IELTS Listening Practice: Sports Festival

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IELTS summary completion and sentence completion practice for listening about the topic of sport.

Tips

  • Spend time reading through the questions for the summary and sentence completion because the audio will cover all questions.
  • Pay attention to the title and key words in the questions.
  • Predict the type of answer you will need to listen for (grammar will help you).
  • Notice that the instructions (word count) changes as the type of question changes – pay attention to this.
  • Be ready to move from one set of questions to another. Identify a key word that will help you to know when to move questions.
  • Remember that some key words can be paraphrased.

Mongolian Sports Festival

Questions 1 – 3

Complete the summary using no more than one word and/or a number.

Naadam is a festival of three sports in Mongolia: (1)……………….. horse racing and archery. This festival is traditionally for men and takes place during (2)……………….. Previously, women were unable to (3)………………. in the festival but now they can take part in two out of the three sports.

Questions 4 – 6

Complete the sentences using no more than two words and/or numbers.

  • 4) Historically, this festival was used to generate ………………….
  • 5) People don ……………………………… for the festival.
  • 6) Each year the celebration is held between ……. and ……………….

Answers & Vocabulary

Click below to see answers:

Answers
  1. wrestling
  2. midsummer (one word)
  3. participate / compete (two possible options)
  4. warriors / skilful warriors (must be plural) / skilful men
  5. colourful clothes / traditional clothes/ distinctive clothes
    • three possible options but no more than two words possible for the answer
  6. 11 13 July / 11th 13th July
    • you must have both numbers and the month.
 Transcript

Naadam is a traditional games festival in Mongolia comprising of three sports: Mongolian wrestling, horse racing and archery. It is otherwise known as “the three games of men” because traditionally men were the only ones who could compete.  It is held over midsummer throughout the country. Nowadays, women are able to participate in archery and horse racing but not wrestling. The name “Naadam” means “festival or feast of sports”.

In ancient times, the Mongolian great kings and military generals used to train their warriors and the warriors’ main battle tool, horses, through this competition. While competing and feasting, those three manly traditional sports have been used to create skilful men for centuries.

During the festival, Mongolians dress in colourful and distinctive traditional clothes and ride their most beautiful horses. Official festival celebrations take place throughout the country between 11th and 13th July annually.  The Naadam celebration in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, is the most marvellous.

Useful Vocabulary
  • comprising of = made up of / consisting of
  • wrestling – a sport of holding and throwing an opponent to the ground
    • mongolia_naadam_10
  • archery – using a bow and arrow to hit a target
    • Naadam_women_archery
  • compete = participate / take part in
  • to be held / to take place
  • in ancient times = historically
  • manly = activities suited to a man
  • generate = create
  • to dress = to don (this is formal verb)
  • marvelous = spectacular (this synonym is used only in this context)

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I hope you enjoyed this lesson. Let me know if there any special customs or celebrations in your country that you wish me to make a lesson for. Liz

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Essay Ideas: Should libraries invest in technology or books?

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Ideas for and against libraries invest more in technology than books. This topic of libraries was reported in the IELTS writing task 2 test and can also appear in speaking. Here are some ideas to help you answer this essay question.

IELTS Essay Question

Libraries should provide more books rather than invest in new technology such as computers and e-books. To what extent do you agree?

Ideas for this topic:

Libraries should invest in books

  • Not all books are available on digital format which means some specialised books are still in paper form.
  • Paper books are not easily lost unlike e-books which can be deleted accidentally or malfunction. Paper books are more reliable.
  • Libraries should be responsible for keeping paper books as one day the internet may not exist. It is a known fact that paper books are the only reliable and safe source of information.
  • Paper books help people focus and concentrate. They are not easily distracted. Reading online tempts people to search for new books, visit websites, and look up links rather than focus on the book they are reading.
  • Children should be given paper books to read rather than allowing them to read online which opens them up to uncensored sites.
  • Seeing a shelf full of books and topics is inspiring and stimulates the imagination.

