Daily lessons with Simon,
ex-IELTS examiner
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IELTS Speaking Part 3: Competitions
Here are three more speaking questions with my model answers at band 9 native-speaker level.
IELTS Listening: Delayed language development
Listen to a recording about delayed language development in children, then fill each gap with a maximum of three words.
IELTS Reading: Stradivarius
Read the passage about a famous violin maker and decide whether the statements are true, false or not given.
Writing task 2: Better linking
Most students learn simple linking words, like Furthermore or However. But did you know that there are other, more sophisticated ways to link your ideas?
IELTS Advice: Knowledge vs Skill
Do you still feel like a beginner or an intermediate learner even after many years of studying English? Read this lesson to understand why this is a common feeling.
Writing Task 1: Past and Future
In academic writing task 1, you may have to describe information from the past or predictions for the future. To prepare for these different situations, try the exercise in this lesson.
Writing Task 1: Lost photo
The model letter in this lesson contains some good informal phrases. Check the list below the letter to see if you know them.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Emotions
Here are three more speaking questions with my model answers at band 9 native-speaker level.
IELTS Listening: Sustainable Tourism
Try this gap-fill exercise about the topic of sustainable tourism.
IELTS Reading: Sharks
Read the passage about sharks and decide whether the statements are true, false or not given.
Writing task 2: ‘owning or renting’ essay
Here’s another band 9 sample answer with my essay plan and a quick study task.
Grammar: number, amount, proportion, figure
Can you use these four words correctly? Here’s a quick guide.
Writing Task 1: Describing numbers
Try this quick exercise to practise describing numbers.
Writing Task 1: New house
The model letter in this lesson contains some good informal phrases. Check the list below the letter to see if you know them.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Verb tenses
In part 3 of the IELTS speaking test, you may be asked questions about the past and the future. Try to answer using the correct tense.
IELTS Listening: Dissertation
Here’s some more listening practice. Fill the gaps as you listen to a university lecturer talking about dissertations.
IELTS Reading: Pierre de Coubertin
Try this multiple choice exercise about the founder of the International Olympic Committee.
Comparing 3 types of paragraph
Let’s compare 3 types of main body paragraph: the one-idea paragraph, the two-idea paragraph, and the three-idea paragraph.
IELTS Vocabulary: word family for ‘compare’
If you want to improve your vocabulary knowledge, it’s a good idea to study word families. This lesson contains an example.
Writing Task 1: Consumer spending table
This lesson contains a band 9 model answer and some analysis questions.
Writing Task 1: Job resignation
The model letter in this lesson contains some great phrases for both general and academic IELTS candidates. There’s a list below the letter.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Leisure and the economy
Here are three more speaking questions with my model answers at band 9 native-speaker level.
IELTS Listening: The risks of sitting
Try today’s gap-fill exercise.
IELTS Reading: The future of passwords
Read the passage about the future of computer passwords, then decide which paragraph contains the given information.
Alternatives to ‘firstly, secondly, finally’
Whenever I write a paragraph using ‘firstly, secondly, finally’, people ask me whether there are any good alternatives to these linking words.
Teaching IELTS vs Teaching English
Here are my answers to two useful questions about IELTS teaching.
Writing Task 1: Water use graph and table
This lesson contains a band 9 model answer and some analysis questions.
Writing Task 1: Environment problem
The band 9 answer in this lesson contains some good formal phrases. Add them to your notebook!
Speaking Part 2: Something that made you angry
Here’s another model answer for speaking part 2.
IELTS Listening: University visit
Try this IELTS listening exercise about visiting a university.