Below are 20 word circles containing common words associated with technology. They contain meanings, example sentences, collocations and synonyms to help you remember and use them effectively.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
IELTS Vocabulary
IELTS Vocabulary: Why is it important?
Of all the skills and techniques you need to do well in the IELTS test, vocabulary is definitely one of the most important. IELTS vocabulary preparation can be overwhelming, but this page will tell you everything you need to know before doing your test.
Vocabulary makes up 25% of your total mark in the Writing and Speaking tests. Not only this but did you know that the Listening and Reading tests are really vocabulary tests too? Take a look at the table below.
The table shows words in the question from an official IELTS reading test on the left and words in the text on the right. It demonstrates how many synonyms are used and therefore, needed to answer the question. All IELTS Reading and Listening tests are like this. In short, if you don’t have a wide-ranging vocabulary you won’t be able to do well on the Listening or Reading tests.
The Correct Way to Learn IELTS Vocabulary
The only way to effectively learn new words and use them properly is by learning them from context, or in other words, from real sources of information. NOT lists.
Below is a 4 step plan to help you increase your range of vocabulary.
- Pick a book, TV show, radio show, podcast or magazine you are interested in. Don’t pick something boring because you will not stick to the plan and you will easily get distracted. People learn more effectively when they enjoy what they are doing.
- Buy a special notebook. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just something that you can write in every day. Read or listen to whatever you have chosen and pick out 15 words you don’t understand. Listen or read and try to guess what they mean from the context. (This step is very important because it will help you remember them.) Note the 15 new words down in your notebook.
- Look up the new words in a dictionary. You can do this online. Beside each word note the meaning, an example sentence or two, collocations, synonyms, antonyms, and pronunciation. You can also draw pictures; whatever will help you remember the word.
- Review the new words after one week, two weeks and then one month. Also, practice using the new words in a sentence.
If you do this five days a week, after a month you will have nearly 100 new words in your notebook. After 6 months you will have at least 500 new words.
The human mind can only effectively remember around 15 new words in a foreign language per day, so any more and you will not learn them properly and make mistakes. This method is the single most powerful way I know for learning vocabulary and lots of my students have been successful with it.
Follow the links below to learn vocabularies
Health Vocabulary
Online Sources of Information
I know that many of you might live in countries with a limited number of good English bookshops. However, there are lots of online sources that you can use. The great thing about using online materials is that you can choose exactly what you want and never get bored.
Below are a few of my favourite websites for reading online and all of them are connected to the most common topics:
You can also keep up to date with current events by reading the news every day. The news always uses relevant vocabulary.
Finally, podcasts are an invaluable and entertaining source of information. Check out my article below on how you can use podcasts to help you improve your English (hint: it also includes a list of my favourites! ❤
You might also be interested in:
Happy Learning ❤
Monday, July 15, 2019
IELTS Listening Essential 20 Tips
IELTS Listening Test Summary
1. All students take the same test. Both academic and GT students take the samelistening test. It is marked in the same way.
2. There are 40 questions
3. There are 4 sections
(1).Section 1 = two speakers. This is often a telephone conversation between
two people, for example organising a place on a course, booking a table
at a restaurant or renting an apartment. You must listen for specific
information, such as names (tips on listening for names), dates, times
(tips on listening for time), places and numbers.
(2). Section 2 = one speaker. This is often a talk from a guide. You might hear
information about a building, a resort, a company, a charity etc.
(3). Section 3 = three or four speakers. This is an academic discussion. It
could either be two students talking with a professor or a student
presenting their resource to their colleagues.
(4). Section 4 = one speaker. This is an academic lecture.
4. The sections get more difficult as the test progresses. This means section 1 is the easiest and and section 4 is the most difficult.
5. The listening test is 40 mins.
(1).30 minutes to listen to the recording and write down your answer on the question paper,
(2). 10 minutes to transfer your answers from the question paper to the answer sheet.
6. IELTS is an international test. There will be a range of accents but the main accents will probably be British and Australian.
7. IELTS accept either British English or American English spelling.
IELTS Listening Tips
Below is a list of IELTS listening tips that have been given in the video above. Read these tips carefully1. The recording will be played only once. You will not hear it a second time.
(1). You must practice completing a full listening test by listening only once before your test.