Libraries should invest in technology

  • Technology, such as e-books, allow the same information to be stored in a fraction of the space. This is more cost effective than paper books because they need more storage space.
  • Computers allow users to locate information more quickly, providing better customer service.
  • Looking for and using books online is user friendly. This means people don’t need to leave their seat in order to find one or more books they want.
  • Technology is the way forward for all companies and services.
  • Providing more technology makes more services available as people can access the internet for more information than that provided solely by the library.

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How to Put Examples in Your Essay

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Learn the best way to add examples to your essay to support your ideas. You need to use a range of linking words in your essay and also use them flexibly in different locations in the sentence. See below for a list of useful linking words with sample sentences:

Linking Words for Giving Examples

  • for example
  • for instance
  • to illustrate
  • as an illustration
  • to give a clear example
  • take, for example,
  • such as
  • namely

Video Tutorial: How to Add Examples in an Essay

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Sample Sentences with Supporting Examples

Please note that the linking words do not need to be at the start of the sentence. You can use them more flexibly by changing their location.

Global warming should be taken more serious as it can result in a number of disastrous consequences. To give a clear example, the melting polar ice caps have not only caused a loss of habitat for polar bears but are also threatening seas levels worldwide.

More and more women are choosing to start a family later in life. 20% of women giving birth to their first child, for instance, are over the age of 30 in the UK.

Crimes should not have the same punishment. Minor crimes, such as pick pocketing and traffic offences, should not have the same penalty as major crimes, namely murder and manslaughter.

Children often learn behaviour from the adults around them subconsciously. To illustrate, around 50% of children who are brought up by aggressive parents often use aggression to solve their own problems later in life.

Parents should be responsible for teaching their children right and wrong. If, for example, they see their child using bad language, they should spend time explaining to their child the serious consequences that can result from this type of behaviour.

More and more people are leading sedentary life styles due to work conditions. Take for example office workers in the UK who spend at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week  sitting in front of their computers.

All Linking Words for Essay Writing

You can find a list of all linking words that can be used in essay writing: Linking Words for Writing.

IELTS Essay Questions

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Crime and Punishment Vocabulary with Pronunciation

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The most common crime and punishment vocabulary with audios for pronunciation. This word list covers crimes, criminals, punishment, court proceedings and other useful words to write and talk about the topic of crime. Practice the words with the vocabulary exercise at the bottom of the page.

Types of Crime: Major & Minor Crime Vocabulary

These crimes are divided into crimes which are considered serious and those that are not.

Major Crimes

The list of crimes below are all nouns.

  • abduction = taking someone against their will (kidnapping)
  • arson = setting fire to a property
  • assault = a physical attack
  • burglary = illegal entry to a building with an intent to commit a crime
  • child abuse = maltreatment of a child
  • drug trafficking = importing illegal drugs
  • false imprisonment = imprisoning a person against their will and without legal authority
  • fraud = deception for personal or financial gain
  • hacking = unauthorised access to data in a computer system
  • hijacking = illegally getting control of an aircraft or vehicle
  • human trafficking = illegally transporting people, usually for slave labour or commercial sexual exploitation
  • murder (homicide USA)
    • premeditated murder = murder that is intentional (planned before hand)
    • unpremeditated murder – murder that is not intentional (not planned)
    • manslaughter – unintentional murder (synonym for unpremeditated murder)
    • attempted murder = planning to kill another person
    • patricide = killing one’s own father
    • genocide = systematic killing of a race or religious group
    • euthanasia = killing someone for their benefit
  • organised crime = crime by an organised gang or organisation
  • smuggling = illegal import or export
  • terrorism = unlawful violence or threat with political aims
  • white collar crime = financially motivated non-violent crime by a worker

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Minor Crimes / Offences

  • pick pocketing = taking from another person’s pockets
  • shoplifting = taking products from a shop without paying for them
  • traffic offences =breaking the rules of the road and driving
    • drunk driving = driving whilst under the influence of alcohol
    • jay walking = crossing the road at an undesignated spot
    • running a red light = going through traffic lights when they are red
    • speeding = driving over the speed limit
  • vandalism = deliberate destruction or damage to a building

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Vocabulary for Criminals

This list shows the person relating to the crime (the perpetrator of the crime).

