Archives for May 2017

IELTS Reading Practice: Google’s Self Drive Car

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This is a practice lesson for TFNG questions in IELTS reading.

Google’s Self Driving Car

google-car

Google has finally built its own car from scratch. And it looks similar to a gondola with wheels. The two-seater prototype vehicle is Google’s idea of what the modern automobile should look and feel like if you took the human out of the transportation equation and designed something solely to chauffeur passengers from point A to B.

The car — which was conceived and designed by Google, unlike the ones it previously modified — lacks many of the trappings of a normal car, and that includes three of the most essential parts. It has no steering wheel, no accelerator pedal and no brake pedal. The company that designed the world’s simplest home page also decided to lose the mirrors, the backseat, the glove compartment and the stereo. What’s left are lots of sensors, and a transplant of the self-driving software system Google has built to use on the Toyota Priuses and Lexus SUVs it has trained to drive on highways and city streets over the past five years.

Passage from recode.net

Questions 1-3

Decide if the statements below are true, false or not given according to the information in the passage above.

  1. The Italian gondola was used as a design model for the new car.
  2. The new car is aimed at transporting passengers from one place to another using a chauffeur.
  3. The new car has more features than the modern car.

 

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers

Answers
  1. Not Given
    1. There is no mention of what Google used as a  design model. It does mention that it likes like a gondola but not that this was a design model.  So, the answer is NG.
  2. False
    1. The answer comes from “designed something solely to chauffeur passengers from point A to B“. The questions says “The new car is aimed at transporting passengers from one place to another…” this part of the sentence is the same as the passage. The word “chauffer” in the passage is a verb = to transport. So, this part of the sentence is correct.
    2. However, the second part of the question sentence “using a chauffer” is wrong. In the question statement, the word “chauffeur” is a noun and it means a person who is paid to drive the car. The passage clearly contradicts this because the new car has no human driver. Therefore the answer is FALSE.
    3. This question is really testing your vocabulary. Do you know the difference between “chauffer” and “chauffeur” = one is a verb = transport / one is a noun = a person who is a paid driver
    4. A false answer means that part of the question statement is contradicted in the passage. The passage shows that it the statement is written incorrectly.
  3. NG
    1. The passage says that the new car doesn’t have many of the features of the modern car – steering wheel, mirror etc. The passage also says that the new car has many new features such as a lot of new sensors and new software. But the passage does not compare the number of features. The passage does not clearly state that the new car has more features than the modern car. There is plenty of information about the features but no clear comparison of the number of features. This means the answer is NG
    2. Always look out for comparison statements in TFNG questions.

 

More Reading Practice for IELTS

You can find more reading practice and tips on the main reading page: IELTS Reading Lessons & Tips

If you want to learn IELTS writing task 2 or speaking etc, just visit the main pages of this website through the red bar at the top of each page.

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Answers to paraphrasing practice 2

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Yesterday I asked you to choose words in order to paraphrase the paragraph below. If you didn’t see the lesson, please check it before you see the answers: Paraphrasing Practice Exercise 2

It is sometimes thought that it is beneficial for companies to sponsor sports events through advertising. By doing this, extra funding, which is often lacking, can be raised to support sports events and ensure that they continue to run. Furthermore, companies can also contribute clothing or equipment which supports the event, teams and players.

Answers

Below you will find two answers; two paragraphs and a list of changes. The first answer is for the yesterday’s lesson. The second answer is a free paraphrasing example to show you how this paragraph can be altered further.

Answer 1: Some people believe that it is advantageous for business to sponsor sports events through advertisements. In this way, extra funding, which is often in short supply, can be raised to support sports events and ensure they continue to run. Furthermore, companies can also contribute clothing or equipment which supports the event, team and players.

Word Changes and Tips

  1. It is sometimes thought that = Some people believe that
  2. it is beneficial = it is advantageous
  3. companies = businesses (you should not paraphrase companies as industries)
  4. By doing this = In this way (you should not write “When we”, it is too informal for an IELTS essay)
  5. extra funding should not be paraphrased as extra cash (it is too informal in this context. Although, the word “cash” can be used in other situations, such as talking about using cash or cards)
  6. is often lacking = in short supply (you should not paraphrase it as “a lack of” because it is grammatically incorrect)
  7. sports events – it’s best not to paraphrase this. The words “sports occasion” is incorrect in meaning. Not all words can be paraphrased. But you can give examples of sports events instead. Some words will be repeated in English.
  8. Furthermore can’t be paraphrased as And. The reason is that “and” never goes at the start of a sentence in a formal essay.
  9. clothing should not be paraphrased as attire in this context. Certainly the meaning is similar but the word attire does not relate to sports wear. The word “sports wear” is the best paraphrase to use.
  10. players should not be paraphrased as “performers”. The word “performers” is not used in sport in this context.

