Monthly Archives: June 2011

It’s pointless learning model answers before the IELTS writing exam in the hope that you can use them word for word. The chances are, you won’t answer the question properly and you won’t get the IELTS grade that you deserve. Read about this here.

Make sure that you write in paragraphs. A good basic model is to write one paragraph for each point or idea. If you don’t write in paragraphs, your writing will be difficult to follow and you will lose marks. You can make this much easier by planning your writing : Read this.

It’s important not to leave any blanks in the IELTS listening exam. If you leave an answer blank, it’s impossible to get a mark for it. Sometimes you won’t be certain about an answer to a question but you must remember to put something. You never know, your “guess” might be right.

IELTS candidates should be aware that 99% of English language learners need to work on their pronunciation. This pronunciation practice is not something that should be done just before the IELTS exam – it should be started months before!! Poor pronunciation in the IELTS speaking exam might ruin your chances of getting the highest IELTS […]

The game of hangman is a great way to test your vocabulary. It’s also a fantastic way to test your spelling. If you have never played hangman before, here are the rules. Make sure you have understood the rules in English before you play hangman. Don’t forget that reading the rules in English is great […]

If we use high time + past simple, we mean that something that should have been done hasn’t and it is now overdue. Your hair is very long. It’s high time you had it cut.

If something is behind the times, it is out of date or old-fashioned. My boss doesn’t want computers in the office. He’s so behind the times. You might use this expression in your IELTS interview if you are talking about your home town, your university, your family etc.

When we talk about something happening in the long run, we mean over an extended period of time. It’s better to try and buy a newer car because you will spend less on repairs in the long run.

If you do something from time to time, you do it occasionally. You don’t do it very often. We cook most nights but we get a takeaway from time to time.

If you are up in arms, you are really upset or angry about something. You might think that a new rule or decision is unfair or wrong. The students are up in arms about the unexpected fee increase announced earlier today.