  • crime = criminal
  • murder = murderer
  • theft = thief
  • trafficking = trafficker
  • hijacking = hijacker
  • terrorism = terrorist
  • smuggling = smuggler
  • shoplifting = shoplifter
  • vandalism = vandal
  • teenage criminal/ juvenile delinquent

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Types of Punishment Vocabulary

  • the death penalty (capital punishment) = punishment of death
  • a prison sentence (imprisonment) = imprisonment
    • life in prison
    • 10 years
    • 6 months
  • a suspended sentence = delaying of a sentence
  • forfeiture = property is taken away (confiscated)
  • hospital order = to confine someone to hospital under arrest
  • a fine = to pay money as a punishment for an offence
  • house arrest = imprisoned in one’s own house rather than in prison
  • to suspend a license = withholding a person’s right to use their driving license for a period of time
  • to revoke a license = to take away someone’s driving license
  • non-custodial sentence = a sentence which is not done in prison
    • community service = punishment by doing community work

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Other Types of Punishment

This refers to punishment commonly used by schools and parents.

  • detention = to stay in school after hours for punishment
  • to give lines = punishment where a child must write the same sentence again and again
  • isolation = to be kept apart from others as a punishment
  • grounding = to be unable to go outside home as a punishment
  • scolding = an angry reprimand
  • corporal punishment = physical punishment from a teacher or headteacher at school

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Court Language

  • judge = the person who controls the court proceedings
  • jury = a group of independent people who decide whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty
  • justice = fairness or court law
  • trial = legal proceedings to judge whether someone is guilty of a crime
  • court = the place where the trial is held
  • defendant = the accused person: the individual or group being accused in court of a crime
  • prosecutor = the lawyer against the accused person
  • defense = the lawyer protecting the accused person
  • witness = a person who sees an event happen
  • evidence = facts or information supporting the truth
  • proof = evidence supporting a claim
  • hearsay = rumour / unsubstantiated information
  • guilty = not innocent as judged by a court of law
  • innocent = found not guilty of a crime
  • to be found guilty = the court decided that the person did commit the crime
  • conviction / verdict = formal sentence of a court
  • circumstances of the crime = a condition or situation relating to a crime
  • extenuating circumstances = a condition that makes the crime or mistake less serious and more understandable
  • take into consideration = should be thought about carefully
  • circumstantial evidence = something that connects a person indirectly to the crime (for example, a finger print at a crime scene but no actual hard evidence or witness)
  • maximum / minimum sentence = highest penalty / lowest penalty
  • a harsh punishment = hard, strict penalty
  • penalty / punishment are synonyms but penalty is often used for both minor offences and major crimes.

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Other Useful Crime & Punishment Vocabulary

  • crime is prevalent = there is a lot of crime
  • armed police = police who carry guns
  • to deter (n = deterrent) = to put someone off from doing something
  • discrimination = unjust treatment
  • to be soft on crime = not to have harsh or strict punishments
  • repeat offender = a person who has committed a crime or offence more than once
  • serial criminals = criminals who repeatedly commit the same crime
  • diminished responsibility = when someone is not in a state to be considered responsible for their own actions
  • rehabilitation = to restore someone through education or therapy
  • reintegrate back into society = help someone return into society
  • peer pressure = pressure from friends or colleagues
  • role models = people whose behaviour should be copied and respected
  • mimicking violent behaviour = to copy aggressive actions

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Practice Exercises with Crime Vocabulary

Complete the sentences using one or more words either from the above lists or from other vocabulary relating to this topic. The sentence must be grammatically correct once you have added the right word(s).

