ielts-simon.com

IELTS Advice: less testing, more preparing

Many students do a lot of testing but not enough preparation. The problem with tests is that you don't learn anything new. You don't improve.

"To train for a marathon, you don't run a full marathon every day!"

The solution is to spend more time preparing. Don't test yourself on a new topic that you have no idea about. Spend some time researching the topic to find good ideas and vocabulary. Then try to write a 'perfect' essay using your research, a dictionary, your teacher to help you etc. Type the essay on a computer, check for spelling and grammar mistakes, re-read it, look at how the paragraphs are organised, highlight the 'band 7 vocabulary'. If I've covered the topic on this website, use my ideas to make 'perfect' paragraphs and ask a teacher to check them.

When you have written a 'perfect' essay, wait for a few days and then test yourself on that topic. Imagine the difference!

Students' Questions: 'complex' sentences

People often ask me about using 'complex' sentences and 'difficult' words or grammatical structures. Here's an example question that someone asked me:

I can see you did not use any long and complex initial sentences to begin your paragraphs. I wonder if sentences like this are useful: "In recent years, …. has never failed to attract people’s attention and spark controversy over the potential impacts of this trend on individuals."

My answer is that examiners are not impressed by this kind of sentence. Instead of judging it as 'complex', they are more likely to judge it as 'memorised'.

Here's my tip: instead of trying to impress the examiner with big words or memorised phrases, try to impress him/her by answering the question really well. Plan some good ideas before you start writing, then do your best to express them in a natural way and without making too many mistakes.

IELTS Advice: get Cambridge book 9

I've just bought a copy of Cambridge IELTS book 9, the latest collection of official IELTS exam papers. I'll be using it with my students here in Manchester, and I'll probably refer to it in lessons here on my site.

If you're looking for test practice, the Cambridge books are the only ones you can really trust. If you can get a copy of book 9, I'm sure you'll find it useful.

IELTS Advice: daily study habit

In my opinion it's better to study for 30 minutes every day than for 3.5 hours once a week. I try to write these lessons every day to encourage students to get into a daily study habit. It isn't easy, and there are days when you feel like giving up, but it will all be worth it when you get the scores you need!

IELTS Advice: storytelling

In Friday's speaking lesson I described a funny thing that happened to me. I found it really easy to write my description because I told a true story. I wasn't worrying about grammar or vocabulary; I just told my story in a natural way.

The key to a high speaking score isn't your use of 'complex' grammar structures, big words or idiomatic phrases. The key is to speak as naturally as possible, and real examples or stories help you to do this.

IELTS Advice: 'less common vocabulary'

According to the IELTS marking system, candidates need to use some "less common lexical items" (vocabulary) if they want to get a band 7 or higher. But what is "less common vocabulary" and how can you learn it?

I'm afraid it's impossible to make a list of all "less common vocabulary items". The only thing I can do is point them out when I use them. Try the task below.

Task: Which words or phrases in the paragraph in this lesson might be considered "less common"?

IELTS Advice: a student's experience of re-marking

A student called Chanaka asked me to share his experiences regarding re-marking and how he eventually got the scores he needed. I hope you find his insights useful.

Click here to read Chanaka's advice

Students' questions

1. Can I invent statistics to make my task 2 essays more persuasive?

I don't recommend it. I think it will look 'fake' and it won't help your score.

2. How can teachers help students to build their topic vocabulary?

I find that the best way to help my students is by using relevant articles or online videos. I try to find good texts, and I pull out the useful language. My ebook is a good shortcut for self-study, but extensive reading and listening is the key to building students' vocabulary knowledge.

3. What does "went on" mean in this lesson?

If I say "most of my money goes on rent", it means that I spend most of my money on rent, so "40% went on" just means "40% was spent on".

4. Is it normal that my speaking examiner was drinking coffee?

No, that isn't normal. While I usually tell students to ignore what the examiner does (e.g. checking his/her watch or making notes), I think in this case your examiner's behaviour was wrong. Maybe you should report the issue to your test centre.

5. If my score is lower the second time, can I use my first test score?

Yes, I think you can.

6. For the "describe a person" question, can I describe myself?

No. This question always asks you to describe someone else. You'll lose marks if you describe yourself.

IELTS Advice: common topics first!

