Daily lessons with Simon,
ex-IELTS examiner
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IELTS Listening: Smart fridge
Try today’s quick multiple choice listening exercise.
IELTS Reading: Maps
Try this quick but tricky multiple choice exercise.
Advantages / disadvantages essay: Video surveillance
I haven’t shared an ‘advantages / disadvantages’ essay here on the member site yet, so here’s a good one.
IELTS Advice: Be more than ready!
If you are able to get a band 7 score when you do a test at home, can you be confident that you’ll get a band 7 in the real test?
Writing Task 1: Population charts
Read my model description of two bar charts showing population age distribution in two countries, then try the quick study task.
Writing Task 1: Accommodation problem sentences
The study task in this lesson asks you to write two sentences describing a student accommodation problem.
Speaking Part 1: Toys
Here are some part 1 questions with my sample answers on the topic of toys.
IELTS Listening: Some practice techniques
The tips in this lesson can help you to identify your weaknesses. They might also make exam practice more interesting!
IELTS Reading: Stress
Try today’s IELTS Reading exercise: Choose the best heading for each paragraph in a passage about stress.
Model essay: Hot and cold climates
Here’s my band 9 answer for the ‘hot and cold climates’ task, plus my essay plan and a list of useful vocabulary.
IELTS Advice: How to write faster
A student asked me about how to write task 2 essays faster. Here’s my advice.
Writing Task 1: Using the phrase ‘in terms of’
In this lesson we’ll practise using the phrase “in terms of”.
Writing Task 1: Accommodation problem outline
The study task in this lesson asks you to write two sentences describing an accommodation situation.
Speaking Part 2: A time when you were busy
This lesson contains an IELTS Speaking Part 2 task and my sample answer: Describe a time when you were really busy.
IELTS Listening: Interview tips
Try today’s quick gap-fill exercise about tips for job interviews.
IELTS Reading: The Beaufort scale
Read the passage about something called the ‘Beaufort scale’ and complete the ‘true, false, not given’ exercise.
Writing Task 2: Finish my essay
Can you write one short, error-free sentence to finish my essay about hot and cold climates?
IELTS Advice: Less testing, more preparing
Remember: To train for a marathon, you don’t run a full marathon every day!
Writing Task 1: Dangerous waste pie charts
Read my model answer for a task that shows us three pie charts. Should we compare the charts or describe them separately?
Writing Task 1: Formal letter mistakes
Here are some phrases that members wrote below last Friday’s lesson. Can you correct the mistake(s) in each one?
Speaking Advice: Make it personal
In the speaking test, and especially in part 3, it really helps if you give personal examples.
IELTS Listening: Film course
Try this multiple choice listening exercise about advice for students who are applying to a film-making course.
IELTS Reading: Collocation
If you want to become a better user of English, it’s important to understand what ‘collocations’ are.
Writing Task 2: Correct the mistakes
Here are some sentences that members wrote below last Monday’s lesson. Can you find and correct the mistakes?
IELTS Advice: Which writing task first?
Here’s a question that students often ask: In the writing test, is it better to start with task 1 or task 2?
Writing Task 1: Real report writing
In this lesson we analyse two examples of ‘real’ reports from non-IELTS sources. Let’s see if we can learn anything from them.
Writing Task 1: College accommodation problem
Let’s start work on a new formal letter task. It’s a letter of complaint about a college accommodation problem.
Speaking Part 1: Telephone topic
Here are some part 1 questions with my sample answers on the topic of using the telephone.
IELTS Listening: Underline the keywords
Before the recording starts, use the breaks to read through the questions and underline the key words that you’ll need to listen for.
IELTS Reading: False or not given?
Students are often confused by the difference between ‘false’ and ‘not given’. Here’s my basic advice.