Linking words are an essential part of your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay and fall under the marking criterion of Coherence & Cohesion, which counts for 25% of your task 2 marks. This lesson will allow you to test yourself with the correct use of linking words.

The topic is about “Celebrities”. This topic has appeared a number of times in the IELTS Writing Task 2 this year and is guaranteed to appear in 2021 as well. It also frequently appears in the speaking test as well.

Instructions

Read the instructions below very carefully.

1. Each question contains two sentences.
2. Read carefully to understand the connection between the two sentences in terms of ideas and content.
3. Choose the most appropriate linking word to join the two sentences.
4. Each linking word can be used only once.
5. Make necessary changes to the sentences to ensure the grammar is correct. It might not be enough to simply add the linking word. You might need to adapt the grammar.
6. Pay attention to punctuation as well as grammar when you make changes to the sentences. 

Linking Words Practice

Questions 1-7

and     /     but     /     for     /     nor     /     or     /     so     /     yet

Choose one of the above linking words to join the sentences below.

1. Many famous athletes and pop stars donate generously to charities. Many others are just intent on increasing their own wealth.

2. Celebrities have moral shortcomings like everyone else. Many young people often idolise them.

3. Celebrities have tremendous influence over teenagers. They should behave responsibly.

4. Teenagers often idealise celebrities. We all need someone to look up to when we are young.

5. Some film and sports stars only aspire to fame. They dream of becoming famous fast.

6. Young people need positive role models. They will not be able to live with hope and honesty.

7. Celebrities should not be regarded as spiritual mentors. They should not be regarded as life coaches either.

Answers

The answers are now available for this lesson. Click below:

Click here: Answers to this Lesson

All the best

Liz

The answers to the reading lesson about “News we can trust”. If you haven’t completed this lesson yet, please do so before you look at the answers. To complete the lesson, click here: Reading Lesson

Below are the questions, answers and vocabulary focus for the lesson.

Questions 1 – 7: Complete the sentences using no more than three words from the passage above.

1. Trustworthy news is more important than ever because the world is going through a period of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and unpredictability.

2. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ are the main source of news for most web users.

3. People often tend to choose the version that most agrees with _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ when they are offered differing accounts of an event.

4. Sharing unverified news stories with social media friends contributes to
the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of false information.

5. Objective investigative journalism can _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the spread of fake news.

6. Investigative reporters try to bring to light the relationship between
apparently _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ events.

7. Through their work, investigative reporters try to make it easier for us
to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the world in which we live.

Answers:

1. UPHEAVALS
   1. the answer does not require the word “global” because this is already indicated in the sentence by the word “world”. Therefore the answer is just one word.
2. SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS (SOCIAL MEDIA)
   1. Both answers are possible.
   2. Note that brackets indicate other words or answers that are possible. Books often show answers in this way. However, you cannot use brackets for your listening answers. You must choose your answer and be specific.
   3. Note, one answer option has an “s” and the other does not.
3. THEIR OWN VIEWS (THEIR VIEWS)
   1. Both answers are possible.
   2. The word “views” must be plural.
   3. You cannot paraphrase the answer. “Their thoughts” is wrong.
4. DISSEMINATION
   1. The spelling must be correct.
5. COUNTERACT
6. UNCONNECTED
7. MAKE SENSE OF
   1. You must have the preposition “of”- “to make sense of something”
   2. The meaning is “understand”.
   3. “analyse and present” is not a possible answer. The sentence cannot be “for us to analyse and present”. The words in the passage (analyse and present) refer to what investigative journalists do, not what we do.

Vocabulary Focus

The following adjectives are positive in meaning and are used to talk about news or news sources that you can trust:

• trustworthy  /  reliable  /  dependable  /  verified  /  credible  /  real

The following adjectives are negative in meaning. They are used to talk about news or news sources that you cannot trust:

• untrustworthy  /  unreliable  /  undependable  /  unverified  /  dubious  /  fake

These words can be used in both your speaking and writing tests. They are all topic relevant words when talking about news and media.

