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Here are 2 tricky questions that often cause problems in the IELTS listening test:
1. The speaker says: "nearly everyone liked the conference".
Which answer is correct?
A) Everyone like the conference
B) Most people liked the conference
The correct answer is B, but many students put A because they hear the word "everyone".
2. The speaker says: "early afternoon".
If there is a gap-fill question, you must write "early afternoon". If you write "afternoon", your answer will be marked wrong.
Read the following passage.
The cinematograph is a motion picture film camera which also serves as a film projector and developer. It was invented in the 1890s, but there is much dispute as to the identity of its inventor.
Some argue that the device was first invented and patented as "Cinématographe Léon Bouly" by French inventor Léon Bouly on February 12, 1892. Bouly coined the term “cinematograph”, which translates in Greek to “writing in movement”. It is said that Bouly was not able to pay the rent for his patent the following year, and that the brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière bought the licence.
A more popular version of events is that Louis Lumière was the first to conceptualise the idea. The Lumière brothers shared the patent, and they made their first film, Sortie de l'usine Lumière de Lyon, in 1894.
Choose the best title for the whole passage from the list below.
A) How the cinematograph was invented
B) The first film projector
C) Who invented the cinematograph?
D) What is a cinematograph?
Students often ask me to explain why their scores have dropped. For example, one student got a band 7 in speaking last month, but his speaking score dropped to 6 this month. How is that possible?
You might think that the examiner has been too strict or has done something wrong, but this is probably not the case. The best explanation for fluctuating IELTS scores is performance on the day.
Some days you perform well: the topics in the exam seem to suit you, your brain seems to find good answers and remember good words or phrases, and you finish all parts of the test in the time allowed. Other days nothing seems to go right; you simply have a bad day.
Don't worry if your score fluctuates; this is completely normal. One day everything will go perfectly, and you'll get the scores you need!
Note: Your scores will also fluctuate if you keep changing the 'method' that you use.
A student wrote to me the other day to ask about an IELTS book that she had bought. The book contained tips that were completely different from the tips that I give. The student felt confused and wanted to know which tips were right.
I see this problem all the time. Students use different books and websites that contain different tips and methods. The resulting confusion hinders* students instead of helping them.
Here's my solution to this problem: stop using so many different books and websites! Choose one website, or one book, or one teacher, and follow one consistent method. If you read contradictory advice in a different book, ignore it - it's just a different method.
*to hinder = to stop someone or something from making progress
Remember to keep your part 1 answers short and 'to the point'. Here are my example answers for some questions about walking:
1. Do you like walking?
I'm not one for going on really long walks in the countryside, but I don't mind walking when I'm in a town or city, for example when I'm sightseeing in a new place.
2. Do you think walking is important?
Yes, I think it's important to be active, and walking is the most basic physical activity that we can do.
3. Do you think walking in the countryside is better than walking in the city?
Personally, no. As I said before, I like walking in the city, especially if it's somewhere with a lot of history like London or Paris.
4. What could be done to improve the experience of walking in cities?
I suppose the main issues are space and safety. Pavements need to be wide enough to accommodate lots of pedestrians, and we need safe places to cross the street.
I often write 'while' sentences in my task 2 introductions and conclusions (see yesterday's lesson for example). I also like using 'while' in writing task 1 to make comparisons.
In the following example sentences, notice the position of 'while' and where I put the comma that separates the items being compared.
1) 'while' at the beginning of the sentence:
While the number of people who travelled by train increased gradually, the number of bus passengers fell steadily.
2) 'while' in the middle of the sentence:
In 1970, around 5 million UK commuters travelled by car on a daily basis, while the bus and train were used by about 4 million and 2 million people respectively.
Here's one way to write a conclusion for the 'parenting courses' question that we've been looking at over the last few weeks:
Write a 'while' sentence that compares the theory with the reality.
For example, here's my conclusion:
In conclusion, while compulsory parenting lessons might seem like a good idea in theory, I believe that such a scheme would be completely unworkable in reality.
People often ask me whether compound nouns should be written as one word or two. For example, do we write seafood or sea food and clubhouse or club house?
Before reading the article that I shared in yesterday's lesson, I didn't have a good way to answer the question above. I didn't know that an easy rule existed.
Look again at the following three rules for compound nouns:
These rules tell us that seafood and clubhouse should be written as one word (rule 2). Can you find any more examples in the IELTS listening tests that you have done?