You should do this a number of times.
(2). When you are developing skills and vocabulary, you might want to practice listening more than once. This is fine when you are in training.
2. You will need to multitask. This means you must be able to read the questions, listen for the answer and write down words all at the same time.
You should practice doing this.
3. Practice transferring your answers to the answer sheet at home before your test.
4. You should write your answers on the answer sheet using pencil not a pen.
This is the same as the IELTS reading test.
5. Scores are calculated by the number of points you got correct. You don't lose a mark if your
answer is wrong. Your score will not change due to incorrect answers.
6. If you don't know an answer, guess. Always write something in the box on your answer sheet.
Who knows, maybe you guess right !!
7. You can write your answer using capital or lower case letters. However, I recommend using all capital letters. See the official IELTS website to confirm the use or lower or upper case: http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare-your-test/test-day-advice listening-test-advice.
8. Check the number of words you can have for your answer. Each time the question type changes, the number of words for the answer might change too.
Here is an example of instructions: 'No more than two words and/or a number".
9. Check the instructions to see if you can have a number (which means only one) or numbers (plural which means more than one number).
10. How words and numbers are calculated:
(1). A date “1950” is considered one number.
(2). A large number “1,000,500” is considered one word.
(3). A hyphenated word "part-time" is considered one word.
(4). A compound noun which is not hyphenated "tennis shoe" is considered two words.
11. "at the hospital” or “hospital”. Should you write the article and preposition?
Your answer will depend on the type of question you have. If you are completing the sentence, for example:
(1). The best place to meet is .......... = the answer must be grammatically correct so you need "at the hospital".
(2). If the question is a note or form completion, such each 1) PLACE: ......
the answer can be just one word (with or without the article) "hospital" or "the hospital”
(if two words are possible.
12. SPELLING!!! If your answer is spelled wrong, the answer is marked wrong.
You must have the correct spelling to get 3 point and have the answer marked correct.
(1). Don't worry about spelling while you are listening because you don't have time to concentrate on spelling. You need to concentrate on listening to the recording and following the questions.
(2). Check your spelling when you transfer your answers to the answer sheet.
That is the time to check and make sure everything is correct.
13. Writing letters or words. If you get a multiple choice question, it will ask you
to write down the letter as your answer. For example:
1. a) spring
2. b) summer
3. c) winter
4. If the answer is b, you must write “b” on your answer sheet not "summer". The word "summer” would be marked wrong because the instructions ask you to write a letter not a word.
14. IELTS Listening Question Types
1. form completion
2. note completion
3. summary completion
4. sentence completion
5. multiple choice
6. diagram labelling
7. map labelling
8. table completion
9. form chart
10. If you Want practice with these types of Question, go to my listening page.
15. Don't try to understand everything. IELTS will add lots of extra information but you only need to listen for answers. Keep yourself focused on listening for answers to questions.
16. Answers may come quickly. You might get three answers in a very short time. Get ready to write your answers down quickly. Answers may come slowly.
There may be a gap between answers. Don't panic. This is common in section
17. Look out for answers which are plural. IELTS know that students have difficulty hearing the plural “s". So, these answers will certainly be given to test your listening ability.
18. Common Problems
1. Giving the answer and then changing it. Here is an example: "Is it ok to meet at 7 pm?" /
"Yes, 7 pm works fine for me” / “Oh I've just remembered I have a late meeting, could we make it half past instead?"
The answer was 7 pm but then the speaker changed it to 7.30 pm. Always keep listening and be ready for the speaker to change the answer.
2. Similar words might not be the right answer. Watch this video about IELTS listening multiple choice to understand this tip.
19. If you miss an answer, just move on to the next question. Don't waste time.
Don't lose your place in the recording.
20. CONCENTRATE!!! 30 minutes is a long time to actively listen for answers. If you lose focus, you will miss answers. Don't let that happen to you. Practice full tests at home to build up your ability to concentrate.
Happy Learning ❤
Friday, July 12, 2019
Easy Ways to Extend Your Part 1 Answers
This article will look at how long your answers should be in Part 1 of the Speaking test and some simple ways to make your answers better.
I am often asked by students how long answers should be in Part 1 . There is no definitive answer to this, but they should not be too short and not too long. That’s a confusing answer, I know. Let me explain more.
