Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Paper
element
Description
Paper
format
Timing
60 minutes
No. of
questions
Task types
Answering
Answers must be given on the answer sheet and must be written in full.
Notes or bullet points in whole or in part are not acceptable as answers. Test
takers may write on the question paper but this cannot be taken from the
examination room and will not be seen by the examiner.
Task 2
Task type
and format
In Writing Task 2, test takers are given a topic to write about. Answers
should be a discursive consideration of the relevant issues. Test takers
should make sure that they read the task carefully and provide a full and
relevant response. For example, if the topic is a particular aspect of
computers, they should focus on this aspect in their response. They should
not simply write about computers in general.
They should write in an academic or semi-formal/neutral style.
Test takers should spend no more than 40 minutes on this task. They are
asked to write at least 250 words and will be penalised if their answer is too
short. While test takers will not be penalised for writing more than 250
words, if they write a very long answer they may not have time for checking
and correcting at the end and some ideas may not be directly relevant to the
Task focus
This task assesses the test takers ability to present a clear, relevant, wellorganised argument, giving evidence or examples to support their ideas, and
to use language accurately.
No. of
questions
Task Response
Lexical Resource
Task 2
Task response
In both Academic and General Training Modules Task 2 requires the test takers
to formulate and develop a position in relation to a given prompt in the form of a
question or statement. Ideas should be supported by evidence, and examples
may be drawn from the test takers own experience. Responses must be at least
250 words in length. Scripts under the required minimum word limit will be
penalised.
Coherence and cohesion
This criterion is concerned with the overall clarity and fluency of the message:
how the response organises and links information, ideas and language.
Coherence refers to the linking of ideas through logical sequencing. Cohesion
refers to the varied and appropriate use of cohesive devices (for example, logical
connectors, pronouns and conjunctions) to assist in making the conceptual and
referential relationships between and within sentences clear.
Lexical resource
This criterion refers to the range of vocabulary the test takers have used and the
accuracy and appropriacy of that use in terms of the specific task.
Grammatical range and accuracy
This criterion refers to the range and accurate use of the test takers' grammatical
resource as manifested in their test takerss writing at the sentence level.
realise you cannot finish it. Only start writing when you know how you are going to
finish.
In the essay this can mean up to 10 minutes and in the task 1 report it can mean up
to 5 minutes. The more you think, the better and more quickly you will write. 2/3
minutes is almost certainly not enough. For more detail on this, try looking at Planning
an IELTS essay the 10 minute solution.
3. Write enough words
250 means AT LEAST 250 and 150 means AT LEAST 150.
4. Dont write too many words
The
more words you write, you more mistakes you are likely to make. The more words you
write, the less efficient you become and the quality will fall. The ideal is to aim for
between 260 280 words in the essay and 160-180 words in the report.
5. Dont copy whole sections of the question
If you copy whole sections of the question, the examiner will not include those words in
your word count: 260 words can become 230 words if you are not careful.
6. Time is your enemy have a plan and a watch
Timing can be a problem. It is important to keep moving and stick to your timing. Dont
be tempted to spend more than 40 minutes on your essay you need 20 minutes to
answer task 1 properly.
7. Task 1 and task 2 which do you answer first?
The essay is worth twice the marks of the report. One idea is to do task 2 (the essay)
before task 1(the report), just to ensure you finish the essay. You do need to spend at
least 20 minutes on part 1 though. Do not try to answer it in 15 minutes.
8. Check your writing
It is important to check your writing for grammatical errors. You need to have a checklist
before you enter the exam of what mistakes you typically make. For a little more detail
on this, try checking this post about how to check your writing
9. Think about range of vocabulary
You should also check your writing for unnecessary word repetition you are graded on
the variety of your language. You should note that this does not mean you need to use
long, complex words, rather it means you should use precise words.
Common Problems
Talking too generally about the topic.
Most of these essays start off with Nowadays or In modern life. followed by general
information about the topic. This is the worst start you can possibly make. Remember that you
are supposed to answer the question not write generally about the topic.
1. Not including a thesis statement
This is the most important sentence in the essay. Not including one will lose you marks
in several different ways.
2. Not outlining what you are going to do
If you dont include a sentence outlining what your essay will say, the examiner doesnt really
know what you are going to write about in the rest of your essay. This will also lose you marks
3. Trying to write a hook or be entertaining
Remember this is an IELTS exam, not a university essay. There are no extra points for being
interesting, in fact being boring will probably help you. This will help you avoid flowery
language.
4. Using an informal style
You are expected to write in an academic style.
Good Introduction
Rising global temperatures and human health and fitness issues are often viewed as
being caused by the expanding use of automobiles. This essay agrees that increasing
use of motor vehicles is contributing to rising global temperatures and certain health
issues. Firstly, this essay will discuss the production of greenhouse gases by vehicles
and secondly, it will discuss other toxic chemicals released by internal combustion
engines.
Bad Introduction
Nowadays, cars are a very popular way of getting around. Day by day many more
people drive cars around but others feel that they cause global warming. Global
warming is one of the most serious issues in modern life. They also affect peoples
health and well-being which is also a serious issue.
As you can see the bad example talks about the topic very generally, copies
words and phrases from the question and doesnt include a thesis statement or
outline statement.
Paraphrase question
Thesis statement
Outline statement
1. Paraphrase Question
Paraphrasing means stating the question again, but with different words so that it has the
same meaning. We do this by using synonyms and flipping the order of the sentences
around.
Question: There is a good deal of evidence that increasing car use is contributing to
global warming and having other undesirable effects on peoples health and well-being.
Paraphrase: Rising global temperatures and human health and fitness issues are often viewed
as being caused by the expanding use of automobiles.
The synonyms that are used :
Increasing- expanding
Car use- use of automobiles
Global warming- rising global temperatures
Peoples health and well-being- human health and fitness
(As you can see, then switched the order of the sentence around.
Therefore you demonstrate to the examiner that you can paraphrase and have a wide range of
vocabulary. These are two of the things that the examiner is specifically looking for and you will
gain marks for including them.)
2. Thesis Statement
This is the most important sentence in your essay. This is your main idea and it should be often
described to students as how you feel about the whole issue in one sentence. It tells the
examiner that you have understood the question and will lead to a clear and coherent essay.
Lets look at the thesis sentence from the previous example:
Thesis statement: This essay agrees that increasing use of motor vehicles is contributing to
rising global temperatures and certain health issues.
It is always just one sentence long so you will have to practice summing up your opinion in one
sentence. It should also address the micro-keywords and not the topic in general. You should
start your thesis statement with:
This essay agrees that.. or this essay disagrees that.. (Opinion essays)
3. Outline Statement
Now that you have paraphrased the question and told the examiner what you think in your
thesis sentence, you are now going to tell the examiner what you will discuss in the main body
paragraphs. In other words, you will outline what the examiner will read in the rest of the essay.
This should be one sentence only.
Example:
Question: There is a good deal of evidence that increasing car use is contributing to
global warming and having other undesirable effects on peoples health and well-being.
Outline statement: Firstly, this essay will discuss the production of greenhouse gases by
vehicles and secondly, it will discuss other toxic chemicals released by internal combustion
engines.
(So what has been done is just look at main body paragraphs and wrote about what they
contain. You should have only one main idea per paragraph. In this essay, we have only two
main body paragraphs, so you only need to say two things in the outline statement.)
Final Example
Question: Learning to manage money is one of the key aspects to adult life.
How in your view can individuals best learn to manage their money?
Good answer: One of the keys to adulthood is appreciating how to budget your finances. It is
clear that the best way someone can learn this, is by managing money during childhood.
Firstly, the essay will discuss the importance of parental involvement during childhood and
secondly, the essay will look at the importance of having a part time job during childhood.
1.
introduced (with a topic sentence) in the previous paragraph, or if all the sentences
and details in a paragraph clearly referperhaps indirectlyto a main point.
End your
paragraph with a concluding sentence or sentences that reasserts how your
paragraph contributes to the development of your argument as a whole.
Body Paragraphs
Each body paragraph will have basic structure. Body
paragraphs are the middle paragraphs that lie between the
introduction and conclusion. The key building blocks of essays
are the paragraphs as they represent distinct logical steps
within the whole argument.
The body paragraphs typically have:
Topic Sentence & (possibly) Transition
Supporting Information
Linkers
Cause and effect key IELTS vocabulary
The language of cause and effect is critical to IELTS both in writing and speaking. The
reason for this is that it helps answers the question Why? and allows you to give an
extended and coherent answer.
Because
Obviously the word you will use most is because but there are some useful variations.
Notes
because , as a result and as a consequence are used with a verb and because
of ,as a result of and as a consequence of with a noun
1.
Some people believe you shouldnt start sentences with because. This is rubbish but
Due to is normally used with negative situations and thanks to with positive
situations
Cause verbs
A useful variation is to use because as a verb. Here are the 3 main variations notes
notes
1.you cause something to happen but it results in something happening
Notes
1.Please note the spelling of affect as a verb and do not confuse it with effect the noun. Just
to confuse you, the pronunciation is identical
Nouns
The essential nouns are of course cause and effect but there are alternatives here;
Notes
1.You talk about the cause of something but the reason for it
Here are three different linking phrases to avoid using reason. If you look at my notes, they use
slightly different techniques each time.
One reason is One is [just delete the word its surprising how often this works]
Another reason is Likewise [use a connecting word to avoid repeating the word]
The final reason is Another related cause [use another word]
Introduction + your opinion/ your thinking/ your point of view/ whether you agree
.................
.................
Conclusion + restating the main point of your discussion/ your position on the
issue.
Example:
1) Mobile phone and Internet are two great innovation of science for communication and
had been facilitating people for a long time. These two technologies are widely used in
almost all the countries of the world and had become parts of our daily lives. We can't
deny the usefulness of these technologies as they had made our life easier than it was
ever before. In my opinion the advantages of these two devices far outweigh the
demerits they have.
According to the essay types (Learn what are the IELTS essay types) use one of the
following connective words/ linking phrases to write down your opinion However
remember that if the question does not ask you to give your opinion but to compare
advantages and disadvantages, then you should not strongly express your opinion.
Opinion should only be written for opinion essays.
In my opinion......
I strongly opine that........
I strongly agree with the idea that.......
I strongly disagree with the given topic....
I think.....
My opinion is that.....
In my view.....
I believe.....
Apparently.....
Personally speaking.....
According to me.....
From my point of view.....
From my perspective.....
I realize.....
To my way of thinking.....
It seems to me that.....
To me.....
It appears that.....
I feel that.....
I understand.....
I suppose.....
Example:
But in my opinion, giving the access of mobile phone & internet to each and every
unemployed person is a matter of great dispute. I believe, this idea can help the
countries who have sufficient funds for the whole fiscal year and already adopted
technologies like internet for a very long period. But this might turn out as a complete
loss for an undeveloped country.
Initially.....
To begin with.....
To start with.....
In the first place.....
Though it is true that.....
Some people believe that.....
Many people think that.....
According to many.....
Some people believe that.....
Many support the view that.....
On the one hand.....
Examples:
1) It is true that, an unemployed persons having a mobile phone with internet
connection can get more access to the local and foreign job sectors and can use these
technologies to get a job or become self-employed.
2) First of all, the maximum numbers of cars are owned by the rich people and fuel price
would not restrain them from using the cars. The price of fuel in fact increased
significantly over the past 12 years and that has done nothing to reduce the car usages.
3) To begin, houses that are being constructed by those in the lower income groups do
look at the most cost effective option. In the process they invariably explore cheaper
options that include a compromise on material and construction quality.
Moreover.....
Other people think that.....
Other people believe that.....
On the other hand.....
Apart from that.....
Finally.....
Examples:
1) Besides, unemployed persons living in urban areas; can easily get the information
related to the job-offering companies with these technologies................ Furthermore,
the use of these technology give them advantages than others.......
2) Besides, people would learn more about the outer space as the experiment and
scientific research is outer space is going on more steadily than ever.
3) Apart from that, computers would become more powerful and they will have superior
artificial intelligence. We will have robots to do the hazardous works like mining and
outer space research. Surprisingly, e-commerce would be in more convenient form and
most of the people will purchase online rather than going to shops in person.
Similarly.....
Like the previous point.....
Similar to.....
Also.....
At the same time.....
Just as.....
Examples:
1) Similarly, all the companies and offices are becoming automated and using
computers, internet and other technologies vastly than any other time in history.......
2) At the same time software could used for many purposes such as learning through
computers, accounting in computers, drawing, storage of information, sending
information from one person to other person etc.
3) Also reading books is like peeking into the minds of the greatest people - A book is
like a conversation with the writer and reading many books gives us an insight into the
thinking process of different writers.
But.....
Nevertheless.....
Oppositely.....
Alternatively.....
Unlike.....
While.....
Whilst.....
Even though.....
Alternatively.....
In contrast to this.....
Then again.....
On the other hand.....
Examples:
1) On the contrary, poor countries suffer from the lack of sufficient budgets to ensure
some very basic needs of people like health, education, medicines etc. Then again,
those countries don't have a chance to spend a lot of money to initiate a superficial
project........
2) Unlike a TV, a radio cannot display an image or a video, and the communication is
limited to voice only. Typically, a radio is used for access information such as news and
live traffic updates.........
3) In contrast to this, the consumption of fuels to run the car is contributing to the rise if
global warming and affecting the ozone layer. So, using bicycle in cities would be a
better alternative.........
To paraphrase.....
Examples:
1) For instance, there is no guaranty that all unemployed person will use the technology
positively........
2) As an example, many Government of the first world countries have initiated other
projects like:.........
3) For example, if a public bus gets busted in the middle of a road, the passenger can
easily leave it a look for another one.
Examples:
1) Therefore, we should avoid using our budget in an uncertain project........
2) As a result, people are struggling much to lead a healthy and secure life.........
3) Consequently, local residents will be able to find more job opportunities in this
factory and have a better socio-economic status.........
Examples:
1) Although, Parents are important teachers in our lives and none can deny their
invaluable role to make us what we are, but they aren't always the best teachers.......
2) Thus air and water pollution caused by this factory will ruin the local environment and
wildlife fundamentally.........
3) Although industrialization is necessary for growth, but it must be regulated. The
proper measures must be in place to reduce the negative impacts of byproducts on
environment.
Examples:
1) They take care of the children as much as parents do..................
2) As soon as we realize the problem ..................
3) Otherwise, the unemployed graduates' number will keep on increasing..................
Examples:
N.B. The conclusion part of the IELTS Essay or IELTS Academic writing task 2 usually
begins with a special concluding phrase that links it to the rest of the essay. Notice that
a conditional sentence can be very effective in the conclusion. One reason for this is
that it can refer to what might occur as a result of your suggestions or
recommendations. Of course, you can use conditional sentences elsewhere in your
essay as well. If you do use conditionals, be sure that the construction of your
sentences is grammatically correct.
Also, in a short essay of approximately 250 words the conclusion can be just one or two
sentences long. The conclusion should briefly sum up what you have said in your essay,
and does not usually contribute a new idea, unless it is a minor point. However, it is a
good place to make recommendations or suggestions, or to give advice and offer
solutions, if you are asked to do so.
Variations of Although
What you will find below are some variations of the word although a word that
everyone should be familiar with. As you read the words, make sure you look at the
examples and notes too. It is not just a question of learning a list of words, you also need
to note the grammar too.