Read the following passage about compound words and hyphens.
A study of more than 10,000 compound words has found that four basic rules, regarding when to use a hyphen, will work 75 per cent of the time.
If the compound word is a verb (like to blow-dry), or an adjective (like world-famous), it probably needs a hyphen. For nouns with two syllables, like break-up and set-to, the rule is easy: use a hyphen only when the second word has two letters. If the second part of the word has more than two letters, it should be spelled as a single word, like coastline or bedroom. This explains why hotdog is not hyphenated. Finally, if the noun has three or more syllables, it is two separate words. Examples here include bathing suit and washing machine.
Christina Sanchez-Stockhammer, who is a linguistics professor at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, produced the simple set of rules after examining thousands of English words. She worked alongside a programmer and a statistician to find the patterns in the English language. She said: “A whole range of factors can have an influence on how compound words are typically spelled. But on a general level, it all boils down to a few simple guidelines.” She has published exceptions to the rules, and additional guidelines for hyphens, in a book called ‘English Compounds and their Spelling’.
(Adapted from www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech)
Answer each question below with just ONE word.
A student asked me for help with the following General IELTS Writing task 1 topic. Can you think of any ideas?
The following sentences come from conclusions that people shared below this lesson. Can you improve them by correcting mistakes or by choosing more natural phrasing?
Here are three tips, one for each part of the speaking test.
Part 1: stop and smile
For part 1 of the speaking test, you need to get used to giving short answers. Many students find it difficult to stop speaking, and the examiner is forced to interrupt. My tip is to give your answer then stop and smile, showing the examiner that you are ready for the next question.
Part 2: tell a story
In the context of speaking part 2, a story is simply a long example to illustrate a point that you have made. If you’re describing a person, for example, you could tell a story to illustrate why you like him/her. People find it easy to keep speaking for longer when they have a story to tell.
Part 3: include an ‘if...’ sentence
Look at technique number 2 in this lesson. The 'alternatives' technique helps you to say more, and it also encourages you to add a conditional 'if...' sentence, which might help your grammar score.
A good way to write the main body (paragraphs 3 and 4) in your task 1 answer is by developing the two ideas that you wrote in the overview (paragraph 2).
To show you what I mean, I've highlighted parts of the answer below.
..........
The diagrams illustrate some proposed changes to the central area of the town of Islip.
It is clear that the principal change to the town will be the construction of a ring road around the centre. Various other developments with regard to shops and housing will accompany the building of this road.
Looking at the map of Islip as it is now, we can see that a main road runs through its centre from east to west. The second map shows the planned pedestrianisation of this road. Traffic will be diverted on to a dual carriageway that will form a ring around the town centre.
Currently there is a row of shops along either side of the main road. However, it appears that the shops along the north side of the new pedestrian street will be demolished to make way for a bus station, shopping centre, car park and new housing area. The shops along the south side of the street will remain, but it seems that the town’s park will be reduced in size so that more new houses can be built within the ring road.
..........
Can you see what I've done? The first sentence of the overview (green) is developed in paragraph 3, and the second sentence of the overview (blue) is described in more detail in paragraph 4.
Tip: Try reading all of the 'green' sentences together, then read the 'blue' sentences separately. This should help you to see how the overview and main paragraphs are connected.
Let's turn our attention back to the question below.
Caring for children is probably the most important job in any society. Because of this, all mothers and fathers should be required to take a course that prepares them to be good parents. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this view?
Here's a possible introduction for a 'completely disagree' essay:
It is true that parents shoulder a huge responsibility and that raising children is by no means an easy task. However, I completely disagree with the idea that we should therefore force all mothers and fathers to attend parenting courses.
How to write a conclusion:
The easiest way to write a conclusion is to paraphrase the introduction that you have already written. Start with "In conclusion", and write one sentence that summarises your answer. Can you rewrite my introduction as a one-sentence conclusion?
I often talk about finding keywords in the reading test. It's the same in the listening test: first read the question, then listen for words with a similar meaning. As an example, try answering the following 2 questions by reading the transcript below them. Which 'keywords' gave you the answers?