Students often write to me asking about a strange or difficult question that they have found. Personally, I think that studying strange questions is a waste of time when there are some really common topics that appear again and again.

Topics like education, family and work in the writing test, and 'describe a person' or 'describe a place' in the speaking test are so common that you should definitely prepare these topics before you start worrying about any unusual questions.

Use the 'real' questions in the Cambridge IELTS books and the topics here on my website before you worry about anything else.

Students' questions: why did my score drop?

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!

Students' questions

1) How can I eliminate the influence of my mother tongue language?

You probably won't eliminate it, but I think it's possible to take control of the influence of your mother tongue by getting to know the differences that cause you problems. For example, some students say "before two weeks" instead of "two weeks ago"; this mistake is caused by interference from the students' first language. If you are aware of this problem, you can avoid it in future.

2) In the listening test, should I be looking at the questions while I listen?

Yes, definitely.

3) Do examiners hate phrases like "Nowadays... is a controversial issue"?

Examiners don't hate these phrases, but they don't love them either! It's fine to use a few memorised phrases, but don't fill your essay with them and don't expect them to get you a high score. Read this lesson for more detailed explanation.

4) Why is there no "s" in "10-year period"?

"10-year" is acting as an adjective to describe the period. It's like saying "long period". We don't put a plural "s" on adjectives.

5) Is it ok to say things like "you know" in the speaking test?

Yes, it's fine. Try not to say "you know" too many times, but it's nothing to worry about if you say it a few times. The important thing is the real content of your answers.

IELTS Advice: review vocabulary

You may have read this week's lessons here on the blog, but did you take notes? Would you really be able to use the vocabulary that I used?

Let's review some good phrases from this week's lessons:

• society is undergoing enormous change(s)
• make significant changes to their lives
• encounter a situation
• (something) presents a challenge / challenges
• acquire knowledge
• add to your/his/her/their skill set
• a break with the past
• share common interests / have something in common with
• spend time with
• honest and trustworthy
• have time to yourself
• take stock and reflect on things

IELTS Advice: 'deep' answers

The technique I used in yesterday's lesson is really useful because it helps you to give a 'deep' answer. It's a deep answer when you take one idea and develop it, and you're likely to get a higher score if you can do this. Unfortunately, many candidates give 'shallow' answers; they mention a few different ideas, but fail to develop any of them in detail.

Practise explaining just one idea in as much detail as you can. The ability to do this could really benefit your speaking and writing scores.

IELTS Vocabulary: band 7 or higher

To get a band 7, you don't need to learn "big" or "difficult" words. You need to learn how to use words together. You need to use good collocations.

Collocations are groups of words that often go together. For example, collocations like "increase significantly" are used in IELTS Writing Task 1.

Look for collocations in the speaking and writing lessons on this website. Here are some examples:

• Health topic: a major cause, poor health, manual jobs, physical activity, outdoor sports.
• Writing Task 1: noticeable feature, significantly higher, a dramatic increase in.
• Describe a person: a major influence, a good role model, inherit traits, set an example, a positive outlook.

Most learner dictionaries now show examples of how words are used in common collocations and phrases. If you read a lot of English, you will see collocations everywhere.

IELTS Advice: copy my ideas!

I try to give my students good vocabulary ideas to help them write better essays and give better spoken answers. However, some students feel like they are copying or cheating if they use my ideas. They prefer to use a dictionary or rely on what they already know.

My advice is: get your vocabulary ideas from the lessons on this website, from a book, or from your teacher. This is good preparation, not copying or cheating!

Students' questions

1) Should I apply for a re-mark?

From the comments below this lesson, it seems that scores most often remain the same when students ask for a re-mark. I would only recommend applying for one if you are really confident that you did well, and you only need a 0.5 band improvement in speaking or writing.

2) How much of the writing score is given for task 1 and task 2?

You get one third of the score for task 1, and two thirds for task 2.

3) Do I need to include all of the data in my task 1 essay?

No, the question will always ask you to select key points. There is usually too much data for a 150-word essay. Also, your ability to select key data will impress the examiner.

4) Should I put a future sentence in my task 2 conclusion?

No, you don't need to do that (although you can if it's relevant). I usually just repeat or summarise my ideas in one sentence. It's better to spend more time on the main paragraphs than on a long conclusion.

