IELTS BAND SCORE 8 AND GRAMMAR

IELTS GRAMMAR AND WRITING CLASS

This lesson looks at the idea of range of grammar. If you are aiming for a high band score, it is not simply enough not to make mistakes, you also need to show that you can use a number of different grammatical constructions. First of all, I talk you through some principles and then I give you some practical suggestions on what sort of grammar can help and, just as importantly, how to use it.

Test yourself first

Before you read on. You might want to ask yourself these questions:

    Am I going to impress more with longer sentences?
    Do I have a strategy for when I use simpler grammar and more complex grammar?
    When and why do I use complex grammar like relative and conditional clauses?

An essay should combine simple with complex grammar

This is the starting point. A well-written essay should be relatively easy to read. This means that you need to combine the simple with the complex. Where you have straightforward to say, you should not try and show off your grammar by making it seem complex – indeed, that’s a very common mistake.

Typically, you should aim for:

    simple structures when you are making main points – often in the opening and/or closing sentences of your paragraphs
    more complex structures when you are explaining/developing  those main points  in the body of your paragraphs
    a movement from the more simple to the more complex

When you have something simple to say, say it simply. Only use complex structures for more complex thoughts.

 
An example of the simple and the complex


An essay should combine longer and shorter sentences

In many ways this is the same point. It is absolutely not the case of long sentences good, short sentences bad. There will be times when a short sentence is more effective than a long sentence. In general, though, you should avoid the extremes of very long and very short. Also, you need to ask yourself how complex your sentences are. Shorter sentences can work:

    if they are used in combination with longer sentences, or
    if they are relatively complex

Longer sentences can work:

    if they are used with shorter sentences, or
    if they are simpler in structure (using “and” and “but”)

Be careful of too many long, complex sentences and too many short simple sentences

 
A paragraph with different sentence lengths
Examples of grammar that can work

This is not intended to be a list of advanced grammar points that will guarantee you a band score 8.0. Rather, the idea here is to show you grammar connects to meaning. You should never just use a structure because it is “good” grammar. Instead, you need to ask yourself what is the best way I can express this point.

The best writers use these structures when they need to, not because they think they have to
1. the passive

I start with the passive because it is so often misused. It is not the case that the passive is an academic structure that should be used in essays. We use it all the time in all sorts of contexts. Here, though, is one way you might find it helpful in writing:  to avoid repeating words – especially nouns/pronouns. You may want to avoid using some words too much – especially words from the question. Here the passive can help you. In a question about government action, rather than writing:

    The government should introduce measures to

you can try

    Measures should be introduced

so that you don’t repeat the word “government”.
2. Relatives

This is another piece of grammar you need to feel comfortable with and can help you. You should be careful, however, not to overuse relatives as they can make your writing both confusing and confused. One tip I would give you here is to try and restrict yourself to one relative per sentence and to try and avoid them in already complex sentences. Look at this example:

    There is a real danger that allowing people to travel for free would deprive transport authorities funds which they need and lead to a  lower standard of service.

The relative can be avoided by changing it into an adjective phrase:

    There is a real danger that allowing people to travel for free would deprive transport authorities of much needed funds and lead to a  lower standard of service.

When you do use relatives though is to define terms and add detail. Here is an example in action:

    More than that, if the authorities plan carefully, they can use the occasion of the sporting event to help finance public works which benefit the whole population in the long term.

I want to say what sort of “public works” I am referring to so I define them in the relative which benefit the whole population in the long term.
3. Conditionals

Here is another piece of grammar that can help you out. Provided that is, you see how and when to use it. One of the best ways to use these conditionals to explain and give examples. This means they are likely to come in the body of your paragraphs and not the introduction/opening sentence. Try this example:

    There is also, however, a strong argument not to implement this proposal. This argument is based on economic competitiveness. If a company was forced to employ more workers to produce the same amount of goods, then its wage bill would rise and its products might become more expensive and less competitive compared to companies with longer working weeks. In this case, it is possible that the company either might become insolvent or it would have to make some employees redundant. As a result, the intended benefit to the personnel would not happen.

