Daily lessons with Simon,
ex-IELTS examiner
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Reading Advice: The secret to improvement
The real secret to improving your reading is not a special trick, method or exam technique. It’s simpler than that.
IELTS Writing Task 2: A ‘strongly disagree’ essay
Here’s a good example of a “completely disagree” essay at band 9 level.
Advice: More ideas for the side you agree with?
In “discussion + opinion” essays, should we include more ideas for the side of the discussion that we agree with?
Writing Task 1: ‘Physical activity’ bar chart
Read my model description of a bar chart that compares levels of physical activity among Australian men and women.
General Writing Task 1: ‘Returning a product’ part 3
Can you finish this letter task?
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Use more adjectives
Adjectives make your answers more dynamic, compelling and relatable.
IELTS Listening: Spelling test 6
Here’s another spelling test. See if you can write all 20 words without making a mistake.
Reading Advice: A different way to practise
Here’s an interesting way to use reading tests from the Cambridge IELTS books.
IELTS Writing Task 2: Idea development problems
Many IELTS candidates write paragraphs that are too general or superficial, and the main idea doesn’t seem to go anywhere.
Advice about language learning
Are some people naturally better at learning languages?
Writing Task 1: Bar chart sentences
Study the bar chart, then complete the quick exercise below it.
General Writing Task 1: ‘Returning a product’ part 2
Can you finish the second paragraph in this letter task?
IELTS Speaking Part 2: I’m going to talk about…
Some students worry that the phrase “I’m going to talk about” might be too common, too easy, or too old-fashioned.
IELTS Listening: Nobel Peace Prize gap-fill
Try today’s quick gap-fill exercise.
IELTS Reading: Nobel Peace Prize
Try today’s multiple choice exercise.
IELTS Writing Task 2: The BIG mistake
What is the biggest overall mistake that examiners see in candidates’ writing task 2 essays? It could be this one.
IELTS Advice: Writing Task 1 is important!
Don’t make the same mistake as the student that I tell you about in this lesson.
Writing Task 1: New bar chart task
Let’s start work on a bar chart task about physical activity in Australia.
General Writing Task 1: ‘Returning a product’ part 1
Can you finish the first paragraph in this letter task?
IELTS Speaking Part 3: Technology and society
Here are some part 3 questions and band 9 sample answers on the topic of ‘technology and society’.
IELTS Listening: Student adviser gap-fill
Listen to part of a talk by a student adviser from the British Council, and fill the gaps in the summary.
IELTS Reading: Paragraph headings about ‘lifespan’
Choose the best heading for each paragraph in a passage about human lifespan.
IELTS Writing Task 2: Ignore the word ‘academic’
IELTS essays are not the same as university ‘academic’ writing assignments, and you don’t need to use ‘academic’ words.
IELTS Vocabulary: Noun phrase practice
Try the quick exercise in this lesson: Can you rewrite the four noun phrases?
Academic Writing Task 1: Easy verbs, long nouns
Don’t try to impress the examiner with ‘difficult’ verb structures. Work on your noun phrases instead.
General Writing Task 1: ‘Returning a product’ task
Can you write a ‘purpose sentence’ for the formal letter task in this lesson?
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Stop and smile!
Many IELTS candidates make the mistake of saying too much in part 1 of the speaking test. You should learn to answer then stop confidently.
IELTS Listening: Plastic pollution (multiple choice)
Listen to a short talk about the problem of plastic pollution and answer the multiple choice questions.
IELTS Reading: The printing press (T, F, NG)
Try today’s ‘true, false, not given’ exercise.
IELTS Writing Task 2: ‘Old people’s health’ essay
You can now read my model answer for the ‘old people’s health’ task. Have a look at the useful vocabulary list too.