Practice with Linking Words

by 11 Comments

In IELTS writing task 2, you will need to use a range of linking words to connect your sentences and to make your essay coherent. If you are aiming for band score 6 and above, it is important to show the examiner that you can use a good range of linkers. This lesson is aimed at intermediate to upper intermediate levels.

Below are some sentences which relate to the topic of work. Fill in the gaps to complete the sentences by choosing the appropriate linking word. Please note that you will need to consider the grammatical structure of each sentence to choose the correct linking word.

1. It is generally agreed that professional people doing shift work, …………………. (like / such as / take for example) nurses, doctors and police, should be given compensation for unsociable hours in the form of better benefits and higher pay.

2. Working overtime has its compensations ……………… ( therefore / but / although) can have a detrimental effect on the family.

3. ……………..(However / Although / But) women have equal employment rights to men, there still exists a glass ceiling, in many countries, which can prevent them from reaching the upper levels of a company.

4. Juvenile delinquency, which is a growing issue in many countries, should be addressed by both schools and parents ……………………( consequently / so as to / so ) get to the root of the problem.

5. Technology has had a great impact on the way people work …………..(but / and / consequently)  will no doubt continue to do so in the future.

Answers
  1. such as (‘like’ is not appropriate to use /  ‘take for example’ would require a different sentence structure to be used)
  2. but (‘although’ would require a different sentence structure to be used)
  3. Although
  4. so as to (this means ‘in order to’)
  5. and 
Tips

 

  1. Don’t just learn the meaning of linking words, learn how to use them correctly.
  2. Never use ‘like’ as a linking word in an academic essay.
  3. Don’t forget to use the linker ‘and’ – it is easy to use and still able to give you a high score.
  4. If you make mistakes with your linkers, you will struggle to get over band score 7 in Coherence and Cohesion, which is 25% of your marks.

 

IELTS Teachers and students can download this lesson for free on pdf file: linking-words-practice

Recommended

Conclusion Linkers: Video Tutorial

Get my free lessons by email

Subscribe for free to get my new IELTS lessons sent to your email inbox.

Filed Under: IELTS Writing Task 2 Tagged With: ,

IELTS Letter: Sample Answer

by 216 Comments

Below is an IELTS letter with a sample answer which is estimated at band score 9 and is personal rather than formal. For the General Training Paper in IELTS, you are required to write a letter of over 150 words in 20 mins for writing task 1.

Last month you had an overseas holiday with some friends where you stayed at their house. They have just sent you some holiday photos.

Write a letter to your friends. In your letter:

  • thank them for the holiday and the photos
  • explain why you didn’t write earlier
  • invite them to come and stay with you

Band Score 9 Sample Answer

Hi John and Laura,

How are you both? I hope this letter finds you well. Although it’s such a short time since we last saw each other, it feels much longer.

Thank you so much not only for such a memorable holiday but also for the lovely photos that you sent of our holiday together. It brought it all back to me so vividly. Staying with you and seeing where you live was a real eye-opener for me. Australia is certainly a scenic country with remarkable landscape and wildlife, particularly up in the north where you are.

Sorry, it has taken me so long to write back and thank you. Almost as soon as we landed back in the UK, my mother became sick. Since then we’ve been running around looking after her and getting carers sorted out. She seems to be improving now and hopefully will be back to normal soon.

Next month, we’ll be celebrating our Wedding Anniversary and we’d be delighted if you could come over to celebrate it with us. It’ll be a chance for you to meet the rest of the family and see a bit of England. Of course, you must stay with us. There’s plenty of room and we’ll pick you up at the airport. I really hope you can make it.

Take care and write back soon.

Sandra

Recommended

IELTS Letter Writing Tips 

Filed Under: IELTS Writing Task 1 Tagged With:

Reported Essay Question Jan 10

by 46 Comments

Here is an IELTS writing task 2 essay question which was reported in the test on Saturday. Below are some ideas for your answer.

In some countries, fast food restaurants and companies give money to schools provided that the schools promote their products to school children.

What do you think is the positive and negative of this in the development of children?

Positive Effects

  • children benefit from the additional resources and facilities that schools can afford due to the funding from companies
  • children can learn the value of money in order to buy the products being promoted
    • learning to manage money is a useful life skill
    • children learn to be selective about what they buy

Negative Effects

  • promoting companies such as fast food restaurants encourages a poor diet
    • poor diets, which include high quantities of salt and sugar, can be harmful to a child’s health
    • this sets children up to be unhealthy adults which can be expensive for the state in the long run
  • advertising and promoting to children can be exploitative and unethical
    • they are easily influenced
    • they are not able to criticise or form their own opinion
    • this form of advertising is aimed at the parents through their children
    • children are unable to distinguish what is promotional and what is educational

Get my free lessons by email

Subscribe for free to get my new IELTS lessons sent to your email inbox.