1. The course takes place on
A) Monday, Wednesday and Friday
B) Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
C) Monday, Thursday and Friday
2. Which argument was used against having a drama theatre?
A) It would be expensive and no students would use it
B) It would be a poor use of resources and only a minority would use it
C) It could not accommodate large productions of plays
Transcript from listening test:
The course is on three consecutive mornings starting on a Monday.
A largish minority were strongly against the drama theatre, claiming that it is elitist and a waste of funds.
(Cambridge IELTS 4, test 3)
Choose the best heading for the following paragraph from the list below.
“Big data” is a term being used more and more by politicians. It refers to the concept that any problem – from underperforming pupils to failing hospitals – can be solved by collecting some tightly focused data, crunching it and making tweaks, such as moving pupils or changing nurses’ shifts, rather than dealing with bigger issues, such as poverty or spending cuts. This is an approach that focuses narrowly on “what works” without ever troubling to ask: “works for whom?” Its watchword is “smart”, which can easily be appreciated, rather than “right”, which can’t. Putting trust in highly educated technocrats, it is naturally less interested in public debate.
A) How data can be used to improve society.
B) Big data: a smart approach to politics that works for everyone.
C) A sceptical perspective on “big data”.
D) Why the public trusts technocrats more than politicians.
Yesterday I wrote about 'methods' in the context of IELTS preparation and language learning. As a teacher and learner, I'm fascinated by the topic of how we learn, the methods that we use, and the path to mastery in any domain.
So, I'd like to ask you about this topic. What do you feel that you've mastered, or what are you trying to master? What methods did you use, or are you using? Have you ever known or met someone who is a true master of something (perhaps at world-class level)? How did they achieve this?
Note: You don't need to master the English language in order to pass the IELTS test, so don't worry if 'mastery of English' is not your objective.
PS. Ignore this lesson if it doesn't interest you. We'll return to normal IELTS practice tomorrow!
People often argue that "there's no best method" with regard to learning a language, or perhaps with regard to IELTS preparation.
While I agree with the "no best method" idea to a large extent, I believe that we should add to this statement:
"There's no best method, but you still need to choose a method."
And perhaps we could add a bit more:
It's difficult to think about grammar when you're trying to speak. I think it's much easier to improve your vocabulary score than your grammar score.
Remember:
I've taught many students who have achieved a score of 7 or higher, and they all made small grammar mistakes. They got their high scores because we focused on vocabulary, ideas, opinions and fluency.
Have a look through my speaking lessons, and you'll notice that the focus is usually on vocabulary.
I think it's worth taking some time to analyse the 'map' answer that I wrote for last Thursday's lesson.
Look carefully at my answer and answer the following questions?
I received a useful question from another IELTS teacher this week. Here's a summary of what the teacher asked me:
The IELTS-Simon approach to writing task 2 is very prescriptive (strict and always the same): always 4 paragraphs, 13 sentences etc. But what do you think about giving students a more flexible approach to IELTS writing task 2? For example, might it sometimes be better to write 5 paragraphs instead of 4?
Here's a summary of my response:
The more you try to teach your students to be flexible, the more you risk confusing them and making them less decisive and efficient when they find themselves under pressure on test day. I've found that students perform better if they know exactly what to do every time they write an essay. The prescriptive approach seems to work better than a flexible approach.
Here's another interesting video from ted.com. I haven't made an exercise to accompany it, but there are several things that you could do yourself:
Read the following passage about the language known as 'Old English'.
Old English, or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest historical form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers probably in the mid-5th century, and the first Old English literary works date from the mid-7th century.
After the Norman conquest of 1066, English was replaced, for a time, as the language of the upper classes by Anglo-Norman, a relative of French. This is regarded as marking the end of the Old English era, as during this period the English language was heavily influenced by Anglo-Norman, developing into a phase known now as Middle English.
Like other old Germanic languages, Old English is very different from Modern English and difficult for Modern English speakers to understand without study. Old English grammar is quite similar to that of modern German: nouns, adjectives, pronouns and verbs have many inflectional endings and forms, and word order is much freer.
Choose the best answer, A, B or C, for the two questions below.
1. What happened in the 7th century?
A) The English language was first established in Britain.
B) The first oral stories in Old English were told.
C) The earliest examples of creative writing in Old English come from that time.
2. Old English is…
A) related to the French language.
B) more easily understood by German speakers than English speakers.
C) largely indecipherable to English speakers nowadays.