Notes
not
es
all these words are used with verb forms typically they are used at the beginning
of the sentence
even though has the same grammar as although: it is just a little bit stronger
a variation of even though is even if
nevertheless and nonetheless are pretty much the same: note the spelling of
them as one word
whilecan be used to express contrast as well as time
Notes
Listed below are 7 simple sentence constructions or enrichment tips you can
effectively use to ensure a longer yet grammatically error-free essay.
1.) This essay will analyse this issue using the examples from to demonstrate
points and support arguments.
You will need to supply the examples in accordance with your particular
topic. For instance:
This essay will analyse this issue using the examples from wartime countries and
conflict zones to demonstrate points .
and
This essay will analyse this issue using the examples from Canada, Australia and
Rwanda to demonstrate points
2.) In injecting an opposing thought, instead of using only However, you can
use However, it should not be forgotten (that) and add the opposing point.
3.) Cite examples from researches or studies made, using the phrase,
For example, a recent study by _________ showed
For instance:
For example, a recent study by the IMF (or U.K. government) showed
then supply the details of the findings.
4.) Cite another example of a research you are referencing, using another
phrase:
Take for instance a recent study by the _____ that clearly showed
For instance:
Take for instance a recent study by the U.N. (or Canadian government) that
clearly showed
5.) Instead of saying There is proof that you can say, instead:
There is ample evidence to suggest that
For instance:
These may be little additions of 3-9 words per phrase but many little phrases
go a long way toward a 250 word goal
why its effective to memories phrases, not sentences, for use in the writing
I believe that
It is my belief that
Giving reasons
A further reason is
Refuting opinions
Hedging strategies
Strengthening an argument
Paragraph Structure
In order to be easy to understand a paragraph should have only one main idea. A common
mistake by IELTS students in Task 2 is thinking that if they include lots of ideas they will get
higher marks. In fact, the opposite is true. You get higher marks for developing your ideas with
explanations and examples. You dont get any extra marks for just listing lots of ideas.
Lets look at an example question:
Today people are traveling more than before. Why is this the case?
Supporting Paragraph A
I think more people are traveling because people are earning more money these days and they
can afford to travel. Additionally, flights are much cheaper than they were in the past. Moreover,
people have very stressful lives these days and need to go on holiday. Furthermore, children
expect to be taken on holiday when they are off school during the summer. Finally, it is good for
the family to spend time with one another.
The person who wrote the above paragraph thinks that the way to get a high score is to list as
many ideas as possible and show the examiner how much they know about the topic. This is
actually one of the worst things you can do because Task 2 is not a test of your knowledge, it is a
test of your academic writing ability. The paragraph above is simply a list, not a coherent,
cohesive paragraph that takes ideas and fully develops them.
Supporting Paragraph B
In the past, air tickets were only for the rich and famous because most salaries could not cover
the price of a flight to a foreign country. This meant that the majority simply stayed at home or
took their holidays domestically; however, this has all changed with the creation of budget
airlines. Low-cost carriers, such as Ryanair in Europe or Tiger Air in Asia, have meant that
anyone can save up and travel to a new country, with prices starting as low as $1.
The paragraph has only one main idea- that air travel is cheap. The author of this paragraph has
stated their main point in the first sentence, then explained what this means and how it relates to
the question and then used a specific example to illustrate their point. This is exactly what the
examiners are looking for and you should try to use the following structure to help you write
your supporting paragraphs:
Explanation (What does your main point mean? Why have you
included it? How does it answer the question?)
Vocabulary
The following can be used to give examples:
For example,
For instance,
such as.
.namely.
You will notice that this is not a very long list. I have intentionally made it short for two reasons.
You are only going to have time to include 2 or 3 examples in Task 2 and you have enough new
vocabulary to learn already without trying to learn ten different ways to say For example,.
Below are some examples to show you how they are used in a sentence:
For example, thousands of Palestinians and Israelis have joined the same online groups that
show support for peace and solidarity, something that would have been impossible 25 years
ago.
For instance, Cambridge University found in a recent study that 62% of men and women who
paid for an annual gym membership failed to go entirely after just one month.
This is illustrated by the fact that in the United States you must complete four years of higher
education before you can study law.
Many sports brands, such as Adidas and Nike, pay professional athletes million of dollars to
endorse their products.
There are now a few low cost airlines in the UK, namely Ryanair and Easyjet, that offer very
affordable flights.
Governments often ask their citizens their opinion on various issues and you can use this to
support your main points. Lets say you get a question on whether it is better to educate children
in mixed or single-sex schools. You could say:
For instance, a recent poll by the UK Government found that 68% of people who attended
single sex schools would have preferred to have gone to a mixed school.
3. A Newspaper Report
It is also very easy to use newspaper stories to support your view. Say your question asked you to
discuss whether you think violent video games are to blame for rising levels of youth crime.
The New York Times reported in March 2015 that violent crimes committed by under 15 year
olds, such as assault, murder and rape, were linked to playing violent video games.
4. Personal Experience
You can also use experience from your own life to illustrate a point. In general you shouldnt use
personal pronouns in Task 2, but it is fine to do it here. Say you are given a question about
solutions to traffic jams. You could say:
In my local city they have installed bike lanes and places where you can safely park your bike
and this has encouraged thousands of people to stop using cars.
Avoiding Generalisations
So now you know how to structure a paragraph and how to give examples, you now need to
avoid one of the most common mistakes students make when using examples- being too general.
If you look at academic journals or books you will notice that the examples they give are as
specific as possible. This gives your points more authority and strengthens your arguments.
Below we will look at a question asking why women should receive equal pay. Our main point is
that women achieve higher grades than men at university.
Lets look at three examples:
1. For example, women achieve more than men at university.
This is a very general statement and does not really support our main point and because it is so
general, it sounds like we are just repeating the main point again.
2. For instance, most women on my university course did better than men.
This is a little better because the author has been a little more specific about which university and
which course, but there are no details so it is still a little vague.
3. For example, at Queens University in 2009 32% of female law graduates achieved First
Class Honours , while only 8% of males achieved the same.
This is a very specific example because it includes a time, place and specific numbers. Think
about it this way, if you were arguing with someone about this point and they gave you one of
the three examples above, which one would you accept? By being as specific as possible we can
add weight to our argument and give a more academic answer.
You can make your example more specific by adding:
dates
place/business/university names
names of people
statistics
13,40,000 children below 5 die in a year, that is 3671 under 5 child deaths per day.
Nearly half of all child deaths under 5 in India are attributed to under nutrition.
More than half (56%) of the under 5 deaths occur within the first 28 days of life, we work to
India accounts for more than 3 out of 10 stunted children in the world.
47% of the women in India are married when they are a child (before the age of 18), and 30%
17.7 million children and adolescents are out of school in India, this is 14% of world's
20% of grade 2 children in India cannot recognize numbers 1-9; 53% of children drop out of
school at elementary level.
49.5% of grade 5 children cannot do subtraction and 55% of grade 8 children cannot solve 3
digits by 1 digit division problem; 51.09% of grade 5 children cannot read grade 2 English
and 25.4% children of grade 8 cannot read grade 2 text.
TECHNOLOGY
Moore's Law states that the computer chips will double in processing power
every 18 months. This has been holding true ever since Gordon Moore came
up with his law about three decades ago. Moore is one of the founders of
Intel. Eventually the laws of physics will bring an end to Moore's Law, new
chip manufacturing techniques will postpone this fact until well into the next
century. Who knows what will be invented then to prolong Moore's Law.
Animals
JUVENILES
DELINQUENCY
Between two-thirds and three-quarters of all offences committed by young people
are committed by members of gangs or groups, which can vary from highly
structured criminal organizations to less structured street gangs. Even those young
people who commit offences alone are likely to be associated with groups.
MEDICAL
4. Heart Disease Deaths Drop by 40 Percent in last ten years
Never write any new ideas in your conclusion. A conclusion should always simply
restate the ideas you have in the rest of the essay. New ideas should be in the main
body and not in the conclusion.
Make sure you answer the question in the conclusion. The conclusion should state
what you think about the question and make it clear how you feel about the issue.
Vary your language. Just because you are restating the ideas you have in the rest of
your essay, doesnt mean you use the same language. Instead you show the examiner
you have a wide vocabulary by paraphrasing.
Dont try to include everything. You are not required to go into detail, you have already
done that in your main body paragraphs. Instead you will just summarise your main
points.
Always write one. It is very difficult to get a good score in task 2 if you havent finished
your essay with a conclusion. Even if you are running out of time, make sure you write
one.
Linking Phrases
First you should start with a linking phrase, but some are better than others . Here are
some examples:
Finally
In a nutshell
In general
In conclusion
To conclude
In snapshot
Finally isnt really suitable because it indicates that you are making a final point and therefore a
new idea. Finally belongs in the main body of your essay, not the conclusion.
In a nutshell is too informal and we should never use it in IELTS conclusions.
In general tells the reader you are going to talk generally about a topic. This is not what we are
going to do in our conclusion and we should therefore not use it.
(All other linking phrases that are mentioned above you can use to start your conclusion. They
tell the reader exactly what the paragraph is about and they are formal.)
Luckily we have already stated our main points in the introduction, so all we have to do
is look back at the conclusion and paraphrase this.Lets look at some examples:
Introduction
It is argued that students should be taught real life skills, like how to look after
money. This essay agrees that they should be part of the curriculum.
The essay will first discuss how everyday competencies benefit people later in
life and then talk about the dangers of not being taught how to manage money at
an early age.
It is an effective introduction by doing three things:
Stating my opinion
Outlining what I will talk about in the rest of the essay or in other words, the main
points Im using to support my opinion.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this essay supports the idea that teenagers ought to be taught
functional subjects like financial planning because it helps them in adulthood
and a lack of education related to these topics can have serious consequences.
So all opinion is restated in this conclusion and main supporting points are included.
However, simple words are not used and synonyms and paraphrasing are used to
vary the language.
Here are the paraphrases
This essay supports- This essay agrees
should- ought to
students- teenagers
Introduction
Contemporary advances have a serious effect on the planet. While I appreciate that critics may
hope that people will shun the latest developments, I believe that technology itself can give us
an answer. This essay will first discuss how not using electronics is unfeasible, followed by a
discussion of how science is now coming up with ways to reverse global warming and pollution.
This introduction does three basic things:
Paraphrases the question
States opinion
Outlines what the essay will discuss
Conclusion
In conclusion, this essay acknowledges that technological progress does jeopardise the
planet, but cutting-edge discoveries can actually halt and even heal this destruction.
Model Answer
Nowadays, crime rates is accelerating day-by-day according to many surveys. To rein this
situation, there should be a mechanism in place like jail for lifetime and death penalty based
upon the crime severity. Government should enforce such laws to create a high alert around the
society and endorse a secure ruling to its people.
Many incidents are the best example for imbalanced society values in the recent days. Those
are like killing own mother or planned to murder best friend due to immaturity. If there is no
mechanism to stop such kind of incidents would severely impact the society livelihood. Hence,
capital punishment is mandatory to implicate a fear among the people who create such violence
and which ensures the peaceful life among communities.
In fact, I believe death penalty is the only way to punish the criminals as they commit serious
crimes which directly aid in controlling the violence at least to some extent. For instance,
recently group of five men brutally raped and murdered a woman in the broad daylight. Due to
that, high court had punished death penalty to that group which has created a sensation as the
capital punishment is very rare in my country and social volunteers said crime rate is gradually
decreasing after that incident. Thus, violence is effectively controlled if the capital punishment is
endorsed within a society.
In some society, the crime is so violent and severer that the government and the law enforcing
authority have to handle that strictly. As a result they do not have any alternative other than
imposing capital punishment. Capital punishment gives a message that, you wont be given any
second chance if you commit a serious crime like murdering someone. This message is strongly
needed in some society to control the crime rate. Without capital punishment, you cant ensure
that the same criminal wont commit the crime again. You cant actually control the crime and
severe law breaking with the minor punishment in all of the countries. The theme that someone
who murdered another human will regret someday and after few years would lead a dignified
and free life when the relatives and family members of the victim would remorse forever. What
punishment you have in plan if someone is a psychopathic killer and is out of redemption? Minor
punishment and reformation facility? This does not just make sense.
To summarize, capital punishment is important to bring down the crime ratio and to also provide
the secured life. Otherwise, ambience in the society will disturb which is not recommended for
the common man. Hence, it is advisable to imply such punishment which leads peaceful life with
less violence in these days and also in the future.
Comic
Books
Radio
Television
Film
Theater
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Model Answer
In our daily life, we communicate information through lots of different media like: internet,
television, radio, books, cell phone, film etc. We are living in such a time when information is
one of the most important issues and the information technologies as well as the communication
media greatly influence our lives. The rapid-growing websites and TV channels are many of few
little examples how media are spreading to make information easily accessible. All the media for
information interchange have advantages and disadvantages and not all can attract all types of
audiences. Comics, books, radios, televisions, film and theater are all very powerful media for
communicating information. In my opinion books, televisions and film among those
aforementioned six media are most effective.
Books are the witness of history and the main source from which we gain knowledge. From very
ancient period till now books are working as the light-house for our society. In our early age, we
gather most of our knowledge, skills from books. It opens new horizons in front of us. The writer
writes down their experiences, imaginations, knowledge, explanation etc. about each and every
issue of our lives. Books are the long lasting protocol to make a bridge among writers and
readers.
However, all are not happy to read books. They expect something easier and more vivid. Music,
radios, films etc. are more appealing to them. Television is another powerful media. Watching
television is a part of our daily lives. Most of the people who have a TV set, watch programs,
news etc. with apt attention. It is a strong medium for Government and other organizations to
send their messages to the mass population. Program representatives also broad cast the
people's view and opinions about different controversial issues in TV programs. However, this
medium has lots of demerits and bad impacts. Government and politically biased organizations
often send negative and misleading news. Again young people watch different satellite channels
and try to adopt the alien culture which is really harmful for the culture and tradition of a country.
Films are audio-visual representation and can catch the attention of people from different
geographical locations, races and cultures. A good film can shape someone's morality and
doctrine and the film-makers with their huge amount of money, are so careful to make their films
realistic and eye-absorbing. Every film has a direct or potential message or moral. On the
contrary, some films also bring a wrong message to us. For example, protagonists are always
smoking in the films and it seems that smoking is a good and smart habit. It causes many
younger people imitate them smoking.
In conclusion, I would like to some up that books, televisions and films are the most powerful
and effective medias for communicating information
together and calm down if there are any frictions between the countries. Also, this will have a
positive impact on the economy of both countries.
Model Answer
I agree with the viewpoint that advertising anchorages us to buy things that we really do not
need. Another word for advertisement is a tool of marketing strategy. To introduce their
product or services or to promote their product or services this advertisement will highly useful.
If we have never seen an advertisement of a product and first time see that product in the
market, we never want to buy. That is, we do not like to just try. If we have already seen that
product in the advertisement, we may want to buy it and see how it works. That is by seeing an
advertisement over and over again, we indirectly become familiar with that product before we
buy and use it. To make us familiar with the products, the product owners make sure we watch
their advertisements again and again.
In the advertisement, they show only the advantages of the product. That is an advantage for
the marketers, but a disadvantage for the customers. While the marketing people encourage us
to buy the things, we need to identify its disadvantages only after experiencing the product or
services.