  1. The ………………. is the strongest deterrent against crime.
  2. The number of ……………….. is on the rise due to the impact of peer pressure at school and violent movies shown on TV. Teenagers are prone to ……………. aggressive behaviour.
  3. All people accused of a crime should be given a fair ……………. in a ………… of law.
  4. People who are convicted a murder from only ………………………. evidence should not receive the death penalty.
  5. The motives of a crime should always be taken into consideration. For example. there is a significant difference in the character of a person who commits ……………… murder and one who commits accidental murder.
  6. A ………….. sentence is more humane than capital punishment.
  7. Punishment should be the last resort. Instead criminals should be  …………………….
  8. People who commit ……….. crimes, such as traffic offences, should have their ……………….. revoked.
  9. Famous people, such as movie stars, should set a good ………… and ensure that they are good …………….. for young people to follow.
  10. …………… and the right to a fair ……………. should be the right of all citizens.
  11. Parents who inflict ……………… punishment on their children are showing children that …………….. is an acceptable way to deal with problems.
  12. Prison does not rehabilitate criminals, it only …………. them from society.   …………….. service and rehabilitation is a better way to avoid criminals becoming ………………….
Answers
  1. death penalty (the answer can’t be “capital punishment” because it doesn’t use the article “the”)
  2. juvenile delinquents / mimic
  3. trial / court
  4. circumstantial
  5. premeditated
  6. life
  7. rehabilitated
  8. minor / licenses
  9. example / role models
  10. Justice / trial
  11. corporal / violence
  12. removes / Community / repeat offenders

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IELTS Line Graph and Bar Chart Model Answer (Band 9)

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An IELTS line graph and bar chart model answer with examiner comments. Describing two charts together for IELTS writing task 1 academic paper is easy when you know how. Dual charts like the one below are very common in IELTS Writing Task 1 and appear each year.

IELTS Line Graph & Bar Chart

The line graph shows visits to and from the UK from 1979 to 1999. The bar chart shows the most popular countries visited by UK residents in 1999.

ielts-Line-and-bar-graph

Source: IELTS Cambridge English Test Books

Line Graph & Bar Chart Model Answer

The line graph illustrates the number of UK residents going abroad from the UK and overseas residents visiting the UK between 1979 and 1999. The bar chart gives information about how many UK residents travelled to five of the most popular countries in 1999. Units are measured in millions of people.

Overall, there was an increase in the number of visits to and from the UK and there were more visits abroad by UK residents than visits to the UK by overseas residents over the period given. Furthermore, the most popular country to visit by UK residents was France in 1999.

According to the line graph, the number of UK residents visiting overseas  began at just under 15 million in 1979 and rose significantly to reach over 50 million in 1999. Around 10 million overseas residents visited the UK in the first year before climbing steadily to just under 30 million by the final year.

Regarding the bar chart, in 1999, the two most popular countries were France and Spain (visited by 10 million UK residents and approximately 9 million respectively). The USA and Greece had about 4 million and 3 million visitors. The least popular country visited was Turkey, which had only about 2 million UK residents going there.

Examiner Comments

This IELTS writing task 1 report describing both a chart and a graph is organised into logical paragraphs. The introduction introduces both charts and the overview contains the key features of both chart. Detail in the body paragraphs is supported by data. The right language is used for the line graph and there are a range of sentence structures used throughout.

Paraphrasing

  • shows = illustrates / gives information about
  • the number = how many
  • visits abroad by UK residents = UK residents going abroad = UK residents travelling to…
  • from 1979 to 1999 = between 1979 and 1999 = over the period given
  • rose = climbed
  • about = approximately = around

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Linking Words for IELTS Speaking: Word List & Tips

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Here is a list of linking words for your IELTS speaking with tips and models. For speaking you need some simple linking words and natural phrases to help the examiner follow your ideas and stories. These linking words  and signposts are simple and informal on the whole. IELTS writing is different and requires the use of a wide range of linkers.

IELTS Speaking Linking Words – Why are they important?