They shouldn’t be too short because you want to show the examiner that you can actually use English, so ‘I’m a student.’ is not really long enough.
However, they should not be too long either, because Part 1 is on familiar topics (family, work, hobbies etc.) and you don’t normally talk for 2 minutes when someone asks you where you are from. Also, you will have lots of opportunities to give longer answers in Parts 2 and 3.
As a general rule, if you only give a single sentence with a single clause like ‘I’m from Ireland.’ then your answer is too short. I also don’t think Part 1 answers should ever have more than three sentences. Somewhere in between is just right.
The main point is that you should not worry about length too much in Part 1. Your use of English is much more important.
Below are a few ways that you can easily extend your answers from a short sentence to a more comprehensive answer that will sound better and hopefully get you a higher score.
Feelings and Opinions
You can easily extend your answer by saying how you feel about the question you were just asked. It will also make your answer more interesting.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Short answer: ‘I like shopping.’
Longer answer: ‘I like shopping because I love trying on new clothes and I always feel more confident when I’m wearing a new outfit.
Contrasting Details
One of the easiest ways you can extend your answer is to simply use the word ‘but’ to contrast details.
How long have you worked there?
Short answer: I’ve worked there for three years.
Longer answer: I’ve worked there for three years, but I’m going to change careers next year.
Combining Details
Instead of giving a very short answer you can add in some extra details with ‘and’, ‘with’ or ‘also’.
Do you live in a flat or a house?
Short answer: I live in a house.
Longer answer: I live in a house with my two brothers and my mum. We’ve also got a dog and a cat.
Past Comparisons
You can talk about what you ‘used to’ do and how that has changed now in the present.
Do you play sport?
Short answer: I play football.
Longer answer: I used to love basketball, but now I play football more because that’s what my friends are in to.
Adding Reasons
Always try to explain why you think or do something in the test. You can do this using ‘because’ or ‘so’.
Do you like your job?
Short answer: Yes, I really love my job.
Longer answer: Yes, I really love my job because I get to help people with their problems everyday.
Future
If something will change in the future, you can use one of the future structures, like ‘will’ or ‘be + going to’.
Do you work or study?
Short answer: I’m at university at the moment.
Longer answer: I’m at university at the moment, but I’m graduating next year and I will hopefully get a job in advertising.
Contrast Opposite Opinions
You might be asked a question where you have to talk about your opinion or another person’s opinion. Use ‘even so’ or ‘although’ to show that you have considered both sides.
Is your hometown a nice place for tourists to visit?
Short answer: Yes, it has a really nice beach.
Longer answer: Yes, it has a really nice beach, although it is getting really busy these days, so it’s not as pristine as it used to be.
Giving Examples
Real life examples are always the easiest things to talk about because you can talk about them naturally and in more detail.
Do you get along with your brothers?
Short answer: No, we’re not in to the same things.
Longer answer: No, we’re not in to the same things, like when we are both watching TV we always fight about what show to watch.
Frequency
You can use words like ‘usually’, ‘never’, ‘always’ and ‘more often than not.’ to extend your answers.
What do you do at the weekends?
Short answer: I watch TV and play computer games.
Longer answer: I usually watch TV and play computer games, but sometimes I go out for a drink with my friends.
How can I use these?
The best candidates use English naturally in the Speaking test. They don’t think ‘Should I extend this with an example or talk about the future?’ and then give an answer, they just reply spontaneously.
You can improve by doing something I call practising ‘slow and fast.’ Practice slowly first with old exam questions and think about how you could extend your answers and even have notes and books in front of you. Think deeply about what structures you need to use and focus on getting your answers perfect.
You can then practice ‘fast’ with new questions and without any help and hopefully, because you have studied the structures in detail, you will be able to use them naturally without any help.
Can I use more than one?
Of course! They are totally flexible. Combining two or three of the above structures in a single answer is very impressive.
Where are all the complicated structures?
Trying too hard to use ‘complex structures’ normally leads to mistakes. Remember that the main goal in the Speaking test is being able to communicate effectively and fluently with the examiner. If you are thinking about complicated grammar structures, you probably won’t be able to do either of those things.
