IELTS workout of the day (WOD) #6 Today’s topic | Hobbies / Pastimes / Leisure activities 1. Brainstorm 5 indoor activities, 5 outdoor activities and 5 activities which can be done both indoors and outdoors. 2. Give 5 examples of hobbies / pastimes / leisure activities which are popular in your country. Now think of 5 different adjectives to describe each of your examples. 3. Give 2 reasons why you think each one is popular. 4. Many people think it is important to have a hobby / pastime. - Think of 3 possible benefits of having a hobby / pastime. - Now, using modal verbs of possibility/probability, make suppositions about why some of the hobbies / pastimes you identified earlier might offer benefits to those people who do them. Example: People who do a lot of sport may feel better and could be healthier. 5. Identify 3 reasons why a person might take up a hobby or pastime. 6. Do you have a hobby / pastime? Can you write a paragraph explaining what your hobby / past...

IELTS workout of the day (WOD)#5 Today’s topic | The Media 1. How many different types of media can you think of in 1 minute? 2. Brainstorm as many verbs or phrases associated with the media as you can in 1 minute. 3. Which is the most popular form of media for news in your country? - for adults - for young people Is it different? Can you give two or three reasons why different ages prefer different media? 4. Prepositions: Here are some sentences related to the media. Each sentence contains a preposition. Decide if the preposition is the correct one or not in each case. Many people love commenting in social media pages. Satellite TV programs are broadcast all over the world. Most national newspapers are published in a daily basis. The man read the headlines on the newspaper. 5. Can you think of 5 adjectives commonly used to describe news stories. 6. Identify 5 sections which normally appear in a newspaper, news website or similar publication. What kind of content would you...

IELTS workout of the day #4 Today's topic | The Economy 1. Think about the economy of your country. What are the main sectors? Can you name at least 5 of them? 2. How would you describe your country? Is it an importer of goods or an exporter of goods? What kinds of things does it import/export? TIP: If you’re not sure – go to Wikipedia and look for the relevant information about your own country. 3. What are the main challenges/problems facing the economy in your country at the moment? Examples: unemployment, loss of traditional industry, international competition How many problems can you identify? Can you describe a fast-moving sector of your national economy? What is it and why do you think it’s growing rapidly? 4. Can you think of 5 adverbs to describe changes in the economy or markets? 5. Identify 5 factors which can affect the economy. How can these factors be an influence on the economy of a country? Write 5 sentences (one for each factor) describing the poss...

IELTS workout of the day (WOD) #3 IELTS workout of the day (WOD) is designed to help you develop your speed and thinking skills, as well as review and learn vocabulary and grammar related to common IELTS topics. They are NOT all-inclusive vocabulary or grammar resources. They are designed to get you thinking and focussing on typical vocabulary you may need for the IELTS test. If you think these IELTS exercises are difficult, then you probably need to learn more vocabulary first, or review grammar (there are many books and other resources here you can access for this.) IELTS WODs are a challenge, you should try and do them as fast as you can. Take note of the parts that cause problems for you - and then study to improve your knowledge. You should be able to complete this WOD in around 30 minutes. If it takes you more time, don't worry, just keep practising and you will get faster, better and more confident. Good Luck! Today's topic | Buildings 1. Brainstorm 15 vocabul...

IELTS workout of the day #2 Today's topic | Health You should be able to complete this WOD in around 30 minutes. If it takes you more time, don't worry, just keep practising and you will get faster, better and more confident. Good Luck! 1. Brainstorm 10 common health problems/conditions. 2. Give 5 examples of adjectives you could use in relation to health. 3. Identify at least 3 life threatening diseases/conditions. 4. What are the most common causes of these diseases/conditions? 5. Describe the typical treatment or solution for one of these diseases/conditions in no more than three sentences. 6. Rewrite the following sentence in as many different ways as you can in 1 minute. In many developed countries, obesity is overtaking smoking as one of the leading causes of health problems. 7. Give 3 examples of things/activities/habits which are detrimental to your health in general, and 3 examples of good/healthy lifestyle choices. 8. Complete the following 5 condi...