Why are they important for IELTS Speaking if there is no marking criterion for Coherence and Cohesion, like there is in IELTS writing? Well, the marking criterion of Fluency is actually Fluency & Coherence and that means you are marked on being well understood. While the linking words themselves are not marked, you are marked on being easy to understand by making the direction of your ideas clear – and that requires linking words which signpost the direction of what you are saying. So, these linking words will help your score for Fluency and Coherence, which counts for 25% of your marks.

Types of Linking Words for IELTS Speaking

Adding more information

  • and
  • also
  • as well as
  • another reason is

Time Phrases

You should use signposts to help the listening understand when you are talking about the past or the present. This is crucial in IELTS Speaking where you will be asked questions that are related to the past, to the present and to the future.

  • now
  • at the moment
  • at present
  • right now
  • these days
  • nowadays
  • in the past
  • before
  • then
  • at that time
  • years ago
  • when I was younger
  • in the future
  • in a few decades
  • looking ahead

Expressing ideas

  • I think one important thing is
  • I guess one difference is
  • I suppose the main difference between X and Y is

Causes and Solutions

  • I guess it’s because
  • The main reason is
  • It was caused by
  • Because
  • I suppose the best way to deal with this problem is
  • I reckon the only answer is to
  • The best way to solve this is

Giving Examples

These connective devices are for giving examples in your answers. The most common and natural to use is “like”. Please note that “like” can’t be used as a linking device in IELTS writing.

  • for example
  • for instance
  • such as
  • like

Being Clear

You use these simple, natural expression to explain your point again more clearly or get your answer back on track.

  • What I mean is
  • What I want to say is
  • As I was saying

Contrasting and concessions

Use these connecting words to compare and contrast or give concessions. You will often be asked a comparison question in the IELTS Speaking test. These questions can come in speaking part 1, part 2 or part 3. So, make sure to use these linking words for your statements.

  • but
  • on the other hand
  • while
  • although
  • or
  • in comparison
  • on the other hand
  • by contrast

Free PDF Download: Linking words for IELTS Speaking

Examples of Linking Words in IELTS Speaking

Look at the following questions and answers from the speaking test and see what linking words are contained in the answers. You’ll see that the use of linking words is very common in most answers you will give.

Q. Do you eat much fruit?

A. Yes, I do. I love tropical fruit like mangoes and pineapples. I just can’t get enough of them. I’d eat them with every meal if I could.

Comments: We would not use “for example” in this type of sentence which relates to our everyday life and instead we use “like” which is very informal. We can use “like” as a linking word in the speaking test, but never in the writing test, which is formal.

Q. Do you think fast food is bad?

A. Yes, I do. If it is eaten too often, it can cause problems such as heart disease or diabetes. Also, it can lead to weight problems which are really common nowadays.

Comments: You could use “such as” or “for example” in this sentence because the content is more serious. Please note that we don’t use “furthermore” or “in addition” for speaking, instead we use “also” or “and”.

Q. Do children play similar games today that they played in the past?

A. No, I don’t think they do. Before, children used to play simple games like hide and seek or they used to play with simple handmade toys. But, these days, kids tend to prefer computer games and their toys are battery operated. 

Comments: This answer contained time phrases for the past and present “before” and “these days”. It also had an example “like”. “Like” is the main example linking word for speaking and can be repeated again and again. This answer also uses a contrasting linking word “but”. “But” is the main contrasting linking word in speaking and can be repeated many times.

Mistakes with Linking Words in Speaking

The example below will help you understand how not to answer a question with linking words when you answers questions in your IELTS Speaking test.

Q. Do you like going out with friends?

A. Yes, I do. Firstly, it gives me a chance to relax. Secondly, I can catch up on their news. Last but not least, it allows me the opportunity to visit new places.