Filed Under: IELTS Writing Task 2 Tagged With: ,

IELTS Listening; Table Completion Practice

by 70 Comments

The questions below require you to complete a table and are typical of section 2 in IELTS listening. You need to prepare the columns and rows in the table before you listen in order to predict paraphrasing as well as the type of answer you need to listen for.

Filling in a table is a question type that can come in all sections of the test. The key to tables is to remember that the answers will all come in order so follow the information in the table.

IELTS Listening practice: Table Completion

London Attractions

Questions 6-10: Write no more than two words and / or numbers

 

.

Transcript and Answers

Click below to reveal the transcript and answers.

Transcript

London has uncountable attractions for first time visitors but for those of you looking for interest and history, Hampton Court Palace and Madame Tussauds are unmissable. Hampton Court Palace, which was the favourite royal residence of Henry VIII, boasts 60 acres of formal gardens as well as the famous maze and Great Vine. For adults the price for an entry ticket is 16.50 but a child’s ticket is 8.25 although if your child is under 5, it’s free. If you are only interested in the gardens rather than entering the court itself, then you can get a garden ticket only. It opens daily at 10 in the morning, last admissions are at 5pm and closing time is at 6.

Another popular favorite place to put on your London itinerary is Madame Tussauds. Filled with life size wax models of celebrities, there are 14 interactive zones as well as the amazing Marvel Super Heroes 4D movie experience. Why don’t you take a walk down the red carpet and strike a pose next your favourite film star. Tickets are 28.00 for an adult and 22.50 for all children. That may sound like a steep price but it really is a once-in-a-life-time experience. Doors open at 9.30 each morning and close at 5.30pm.

Answers
6. free
7. 10am   6pm (you need both answers correct)
8. £28.00
9. £22.50
10. 5.30pm

Recommended

More Table Completion Practice, click here
More Section 2 Practice, click here

Filed Under: IELTS Listening Tagged With: ,

Crime: Vocabulary Exercise

by 16 Comments

Crime is a common topic in IELTS writing task 2 and occasionally it also appears in IELTS speaking part 2 and 3. Below is an exercise to help you practice this vocabulary. This exercise is aiming for students aiming for band score 7 and above. To get a full vocabulary list for crime and punishment, follow the link.

Instructions

Fill in the gaps using the list of vocabulary provided. You may need to change the form of the words to make the sentences grammatically correct. Words may be used more than once.

arrest  /  suspect  /  guilty  /  convict  /  sentence  /  innocent   /  penalty  /  commit

  1. Before handing out a ………………, the circumstances of a crime should be taken into consideration.
  2. The police should be sure of their facts before ……………. someone for a crime.
  3. Criminals who are found …………….of a major crime should receive a heavy ………………….
  4. Criminals …………. of serious crimes should receive the maximum …………..
  5. If a person is found to be …………., they should receive compensation for wrongful arrest.
  6. People …………. of terrorism should be on a watch list.
  7. Having a fixed …………… for each type of crime does not take into account the motivation for ………… the crime.
Answers
  1. sentence
  2. arresting
  3. guilty / sentence
  4. convicted or guilty / penalty or sentence
  5. innocent
  6. suspected
  7. penalty / committing

 

Get my free lessons by email

Subscribe for free to get my new IELTS lessons sent to your email inbox.

Filed Under: Vocabulary Tagged With:

IELTS Current Essay Question Jan 2015

by 34 Comments

Below is a an essay question that came in the exam this week.

Directors and managers of organizations are often older people. Some people say that it is better for younger people to be leaders. To what extend do you agree or disagree?

This is an opinion essay which means you must give a clear opinion in the introduction and then support it and explain it in the body paragraphs. Let me give you some ideas for this topic. If you have more ideas of your own, please post them in the comments box below.

Reasons why young people should be leaders

  • young people are usually more up-to-date and in touch with the modern world
  • they are often more dynamic and forward thinking which means they are more open to new ideas
  • young leaders are stronger and healthier than their old counterparts and therefore more able to cope with the demands of leadership

Reasons why older people should be leaders

  • with age comes experience and this is critical for any leader
  • older people have more authority which is needed to lead and manage others
  • a sense of responsibility is needed to lead effectively which is found in older people and often lacking in the young

If you recently did your exam, please post your full essay question in the comments box below so we can all benefit from it.

Get my free lessons by email

Subscribe for free to get my new IELTS lessons sent to your email inbox.

