Common Modal Verb Errors They should to check the weather before they leave. ✖ She can play the guitar after dinner. ✔ She can swim very fast in the pool. ✔ He can speaking three languages fluently. ✖ Common errors when using English modal verb structures The modal auxiliary verbs below use the structure "modal verb + infinitive" (without 'to') can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would Examples: When traveling, we should respect the customs of the countries we visit. (NOT should to respect; should respecting) You must wear a helmet when cycling to protect your head in case of an accident. (NOT must to wear; must wearing) Can you help me with this project? I believe your expertise would greatly benefit our team. (NOT can to help; can helping) In emergency situations, you might need to act quickly to ensure everyone's safety. (NOT might to need; might needing) Modal verb questions and negatives do not use t

Here are some IELTS speaking answers for the IELTS speaking questions in Test 4 of Cambridge IELTS Book 7 practice tests about travel to work, technology and housework, technology and work, and a piece of electronic equipment that you find useful. Note that there are many different ways to respond. The examples below are only some possible answers. IELTS Speaking Test Part 1 How do you usually travel to work or college? I usually drive to work because I work in several different locations and it’s not easy to use the bus or train to get to where I want to go. Have you always travelled to work/college in the same way? No. Years ago I used to go to work on the train every day, but that was because I was working in a different place and the train was both the quickest and cheapest option to travel to work at that time. What do you like about travelling to work/college this way? Well, there are several reasons why I like travelling by car to work. It’s more convenient bec

Essay Writing Help Sports Essay 1. Many countries spend a lot of money training individuals for international sporting events 2. World-class sports facilities Essay Writing Task 1 Many countries spend a lot of money to train individuals to participate in international sporting events. Some people say that this money would be better spent on public development instead. Do you agree or disagree? Discuss both views and give your opinion. Essay Writing Many countries spend a lot of money to train individuals to participate in international sporting events While some people may not agree with the financing of training for individual athletes to compete in international sports events, such events are undoubtedly important for a country in terms of global recognition and especially inspiring the young generation to compete on the global stage. Most athletes, unless already famous, do not receive large salaries; however, coaching and equipment for training can be

IELTS 9 | Academic Writing Test 3 | Task 2 | Essay: Public Health Concerns Writing Task 2 You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the number of sports facilities. Others, however, say that this would have little effect on public health and that other measures are required. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words. www.ielts.org Source: Cambridge IELTS 9 Practice Tests Academic Writing Test 3 Task 2 IELTS Essay Sample Answer Public health has become a major concern for various groups, governments and related organizations. While some people favor projects such as increasing opportunities for people to exercise through providing public facilities such as sports centers, other peo

IELTS Writing How would you answer this IELTS Writing Task 1 question about: The charts below show the proportions of British students at one university in England who were able to speak other languages in addition to English, in 2000 and 2010? How to answer IELTS Task 1 writing questions? This is a question that many people ask when they are thinking about taking the International English Language Testing System exam. Cambridge 11 Test 2 Writing Task 1 - The charts below show the proportions of British students at one university in England who were able to speak other languages in addition to English. Cambridge 11 Test 2 Writing Task 1 - The charts below show the proportions of British students at one university in England who were able to speak other languages in addition to English. IELTS Writing Task 1 Structure If you want to do well in IELTS writing, it's important that you know how to answer Task 1 correctly! In this post, we will discuss some of the bas

Essay Sample Answer While the problem of littering is common in many parts of the environment, the impact it has on the natural landscape when it occurs in places of natural beauty is even greater, both in terms of the direct environmental impact and aesthetic quality of the site. There are various possible reasons why littering might occur. It might be caused by visitors to the area who have no interest in maintaining the beauty of the landscape, or lack environmental consciousness regarding the damage they are inflicting. It may also be the case that it is not the actual visitors to the place, but others who are actively dumping garbage at the site as opposed to disposing of it in the recommended manner. Another cause could be the transfer of waste materials from surrounding areas. This can be caused by garbage being deposited in a river upstream from a lake, for example, and the current then transports the garbage and eventually deposits it at a different location. Wind can al