Comments: The method of linking is too formal for the question. In IELTS Speaking, you will get questions which are relaxed and personal. And you might get questions which are very serious, such as in Speaking Part 3. You are likely to alter your language depending on the question. Part 1 and Part 2 questions are often quite simple and you’ll explain yourself quiet simply and informally, such as with the question above. However, in Part 3, the question might be more serious, such as “Do younger people and older people enjoy doing the same things in their free time?”, you might choose a slightly more formal approach, such as “One significant difference is …. Moreover, another interesting point is ….”. But this is not about formal or informal. It’s just about the topic being serious in nature and you possibly being more serious in your reply. Do you need to use words like “moreover”? Not at all. Even if you use “and”, you can still get band 9. Your aren’t marked on your range of linking words, and it’s natural when speaking to repeat common, simple linking words. To sum up, for the most part, you’ll be speaking mostly informally and sometimes more seriously depending on the question.

See below what the answer should be to the above question:

A. Yes, I do. It’s great being able to chill out and catch up with their news. Also, we often go out to new places which I really enjoy. 

Comments: This answer was more natural and more appropriate to the question so it would be marked higher in IELTS speaking. The linking words are used appropriately (and / also). You are being marked on your natural use of English in an informal speaking test.

Tips for Linking Devices in IELTS Speaking

  • Don’t use formal linking words for simple questions about yourself and your life.
  • Don’t worry about repeating linking words. This is different to IELTS writing and repetition in the speaking test is more usual and not marked down.
  • The most common linking words for speaking are: and, but, because, also, like (for giving examples). This means you will probably use them a lot and repeat them often – that’s fine for the speaking test.
  • “Like” is only used as a linking word to give examples in speaking NOT in writing.
  • You do not get a higher score because you used a range of linking devices.
  • Linking words in speaking are just to help the examiner understand better and that will boost your score. This is about being coherent, rather than structure and formal linking.
  • Linking words are used naturally not formally in IELTS speaking.
  • Some questions are serious in nature and you might use more “formal” style linking words at that time. But it isn’t rquired for a high score. Just be yourself, be natural.
  • Linking words are part of the criterion of “Fluency and Coherence” which is 25% of your marks.

Linking Devices for IELTS Writing

The following link will provide you with a list of Essential Linking Words for Writing Task 2. For IELTS writing, you MUST use a range of formal linking words in your essay to get a high score. This is applicable to both GT and academic students.

IELTS Speaking USEFUL LINKS:

IELTS speaking common questions and topics to practice for your test.

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Common Uncountable Nouns: Word List

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A list containing the most common uncountable nouns with tips and advice. Countable and uncountable nouns are some of the most common mistakes that students make in English. This page will explain everything to you.

Download PDF: Uncountable Nouns List

What is an uncountable noun?

Countable nouns are nouns which can be counted in numbers. For example, one house / two houses. When we use countable nouns, we use the article “a” and the plural “s” (a house, two houses).

Uncountable nouns are nouns which can’t be counted. For example, information. It is not possible to say one information/ two informations. The word “information” can’t be counted using numbers. It can never have a plural “s”. It can never have an article “a” or “an”. And it can never be quantified with any number. However, when using uncountable nouns, you will need to use a singular third person verb tense “information is” and it can never be “information are”.

What types of uncountable nouns are there?

Most uncountable nouns relate to:

  • liquids (milk, water)
  • abstract ideas (advice, chaos, motivation)
  • powder and grain (rice, wheat, sand)
  • mass nouns (furniture, hair, transportation)
  • natural phenomena (sunshine, snow, rain, weather)
  • states of being (sleep, stress, childhood)
  • feelings (anger, happiness, enthusiasm, courage)
  • gas (oxygen, air)

Uncountable Nouns & Grammar

  • How much …? = uncountable nouns / How many …? = countable nouns /
  • These = countable / This = uncountable
  • many = countable / a lot of = uncountable (and countable)
  • not many = countable / not much uncountable (we use “much” with negative uncountable nouns)

To express an amount of an uncountable noun, you must use other words.

  • some information = a piece of information
  • some clothing = one item of clothing / two items of clothing
  • some equipment = a piece of equipment / two pieces of equipment
  • some water = a cup of water / two glasses of water

Uncountable Noun List

I have put the most common words in bold. Some words are both countable and uncoutable – I have put a note next to those words.

