ielts-simon.com

IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following passage about the scientist Michael Faraday.

Michael Faraday, (1791 - 1867) was an English scientist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. Although Faraday received little formal education he was one of the most influential scientists in history, and historians of science refer to him as having been the best experimentalist in the history of science.

The young Michael Faraday, who was the third of four children, having only the most basic school education, had to educate himself. At fourteen he became the apprentice to George Riebau, a local bookbinder and bookseller. During his seven-year apprenticeship he read many books, including Isaac Watts' The Improvement of the Mind, and he enthusiastically implemented the principles and suggestions contained therein.

In 1812, at the age of twenty, and at the end of his apprenticeship, Faraday attended lectures by the eminent English chemist Humphry Davy. Faraday subsequently sent Davy a three-hundred-page book based on notes that he had taken during these lectures. Davy's reply was immediate, kind, and favourable. When one of the Royal Institution's assistants was sacked, Davy was asked to find a replacement, and appointed Faraday as Chemical Assistant at the Royal Institution.

Are the following statements true, false or not given?

1. Many experts regard Faraday as the foremost experimentalist of all time.
2. Faraday educated himself by reading books that were recommended to him by George Riebau.
3. Faraday came to the attention of a famous chemist after he wrote a book based on the chemist's lectures.

IELTS Advice: sometimes you need a break!

Earlier this year, one of my students decided to take a break from studying for the IELTS exam. When I met her a few weeks later, she seemed more relaxed and confident, and her scores soon improved.

Sometimes you need to take a break to give your brain a chance to process all the information that you've been feeding it. if you're feeling stressed or frustrated about the IELTS test, consider taking some time off!

Students' Questions: 'agree or disagree' essays

1) When writing an 'agree or disagree' essay, is it better to have a strong view and ignore the other side of the argument, or should we try to address both sides?

Both ways are equally acceptable. A few students have commented that I seem to prefer addressing both sides of the argument (click here for an example). However, I've also written some one-sided essays like this one. It really depends on the ideas that you have, so your planning time is extremely important for this type of question.

2) What's the best way to approach the following question?: "Financial education should be a mandatory component of the school program. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?"

This question doesn't allow you to partly agree: either financial education should be mandatory, or it shouldn't. Think about which view would be easier to support, then make some notes. Click here to see my ideas for a similar topic.

PS. Thanks to those of you who wished me a happy Christmas!

Message from Simon

I'm going to take a few days off to catch up with friends and family over the Christmas period. I'll continue with my blog lessons as normal from next Saturday 29th December. The ebook is still on sale this week.

Happy Christmas!

IELTS Speaking Part 1: clothes

1. Are clothes and clothing fashions important to you? (Why/Why not?)

No, clothes and fashions are not really important to me. I tend to wear clothes that are comfortable and practical rather than fashionable.

2. What different clothes do you wear for different situations?

Well, I have to dress quite formally for work, so I wear a shirt and trousers. At home I prefer to wear jeans and a T-shirt, and on special occasions I might wear a suit.

3. Do you wear different styles of clothes now compared to 10 years ago?

No, not really, because I don't follow fashion. I think I have dressed in a similar way for the last 10 years.

4. Do you think the clothes we wear say something about who we are?

Yes, they probably do. Some people are really careful about what they wear because they want to be seen as stylish. Other people wear clothes that show wealth or status, such as clothes by famous designers.

IELTS Writing Task 1: a real process description

You might find it useful to read a real process description from this website about insulation manufacturing. The extract below looks very similar to a paragraph from an IELTS essay!

For glass wool, the raw materials are sand, limestone and soda ash, as well as recycled off-cuts from the production process. The raw materials are melted in a furnace at very high temperatures, typically between 1,300°C to 1,500°C. The smoke created during this process is filtered and flue gases are cleaned to minimise any environmental impact. The droplets of melt exiting the furnace are spun into fibres. Small quantities of binding agents are added to the fibres. The mineral wool is then hardened in a curing oven at around 200°C. The mineral wool is cut to the required size and shape.