Best Strategy for IELTS Speaking Test | Functional Language Many IELTS test takers worry a lot about the speaking topics which come up in the IELTS speaking test . Some test takers even practice memorizing sample answers for various topics – but this is largely a waste of time. There is a better strategy to improve your IELTS speaking score . It’s impossible to predict which topics will come up in a particular test, although some of the same topics might appear across the world in the same month. But there are literally hundreds of different topics which can be selected – and just because one IELTS speaking test, for example in Australia, has a certain topic one week does not mean that the same topic will be used again the following week or the next month. In Part 1 of the IELTS speaking test some of the topics are more predictable, for example, the examiner normally asks you about yourself, your work , your studies , and where you live – but there are many other possible ques

IELTS Writing Task 2 Write about the following topic: Some people think it is worthwhile for countries to spend large amounts of money to host an international sports event such as the Olympics or the World Cup. Others believe that this is a waste of money and that the money could be better spent elsewhere. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Write at least 250 words. IELTS Essay | Hosting the Olympics or the World Cup While there is no doubt regarding the amount of prestige and attention a country can gain by being the host of events such as the World Cup or the Olympics, studies have shown that it is not always the case that the levels of investment required for such undertakings actually provide a net positive result for the host country in the long term. Over the years, various countries have become the high profile host country for the events mentioned previously. In some cases, the country clearly benefits in terms of improved infrastructure and greater tourism,

Talk about an exciting message that you have received by email or phone. You should say: who sent it to you what the message was about who you shared it with IELTS Speaking Answer | An Exciting Message Okay, so about a month ago my friend called me to let me know some important news. She has been accepted for a really interesting position at an international company. She is going to work in recruitment selection, I think they call it head hunting or executive search selection. She has been trying to get into this line of work for some time now, so I'm really happy for her because I know that she really wants to do this type of work. We spent about two hours talking that evening, most of it was about her new job, but we also spoke about some other things. She was very excitied by the news and couldn't stop telling me how delighted she was to finally get such a position. Apparently she will have to do quite a bit of traveling, visiting clients and doing research as

IELTS Writing IELTS General Writing Task 1 Here is a sample of an email inviting a friend to a concert. This is one of the questions asked in the writing section of the IELTS test. Sample email inviting to a concert IELTS Writing Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Write an email to your friend inviting him/her to a music concert. Please say: where and when the concert is going to be what type of music will be played there, and why your friend will enjoy it. Write at least 150 words. Sample Answer Hi John, I hope you’re well and thanks for your last email. I was really happy to hear about your new boyfriend. I just wanted to know if you’d be interested in going to the Taylor Swift concert next month in London. One of my friends, Julie, who works in the events department at the stadium where Taylor’s appearing has managed to get some tickets and I know you’re a big fan of disposable pop music, so I thought I’d see if you’re up for going, I’m sure you’ll

IELTS Writing Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The pie chart below shows the main reasons why agricultural land becomes less productive. The table shows how these causes affected three regions of the world during the 1990s. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words Region % land degraded by … deforestation over-cultivation over-grazing Total land degraded North America 0.2 3.3 1.5 5% Europe 9.8 7.7 5.5 23% Oceania * 1.7 0 11.3 13% * A large group of islands in the South Pacific including Australia & New Zealand Writing sample Answer IELTS Task 1 The four sectors of the pie chart depict the primary sources which contribute to the degradation of land throughout the world, and the table provides data regarding the contributing cause and percentage of such degraded land in three distinct geographic areas: North America, Eu

Number of students studying abroad at UK elite universities doubles in 10 years The quantity of students electing to study abroad at top UK universities has almost doubled in the last 10 years according to figures just released. Official data provided by top UK universities such as Cambridge, Oxford, Birmingham and Durham clearly demonstrate a growing trend in the quantity of undergraduate students who have chosen to study abroad in the UK, an overall increase of around 192% since 2005. Among the UK universities considered as the top academic establishments in the country, Exeter University has experienced the largest increase in international students studying there – an increase of around 367%. In many cases, the largest single group of international students is young Chinese who have opted to study in the UK. Sheffield University reported that their Chinese student population was less than 1,000 in 2005 but it has grown to more than 4,000 currently - a staggering 580%

IELTS General Training Writing Test Task 1 Question IELTS Writing Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. Your friend wants to start a new import/export business in the country where you live now. Write a letter to him/her and say: What product is better to import. What part of the country does the product come from? Why he/she should import that product. Write at least 150 words IELTS General Training Writing Test Task 1 Answer Dear Mike, It was good to hear from you and thanks for all your news. I like your idea about starting an import/export business, I think there’s a lot of potential in it. After thinking about possible products which might be appealing for people back home, here’s one idea which I think would be good. You know how people there have been getting into wine a lot in the last couple of years; it was becoming quite the thing amongst a lot of our friends before I left. So I believe we could have an opportunity to offer something di