Free Paraphrasing

Answer 2: Some people think it is advantageous for sports companies to use advertising to sponsor sports events, such as football matches or the Olympics.  The extra funding from businesses is frequently much needed, as government funding can be limited. Sports events benefit from the extra finances as the money allows them to continue running and also, at times, provides teams and players with free sports wear or equipment, which are often too costly for them to buy. 

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Paraphrasing Practice 2

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Paraphrasing Practice Exercise 2

The aim of this lesson is paraphrase the paragraph by using the words given below. This is a great practice for IELTS writing task 2. It is all about choosing the right words.  The paragraph below is based on a writing task 2 topic that has been reported this month, May 2017: Companies Sponsoring Sports Events.

This is the second paraphrasing practice exercise for writing task 2. If you want to see the first one, click here:  Paraphrasing Practice Exercise 1

Paragraph:

Paraphrase the words in this paragraph using the words in the box below. Only paraphrase a word if you are sure it is appropriate to do so.

It is sometimes thought that it is beneficial for companies to sponsor sports events through advertising. By doing this, extra funding, which is often lacking, can be raised to support sports events and ensure that they continue to run. Furthermore, companies can also contribute clothing or equipment which supports the event, teams and players.

Paraphrasing Options:

You must write the paragraph above again by paraphrasing it using the words below. You do not need to use all the words. You must decide which words to use and which words not to use.

some citizens believe       /        some people believe       /      advantage       /   good       /      advantageous        /       industries          /  businesses          / sporting occasions        /      matches   /     when we do this        /    in this way      /      extra cash     /    a lack of      /      in short supply        /   sports matches   /    And      /     industries    /    businesses    /    give      /    donate        /   attire  /  groups     /      performers    /   coordinate

 

Answers :

You can now view the answers: Answers to this lesson

 

 

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Answer to yesterday’s lesson

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Yesterday I posted a lesson about how to write your answers for listening and reading. Make sure you complete the lesson before checking the answers: How to write Answer for Listening & Reading

Answers

  1. a (the $ sign is already given so you don’t need to repeat it.)
  2. a ( you can’t paraphrase the answer in listening or reading. You must write the exact word from the passage. The word “access” isn’t in the passage and would be marked wrong.
  3. d (you can write the time in any way as long as it is clear to read. You can also write it in words if the word count allows)
    1. For question 3, I want you to pay attention to the instructions. The instructions do not say “no more than three words and/or  a number”. The word number is plural = numbers. It is essential that you notice if you can have one number or more than one number. However, for the answer to this question the times given are actually counted as one number anyway – so no problem.

I hope you found that lesson useful 🙂

 

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IELTS Reading Skills: Keywords Practice DONE!!!

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Keywords can help you locate answers in IELTS reading. Try this lesson and see if it helps you.

Can you see the keywords in the question that help you spot the answer in the passage?

Alexander Fleming and Penicillin

Alexander Fleming was born in Ayrshire on 6 August 1881, the son of a farmer. He moved to London at the age of 13 and later trained as a doctor. In 1928, while studying influenza, Fleming noticed that mould had developed accidentally on a set of culture dishes being used to grow the staphylococci germ. The mould had created a bacteria-free circle around itself. Fleming experimented further and decided to call the active substance penicillin. It was two other scientists however, Australian Howard Florey and Ernst Chain, a refugee from Nazi Germany, who developed penicillin further so that it could be produced as a drug. They decided to unravel the science beneath what Fleming called penicillium’s ”antibacterial action.” At first supplies of penicillin were very limited, but by the 1940s it was being mass-produced by the American drugs industry. In the war, penicillin proved its mettle. Throughout history, the major killer in wars had been infection rather than battle injuries. In World War I, the death rate from bacterial pneumonia was 18 percent; in World War II, it fell, to less than 1 percent.

Notice: This passage is from BBC History. You can read the full article on this page: BBC History Alexander Fleming

Questions

You have 2 tasks in this lesson. a) tell me the keywords in the question. b) tell me the answer to the questions (using no more than one word).

  1. Where did Fleming study medicine? (tell me the keywords and answer)
  2. What was Fleming studying when he realised that mould grew on a set of culture dishes? (tell me the keywords and answer)
  3. Who gave penicillin its name? (tell me the keywords and answer)
  4. When did penicillin show it’s true worth?
  5. What was responsible for most deaths in war prior to this discovery?

Quote from Fleming: “When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didn’t plan to revolutionise all medicine by discovering the world’s first antibiotic, or bacteria killer. But I suppose that was exactly what I did.“.  