This time around I have given you the whole para so that you can see the context. I use a conditional because I am explaining a point. You should also see that we use “might” and “would” in the following sentences even though there is no “if”.

Do you want to show off? Then you might consider using conditionals that do not use if. So you could use:

    Were a company to be forced…

4. Parallel structures

There are a number of different parallel structures we have in English. They come in useful when we are combining, comparing or contrasting points – again something that you are likely to do in your essays. This is a useful piece of grammar to focus on, as when used well they make your writing more cohesive. For example

    Not only would unemployment be reduced, but the working conditions of employees on very long shifts would also be significantly improved.

You may think “not only..but also” is too easy to impress. Don’t. Simple things done well impress too and this sentence is complex enough as it is.
5. Verb tenses (of course), impersonal structures and modals

The point to remember here is that it is not difficulty of grammar that is important, rather it is variety of grammar. This means that some bits of grammar that you think are rather simple (e.g. tenses) are still important. The point I want to make here is that the one tense you are going use most is the present simple. Checking my essays, I find that easily the most common tense I use is the present simple. That’s how it should be – it is easily the most common tense in English.

You do want some variety though, and here is how I get it. I use a lot of impersonal structures”

    There are several reasons why

and I also use a large number of modal verbs:

    It can also be argued that

The point here is that I use them to make impersonal points or sound academic. They too have their meanings and uses.
6. And and but

Never be afraid of keeping it simple. I do. My essays work. You will also find that I almost never use “moreover” and “furthermore”. More to the point, neither do band 8.0 candidates typically. When all you want to do is add a point say “and” and if you want to make a contrast, you are most likely to use “but” or “however,”.
Test your own writing

The best advice is of course always to find yourself a teacher, but if you are working by yourself, here is something you can do. Find an essay you have written and go through it:

    Do you use different grammatical structures? (You should have at least some of the ones I have mentioned)
    Can you see why you have used any of the more complex structures?
    How long is your average sentence? (around 15 words is about right I would suggest)
    Do your paragraphs combine longer and shorter sentences and simpler and more complex sentences?
    Do you use “and” and “but”?

IELTS test in Penang, Malaysia – April 2015 - Academic Module

IELTS test in Penang, Malaysia – April 2015 (Academic Module)

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

We were given a line graph and a bar chart showing the traffic levels in England and Wales in particular. The charts included vehicle types that contributed the most to CO2 emissions from 2001 and up to 2020 (projected).

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Nowadays more and more older people compete with younger people for the same jobs. What can be the reason for this? What would you suggest as a solution?

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name?

- Can I see your ID?

- Where are you from?

- Do you work or study?

- Do you think your English is good?

- What will you do after studying this language?

- Do you like weekends?

- What do you do usually at weekends?

- Do you plan your weekends?

- Do you like trees?

- Have you ever planted a tree?

Cue Card

Describe a documentary or a movie that you enjoyed and would like to watch again. Please say

- What movie is it?

- Why did you like it so much?

- Would you recommend it to others?

Discussion

- Do you think featuring famous artists is important for a movie’s success?

- Do you think people in different stages of life will choose different types of movies? Why?

- Do you think that older people like to watch movies of their generation more than modern ones?

IELTS Preparation Classes for the IELTS Test

IELTS Preparation Classes for the IELTS Test

TARGET BAND 7

My IELTS Success 7.5 preparation class is a skills based course focusing on all four macro skills - Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening -  as they relate to the IELTS test, but taught and practised at a much higher level.  Each individual skill or test strategy is taught, demonstrated and then practised using a ‘see how it works’ method so that students can understand instantly how the strategy relates to the test.  This is followed up with further practice at home.  In this course we will work on test skills to improve scores.
The main course book is "A Booklet" by Master Arian
 
Reading General
     - Reading skills such as skimming, scanning, reading for detail and understanding the overall idea
       and predicting content
     - True/False/Not Given or Yes/No/Not Given
     - Matching heading with paragraphs or sections
     - Summary short answer questions
     - Table completion, Sentence completion
     - Matching information to paragraphs
     - Multiple-choice questions.

