Daily lessons with Simon,
ex-IELTS examiner
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IELTS Listening: ‘Peer orientation’ gap-fill
Listen to a short description of a psychological theory, and fill the gaps in the summary sentences.
IELTS Reading: Elephant intelligence (T, F, NG)
Try today’s ‘true, false, not given’ exercise.
IELTS Writing Task 2: Some grammar advice
What exactly are examiners looking for in terms of “grammatical range and accuracy”?
Quick message from Simon
If you’ve left a comment over the last week, I haven’t forgotten about you, and I apologise for the delayed response.
Writing Task 1: Variety when describing numbers
In this lesson we look at the variety of language in two sentences.
General Writing Task 1: ‘Training course’ task
Your employer has asked you for your feedback on a training course. Let’s start by writing a ‘purpose sentence’.
IELTS Speaking Part 1: ‘Sleep’ topic
Here are some more part 1 questions and model answers. How would you answer question 4?
IELTS Listening: High-density concrete (multiple choice)
Try today’s multiple choice exercise.
IELTS Reading: Language rhythms (which paragraph contains?)
Read the passage about ‘language rhythms’, and decide which paragraph contains the given information.
IELTS Writing Task 2: How to plan your essay
There are three things that you need to think about when planning an essay.
IELTS Grammar: Using ‘could’ in the past
Try this grammar exercise to see if you can use ‘could’ correctly when describing the past.
Writing Task 1: ‘City populations’ answer
Read my band 9 report, and try the quick homework exercise below it.
General Writing Task 1: ‘New Year project’ answer
Here’s my band 9 answer for the ‘New Year project’ task, plus a list of useful vocabulary.
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Typical mistakes
Here’s a list of typical mistakes that IELTS candidates make in part 1 of the speaking test.
IELTS Listening: Spelling test 11
Here’s another spelling test, with 10 words that people often spell wrongly.
IELTS Reading: The Streisand effect (T, F, NG)
Try today’s ‘true, false, not given’ exercise.
IELTS Writing Task 2: ‘Gap year’ essay
Read this model essay and see if you can guess what the missing words are.
IELTS Vocabulary: Make your own sentences
Can you write full sentences using five phrases correctly?
Writing Task 1: City populations ‘future’ sentence
Write one sentence about the year 2040 to finish my report.
General Writing Task 1: ‘New Year project’ part 4
Can you end this letter with something short and appropriate?
IELTS Speaking Part 2: ‘A meal you cooked’ answer
Here’s my full model answer, at band 9 level, for the ‘describe a meal’ task.
IELTS Listening: Industrial Revolution (multiple choice)
Listen to a short introduction to the history of the Industrial Revolution, and complete the multiple choice exercise.
IELTS Reading: ‘Reading’ paragraph heading
Try today’s quick paragraph headings exercise.
IELTS Writing Task 2: Extend, develop, progress
You’ll see these three words in the band descriptors for writing task 2.
IELTS Advice: You are not being compared with others
Some students have the mistaken idea that examiners compare candidates.
Writing Task 1: City populations details
Can you write one correct sentence comparing four figures in one year?
General Writing Task 1: ‘New Year project’ part 3
Can you finish the third paragraph in this letter task?
IELTS Speaking Part 2: A meal you cooked (4)
Let’s continue our description of a meal that we cooked. In this lesson we look at ‘how’ we made the meal.
IELTS Listening: ‘Graduation ceremony’ gap-fill
Listen to a teacher give instructions to students regarding their graduation ceremony. Then fill the gaps.
IELTS Reading: Choose the title 13
Try today’s practice exercise. Read the passage and choose the best title.