I hope you found this lesson useful.

All the best

Liz

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This lesson focuses on the topic of Media which is a common IELTS reading topic. The question type is sentence completion which basically means you fill in the gaps. This is the most common type of question in IELTS reading.

Whether the information in news is trustworthy or not is a common question and topic in IELTS Writing and IELTS Speaking Part 3. This reading lesson focuses on a passage about trusting news. You can use ideas and vocabulary from this reading passage in your Writing or Speaking Tests. However, let’s see how good your reading and paraphrasing skills are with sentence completion questions. Read the passage and then answer the questions below.

Passage: News We Can Trust

Climate change, worsening inequality between rich and poor, and social unrest in many parts of the world have left many people confused and distrustful of all those in a position of power. In this time of global upheavals and uncertainty, if we want to understand what is going on around us, an ability to distinguish between unreliable and trustworthy news sources is absolutely essential.

A recent study has shown that social media platforms have become by far the prevailing way for people to find news on the Internet. There are several issues associated with this. Firstly, social media users are continually bombarded with information, a lot of which may be from credible sources, but a lot actually coming from unverified or dubious ones. The conflicting messages that often emerge from this jumble of news stories only add to the feeling of confusion and mistrust. As a result, people usually end up choosing to believe the version of the facts that is most in tune with their own views. They then go on to share their favourite stories with their friends, most of whom will almost inevitably “like” them.

This in turn brings about the issue of the dissemination of misinformation or, at worst, fake news. To counteract these problems, what is needed more than ever before is independent, fact-based investigative journalism. Investigative reporters do not write stories to get a lot of clicks or likes. They work hard to unveil matters that people in a position of power try to conceal, or to reveal the links between events that seemed unconnected. They tirelessly search for evidence and aim to analyse and present all the relevant facts to the public with clarity and precision. In short, their work is to help us make sense of our world and our place in it.

Source: IELTS Liz Own. Some of the content of this passage was inspired by the following sources: https://en.unesco.org/investigative-journalism  and http://wayback.archiveit.org/10611/20160906193350/ and http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001930/193078e.pdf

Questions 1 – 7: Complete the sentences using no more than three words from the passage above.

1. Trustworthy news is more important than ever because the world is going through a period of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and unpredictability.
2. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ are the main source of news for most web users.
3. People often tend to choose the version that most agrees with _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ when they are offered differing accounts of an event.
4. Sharing unverified news stories with social media friends contributes to
   the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of false information.
5. Objective investigative journalism can _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the spread of fake news.
6. Investigative reporters try to bring to light the relationship between
   apparently _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ events.
7. Through their work, investigative reporters try to make it easier for us
   to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the world in which we live.

Answers

The answers to this lesson are now available:

CLICK HERE: ANSWERS TO THIS LESSON

All the best

Liz

………………………

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Below you will find the transcript and answers to the listening practice lesson about plastic straws and the environment.

If you haven’t completed this lesson, please do so before reading the transcript and answers. Click here: Straws Listening Practice

Transcript

I usually offer the transcripts so you can listen and read at the same time. This is a great way to check the answers and also improve your own pronunciation for speaking. I have also highlighted interesting vocabulary below that you can learn from this recording.

TRANSCRIPT: Single use plastic is a particularly nasty form of plastic. These items have a shockingly short lifespan, normally used once and then discarded to landfill. Like other plastics they never biodegrade and take hundreds of years to break down. Plastic straws are one such single use item and are ending up in our oceans by the thousands. The Marine Conservation Society estimated that the UK uses 8.5 billion straws every year.

Avid scuba diver Kasey Turner was snorkelling after work recently at a popular dive site in Manly Australia. In the area, she found 319 straws on a single 20 minute snorkel. It can be hard to see how using one measly plastic straw is going to cause huge amounts of damage to the environment but let me put it into context for you. Recently a team of scientists in Costa Rica came across an endangered species of sea turtle with what they thought was a parasitic worm blocking its airway. They realised it was actually a plastic straw. Most people just do not realise that the majority of plastic straws are not recycled.