A-F Uncountable Nouns

  • accommodation
  • advertising
  • air
  • aid
  • advice
  • anger
  • art
  • assistance
  • bread
  • business
  • butter
  • calm
  • cash
  • chaos
  • cheese (both)
  • childhood (both)
  • clothing 
  • coffee (both)
  • content
  • corruption
  • courage
  • currency (both)
  • damage
  • danger (both)
  • darkness
  • data
  • determination
  • economics
  • education (both)
  • electricity
  • employment
  • energy
  • entertainment (both)
  • enthusiasm
  • equipment
  • evidence
  • failure (both)
  • fame
  • fire
  • flour
  • food (both)
  • freedom
  • friendship (both)
  • fuel
  • furniture
  • fun

G -M Uncountable Nouns

  • genetics
  • gold
  • grammar
  • guilt
  • hair
  • happiness
  • harm
  • health
  • heat
  • help
  • homework
  • honesty
  • hospitality 
  • housework
  • humour
  • imagination (both)
  • importance
  • information
  • innocence
  • intelligence
  • jealousy
  • juice
  • justice
  • kindness
  • knowledge
  • labour
  • lack (both)
  • laughter
  • leisure
  • literature
  • litter
  • logic
  • love (both)
  • luck
  • magic
  • management
  • metal (both)
  • milk
  • money
  • motherhood
  • motivation
  • music

N-S Uncountable Nouns

  • nature
  • news
  • nutrition
  • obesity
  • oil
  • old age
  • oxygen
  • paper (both)
  • patience
  • permission
  • pollution
  • poverty
  • power (both)
  • pride
  • production (both)
  • progress
  • pronunciation
  • publicity
  • punctuation
  • quality (both)
  • quantity (both)
  • racism
  • rain
  • relaxation (both)
  • research
  • respect
  • rice
  • room (space)
  • rubbish
  • safety
  • salt
  • sand
  • seafood
  • shopping
  • silence (both)
  • smoke
  • snow
  • software
  • soup (both)
  • speed
  • spelling
  • stress 
  • sugar
  • sunshine

T – Z Uncountable Nouns

  • tea (both)
  • tennis
  • time (both)
  • tolerance (both)
  • trade (both)
  • traffic
  • transportation
  • travel
  • trust
  • understanding (both)
  • unemployment
  • usage
  • violence
  • vision (both)
  • warmth
  • water
  • wealth
  • weather
  • weight (both)
  • welfare
  • wheat
  • width
  • wildlife
  • wisdom
  • wood (both)
  • work
  • yoga
  • youth (both)

Irregular Uncountable Nouns

Some nouns can be both countable and uncountable.

Room  = has two meanings. One is countable and one is uncountable.

  • If this is about a room in a house, it is countable.
  • If this is relating to space “there isn’t much room in this place”, it is uncountable.

Hair = this can be countable and uncountable depending on how you use it.

  • “There is a hair in my soup”. This refers to only one strand of hair and is countable.
  • “He has a lot of hair”. This refers to the mass of hair and is considered uncountable.

Business = this can be countable and uncountable.

  • “He is going to Paris on business”. This is uncountable.
  • “I will take my business elsewhere”. This is uncountable and means I will take my custom to another shop.
  • “He studies business at school”. This is uncountable.
  • “I am planning to start a new business”.  Countable.

This is a difficult one with a lot of exceptions. Here’s a link with a list of rules for the word business / countable and uncountable.

Other Irregular Uncountable Nouns

light / paper / time / work /

For details of irregular uncountable nouns, follow the link.

Practice with Countable and Uncountable Nouns

Fill in the gaps using one of the following: many / much / a lot of.