Some products are really essential for our life while some are not at all essential. Sometimes we
purchase products that are optional for us. We may experience a new detergent powder since it
was telecasted several times. This is the insisting part of advertisements on customers mind.
Each customer is different. All are not same. Same product will not convince all the public.
Some products target children, kinder joy, chocolates, toys, cartoon products and etc. Even
though parents know that a product is not good for their children, but they are insisted in buying
the product by the children. Children get attracted to a product after they see the advertisement
on television. Finally, I would conclude, that advertising encourages us to buy things that we
really do not need.
For the past few decades, planet earth is observing a significant rise in world
population which is very alarming. Substantial increase in population is also causing
problems in growing countries. This essay will explain some of the problems caused
by over population and will recommend few possible remedies to overcome this
issue.
The very first problem caused by over population is in providing basic necessities of
life to inhabitants. Governments finds it very hard to provide adequate food and
water to residents, provide quality educational services and faces problems in
facilitating proper health services both in urban and rural areas. For instance, in
India more than 70% people lives below the poverty line. Moreover, overpopulation
destroys the ecosystem of the society.
Another cause due to increase in population is that governments and administrators
of the emergent countries fails to arrange proper public services. This includes
logistics, mass transit system, power generation and arranging housing for people
in overcrowded cities. For instance, people in Pakistan are facing crisis in energy
sector and public transport system due to overpopulation. This also gives rise to
unemployment which results in increased crime rate.
There are few remedies to over this acute problem. One of them is through having
awareness programs for families to control birth rate. For instance, family health
workers in Sindh created a huge impact in rural areas by educating families about
the issues caused by overpopulation. Government should also put in place strong
policies and high tax rate on families having more than two children
To conclude, overpopulation causes problem in health, academic and other public
services domain and place huge burden on the government. If the problem
continues to grow without having proper control of it, many more people will die due
to starvation in poor countries and life in growing countries will become increasingly
difficult.
7.Opinion
Children should never be educated at home by their parents. What is your opinion?
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Model Answer
In most countries children attend school and only in rare cases are educated by their parents in
a home schooling situation. While I accept that this might work well for some families, I
believe that a school can generally provide children with a better education.
In my view, the most important point is to ensure the overall quality of education for all students.
Not only is it impractical for working parents to find sufficient time to teach their children, but
they are not pedagogical and subject experts like teachers are. Additionally, in a school a given
curriculum and regular tests ensure children learn all the required skills. Parents might be more
biased when judging their own childrens skills.
Furthermore, a school can provide equal opportunities to all children in getting a solid education
and a balanced view of the world. Some parents might be excellent at teaching, while others are
less ambitious or unfairly disadvantage some children. Similarly, children with special
education needs, like being dyslexic, may need the help of an expert more easily available at a
school. Finally, some parents have extreme or political views and leaving education to them
would deprive children of the chance to explore different views. Children must be given the
chance to form their own opinion.
Another important consideration is that attending a school is a social learning experience. When
being home schooled, children miss out on having to find their place in a group of peers, an
important learning experience for their future. Despite the fact that parents are important role
models for their children, teachers can play a crucial role in helping children explore their talents
and interests.
In conclusion, while I think parents play a major role in their childrens education, schools have
overall proven themselves to provide the better and more balanced education.
BUSINESS
VOCABULARY
Advertising
Word
Meaning
advertisement
AIDA
billboard
campaign
circulation
classified ads
commercial
eye-catcher
generic advertising
Hype
Jingle
Launch
mass media
promote
Slogan
Sound bite
Tabloid
U.S.P.
IDIOM
ASAP
blue collar
call it a day
cut-throat
easy come,
easy go
loophole
lose-lose
situation (or nowin situation)
pink slip
put all one's
eggs in one
basket
red tape
round-the-clock
uphill battle
white collar
We have round-the-clock
production at all our manufacturing
facilities.
Winning the election is going to be
an uphill battle. He doesn't have
much support at the moment.
There are mostly manufacturing
positions here. There aren't many
white-collar jobs.
win-win situation
position, or place.
A "win-win situation" is a situation
where everyone involved gains
something.
Model Answer:
Some people say that advertising encourages us to buy things that we really do
not need. Others say that advertisements tell us about new products that may
improve our lives.
Which viewpoint do you agree with?
I agree with the viewpoint that advertising anchorages us to buy things that we really do not
need. Another word for advertisement is a tool of marketing strategy. To introduce their
product or services or to promote their product or services this advertisement will highly useful.
If we have never seen an advertisement of a product and first time see that product in the
market, we never want to buy. That is, we do not like to just try. If we have already seen that
product in the advertisement, we may want to buy it and see how it works. That is by seeing an
advertisement over and over again, we indirectly become familiar with that product before we
buy and use it. To make us familiar with the products, the product owners make sure we watch
their advertisements again and again.
In the advertisement, they show only the advantages of the product. That is an advantage for
the marketers, but a disadvantage for the customers. While the marketing people encourage us
to buy the things, we need to identify its disadvantages only after experiencing the product or
services.
Some products are really essential for our life while some are not at all essential. Sometimes we
purchase products that are optional for us. We may experience a new detergent powder since it
was telecasted several times. This is the insisting part of advertisements on customers mind.
Each customer is different. All are not same. Same product will not convince all the public.
Some products target children, kinder joy, chocolates, toys, cartoon products and etc. Even
though parents know that a product is not good for their children, but they are insisted in buying
the product by the children. Children get attracted to a product after they see the advertisement
on television. Finally, I would conclude, that advertising encourages us to buy things that we
really do not need.
Food
vocabulary
fussy eater: someone who is very picky about the food and doesn't eat
everything. My husband is a fussy eater, and he's never pleased with my
cooking.
Italian cuisine: traditional Italian food. You can also say French cuisine,
Russian cuisine, Chinese cuisine and so on. I adore pasta, pizza and Italian
cuisine in general.
ready meal: a meal that you buy already cooked, which only requires
reheating to be eaten. I had no desire to cook, so I bought a ready meal in a
nearby supermarket.
restrain one's hunger: to avoid eating when you really want to. Usually
practiced during diets. John couldn't restrain his hunger anymore and went
to the nearest fast-food restaurant.
slap-up meal: a quick and fatty meal. To slap up means to cook something
very quickly. I feel like making a slap-up meal tonight.
to grab a bite to eat: to eat something quickly. I won't eat the whole cake,
just let me grab a bite to eat.
to have a sweet tooth: to enjoy eating sweet food. Dave eats candy all the
time. He must have a sweet tooth.
to tuck into: to eat something greedily and with pleasure. After not eating
the whole day, he tucked into the ham like a savage.
to wine and dine: to banquet, to "entertain with good food". If you wine
and dine someone, you usually take him out to dinner at a fancy restaurant.
The company wined and dined us, hoping to convince us we should accept
the job.
Food Idioms:
Bite the hand that feeds you - Act badly to someone who
helps you
Sample answer
Recent research shows that the consumption of junk food is a major factor in poor
diet and this is detrimental to health. Some people believe that better health
education is the answer to this problem but others disagree. What is your opinion?
A serious concern nowadays is how our eating habits can affect our health. In particular, it has
been demonstrated that eating too much junk food can lead to health issues later in life. One
sensible suggestion for dealing this is to improve the level of health education so that we eat
better and live longer. My belief though is this would not completely solve the problem.
One reason why focusing on health education is an appropriate measure is that it addresses
one underlying cause of the problem. It is clear that there is a connection between what people
know about nutrition and their eating habits. For example, children who have learned in school
about the need to have a varied diet with plenty of vitamins tend to eat more healthily. In
contrast, people who have not had this education still eat too much junk food and as a result
suffer from diabetes and other diseases.
Better health education, however, is not a complete answer as it ignores the wider social factors
that cause people to eat unhealthily. For instance, many people eat fast food because they have
a lifestyle that means they do not have time to sit down to a proper meal. Again, other people
might eat burgers and pizzas because they are seen to be cool and they want to impress their
peers.
There would not appear to be any simple way to deal with these social factors. A difficulty is that
it is very hard for governments to make a difference to the individual choices people make. It
might help, however, to ban advertisements for unhealthy foods on television and to require
companies to provide proper meal facilities for their employees.
My conclusion is that the government certainly ought to introduce measures to improve the level
of health education. However, this probably would not be a perfect solution as it would also be
necessary to deal with the other social factors that cause unhealthy
DRUG
ABUSE
VOCABULARYsynonyms
Drugs Idioms
"a bitter pill to swallow"
an unpleasant fact, disappointment, or humiliation that is difficult to endure
Model Answer
People in all modern societies use drugs, but todays youth are experimenting with both legal
and illegal drugs, and at an early age. Some sociologists claim that parents and other members
of society often set a bad example. Discuss the cause and effects of widespread drug abuse by
young people. Make any recommendations you feel are necessary to help fight youth drug
abuse.
It is a fact that most people in this modern era consume drugs either because doctors prescribe
them or they take the medicines themselves. But it is noticed that the young people are
consuming both legal and illegal drugs from an early age and this is indeed a concerning issue
in today's society. Some experts believe that it is the fault of the parents and others members of
communities that shows an inappropriate example. Easy access of drugs is another problem
that accelerates the depth of this concerning issue. The following essay will discuss about the
causes, effects and solutions that can be considered to resolve the issue.
For a number of reasons, many young generations are using legal and illegal drugs nowadays.
Firstly, many teenagers are taking drugs due to the fact that they want relieved from the family
problems. One of the examples is that their parents' marriage might not be working out well and
could be in a divorce stage. These teens are stressed out with bad family condition and the way
to release it for them is to consume drugs. Secondly, many young people are using drugs
because they live in an unsafe neighborhood. They live in a society where as most of the adults
are consuming drugs and drug dealers are moving around in the area. They could be friends
with drug users and dealers, and in the end they will also consume the drugs. Curiosity and lack
of proper guideline are the two other reasons many young decline towards drug use. Most
interestingly in many modern societies abusing drugs has become a fashion trend and many
young simply follow this trend and as a consequence get trapped. Easy access to drugs in
many countries and lack of monitoring by the authority lead to drug abuse by many young.
Many young people are abusing drugs and this results in serious problems. One of the effects is
that these drugs are affecting their brain and mental conditions. Without consuming the drugs,
they cannot think clearly and they would act like a paranoid without proper care. Another serious
effect is that some of these young people might not have enough money to purchase the drug,
but as they are addicted to it, they would do anything to get it. They might steal things, become
a thief or even rob a store. The overall impact of this in a society is quite dangerous and the
young who are meant to lead the society in the future are simply destroying their potential.
There are several things that people and government could do to resolve the issue. The
government could make a campaign about how to raise young people and how to maintain
marriage. These campaigns must be socialized to all family, and shows the impact of a bad
marriage to young people. And then the government should also give more attention to high
crime areas. Drug dealers must be arrested and drug users must be punished and sentenced to
jail. By implementing these solutions, it is hoped that it will reduce the number of young people
who consume drugs.
CHILD LABOR
vocabulary
Child Labor - The employment of children below a certain age, this employment is considered to be illegal
the nation the age may change but the concept is still the same, abuse and manipulation of children for che
Industrial Revolution - when a non modernized nation begins to export a great deal of goods, this causes
country to industries such as textiles and steel in cities. This brings economic growth to the nation but also
creates the need for child labor in many industries.
Domestic Labor - Menial tasks completed by low paid temporary workers who do chores around the emplo
complete domestic labor and are treated much like servants or slaves by their employer.
Servitude - When one's life is pre determined, their actions are regulated and experience little to none free
labor.
Child Labor Law - A federal law that regulates the age at which a child is able to begin working or earn a jo
to nation, it also protects children from working under harmful conditions.
Third World Country - A nation whose society has a large gap between rich and poor, the middle class is a
world nations face child labor issues because of the lower class' desperate need for work and capital, this fo
children in dangerous conditions in order to survive.
Off-shoring - The movement aspects of a business to foreign nations due to lower wages. A business will
nations with common child labor in order to exploit the low wages and increase profits. This action is one o
today.
Sweatshop - An unhealthy factory where employees work under inhumane hours and conditions. Most chi
sweatshops due to their low expense, these factories can cause health problems later on in life.
Supply and Demand - An economic term referring to the global markets reaction to the consumers desires
product, that company must supply it if they wish to make a profit. Many businesses make more profits by p
products with cheap child labor, the less that it costs to make the product the less the cost will be and the m
Coal Breakers - a machine or person for breaking mined coal into smaller
pieces. Also, the place where coal is broken
Cotton mill - a building or collection of buildings with machinery for
manufacturing cotton into products or the raw materials to make
Indus tries - a department or branch of a craft, art, business, or
manufacture; especially: one that employs a large personnel and capital
especially in manufacturing
Manufacturer - an employer of workers who make products
Mill - a building or collection of buildings with machinery for manufacturing
cotton products
Newsstand a street shop where newspapers are sold
Prohibit to forbid by authority; to prevent from doing something
Regulate - to bring under the control of law Seam of
Survival - continuation of life or existence
Vendor a person who sells things or services
Idioms
Labour of love: A labour of love is a project or task undertaking for the interest or
pleasure in doing it rather than the reward, financial or otherwise.
Lap of the gods: If something is in the lap of the gods, it is beyond our control
and fate will decide the outcome.
Laugh a minute: Someone who is a laugh a minute is very funny.
Lay down the law: If someone lays down the law, they tell people what to do and
are authoritarian.
Learn the ropes: If you are learning the ropes, you are learning how to do
something.
Left in the dark: If you are left in the dark about something, you aren't given the
information that you should have.
Lend an ear: If you lend an ear, you listen to what someone has to say. ('Lend
your ear' is an alternative form.)
Leopard can't change its spots: This idiom means that people cannot change
basic aspects of their character, especially negative ones. ("A leopard doesn't
change its spots" is also used.)
Luck of the draw: To have the 'Luck of the draw' is to win something in a
competition where the winner is chosen purely by chance.
Sample Answer
In many countries children are engaged in some kind of paid work. Some
people regard this as completely wrong, while others consider it as
valuable work experience, important for learning and taking responsibility.
What are your opinions in this issue?
In the last few years life has become really tough for many people and because of the ever
increasing living expenses some people send their children to earn to lessen the load. In some
cases, children of fatherless families have no other choice but to start working for living and
supporting the family.
In fact, children's going to work has become a very common issue that has been discussed by
many human rights organizations. In my opinion, the young children must be brought up on to
be responsible and be able to face the difficulties of life and hence they should start working
from the early ages.
I strongly recommend the tradition of working of children who are not intending to participate in
academic institutions, those who want to work in trade and business, carpentry, blacksmithing or
any other craft related jobs. It's very useful to be engaged in paid work from the early age as it
would increase the skill and experience they need to run a successful business. Imagine that a
young child whose parents want him to the run the family business as a blacksmith and send
him to school to have good education, and cant support the expense, would actually do more
harm than good to the children. Eventually he would become more frustrated and wont be able
to run the business the way he should have been.
So why go to school and university if your parents cant afford it? In my belief, it's less expensive
and more effective to learn this craft works from the young age by going to learn and work
practically, and that of course will give him valuable experience. On the other hand, working
from the early age teaches people to become more responsible and practical. We might go
against the idea of child labour in first world country but the scenarios in a third world country is
completely different. In those countries there are thousands of families where children are the
primary earner. The country cant ensure the education and living of these families and hence
they do not have the right to abolish the early childhood working trends.