The simplest way you can eradicate straws from your life is to just stop using them at home. It’s as easy as that. Making a connection between our actions and the often devastating outcomes they can have on the environment acts as a catalyst for change.

.

ANSWERS

Answers using no more than two words and/or a number:

1. LIFESPAN
   1. Plastic straws have a limited LIFESPAN owing to their predominantly single usage.
2. BIODEGRADE / BREAK DOWN
   1. These straws do not BIODEGRADE and can pollute the environment for hundreds of years.
   2. Both options are correct. However, you must choose one only as
   3. You cannot have the answer “break down”. Biodegrade and break down are the same.
3. 8.5 BILLION
   1. 8.5 BILLION straws are thought to be used annually in the UK.
4. 319 SNORKEL
   1. Kasey Turner found 319 straws during her 20-minute SNORKEL.
   2. It is not necessary to use punctuation to separate the number and word. However, if you do use punctuation, your answer would still be marked correct.
   3. If you wrote “319 and SNORKEL”, it would be wrong because the word “and” is an extra word that is not given for the answer.
5. SEA TURTLE
   1. One plastic straw was even found in the airway of a SEA TURTLE.
   2. If you wrote only “turtle”, the answer would be wrong.
6. OUTCOMES CHANGE
7. Understanding the relationship between what we do and the negative OUTCOMES can be a motivation for CHANGE.

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Learn how to improve your IELTS Letter to band score 9. Also get learn some English language vocabulary and grammar tips. IELTS candidates taking the General Training test will be given a letter, not a chart, in Writing Task 1. Learn how to take a letter from band 6 to band 9. If you are taking the Academic test, you do not write a letter for Writing Task 1, but you can still use this lesson to improve your overall English.

On this page, you will find:

• Candidate Letter Estimated Band 6
• Feedback with language highlights
• Model Estimated Band 9 Letter
• Feedback with Highlights

IELTS Letter Task

Write a letter to a friend. You have borrowed something from your friend and it got damaged.

1. Apologize for damaging the product
2. Explain what happened
3. Say how are you going to fix the issue

Candidate’s IELTS Letter: Estimate Band 6

Dear Nelly, Sorry, it’s taken me so long to write to you but at last, I decided to own up my mistake why I haven’t returned your new laptop till yet. I want to sorry as I damage your new laptop, which I had borrow for my office presentation. I am feeling bitterly disappointed about this, as I know you had bought a new laptop. Everything was going well. I was working on my presentation, but after sometime when I was having my cup of coffee, I accidentally poured coffee over it, and since laptop is not working. Though I had tried many times to restart the windows all went in the vain. I know it’s my blunder mistake. I had already sent the laptop to repair centre and they had promised me to get it to repair within a week. I didn’t want to cause you inconvenience and for this reason, I had arranged another laptop for you to attend your online classes. I hope you can forgive me! Best wishes Robert

Feedback to above Letter

The comments below are organised based on the marking criteria for IELTS Writing Task 1. Each of the marking criterion are worth 25% of your task 1 marks.

• Task Response: The task has been completed and the prompts covered. This is important. However, the final prompt is slightly wrong. The prompts asks about what you will do, not what you’ve already done. Also some details is slightly unclear.
• Coherence and Cohesion: There are paragraphs, but they are not used properly. There is a lack of linking words and connectors.
• Grammar: Complex sentences are used but they are often faulty. There is also a problem with the way tenses are used, although there is a good range of tenses used.. There are also other grammar errors:
  • own up my mistake = own up to my mistake
  • since laptop is not working = since the laptop is not working
  • all went in the vain = it was in vain
  • restart the windows = restart Windows
  • sent the laptop to repair centre = … to the repair centre
  • to get it to repair = to repair it
• Vocabulary: There are some good examples of vocabulary, such as “cause you inconvenience” and “bitterly disappointed” (although the word “disappointed” is not the correct word to use in this context) and “arrange another laptop”. Unfortunately, there are also errors, for example:
  • till yet = yet
  • I want to sorry = I want to apologise
  • accidentally poured coffee over it = accidentally spilled coffee over it 
  • blunder mistake = blunder OR mistake (not both together)
  • arranged another laptop for you to attend your online class = arranged another laptop for you to use for your online class