You do have to use a ‘range of structures’, but that does not mean that you have to use every complicated phrase and tense in the English language. Focus on real communication and the ‘range of structures’ will look after themselves.
How can I practice?
For lots of Part 1 examples, check out our sample answers page.
Thursday, July 11, 2019
30 Confusing Words in IELTS
Have you ever come across some words that just simply confused you? Let's take a look at some of the words that even a native speaker might find it difficult to get them right.
The famous British journalist Harold Evans has written down a vocabulary list outlining 30 words that are confusing, and many people have treated them as synonym. Why not take a look at the words and see if you know the differences? You can use this as quiz to test your friends too!
01. affect / effect
Examples:
affect: The bad weather affects my mood.
effect: The president effected several changes in the company.
02. alibi / excuse
Examples:
alibi: The police broke her alibi by proving she knew how to shoot a pistol.
excuse: I can't buy his excuse.
03. alternatives / choices
Examples:
alternatives: New ways to treat arthritis may provide an alternative to painkillers.
choices: Our choices come down to staying here or leaving here.
04. anticipate / expect
Examples:
anticipate: What Jeff did was to anticipate my next question.
expect: I expect that the weather will be nice.
05. flagrant / blatant
Examples:
flagrant: The judge called the decision "a flagrant violation of international law."
blatant: Outsiders will continue to suffer the most blatant discrimination.
06. chronic / acute / severe
Examples:
chronic: For those with chronic depression, she said, "keep at it."
acute: Acute dysentery wracked and sapped life from his body.
07. compose / comprise
Examples:
compose: England, Scotland and Wales compose the island of Great Britain.
comprise: After the 2014 referendum on independence for Scotland, the UK still comprised England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
08. continual / continuous
Examples:
continual: “No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual war,” Madison concluded.
continuous: Continuous farming impoverishes the soil.
09. crescendo / climax
Examples:
crescendo: She spoke in a crescendo: "You are a bad girl! You are a wicked girl! You are evil!"
climax: The fifth scene was the climax of the play.
10. decimate / destroy
Examples:
decimate: Famine decimated the population.
destroy: The soldiers destroyed the village.
11. dilemma / problem
Examples:
dilemma: Many women are faced with the dilemma of choosing between work and family commitments.
problem: The problem of street crime is getting worse every year.
12. disinterested / uninterested
Examples:
disinterested: A lawyer should provide disinterested advice.
uninterested: He was uninterested in politics.
13. entomb / trap
Examples:
entomb: The city was entombed in volcanic lava.
trap: The train was trapped underground by a fire.
14. flotsam / jetsam
Examples:
flotsam: The water was full of flotsam and refuse.
jetsam: The smallest bits of jetsam, like the most transient incidents in a life, can be the most evocative.
15. forego / forgo
Examples:
forego: So she did his bidding and gave him the cup, which no sooner had he drunk than his head forewent his feet.
forgo: Sometimes this priority shift means you have to forgo one goal in exchange for another.
16. gourmet / gourmand
Examples:
gourmet: Food critics have to be gourmets in order to write about food in an informed way.
gourmand: He's the kind of gourmand who swallows food without even pausing to taste.
17. inchoate / incoherent
Examples:
inchoate: She had a child's inchoate awareness of language.
incoherent: The talk she gave was incoherent and badly prepared.
18. incumbent(noun.) / incumbent (adj.)
Examples:
incumbent(noun.) : The incumbent president faces problems which began many years before he took office.
incumbent (adj.): She felt it was incumbent on herself to act immediately.
19. inflammable / flammable
Examples:
inflammable: Petrol is a highly inflammable liquid.
flammable: This solvent is flammable.
20. insidious / invidious
Examples:
insidious: Cancer is an insidious disease.
invidious: The boss made invidious distinctions between employees.
21. judicial / judicious
Examples:
judicial: a judicial enquiry
judicious: We should make judicious use of the resources available to us.
22. less / fewer
Examples:
less: We must try to spend less money.
fewer: Fewer people smoke these days than used to.
23. litigate / dodge
Examples:
litigate: The case is still being litigated.
dodge: He dodged the bullet.
24. luxuriant / luxurious
Examples:
luxuriant: Tall, luxuriant plants grew along the river bank.
luxurious: They have a very luxurious house.
