role in the education of children. Discuss both of these views and give your own opinion.

See if you can plan your answer in the same way as I did in this lesson.

IELTS Listening: no homework!

As a teacher, I always find articles and documentaries about education interesting. Here's a short YouTube video that I watched yesterday. What do you think about the idea that school pupils shouldn't have to do homework?

IELTS Reading: match the headings

Read the following passage about migrating birds.

A) A tiny bird from the Farne Islands off Northumberland, England has clocked up the longest migration ever recorded. The Arctic tern’s meandering journey to Antarctica and back saw it clock up 59,650 miles, more than twice the circumference of the planet. The bird, which weighs just 100g, left its breeding grounds last July and flew down the west coast of Africa, rounded the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean and arrived in Antarctica in November. Its mammoth trek was recorded by a tiny device attached to its leg, weighing 0.7g - too light to affect its flight.

B) “It’s really quite humbling to see these tiny birds return when you consider the huge distances they’ve had to travel and how they’ve battled to survive,” said Richard Bevan at Newcastle University and part of the tracking team. The birds survive the vast journey by dipping down to the sea surface to catch fish and other food as they travel. “They live in the fast lane all the time, constantly on the move,” said Bevan. “They have to flap all the time. It is an incredibly energetic lifestyle.”

C) Like all migratory animals, the birds travel to take advantage of food that is available in particular seasons. Arctic terns perform the longest migrations but another bird, the bar-tailed godwit, completes its marathon from the Arctic to New Zealand in eight days straight, without stopping to feed. Whales undertake the longest mammal migrations and leatherback turtles and some dragonflies also travel over 9,321 miles.

(Source: theguardian.com)

Choose the best heading from the list below for each paragraph above.

i      Migration and food
ii     Survival of the fittest
iii    A record-setting bird
iv    Other incredible animal migrations
v     A new device for tracking bird migrations
vi    How do migrating Arctic terns manage such a feat?

IELTS Grammar / Vocabulary: 'fixed phrases'

Sometimes it's better not to look at word usage from a grammar perspective. Instead, we can accept that some phrases are 'fixed', and there's no point worrying about the individual words within them.

The phrase "I look forward to seeing you", from yesterday's lesson, is a good example. There's no point trying to understand why we use "to + ing" in this phrase. Just learn it as a fixed phrase.

Let's take another example. Someone asked me for a grammatical explanation of my use of the word "for" in the sentence below:

One option would be for police officers to visit schools. (taken from this essay)

Here's the answer that I gave the student:

It might be best to learn the whole phrase "one option would be for x to..." without trying to understand it word by word. You could consider this to be a 'fixed phrase'.

In other words, rather than looking at this from a grammar perspective, you could learn it as a vocabulary item. Then, the best way to understand the phrase is to see it used in various different contexts. Here are some examples from a Google search:

• One option would be for national authorities to intervene.
• In order to improve the economy, one option would be for the government to invest in infrastructure.
• One option would be for staff to work more hours.

IELTS Grammar: 'to' with 'ing'

Many students have learnt that 'to' can't be followed by a word ending in 'ing'. But you might have noticed that I break this 'rule' in some of my essays. For example:

"strict punishments for driving offences are the key to reducing traffic accidents"

This phrase is completely correct, so it must mean that the "rule" was wrong! You can put 'to' with 'ing' in many situations. Here are some examples:

• The key to being more productive is...
• I look forward to seeing you.
• He admitted to taking the money.
• Scientists are closer to being able to...
• Seven steps to reaching your goals!

Can you find any more examples?
Tip: try searching on Google for "to being", "to having", "to doing" etc.

IELTS Speaking Part 1: robots and shoes!

I was looking through the recent questions that students share here, and I noticed some interesting part 1 questions that I haven't seen before:

'Robots' topic:

1. What do you think of robots?
2. Did you watch any cartoons related to robots in your childhood?
3. Do you like the idea of robots helping you at home or driving your car?

'Shoes' topic:

1. Do you like to buy expensive shoes? 
2. When you buy shoes, do you prefer convenience or style?
3. Why do you think some people buy many pairs of shoes?
4. Have you ever bought shoes online?

Has anyone else had these topics in the speaking test? How would you answer these questions?

IELTS Writing Task 1: one correct sentence!

In last week's lesson I asked you to try writing one correct sentence about a graph. Are you able to write a sentence that compares two numbers without making a mistake? If not, then this is something that you must practise.

Here are some sentences that students wrote below the lesson. Can you see what is wrong with each sentence?