However, I am not with the idea of children's work in all the circumstances, but in certain
situations as I have illustrated. If the child is looking forward to having a good profession in a
large organization, I don't think that going to early work is a good idea.
Sports
vocabulary
to get into shape: to become fit. Paul started training in gym because he
wanted to get into shape.
to take up doing smth: to start doing something new (usually sport).I took
up dancing last week.
workout : session of exercises in gym. You can do a workout for chest, for
legs, for losing weight etc. My trainer suggested me a workout for abdominal
muscles.
Collocations
1. Totake up exercise: to start doing exercise
say Im going to take up exercise all the time, but I always find an excuse to delay.
2. To train hard: to train with a lot of effort
An athletic has to train hard to achieve their goal.
3. A big/huge/massive fan of: supporter or admirer who really like something
I am a huge fan of football, and my favorite club is Real Marid.
to warm up
To cool down
To join in
To give up
To surrender/quit
To drop out
To knock someone To beat someone in competition so they are no longer in it /To hit someone in a boxing match so
out
that they become unconscious
To bulk up
To work out
To do exercise routines/sessions
Sport idioms
Fresh as a daisy
Someone who is lively and attractive, in a clean, fresh way.
My sister has been travelling for almost 24 hours, and shes still as fresh as a daisy.
Couch potato
Spending too much time on the internet or watching TV.
My uncle is such a couch potato! He often spends his Saturdays watching America football on
TV.
Full of beans
A person who is lively, active and healthy.
My 6 year old nephew is full of beans! He has more energy than three adults.
A bad egg
Someone who is untrustworthy.
Hey, Sue, I think your neighbour is a bad egg. He has these scary looking guys in black leather
hanging around his place all the time.
Down to earth
Someone who is practical and realistic.
My aunt Karen is so down to earth. She can figure out any difficult situation, and offer a good
solution.
Eager beaver
A person who is hardworking and enthusiastic
My colleague drives me crazy! She is such an eager beaver that she always volunteers for
overtime.
Get a head start
Start before all others.
Lets get up early tomorrow to get a head start on our drive to Toronto.
Give it my best shot
Try your hardest.
This test question is really tough! Ill give it my best shot, and Ill get some marks for doing my
best.
Model Answer
Successful sports professionals can earn a great de1al more money than
people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully
justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both these views and give
your own opinion.
Star athletes like LeBron James, Tiger Woods, and Manny Pacquiao
receive multi-million dollar contracts which are exponentially more
than what other important professionals are paid. This has led to
controversy over whether this is justified and fair. Although I can
understand why some people feel this is unfair,1 I feel professional
athletes are justified in receiving this pay.
No one can deny that there are many people who provide much
more meaningful services that directly help or impact individuals
and communities. People such as teachers, caregivers and
healthcare workers affect so many people by making their lives
better and comfortable. Despite their hard work and valuable
service, they unfortunately arent paid the same exorbitant wages
as sport professionals, which seems unfair.
On the other hand, salary unfortunately does not always reflect the
importance, need or value of a job. In fact, salary more often
reflects how much money the employer or the business can pay.
Professional athletes are part of the billion-dollar sports and
entertainment industry that plays a large part in the economy. A lot
of consumers choose to pay money for pro sports and related
products, so the team owners have the money to pay these players
huge sums. Therefore, its justified that these players get their
share of the profits. To put this in perspective, elderly adults who
need caregivers do not have a lot of money to pay their caregivers,
and so caregivers earn little.
I
Animals Life
Vocabulary
Algae - simple green water plant which often covers rocks, sticks and other
plants with a slimy coating or strands
Altricial - animals born with their eyes closed, weak, naked, and helpless
Annual - a plant that lives only one year
Aquatic - living in water
Arboreal - living in tree
BSasal rosette - a circular ground level ring of leaves on a plant
Brood - group of young hatched at the same time, or the act of sitting on
eggs in order to hatch them
Cavity nester - animal that uses or builds a nest in a hollow area of a tree
or earthen bank
Cold-blooded - animal whose body temperature is the same as, or nearly
the same as, the animal's surroundings
Diurnal - active during the daytime
Diversity - wide variety of plants and/or animals occurring in one place
Evergreen - a plant that keeps its leaves all year long
Forage - search for food
Graminivore - seed or grain eating animal
Habitat - place where an animal or plant naturally lives or grows
tInsectivore - insect eating animal
Layering - masses of vegetation consisting of distinctly different levels, i.e.
grasses, shrubs and trees
adaptation
Camouflage
counter shading
Extinct
Habitat
Herbivore
Carnivore
Omnivore
Predator
Prey
Invertebrate
Vertebrate
Meaning
conservation
effort noun
ecosystem noun
endangered
species noun
environmentalistnoun
extinction noun
global warmingnoun
Reforestationnoun
Vulnerableadjective
wildlife noun
Idioms
SAMPLE ANSWER
Wild animals have no use in the 21st century and trying to preserve
animals now is just wastage of money.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
You should write at least 250 words.
Since the explosion of population, humans have taken a large amount of space and resource on
earth. Some social scientists are convinced that it is pointless to spend money on preserving
wild animals, as it might not have sufficient places for them to survive in the 21st century.
Personally, I am inclined to the view that we should give priority to protecting wild animals over
any other things.
First and foremost, it is absurd to argue that it is not necessary to protect the wild animals. They
play an essential role on earth and we get together to share the world. If they were extinct in the
world, it would break the balance of ecosystem. For instance, it is common to see that if we over
hunted sparrows, pests would cause severe disasters in agriculture field. As a result, without
preserving animals, the living environment of mankind would suffer more challenges.
In addition, I strongly believe that there are still a plenty of room for wild animals to live in the
world. More specifically, there are many environments are not suitable for people to live, while
those places are animals ideal paradise. Moreover, if humans protected animals
habitatsthey can create better environment for us. For example, rainforest could produce
oxygen, absorb the carbon dioxide and make climate stability.
On the other hand, the opponents may argue that it is not necessary to prevent the wild
animals. However, this view does not seem justifiable because it fails to take into account the
validity of the two reasons noted above.
In conclusion, after all the above factors considered, it could be argue that protecting the
ecosystem and the letting us having more comfortable environment are the main reasons of the
wild animals' conservation. It is better to live side by side with wild animals and make our life
peaceful and stability.
Media
Vocabulary
BIAS
CREDIBLE
EDITOR
EDITORIAL
ETHICAL
EYEWITNESS
a person who sees an occurrence with his own eyes and is able to
give a firsthand account of it
INTEGRITY
JOURNALIST
the MEDIA
NEWS
SERVICES
news companies that have their own reporters. They sell their
articles to the media. The Associated Press (AP) is the top news
service used in the U.S. United Press International (UPI), Reuters
and Agence France-Presse (AFP) are also used by the media.
OMBUDSMAN
/
PUBLIC
EDITOR
PLAGIARIZE
the PRESS
all the media and agencies that print, broadcast, or gather and
transmit news
Journalist
A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices journalism, the
gathering and dissemination of information about current events, trends, issues, and people
while striving for non-bias viewpoint.
Reporters are one type of journalist. They create reports as a profession for broadcast or
publication in mass media such as newspapers, television, radio, magazines, documentary
film, and the Internet. Reporters find sources for their work, their reports can be either
spoken or written, and they are often expected to report in the most objective and unbiased
way to serve the public good. A columnist is a journalist who writes pieces that appear
regularly in newspapers or magazines.
Mass media
Mass Media includes all the "tools" we have for communicating with large numbers of people
television, radio, film, on-line services, magazines and newspapers. All carry messages that
reach masses of people in contrast to letters, telephone calls and one-to-one conversations
known as interpersonal media.
Media bias
Media bias is a term used to describe a real or perceived bias of journalists and news
producers within the mass media, in the selection of which events will be reported and how
they are covered. The term "media bias" usually refers to a pervasive or widespread bias
contravening the standards of journalism, rather than the perspective of an individual
journalist or article.The direction and degree of media bias in various countries is widely
disputed, although its causes are both practical and theoretical.
Press - "the press"
The media that includes television, radio, newspapers, magazines, wire services, and on-line
services, among others.
Print media
That portion of the mass media which include newspapers and magazines.
Propaganda
Propaganda is the dissemination of information aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors
of large numbers of people. As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda in
its most basic sense presents information in order to influence its audience. Propaganda often
presents facts selectively (thus lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or gives
loaded messages in order to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the
information presented. The desired result is a change of the cognitive narrative of the subject
in the target audience to further a political agenda.
Trial balloons
Information leaked for the purpose of determining what the political reaction will be.
Tabloids
A tabloid is a newspaper of small format giving the news in condensed form, usually with
illustrated, often sensational material
Yellow journalism
The term used to describe sensational news reporting.
coverage
noun :used about the amount of attention that television, radio, and newspapers give to
something, or the way in which something is reported
the limelight
noun :a situation in which you are getting a lot of interest and attention from
the newspapers, television, etc.
overexposure
noun :a situation in which someone or something appears so much in newspapers,
on television, on the radio, etc. that people lose interest
fanfare
noun:information in newspapers and
on television and radio intended to make people interested in someone or something
saturation coverage
noun :a situation in which every newspaper, television company, etc. is reporting an event
the glare of publicity/the media etc.
noun:attention from newspapers and television, especially when you do not want it
Sample answer
Whoever controls the media also controls opinions
and attitudes of the people and there is little can be done
to rectify this.
To what extend do you agree or disagree?
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with
examples and relevant evidence.
Write at least 250 words.
I
n some countries the media is controlled exclusively by large companies; in other it is the
government that has this control. Often, in war situation, one of the first casualties is the media,
which is seized by one group or another. This gives some support to the idea that the media is a
source of power and control.
Whoever controls the media also has ultimate control over what is published or broadcasted
and what is omitted. They can also add a certain prejudice or bias to their coverage of certain
news stories depending on their own feelings about the matter. This is not a new problem,
although the issue is perhaps more pressing now that the Internet and play-TV have enabled
these messages to be disseminated even further.
However, we should remember that readers have their own ideas and opinions. You can control
what is printed but you cannot control the opinions of your readers. I think the only positive here
is that, nowadays, people seem to be much more cynical about what they read in the press or
hear on the television. In particular, when it comes to the tabloid press, people know that they
have to take what they read with a grain of salt. In other words, they read knowing they may be
being lied to. Perhaps it is even greater concern that we have become so accepting of this form
of censorship.
The only thing that can be done to alter this situation is for the government to regulate the
industry so that there is no longer a monopoly on media ownership. This also means that they
have to allow and support a totally free press, even if this means the government may be
criticised or ridiculed within its pages.
(295 words)
Fat
Overweight
Obesity
Eating Disorder
A mental illness in which people eat far too little or far too much food and are
unhappy with their bodies.
common.
Any substance which plants or animals need in order to live and grow.
Nutrients
A healthy diet should consist of all the essentialnutrients.
This meal is very nutritious.
Diet
It is important to have a healthy diet. People must eat plenty of fruit and
vegetables.
I've been on a diet now for four weeks, and I've lost about one kilo.
Overeating
Eating more than your body needs.
A food that is used with other foods in the preparation of a particular dish.
Ingredients
The ingredients of the dish include nuts, raisins, and parsley.
A condition that makes a person become ill or develop skin or breathing problems
because they have eaten certain foods or been near certain substances.
Allergy
Allergies are becoming more common, and this could be connected to diet.
If I eat nuts, I have an allergic reaction. I cannot breath properly.
Additive
Prevent
To stop something from happening.
Variety
When preparing meals, you need to think aboutvariety and taste as well as
nutritional value.
Appetite
All that exercise has given me an appetite.
A substance in foods such as fruit, vegetables and brown bread, which travels through
the body as waste and helps the contents of the bowels to pass through the body
easily.
Fibre
Regular
Any of a group of natural substances which are necessary in small amounts for
the growth and good health of the body.
Vitamins
Many people take vitamin supplements these days in order to keep their body
healthy.
A disease in which the body cannot control the level of sugar in the blood.
Diabetes
Health
The condition of the body and the degree to which it is free from illness, or the state of being
well.
benefits.
problems.
Health education is very important if we are to prevent illness and reduce medical
costs.
Sweden has one of the best health
_____________________________________________
The population of the country is in good
Lack of exercise can lead to poor
health.
health.
_____________________________________________
He has a very healthy
I have a healthy
diet.
appetite.
Advanced vocabulary
Some useful nouns
Word
addiction
Meaning
the condition of not being unable to stop doing something. Especially
something harmful like drinking alcohol or playing video games.
allergy
anxiety
stress
diagnosis
diet
insomnia
ingredients
obesity
nutrition
physician
treatment
IDIOMS
in bad shape
bag of bones
full of beans
feel blue
If you can eat all sorts of food and drink what you like, without
any indigestion, discomfort or bad effects, it is said that you
have acast-iron stomach.
I don't know how you can eat that spicy food. You
must have a cast-iron stomach.
off colour
dead as a doornail
Sample answer Recent research shows that the consumption of junk food is a major factor in poor
diet and this is detrimental to health. Some people believe that better health
education is the answer to this problem but others disagree. What is your opinion?
A serious concern nowadays is how our eating habits can affect our health. In particular, it has
been demonstrated that eating too much junk food can lead to health issues later in life. One
sensible suggestion for dealing this is to improve the level of health education so that we eat
better and live longer. My belief though is this would not completely solve the problem.
One reason why focussing on health education is an appropriate measure is that it addresses one
underlying cause of the problem. It is clear that there is a connection between what people know
about nutrition and their eating habits. For example, children who have learned in school about
the need to have a varied diet with plenty of vitamins tend to eat more healthily. In contrast,
people who have not had this education still eat too much junk food and as a result suffer from
diabetes and other diseases.
Better health education, however, is not a complete answer as it ignores the wider social factors
that cause people to eat unhealthily. For instance, many people eat fast food because they have a
lifestyle that means they do not have time to sit down to a proper meal. Again, other people
might eat burgers and pizzas because they are seen to be cool and they want to impress their
peers.
There would not appear to be any simple way to deal with these social factors. A difficulty is that
it is very hard for governments to make a difference to the individual choices people make. It
might help, however, to ban advertisements for unhealthy foods on television and to require
companies to provide proper meal facilities for their employees.
My conclusion is that the government certainly ought to introduce measures to improve the
level of health education. However, this probably would not be a perfect solution as it would
also be necessary to deal with the other social factors that cause unhealthy eating.
The Environment
vocabulary
Acid rain: acidic precipitation (rainfall) that causes harm to the environment. It is formed in the
atmosphere when industrial waste gases combine with water.
Animal rights: the natural rights of animals to live free of human dangers and exploitation.
Aqueduct: an artificial channel for transporting water, often in the form of a bridge.
Biodegradable: generally referring to packaging, it means something than can be decomposed
by bacteria or other organisms.
Breeding in captivity: the reproduction of animals in confinement, not in their natural habitats.
CFC gases: (Chlorofluorocarbon) gases that are harmful to the ozone layer in the Earth's
atmosphere.
Condensation: water that has been transformed from a gas to a liquid and appears on a cold
surface.
Conservation: the protection and preservation of the natura environment.
Conservation program: a formalized action plan for protecting or restoring a natural area.