Model Letter Estimated at Band Score 9

Dear Nelly,

Sorry, it’s taken me so long to write to you but at last I decided to own up to my mistake and explain why I haven’t returned your new laptop yet.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to return your laptop to you because it got damaged during my presentation last week. To be honest, I’ve delayed writing this letter to you because I’ve been feeling dreadfully guilty about it all knowing that it was a brand new laptop. I’m so very sorry.

Let me explain what happened, everything went well with the presentation until just near the end when I got completely flustered. At that point, I was concentrating so much on what I was saying that I accidentally knocked my cup of coffee which spilled all over your laptop. Since then, your laptop hasn’t worked properly even though I’ve restarted it a number of times.

As the laptop just won’t work properly, I’ve decided to send it to a specialist I know. Actually, I’ve already talked to him and he assures me that it’ll be as good as new by Wednesday next week which will be in time for your online class that you start on Thursday. Of course, I’ll cover all costs.

I can’t apologise enough for what’s happened, but please know that it will all get sorted. I hope you can forgive me.

Best wishes,

Robert

Feedback to Model Letter

Quite a lot has changed in the letter. Below I’ve highlighted a few things to focus on:

1. The final prompt is now in the right tense. It is about what you plan to do to fix the problem.
2. Paragraphing is now improved and follows the prompts. Each paragraph has a clear function with a central theme.
3. A range of linking words and connectors:
   1. unfortunately, to be honest, at that point, since then, actually, of course
4. There is a good range of tenses which are used accurately. Here is a few tenses highlighted: it’s taken me …. I decided …. I haven’t been able to  …. I was concentrating …. I’ve been feeling …. he assures me … I’ll cover
5. There is a good range of vocabulary:
   1. to own up to my mistake 
   2. I’ve delayed writing this letter
   3. feeling dreadfully guilty
   4. a brand new laptop
   5. I got completely flustered
   6. to knock something over
   7. to spill something
   8. he assures me
   9. as good as new
   10. I’ll cover all costs

I hope you’ve found this lesson useful both to develop your English and understand about paragraphing as well as other IELTS requirements. to read Top Tips for GT Letters, click here: IELTS GT Letter Essential Tips

All the best

Liz

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Rounding off questions often surprise people in IELTS Speaking Part 2 because they aren’t prepared for them. These are questions which are asked at the end of your part 2 talk and before the part 3 discussion begins.

IELTS Speaking Part 2 is the talk or sometimes called “the long turn”. You will be given a topic on a cue card which also contains prompts. You will have 1 minute to prepare and you should speak for 2 minutes. After your talk, you will be asked rounding off questions. Following that, part 3 will begin.

What are rounding off questions?

They are basic, simple questions that the examiner will ask you when you finish your part 2 talk.

Why are there rounding off questions?

Rounding off questions serve to help you relax and get back into the question/answer mode after you have been talking for 2 minutes continuously. It serves as a way to help you get ready for part 3 questions.

Are rounding off questions difficult?

No. Rounding off questions in IELTS Speaking Part 2 are mostly simple questions directly related to your talk. They are much easier than part 3 questions and are usually just an extension of the part 2 topic.

Are there always two rounding off questions?

Yes, two is the usual number. However, in some circumstances, the examiner might only ask one if the examiner feels the other rounding off question isn’t appropriate.

Are the rounding off questions written on the cue card?

No, they are not. The IELTS speaking examiner has the questions on a separate paper which you will not see.

Cue Card & Rounding Off Questions

Below is an IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue card with possible rounding off questions.

Describe a recent holiday. You should say:

• when it was
• where you went
• what you did there
• and why you enjoyed it.