Listening
     - Listening Overall listening strategies
     - Using pronunciation to help understand fluent speech
     - Part 1 questions filling in a form
     - Spelling Table completion
     - Summary completion
     - Labelling a diagram
     - Multiple choice questions
     - Listening to lectures/talks
     - Using grammar to work out the correct form of the word in the answer.

Speaking
     - Overall information about the test and strategies
     - Giving personal information and talking about likes and dislikes
     - Fluency especially in Part 2 –the long turn: planning and topic development to aid fluency
     - Pronunciation
     - Dealing with difficulties during the interview -nerves and not understanding the question
     - Two way discussion –thinking on your feet. Circumlocution.

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IELTS test in the UK and Kazakhstan – April 2015 (Academic Module)

Listening test

Section 1. About a travel agency.
Section 2. About crocodiles.
Section 3. About a new university course for overseas students.
Section 4. About people that kill dolphins.

Reading test

Passage 1. About modern science and technology.
Passage 2. About theaters.
Passage 3. About Australian wild animals including dingo, kangaroo and so on.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

We were given a line graph showing the amounts of money spent on research of new energy resources in four countries between 1980 and 2000.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Some people think that children should learn to obey and do as parents and teachers say. Others think that this kind of upbringing will not prepare our children for real life. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Do you work or study?
- What do you do for a job?
- What is your favorite color?
- Do you like visiting people?
- How often do you do it? Why?

Cue Card

Talk about an achievement you haven’t completed yet. Please say
- What is the achievement?
- How will you do it?
- When do you think you will achieve this?

Discussion

- What song do you remember from your childhood?
- What is your favorite music? Why?
- What do you listen to these days?

IELTS DISTANCE COURSE VIA SKYPE

MASTER ARIAN

منابع آیلتس مشترک در عمان و انگلستان و بنگلادش نمونه سوالات آیلتس آکادمیک در سال 2014

منابع آیلتس  مشترک در عمان و انگلستان و بنگلادش نمونه سوالات آیلتس آکادمیک در سال 2014

IELTS test in Oman, Bangladesh and the UK – June 2014 (Academic Module)

Listening test

Section 1. A conversation between two people about Art.
Questions: filling in blanks.

Section 2. A discussion between a student and a lecturer about a research on bridges in the UK.
Questions: multiple choice, matching statements to people.

Section 3. About different types of tea.

Section 4. About a tea tree growing in Australia that is used in oil production.
Questions: filling in blanks.

Reading test

Passage 1. About the “Potbelly Hill” ruins, an archaeological site at the top of a mountain ridge in Turkey.
Questions: filling in blanks, True/False/Not Given.

Passage 2. A discussion about intelligence, whether it is a quality people are born with, or an acquired one.
Questions: True/False/Not Given, statements completion.

Passage 3. Don’t remember.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

We were given a table showing the income and expenditure from a public building (BOCKLEY HALL) hire over a period of three years. The total income was divided into a few sections: rooms hire, income from cafeteria, funding from the town council and funding from other bodies, then expenditure on maintenance and services. The last two rows were showing the total profit.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

In the near future it is expected that the proportion of older people will be higher than that of young people in many developed countries. What are the positive or negative effects of this development?

Speaking test

Interview

- What is your full name?
- Can I see your ID?
- Where are you from?
- Is it suitable for living with family and children?
- How do you spend your weekends?
- Do you spend all weekends in the same way?
- What is your favourite day of the week? Why?
- What day is the busiest for you? Why?
- Are there many street markets in your country? Why?
- Do you like buying at street markets? Why?

Cue Card 1

Talk about a beautiful place where you would like to have your dream home. Please say

- Where and what is this place?
- Describe the place.
- Why would you like to live there?

Cue Card 2

Describe a famous person outside of your county. Please say

- Who is this person?
- How do you know him/her?
- What is this person famous for?

Discussion 2

- Is he/she popular in your country?
- Is it good to be famous? Why?
- Are there any advantages or disadvantages to being famous?
- Why do some people like to stay famous as long as they can and others don’t?

دوره فشرده آنلاین و فشرده IELTS