Contaminated: polluted, usually by toxic waste
Decay: to rot or decompose; also, to decline in quality, energy, etc
Drought: the continuous absence of rain, thus causing the land to dry up
Ecosystem: the natural organisms and flora and fauna that constitute and sustain a particular
area.
Emissions: toxic gases from factories and machinery that are then leaked into the atmosphere.
Endangered species: a species of plant or animal that are in danger of becoming extinct.
Erosion: the process of the wearing away of land due to there being little to no vegetation.
Erupt: when a volcano becomes active and begins to eject lava.
Evaporation: the process of a liquid heating up and turning into a gas or vapor.
Extinct: when a plant or animal species ceases to exist entirely.
Fossil fuels: fuel formed naturally over many years from the remains of animals, such as coal,
oil, and natural gas.
Genetically modified: normally related to food, it's when an object's genetic makeup has been
altered.
Global warming: an increase in the temperature of the Earth's atmosphere, which is due to the
greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse effect: the trapping of the sun's heat in the atmosphere caused by greenhouse
gases.
Greenhouse gases: any gas, especially carbon dioxide, which contributes to the greenhouse
effect.
Landslide: when a large amount of land slides down from a mountain or cliff.
Natural resources: materials found in nature which are often exploited for economic gains.
Organic: without chemicals (such as sprays) or other man-made additives.
Organic farming: producing crops without the use of chemical pesticides or herbicides.
Ozone layer: the lower part of the atmosphere which contains a high level of ozone that
absorbs the majority of the sun's ultraviolet rays.
Poaching: the illegal hunting of animals.
Pollute: to contaminate a natural area
Pollution: contamination or toxic bi-products from factories
Preserve: to not develop something so as to be maintained in its existing state.
Species: a group of living organisms that are of the same type and can breed with each other.
Sustainability: maintaining an ecological balance by avoiding the depletion of natural
resources.
Tidal energy: using the energy produced by the changes in ocean tides to generate electrical
power.
Toxic waste: poisonous byproducts of industrial manufacturing.
Underground aquifers: layers of rock or soil that can absorb and retain water.
Wildlife: untamed animals (in their natural habitat).
Wipe out: to completely remove something from a place.
Common Idioms
Definitions
I hate my job so much I cant bare going to work, but if I Having two very bad choices.
quit I dont think I can get another job. Im really stuck /
(note: stuck/caught can be omitted)
caught between a rock and a hard place.
I have to bite my tongue so I dont say what I really
think of him!
possibility
My mother will always go the extra mile to help people. Doing much more than is required when
doing something
MODEL ANSWER:
Some people think that environmental problems are too big for individuals to be
solved, while others think that individuals cannot solve these environmental
problems unless governments make some action.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Environmental problems have dramatically increased over the last few years. Rapid increase in
population and other problems such as pollution, deforestation, global warming etc. have further
exacerbate the situation. Some people argue that these problems are too large to be addressed by
individual being. I believe that it is a mutual responsibility of both individuals and countries to take
pragmatic measures for its solution.
Over population is one of the pivotal reasons that have detrimental effects on the environment. Increase
in population demand more food resources, living space and others basic amenities of life. For instance,
for the sake of accommodation many natural parks and forests have been wiped out to fulfill the need of
living space. This has lead to severe consequences that could damage both for the people and
environment.
Individual efforts can contribute a lot to address the pressing environmental problems. Steps taken in
individual level can be an effective solution for the world. For instance, if the government of a country
takes initiatives to reduce the rubbish produced daily, cant do much. However, if the citizens take effort
from their personal level, the rubbish production could be controlled tremendously. Similarly, if
administration of a country starts planting trees, the effort would not go further without the collaboration of
the individuals.
Pollution is also a great menace to environment. It is not only the reason of environmental problems but
also have dire effects on people. Factories operating within cities emit dangerous smoke and others
harmful toxic, which are enormously affecting people health and making them more susceptible to
diseases. Furthermore, pollution also contributes in global warming. There has been a drastic increase in
temperature around the globe. Which is result is the reason of melting glaciers across the world. These
are no longer national issues and all the governments of the world should work together to address this
pressing problems. That is why prudent decisions are required from the government level and the
ordinary citizens should be encouraged and participate in every way possible to make the world a better
place to live in.
To sum up, I would like to say that environmental problems should be addressed on large scale. Everyone
have to contribute in order to mitigate its vulnerable effects on the world. Even a little effort by an
individual can make a huge difference.
Stress
vocabulary
an anxiety
be irritable
to cope
a confrontation
a psychiatrist
be overwhelming
Idioms
To reach your limits to reach a point where you cannot cope with anything more
To be up to your neck in something to be overwhelmed by something (usually
work).
"A bitter
Source Definition/Translation
A situation or information
[7]
pill"
must be accepted.
"Ace in
the
A hidden or secret
[9]
hole"
"Achilles
weakness in spite of
overall strength.
"Actions
speak
louder
than
they say.
words"
"Add
injury"
strength, or unrevealed
advantage.
' heel"
insult to
[11]
mockery or indignity; to
worsen an unfavorable
situation.
Idiom
Source Definition/Translation
"An arm
and a
leg"
"Apple
of
discord"
"At the
drop of
a hat"
[14]
around
intentionally or to delay
the
bush"
something difficult or
unpleasant.
"Bed of
roses"
family.
Model Answer:
Some people say that computers have made life easier and more convenient.
Other people say that computers have made life more complex and stressful.
What is your opinion?
With the advent of technology and computers, our lives have totally changed. Today, we see
computers being used in every sphere of life; be it, at offices to store massive data; be it, at
colleges to help researches or by housewives to learn new recipes. Though admittedly, use of
computers can also be done in negative ways, but I think there are more pros than cons, and
computers have certainly made lives easier of everyone.
With computers, access to information has become very easy. It is immensely helping financial
institutions, police department and big businesses to store and use data for constructive
purposes. In earlier days, all the business transactional data was in form of files and managing
these files and searching for information was a cumbersome task. Computers have also helped
students in great way. Now, instead of going to teachers, they can browse for information online.
They can find multiple research papers and discussion forum online. For instance, when I was
studying for MBA, I finished my secondary research on internet and read about 100 online
books to complete my thesis. I could study at my own pace and in comfortable home
environment.
Another area where computers have helped us is in communication field. It enables us to keep
in touch with our loved once by means of internet chats, video calls like skype, VOIP, social
networking sites and various applications. Though, I agree, we can contact each other by phone
also, but phone calls are quiet expensive especially international calls, but now we can contact
out family and friends; and often see them without spending extra penny. Emails have
revolutionized the business communication world and aptly made them formal mode of
communication and documentation.
But, in my views, the most significant use of computers have been applied in field of scientific
researches like building satellites, thermal power plants and in defence operation. We can now
predict weather and natural calamities and hence take precautionary steps to save human
lives. Computers have successfully forecasted cyclones like Katrina, Praline, Tsunami etc. and
timely evacuation were made to save thousands of human lives. Similarly, computers also play
vital roles in the military operations; where most of the weapons are controlled by computers
and hence helps in safe guarding the country.
In a nutshell, computers have become crucial part of our lives. It is rightly said that the world is
constantly shrinking and everyone is getting close to each other by use of computers .
TECHNOLOGY
Vocabulary
Progress words
When you write and speak about computers and technology, very often you will be asked to say
how technology has changed or progressed.
Notes
Progress is an uncountable word, while advance is countable. So you say that digital
technology is an advance but you cannot say that digital technology is a progress
Impact words
Another common topic is to talk about what effect computer technology has had on our
lives
Notes
Be careful with the difference between affect (generally a verb) and effect
(generally a noun). Just to confuse you, in English they sound exactly the same.
impact and influence are often used with the preposition on
Technology and computer words
It is very easy to keep on repeating the same word without knowing it. One way not to do
this is to change the form of the word or to use it in a different phrase.
Notes
Be careful with the spelling of technology.
A technophile loves technology and a technophobe hates it. In speaking,
you could use the less formal word geek for technophile, but It would avoid it
writing.There is no great difference between ICT and IT.
Adjectives
Notes
It is normal to use hyphens (-) in adjective phrases such as state-of-the-art when
they are used before nouns (state-of-the-art technology), but you do not always
need them when they are used without a noun (this technology is state of the
art).
obsolete is similar in meaning to outdated, but is a stronger word to show that
the technology is so old that it cannot be used any longer.
It is normal to write high tech rather than high technology.
Device words
This is a rather confusing set of words to describe different kinds of objects.
Notes
A device is often something fairly small that allows you to complete a task. There is a
strong collocation (very common phrase): labour-saving device.
Equipment is an uncountable word so you need to say a piece of equipment. It is a
very general use word that can be used to describe almost anything mechanical.
Gadget is a word often used to describe objects that are either small or have a less
serious purpose.
Appliance is typically used in the phrase electrical appliances (eg irons and kettles)
that are less advanced technology.
Other useful words
This is a selection of other words that may come in useful when discussing technology
Idioms
1. Well-oiled machine - is used to describe something that works very well and effectively.
2. Light years ahead - is used to describe someone who is much more ahead others in career,
in personal development, etc.
3. On the same wavelength - is used to describe people who share the same views and
opinions.
4. Bells and whistles - are exciting extras for electronic devices, however usually they are
useless .
5. Driven by a motor - is used to describe people who are too hyperactive and too proactive.
6. Push the panic button - is used to describe someone who reacts to the situation by being
frightened.
7. Don't push my buttons - is a phrase which is usually said to someone who starts to annoy.
8. Rocket science - is used to describe something which is complicated. Usually used in a
negative meaning.
9. Hit the airwaves - is used to describe situation where person is showed in media and on TV
in order to tell about something or give interview.
10. Hold the wire - is used to tell person not to end the call and wait for the person.
11. Silver surfer - is an elderly person who uses the Internet.
Some examples:
My computer works like a well-oiled machine.
I have no idea why boss promoted her, because I believe you are light years ahead of her.
Many companies promote computer education to elders to increase silver surfers amount in
the country.
All you need to read are only few chapters, to pass the exam is not a rocket science!
I suppose I have never been on the same wavelength with others, all always had other views
than I had.
After eating the chocolate my sister acts like she is driven by a motor.
Model ANSWER
Modern technology with its advantages and disadvantages has changed todays world
enormously. Communication allows people all over the world to stay in contact with each other.
For instance, I can easily exchange e-mails with a good friend of mine who recently had to
move back to her mother country, Malaysia. Furthermore, if I have to make a really important
decision or something is bothering me, I simply have to press the buttons on my mobile phone
in order to ask my parents or a good friend for advice.
Additionally, technology remarkably contributes towards making everyday procedures more
convenient as well as helping to transmit messages rapidly. For example, an appointment that
cannot be met due to an unexpected incident can quickly be cancelled by writing a text
message or, in terms of business, employees can send an e-mail cancelling or postponing a
meeting which will be received within seconds by their business partners.
While improvements in technology are, to a large extent, helpful, they do have a
disadvantageous side to them. The most significant disadvantage is the westernisation
of traditional cultures, which we can see in the growing number of fast food outlets for example.
We can also see this in the way that foreign words are being incorporated into local languages.
On the whole, I agree to a great extent that technology is bringing people closer together and
this can only be a good thing, but the disadvantage is that people may take ideas from other
cultures and forget their own traditions.
(254 words)
FASHION
V O C AB U L AR Y
Garments another word for items of clothes, apparels.
Accessories things (bags, belts or jewellery) that can be added to your outfit to make it more
attractive and stylish.
Lingerie womens underwear, undergarments.
Fashion victim a person who wears popular trends and looks really ridiculous because he/she
ends up looking like a store mannequin.
Catwalk or runway a narrow flat platform, used by models to present designer clothes.
Fashion icon someone or something who is very well known as an example of style and high
fashion.
Must-haves highly essential clothes that you must have in your wardrobe this season.
Clothing must-haves also comprise the essentials of your wardrobe.
Apparel another word for clothes, clothing and garments
I don't think you're wearing the right apparel for a funeral.
High-stepper casually used to describe someone who is very aware or conscious of fashion
and how he/ she looks.
Emma and claire are the top two high-steppers in school!
EXPRESSIONS:
To have a sense of style to know what looks good on you and have your own style and taste.
To be old-fashioned to wear clothes or do something that is no longer in style.
Strike a pose to take a particular posture in order to impress. You can strike a pose for the
camera.
To be dressed to kill wear something with an intention to stand out/impress people and be
noticed.
To have an eye for fashion to have a good taste and know what is in fashion and what is
not.
To strike a pose-to take on a certain position or posture
sebastian struck a pose in front of the mirror as soon as he stepped into the gym.
To strut your stuff-to look good (can also be used to refer to someone who shows what he/she can do or
his/ her talents)
look at how she struts her stuff! No wonder she's so popular.
IDIOMS
1. Au Courant
The term au courant refers to something that is up-to-date and/or reflects
the latest styles and trends.
Example: Fashion magazines are full of glamorous pictures of au courant
clothing and accessories.
2. Avant-Garde
When something is avant-garde, it is very modern and revolutionary.
Example: What one person might describe as avant-garde, another might
find over-the-top and silly.
3. Blast From The Past
The English idiom a blast from the past refers to something that makes you
think of the past.
Example: These polyester jumpsuits are a real blast from the past. My
mother wore similar ones in the 1970s.
4. To Blaze A Trail /To Be A Trailblazer
Someone who blazes a trail, i.e. a trailblazer, is a leader or revolutionary in a
certain field .
Example: Is Lady Gaga a fashion trailblazer?
5. Clothes make the man.
This English idiom implies that people will judge you by your clothes, i.e.
good clothes will make people respect you more.
Example: Why did Sam go to the job interview looking like that? Doesnt he
know that clothes make the man?
6. Fashion Faux Pas
A fashion faux pas is a fashion mistake.
Example: Wearing green and yellow tennis shoes to the wedding was a
fashion faux pas that Bernice will never forget.
7. To Be A Cut Above
Something that is a cut above is superior or better than something else.
Model answer
Nowadays in many countries people are following the latest fashion, hairstyles
and so on. Why are they so influenced by fashion? Is it a positive or a negative
development?
Today fashion has taken a dignified place in youth's consideration. According to their nature,
personality and reckoning occasions, such youngsters implement fashion or hairstyles.
However, a person with beauty in his behavior and knowledge can make a greater impact than
such external decoration.
Nowadays, due to plethora of media, people obtain information about their favourite celebrities'
life style and fashion and simultaneously follow that trend. Some channels
always endeavor in presenting them so eloquently that many people get susceptible to that
way of living. Moreover, for many media this has been their bread and butter and hence very
frequently they post articles about latest scenario of fashion by taking interviews or arranging
fashion shows. Thus, fashion has become a parallel economy.
Furthermore, some youngsters get attention through unique fashion e.g., going under knife
surgeries or body painting like making tattoos or tanning their bodies as well as
do piercing in special parts of the body or with unique hair styling. However, adopting new
fashion has always been used to serve a purpose of getting stand out from the herd of people.
Nevertheless, many legends of society, e.g., business tycoons,
scientists, entrepreneurs and philanthropists earn attention in public or in media because of
their knowledge and versatile salient features of virtues of discipline, and hard working etc.
rather than fashion that hung on them or hairstyle with they appear.
