IELTS Advice: the importance of focus

Here's a piece of advice that I gave in a blog lesson a few years ago. I forgot that I had written this, and I think it's worth repeating:

In my experience, people become good at what they focus on. Are you constantly reading things in English, thinking about English, watching English videos, and making notes of anything new that you learn? If English is your main focus each day, I'm sure you'll improve.

Comments

[Sahraa]

Great tips. They are very helpful. You are amazing. Our words can't express our true feeling towards your impressive work. Thank you so so so much.
God bless you.

[Asma]

He is the only person to have played football.

He is the only person who has played football.

To+have+participle?
What's the point of this structure and how does it work?

[Gaia]

@Asma
This idiom is very common after indefinite pronouns and adverbs (per British Council):

"I was all alone. I had no one to talk to.
There is hardly anything to do in most of these small towns.
You should take something to read.
I’ve got no decent shoes to wear."

After "only person" it seems less common than the "who..." version.

https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=only+person+who+had%2Conly+person+who+has%2Cshoes+to+wear%2Cperson+to+have+the+right%2Cgame+to+watch%2Cproblem+to+solve+.%2Cproblem+to+consider+.%2Conly+person+to+*%2Citems+to+consider+.%2Cpoints+to+consider+.%2Cpoints+to+be+considered+.%2C+problems+to+solve+.&year_start=1920&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Conly%20person%20who%20had%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Conly%20person%20who%20has%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cshoes%20to%20wear%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cperson%20to%20have%20the%20right%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cgame%20to%20watch%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cproblem%20to%20solve%20.%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cproblem%20to%20consider%20.%3B%2Cc0%3B.t2%3B%2Conly%20person%20to%20%2A%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bonly%20person%20to%20whom%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bonly%20person%20to%20have%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bonly%20person%20to%20be%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bonly%20person%20to%20see%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bonly%20person%20to%20make%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bonly%20person%20to%20know%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bonly%20person%20to%20do%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bonly%20person%20to%20take%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bonly%20person%20to%20receive%3B%2Cc0%3B%3Bonly%20person%20to%20suffer%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Citems%20to%20consider%20.%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cpoints%20to%20consider%20.%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cpoints%20to%20be%20considered%20.%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cproblems%20to%20solve%20.%3B%2Cc0

[Gaia]

@Asma

More examples where an alternative wording would be more cumbersome:

https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=coffee+to+go%2Cmoney+to+burn%2Ccosts+to+be+incurred%2Cletters+to+write%2Ccapital+to+invest%2Cmoney+to+invest%2Ctime+to+kill%2Craces+to+win%2Crecords+to+set%2Cplaces+to+visit%2Cjourneys+to+make%2Cpower+to+use&year_start=1960&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Ccoffee%20to%20go%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cmoney%20to%20burn%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Ccosts%20to%20be%20incurred%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cletters%20to%20write%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Ccapital%20to%20invest%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cmoney%20to%20invest%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Ctime%20to%20kill%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Craces%20to%20win%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Crecords%20to%20set%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cplaces%20to%20visit%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cjourneys%20to%20make%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cpower%20to%20use%3B%2Cc0

[Gaia]

@Asma

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

[Billy Shin]

This is so true Simon!

Thank you so much:-)

[Albert]

I think the hardest way is thinking in English. It could take a long time to speak and think without paying attention on grammar and words. But they are great tips!! Thanks a lot.

[PZ]

Useful tips

[taniai]

Hello Simon,

According to official IELTS guidelines:

Band 6 is about 23 out of 40
Band 7 is about 30
Band 8 is about 35

How about 6.5 in Listening and reading?
How many questions needed to be answered to get 6.5 in Listening and Reading?

[sjm]

Asma

This is a 'past infinitive' (also called the 'perfect infinitive'). In your examples, both of those sentences mean the same thing, because we can use both an infinitive (to have played) and a relative clause (who has played) to give more information about something.

[sjm]

Tanial

6.5 is halfway between the scores you mention, around 27, depending on how difficult the test is.

[Sahraa]

Thanks sjm.

[Asma]

Many thanks guys!! Gaia .. sjm