25. prescribe / proscribe
Examples:
prescribe: The doctor prescribed his patient who was down with fever.
proscribe: The sale of narcotics is proscribed by law.
26. refugee / migrant
Examples:
refugee: Refugees were pouring across the frontier.
migrant: The government divides asylum seekers into economic migrants and genuine refugees.
27. replica / reproduction
Examples:
replica: Replica is the more valuable, for it is supposed to be more beautiful.
reproduction: This is a reproduction of a popular religious painting.
28. sceptic / denier
Examples:
sceptic: The sceptic may argue that there are no grounds for such optimism.
denier: He is a denier of harsh realities.
29. transpire / happen
Examples:
transpire: Later, it transpired she had failed the examination.
happen: 'It just happened.' she said, after failing her exam.
30. viable / feasible
Examples:
viable: Cash alone will not make Eastern Europe's banks viable.
feasible: She questioned whether it was feasible to stimulate investment in these regions.
31 (bonus). viral / viral
Examples:
viral: I can't believe that video of our puppy lounging on a pool float went viral!
viral: Some viral proteins do good.
Traditional or Religious Festivals (Corrected Essay)
Most people have forgotten the meaning behind traditional or religious festivals; during festival periods, people nowadays only want to enjoy themselves.
WRITING TASK 2
Write about the following topic.
Most people have forgotten the meaning behind traditional or religious festivals; during festival periods, people nowadays only want to enjoy themselves. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
SAMPLE WRITING TASK 2
A festival is the celebration of an agricultural or a religious traditional event. While some festivals have lost their original purposes, I disagree that they are merely for entertainment; instead, there is significant effort to revive the tradition of our ancestors.
The origins of festivals are linked with agriculture and religions. In the harvest season, after a year of hard work, rewarded by ample food, people could finally enjoy themselves with music and ritual ceremonies. As a result, tradition and religious festivals were created to provide entertainment and group cohesion. Various festivals started to appear throughout history, each had its own cultural and religious meaning.
The Industrialization Revolution has made agriculture less important, resulted in a decline in cultural awareness. The Halloween was originally a harvest festival of the Gaelic, however, recently it has become an entertainment event, with people wearing costume and drinking in the night. The same thing happened in Vietnam not so long ago, where Hau Dong - the practice of spirit mediums - gradually declined in the twentieth century.
However, there is a rise of traditional awareness around the world. For example, Hau Dong has been revived, with thousands of people attending the festival. Numerous efforts to signify the importance of cultural identity have been made worldwide, such as teaching history lessons to the children, or preservation and translation ancient texts into modern languages. Many young people are growing interest in their tradition, with the celebration of ancient festivals like The Olympics Games is a clear evidence.
To summarize, I acknowledge that some festivals have lost their original meanings. However, the effort to reinvigorate our culture has made significant impacts, thus the traditional and religious of festivals will be preserved into the future.
The origins of festivals are linked with agriculture and religions. In the harvest season, after a year of hard work, rewarded by ample food, people could finally enjoy themselves with music and ritual ceremonies. As a result, tradition and religious festivals were created to provide entertainment and group cohesion. Various festivals started to appear throughout history, each had its own cultural and religious meaning.
The Industrialization Revolution has made agriculture less important, resulted in a decline in cultural awareness. The Halloween was originally a harvest festival of the Gaelic, however, recently it has become an entertainment event, with people wearing costume and drinking in the night. The same thing happened in Vietnam not so long ago, where Hau Dong - the practice of spirit mediums - gradually declined in the twentieth century.
However, there is a rise of traditional awareness around the world. For example, Hau Dong has been revived, with thousands of people attending the festival. Numerous efforts to signify the importance of cultural identity have been made worldwide, such as teaching history lessons to the children, or preservation and translation ancient texts into modern languages. Many young people are growing interest in their tradition, with the celebration of ancient festivals like The Olympics Games is a clear evidence.
To summarize, I acknowledge that some festivals have lost their original meanings. However, the effort to reinvigorate our culture has made significant impacts, thus the traditional and religious of festivals will be preserved into the future.
Corrected essay:
A festival is the celebration of an agricultural or a religious traditional event. While some festivals have lost their original purposes, I disagree that they are merely for entertainment; instead, there is significant effort to revive the tradition of our ancestors.