IELTS Challenge #1 IELTS challenges are designed to help you practise/learn using vocabulary and grammar closely associated with topics and skills require in the IELTS test. They are designed to help you think faster, develop wider vocabulary and variety in expressing your ideas and to make you more creative when tackling IELTS topics, especially in the speaking and writing sections. You should be able to complete this WOD in around 30 minutes. If it takes you more time, don't worry, just keep practising and you will get faster, better and more confident. Good Luck! IELTS Challenge #1 | The Environment Write down 20 words associated with the environment. Identify at least 3 environmental problems. Identify a minimum of 3 causes of pollution. Describe a solution for one of the above (an environmental problem or cause of pollution)in no more than three sentences. Rewrite the following sentence in as many different ways as you can in 1 minute: The threat of climate change ...

Writing Practice for IELTS Task 1 General Training IELTS Writing Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. You’ve recently found an object and you think that it might be of some historical value. Write a letter to the director of the museum asking for some information on the object. Give a description of that object. Tell them where you found it. Ask for information you are seeking. Write at least 150 words. IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 Answer Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to ask you for advice regarding an item I recently came across while carrying out some construction work. The item in question was unearthed while excavating new foundations for an extension to a house, and was found at one of the deepest points of excavation on the site. The item has the appearance of some kind of cooking or kitchen utensil rather like a shallow bowl or frying pan. I have enclosed a photograph so you can see the object and possibly of...

Describing a graph & describing trends | Academic IELTS Writing Task 1 To get a high score in Task 1 of IELTS Academic Writing test you need to show you have a good range of vocabulary to descrive visual information.  You also need to be  accurate when you use adjectives, adverbs and phrases to describe the information. Here are some useful words and phrases to help describe trends. Nouns a rise an increase a growth a surge a fall a decline a drop a decrease a peak a fluctuation a variation a period of stability a plateau a plateux Verbs to rise to increse to grow to surge to fall to drop to decline to decrease to peak to fluctuate to vary to stabilize to plateau Phrases to show an upward trend to show a downward trend to hit the lowest point to hit a trough to reach a peak to show some fluctuation to show some variation to remain stable to remain constant to reach a plateau to level off to flatten out Adjectives & ...

TOEFL Integrated Speaking Questions 4 and 6 This video gives an overview of the TOEFL Integrated Speaking questions 4 and 6. These questions are about academic subjects. You will learn about: The structure of these questions Tips on how to approach these questions How the questions are scored A high-score sample answer Tips to build and develop your TOEFL speaking skills The video shows the structure of the questions, what they ask, how you should approach these questions, and how your answers are scored. There is also a high-score sample and tips for improving your own speaking skills for TOEFL. This is the format of Question 4: Reading passage Listening passage 30 seconds preparation time 60 seconds response time You will be given a passage to read relating to an academic topic. You will then hear part of a presentation (lecture) on the same topic. You will be given 30 seconds preparation time and then 60 seconds when you record your response to the question. This...

Here's some authentic writing practice for IELTS exam preparation. This is Cambridge 9 Test 1 Writing Task 2 : Children learning a foreign language at primary school IELTS Writing Task 2 You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words. International English Language Testing System How would you answer this IELTS Academic writing test question? Writing Practice for IELTS Sample Answer Learning a second language has many benefits for children apart from simply additional linguistic ability. Experts have already shown that bilingual children are more adept at problem solving and processing informatio...

English Grammar Common mistakes when using 'the' Many people are worried about the bad effects of mobiles on brain. [incorrect] Many people are worried about the bad effects of mobiles on the brain. [correct] We need to look at factors such as the availability of health care. [correct] We need to look at factors such as availability of health care. [incorrect] We use the before nouns which describe a general type of thing rather than a specific example of that thing: These are problems for students living away from the family . We don’t know the effects of such chemicals on the body . The role of the student at university level varies greatly from country to country. Most of our business is carried out over the telephone . The is also used before abstract nouns which describe a situation, a quality, a process or a change. These words are often followed by of something. There is a problem with the availability of clean water in som...

Crime & Law 2 | English Vocabulary Quiz 1. The Police don't have a __________ yet, so I wouldn't expect an arrest anytime soon. lawyer suspect jury 2. The two men were __________ to three months in jail for selling stolen goods. sentenced arrested suspended 3. The government has promised to crack down on football __________ . criminals vandals hooligans 4. Last week a _________ broke into my house and stole my laptop. burglar pickpocket shoplifter 5. She took the newspaper to __________ and won the case. law justice court Score = Correct answers: Try this next quiz on crime and law vocabulary to improve your writing skills. Related

