ielts-simon.com

IELTS Grammar: correct the mistakes

Find and correct the mistake in each of the sentences below:

1. Technology allowed the growing of factories.
2. Parents should be more conscious on their children’s online activities.
3. The Internet allows people from all over the world to involve in discussions about current events.

I'll put my answers in the "comments" area tomorrow.

IELTS Advice: 'difficult' words

I received a useful question from a student yesterday:

Hi Simon, when you talk about Band 7+ vocabulary, you always talk about two or three words (a phrase basically). But I am trying to learn few "heavy" words like cardinal, multitudinous, prodigious, prestidigitation, peregrination etc. Can you please tell us what is more important for IELTS: "heavy words" or good phrases?

My answer to this question is simple: good phrases are much more important. The words listed by the student above would seem forced and unnatural, whereas good phrases show your ability to use words together like a native speaker would.

Look again at yesterday's lesson. I didn't use strange, big or difficult words; I used phrases and collocations. Click here to read more about this.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: artist or entertainer

The following question is a variation on the "describe a person" topic.

Describe an artist or entertainer you admire
You should say

• who they are and what they do
• how they became successful
• how you found out about them
• and why you admire them

I've tried to write a general example description that might help you with some ideas. In your description you must give the name of the person.

• I’m going to talk about a musician that I admire, called... He’s a singer who also plays the guitar and writes his own songs. I think he recorded his first album about 10 years ago, and he’s released several other CDs since then.
• He became successful after many years of writing songs and performing live in small venues all over the country. Gradually he built a following of people who liked his music. I think the key to his success was one of his songs that was used on a TV advertisement. This meant that more people became aware of his music.
• I found out about... because one of my friends got tickets to see him in concert. I hadn’t heard any of his music before, but I went along to the gig and really enjoyed it. After that I bought the first CD, and now I’ve got all of them.
• The reason I admire... is that he has worked hard for his success: it takes years of practice to become a good singer and guitarist, and he spent several years playing to very small audiences before he became successful. I also like the fact that he writes his own music. I admire people who have worked hard to get where they are.

Note: I've underlined the best vocabulary. 'Gig' is an informal word for concert or performance, but it's fine to use it in this context.

IELTS Writing Task 1: selecting details

Last week's lesson was about selecting the main points. After that you need to describe specific details.

The bar chart we saw last week contains a lot of information, so you will not be able to include everything.

Make sure that you write something about each country.  Select the most relevant point for each country, and don't forget to mention some figures. I've written an example sentence about each country below.

United States
The United States had the highest number of prisoners in four out of the six years shown on the chart, and in 1980 the figure for this country peaked at nearly 140,000 prisoners.

Canada
Canada had the highest figures for imprisonment in 1930 and 1950, with about 120,000 prisoners in both years.

New Zealand and Australia
The figures for New Zealand an Australia fluctuated between 40,000 and 100,000 prisoners, although New Zealand's prison population tended to be the higher of the two.

Great Britain
In contrast to the figures for the other countries, the number of prisoners in Great Britain rose steadily between 1930 and 1980, reaching a peak of about 80,000 at the end of the period.

IELTS Writing Task 2: globalisation of culture

This was a recent exam question:

Differences between countries become less evident each year. Nowadays, all over the world people share the same fashions, advertising, brands, eating habits and TV channels.
Do the disadvantages of this trend outweigh the advantages?

Here's my outline for a 4-paragraph essay:

Introduction
It is true that many aspects of culture are becoming increasingly similar throughout the world. Although this trend has some benefits, I would argue that there are more drawbacks.

First sentence of paragraph 2
On the one hand, the globalisation of fashion, brands, eating habits and other areas of culture has some benefits. (Explain the benefits)

First sentence of paragraph 3
On the other hand, I believe that the disadvantages of cultural globalisation are even more significant. (Explain the disadvantages)

Conclusion
In conclusion, it seems to me that the drawbacks of globalisation, in terms of cultural habits such as the clothes we wear or the foods we eat, do outweigh the benefits.

IELTS Advice: planning

Here's what I thought when I read the research mentioned yesterday:

• The research is most relevant to the IELTS writing test, especially task 2.
• Students who rush to start writing often get into trouble: their essays lack organisation, and they often forget to answer all parts of the question.
• Students who take some time to plan their essays often get higher scores. Their essays contain more relevant ideas and better vocabulary.

So, try to be more like the professors and PhD students: spend some time thinking and making notes before you start writing. Planning is the key to better writing.

IELTS Advice: experts spend longer planning

The other day I read about some interesting research which compared physics professors and PhD students (experts) with physics undergraduates (not experts). The professors, PhD students and undergraduates were all given the same physics test.