- The author’s opinion is clear. He partly agrees with the topic question: he accepts the fact that the meanings of some festivals have been lost, but he disagree with the notion that people only think of festivals as a place to indulge themselves.
- The IELTS exam only test your ability, not your opinion. So you can either agree, disagree or partly agree with the question.
The origins of festivals are is linked with to agriculture and religions. In the harvest season, after a year of hard work, rewarded by ample food, people could finally enjoy themselves with music and ritual ceremonies. As a result, tradition and religious festivals were created to provide entertainment and group cohesion. Various festivals started to appear throughout history, each had its own cultural and religious meaning.
- The author has explained the meanings behind most of the festivals: a celebration of harvest seasons and an event to strengthen social relations.
- The use of passive voice in the first sentence is on point. If we simply start the first body paragraph with “Agriculture and religions are the direct origins of festivals”, then it might be confusing, even when the above example is grammatically correct. Since there is no mentioned of agriculture in the topic question, you need to introduce the required topic first (“festivals”), then do the same to the key word “agriculture”.
- Contrary to popular belief that passive voice makes your writing much weaker and ambiguous, it is in fact frequently used in academic contexts.
The Industrialization Revolution has made agriculture less important, which has resulted in a decline in cultural awareness. The Halloween was originally a harvest festival of the Gaelic, however, recently it has become an entertainment event, with people wearing costumes and drinking in the night. The same thing happened in Vietnam not so long ago, where Hau Dong - the practice of spirit mediums - gradually declined in the twentieth century.
- The second body paragraph aims to express the notion that the meaning behind traditional festival are lost over time.
- The second sentence is a typical example on when to use the present perfect. You firstly develop the sentence with a clause in past simple tense, then introduce another in present perfect tense.
However, there is a rise of traditional awareness around the world. For example, Hau Dong has been revived, with thousands of people attending the festival. Numerous efforts to signify the importance of cultural identity have been made worldwide, such as teaching history lessons to the children, or preservation and translation ancient texts into modern languages. Furthermore, many young people are growing interest in their tradition, with the celebration of ancient festivals like The Olympics Games is a clear evidence.
- The last body paragraph is highly contrast to the previous one. By using the method “bait and switch” (first talk about the oppose idea, then attack it with your own opinion), the author has successfully expresses that he believes in the effort of reviving traditional festivals, without ever using words like “I think”, I believe”, “from my perspective”, or “in my opinion”.
- Generally, saying “I think” too many times will lower both of your Coherence & Cohesion and Lexical Resource band score, so try to avoid it.
- Lots of related vocabulary are presented in this paragraph: “traditional awareness”, “cultural identity”, “preservation”, “ancient”, “modern languages”.
To summarize, I acknowledge that some festivals have lost their original meanings. However, the effort to reinvigorate our culture has made significant impacts, thus the traditional and religious of festivals will be preserved into the future.
- The author’s position about tradition and festivals has stay the same throughout the whole essay. Your conclusion has to match the introduction.
- Using topic markers such as “to summarize”, or “in conclusion” may make your writing boring, and thus should be avoided in an academic thesis. However, the rule in the IELTS exam are much more relaxed, and a topic marker could be very helpful since it increases your word count and reminds the examiner that you have written the conclusion.
Words: 287
Overall: 8.5
- Task Response: 8
✓ sufficiently addresses all parts of the task (the author has written more than 250 words, and give an adequate answer to the topic question in both his introduction and conclusion)
✓ presents a well-developed response to the question with relevant, extended and supported ideas (each paragraphs is started with a topic sentence, then followed by evidences and examples)
- Coherence and Cohesion: 8
✓ sequences information and ideas
✓ logically
✓ manages all aspects of cohesion well (the author has avoided using connectives in a repetitive way by using various relative pronouns and conjunctive adverbs)
✓ uses paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately
- Lexical Resource: 9
✓ uses a wide range of vocabulary with very natural and sophisticated control of lexical features; rare minor errors occur only as ‘slips’ (the author only has one noticeable mistake with collocations; he uses various less-frequently used and topic-related words such as “ritual ceremonies”, “group cohesion”, “spirit medium”, etc)
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 9
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