5) Do the reading and listening tests become more difficult in each section?

The listening test does; section 1 is easy and section 4 is the most difficult. However, the same is not true of the reading test; sometimes the first section is the hardest.

IELTS Advice: it takes time

Can I improve my score from 5.5 to 7 in one month?

The honest answer is: no, you probably can't

It's important to be realistic about the time it takes to improve your ability to speak, write or understand a second language. It's a really difficult task. There is no magic recipe for success and there are no shortcuts. Take your time, work hard and be patient.

Note:
I've underlined the good vocabulary contained in my advice.

IELTS Advice: phrases and collocations

To get a good IELTS score, you need to use the kind of language that native speakers might use. This doesn't mean 'difficult words', it means good groups of words (phrases and collocations).

When reading, try to look for phrases that English speakers use. Here's an example paragraph from the Economist Magazine with a few useful words and phrases underlined.

It is always a little disconcerting to realise a generation has grown up never knowing what it was like to manage without something that is taken for granted today. A case in point: the World Wide Web (WWW), which celebrated the 20th anniversary of its introduction last Saturday. It is no exaggeration to say that not since the invention of the printing press has a new media technology altered the way people think, work and play quite so extensively. With the web having been so thoroughly embraced socially, politically and economically, the world has become an entirely different place from what it was just two decades ago.

IELTS Advice: how to improve

Many people ask me how they can improve their IELTS scores. In my experience, improvements tend to happen in the following way:

Here's my explanation of the graph above:

1. When a student first starts taking IELTS lessons, they learn useful exam techniques and they do some practice tests. They often improve quite quickly at this stage.
2. However, there is a limit to the improvements that you can make with exam techniques alone. Stage 2 represents the frustrating period during which your score stays the same.
3. The only way to reach point 3 is by working hard to improve your English. There are no secrets, shortcuts or special techniques; learning a second language takes time and practice.
4. In the end, students who persist do tend to get the scores they need! (I'm afraid nobody can tell you how long this will take).

Students' questions

1. Is it ok to write IELTS essays in capital letters?

Yes, it seems that the rules changed some time ago, and it's now fine to write your essays in capital letters.

2. Is writing task 2 the same for the general and academic tests?

Yes, the question types and topics are basically the same. That's why I only have one lesson category for task 2 here on my blog.

3. Do examiners care about small things like singular and plural forms?

Yes, examiners notice these things! In the writing test, one small mistake won't affect your score, but many small mistakes will. In the listening test, a singular / plural mistake could lose you a whole mark.

4. Is it better to write numbers as words or figures?

It's probably better to write the full word (e.g. 'nine') in writing task 2, but I would write the figure (e.g. '9') in all other parts of the test.

5. Is it ok if I speak with an American accent?

Yes, of course! Examiners care about pronunciation and clarity, but not accent.

IELTS Advice: don't overthink your answers

Question 4 in Monday's reading lesson caused some problems because many people fell into the trap of 'overthinking' the answer. They were worried about the precise meaning of the word "infants", and whether it meant the same thing as "pre-school age children".

In the reading test, you shouldn't worry about such precise distinctions. It's enough to recognise that both "infants" and "pre-school age children" are very young children. The answer would be 'false' if the question mentioned "teenagers" or "adolescents" - these are definitely not pre-school ages.

Remember that the people who write these questions rely on paraphrasing and synonyms; it wouldn't really test your English if every question contained the exact words from the passage. If the words have basically the same meaning, don't analyse them any further.

IELTS Advice: collocations and topic vocabulary

Viktorija asked me to explain the difference between 'collocations' and 'topic vocabulary'.

Collocations are just groups of words that often go together. Many groups of words, from "life expectancy" to "for example", can be called collocations.

Topic vocabulary is the term I use when I'm teaching IELTS writing task 2. It refers to single words, collocations and phrases that relate specifically to the question topic. "Life expectancy" is topic vocabulary for this question, but "for example" is not (because it's a phrase that can be used to organise ideas in any essay).

Students' questions

1. Is there a difference between "Do you agree or disagree?" and "To what extent do you agree or disagree?"

Not really. I would just answer both questions in the same way.

2. My teacher told my to stick to one side of the argument for 'opinion' essays and give both sides for 'discussion' essays. Is that right?