Here's a summary of the research findings:

"Professors and PhDs were slower than undergraduates to begin to solve the problems. The experts paused before they put pencil to paper. They spent a few minutes assessing the structure of the problem and figuring out the best physics principle to use. The undergraduates, on the other hand, jumped right into problem solving, which often got them in trouble."
(Click here to see the book this comes from)

Do you think IELTS candidates can learn anything from this?

IELTS Writing Task 1: how to select main points

After a short introduction, I always try to write a paragraph which summarises the main points. When there is a lot of information (like in the bar chart below), it can be difficult to select the main points.

The table below shows the figures for imprisonment in five countries between 1930 and 1980. (The y axis shows numbers of prisoners in thousands)

(Cambridge IELTS 2)

Usually I look for a change from the beginning to the end of the period. However, there is no overall trend because the figures fluctuate. So, I'll talk about the highest and lowest figures instead.

Here is my summary of the main points:

While the figures for imprisonment fluctuated over the period shown, it is clear that the United States had the highest number of prisoners overall. Great Britain, on the other hand, had the lowest number of prisoners for the majority of the period.

IELTS Writing Task 2: recent question

This was the IELTS writing task 2 question two weeks ago in the UK:

It is right that university graduates should earn more money than less well educated people, but they should pay the full cost of their education.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

My students and I planned a 4-paragraph essay:

1) Introduction: introduce the topic and respond to both parts of the question. We decided to agree that graduates deserve good salaries, but we disagree with the idea that they should pay the full cost of their degree courses.

2) Paragraph explaining why graduates should earn good salaries: they have invested time and effort into gaining their qualifications; they have knowledge, skills and training required for important jobs; they are an asset to society.

3) Paragraph explaining why graduates should not have to pay the full cost of education: this will be too expensive and will deter many young people from going to university; students will have huge debts; graduates contribute by paying taxes when they work.

4) Conclusion: repeat the two main ideas.

IELTS Listening: gap-fill

Listen to the recording and fill the gaps in the summary below.

Click here to listen

How to listen to people effectively

We can use the word listen to remind ourselves of the key skills of ______ listening.

‘L’ stands for ‘look’. Look at the person as they are speaking to you, and ______ them with good eye contact. ‘I’ stands for ‘inquire’. Use open, ______ questions to show interest in the person and what they are saying. ‘S’ reminds you to ‘______’ your understanding of what the other person is saying.

T’ means ‘take notes’, and ‘E’ means ‘encourage’: smile, ______ and use ______ to encourage them to say more. ‘N’ means ‘neutralise your feelings’: stay ______, avoid ______, and think about the content that the person is trying to ______ ______ to you.

IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following text, and decide whether the statements below are true, false or not given.

Iceland has a high concentration of active volcanoes due to unique geological conditions. The island has about 130 volcanic mountains, of which 18 have erupted since the settlement of Iceland, circa 900 CE. Over the past 500 years, Iceland's volcanoes have erupted a third of the total global lava output.

Geologists explain this high concentration of volcanic activity as being due to a combination of the island's position on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and a volcanic hotspot underneath the island. The island sits astride the boundary between the Eurasian and North American Plates, and most volcanic activity is concentrated along the plate boundary, which runs across the island from the south-west to the north-east of the island. Some volcanic activity occurs offshore, especially off the southern coast. This includes wholly submerged submarine volcanoes and even newly formed volcanic islands such as Surtsey and Jólnir.

The most recent volcanic eruption in Iceland was that of Eyjafjallajökull, which started on April 14, 2010. The Eyjafjallajökull eruption closely followed an eruption in Fimmvörðuháls, which had erupted on March 20.

1. People first settled in Iceland at the beginning of the 10th century.
2. The island is situated at the point where two of the earth's plates meet.
3. Volcanic activity also takes place in the ocean near Iceland.

IELTS Advice: the 'secret'

I talk to my students quite a lot about the idea that there is no "secret" to language learning. If there is a secret, it's that you need to work hard, practise and try to enjoy the process.

I often compare learning a language to learning the piano. Nobody would expect to find a "secret" method to take them from intermediate to advanced on the piano - why do we expect learning a language to be different?

IELTS Advice: describe your favourite...

