IELTS Simon

IELTS Advice: start off slowly

When learning something new, it's always best to start off slowly. If you want to master a skill, you need to learn the necessary techniques and practise them slowly before you can gradually build up speed.

This was the idea behind yesterday's lesson. Start by practising 10-minute plans for speaking part 2, and gradually reduce your planning time. If you practise enough, you'll become much better at thinking of ideas for this part of the speaking test, and you'll be able to use your minute more effectively on the day of your test.

Tip: think about other parts of the IELTS test that you could practise slowly.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 10-minute plan

Yesterday I suggested that you try giving yourself more time to plan your part 2 answers. I tried giving myself 10 minutes to prepare ideas for the task below.

Describe a plant, flower or tree that is famous or important in your country.
You should say

- what type of plant, flower or tree it is
- where it grows or is usually seen
- how it is used in your country
- and why it is famous or important

Here's my 10-minute plan:

• Oak tree, specifically the Major Oak in Sherwood Forest, a famous tree, tourist attraction, perhaps 1000 years old, huge trunk and branches.
• Oaks grow all over the country, in parks etc., a common tree in England. Major Oak in Sherwood forest near Nottingham, unusual to see one so large, wide and thick.
• Oak furniture, building beams, strong, reliable wood e.g. I have an oak table and wardrobe at home. Major Oak is a tourist attraction, people visit to marvel at it e.g. I went there on a school trip as a child.
• Oaks symbolise history, strength, solidity, reliability, often used in building names e.g. Oak House. Major Oak was supposedly Robin Hood’s hideout, one of the biggest of this type of tree, old, historic, mythical status, legendary, Britain’s favourite tree, important to the local tourism industry.

Notice that I took ideas from this reading task. I'll use the plan above when I give my full sample answer in next Friday's lesson.

Back to normal

Thanks to those of you who sent me Christmas wishes! I'm back to normal now, after a nice week off, and you can see today's speaking lesson below.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: planning time

In part 2 of the speaking test you are given 1 minute to plan some ideas before you start speaking. Most people find it difficult to prepare good ideas in such a short time.

But what would happen if you had 5 minutes or even 10 minutes to plan your ideas? Would the extra planning time help you to prepare a much better answer? I think it should.

When practising at home, it's useful to experiment with the amount of planning time that you give yourself. For example, I'm going to give myself 10 minutes to plan ideas for the describe a plant task. I'll show you my plan in tomorrow's lesson.

One week off for Christmas

I'm going to take a week off for Christmas, which means that I won't be able to update the blog or answer emails until next Friday, 29th December. I'll continue with the blog as normal from then.

My ebook and video course are available as normal this week, and I will still send my weekly teacher training newsletter.

Happy Christmas!

IELTS Writing Task 1: the most important skill

Probably the most important skill for writing task 1 is being able to describe numbers correctly. IELTS candidates make a lot of basic mistakes in this area.

Take the simple table below for example. It shows the percentages of people who used two different forms of communication in the year 2012.

Can you write one correct sentence to describe the numbers in the table? Here is the big mistake that examiners see all the time:

In 2012, text message was 95%, while email was only 52%. (don't write this)

Can you see what the problem is here? Try translating the sentence into your language exactly as it is. Does it make sense?

IELTS Writing Task 2: introduction and conclusion

Here's an introduction and conclusion for the young population question that we've been looking at. Can you find the examples of paraphrasing that I've used?

Question
At the present time, the population of some countries includes a relatively large number of young adults, compared with the number of older people. Do the advantages of this situation outweigh the disadvantages?

Introduction
It is true that younger adults make up a significant proportion of the population of some nations. While there are certain drawbacks for countries with this kind of population structure, I believe that the individual, social and economic benefits far outweigh these drawbacks.

Conclusion
In conclusion, it seems to me that it is advantageous in a variety of ways for countries to have more young adults than elderly people.

IELTS Listening: keywords in multiple choice

Look at the following question from Cambridge IELTS 9, page 85:

The exact proportion of land devoted to private gardens was confirmed by

A) consulting some official documents
B) taking large-scale photos
C) discussions with town surveyors

Here's what the speaker says:

The first thing we did was to establish what proportion of the urban land is taken up by private gardens. We estimated that it was about one fifth, and this was endorsed by looking at large-scale usage maps in the town land survey office.