There are 2 ways to answer an 'opinion' question (click here), but you might find it easier to follow your teacher's advice (to avoid confusion).

3. If I only rely on your website and ignore all the other books, is a band 7 achievable?

Yes, many students have demonstrated this. If you read too many different books, the differing advice will probably confuse you. I tell my students to use the official Cambridge test books along with the advice on my website. You don't really need anything else, apart from maybe a teacher to check some of your work.

4. Why do I keep getting 6.5 in writing?

I was speaking to a student about this problem yesterday. It turned out that he had never written a plan before starting writing task 2. If you don't plan your task 2 essay, it's likely to lack ideas and organisation.

5. In the listening test, should I write "gas works" or "gasworks", and "state rooms" or "staterooms"?

Don't worry too much about this. Both answers would usually be accepted.

IELTS Advice: answer the question!

In the IELTS speaking and writing tests, the most important thing is to answer the question. This seems obvious, but many students are so worried about using 'difficult grammar' that they don't give relevant answers.

In the speaking test, listen carefully to the question and answer it as if you were speaking to a friend. Try to speak without thinking too much; forget the grammar and just have a normal conversation.

In the writing test, take some time to understand each question and plan your answer. Check the question every time you write a new idea; make sure that everything you write is relevant. If part of your answer is not related to the topic you will lose marks, even if your grammar is perfect.

IELTS Advice: get some feedback

Many students are forced to study for the IELTS test alone. For one reason or another, they can't attend any classes or preparation courses. I started this blog with the aim of helping people in that position.

However, those people often reach the point where they need some direct guidance. They need someone to check their essays or listen to them speak.

If you keep getting the same score in every test that you take, it's probably time to find a teacher who can check your work and help you to become 'unstuck'.

IELTS Advice: speaking strategies

Here are some of the strategies that I used in yesterday's description:

1. Try to develop each bullet point in detail. If you don't say enough for the first two or three points, you'll find yourself with too much time for the last point.
2. Tell a story! My second point tells the story of how I was given the chair by a friend, and I could probably speak for 2 minutes about this point alone. When you tell a story about something real that happened, you'll find it easy to keep talking. Stories are also interesting for the listener (the examiner).
3. Add examples. In point 3, you can see that I added an example at the end ("last night I fell asleep in my armchair while I was watching a film"). I could easily take this example and develop it into another short story.
4. When describing an object, don't forget the simple things like size, colour (I forgot that one!), shape, material, position ("just under my living room window").

Message from Simon about comments

When I first started this website, I was able to answer all the questions that people asked me in the 'comments' area below lessons. However, as more people have found the site, it has become impossible for me to keep doing this; I just don't have enough time to answer every question.

On the positive side, I've noticed that students are now helping each other a lot more in the comments area. Although you might not get a reply from me directly, you might find that another student answers your question.

Please note that I do still read every comment, and you might find the answer to your question in one of the lessons on this page.

IELTS Advice: which resources to use

Students are often confused because there are so many different IELTS books and websites.

So, to make things simple, here are my top 3 resources:

1. Cambridge IELTS books for real practice tests.
2. This website (if you like my approach) for daily lessons.
3. A teacher to give you feedback on your writing and speaking.

Students' Questions

1) Is the listening test marked by a computer?

No, this is a completely false rumour. Read the start of this page.

2) In the Cambridge IELTS books, what do the answers in brackets mean?

They are optional answers. You don't need the words in brackets, but your answer will still be correct if you put them.

3) A teacher on a different website said that we should write "it is disagreed" instead of "I disagree". Is this correct?

No, that's really bad advice. "It is disagreed" means "most people disagree", so it doesn't answer the question "Do you agree or disagree?". Remember, the rules for IELTS are not the same as those for 'real' academic writing at university. It's fine to use the word "I" in the IELTS test.

4) My teacher (in the USA) told me to write 4 sentences for the introduction to task 2. Do you think examiners here might prefer that approach?

No. Examiners are trained in the same way in every country. It's a waste of time writing a 4-sentence introduction. Just write 2 sentences.

5) Can you explain the structure of this sentence that you wrote?: "Just pop round to number 10 any time after 5 pm."

It's an imperative sentence. Click here for a full explanation.

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!