1. In 2011, there was a dramatic rise in both prices but as compared to oil, food index price went to 250 points.
2. In 2011 food price index raised dramatically and reached a peak almost to 240 points and there was a slight increase in oil price, it was about $100 by that time.
3. After gradual increase in the previous year, the price of oil and food inclined to 100 dollars per barrels and 240 points respectively in 2011.

And here's a sentence that contains no mistakes:

In 2011, the average oil price rose to nearly $100 per barrel, while the food price index reached its peak, at almost 240 points.

IELTS Writing Task 2: using a dictionary

Don't forget that a good English dictionary should be a key tool as you prepare for the IELTS test. Here's an example of how a dictionary can help you:

The other day I received a message from a student who asked why I wrote "the media are" instead of "the media is" in one of the sentences in my ebook.

Instead of trying to answer this question myself, I simply copied the relevant section from my computer's dictionary. Here's what it says:

media
usage: The word media comes from the Latin plural of medium. The traditional view is that it should therefore be treated as a plural noun in all its senses in English and be used with a plural rather than a singular verb: the media have not followed the reports (rather than ‘has’). In practice, in the sense ‘television, radio, and the press collectively’, it behaves as a collective noun (like staff or clergy, for example), which means that it is now acceptable in standard English for it to take either a singular or a plural verb.

IELTS Listening: TED talk about 'grit'

I've just watched the interesting TED talk below. The speaker explains that according to her research, the most significant predictor of success among students is "grit". So, what is "grit" and how can we build it?

IELTS Reading: tricky paragraph headings exercise

Here's a 'paragraph headings' question that many students find tricky. It is taken from Cambridge IELTS book 1.

Paragraph:
For the first time, dictionary publishers are incorporating real, spoken English into their data. It gives lexicographers (people who write dictionaries) access to a more vibrant, up-to-date vernacular language which has never really been studied before. In one project, 150 volunteers each agreed to discreetly tie a Walkman recorder to their waist and leave it running for anything up to two weeks. Every conversation they had was recorded. When the data was collected, the length of tapes was 35 times the depth of the Atlantic Ocean. Teams of audio typists transcribed the tapes to produce a computerised database of ten million words.

Which paragraph heading would you chose, and why?

1. New method of research
2. The first study of spoken language

Feel free to discuss this question in the "comments" area below this lesson. I'll give you my answer and explanation tomorrow.

IELTS Advice: easy essay structure

Whether you're doing the academic test or the general test, I recommend that you use the 4-paragraph, 13-sentence essay structure that you can see in yesterday's lesson.

Look again at yesterday's essay plan; I think it's very clear and easy to follow. If you get used to planning and organising your essays in this way, the 'structure' part becomes easy and you have more time to focus on good ideas and vocabulary.

IELTS General Writing: task 2 plan

Last week I suggested that you plan some ideas for the question below.

Some people prefer renting than buying a home. What are the advantages and disadvantages of renting your home?

Here's a 13-sentence essay plan using the ideas that people shared:

Introduction
1. Introduce the topic (e.g. It is true that many people rent...)
2. State that there are benefits and drawbacks

Advantages
3. Topic sentence (e.g. There are several advantages...)
4. Firstly: easy, flexible and fast
5. Example: students and workers who move to new cities
6. Secondly: no maintenance costs
7. Finally: cheaper, no mortgage deposit

Disadvantages
8. Topic sentence (e.g. On the other hand, there are also...)
9. Main drawback: not a long term investment
10. Another drawback: landlord sets rules
11. Example: not allowed to renovate or redecorate
12. Furthermore: prices can suddenly go up

Conclusion
13. Repeat / summarise

IELTS Speaking Part 3: longer answers

Do you remember my advice about how to give longer answers in part 3?

• Answer the question directly
• Explain your answer (ask your self why)
• Give an example
• Mention an alternative or opposite answer

Example question
Do you think the seasons still influence people's behaviour?

Example answer
(direct answer) Yes, I do think the seasons still affect how we behave. (explain how) We still wear different clothes depending on the weather, and clothes shops change what they sell according to the season. We also adapt our habits and daily routines according to the time of year. (example) For example, people in my country like to eat outside in their gardens in the summer, but we can't do that during the other seasons. (opposite) On the other hand, I don't think we notice the change in seasons when it comes to food; the big supermarkets import food from around the world, so most people don't buy seasonal fruit and vegetables any more.

IELTS Writing Task 1: line graph 'details' sentences

Let's look at some sentences that you could use to describe the graph below.

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

...
A sentence about the year 2000:
In the year 2000, the average global oil price was close to $25 per barrel, and the food price index stood at just under 90 points.

