Hi guys,

Here are the answers to yesterday’s exercise about using synonyms in IELTS writing task 1. I think it was a good exercise because I see many students have different answers and are unclear about collocations. Mistakes in vocabulary will lower your score.

Let me know if the lesson was useful 🙂

Questions

Are the verbs correct in the sentences below? Are they Right or Wrong?

1. More boys than girls enjoyed sport.
2. Fewer girls participated in tennis than boys.
3. Almost twice the number of boys played cycling.
4. More girls took part in swimming compared to boys.
5. The majority of boys engaged in football.
6. More girls competed in badminton than boys.

Answers

1. W = Wrong. The chart is about playing sport but about enjoying it. The chart does not give information about how boys or girls felt. This would be marked as a mistake.
2. R = Right. The verb “participate in” works well as a synonyms for “play” when referring to sport.
3. W = Wrong. The verb “play” is not possible with the noun “cycling”. This is a mistake with vocabulary – an incorrect collocation. When writing or talking about cycling, we can use the verb “do”.
4. R = Right. The verb “take part in” works well as a paraphrase for “play” in this context.
5. W = Wrong. The verb “engage” is incorrect when writing about sport.
6. W = Wrong. The verb “compete” is about competitions. This chart is about playing sports, not competing in sports. This would be marked as a vocabulary mistake.

Comment

You can see that paraphrasing is about deciding if nouns and verbs match. It is about understanding the context. It is about choosing correctly.  Some words will be repeated – this is normal in English.

Paraphrasing Video

Watch this video to learn more about being careful with paraphrases.

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It is important to use synonyms in IELTS writing task 1. Paraphrasing will help you get a higher band score for writing task 1. However, you need to be careful not to make mistakes.

Look at the chart below and then answer the questions.

IELTS Bar Chart Synonyms

Synonyms Practice Exercise

The bar chart above is about “playing sport”. The list of sports are: tennis, badminton, cycling, swimming, football and hockey.  The verbs below are in past tense as the date is 2012.

Decide if the following synonyms are Right (R) or Wrong (W).

1. More boys than girls enjoyed sport.   (enjoyed sport = Right or Wrong?)
2. Fewer girls participated in tennis than boys. (participated in tennis = R or W?)
3. Almost twice the number of boys played cycling. (played cycling = R or W?)
4. More girls took part in swimming compared to boys. (took part in swimming – R or W?)
5. The majority of boys engaged in football. (engaged in football- R or W?)
6. More girls competed in badminton than boys. (competed in badminton = R or W?)

Answers

See the answers: Click here: Answers to this Exercise

To see model answers and tips for IELTS writing task 1, click: IELTS Writing Task 1 Page

IELTS Model Essay Answer for June 2017. The IELTS essay question was reported in the academic test on 17th June, 2017 – just two days ago. It’s a difficult topic for students who have not prepared ideas for court trials. Use my model essay below to develop ideas.

There is a list of useful vocabulary and useful links below the model answer.

June 2017 IELTS Essay Question

In some countries,some criminal trials in law courts are shown on television so that the general public can watch.
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

June 2017 IELTS Model Essay

Below is a model essay answer for the IELTS essay question above. Remember there are a number of different ways of writing this essay question and this model answer offers one way.

Model Essay Answer

In recent years, criminal trials have been televised in some countries to allow the public an opportunity to watch them. I believe, although there are advantages, making trials public can lead to too much injustice and other problems.

One of the main advantages of allowing court trials to be broadcast on TV is that the entire judicial system is open to the public to watch and supervise. In some countries where the judicial system is corrupt, it would be a step forward towards more justice by televising the trials as it is overseen by the public. Another benefit is that opening the doors of the court room allows the public rights to information. The public have a right to know the details of trials so that they can form their own opinions. This is important in countries where the government has restricted public access to information.

On the other hand, allowing trials to be shown on TV has serious consequences. Firstly, the public might form opinions which are based on mass media bias and a lack of understanding of the legal system. This public and media pressure might affect the outcome of the trial and justice will not be served. Secondly, the legal team might see this as an opportunity to promote themselves which means they may be distracted and not put all their attention into defending or prosecuting. Lastly, the jury is supposed to decide the verdict but by televising the trial, the entire public removes the effectiveness of a jury system.

In conclusion, regardless of the benefits, the disadvantages of an open televised trial can be devastating due to public and media pressure which might result in a lack of justice.

Words = 284 (please note I put the word count for your benefit, you don’t need to do this in your test)

Useful Language

shown on TV = televised = broadcast on TV

court trials = legal proceedings in court

justice / injustice

judicial system = legal system

outcome of the trial = results of the trial = verdict

defending / prosecuting

jury / judge

More Useful Language: Crime & Punishment Vocabulary for IELTS

See ALL Vocabulary for IELTS pages

Below is a list of IELTS essay questions reported this month, June 2017. I’ve listed the topics for each question so you can see the common trends this month. There are 10 topics listed.

Notice: These questions are NOT predictions. It is not possible to predict questions in IELTS. They are reported topics. Following trending topics is useful as topics can be repeated but there is no guarantee you will get them.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions June 2017

1. Topic: Work

Countries with long working days are more economically successful, but there are also some negative social consequences. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some countries have introduced a new law deciding how many hours employers can ask their employees to work. Why do you think they implemented this law? And do you think it is a positive or negative decision?

2. Topic: Education

In some countries it has been observed that many parents choose to teach their children at home rather than sending them to school. Do the advantages of children studying at home outweigh the disadvantages?

The teaching situation of teacher and students in a classroom will no longer be exist by the year 2050.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

3. Topic: Environment & Economy

Some people believe that a country will be able to be economically success and also have a clean environment. Some people disagree. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

4. Topic: Money & Economy

Some people think that the money they earn should be enjoyed by spending it now, while other thinks that their earnings should be saved for future. Discuss both the views & give your opinion.

5. Topic: Housing

In some countries, people prefer to rent a house for accommodation, while in other countries people prefer to buy their own house. Does renting a house have more advantages or disadvantages than buying a house?

6. Topic: Transport 

Many people think that the government should spent money on developing and improving road systems. Others think that car drivers should pay the cost for it. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

7. Topic: Government Funding

Governments spend a lot of money on public celebrations such as national holidays and public festivals. Some people say that the government spends too much on this and that they should use this money on other useful things. Do you agree or disagree?

8. Topic: Society 

Some people say that its better for young people to follow the traditions of society. However, others believe that its better to follow one’s own ideas and ways of living. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion,

9. Topic: Crime & Punishment

Some people think that criminal activities can be reduced by implementing long prison sentences. However, others think that it can be reduced effectively by alternative ways. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

In some countries,some criminal trials in law courts are shown on television so that the general public can watch.
Do the advantages of allowing this outweigh the disadvantages?

10. Topic: Space

Space travel is now possible and some say that space tourism may probably developed in the future. To what extent do you agree?

More Links for IELTS Writing task 2:

• 100 IELTS Essay Questions
• IELTS Writing Task 2 Lessons, Tips and Model Answers
• Recent Exam Questions for Speaking & Writing