  1. …………. wildlife is losing habitation due to deforestation.
  2. I haven’t heard ………. news about the recent events in Europe.
  3. There aren’t ………. sports lessons offered in the school curriculum.
  4. I can’t go out to tonight because I’ve got ………… work.
  5. It is often thought that people who have only traveled in their own country don’t have ……………. tolerance for others compared to people who have been abroad.
  6. ………… literature that students read at school is classical.
  7. ……….. education policies are designed to protect students but ensure a high level of learning.
Answers
  1. A lot of
  2. much
  3. many (“lessons” = countable)
  4. a lot of
  5. much
  6. A lot of
  7. Many (“policies” = countable)

Fill in the gaps with on of the following: is / are.

  1. Silence ……… essential in libraries to ensure that people can concentrate on what they are reading.
  2. There ……. a lot of company advertising during major sports events.
  3. Shopping …….. one of the most popular leisure activities for women.
  4. There …….. a lot of information available online about IELTS.
  5. There ………. a lot of traffic in city centers during rush hour.
  6. There ……….. not enough money spent on research for cancer.
  7. Water …….. essential for plants to thrive.
  8. I think that childhood …….. one of the best times of a person’s life.
  9. The management procedures ……… difficult to understand.
  10. Not enough aid …. given to third world countries.
Answers
  1. is
  2. is
  3. is
  4. is
  5. is
  6. is
  7. is
  8. is
  9. are
  10. is

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IELTS Speaking Part 2 Quiz: How much do you know?

by 47 Comments

How much do you know about IELTS speaking part 2? Make sure you understand everything about speaking part 2 before you do your test.

Quiz

Are the following tips and advice good or bad?

  1. If you don’t know anything about the topic, ask the examiner to give you another cue card.
  2. You must write answers to each question on the cue card during your 1 minute preparation.
  3. You shouldn’t look at your notes while you are giving your talk.
  4. You will get a low score if your talk is boring.
  5. You should only add information to your talk relating to the prompts on your card.
  6. The examiner will interrupt you if you go off topic.
  7. If you don’t speak for 2 minutes, you won’t get a high score.
  8. The examiner is not interested in your grammar in part 2, only in your fluency.
  9. Use plenty of idioms to get a higher score.
  10. You should expand your talk by adding descriptions, details and stories.
Answers

All the advice given above is bad except for one. Read the comments below to learn more.

  1. You can’t change your topic. Even if you don’t know much about it, you should still try to talk by adding your own ideas and information.
  2. There are no questions on the speaking part 2 cards. There are prompts on the cards which are only guidelines. You should decide how to write notes in a way that is useful for your talk. The notes are only to help you remember your ideas so you decide if you want to make notes on each prompt or not.
  3. This is really bad advice. Of course you can look at your notes. Your notes will help you remember your ideas. However, don’t look down at your notes all the time. Eye contact with the examiner while you are speaking is important. Just glance at your notes from time to time to help remember ideas.
  4. There is no score for having an interesting talk or a boring talk. However, an interesting talk usually contains a better range of language and for that reason adding interesting details can help.
  5. This is also poor advice. The prompts should be used as guidelines. If you decide not to follow them, it is up to you. Personally, I recommend following them because they provide a useful structure for your talk but you need to add more information to each prompt. It is your choice what extra information you add.
  6. The examiner will not interrupt your talk at all. Once you start talking, the examiner will remain silent until you have finished. Also there is no scoring for being on or off topic in IELTS speaking. You shouldn’t change the topic but you might want to add some interesting details which are not mentioned on your card.
  7. Part of fluency is your ability to speak at length but that doesn’t mean you must speak for 2 minutes. If you only speak for 1.5 minutes but during that time you speak without hesitation, you can still get a high score.
  8. There are four marking criteria in IELTS speaking (fluency, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation). These criteria are scored from your answers to ALL parts of the test. While part 2 is a good chance to show your fluency skills, your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation will still be assessed.
  9. Using idioms is not a sure way to get a high score. Idioms should be used appropriately and correctly and should definitely not be over used.
  10. This is absolutely correct advice. You need to expand your talk by adding more detail and descriptions. This website (IELTS Advantage) has a great strategy for developing your talk. I’m sure you will all find it useful.

 

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