A sentence about the years 2000 to 2007:
Over the following four years both prices remained relatively stable, in spite of frequent small fluctuations, before rising steadily between 2004 and 2007.

A sentence about the year 2007:
By 2007, the average oil price had more than doubled, to nearly $60 per barrel, and food prices had risen by around 50 points.

A sentence about the years 2007 to 2008:
A dramatic increase in oil and food prices was seen from 2007 to 2008, with oil prices reaching a peak of approximately $130 per barrel and the food price index rising to 220 points.

A sentence about the year 2009:
By the beginning of 2009 the price of oil had dropped by roughly $90, and the food price index was down by about 80 points.

Task:
Can you write one correct sentence about oil and food prices in 2011?

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'simple but good' introduction

Last week I showed you an example of a bad introduction for the question below. The main problem was the overuse of 'template phrases'. Now let's look at a good introduction.

Here's the question again:

Because computers can translate all languages very quickly and accurately, learning a foreign language is a waste of time. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Here's a "simple but good" introduction:

It is true that computer programs are now able to carry out language translation tasks far more quickly than any human can. However, I completely disagree with the idea that this development makes learning foreign languages unnecessary.

IELTS Reading: practise both academic and general

There is a difference between the types of articles used in the academic and general reading tests. However, the types of questions and the techniques for answering them are the same. For this reason, I recommend using both types of exam paper for practice.

The main technique for finding answers in both reading tests is the 'keyword' technique: search in the passage for the key words in each question.

Here's a table of keywords from the GT test in Cambridge book 6, page 118:

IELTS General Writing Task 1: 'translation' question

If you're doing the General IELTS test, here's another task 1 question that you could use for practice.

IELTS General Writing: a task 2 example

Let's have a look at a writing task 2 question from a recent 'General' test:

Some people prefer renting than buying a home. What are the advantages and disadvantages of renting your home?

The question above might seem a little different from the task 2 questions that I normally use here on the blog. However, my advice is exactly the same as usual:

- Spend up to 10 minutes planning your essay structure and ideas.
- Write 4 paragraphs, containing a total of 13 sentences.

Maybe you can help me plan some ideas for this question by suggesting some advantages and disadvantages of renting.

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

Last week I asked you about the difference between the following tasks:

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

The first task is easy because you can describe any positive situation or experience e.g. passing an exam, a special occasion, some good news, or even a time when someone told you a joke or a funny story.

The second task is a bit more specific. If you describe a positive experience like passing an exam, the examiner might not be convinced that you've understood the question properly. Did you really laugh when you passed the exam? Was it funny? I think the examiner would be expecting you to describe a funny situation like I did in this lesson.

IELTS Writing Task 1: line graph 'details' mistakes

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

1. In 2000, oil price was slightly higher than food price.
2. Over 6-years later, there was a dramatic increase of oil price.
3. The index of price rose by 36 points at the same period.
4. After the trough in 2009, food price indicate an abrupt increase in 2011.
5. The average oil price came to about $72 in the middle of 2006.
6. The food price index arrived at approximately 240 points.
7. This is the lowest figures throughout the period as a whole.

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'bad' introduction example

Have a look at this recent exam question:

Because computers can translate all languages very quickly and accurately, learning a foreign language is a waste of time. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Now look at this example of a 'bad' introduction:

The discussion about whether or not the assimilation of a foreign tongue is needful in this age of computer translation is a contentious one. Although it is undoubtedly true that computers will be of paramount importance throughout all human cultures in the coming years, I am diametrically opposed to the given statement.

Can you see why I think this is a bad introduction? Can you explain what the main problem is? How would you write it in the style that I normally suggest?

IELTS Reading: first sentence of each paragraph?

People often ask me whether reading the first sentence of each paragraph is a useful "trick". Is it a good idea to read the first sentence of each paragraph before you attempt any questions? Does this "trick" work for 'paragraph headings' exercises?

My simple answer is no*

I'm not a fan of "tricks" like skimming, scanning or reading first or last sentences of paragraphs. My approach is simple: read the question, underline words that you think you need to find, then read at normal speed until you find the relevant part of the passage. I have some different tips for paragraph matching questions, but my advice does not include reading the first sentence of each paragraph - that strategy is risky because it may lead you to the wrong answer.

*The only time that I would recommend reading the first sentence of each paragraph is if you're rushing to finish a 'paragraph headings' exercise in the last few minutes of your exam. It is sometimes possible to get the answer from the first sentence, so save this trick for an emergency (when time is running out).