Daily lessons with Simon,
ex-IELTS examiner
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Listening Advice: Two ways to practise
If you want to improve your ‘ear’, or your ability to understand spoken English, I recommend two different practice methods.
IELTS Reading: ‘Old English’ multiple choice
Try today’s multiple choice exercise.
Writing Task 2: ‘Driverless vehicles’ advantages
Can you explain how driverless vehicles could reduce traffic congestion?
IELTS Advice: Fear of failure
Are you stuck because you’re afraid to make mistakes?
Writing Task 1: Process diagram details
Can you describe the first two steps in the plastic bottle recycling process?
General Writing Task 1: ‘Course enrolment’ part 1
Can you finish the first paragraph in this letter task?
IELTS Speaking: Don’t say this…
Don’t say useless, irrelevant things in the speaking test. Here’s an example to show you what I mean.
Listening Advice: Watch videos on ted.com
If you have time to do some extra listening practice, here’s a recommendation.
Reading Advice: The importance of underlining
Hopefully you do this already, but it’s worth pointing out why underlining is so important when you’re doing an IELTS reading test.
Writing Task 2: ‘Driverless vehicles’ disadvantages
Can you add an example to finish my paragraph?
IELTS Grammar: Copy correct structures
In this lesson we take a correctly used grammatical structure and practise applying it in different situations.
Writing Task 1: Be careful with ‘ing’ words
I wouldn’t write “the process begins with collecting plastic bottles”. Read this lesson to find out why.
General Writing Task 1: ‘English course enrolment’ task
Can you write a ‘purpose sentence’ for the formal letter task in this lesson?
IELTS Speaking: Not academic or formal
People doing the academic IELTS test are often misled by the word ‘academic’.
IELTS Listening: Bypass road (multiple choice)
Listen to a report about the construction of a bypass road around a town, and answer the multiple choice questions.
IELTS Reading: ‘Humans and animals’ gap-fill
Complete the summary by choosing the correct words from the list below it.
Writing Task 2: ‘Driverless vehicles’ essay skeleton
The introduction, main paragraph topic sentences and conclusion are the ‘bones’ that hold an essay together.
IELTS Advice: Aim for clarity
Here’s a suggestion…
Writing Task 1: Process diagram overview
In this lesson we look at how to write the overview paragraph for a process diagram task about recycling plastic bottles.
General Writing Task 1: ‘Conversational’ style
If the task asks us to write a letter or email to a friend, we should aim to write in a conversational style.
IELTS Speaking Part 1: ‘Neighbours’ topic
Here are some more part 1 questions and model answers.
IELTS Listening: Multiple choice underlining
In this lesson we practise underlining key words in multiple choice questions.
IELTS Reading: Trait theory (T, F, NG)
Try today’s ‘true, false, not given’ exercise.
Writing Task 2: ‘Driverless vehicles’ task
Let’s start work on a new writing task about the advantages and disadvantages of driverless vehicles.
IELTS Advice: Simon vs ChatGPT
Maybe you have wondered how ChatGPT can help you with your IELTS preparation.
Writing Task 1: New ‘process diagram’ task
Let’s start work on a new ‘process diagram’ task.
General Writing Task 1: ‘Arranging a trip’ answer
Here’s my band 9 answer for the ‘arranging a trip’ letter task. It contains some excellent informal phrases.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Countryside
Here are some part 3 questions and band 9 sample answers on the topic of ‘the countryside’.
IELTS Listening: Multiple choice tips
In last week’s listening lesson I asked you to share your problems with me. The most common problem that people mentioned was this…
IELTS Reading: ‘Phonics’ paragraph heading
Try today’s quick paragraph headings exercise.