Here are some good phrases from the answers in Friday's speaking lesson:
Note:
The phrase 'in the red' means overdrawn (i.e. your bank account is showing negative numbers). Do you know what the opposite of 'in the red' is? Click here to find out.
In Thursday's lesson I wrote this: "Traffic will be diverted on to a dual carriageway".
But why didn't I write 'onto' as one word? Do you know when to write the single word 'onto' and when to write 'on to' as two separate words?
Here's the answer:
Here are my (band 9) sample answers to the 'money' questions that I shared a few weeks ago.
1. Why is it important for people to save some of their money?
In the long term I think it's important to save for retirement, but it's also a good idea to have a certain amount of money saved so that you can deal with unexpected problems in the less distant future. For example, I've learnt to put some money aside for car repairs, and this came in useful recently when I needed to have my car's brake pads changed. If I hadn't had savings, the cost of getting my car repaired could have sent me into the red.
2. In your view, should children be taught how to manage money?
Not at school, no. I believe it's the job of parents to gradually teach children that kind of thing, or perhaps there's no need for anyone to teach children about money because they learn about it naturally as they grow up. For example, I remember being given money to buy sweets or an ice cream when I was a child, and I soon learnt what I could afford and what I couldn't.
3. Do you think that girls are better at saving money than boys?
I've never thought about that before. I don't see any reason why girls would be better savers than boys or vice versa. I suppose it depends more on the personality of each individual and what their interests are. For example, a child who likes cheap toys might not think about saving, whereas a child who wants to buy something expensive, like a bike or a games console, might summon the willpower to save up!
Today I'm sharing my full answer to the task below.
The maps below show the centre of a small town called Islip as it is now, and plans for its development.
The diagrams illustrate some proposed changes to the central area of the town of Islip.
It is clear that the principal change to the town will be the construction of a ring road around the centre. Various other developments with regard to shops and housing will accompany the building of this road.
Looking at the map of Islip as it is now, we can see that a main road runs through its centre from east to west. The second map shows the planned pedestrianisation of this road. Traffic will be diverted on to a dual carriageway that will form a ring around the town centre.
Currently there is a row of shops along either side of the main road. However, it appears that the shops along the north side of the new pedestrian street will be demolished to make way for a bus station, shopping centre, car park and new housing area. The shops along the south side of the street will remain, but it seems that the town’s park will be reduced in size so that more new houses can be built within the ring road.
(187 words, band 9)
This is one of the most common questions that students ask me:
For "agree or disagree" questions, do I have to discuss both sides,
or should I just support one side of the argument?
The answer is: it's your decision. If you completely agree (or completely disagree), you don't need to mention the opposite view - just support your side of the argument. If you partly agree, you should write something about both sides.
Listen to the following tips about how to write a cover letter when applying for a job. Fill the gaps in the summary using no more than THREE words.
Tip 1
Address the cover letter to a ______ person, generally the person in charge of the department you’re applying to or the ______ in charge of the interview.
Tip 2
Avoid simply repeating the information in your résumé. Instead, use your cover letter to introduce and highlight your ______, curiosity, and your ______ in the field you’re applying to work in.
Tip 3
Keep it short, simple and ______, definitely no more than one page, and probably closer to half a page; three paragraphs should do the trick. Resist the ______ to ramble on, and instead ______ right into the interesting parts.
Let's review the keywords from the last four reading exercises here on the blog.
Remember: Most questions paraphrase a specific part of the passage. If you can find the paraphrasing, you've found the answer!
Note: I'm re-posting this lesson because people keep asking me about 'difficult' words.
Here's a useful question from a student who asked about "difficult" words and how to learn new vocabulary:
Hi Simon. Reading your blog and studying your ebook, I’ve noticed your English is perfect, but you don’t use difficult words. Also, regarding the process of learning new words, some teachers say that we should write them on cards and write the adjective, noun, verb associated with the new word. Do you think this is a good idea?
Here's my answer:
I don't believe in the idea of a "difficult word" - any individual word can be learnt easily. What is difficult is using words together in phrases. So, I tell my students not to write down individual words, but to investigate how words work in real contexts. Instead of writing single words on cards, I'd write phrases or even sentences in a notebook. It's definitely a good idea to look for associated nouns, verbs and adjectives, but always try to find examples of how those words are used (just search for them on the Internet). Remember: it's easy to understand a word, but it's not so easy to use it in a range of full sentence contexts.