 

Filed Under: IELTS Writing Task 2 Tagged With: , , ,

IELTS Listening Multiple Choice: Essential Tips

by 328 Comments

This lesson focuses on IELTS listening multiple choice questions and offers tips, practice and useful vocabulary to help you achieve your best. Multiple choice questions are the most difficult of all the questions in IELTS listening and you need to develop the right techniques to deal with them in order to do well.

Watch the video tutorial before you read the tips below.

Multiple Choice Video Tutorial

Multiple Choice Tips Summarised

Please read all tips below. There are extra tips listed below:

Preparing the Questions
  1. check for a title
  2. you might be asked to respond to a question or complete a sentence
  3. find keywords in the question
    1. the keywords will help you understand which answers are right and which are wrong
    2. paraphrase the keywords
    3. if it is a list selection multiple choice, underline the number of answers you need to find – for example, choose three letters.
Preparing the Multiple Answers Options
  1. read through the answer options
    1. highlight similar options so you don’t get confused
    2. note the differences between those options
    3. think of paraphrases for keywords
  2. all answer options will probably be given in the recording
  3. don’t think that the first answer you hear is the correct one – keep listening
  4. watch out for answers that are given and then taken away again by the speaker
  5. listen for the word “but” or “however” this can mean a negative is coming which means it might not be the right answer
  6. if you think an answer is correct, put a tick but keep listening to make sure it is right
  7. you can write on your question paper so use ticks and crosses for right and wrong answers
Multiple Choice Answers
  1. you might not hear the exact words in the answer options – answers might be a paraphrase
  2. your answer should be a letter not a word – be careful when you transfer your answers. If you write a word instead of a letter, your answer will be marked wrong,
  3. when you have a list selection that asks you to choose two or three letters, you can write those letters in any order. For example: d b a or b a d
  4. when you have to choose two or three letters for two or three questions, make sure it is still one letter for each question on the answer sheet

Recommended

Get my free lessons by email

Subscribe for free to get my new IELTS lessons sent to your email inbox.

Filed Under: IELTS Listening Tagged With: ,

Introduction Paragraph Feedback

by 17 Comments

The introduction paragraph below was sent to me by a student in response to the following essay question.

Essay Question

With an increasing population communicating via the internet and text messaging, face to face communication will become a thing of the past. To what extent do you agree?

Student Introduction

Face to face communication is become less important than the past, since increase and populate communication by the internet and text messaging. In my opinion, I agree that face to face communication will suffer as some small, develop new technologies but it is fishy that it is cause the death of traditional communicate.

Feedback

The ideas and technique in this introduction are fine. However, the grammar and vocaulary make it difficult for the reader. Let’s go through each mistake before seeing the model.

      1.  “Face to face communication is become less important than the past ….” There are two mistakes in this sentence. One mistake is with the grammar tense and one mistake is a missing preposition. Can you correct the errors? Answer
        Face to face communication has become less important than in the past.
      2. …since increase and populate communication by the internet and text messaging. There is a problem with both vocabulary and grammar. Can you correct it? Answer
        …since the popular increase in communication by internet and text messaging.
      3. … face to face communication will suffer as some small, develop new technologies… Can you correct the problems? Answer
        …face to face communication will suffer due to the development of technology.. 
      4. …but it is fishy that it is cause the death of traditional communicate. There are a lot of errors with this part of the sentence due to the choice of vocabulary. How would you write it? Answer
        but it is unlikely that it will result in the disappearance of direct, face to face communication .

Comments

  1. “It is fishy that …” this is an idiom which means it is suspicious. Firstly, the meaning is not right for the above sentence. Secondly, it is not academic. Many idioms are not academic and therefore many shouldn’t be used in IELTS writing task 2. Don’t confuse idioms with idiomatic language. The student should use “it is unlikely to …” or “it is doubtful that …”.
  2. “..cause the death of …” this is also an idiom which can be used in academic writing but the meaning is not appropriate for this essay.
  3. “traditional communication” the writer is trying to paraphrase the words “face to face communication”. Unfortunately, it can’t be paraphrased. Not all words can be paraphrased in English.
  4. Many students try to paraphrase all words because they think they will get a high score. Unfortunately, the result is a lot of errors. If you have frequent errors, you will get band score 5  or 5.5 in vocabulary. You must be very sure of your paraphrasing or you will end up with more and more mistakes which will reduce your band score.

Model Introduction

As a growing number of people are choosing to communicate through the use of modern technology, such as the internet and text messaging, some people think that face to face communication will eventually die out. In my opinion, although I agree that face to face communication will become increasingly less popular, it is unlikely to disappear completely and will still be favoured in certain situations.

Get my free lessons by email

Subscribe for free to get my new IELTS lessons sent to your email inbox.

Filed Under: IELTS Writing Task 2 Tagged With: , ,
error: Content is protected !!