Rounding Off Questions:

1. Would you ever go there again?
2. Would you recommend other people to go on a similar holiday?

As you can see, the rounding off questions are not difficult and directly relate to your cue card topic.

More Examples of Cue Cards and Rounding Off Questions

Cue card and rounding off questions:

Describe a public building. You should say:

• what building it is
• where it is
• what it’s like
• and why you like it

Rounding off questions

1. When was the first time you saw the building?
2. Do you often visit that building?

Cue card and rounding off questions:

Describe a uniform you wore at school or work. You should say:

• when you wore it
• who bought it for you
•  what it was like
• and how you feel about it.

Rounding off questions

1. Are uniforms expensive to buy?
2. What would you change about the uniform you wore?

Cue Card and rounding off questions:

Describe someone in your family who is similar to you. You should say:

• who the person is
• what the person is like
• how you are similar to each other
• and how you feel about the person

Rounding off questions:

1. Do you like spending time with that person?
2. What do you usually do together?

Cue card and rounding off questions

Describe a time when you were disappointed. You should say:

• when it was
• where you were
• what happened to make you disappointed
• and what you would do differently if it happened again.

Rounding off questions

1. Does this type of situation often happen to you?
2. What do you do to feel better after you’ve been disappointed?

I hope you’ve found this page useful. Rounding off questions are not difficult, but it is good to know about them and be prepared. It is important that you enter the test room with a full understanding of what will happen. There should be no surprises in the test format or how the examiner behaves.

Free IELTS Speaking Lessons & Tips

To see more free lessons and tips for IELTS speaking exam preparation, click here: Free Speaking Lessons & Tips

All the best

Liz 🙂

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Hi guys,

I want to let you know about a new website which contains a lot of reading exercises that will be useful for your preparation.

The website is aimed at articles which cover common topics in English language as well as IELTS. There are questions which you can complete and also vocabulary highlighted. The website is called Ideas in English and is written by a teacher called Nick.

This page – click here Article about Sleep – will help you not only with your reading but also with your IELTS Speaking because it is a topic that can appear in part 1. I definitely recommend it 🙂

All the best

Liz

Below you will find the answers to the lesson based on coroanvirus vocabulary.

If you haven’t completed this lesson, please do so before looking at the answers below. Click here: Coronavirus Vocab Lesson

Vocab Options:

without signs         symptom            asymptomatic            signs

symptoms          a front line            the front line           immunisation     

immunity             lockdown              lock down                 trail   

trial            trails              trials           head           nose             hands     

cheeks            chin         eyes        quarantine        quarantining

death numbers           death toll         death       fatalities      kindness

altruistic      care     thoughtfulness

Answers:

The answers are the words highlighted in bold below:

1. Some people with Covid-19 are asymptomatic. They do not have any symptoms at all.
   1. asymptomatic = without symptoms showing.
   2. the word “symptoms” should be plural. It’s a countable following the word “any”.
2. People working on the front line should have adequate PPE.
   1. This expression uses “the”.
3. Whether people develop long term immunity after having had the virus is still debatable.
   1. the word “immunisation” is about inoculations and isn’t suitable for this sentence.
4. In some countries lockdown measures are being eased gradually.
   1. This is one word = “lockdown”
5. The first human trials for a vaccine are underway.
6. At times like this, you really need to keep your chin up.
   1. “to keep your chin up” is an idiomatic expression about keeping positive.
7. Some countries are deciding on quarantine rules for people entering the country from abroad.
8. While some countries are seeing fatalities go down, other countries are seeing an increase.
   1. This was a tricky one. You can’t have “death numbers” because in English the correct expression is “number of deaths”. You can’t have “death toll” because you would need the article “the” in the sentence (“the death toll”). You can’t have “death” because you would need the plural form “deaths”. So the only possible option which is grammatically correct is “fatalities”.
9. This pandemic is revealing people’s altruistic traits.
   1. None of the other words are grammatically suitable for this sentence.

I hope you found this lesson useful 🙂

All the best

Liz