Topic sentences for IELTS – how to write a high band score topic sentence

By Tony Grace 13th February 2020
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Find out why topic sentences are important and how to write a simple topic sentence and then develop it into a high band score one

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Task 2 – Introductions – Gap year

By Tony Grace 31st January 2020
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Practise writing a simple high band-score introduction.

After reading your introduction, the examiner should know
> what is the question about
> what your position is

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Task 2 – Introductions – Single sex schools

By Tony Grace 24th January 2020
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What is the question about?

It’s about …

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Paragraph building for IELTS Writing Task 2 – why this paragraph will get a high band score

By Tony Grace 4th January 2020
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IELTS Writing Task 2 – a detailed explanation of why my paragraph about staff uniform would get a high band score.

If you’re serious about succeeding in IELTS, learn what a high band-score answer looks like

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Paragraph building for IELTS Writing Task 2 – turning a mechanical paragraph into a high band score one

By Tony Grace 3rd January 2020
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IELTS Writing Task 2 – Watch me convert a simple paragraph into a high band score one.

If you’re serious about succeeding in IELTS, learn how to improve your cohesive devices.

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Paragraph building for IELTS Writing Task 2 – writing a simple paragraph from a plan

By Tony Grace 2nd January 2020
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Watch me convert a plan into a simple paragraph for IELTS Writing task 2

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Brainstorming for IELTS Writing Task 2 – using the internet to create a plan

By Tony Grace 1st January 2020
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How to create a plan for IELTS Writing task 2

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Speaking for IELTS – Advice on a strategy to answer questions about the past in the IELTS speaking test

By Tony Grace 2nd December 2019
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If the examiner asks you to talk about the past, you can use this useful strategy

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Speaking for IELTS – illustrate your adjectives

By Tony Grace 25th November 2019
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In the speaking test, you need to persuade the examiner that you can speak at length without noticeable effort in order to get a band score 7 for Fluency and Coherence.

Here’s a useful tip to help you to do that

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Idioms for IELTS – to look forward to / to take something for granted

By Tony Grace 20th November 2019
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How to use idioms

Can you use this simple idiom?

– to look forward to

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Speaking for IELTS – stop giving boring lists!

By Tony Grace 20th November 2019
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If the examiner asks you a “what type of” question in the IELTS speaking test, it is better not to give him a boring list

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Idioms for IELTS – to get away with / to put up with / out of the blue /

By Tony Grace 15th November 2019
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How to use idioms

Learn how to use the idiom – out of the blue – in the speaking test

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Idioms for IELTS – why they are important

By Tony Grace 1st November 2019
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Idioms are important.

Find out how to find idioms and how to use them in the speaking test

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Anki for IELTS – Watch me showing a student how to use Anki to learn some modal verbs

By Tony Grace 25th May 2019
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Do you get frustrated because you forget things you want to remember? Help is at hand, with a programme called Anki.

Watch me showing a student how to use Anki to learn basic modal verbs

If you have to learn anything, Anki is the best way to remember.

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Lexis for IELTS Writing Task 1 – take every opportunity to show off your lexis (2)

By Tony Grace 11th May 2019
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Lexis for IELTS Writing Task 1 – take every opportunity to show off your lexis. Be prepared beforehand with some less common lexical items such as …

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Anki for IELTS – Watch me showing a student how to use Anki to learn basic tenses and auxiliaries

By Tony Grace 29th April 2019
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Do you get frustrated because you forget things you want to remember? Help is at hand, with a programme called Anki.

Watch me showing a student how to use Anki to learn basic tenses and auxiliaries

If you have to learn anything, Anki is the best way to remember.

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Live Teaching Tips for IELTS Writing Task 1 – organising your answer

By Tony Grace 21st April 2019
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Watch a live classroom recording of me and my students talking about how to organise a task 1 question about mobile and PC ownership

If you’re serious about succeeding in IELTS, organise your Task 1 answer in a logical way

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Live Teaching Tips for IELTS Speaking Part 3 – popular food in your country

By Tony Grace 18th April 2019
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Watch a live classroom recording of me answering a question about the most popular types of food in a particular country.

