Daily lessons with Simon,
ex-IELTS examiner
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Writing Advice: Simplify
Can you take an idea and express it in a simpler way? This is not an easy skill, and it takes practice to do it well.
Writing Task 1: Chart and table answer
Read my model answer for a two charts task, and make a list of anything useful that you can learn from it.
General Writing Task 1: Saying no to a friend
How do you politely say no to a friend’s request? Let’s start work on a task that asks us to do this.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: ‘It depends’
“It depends” is not a full answer. You need to say what it depends on, and why.
IELTS Listening: Spelling test 7
Here’s another spelling test. See if you can write all 10 words without making a mistake.
IELTS Reading: ‘Animal migration’ gap-fill
Fill the gaps with words from the passage.
IELTS Writing Task 2: Practise writing ‘topic paragraphs’
Instead of always writing full essays, you could try writing lots of ‘topic paragraphs’. Here’s how to do it.
Advice for ‘down days’
If you’re having a ‘down day’ when you don’t feel like studying, my advice is this…
Writing Task 1: Be careful with synonyms
The use of synonyms sometimes leads to mistakes and unnatural language. Repetition of key terms is normal and necessary.
General Writing Task 1: ‘Course enrolment’ answer
Here’s my band 9 answer for the ‘course enrolment’ letter task.
IELTS Speaking Part 2: A trip by public transport
Describe a time when you travelled by public transport. Read my sample answer and useful vocabulary list.
IELTS Listening: ‘Checklists’ gap-fill
Listen to a short talk about the importance of checklists in healthcare, and fill the gaps in the summary sentences.
IELTS Reading: Locate then understand
If you find the ‘keywords’ in the passage but still get the wrong answer, does this mean that the ‘keyword technique’ doesn’t work?
IELTS Writing: Unnatural vs natural
In this lesson we compare a student’s unnatural use of English with my natural, native-speaker versions of the same sentences.
IELTS Vocabulary: Trying too hard!
Look how many mistakes people make when they try too hard to show off.
Writing Task 1: Plastic bottle recycling answer
Read my full model answer, and study three key features of process diagram descriptions.
General Writing Task 1: ‘Course enrolment’ part 4
How do you end a formal letter or email? See if you can write an appropriate sentence to finish my model answer.
Speaking Part 3: Three-sentence answers
A good way to ensure that you develop your ideas without repeating yourself is to use a three-sentence structure.
Listening Advice: Make ‘keyword’ lists
Every time you do a listening exercise, it’s a good idea to make a list of the keywords that gave you the correct answers.
IELTS Reading: ‘Compound words’ exercise
Read the passage and answer each question with just one word.
IELTS Writing: How to make vocabulary notes
Here are three tips to help you make better vocabulary notes.
IELTS Vocabulary: Repertoire
Instead of learning linking words or worrying about grammatical structures, it might be better to think about your “IELTS repertoire”.
Writing Task 1: Process diagram details (part 3)
Can you finish my description of the plastic bottle recycling process?
General Writing Task 1: ‘Course enrolment’ part 3
Can you finish the third paragraph in this letter task?
IELTS Speaking: Two pronunciation tips
In my opinion, pronunciation is perhaps the most overlooked ‘secret’ to learning a new language.
IELTS Listening: Psychology department (multiple choice)
Listen to an introduction to a psychology course, and answer the multiple choice questions.
IELTS Reading: Choose the title 11
Try today’s practice exercise. Read the passage and choose the best title.
IELTS Writing: Driverless vehicles essay
Here’s my full essay for the ‘driverless vehicles’ topic. Can you list the ‘less common’ vocabulary that it contains?
IELTS Grammar: Correct the article mistakes
Can you find and correct the mistakes in six sentences?
Writing Task 1: Process diagram details (part 2)
Can you describe steps five and six in the plastic bottle recycling process?