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IELTS Listening: gap-fill, multiple choice 27 Aug 2013 | 01:00 pm
Listen to the information about driving tests, and answer the questions below. Click here to listen 1. Fill the gaps below with no more than 3 words. On the day of your test, you need to take the f...
IELTS Reading: keyword technique 26 Aug 2013 | 01:00 pm
What do I mean by the 'keyword' technique? By 'keywords' I mean: words in the text that have a similar meaning to words in the questions. The table below shows the keywords that helped my students t...
IELTS Advice: what's the secret? 25 Aug 2013 | 01:00 pm
I try to persuade my students 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 ...
IELTS Speaking Advice: get to the point 24 Aug 2013 | 01:00 pm
Yesterday I wrote that you should avoid using long phrases to begin your answers. So what should you use instead? Native speakers say things like: - I think... - I guess... - Well,... These words/ph...
IELTS Speaking: avoid these phrases 23 Aug 2013 | 01:00 pm
In the speaking test, examiners don't like it when students use phrases like: - That's a very interesting question... - It is my personal opinion that... - Personally, I would have to say that... - I...
IELTS Writing Task 1: different introductions 22 Aug 2013 | 01:00 pm
Have you ever tried writing several different introductions for the same question? It's a useful exercise. Take this question for example: The table below shows the proportion of different categories...
IELTS Writing Task 2: band 9 paragraph 21 Aug 2013 | 03:31 pm
Last week I asked you to try rewriting the third paragraph in this essay. The paragraph below is an edited compilation of students' ideas. I think it's good enough for a band 9. On the other hand, I ...
IELTS Listening: nature or nurture? 20 Aug 2013 | 01:00 pm
The "nature or nurture" topic has appeared in different parts of the IELTS test. Do you know what "nature or nurture" means? Watch the video and fill the gaps in the summary below. We are all born w...
IELTS Reading: collocations 19 Aug 2013 | 01:00 pm
Read the following text about 'collocation': Collocation is defined as a sequence of words or terms which co-occur more often than would be expected by chance. Collocation comprises the restrictions ...
IELTS Grammar: collocations 18 Aug 2013 | 01:00 pm
A student asked me to explain which is better: 'a prime example' or 'a primary example'. I would say 'a prime example'. Why? The answer is that 'prime example' is a normal collocation in English. It'...