Here are the keywords that help you to get the correct answer (A):

proportion of land devoted to = proportion of land taken up by
confirmed by = endorsed by
consulting = looking at
official documents = maps in the town land survey office

Note:
Did you notice that answers B and C contain some keywords to trick you?

IELTS Reading: gap-fill with words from the box

Read the following passage and complete the exercise below it.

The Major Oak is a large English oak tree in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire. According to local folklore, Robin Hood and his Merry Men used the Major Oak as their hideout. The size of the tree and its mythical status have led it to become a popular tourist attraction.

The Major Oak weighs an estimated 23 tons, has a girth of 10 metres, a canopy of 28 metres, and is about 800 to 1000 years old. In a 2002 survey, it was voted ‘Britain's favourite tree’, and in 2014 it was voted ‘England's Tree of the Year' in a public poll by the Woodland Trust.

(Major Oak. Click on image to enlarge)

There are several theories concerning why the Major Oak became so huge and oddly shaped. One theory is that the Major Oak may be several trees that fused together as saplings. An alternative explanation is that the tree may have been pollarded. Pollarding is a pruning system that can cause a tree’s trunk and branches to grow large and thick. Due to their size and weight, the tree’s massive limbs require the partial support of an elaborate system of scaffolding, which was first put in place during the Victorian era.

Interestingly, in 2002, someone attempted to illegally sell acorns from the Major Oak on an internet-based auction website.

Fill the gaps using words from the box.

1. Legend has it that the Major Oak was Robin Hood’s ______.
2. The ______ of the tree’s trunk is 10 metres.
3. The tree may actually be more than one tree that ______ together.
4. Some of the tree’s ______ have to be held up by props.
5. Acorns from the oak were once _____ for auction on the Internet.

IELTS Advice: more about 'model sentences'

In the comments below Thursday's lesson, I noticed a useful question from nav, and a very thoughtful response from Kati. It's great to see people discussing things and helping each other in the comments below my lessons!

To add to Kati's response, I'd like to say a little more about using 'model sentences'. First, I'll quickly repeat two useful points from Kati's comment:

1. As Kati points out, the 'model sentences' exercise is probably more suited to writing task 1. This is because task 1 is quite predictable: we know that we'll have to describe trends, compare numbers or describe steps, so we can practise specific types of sentence for these purposes (e.g. 'while' sentences, 'respectively' sentences etc.).
2. There are some sentence types that I repeatedly use in writing task 2 (e.g. a 'while' sentence in the introduction). See Kati's comment for links to lessons about these sentence types.

Now here's the final tip that I wanted to add:

Try not to confuse 'model' sentences with 'template' sentences. Examiners don't like essays that are full of memorised template language (read this warning).

On the other hand, any correct sentence can be used as a model. For example, we could take the first sentence of today's lesson ("In the comments below Thursday's lesson, I noticed a useful question.") and invent a new sentence that follows a similar structure or pattern (e.g. On the way home from yesterday's lecture, I read an interesting article in the paper.).

I think you could turn this into a great daily exercise. But the aim would be to improve your English, not to collect template sentences for IELTS.

IELTS Grammar: mistakes using model sentences

On Thursday I suggested that you write some sentences using two of my own sentences as models. Here are the model sentences:

1. More waste goes to landfill sites than to any other refuse management facility.
2. Austria and Belgium are the most environmentally friendly of the fifteen countries, recycling around 60% and 50% of their waste respectively.

And here are some sentences that people wrote in the 'comments' area below the lesson. Can you find and correct the mistakes?

1. More expenditure spends on cars than to any other consumer goods.
2. More women go to science degrees than any other university courses.
3. America and China are the most exported countries of all, exporting almost 2300 billion and 1600 billion respectively.
4. America and Canada are the most culturally friendly of the fifteen countries, with welcoming 50% and 60% of foreigners respectively.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: plant, flower or tree

Here are two tasks that are similar to a recent exam question:

1) Describe a plant, flower or tree that is famous or important in your country.
You should say

- what type of plant, flower or tree it is
- where it grows or is usually seen
- how it is used in your country
- and why it is famous or important

2) Describe a plant, flower or tree that you like.
You should say

- what type of plant, flower or tree it is
- where it grows or is usually seen
- when you first saw it
- and why you like it

The two tasks are almost the same, so let's choose the same plant, flower or tree for both. Which one would you choose to describe? You'll see my choice next week.