Task:
Can you find the passive verbs in the paragraph above? Can you improve the paragraph by adding some sequencing words (firstly, then etc.)?

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'petrol price' introduction

The following question comes from Cambridge IELTS book 8.

Increasing the price of petrol is the best way to solve growing traffic and pollution problems.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
What other measures do you think might be effective?

My students wrote the introduction below. Notice that it addresses all parts of the question so that the examiner knows exactly what our position is.

Traffic and pollution are growing problems in today’s society. Personally, I disagree with the idea that higher petrol prices could solve these problems, and I believe that various other measures would be more constructive.

PS. Don't waste time writing a longer introduction than this. The main body paragraphs are much more important!

IELTS Listening: 'home' topic

Watch the following interesting video and answer the questions below.

1. How many people live in Hong Kong?
2. What commodity is lacking in Hong Kong?
3. What nickname does the owner use for his home?
4. How many different room combinations can he make?
5. What two advantages do the mirrors have?

IELTS Reading: 2 questions about exam technique

1. Should you read the whole passage before looking at the questions?
2. Should you go to the questions first, then skim/scan to find the answers?

My answer to question 1 is no. You don't have time to read the whole passage unless your English is almost 'native speaker' level.

My answer to question 2 is yes and no.
Yes - go to the questions first.
No - don't skim or scan unless the question contains a name or number.

My advice is to do the questions one by one. Instead of skimming or scanning, read the passage carefully. The answers to most question sections will be in order in the passage, so you will gradually read the whole passage as you find the answers.

IELTS Grammar: simplify to avoid mistakes

Try to correct / improve the following sentences by writing them in a simpler way.

1. There is no doubt that the attraction of video games are catching people’s attraction easily.
2. In our world today where technologies bound to run in our daily existence, playing video games plays a vital part to our own society.
3. All RPGs (role-playing games), as the name already suggests, involves the player assuming a character and controlling the entire process and unlock tasks to advance.
4. On the one hand, it is undoubtedly that video games have offered much more benefits to human beings.
5. I personally believe that video games seem to have noxious implications.

IELTS Advice: the importance of phrases

Note: I'm using the term 'phrase' to refer to 'a group of words' (not an expression or idiom).

When I studied foreign languages at school, we were mainly taught vocabulary as a list of individual words with a translation of their meanings. The problem with learning a list of individual words is that you don't learn how to use them in a natural way, and you find yourself translating word by word from your own language.

The alternative is to study phrases that native speakers have produced. I was happy to see that the first comment (by 'boburShox') below this lesson was a list of good phrases that I used in my essay. The individual words are easy to understand, but you can learn a lot by analysing the way I put them together.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: ideal home

Several people shared their descriptions of an ideal home in the comments below last week's lesson. If you do some research online, you'll find lots of websites with pictures and descriptions of interesting homes. Click here to see my favourite.

"Perched on the edges of daunting precipices, these cliff and mountain homes are some of the scariest places you could possibly think to live. Some have survived for centuries while others are (quite literally) on the brink of destruction."

IELTS Writing Task 1: diagram overview

After the introduction, I tell my students to write an overview of the information shown on the chart. When the chart shows numbers, we look for the highest, lowest, biggest change, overall trend etc.

But how do you write an overview of a diagram that doesn't show numbers?

Here are some things you could put in a process diagram overview:

• The total number of steps in the process.
• Where the process begins and ends.

And this is what you could write about for a comparing diagram:

• The total number of changes or differences.
• The main changes or differences.
• The main similarities or what doesn't change.

IELTS Writing Task 2: 'video games' essay

Some people regard video games as harmless fun, or even as a useful educational tool. Others, however, believe that videos games are having an adverse effect on the people who play them. In your opinion, do the drawbacks of video games outweigh the benefits?