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers:

Answers
  1. keywords:
    1. where – this shows you are looking for a name of a place. So, you should scan the passage for a place name.
    2. other key words are: study medicine – this is paraphrased as “training to be a doctor”. Always be ready for keywords to be paraphrased.
    3. Answer to question: London
  2. keywords
    1. what – this key words shows the answer must be a noun.
    2. studying – this keyword usually signifies a subject, but in this case it signifies a type of illness.
    3. culture dishes –  VERY useful key words to locate the answer in the passage. These types of words can’t be paraphrased so you can find them easily and quickly.
    4. Answer to question: influenza
  3. keywords
    1. who: this shows you are looking for a name or names.
    2. other key word: name – this is paraphrased as “call” in the passage.
    3. “penicillin” is not a keyword. This is because the passage is about penicillin so this word will be used very often in the passage and might not help you locate the answer.
    4. Answer to question: Fleming
  4. keywords
    1. when: this often means you need to look for a date, but in this case, it is a time period. Always be aware of that with this particular keyword.
    2. it’s worth. This is a high band score test question. The paraphrase is “proved its mettle”.
    3. Answer to question: war
  5. keywords
    1. what: you are looking for a noun.
    2. deaths – this is paraphrased as “killer”. Remember, this is not a direct paraphrase, but the meaning is similar and that is all you are looking for to locate the area of the passage where the answer lies.
    3. responsible – you now need to find a cause of death.
    4. prior – this is not paraphrased as a word. However, you can find the meaning in the grammar tense “had been” which refers to something in a period in the past which is no more.
    5. Answer to question: infection

 

You can see that keywords are vitally important to find answers. But be careful as some keywords can be paraphrased so be prepared for that.

I hope you found this lesson useful 🙂

……………………….

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Answers to the proof reading lesson

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Hi guys,

Below are the answers to yesterday’s lesson on proof reading for writing.

  1. Research in space explorations can lead to new cutting edge technology.
    1. Answer: There are two problems with this sentence. “space exploration” is uncountable and therefore there is no “s” needed. Also the word “cutting-edge” requires a hyphen when it is used as an adjective but not when it is used as a noun. In our sentence, it is used as an adjective.
    2. Full correct sentence: Research in space exploration can lead to new cutting-edge technology.
  2. Improving handwriting skills is still essential even in todays modern world.
    1. Answer: There is only one mistake in this sentence. The word “todays” should have an apostrophe = today’s.
    2. Extra comment: “Improving handwriting skills” is a noun phrase and is singular. Therefore the verb is singular.
    3. Full correct sentence: Improving handwriting skills is still essential even in today’s modern world.
  3. Increasing number of people are choosing to to travel by car rather than public transports.
    1. Answer: There are two mistakes in this sentence. An article is missing at the start = an increasing number & “transport” is uncountable so no “s”
    2. Full correct sentence: An increasing number of people are choosing to travel by car rather than public transport.
  4. If students are involved in making decisions about how a school is run it might lead to problems.
    1. Answer: There is only one mistake in this sentence. The sentence needs a comma to divide the clauses.
    2. Full correct sentence: If students are involved in making decisions about how a school is run, it might lead to problems.
  5. While some people think that children should be given more homework, others believe that children should be free for enjoy their leisure time.
    1. Answer: there is only one mistake with this sentence. The proposition is wrong: for = to.
    2. Full correct sentence: While some people think that children should be given more homework, others believe that children should be free to enjoy their leisure time.

Summary of common mistakes

Uncountable nouns: This is one of the most common mistakes in IELTS writing. Students do not pay attention to them. See this list of Uncountable Common Nouns

Gerunds and noun phrases are singular. A gerund is a verb+ing which is used as a noun and it is always singular. See the video below to see an example of this.

Articles: “a” and “the”. So many students miss articles. The most common mistake I see is: “Government should …”. The word “government” is a noun which requires an article. “The government should …”. Always review your articles.

Punctuation: Don’t forget your commas between clauses 🙂

Video Lesson

Making a complex sentence: Using a gerund

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nkwOxLwyQ8″]

 

Filed Under: IELTS Writing Task 2

Writing Skills: Proof Reading Practice

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How good are you at proof reading and spotting mistakes?

In IELTS writing, the more mistakes you make with grammar, the lower your band score will be in that assessment criterion. Grammar counts for 25% of your marks in writing. Learning to proof read your essays is an essential skill to develop.

The following sentences contain mistakes. Can you spot them?

Each sentence contains one or two mistakes.

  1. Research in space explorations can lead to new cutting edge technology.
  2. Improving handwriting skills is still essential even in todays modern world.
  3. Increasing number of people are choosing to to travel by car rather than public transports.
  4. If students are involved in making decisions about how a school is run it might lead to problems.
  5. While some people think that children should be given more homework, others believe that children should be free for enjoy their leisure time.