IELTS Writing Task 1: using model sentences

Here's a nice exercise that you could try: Take a good sentence from one of my lessons, and rewrite it using the exact same structure but different information. Here are two examples:
...

1) More waste goes to landfill sites than to any other refuse management facility.

Now I'm going to use the same structure, but invent some new information:

More British people go on holiday to Spain than to any other country.
...

2) Austria and Belgium are the most environmentally friendly of the fifteen countries, recycling around 60% and 50% of their waste respectively.

Again, I'll invent my own sentence using the same structure:

Apple and Google are the most successful of the five tech companies, recording profits of $45 billion and $20 billion respectively.
...

Task:
Can you create your own invented sentences using the two models above, or by choosing a different model sentence from one of my lessons?

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'young population' essay plan

At the present time, the population of some countries includes a relatively large number of young adults, compared with the number of older people. Do the advantages of this situation outweigh the disadvantages?

Using the ideas that people shared below last week's lesson, here's a simple essay plan:

1. Introduction: Introduce the topic, then say that there are more advantages than disadvantages.
2. Paragraph about disadvantages: competition for jobs, oversupply of labour, possible increase in unemployment, pressure on housing and public services, social problems e.g. crime.
3. Paragraph about advantages: young, vibrant workforce, new ideas, creativity, adopting new technologies, increased productivity, boost to economy, more money from taxes.
4. Conclusion: repeat / summarise.

I'll use these ideas to start writing the essay next Wednesday.

IELTS Reading: true/false or yes/no?

Is there a difference between "true, false, not given" questions and "yes, no, not given" questions?

Yes, there is a small difference. When the questions are about facts in the passage, you'll be asked to decide whether the information is "true, false or not given". When the passage is about opinions rather than facts, you will be asked whether each statement agrees with the views given by the writer, and you'll have to answer "yes, no or not given".

Note: In terms of exam technique, this small difference doesn't really matter.
I approach both question types in the same way. I look for keywords, and decide whether the information in the question is correct, incorrect or not given.

There's a useful video lesson about these two types of question on my video course website.

IELTS Advice: what have you learnt?

When I teach lessons here in Manchester, I always ask my students one question at the end of the day: What have you learnt? I ask the students to tell me the one key thing that they will remember the next day.

So, can I ask you the same question? If you have been following the lessons on this blog, what is the most useful thing that you have learnt?

IELTS Advice: you are not being compared with others

Some students have the mistaken idea that examiners compare candidates, and that you'll therefore get a lower score if you use words or phrases that "too many other candidates use".

This is not true!

Examiners are trained to mark candidates according to a defined set of criteria. For example, look at these phrases from the band descriptors for band 7 in writing task 2:

- addresses all parts of the task
- presents a clear position throughout the response
- logically organises information and ideas
- there is clear progression
- uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility

You won't find phrases like this in the band descriptors:

- too many candidates use ..... in their essays
- reduce the score if the word ..... is used

Remember: the only comparison that examiners make is between your answer and the band descriptors.

IELTS Writing Task 1: 'waste chart' answer

Today I'm sharing my full sample answer for the task below.

The chart below compares levels of recycling, as well as some less environmentally friendly forms of waste management, in fifteen European countries.

mm
The bar chart shows the percentage of waste that is recycled, put into landfill or incinerated in various EU countries.

If we look at the fifteen EU countries as a whole, it is clear that more waste goes to landfill sites than to any other refuse management facility. In fact, while around half of the countries put the majority of their waste into landfill sites, only two countries recycle at least 50% of the waste that they produce.

Austria and Belgium are the most environmentally friendly of the fifteen countries, recycling around 60% and 50% of their waste respectively. Germany, Sweden and Belgium also appear to have effective recycling programmes, resulting in roughly 40% of waste being processed in this way in each country.

Other EU countries recycle far less. Greece, Ireland and the UK, for example, only recycle around 10% of refuse, and put between 80 and 90 per cent of their waste into landfill. Finally, while most non-recycled waste in the EU area goes to landfill, four countries, namely Luxembourg, Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark, incinerate more waste than they bury.

(184 words, band 9)

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'young population' topic

Let's start work on the question below.