Many people, and children in particular, enjoy playing computer games. While I accept that these games can sometimes have a positive effect on the user, I believe that they are more likely to have a harmful impact.

On the one hand, video games can be both entertaining and educational. Users, or gamers, are transported into virtual worlds which are often more exciting and engaging than real-life pastimes. From an educational perspective, these games encourage imagination and creativity, as well as concentration, logical thinking and problem solving, all of which are useful skills outside the gaming context. Furthermore, it has been shown that computer simulation games can improve users’ motor skills and help to prepare them for real-world tasks, such as flying a plane.

However, I would argue that these benefits are outweighed by the drawbacks. Gaming can be highly addictive because users are constantly given scores, new targets and frequent rewards to keep them playing. Many children now spend hours each day trying to progress through the levels of a game or to get a higher score than their friends. This type of addiction can have effects ranging from lack of sleep to problems at school, when homework is sacrificed for a few more hours on the computer or console. The rise in obesity in recent years has also been linked in part to the sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise that often accompany gaming addiction.

In conclusion, it seems to me that the potential dangers of video games are more significant than the possible benefits.

(258 words, band 9)

IELTS Listening: try these techniques

Here are 4 techniques that you could experiment with when practising IELTS listening tests from the Cambridge books:

1. Work on specific sections rather than doing full tests. For example, you could focus on section 1 this week, then do lots of examples of section 2 next week.
2. Do a full test, but allow yourself to listen two or three times. See how many extra answers you get the second or third time you listen to the recording.
3. Do a full test, but give yourself as much time as you want during the breaks (by stopping the recording). This takes away the problem of not having time to read the questions properly, and allows you to focus more on your listening skills.
4. Change the listening test into a reading test. Instead of listening to the recording, use the transcript at the back of the book. Did you get a higher score than usual? If you did, your listening skills need more work. If you didn't, maybe your problem is related to vocabulary.

The suggestions above might help you to find where your weaknesses are. They might also make exam practice a bit more interesting!

IELTS Reading: match the phrases

The phrases below come from Cambridge IELTS 5 (test 3, passage 1). Match the similar phrases from the two lists, and look up any new vocabulary in a dictionary.

1) a cross-section of socio-economic status
2) positive outcomes
3) supplied support and training
4) insufficient funding
5) scored highly in listening and speaking
6) bore little or no relationship to

A) too little money was invested
B) had nothing to do with
C) a variety of poor and wealthy families
D) the results were phenomenal
E) guidance was provided
F) were more advanced in language development

IELTS Advice: practice or preparation?

Are practice and preparation the same thing? I'd say they are not. Preparation for the IELTS test should involve more than just exam practice. What would you put in the preparation area of the diagram below?

Students' questions

1) Is it a good idea to use headings to organise my essays?

No, you should never use headings in any of your IELTS essays. Don't include lists or bullet points either. All of these things are considered incorrect format.

2) Is it ok to write "I think" or "I like to say" in my task 2 essay?

Those phrases are a bit informal. I prefer to write "I believe" or "I would argue".

3) If I write that I completely agree, can I still write a paragraph explaining the other side of the argument?

Imagine the examiner's confusion if you say that you agree, but then give good reasons for the opposite opinion. If you want to include the other side of the argument, either write a paragraph explaining why you think it is wrong, or change to a 'partly agree' introduction.

4) Do I have to give my opinion in the main paragraphs as well as in the introduction and conclusion?

If you have stated your opinion clearly in the introduction, it will be obvious to the examiner that your main paragraphs are supporting that opinion. Your opinion should be clear throughout the essay (if you want to get a good score), but that doesn't mean that you need to write "in my opinion" before every idea. Have a look at some of my essays here on the site to see how I do it.

5) Which is correct: "A and B showed an increase" or "A and B showed increases"?

Both are fine. Try Googling "they showed an increase" and "they showed increases". You'll find examples of both.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: ideal home

Describe the ideal home that you would like to live in. You should say

• what your ideal home would look like
• where it would be
• and why you would like to live there.