More advice about describing your favourite book, film or piece of music:

1. You can talk about any type of book (textbook, biography etc.). You only need to describe a story if the question asks you to describe a 'novel'.
2. Many books are also films. It would be a good idea to prepare one description that you can use for both.
3. Amazon.com is great for reviews of books, films and music. Just search for a title, then go down the page to find the reviews.
4. "Steal" the best vocabulary from the reviews that you find.
5. Use Google. I searched for "my favourite film is" on Google and found this 'My Favourite Films' website. It's full of good ideas.
6. Try this Google search: "my favourite piece of music is"
7. You can describe a book, film or piece of music from your country.
8. You can invent a story if necessary, but it's easier to tell the truth.
9. If you don't like books, pretend that your favourite film is a book (and vice versa).
10. Remember to include adjectives to describe your feelings/opinions. Tell the story of when you first read the book, saw the film or listened to the song, who recommended it, why you like it etc.

NB. 'Piece of music' just means a song.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: describe a film

A student asked me this question:

"If the question asks me to describe a film, can I ask for a different question because I don't like films and I never watch them?"

Here's my answer:

If the part 2 question is about something you don't like, you should try your best. The examiner is not allowed to change the task card.

You probably have family, children or friends who watch films. You could say: "I don't really like watching films, but my children love watching ....." Then describe the film that your children like, say why they like it, and explain why you think it's a nice film for children.

Choose a film now so that you are ready for this question. Search for a review of the film on Amazon. Write down the ideas you find, and practise with a friend.

IELTS Writing Task 1: describing details

Last week I wrote a lesson about summarising the information on a graph. After your summary, you then need to describe specific details. It's important to include numbers and make some comparisons.

Try to write 2 paragraphs describing details. It looks more organised if you divide the information into 2 parts.

For line graphs, I always use the following approach:

1st detail paragraph: compare the numbers for the first year (e.g. 1951), then describe the changes up to a key point on the graph (e.g. peak numbers in 1971).

2nd detail paragraph: explain the general trend for each line after the key point (1971), then compare the numbers for the last year shown (2009).

IELTS Writing Task 2: the '2 part' question

The following question confuses many students because it doesn't seem to be one of the 3 normal types (opinion, discussion, problem/solution).

Happiness is considered very important in life.
Why is it difficult to define?
What factors are important in achieving happiness?

I call this a "2 part" question, and it's easier than you think. Just answer the first question in paragraph 2, and the second question in paragraph 3:

1. Introduction - topic + simple answer to both questions

2. Paragraph - explain why happiness is difficult to define

Some ideas: Explain that happiness means different things to different people; the same situation can make one person happy but another person sad/bored etc. Give examples of what makes different people happy (money, success, family, friends, hobbies). Give an example from your experience e.g. a hobby that makes you happy but that your friend hates.

3. Paragraph - give your opinions about how to achieve happiness

Some ideas: Try to organise your ideas logically - you could begin with humans' basic needs (in order to be happy we need to be healthy and have somewhere to live, food to eat etc.) then talk about the importance of family and friends. You could then write about career, money, success, status etc. - maybe you could explain that these things mean nothing if we do not have family and friends to share our experiences with. Give an example from your own life - what will make you happier than you are now?

4. Conclusion - repeat/summarise the main ideas

IELTS Reading: real test samples

Have you done the free practice tests from the official IELTS website (ielts.org)?

If you haven't, click the link below. There are 7 sample tasks that you can download and print. The answers are at the bottom of each page.

Click here to go to reading samples page

IELTS Grammar: correct the mistakes

The sentences below contain some common mistakes. Try to correct them.

1. The number of holidays abroad was dramatically increased in 2005.
2. The figure was raised again in 2006, but it reduced in 2007.
3. In 2008, the number of foreign holidays was reduced to its lowest point.

What grammar point can we learn by correcting these 3 sentences?

IELTS Advice: do your own research

The Internet is an unbelievable resource for language learning. One way to use it is to do extra research about IELTS topics.

This week, for example, I did a reading test with my students about performance in sport (Cambridge IELTS 4, page 88). The passage contained several terms that my students didn't know, such as:

plyometrics
biomechanics
the Fosbury flop

These are very specific terms that you might never need again, but wouldn't it be interesting to find out more about them? It might help your English as well as your general knowledge.

IELTS Speaking Part 3: adding details

These are the 3 techniques I use to create longer, more detailed answers:

1. Explain why
2. Give an example
3. Explain the alternatives

Question:
Why do you think friendship is important?

Answer:
I think friendship is important for all sorts of reasons. (why?) We need friends to share experiences with, to talk to, and for support. (example?) In my case, I like to meet up with friends at the weekend to do something enjoyable, like see a film or go out for dinner. I like chatting with my friends about what we've been doing during the week, or about what's happening in the world. (alternatives?) Without friends to talk to, life would be dull and boring; we would only have our families to talk to.

For another example of this technique, click here.

IELTS Writing Task 1: the summary paragraph

As part of your task 1 essay, you need to write a general summary of the information (examiners call this the 'overview'). I usually write my summary straight after the introduction, but you can also put it at the end of the essay.