Thus, fashion and hair style and many other grooming skills give merely a momentary
pleasure, as real appreciation or attention can better be achieved through quality of knowledge
and work. E.g., a person in tuxedo can look majestic however his thoughts and ideas indeed
make the iconic person.
IELTS Collocation
What is collocation?
This refers to words (often two or three) that are commonly placed together.
There may be grammatical reasons for this, but there may not be. It may be that through longterm usage, it just sounds correct.
Here is an example of some common verb-noun combinations to illustrate:
To make the bed / money / a noise
To catch a cold / a bus / a fish
To come late / on time / to a decision
To do homework / the shopping / nothing
You can't say 'do the bed' as these words do not collocate together.
University education plays a crucial role in improving the quality of human workforce.
The medical advances have made outstanding contributions to the publics health care.
whoever created this problem should solve it.
The number of the vehicles used is the key factors influencing pollution.
5-To reap the benefits (of sth) gain benefit from something/ make the most of
something
The vaccination program has been a contributing factor in the improvement of health
standards.
14-To
fulfil
a
role/duty/function/
objective/dream/ambition/hope
an
aim/a
goal/an
S officials expect other Western governments to make common cause with them over the
arrests.
20- To cause somebody to do something
Collocations-Interest
Grammar
Some
Example Sentences
Examples
adjective +
interest
considerable
interest
He has a vested interestin the future of
deep interest
the business.
great interest
historical interest
long-term interest
musical interest I have varied musical interests - I like
vested interest
jazz, pop, classical and reggae.
financial interest
business interest
adverb +
interest
greatly interested
deeply interested He is deeply interested in religion.
particularly
interested
really interested
very interested I'm very interested in studying abroad.
quite interested
noun +
interest
interest rate
There are political interest
interest payment groups in my country that want
interest charge
to change the constitution.
interest group
of interest
interest +
preposition
interest among
interest from
interest in
verb +
interest
take an interest
have an interest
show an interest
lose interest
attract interest
generate interest
spark interest
be of interest
maintain interest
share an interest
pay interest
My friends and
I sharemany interests so we get along
very well.
So as you can see, there are many words that are commonly used with 'interest' in different
contexts. If you start to use the wrong words with it, this will be very noticeable.
If you say this, for example, it will be very obvious to the examiner that it is wrong:
I'm completely interested on modern art.
'completely' does not collocate with 'interest' in this sentence, and nor does 'on'. It could
instead be said like this:
I'm particularly interested in modern art.
Someone using sentences like this (consistently of course) would achieve a high band score for
their lexis because they are demonstrating a good understanding of which words should go
together.
Another way to improve your knowledge of what words collocate is reading. The more you read,
the more you will notice which words commonly go together.
Phrasal Verbs
What is a phrasal verb?
Phrasal verbs are verbs plus a preposition or an adverb (or followed by two).
When these two words are put together, they have a different meaning to what each word
means on its own.
Here is an example.
I cant put up with you anymore".
(You probably know that the word put means to place something somewhere, such as I put
the book on the table, and the word up means to in or towards a higher position.)
However, when these words are put together, the meaning completely changes.
To put up with" = to accept someone or something unpleasant in a patient way
Difficulties
It is not this straight forward though. Some phrasal verbs must take an object, and some can be
put either side of the object.
For example, look at this illustration with the phrasal verb let down (= disappointed):
"I felt let down by my friend".
"My friend really let me down".
Another difficulty is that they are verbs, which obviously means they take a tense and will
change according to whether it is past, present or future.
Look at this example with 'break up' (= to end a relationship):
I broke up with my girlfriend last week (= past)
I hope my girlfriend does not break up with me (= present)
I've broken up with my girlfriend (= present perfect)
I think I'm going to break up with my girlfriend (= future)
And also some have more than one meaning:
I've fallen out with my friend= Argue and be on bad terms with someone
I eat a lot of sweets. I hope my teeth don't fall out= Become loose and unattached (usually
hair or teeth)
Phrasal Verb
hang out
Meaning
spend time relaxing (informal)
find out
Discover
To join in
To give up
To drop out
To knock someone
out
To bulk up
To work out
Meaning
Example
abide by
account for
add up
advise against
agree with
allow for
appeal to
To be attractive or
interesting
apply for
back away
back down
back up
To give support or
decision.
black out
block off
blow up
boil down to
boot up
break away
To explode
To get angry
To be summarized as
To start a computer by loading
an operating system or program
To separate from a crowd
break down
program, etc.)
bank on
encouragement
break into
To enter by force
break out
To start suddenly
break out of
break up
bring up
brush up on
bump into
burn out
over-working
call back
call off
To cancel
calm down
carry on
To continue
carry out
To do something as
specified (a plan, an order, a
threat)
animals.
experiment)
check in
To investigate
clam up
To refuse to speak
clamp down on
To find by chance
come forward
To present oneself
count on
cut down on
cut out
deal with
die down
do without
(a hotel)
check out
come across
drag on
draw up
dress up
drop in
something
drop off
drop out
ease off
end in
To deliver someone or
To fall asleep
focus on
To concentrate on something
get at
To imply
get away
To escape
get by
get in
get into (+noun)
To enter
To enter
To remove
end up
fall through
figure out
fill out
find out
get off
To complete (a form/an
application)
To discover or obtain
information
get on
get on with
(something)
get on (well) with
(somebody)
get out
To leave
get out of
get rid of
get together
get up
get over
get over
give in
give up
go through
To experience
hand in
hand out
To distribute
hang out
hang up
grow up
demands.
To wait
To grip tightly
hold on
hurry up
iron out
To resolve by discussion,
eliminate differences
join in
To participate
keep up with
kick off
member of
join up
keep on
leave out
let down
To disappoint
look after
To take care of
look down on
To consider as inferior
look on
To be a spectator at an event
look for
look forward to
look up to
To admire
make fun of
make up
mix up
move in
move out
nod off
To fall asleep
own up
pass away
To die
pass out
To faint
pay back
To reimburse
put off
put on
put out
To extinguish
put up
To accommodate, give
somebody a bed
pick up
To collect somebody
rely on
To indicate/direct attention to
something
To count on, depend on, trust
rule out
To eliminate
point out
run away
run into
set off
To start a journey;
set up
To start a business
shop around
To compare prices
show off
show up
To appear/arrive
shut up
(impolite)
sit down
To take a seat
stand up
stick up for
To defend
take care of
take off
To resemble, in appearance or
character
To look after
To leave the ground
take on
take out
To remove; extract
tell off
To reprimand/criticize severely
think over
To consider
take after
try on
turn down
use up
watch out
wear out
work out
To become unusable
To do physical exercise
To find a solution or
calculate something
wipe off
something.
Weve run out of milk. Ill just pop next door to
borrow some.
Lets set off early to miss the rush hour traffic.
They set up their own company when they were
still in high school.
Dont buy that. Lets shop around and see if we
can find something cheaper.
Hes such a show off. He has to tell everybody
about his new computer.
I dont think shell show up tonight. Her
daughter is sick.
Definitions
Very expensive
I was over the moon when he asked me to marry Extremely pleased or happy
him.
You are taking your IELTS test next week?? Arent Doing or starting something too early
you jumping the gun. Youve only just started
studying.
Very easy
Set 2
Common Idioms
Definitions
I hate my job so much I cant bare going to work, Having two very bad choices.
but if I quit I dont think I can get another job. Im
really stuck / caught between a rock and a hard (note: stuck/caught can be omitted)
place.
Try not to worry about it. Every cloud has a silver Believing that every bad situation has a
lining.
positive side / eventually leads to
something good
It was difficult when I moved to another country but To become comfortable in what you are
I eventuallyfound my feet.
doing
Set 3
Common Idioms
Definitions
I think youve hit the nail on the head. Thats the Say exactly the right thing
reason he didnt get the job.
Have you heard? John down the road has kicked Died
the bucket.
Avoid a conflict
I told him what gift you have bought him for his
birthday. Sorry, I didnt mean to let the cat out of
the bag.
Excessive
Set 4
Common Idioms
Definitions
Joking around
The ball's in your court now. What are you going Telling someone it's now their turn to
to do?
make a decision
Unwell
Set 5
Common Idioms
Definitions
We've had some big disagreements over the years, but Things from the past that are not
its all water under the bridge now. We get on fine.
important anymore
We're really working against the clock now. We must Not having enough time to do
hurry.
something
Why are we bothering? We'reflogging a dead horse. Attempting to continue with something
Our online business is making no money, so we should that is finished / over
move on and do something else.
Good luck
IELTS Grammar
These pages are here to help you with your IELTS grammar, mainly for writing.
However, it can obviously help with your speaking and also with your reading as it is easy to
misunderstand what you have read if you are confused by different sentence structures.
All grammar for IELTS is important, but there are some specific things that are directly related to
IELTS.
The explanations and exercises will highlight these so you can see how they are relevant.
Writing:
Task Achievement / Response
Coherence and Cohesion
Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range and Accuracy Speaking:
Fluency and coherence
Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Pronunciation
The table below shows the two sections on lexis and grammar. These are adapted from the
public band descriptors and show you what the examiner is looking for.
The column on 'grammatical range and accuracy' is exactly as from the public band descriptors,
but the 'lexical resource' column just picks out the parts related to grammar.
Band
Lexical Resource
Sophisticated control of lexical
features; rare minor 'slips' occur
So the pages you'll find here link to explanations and exercises on IELTS grammar to help you
improve your score and your grammar.
This is a new section so there are only two IELTS grammar lessons so far.
Start with this one on sentence clauses.
When you understand these, move on to learn more about sentence structure, specifically
simple, compound and complex sentences.
This lesson then explains in more detail about complex sentences, which are essential to be
able to write correctly for a higher band score.
One type of complex sentence you can learn about here is adverbial clauses.
Sentence Clauses
As you will see from the IELTS writing band descriptors, you need to be able to
write complex sentences in order to score higher for your grammatical range - and write
them correctly so you don't get marked down on your accuracy!
The building blocks of sentences are 'clauses' though, so the first step is understanding these.
For example, a band 4 makes only "rare use of subordinate clauses" according to the public
band descriptors.
This implies you must be making good use of subordinating clauses to get a higher score, so
you need to know first what sentence clauses are.
What is a clause in a sentence?
A clause is a group of words with a (s) subject and a (v) verb.
For example:
We can have two clauses though i.e. two groups of words with a
subject and a verb
Computers are important, but they are dangerous too.
= 1 sentence with 2 clauses.
You'll have noticed then that a sentence is not the same thing as a clause.
A sentence is the group of words that comes between two full-stops and it must be a complete
thought that makes sense.
So sentence clauses are what build a sentence, and one sentence can have a number of
clauses.
What if there is no subject and verb?
If there is no subject or verb in part of the sentence, then this may be a phrase(p)
For example:
(p) In many countries around the world, flooding (S)is becoming (V)more
common.
A phrase is a group of words without a subject and verb (a phrase on its own obviously cannot
be a sentence because every sentence has a subject and a verb!).
Sentence Structure
This page about sentence structure will focus on the differences between simple
sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences and compound-complex
sentences.
You must know how to correctly write these sentence types for IELTS as the examiner
will be looking for them when they grade you for your 'grammatical range'.
Clauses are the buliding blocks of sentences.
So, before you go any further, make sure you understand what clauses are by looking at
the previous lesson.
Sentence Types
There are four types of sentence:
1.
Simple
2.
Compound
3.
Complex
4.
Compound-Complex
1. Simple Sentences
A simple sentence is one clause with a subject and verb.
Computers are important in the modern world.
Formula = SV
However, it can have more than one subject and verb
2 subjects:
Computers and other technological devices are important in the modern world.
Formula = SSV
2 Verbs:
I search for information and play games on my computer.
Formula = SVV
2 subject and 2 verbs:
I and my brother search for information and play games on our computers.
Formula = SSVV
2. Compound Sentences
A compound sentence consists of 2 or 3 clauses. It is when simple sentences are
joined together.
In this sentence structure, the clauses are joined with the following coordinating
conjunctions:
F = for
A = and
N = nor
B = but
O = or
Y = yet
S = so
The word 'fanboys' is an easy way to remember the different conjunctions that make
up compound sentences. Obviously the most common are 'and', 'but', 'or' and 'so'.
Here are some examples of compound sentence structure:
Computers are important, but they can be dangerous too.
Formula = SV but SV
Computers are important, but they can be dangerous too, so we must be careful.
Formula = SV but SV so SV.
Avoid writing too many clauses as the sentence may get difficult to follow, and you
cannot use each one more than once in a sentence to join clauses.
This is wrong:
Computers are used widely in most countries now, and they are a sign of progress, and
we must ensure every ones has access to them.
Incorrect formula = SV and SV and SV. X
Computers are used widely in most countries now, and they are a sign of progress. We
must ensure every ones has access to them.
Computers are used widely in most countries now, and they are a sign of progress, so
must ensure every ones has access to them.
Formula = SV and SV so SV.
Using semicolons
There is an instance when you can have a compound sentence structure without a
coordinating conjuntion, and this is when you join two clauses with a semicolon. It
is used when two ideas are related.
For example:
Computers are used widely in most countires; they are a sign of progress.
3. Complex Sentences
Complex sentences are more complicated (which is maybe why they are called 'complex'!).
This type of sentence structure is important for IELTS because to get awarded a band 6 or higher for your
'grammatical range and accuracy', you need to demonstrate that you are able to use them.
The more varied and the more accurate your complex sentences are, the higher the band
score for this.
There are different types of complex sentences and these will be looked at in more detail later, so here
you are just provided with the basics.
Complex sentences are two (or more) clauses joined together, but they are not
joined by 'fanboys' (coordinating conjuntions). They are joined by
subordinating conjunctions .
as though
because
before
even if
even though
in order to
in case
once
since
so that
though
unless
until
when
whenever
as much as
as soon as
where
if
whenever
that
while
whereas
For example:
People take natural health supplements even though they may not have been tested.
Our children may not be properly educated if we don't spend more on schools.
I went to bed as soon as he left because I was tired.
These are all adverbial clauses. In these types of complex sentence, the second clause can be used
Even though they may not have been tested, people take natural health supplements.
If we don't spend more on schools, our children may not be properly educated.
As soon as he left, I went to bed because I was tired.
Noun clauses and relative clauses are also a type of complex sentence structure.
4. Compound-Complex Sentences
Compound-complex sentences are the same as complex sentences but they also
have a simple (or compound) sentence before or after the 'complex' part.
For example:
I ate a lot when I got home, but I was still hungry.
The part that is underlined is the complex sentence. As you can see, it also has a
simple sentences connected to it. It can also have a full compound sentence
attached to it:
I ate a lot when I got home, but I was still hungry, so I went shopping to buy some
more food.
Adverbial Clauses
In this lesson we will look in more detail at adverbial clauses.
In the table below you can see the most common types of adverbs used to make adverbial
clauses.
You can also see what they are used for and some example sentences.
Conditional Clauses
Expressing a hypothesis or condition, real or imagined
Reason Clauses
To explain why
Purpose Clauses
To show the purpose of doing something
Concession Clauses
To show contrast between two statements, or surprise.
(surprising)
Internet usage increased, while phone usage decreased.*
Whereas you have a lot of time to study, I do not.*
Place
To talk about location of position
2) Commas
Note though that if you switch them around and put the dependent clause first, a comma must
come at the end of the dependent clause:
After I have finished studying
(Comma)
I intend to work abroad after I have finished studying.