Crime & Law [1] English Vocabulary Quiz 1. There was no __________ linking him to the case so the Police had to let him go. statement evidence suspect 2. Justin was found guilty of __________ downloading the music. falsely wrongly illegally 3. Police are appealing for __________ who saw the accident to get in touch. viewers audiences witnesses 4. The hijackers took 45 people __________ on a flight to Egypt. passenger hostage witness 5. Bradley __________ more than 25 crimes before he was caught. made performed committed Score = Correct answers: Crime & Law Quiz 2 Related

English Vocabulary Quiz - Money 1. How much money would you like to __________ from me? lend borrow loan 2. You have to pay by __________ . cash credit loan 3. Tom sold his car and made a $500 __________ . investment interest profit 4. Let me see if I have the right __________ . change deposit charge 5. They'll be able to afford it, they're quite __________ . fortunate poor well-off Score = Correct answers:

English Vocabulary Quiz | Feelings & Opinions 1. It's important to make a good __________ . attraction behaviour impression 2. Try not to be so ___________ , I'm sure you can do better. careful careless caring 3. Oops! Never __________ , we can always get another one. head mind brain 4. That was so ___________ . bored interested interesting 5. What's wrong? You seem quite ___________ . careless nervous annoying Score = Correct answers:

Test your knowledge of English vocabulary related to work and employment with this multiple choice English vocabulary quiz. Good luck! English Vocabulary Quiz Work and Employment 1. What do you do for a __________ these days? work living job 2. Do you have any previous __________ in a similar job? prospects experience qualifications 3. I'm not sure if I would __________ any of the candidates, they're all unsuitable. give work employ 4. I'm looking for a job where I can _________ more money than I do at the moment. win gain earn 5. Brad works as a porter in a ___________ in London. field restaurant hotel Score = Correct answers:

English Grammar | More ways of comparing We use less / the least to mean the opposite of more / the most You might imagine that the General Training IELTS test would be less difficult to pass. The morning I sat my exam was probably the least enjoyable time I've ever head. We can add emphasis with words like even , far , a great deal , a little , a lot , much + comparative: A reading comprehension test requires much greater concentration than simply reading a book. In formal English with words like slightly , considerably , significantly + comparative: The number of exam candidates in 2013 is significantly higher than that for the year 2012. The number of women sitting Academic IELTS to enter into higher education is only slightly lower than the number of men. We cannot use very with comparatives (not the number of women was very lower ). We can say two things are the same or similar with as + adjective / adverb + as : My exam preparation course i...

Future with 'Going to' The future with 'going to' is used to speak about future intentions or plans made before the present moment. Examples: We are going to study Russian next semester. Where are you going to stay in New York? She isn't going to take a vacation this year. The future with 'going to' is used to express events you have already planned in the future and your intentions for the future. We sometimes also use the present continuous for planned events in the near future. Examples: She's going to attend university and study to become a doctor. We're going to make the presentation next week. Future with Going to Structure Positive Subject + to be + going to + verb I am going to attend the meeting. He, She is going to attend the meeting. You, We, They are going to attend the meeting. Negative Subject + to be + not + going to + verb I'm not going to visit Rome next year. He, She isn't going to visit Rom...

Present Perfect Continuous The present perfect continuous is used to express how long a current activity has been going on. It is often used in context to provide a reason for a present result. Remember that continuous forms can only be used with action verbs.  This tense is often used with the following time expressions: since + specific point in time for + amount of time Basic Construction Positive Subject + has / have + been + verb + ing + object(s) + time expression Example He's been cleaning house for two hours. Negative Subject + has / have not (hasn't / haven't) + been + verb + ing + object(s) + time expression Example Janice hasn't been studying for too long. Question (Question Word) + has / have + subject + been + verb + ing + object(s) + (time expression) Example How long have you been working in the garden?

English grammar | Present Perfect The present perfect is used to say what has happened recently and has an effect on the present moment. We often use 'just', 'yet' and 'already' to express the relationship to the present moment. Examples Have you seen Mary yet? They've already had dinner. She's just been to the dentist's. The present perfect is also used to express something which has happened up to the present moment of time. Examples Have you worked here for a long time? Peter's lived here since 1987. She hasn't had much fun this week. Positive Form Subject + have + past participle + object(s) Examples Peter's lived here since 1987. We've been very busy today. Negative Form Subject + have + not + past participle + object(s) Examples I haven't been to class very often this month. She hasn't had much fun this week. Question Form (Wh?) + have + subject + past participle? Examples ...