To summarise graphs, I look for the overall change from the first year to the last year shown. I also look for the main trends or the highest and lowest numbers.

Here's my 2-sentence summary for the graph above:

It is clear that the total number of marriages per year fell between 1951 and 2009. While the number of first marriages fell dramatically from the end of the 1960s, the figure for remarriages remained stable.

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'technology' topic

This was a recent IELTS exam question:

Early technological developments helped ordinary people and changed their lives more than recent developments.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Here's the plan that I wrote with my students:

1. Introduction: we disagree because we think that early and recent technologies have had an equally significant impact on our lives.
2. Paragraph about how early technologies helped people.
3. Paragraph about how recent technologies help people.
4. Conclusion: repeat the significance of both.

Here's a picture of what we wrote for paragraph 2:

IELTS Listening: great speech

Today's video has been watched by millions of people on YouTube. It's a speech by Steve Jobs (Apple boss) telling the story of his life.

Don't worry if you don't understand everything. Hopefully you'll find the video interesting, and maybe inspiring. If you have time, take note of any useful words and phrases.

PS. I shared this video over a year ago, but I thought I'd share it again for people who missed it.

IELTS Reading: gap-fill from a useful website

The articles used in the IELTS reading test often come from magazines like The Economist or The New Scientist. Why not practise for the exam by reading articles from these magazines?

Here are a few paragraphs from an article about the use of wireless communications to improve health care. I've made it into a gap-fill exercise.

Fill the gaps with one of the following words: cutting, advances, track, coming, empower, chief, developing

Pundits have long predicted that ______ in genetics will usher in a golden age of individually tailored therapies. But in fact it is much lower-tech wireless devices and internet-based health software that are precipitating the mass customisation of health care, and creating entirely new business models in the process.

The hope is that nimble new technologies, from smart-phones to health-monitoring devices, will ______ patients and doctors, and thus improve outcomes while ______ costs. The near ubiquity of mobile phones is the ______ reason to think this optimistic scenario may come true. Patients with smart-phones can certainly benefit from interactive “wellness” applications that track diet, exercise and vital signs.

Many companies are ______ up with “home health” devices embedded with wireless technology. Some are overtly clinical in nature: Medtronic, a devices giant, is ______ a bedside monitor that wirelessly tracks the blood sugar levels in diabetic children sleeping nearby. GE has come up with “body sensor networks”, tiny wireless devices that ______ the vital signs of those who wear them.

Full article: Apr 8th 2010, From The Economist

IELTS Advice: sometimes it's boring!

I often advise students to try to enjoy studying English and preparing for IELTS (see this lesson for example).

However, sometimes the boring things are the most useful: rewriting an essay to improve it, looking up words in a dictionary, learning correct spellings by heart.

Practice can be enjoyable, but more often it's difficult and boring. The only solution is persistence.

IELTS Advice: 'topic vocabulary' is the key!

As I've said before, the key to a high score in IELTS writing and speaking is to express relevant ideas using good vocabulary.

Did you write down the following phrases from yesterday's lesson?

• interesting and engaging
• feel involved in the lesson
• something that is relevant to them
• the teacher delivers the content
• there's no substitute for a good teacher
• the guidance of a teacher
• tell you where you're going wrong
• become less common
• study independently
• using different technologies
• rather than sitting in a classroom
• following online courses

Notice that the phrases above are all relevant to the topic. I call this 'topic vocabulary'. They are not linking phrases or phrases that you can use for any topic.

It's the topic vocabulary that gets you a high score.

IELTS Speaking Part 3: 'lessons' topic

The following answers are at 'band 9' level. Which words and phrases help my answers to get such a high score?

1. What do you think makes a good lesson?

I think a good lesson is one that is interesting and engaging. By 'engaging' I mean that the students should feel involved in the lesson; they should feel that they are learning something new that is relevant to them. In my opinion, a lot depends on how the teacher delivers the content of the lesson in a way that students like. My favourite teacher at university used to involve the students by making us teach some of the lessons ourselves.

2. Do you think it's better to have a teacher or to teach yourself?

Well, there's no substitute for a good teacher. I think you can teach yourself, but you can learn a lot more quickly with the guidance of a teacher. For example, when learning a language, you really need someone to correct your mistakes; you can get the grammar and vocabulary from books, but books can't tell you where you're going wrong.

3. Do you think the traditional classroom will disappear in the future?

I don't think it will disappear, but it might become less common. I think more people will study independently, using different technologies rather than sitting in a classroom. Maybe students will attend a lesson just once a week, and spend the rest of their time following online courses or watching video lessons.