My advice for this topic is similar to the advice I gave for the vehicle topic:

1. Make a quick decision about the type of home you will describe.
2. Talk about each bullet point in as much detail as you can.
3. Maybe choose something adventurous like a castle or an apartment on the top floor of a skyscraper, even if it's not really your ideal home. You might find it easier to talk for 2 minutes about something more imaginative.

IELTS Writing Task 1: process diagrams

The following paragraph describes the process of making cement.

At the first stage in the cement production process, limestone and clay are crushed to form a powder. This powder is then mixed and passed through a rotating heater. The resulting mixture is ground, and finally the end product, cement, is packed into large bags.

There are 2 things that make process descriptions special:

1. Phrases that order the process and link the steps (underlined)
2. Passive verbs (highlighted)

(See Cambridge IELTS book 8 for the full question)

IELTS Writing Task 2: video games

Here's a question about the 'video games' topic we looked at last week:

Some people regard video games as harmless fun, or even as a useful educational tool. Others, however, believe that videos games are having an adverse effect on the people who play them. In your opinion, do the drawbacks of video games outweigh the benefits?

Personally, I'd answer this question in the same way as I'd answer a 'discuss both views and give your opinion' question. I'd write 4 paragraphs:

1. Introduce the topic, both sides of the argument, and my view.
2. Explain the benefits of video games.
3. Explain the drawbacks.
4. Summarise / repeat my overall opinion.

Students shared some good ideas in the comments area here (especially some of the comments near the bottom). You could also adapt the ideas in my ebook chapter about the positives and negatives of television. I'll share my full essay next week.

IELTS Listening: how to use the breaks

On Saturday I said that my main piece of advice for the listening test is to use the breaks well. There are breaks between the four sections of the listening test, and there are breaks in the middle of sections 1, 2 and 3 (there is no break in the middle of section 4). You will hear instructions like this:

1. First you have some time to read questions 1 to 5.
2. That is the end of section 1. You now have half a minute to check your answers.

1. 'Some time' means about 20 seconds, or up to 40 seconds before section 4. It's important to use this time to read the questions, make sure you understand them, and think about what kind of answer is needed (e.g. number, name, noun, verb, singular, plural).

2. Ignore this instruction - don't check a section that you have just finished. It's much more important to be ready for the next section. If you're not ready when the recording starts, you will find it very difficult to read the questions and listen to the answers at the same time. So use this time to read ahead.

IELTS Reading: more vocabulary!

My students and I did test 2, passage 2 in Cambridge IELTS book 8 ('The Little Ice Age'). This is quite a tricky test because one or two of the questions are not in order in the passage. Here are some of the keywords that helped us to get the correct answers:

Note: 'far from' can be used to mean 'the opposite of' e.g. "I am far from happy" means "I am not happy at all".

IELTS General Writing: one tip

Yesterday I forgot to mention my key piece of advice for writing task 1 in the General Training test. If I had to choose one key piece of advice for GT task 1, I'd say that you need to get the 'tone' right.

The tone of your letter is its character or attitude, either formal or informal. For a summary of the differences between formal and informal letters, read this lesson.

IELTS Advice: one tip for each part

A student of mine asked me to give him just one key piece of advice for each part of the IELTS test. After giving it some thought, here is my answer:

Speaking
Focus on vocabulary instead of grammar or linking. In parts 2 and 3, explain your ideas in detail to increase your vocabulary score.

Listening
Use the breaks to read ahead. When they give you half a minute to check your answers, don't! Use the time to get ready for the next section.

Reading
Get to the end! Miss the questions you find difficult, and make sure you do all of the easier ones. Return to the harder questions if you have time.

Writing Task 1
Write a good overview. Examiners want to see a summary of the information, as well as detailed description.

Writing Task 2
Spend more time planning. A good plan will help you to write a more organised essay with better ideas.