If you’re serious about succeeding in IELTS, copy my pronunciation, intonation, and lexis 🙂

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Lexis for IELTS – take every opportunity to show off your vocabulary in Writing Task 1 (1)

By Tony Grace 5th March 2019
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Lexis for IELTS – take every opportunity to show off your vocabulary in Writing Task 1

Be prepared

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Vocabulary for IELTS in Writing Task 1 processes

By Tony Grace 3rd March 2019
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How to think of vocabulary in a Writing Task 1 process

Ask yourself questions – why questions, where questions, etc

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Word Families for IELTS – to tempt

By Tony Grace 26th February 2019
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Can you make sentences with words from this important word family?

With audio

To tempt

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Referencing for IELTS Writing – the former and the latter

By Tony Grace 25th February 2019
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To get a band score 7 for C&C you need clear referencing.

Learn how to use the former and the latter

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Linking words for IELTS – on the contrary and in contrast

By Tony Grace 24th February 2019
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On the contrary and in contrast.

Hands up if you think they’re the same.

Think again

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Selecting information for IELTS Writing Task 1 – rail networks

By Tony Grace 22nd February 2019
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How to select information in Writing Task 1

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Referencing for IELTS Writing Task 1 (2) – correct or incorrect?

By Tony Grace 21st February 2019
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To get a band score 7 for C&C you need clear referencing.

Decide if these sentences are correct or not

The majority of people borrowing money borrowed money in order to buy a house or a car.

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Referencing for IELTS Task 1 – some examples of good referencing

By Tony Grace 19th February 2019
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To get a band score 7 for C&C you need clear referencing.

Here are a few examples of clear referencing for IELTS Task 1

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Selecting information for IELTS Writing Task 1 – reasons for using the internet

By Tony Grace 16th February 2019
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How to select information in Writing Task 1

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Overviews for IELTS Writing Task 1 – Global literacy

By Tony Grace 12th February 2019
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Identify the main features
Write an overview

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Selecting information for IELTS Writing Task 1 – electronic devices

By Tony Grace 11th February 2019
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How to select information in Writing Task 1

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Drills for IELTS – to be

By Tony Grace 10th February 2019
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One way to stop making basic mistakes with verbs.
I am
You are
He is
We are
You are
They are

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Key word transformations for IELTS 2

By Tony Grace 8th February 2019
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Practise paraphrasing with these key word transformations.

With audio

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How to Improve your General English by Active Reading

By Tony Grace 7th February 2019
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How to study – one really effective way of learning

If you’re serious about succeeding in IELTS, you will do some active reading every day

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Overviews for IELTS Writing Task 1 – Foreign languages

By Tony Grace 5th February 2019
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The overview is the first thing the examiner looks for, so make sure you know how to write a clear one.

Identify the main trends, difference, or stages

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General English for IELTS – Correct or Incorrect – for Vietnamese speakers

By Tony Grace 4th February 2019
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Correct or incorrect – basic general English for Vietnamese speakers of English

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Story telling for IELTS Speaking Part 2

By Tony Grace 3rd February 2019
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In Speaking Part 2, the candidate has to speak for one to two minutes.

One way to prepare is to practise story telling.

See if you can tell this story in your own words.

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Studying and Learning for IELTS

By Tony Grace 2nd February 2019
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What’s the difference between studying and learning, and why is it important?

How to study more effectively and how to start learning

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General English for IELTS Task 1

By Tony Grace 1st February 2019
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Decide if the sentences are correct or incorrect

Correct or Incorrect:

The chart shows information about how many people going to the cinema in one particular country, in 2014

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Word Families for IELTS – Prefer

By Tony Grace 30th January 2019
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Can you make sentences with words from this important word family?

With audio

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Key word transformations for IELTS

By Tony Grace 29th January 2019
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Practise paraphrasing with these key word transformations.

With audio

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Overviews for IELTS Writing Task 1 – Australian poverty

By Tony Grace 28th January 2019
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The overview is the first thing the examiner looks for, so make sure you know how to write a clear one.

Identify the main trends, difference, or stages

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