Daily lessons with Simon,
ex-IELTS examiner
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IELTS Advice: Try to be interesting!
Many IELTS students write and speak in a general, vague or quite boring way. Here are some tips to help you to be more interesting.
Writing Task 1: Art gallery diagrams
If the task asks you to describe two diagrams, try to compare them instead of describing each one separately. This lesson contains an example.
Writing Task 1: Thanking friends
Read my band 9 informal letter to friends, thanking them for a holiday. This lesson also contains a useful analysis and informal phrases.
Speaking Part 2: Describe a vehicle
This lesson contains an IELTS Speaking Part 2 task and my sample answer: Describe a vehicle that you would like to buy.
IELTS Listening: Community Service
Try this IELTS listening exercise about community service, then think about the question below it.
IELTS Reading: Creative Writing
Try this gap-fill exercise about creative writing.
Writing task 2: trying too hard to impress
Many IELTS candidates make mistakes because they try too hard to impress the examiner. This lesson contains a good example.
IELTS Advice: From 6.5 to 7
Here are three pieces of advice for people who are stuck at band 6.5.
Writing Task 1: Water usage pie charts
This lesson contains my model description of three pie charts comparing water usage in different regions.
Writing Task 1: Sports centre complaint
The model answer in this lesson contains some great native-speaker phrases. Add them to your notebook!
IELTS Listening: Diagram gap-fill
A student asked me for some help with ‘diagram labelling’ exercises in the IELTS listening test. Here’s an example with my tips.
IELTS Reading: The Eiger
Try this multiple choice exercise about a mountain called The Eiger.
Writing task 2: ‘children’s choices’ essay
Discussion: Should children be allowed to make their own choices, or will this lead to a generation of self-centred adults? Read my model essay.
IELTS Advice: Master the method first
When students show me their essays, the first thing that I look for is evidence that they are following my writing method.
Writing Task 1: Accommodation request
The model answer in this lesson contains some great native-speaker phrases. Add them to your notebook!
Writing Task 1: Line graph advice
Here are 8 useful tips for describing line graphs.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Parties
Here are three more speaking questions with my model answers at band 9 native-speaker level.
IELTS Listening: Advice for parts 3 and 4
People often ask me for advice about how to improve in parts 3 and 4 of the listening test. This lesson contains the secret!
IELTS Reading: Diaries
Try today’s “true, false, not given” exercise.
Writing task 2: ‘sugary products’ essay
Read my plan, model essay, and vocabulary review for the question about raising the price of sugary foods and drinks.
Teaching IELTS: The importance of input
Have you heard of the “input hypothesis” and the idea of “compelling input”? Read this lesson to find out more.
Writing Task 1: House prices chart
This lesson contains my model description of a chart that shows changing house prices in five cities.
General Writing Task 1: short and long sentences
Using a mix of short and long sentences can be a powerful way to communicate ideas. This lesson contains an example.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Wildlife
Read my model answers to three questions from part 3 of the IELTS speaking test. The topic is wildlife.
IELTS Listening: 3D Printing
Try this IELTS listening exercise about 3D printing technology.
IELTS Reading: Learning Styles
Try this multiple choice exercise about the theory of learning styles. Look for keywords in the questions and passage.
Writing Task 2: another one-adjective paragraph
In this lesson I write another main body paragraph using the ‘one-adjective’ method. Can you write the conclusion?
Writing Task 1: Poverty table
This lesson contains my model description of a table showing poverty rates among different types of household.
Writing Task 1: Transport complaint
This lesson contains a General Training IELTS letter task and my model answer. Make a list of the good vocabulary that I used.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Sport
Read my model answers to three questions from part 3 of the IELTS speaking test.