In the IELTS test using any of the conditionals in your writing and speaking will improve the calibre of the contents. The more complicated the conditional you use, the more impressive the substance of what you write or say will be. There are many examples which we will be dealing with in future posts but, today, let’s consider the use of the second conditional. What is a second conditional? The second conditional (also called conditional type 2) is a structure used for … [Read more...]
Monthly Digest – 5 of the most popular posts
In London the weather has seen extremes during the month. A long period of very bright, warm Summer-like weather took many people to the parks and countryside for picnics and relaxation. Conversely the long public holiday weekends saw rain bucketing down and people scurrying to cinemas, museums and indoor shopping centres. For the native British a very typical mix, which makes it difficult to predict behaviours. It's also difficult to predict your behaviour for which posts you favour and … [Read more...]
Is your IELTS preparation working?
You're getting closer to the IELTS Test. But how do you know your study plan is working? It's difficult to tell. Often we are all our own harshest critics. However, with learning English as a foreign language that's hard. It often feels like you can read, write, listen and speak well - and you are probably very good. But assessing if your standard is IELTS Band 6 or Band 7 - or even Band 8 or 9 - is the job of a specialist. Someone who is experienced and trained. And the thing is, knowing … [Read more...]
7 Idioms for Compelling English
Native English speakers pepper both speech and writing with idioms. This makes them sound more compelling. For the IELTS Test student this is a good skill to develop. It makes speech interesting and vibrant. However, using too many idioms can make you sound like a comedy sketch – lampooning idiom users. So what is an idiom? A group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words, e.g., a bird in the hand is worth two In the bush – this … [Read more...]
What has IELTS done for me?
Is IELTS worth the trouble it takes? This is a question that many students of must ask themselves. I have a colleague - who passed the IELTS Test with high band scores and I was interested to know if it had helped her. So I asked her to write a short Essay style article answering the question: "what has IELTS done for you?". Below is her unedited response - these are all her own words. I am publishing her response with her permission. Below the post is an assessment of the writing. What … [Read more...]
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