At the present time, the population of some countries includes a relatively large number of young adults, compared with the number of older people. Do the advantages of this situation outweigh the disadvantages?

(Source: Cambridge IELTS 12)

Here's how I would approach this type of question:

1. Planning: Brainstorm advantages and disadvantages of a young population.
2. My view: Looking at the plan, it should be clear whether I have more (or stronger) advantages or disadvantages. Make a decision about what my view is.
3. Introduction: Write 2 sentences - introduce the topic and my view.
4. Paragraph 2: Present the weaker side of the argument.
5. Paragraph 3: Present the stronger side (i.e. the side that 'outweighs' the other view).
6. Conclusion: Repeat and summarise my view.

Can you help me to plan some ideas? What are the advantages and disadvantages for countries with a large proportion of young adults?

IELTS Listening: do you have a daily listening habit?

Of course, the advice that I gave in yesterday's reading lesson also applies to listening. If your only listening practice comes in the form of IELTS listening tests, or other listening exercises from English language courses, I don't think you'll progress as quickly as you could.

Your brain needs to hear a lot of English before it can comfortably process what native speakers are saying. This is why I felt like a beginner when I went to France, even though I had studied French at school for seven years.

Just imagine how many hours of listening practice you've had in your own language over the years!

If you're serious about learning English, creating a daily listening habit could be the most important thing that you do.

IELTS Reading Advice: read 'real' things!

It's frustrating to see students who rely on textbooks to teach them everything about the English language. Why read an article in an 'upper intermediate' textbook (that was probably written 10 years ago) when you could be reading 'real' articles in newspapers or on the Internet?

Read articles because you find them interesting, not because they have been written to demonstrate a particular grammar point.

A suggestion: if you've read anything interesting recently, put a link to it (and maybe a quick summary if you have time) in the comments area below this lesson.

IELTS Grammar: imagining something that doesn't exist

An interesting aspect of the speaking part 2 question that I answered on Friday was that I had to imagine a sports centre that doesn't currently exist.

Look at the phrases that I used when imagining:

• The place of entertainment that I wish we had
• My ideal sports centre would have...
• I can think of the perfect place for this
• It would be easy for people to get to
• I think a sports centre would be much better
• There could be sports lessons
• I’m sure many adults would join the gym
• The centre could hold sports events
• A sports complex would give young people...
• A sports centre would brighten up my local area

Notice that I mostly used 'would' and 'could' to imagine things. Try preparing an 'imagining' description yourself, and make sure you use these words.

IELTS Vocabulary: good phrases

Did you note down the following phrases from yesterday's description?

• indoor and outdoor football pitches
• an all-purpose area
• a disused piece of land
• just down the road from where I live
• an old warehouse was knocked down
• a plot of land
• local residents
• team practice sessions
• join the gym
• use the pool
• book the courts for games of tennis
• hold sports events
• attract spectators as well as participants
• facilities, activities, lessons and clubs
• something fun and productive to do
• brighten up my local area
• improve our quality of life

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'sports centre' answer

Reading the comments below last week's lesson, I can see that almost everyone chose to describe a sports centre. So here's my sample 'sports centre' description:

• The place of entertainment that I wish we had close to where I live is a sports centre. My ideal sports centre would have a gym, swimming pool, indoor and outdoor football pitches, courts for tennis, badminton and squash, and an all-purpose area for things like gymnastics and circuit training.
• I can think of the perfect place for this facility: There’s a disused piece of land just down the road from where I live, where an old warehouse was knocked down. It’s near to the main road and the train station, so it would be easy for people to get to. There are plans to build houses on this plot of land, but I think a sports centre would be much better for local residents.
• The good thing about a sports centre is that everyone can use it. There could be sports lessons and clubs for children and teenagers - things like swimming lessons and football team practice sessions. I’m sure many adults in my local area would join the gym, use the pool, and book the courts for games of tennis or badminton. The centre could even hold sports events, such as competitions, that would attract spectators as well as participants.
• I think we need a good sports centre where I live because people currently have to travel to the next town if they want to find some of the facilities, activities, lessons and clubs that I’ve mentioned. I think a sports complex would give young people, in particular, something fun and productive to do in the evening and at weekends. Playing sport keeps people healthy and makes them feel happy, so I think a sports centre would brighten up my local area and improve our quality of life.