This latest book (April 2015) in the well established exam preparation series from Cambridge English gives IELTS candidates the chance to become familiar with the format of the IELTS test and learn to apply specific IELTS test strategies with these authentic IELTS exam papers compiled by Cambridge. The book has four different Academic IELTS tests, each one complete with Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking sections. There are also Reading and Writing sections for the IELTS General Training exam. Cambridge IELTS 10 includes an overview of each IELTS exam section as well as a comprehensive guide to how the IELTS exam is evaluated in terms of the different IELTS Band scores. Also included in Cambridge IELTS 10 is a complete answer key for all sections and transcripts of all the audio recordings, making it an ideal self-study resource for candidates preparing for the IELTS exam, or students who do not have access to an IELTS preparation course or IELTS tutors. Cambridge IE

Studying abroad compared to a UK university education Now that annual tuition fees for many UK universities are around £9,000 it raises the question: can British students get better value for money studying abroad? In many cases British students are finding equivalent educational opportunities at much lower costs outside the UK. So how does studying abroad stack up against studying in the UK? One British student decided to study European Studies, in the Netherlands, at Maastricht University, where she will shortly begin her second academic year of study. She calculated that studying in the UK for a similar degree would leave her with at least £27,000 of student debt based on tuition fees, plus other possible associated costs. Meanwhile the undergraduate European Studies Degree course she is attending at Maastricht University costs just £1,500 for tuition annually and her course is taught in English, as are ten other undergraduate courses at the same university. So basically

How good is your knowledge of English modal verbs? Can you score 100% on this online quiz? Modal Verbs Quiz (6) Present & Future Forms 1. He _____ expect to keep his job after that recent disaster with one of his clients! has to can't must 2. I'm sure we ______ be at the hotel by now. The woman said it was only five minutes down the road. might should must 3. I'm not sure, but I _____ go and see my grandmother this weekend. might can 'm bound to 4. Is there a mechanic here who _____ help? My car's broken down. can must should 5. I think she _____ be careful about what she says in the future - her boss was very angry. 'd better 's able to should to Score = Correct answers:

Modal Verbs Quiz 5 Present & Future Forms 1. We _____ have a barbeque later if the weather stays nice. might can't must 2. She's really good at her job, she's _____ to get a promotion soon. is able must bound 3. There's a package to be collected, but it _____ be today if you're too busy. doesn't have to can't mustn't 4. _____ take the train? It's really boring! Should we Could we Do we have to 5. Let's ask that man for directions - he _____ know. might can shouldn't Score = Correct answers: Quiz 6

Modal verbs can could In English grammar , the modal verbs ( can, could, may, might, must, will, would, shall, should, ought to, need ) are auxiliary verbs used to describe ability , possibility or necessity . Use an English modal verb + infinitive form of the verb without to . Do not change their form: She could speak German and Spanish .(NOT She could to speak...) Could you speak German before you went to live in Germany? (NOT Did you could speak German...) 1. Ability Use the following English modal verbs to express ability: Present tense : can, can’t, be able to, manage to I can’t drive. I manage to concentrate, but it’s difficult sometimes. I’m able to speak three languages. Past tense : could, couldn’t, be able to, manage to They weren’t able to find the address of the shop. Perfect tenses : be able to, manage to Have you managed to complete the assignment yet? Future tense : be able to, manage to He won’t be able to come to the meeting this afternoon. Use

IELTS Challenge #7 Today’s IELTS topic | Natural Resources & Alternative Fuels 1. Brainstorm as many verbs, adjectives, phrases and other vocabulary related to natural resources and alternative fuels as you can in 2 minutes. 2. Can you name 4 fossil fuels? Can you name 7 natural energy resources? Choose two of the examples you thought of and list the advantages and possible problems associated with each. 3. Road traffic is considered to be one of the biggest contributors to environmental pollution. Why? What is the name of the substance that is produced by cars, buses, trucks and other methods of transport which use fossil fuels? 4. How can we reduce the amount of this substance being produced? Can you think of any examples of schems in your country to try and reduce these emissions? What is involved? How are they organised? Are they successful? Why/why not? 5. Give examples of actions individuals can take to change the way they use energy at home/at work. What shou