Answers

The answers are now available to see. Click the link below:

Answers for this lesson

 

More IELTS Essay Writing Lessons 

If you would like more lessons, tips and see some model essays, please see this page: IELTS Writing Task 2 Main Page

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IELTS can be Emotional

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IELTS can be emotional for many people for various reasons. In this post, I want to discuss why emotions can bubble over before and during the IELTS test.

The reason I am writing this test to to reassure students that it is normal for emotions to run high in the test. Below are three common problems with emotions and crying in the IELTS test.

1) IELTS is Important for your Future

For many students, the IELTS test is the key to their future. Without a good score, many students are unable to take the next step towards creating a better life for themselves. For this reason, emotions can run high when it comes to IELTS.

However, you should not tackle IELTS with emotions. This is a specific language test with specific rules and specific requirements. You need to tackle IELTS logically and calmly. You must ensure you are fully prepared before you walk into the exam room.

Here are some steps to prepare for IELTS:

  1. Have a realistic goal. Don’t aim for band 7 if your English contains so many mistakes.
  2. Learn as much as you can about the test. What can take into the test room? How does the examiner mark writing task 1? Learn as much as you can:
    1. IELTS Test Information
    2. IELTS Band Scores Explained
  3. Practice each type of question for L, R, W & Sp.
  4. Review model answers for IELTS speaking and writing .
  5. Prepare common topics for speaking and writing.
    1. IELTS Listening Practise & Tips
    2. IELTS Reading Practise & tips
    3. IELTS Writing Task 1 Practise, Tips & Model Answers
    4. IELTS Writing Task 2 Practise, Tips & Model Answers
    5. IELTS Speaking Practise, Tips & Model Answers
    6.  Recent IELTS Exam Questions
  6. Watch my free video: How to Prepare for IELTS (click to open)
  7. Don’t keep taking the test again and again. Review your techniques, review your English and work on your weaknesses before taking the test again.  Make sure the next time you take the test, you have improved.
    Quote Einstein: “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

2) Crying in the Speaking Test

I have known students cry in their IELTS speaking test. The most common reason is that they start talking about painful memories which upset them.

This is a language test and a chance to showcase your English. You must think in this way when you enter the test room. All students will be nervous in the test and also emotional to some extent. Students feel pressure to perform and feel the pressure to get good results. This can make you emotional.

In part 2, if the question is about a person you admire, don’t choose to talk about someone who recently died and who you loved. It will distract you from thinking about your English and bring up painful emotions. If you cry in the IELTS test, the examiner CANNOT give you more time. So, be wise in your choices and choose to talk about someone else. Avoid talking about sad memories or difficult personal issues.

If you get emotional in the test, take a deep breathe and hear my words “This is your test! Take control of your test! Take control of your future! Say to the examiner “I’m ready to continue” and then focus on the question – you can do it !!!” I want you to hear my voice, relax and ace your test! My best wishes will always be with you.

3) Problems in L, R, & W

The most common problem in the IELTS listening test is losing your place. This is because students try to understand everything rather than listen for answers and follow key words.

In IELTS reading, I have heard of students crying because they didn’t write their answers directly on the answer sheet. You DO NOT get an extra 10 mins to transfer your answers.

In IELTS writing, the most common reason students get upset is because they didn’t mange their time and failed to complete both tasks. There is a clock in the room and you should keep checking the time. The examiner DOES NOT tell you when to move from task 1 to task 2. You must manage your time for both tasks in the hour provided.

Share your Experiences

Feel free to write a comment and share your experiences of the IELTS test with other students.

  Thanks, Liz

Summing Up Emotions

  1. Be realistic about your expectations in IELTS. If your English is only intermediate level, don’t expect to get band score 7 or 8. This is a language test, tips will only take you to your own personal maximum – not above.
  2. Don’t get over tired. Pace yourself, schedule your practise.
  3. Before the speaking test, get plenty of rest.
  4. In the speaking test, don’t talk about emotional issues or sad memories. This is a language test, make the right decisions so that you can showcase your English.
  5. The examiner can’t give you extra time if you cry in the speaking test. Try to calm down and focus on the next question. Say to the examiner “I’m fine to continue” or “Sorry, I can continue now.”
  6. In LR&W, go to the toilet before the test – you will miss answers and lose time if you go to the toilet during the test.
  7. In the listening test, pay attention to key words and be ready to move to the next question so you don’t lose your place. Always check if there are questions on the next page.
  8. In reading, don’t forget you DON’T get extra time to transfer your answers!! Don’t forget this!
  9. In writing, keep your eye on the clock! Don’t spend more than 20 mins in task 1 and don’t spend more than 40 mins on task 2.  Always write an overview for task 1 and a conclusion for task 2.

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