(No Comma)
This might seem like a minor point but it is quite important in your writing. Complex sentences
can sometimes get confusing if commas are missing as it can become unclear where one
clause ends and the other begins.
If any of your sentences are confusing, this will definitely reduce your score.
*'While' and 'Whereas' are exceptions to this rule because they do have commas even when
they appear in the middle of the sentence.
3) Meanings
Even though certain adverbs have been grouped together in the adverbial clauses table, this
does not mean that they are all synonyms for each other.
Some you can interchange with each other without changing the meaning. For instance, 'since',
'as' and 'because' all have the same meaning and you can choose which one you want to use.
But some you cannot.
For example, look at these conditional adverbs:
I will go if you go.
I will go unless you go.
The word 'unless' does not work in the second sentence. It has to be changed:
I won't go unless you go.
Now it has the same meaning.
Similarly, 'although', 'even though', and 'though' are all synonyms of each other and can be
interchanged, but 'while' and 'whereas' cannot always be swapped with them.
A Common Mistake
A common mistake with adverbial clauses (and other complex sentences) is to write
fragments.
A fragment is an incomplete sentence:
Examples in Context
Look at this sample essay. The adverbial clauses are bold, with the independent clauses in
bold(and italics) and the dependent clauses bold(and underlined). The adverbs are bold and big
size.
_________________________________________
Some people believe the aim of university education is to help graduates get better jobs.
Others believe there are much wider benefits of university education for both individuals
and society.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
These days, more and more people are making the choice to go to university. While some
people are of the opinion that the only purpose of a university education is to improve job
prospects, others think that society and the individual benefit in much broader ways.
It is certainly true that one of the main aims of university is to secure a better job. The majority
of people want to improve their future career prospects and attending university is one of the
best ways to do this as it increases a persons marketable skills and attractiveness to potential
employers. In addition, further education is very expensive, so most people would not consider
it if it would not provide them with a more secure future and a higher standard of living. Thus job
prospects are very important.
However, there are other benefits for individuals and society. Firstly,the independence of
living away from home is a benefit because it helps the students develop better social
skills and improve as a person. A case in point is that many students will have to leave their
families, live in halls of residence and meet new friends. As a result, their maturity and
confidence will grow enabling them to live more fulfilling lives. Secondly, society will gain from
the contribution that the graduates can make to the economy. We are living in a very
competitive world, so countries need educated people in
Therefore, I believe that although a main aim of university education is to get the best job,
there are clearly further benefits
RELATIVE CLAUSES
Relative Clauses
Relative clauses are a type of complex sentence.
Here are some examples from task 2 essays:
CO2, which damages the ozone layer, comes from several sources, but the most problematic
are those coming from the burning of fossil fuels from power plants.
Email and social networking sites such as Facebook and MSN have created online communities
that are global in scale.
Relative clauses can refer to:
People = who / that
Things = which / that
Places = where
Below are some essential rules about these types of clauses that you must know.
The rules refer to independent and dependent clauses, so make sure you understand these
first.
The
first step is to see that relative clauses help link your writing together this will be excellent for
your coherence and cohesion score as well as your grammar. They help you if you normally write
with a number of short sentences.
Example A
All the grammar and vocabulary here is correct. The sentences do link together but there
are some very short sentences and there is little variety in grammatical structure. Not bad.
Could do better.
A lot of people believe that cities should have more parks. Citizens should be able enjoy the
natural environment better. Currently, many city dwellers have no opportunity to see trees,
plants and birds and have no space to exercise. It is important because they would improve
the quality of their life. For example, both old people and children would benefit from a place
to exercise safely and breathe clean air at the same time.
Example B
This is still not perfect. It is though a good deal better. You should see that the relative
clauses (in blue and red) do three things:
1.
2.
they improve the range of grammar (it is not all and and because now)
3.
A lot of people believe that cities should have more parks which would allow citizens to
enjoy the natural environment better. Currently, many city dwellers have no opportunity to
see trees, plants and birds and have no space to exercise, which is another benefit of open
spaces in urban areas. Both of these are important because they would improve the quality
of life for people who often suffer from not having a pleasant environment. For example,
both old people and children would benefit from a place to exercise safely and breathe clean
air at the same time.
We use relative clauses to combine two bits of information. In that way, they are similar to
words like and or but. They are different though because we use them in two special ways:
1. to define/explain what we are talking about
e.g. I run a website which is designed to help learners of English
here I am explaining what type of website I run this the sentence changes meaning
completely
2. to give more/extra information about something
e.g. My website, which Ive run for 7 years now, is called ABC
here I am just telling you something else I dont need to tell that the website is 7 years old
its extra information
Pronouns
The most basic rule is that we use who for people and that/which for things. That though is
a little too simple as there are differences between the types of relative clause and the type
of pronoun!
Subject pronouns
In extra information relative clauses we have two choices: who for people and which for
things:
In defining relative clauses we can also use that for people (although some dont like this)
and things:
Object pronouns
These are just like subject pronouns that you can use whom instead of who when it
follows a preposition. You dont need whom when there is no preposition and
increasingly we only use it directly after a preposition. You should also note that we can
put the preposition at the end of sentence.
Relative adverbs
These are some of the most useful relatives there are. You should note in particular the
reason why
Punctuation problems
You dont want a comma when you use a defining relative clause.
The city where I live is Cambridge.
You do want commas in extra information relative clauses
Cambridge, where I currently live, is famous for its university.
These commas work like brackets ( ) and the idea is that you can take the relative clause
out and the sentence is complete
Cambridge ( ) is famous for its university.
Note
Sometimes you have a choice whether to put the commas in or not. The same sentence
can be defining something or simply giving more information:
My brother, who lives in London, is an accountant (here Im just saying a little bit more
about my brother)
My brother who lives inn London is an accountant (here Im saying it is my brother who
lives in London that is the accountant, not my brother who lives in New York!)
Avoid a common mistake
One of the more common mistakes with relative clauses is that sometimes people forget
to take out the subject pronoun:
Peter, who I went to school with him, now runs his own business.
We dont want him because we already have whoQuick summary
Defining
can use that instead of who/which as a subject
dont need an object pronoun
no comma
Extra Information
cannot use that instead of who/which as a subject
do need an object pronoun
do need comma(s)
relative clause
relative clause
Dep Clause
Ind Clause
verb (sing)
Noun Clause
A Noun clause is another type of complex sentence that you are likely to use when you
do any form of writing or speaking, so you need to be aware of them for IELTS.
:What is a Noun Clause?
.A group of words (which do what a noun does) with a subject and a verb that can
It is a dependent clause which means it must also have an independent clause, but we
will look at this further when we analyze each type.
Before we look at these in turn, let's look at how this type of clause begins.
why
if
that
when
whether
who
whom
which
what
how
how (adj)
- ever words
wherever
whomeve
whenever whatever
r
whicheve whoever
however however
(adj)
_____________________________________________
Types of Clauses
Now we'll look at the different types. Before we do this, take a look at these noun clause examples (the
whole clause is in bold and the relative or adverb pronoun is in red). Each different type is shown:
How governments are fighting global warming is being scrutinized by the media.
(Subject NC)
Most people believe that obesity cannot be reduced just by reducing calorie intake.
(Direct Object NC)
He talked with whichever person arrived first.
(Object of Preposition NC)
It is important that the individuals do everything they can to help educate their children.
(Subject as complement NC)
What causes so many difficulties in the IELTS test (S) is(V) the
writing section(O).
But remember that a NC is a 'clause', so it too must have a subject and a verb (and
possibly an object):
In the above example, the adverb pronoun ("what") is the subject. It does not have to be
as in this example, where "I" is the subject:
Important: Note that the verb "is" is singular. A NC is counted as a singular subject, so
it takes a singular verb.
You can learn more about subject verb agreement here.
Again, remember that the NC has a subject and a verb (and possibly an object):
A common NC you will know from IELTS is the "that" clause, following verbs such as
"think", "believe" and "feel", for example as in this Task 2 essay question:
own satisfaction(O)
Note that if you are speaking it is fine to leave "that" out of the sentence (this is then a
reduced noun clause).
I believe students should not have to wear a uniform.
But for formal writing such as you do in IELTS you should keep the "that" in the
sentence.
I believe that students should not have to wear a uniform.
: 4.
Plural
I take
We take
You take
You take
He / She / It takes
They take
Plural
I am
We are
You are
You are
He / She / It is
They are
Past
Singular
Plural
I was
We were
You were
You were
He / She / It was
They were
.
Singular: He was on the bus by 9am
Plural: His children were on the train by 9.30am.
Separated Subjects
Another common mistake is when the subject is separated from the verb by a prepositional phrase,
relative clause, or reduced relative clause.
A mistake is to make the verb agree with the last noun in the phrase or clause rather than the subject of
the sentence:
Incorrect: Improving the situation of people in cities are very important.
Correct: Improving the situation (of people in cities) is very important.
It should not agree with 'cities' as this is part of the prepositional phrase.
Here are some more examples of correct subject verb agreement (the phrase or clause that should be
ignored for purposes of agreement is in brackets):
Obesity (in children) is a growing concern.
The decision (made by the country's leaders after numerous meetings) was definitely the right one.
The new roads (which the government has built) have not reduced congestion.
Expressions of Quantity
Another difficult area with subject verb agreement is dealing with quantities.
When a quantity word is followed by a prepositional phrase, it can follow the rules above i.e. the
verb agrees with the subject (the quantity):
One of the new teachers is from India.
None of the candidates is likely to get my vote. (in spoken English the plural form is commonly
used - 'are likely')
Five of my friends are coming with me on holiday.
However, for some quantity phrases you do need to refer to the noun in the prepositional phrase
to decide if the verb is singular or plural:
Singular
Plural
A lot of...
All of the...
Some of the...
One-half
(third etc)
of...
One-half of
One-third of the cars on the
the room is empty road use unleaded fuel.
__________________________________________________
some-
any-
no-
everyone
someone
anyone
no one
everybody
somebody
anybody
nobody
everything
something
anything
nothing
Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are always followed by the bare infinitive, so in this case the third person singular
no longer takes a singular verb:
Gerunds
Gerunds (verbs that function as nouns by adding -ing) always take a singular
subject. Remember to look at the gerund, not the noun that may come between the
gerund and the verb:
Feeding the poor in developing countries is what most aid is used for.
Running my businesses takes up most of my time.
Typing is a skill that I have not yet mastered.
Gerunds
Gerunds are an important grammar form to understand and to be able to use effectively
in the IELTS test and in your English more generally.
They are nouns and they are formed by adding -ing onto a verb.
Take a look at this paragraph - the gerunds are bold.
Learning vocabulary is very important for the IELTS test. Though it is important not to
neglect the other skills of speaking, reading, writing and listening, knowing a broad
range of words will help you with all the other parts of the test. Unfortunately, many
students dislike spending the time that is needed to fully understand each word, but
not taking vocabulary seriously could be a big mistake.
Here are examples of the words before and after they are changed:
Verb
Gerund
Learn
Learning
Speak
Speaking
Read
Reading
Write
Writing
Listen
Listening
Know
Knowing
Spend
Spending
Take
Taking
As a direct object
Objects of prepositions
_____________________________________________________________
If you wish to put two verbs together, then the second verb will need to be a gerund
and / or infinitive.
For example, you can't say this:
We always finish eat very late.
We always finish to eat very late.
If "finish" is followed by another verb, it needs to be a gerund.
We always finish eating very late.
There is no grammatical reason for this as such, so you just need to learn the verbs and
practice writing some sentences with those verbs.
Remember, certain verbs should be followed by an infinitive, not a gerund, and some
verbs can be followed by either. For example:
I like to swim (verb + infinitive)
Or
I like swimming (verb + gerund)
Go to the infinitives grammar lesson to learn more and the gerund and infinitive lesson
to learn about verbs that take both.
Here is a list of verbs that are very commonly followed by a gerund (not an infinitive):
VERB
appreciate
EXAMPLE SENTENCE
I appreciate you taking(G) the time out to see me.
avoid
consider
delay
deny
discuss
dislike
enjoy
finish
involve
miss
postpone
practice
quit
recall
recommend
resent
risk
stop
suggest
_____________________________________________________________
All these are being used in different ways. In this lesson we'll examine them further.
The Grammar
The infinitive form of the verb means that it does not take a tense. It is the bare form of the
verb, but with 'to' before it.
Here are some examples
to go
to see
to wait
to manipulate
to consider
to amend
A common mistake in writing is to think of it like a finite verb (a verb that has a subject and
takes a tense). It does not change its form.
Here is an example of a common mistake with the infinitive:
It took me five hours to reached the destination.
The person has made the infinitive verb, reach, in the past tense. Only the main verb (take
in this case) can be given a tense.
This is how it should be written:
It took me five hours to reach the destination.
_______________________________________________________
To show purpose
They are sometimes used as a reduction of the phrase 'in order to'.
In order to improve my IELTS score, I joined a writing class in a college in
my home town.
To improve my IELTS score, I joined a writing class in a college in my home
town.
I joined the exercise class in order to lose weight.
I joined the exercise class to lose weight.
As a subject
If you wish to put two verbs together, then the second verb will need to be an infinitive and /
or gerund.
For example, you can't say this:
He hoped see me again.
He hoped seeing me again.
If "hope" is followed by another verb, it needs to be an infinitive:
He hoped to see me again.
Remember, certain verbs should be followed by an infinitive, not a gerund, and some verbs
can be followed by either. For example:
I like to swim (verb + infinitive)
Or
I like swimming (verb + gerund)
Follow this link to see the lesson on gerunds or learn when you can use the gerund and
infinitive.
Here is a list of verbs that are very commonly followed by an infinitive (not a gerund):
VERB
EXAMPLE SENTENCE
afford
agree
appear
ask
claim
decide
demand
deserve
expect
fail
forget
hesitate
hope
intend
learn
manage
mean
need
offer
plan
prepare
pretend
promise
refuse
seem
tend
threaten
wait
want
_______________________________________________________
EXAMPLE SENTENCE
It is bad (a) to gossip (i) about your friends.
It is dangerous (a) to drive (i)too fast.
difficult
easy
fun
hard
important
impossible
EXAMPLE SENTENCE
a mistake
a pity
a shame
a waste
_______________________________________________________
EXAMPLE SENTENCE
I'm ashamed to admit that I stole the bike.
bound
careful
excited
glad
happy
lucky
pleased
proud
relieved
reluctant
sad
shocked
sorry
surprised
sure
willing
Parallel Structure
Parallel structure is when you balance the grammatical structures of words, clauses,
sentences, or phrases in your writing.
They are important for any kind of writing and speaking in order to maintain coherency.
In this particular lesson we'll look at parallel words and phrases.
We make words or phrases parallel when we are writing things in a list or series, and each
word must have. the same grammatical form
For words, nouns are balanced with nouns, adjectives with adjectives, verbs with verbs,
gerunds with gerunds, and so on.
For phrases, prepositional phrases are balanced with prepositional phrases, infinitive
phrases with infinitive phrases, and gerund phrases with gerund phrases.
The coordinating conjunction and is usually used to connect the parallel items, but other
coordinating conjunctions such as or and nor may be used.
Correlative conjunctions such as 'both/and', 'neither/nor' and 'whether/or' are also used as
connectors.
__________________________________________________
Infinitives / Gerunds
She wants to go to England and studying at the London School of
Economics. (WRONG)
She wants to go to England and study at the London School of
Economics. (CORRECT)
The first sentence is wrong because the first item in the list, to go, is an
infinitive, but the second item, studying, is a gerund. In order to correct
it, studying has been changed to an infinitive.
Adverbs
John ensured that he gave his two minute talk
confidently, effectively and persuasive. (WRONG)
John ensured that he gave his two minute talk
confidently, effectively and persuasively. (CORRECT)
The first sentence is incorrect as the last item in the series ,persuasive,
is an adjective, whereas the first two items are adverbs. The second
sentence has been corrected by changing persuasive to the
adverb, persuasively.
Adjectives
The room was comfortable, airy, and it was not dirty.(WRONG)
The room was comfortable, airy, and clean. (CORRECT)
The first sentence is incorrect, since the first two items in the series,
comfortable and airy, are adjectives, whereas the last item, it was not
dirty, contains a verb. The second sentence has been corrected by
changing it was not dirty to the adjective clean.
Infinitive Phrases
I can't decide whether to take a bus or riding my bicyle to
work. (WRONG)
Prepositional Phrases
He climbed the rock, up the wall, and onto the roof.(WRONG)
He climbed over the rock, up the wall, and onto the roof.
(CORRECT)
The first sentence is not parallel since the first word, the rock, does not
have a preposition, but the next two words in the list have. It can be
corrected by placing the correct preposition, over, before climbed.
Below are the top 10 mistakes and some advice on how to avoid them.
1.
when there is only one of something in a particular area: the government, the police, the
bridge, the river, the hospital
when there is only one in the entire world: the internet, the environment, the ozone layer,
the atmosphere
with superlatives: the worst, the shortest, the lowest, the most beautiful, the least
impressive
with places where the name refers to a group of islands or states: the USA, the UK, the
Maldives, the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates
before nouns which describe general things: exercise is good for the body, the
motorbike is the most common form of transport in Asia, the role of the teacher has
changed in recent years
before abstract nouns used to describe a situation, process, quality or a change: over
the years the development of the town accelerated, the frequency of violent crime
decreased over the period, the improvement in living standards
to talk generally we drop the word the and use the plural: dogs dont like cats, people
with dyslexia have reading problems, Japanese cars are very reliable, German products
are very high quality.
with a single place or country: Ireland, China, Vietnam, Europe, South America
Advice
Advertising
Food
Information
Knowledge
Education
Money
Traffic
Shopping
Travel
Entertainment
Happiness
Literature
Work
Research
4. ing or to + infinitive
We use to + infinitive verb after the following verbs: learn how, would like, want, seem, refuse,
promise, prepare, offer, learn, hope, help, deserve, decide, afford, and ask.
Example:
It is important to learn how to speak English
Most people cannot afford to go on holiday every year.
I would like to study overseas.
Note: like can be followed by ing or to + infinitive.
We use verbing after the following verbs: suggest, recommend, practice, mind, keep, involve,
imagine, give up, finish, enjoy, deny, consider, carry on, and avoid.
Example:
I would recommend checking your writing for mistakes.
You should avoid drinking coffee after 6pm.
Ive finished writing my essay.
6. Use of Commas
In the IELTS writing test we often use phrases called discourse markers or liking phrases to
link our ideas together, such as on the one hand, on the other hand, however, for example,
nevertheless, firstly, secondly, in conclusion, in summary.
We normally use a comma after a discourse marker that introduces a sentence:
On the one hand, motor vehicles are said to be the main cause.
We also use commas on either side of discourse markers in the middle of sentences:
Fossil fuels are mostly to blame for global warming, however, some people believe this
is a natural process.
Fossil fuels are mostly to blame for global warming, for example, from cars and factories.
7. Verb Tenses
Always consider which of the following tense you should use:
Present simple:
Present continuous:
Present Perfect:
Past Simple
to show the duration of something that happened in the past and continues until
now
Past Continuous
talk about an action that was happening in the past when another occurred
Past Perfect
talk about something that was completed before another activity or another time
in the past
talk about duration of activity that was in progress before another event in the
past
an activity in progress that is recent to another time or activity in the past
Future Simple
10 Future Continuous
11 Future Perfect
an action that will be completed before another time or event in the future
the duration of an action that will be in progress before another time or event in
the future
Bad at (something)
Good at (something)
Surprised at (something)
About or with:
In:
rise in
decrease in
increase in
fall in
drop in
Between:
difference between
Of:
advantage/disadvantage of
example of
number of
percentage of
use of
9. Apostrophes
We use apostrophes to shorten words or make contractions:
Cannot-Cant
Do not- Dont
I will- Ill
Contractions are normally used in spoken English and should therefore not be used in the
academic writing tasks.
We can also use apostrophes to show possession:
Johns book
Marys brother
to or too
there or their
though or through
programme
accommodation
advertisement
beginning
business
commercial
country
environment
Wednesday
February
government
occurred
practice
ARTICLES
Articles in IELTS a two step method to
making fewer mistakes
Why articles in IELTS matter
The is the most common word in English, a is the fifth most common, and
statistically this means these are the words that you are most likely to make mistakes
with: simply because they are the words you use most. Indeed in my experience in
IELTS, and elsewhere, it is not the big words that cause the most problems, but the little
ones.
Flexible nouns are words which are sometimes countable and sometimes uncountable.
These are often the ones that may catch you out. You really want to decide if you are
talking about the thing or the idea. Look at the word university e.g.
He is going to university next year
(uncountable)
(countable )
Notes
1.
Countable nouns must have an article or something like an article such as some, many
The only time you cant have an article with a noun is when it is an uncountable noun
4.
Dont forget that some words like university are flexible and can sometimes be
Is this enough?
No. It isnt the whole story. There is more to articles than this, but as I said above it is
surprising how far it can take you. I have cheated slightly where I say that a chair is an
example of general meaning. But I find that in practice this explanation does work for most
learners.
Id add that some words have their own grammar and you may need to learn them one by
one. Geographical terms are a problem where there is little logic. So these you just have to
learn:
Another unusual case is where we sometimes use the when we are talking generally
about a category of things. So we can say:
The bicycle is a very common form of transport in Cambridge
If conditionals
Using conditionals to improve your
coherence
In order to get to band 6 your writing needs to contain a mix of both simple and more
complex structures. In plain English this means using some more advanced grammatical
structures. I suggest looking at conditionals thats if clauses. I have 2 reasons for this:
1. They are relatively straightforward and typically are familiar to most candidates its an
achievable goal
2. They have a real purpose in the IELTS essay theyre not just going to help your
grammar, they can actually make the writing process easier for you by improving your
coherence and extending the range of your vocabulary.
This is the main point: when you are looking at grammar, you should concentrate on its use,
not just its form.
Examples a key way to produce coherent paragraphs
What do I mean by this? Well, one of the keys to a good essay is to ensure that your
paragraphs are coherent. A coherent paragraph takes one idea in the topic sentence
then explains it a little and then gives an example. These examples are critical for
coherence- especially in an exam context .
Once you have understood that, the next step is to understand how to introduce examples.
One piece of language to do that is of course for example, then there is for instance or
an illustration of this is. But my point here is that if is an excellent alternative for
introducing examples, not least because it typically leads into a more extended example
with a greater range of topic vocabulary.
Some examples
These are examples from my sample IELTS essays. See how the if clause is used to
extend, explain and illustrate the main idea and also helps you use more topic language:
this is a good thing.
The second point to make is that there are many much more urgent projects on Earth that
require investment. If governments spent less money on space research, then they would
be able to help solve some of these problems such as population control, elimination of
diseases like cholera, global warming and food shortages. It seems to me that all of these
issues are more important because they affect the lives of millions of ordinary people. An
illustration of this is that the US government could provide food for all the starving people in
the world if they did not spend so much on NASA.
Those who argue that museums should be free typically make one of two arguments. The
first argument is that institutions like museums are a public service and therefore there
should be free access to the man in the street. If for example there was a charge only the
wealthy could afford to enjoy works of art. The second, and related, argument is that if they
did levy a charge fewer people would go to museums. This would be serious as they are
educational institutions and standards would fall.
There is of course another side to this argument and there are possible reasons why
emigration from developing countries is not a complete solution. One such reason is that
people who have suffered from natural disasters will want to return to their homes as quickly
as possible and be with their families and relatives. This will be difficult if they have moved
to another country. Another reason is that it is often more effective to help the victims in their
own country as it can cause them more stress if they have to move to another country with a
different language and strange customs. For example, it could be difficult for someone from
Iraq to adapt to the English way of life and weather.
M0dal verbs
How modal verbs of possibility and probability can help
you speak and write better
This is a quick lesson on using better grammar in IELTS writing and speaking when you are
talking about probability and possibility by using modal verbs. The idea is not just to remind
you of some important words/structures, but to show you how that you can make life easier
for yourself in the exam by using them. Grammar in use!
What modal verbs can you use for probability and possibility in the future?
note on should
It is also to use should in this way too sometimes.
People should use the internet much more in the future
This one is slightly different: with should you are making a suggestion of what you think
might be true in the future and also suggesting that you have a reason for believing that. It is
more like an opinion.
undefined
What happens if you are certain?
Sometimes you are certain about something. Then it doesnt make sense to use
modals such as may and might. Here the words you want are must and cant.
Modal Verbs
May
Might
Can
Could
Shall
Should
Will
Would
Must
Main Verb
(Bare Infinitive)
Sentence Examples
go
(Infinitive)
Sentence Examples
Ought
Need
Have
to go
She has to go
Does she have to go?
She doesnt have to go
1) Degrees of Certainty
Will, may, might and could are common to make logical deductions about a situation or the future,
which you often need to do in task 2:
Children with no father as a role model will become criminals. (100%)
Children with no father as a role model may become criminals. (Possible)
Children with no father as a role model could become criminals. (Possible)
The grammar is ok, but it is not possible to conclude that all children with no father as a role model will
become criminals!
Be careful when you are making assessments in this way.
Will is 100% going to happen, so avoid using it to make generalizations about everybody/everything
unless you know it is 100% true. (There are other ways to make it less certain e.g. will possibly).
When you are writing IELTS essays, it's unusual that you will have evidence with you or that you can
use to show 100% what you are saying is true.
2) Suggestions
Must, should, ought to, have to and could are often used to make suggestions for
solving a problem. It is common in task 2 to get a question asking you to discuss a
problem and suggest solutions.
Governments must/have to/need to take action to tackle global warming. (strong
obligation)
Parents should/ought to stop their children watching too much television. (Strong
suggestion)
Individuals could recycle more (possibility).
3) Hypothetical Situations
It is common to use would and could to discuss hypothetical situations.
If something is hypothetical, this means in effect it has not happened. You are
discussing an unreal situation in the future or imagining something.
For example:
If the government spent more money on hospitals, people would be healthier.
It is something that has not happened and you don't know if it will.
One very good way to prepare for your IELTS speaking is to practice different ways to talk
about the future. This is because the examiner listens for the way you vary your grammar,
not just if you make mistakes.
This is a skill you need mostly in part 1 and 3 parts of the speaking test.
Step two use some basic variations dont will will will
English has many different ways to talk about the future. These are the most basic ones you
must be able to use will going to and the present continuous form:
Ill go to university next perhaps you havent thought about it much
Im going to university next year this is fixed you already have your place
Im going to go university next year this is what you plan to do
In fact, there are loads of more ways of talking about the future. Its not all about verbs and
tenses, see these examples:
Plans
My ambition is to go university next year
I intend to go to university next year/ My intention is to go university
My plan is to go university next year/I plan to go university next year
Id like to go to university next year
Predictions
Here you may use will or going to. Typically, we use going to when we have more evidence
that something will happen. You can also at the same time add in other future words:
I expect more and more people will only read on the internet.
Its quite likely/The likelihood is that old-fashioned books will disappear
The internet is bound to change reading habits.
My prediction is that fewer people will read books
Probability
This is a connected idea. Here you should ask yourself the question whether something will
happen or whether it only may happen. Id also suggest that if you use may, might or
could , you will find that you have more to talk about i.e. may not or might not.
Passive Voice
In this grammar lesson we will look at the passive voice.
You may wonder why this is important for IELTS. Well firstly of course any grammar is important
for IELTS.
.
What are the Active and Passive?
When we use the active voice, the subject is doing the action of the verb:
When we use the passive voice, the person or thing receiving the action becomes the
subject:
: What
Active
Passive
2.
Add in "by" before the new object (if you are including it in the new sentence)
Add the verb "to be" to the front of the verb, and change the verb to the past participle.
You then have a passive voice verb. Remember to keep the tense the same.
Active
Passive
The
dog (subject) bit (verb) th
e boy (object)
In this case the verb "bit" is in the past simple, so when it is made passive, the verb "to be"
must be the past simple - "was".
Active
Passive
Present
Present
Continuous
Past
Past Perfect
Future
Future Perfect
Present Modal
: Gerunds
and Infinitives
We can also use the passive voice for infinitive and gerund structures:
Tense
Infinitive
Gerund
1. When you think the receiver of the action is more important than
the doer of the action
Interested in the doer
2. When you think it is obvious who the doer is so it does not need to
be mentioned
An obvious subject
3. When the doer of the action is unknown or we don't want the doer
to be known
A known doer
An unknown doer
5. When you are writing for certain genres, such as science reports or
Useful Grammar Structures to Get an IELTS Band 7.0+ for IELTS Writing
Spelling is a big problem for many IELTS candidates especially those who have a different
alphabet in their own language. In this lesson, I give you quick test to see how good your
spelling is with 25 common spelling mistakes. Then I explain why spelling problems happen
and give you a few handy hints on learning to spell better.
accept and except these are two words that sound exactly the same, are spelled very
differently and mean almost exactly the opposite!
4. Funny sounds
Some English words you just have to see before you can spell them. They sound quite
different to the way they are spelled.
Furniture here t is really tsh. odd.
5. Silent letters
Some letters in English are silent. Often these are at the beginning of words: knee and
knowledge for example.
Design this sounds the same as line!
6. Stressed and unstressed sounds
English has a nasty habit of changing the sound of the word according to its form. We say
advertise (eyes) but advertisement (iss). This makes spelling much harder. You cant just
listen to the word and decide how to spell it.
Resign and resignation resign sounds the same as line, but the dig in resignation
sounds the same as dig
7. Spelling rules dont work
Have you ever been told about i before e after c? This is a nonsense rule Im afraid.
There are more words in English that go ei than ie with or without c!
Receive and weight both these words go ei, one has a c the other doesnt. So-called
spelling rules are dangerous friends.
8. Problem suffixes
A sensible way to learn to spell is to learn patterns of words. For instance, its good to see
that the suffix -ation is spelled that way in most words. But, as I say, there are very few
rules:
Capable and responsible: Horrid. In one case we add able and the other ible.
9. The schwa sound
Whats this? This is what some/most teachers call that ugh sound in English. The
problem is that it can be almost any combination of letters, as its the normal way we make
an unstressed vowel sound. Again, spelling and listening are quite different things.
doctor, computer, thorough, data, obvious etc etc etc
10. Your own language
The final problem (for now) is your own language. English has a habit of borrowing words
from other languages and changing the spelling.
Environnement and environment: if youre French the first spelling is perfect just not
in English!