My IELTS Classroom Podcast
A podcast for IELTS preparation hosted by two former examiners, Shelly Cornick and Nick Lone. Each week they discuss various aspects of the IELTS test, offering practical advice and interactive lessons. The show aims to help both newcomers and those struggling to achieve their desired band scores. With over 30 years of teaching experience, the hosts make learning enjoyable and engaging.
Episodes
What is the CEFR and why should you care?
Hey! To end 2024, Shelly is going to take you on a tour of the CEFR. She will explain what the Common European Framework of Reference is and how it underpins every high-quality language test, including IELTS. More importantly, she will explain what happens when "teachers" forget that IELTS is based on the CEFR (Spoiler: It is not good).There is a YouTube video to accompany this post, whi
Cambridge IELTS General Training 18 essays analysed!
Hey! Nick and I are back with our final (and second!) episode of 2024 - our breakdown of the essay questions in the Cambridge IELTS General Training 18 book.As usual, we analyse the four questions in turn, offering our ideas and discussing what could make each question easy or difficult for test-takers. And, boy-oh-boy, do the questions in this book range in difficulty! We think they go all the wa
Join us for an IELTS Christmas special!
Hello? Is anybody still out there? It has been 410 days since we last released a podcast, but Nick and I are back to spread some Christmas IELTS joy! Is this the start of a new run of My IELTS Classroom episodes, or just some festive fun? Well, you will have to listen to find out!Support the show
We’re back! And talking about UK university life!
Yes, after 76 days of silence, Nick and I are back to start a new season of My IELTS classroom!Today, we consider how much IELTS actually prepares you for university life in the UK. We will consider what skills you need to succeed in a degree course and how many are covered in the exam. More importantly, we’ll think about what “gaps” a student might have in their academic skills even if they gave
Let's do a Cambridge IELTS 18 Reading Test!
Hey! Today Nick and I tackle a reading from the new Cambridge IELTS 18 book. We choose to passage 3 from Test 2, which is titled "An Ideal City". Why? Well, it's because it contains a rather unusual summary completion question. Usually summaries are given in a single paragraph, or divided into two shorter paragraphs. This summary, however, is divided into THREE parts and is much lo
Let's do the IELTS Cambridge 18 Test 4 listening test!
Hey! Today, Nick and I tackling the listening test from IELTS Cambridge 18 Test 4. This is the latest book of past test papers, so is a great chance for you to practice the most recent IELTS test format.Plus, Nick and I will analyse all of the questions and discuss which we think are "easy" and which are difficult.This is an interactive lesson, so you can download the listening test that
IELTS Q&A Part 2 - more questions answered by two ex-examiners!
Hey. Last week Nick and I answered 6 of your questions about the IELTS exam. Today, we go though more of my mailbox to give you answers to enquiries such as how can you tell if a letter is semi-formal or informalwhen you should complain about speaking scoreswhether singular and plural nouns are important in the listening exam or notYou can ask me a question any time by emailing hello@myieltsclassr
IELTS Q&A - your questions answered by two ex-examiners!
Every week I get dozens of emails from our My IELTS Classroom students, podcast listeners, YouTube followers and Newsletter subscribers asking questions about the IELST exam. They range from questions are about exam procedures to questions about how the exam is marked or how the student can maximise their preparation.Today, I thought that I would share a range of the emails that I have received in
Cambridge IELTS 18 essays analysed!
Yes! Finally, on our third attempt, Nick and I have managed to successfully record an episode analysing the essays in the new Cambridge IELTS 18 Academic book. We offer our ideas and insights into the new questions, including how we will organise each essay and what our position would be. Plus, we rate the difficulty level of each question.This is an interactive lesson, so make sure you spend at l
Why are so many students stuck at a 6.5 for IELTS writing?
Today, Nick and I discuss one of the most important IELTS questions - why are so many students stuck at a 6.5 for IELTS writing? Is it because there is a conspiracy to trick test-takers, or are there other less sinister reasons? You can find the full episode notes and a transcript of the conversation at http://podcast.myieltsclassroom.com/This is a re-run of an episode from 2020, so don't be
New IELTS Band Descriptors for Writing in 2023?
Hey! A couple of weeks ago, we received an email from one of our listeners (thanks Adam!) asking if all the fuss happening on YouTube about the "NEW IELTS Band Descriptors" was true. My immediate reaction was "probably not", but when I did a deep dive, it turned out that it was! Yes, IELTS have finally released the examiner version of the band descriptors for writing. Let me be
Unreal Conditionals in IELTS Listening!
Today, we continue our journey into the world of IELTS listening any how the exam writers try to confuse you by playing with opposites. This week, we move away from lexis and into the word of grammar. In particular, the 2nd and 3rd conditionals. Nick and I will explain exactly what the 2nd and 3rd conditional are, how they are formed, and how IELTS using them in listening recordings to confuse you
Opposites - the listening trick that IELTS loves not the least!
Hey! Nick and I have recorded many episodes about IELTS listening. Usually, we focus on one particular type of question and break down which listening skills it is testing, and how you should approach it best. Plus, for everyone type of question, there are two or three "tricks" that IELTS uses to try to force you to choose the wrong answer (although these are not really "tricks"
Level up your lexis score with phrasal verbs!
Hey! Today, Nick and I continue our journey into idiomatic language by looking at phrasal verbs. We will explain what phrasal verbs are, how some are separable and some are inseparable, and demonstrate phrasal verbs in action in Speaking Part 1!Useful Links Join our next intensive speaking course: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingIntroduction to IELTS Speaking http://blog.myieltsclas
Should you use idioms in your IELTS speaking test?
Hey! One of the criteria to score a 7.0 or higher in the IELTS speaking test is being able to show good use of "idiomatic language". But, what is idiomatic language, and when should you introduce it into your vocabulary. Join Nick and I today to discuss the path that most English language learners take when they are learning lexiswhen idioms should be introducedthe problems second-langua
Let's get motivated for IELTS in 2023!
Hey! It is the first podcast episode in May, which can only mean one thing - it is time to get motivated! Spring can be a great time of year to start new patterns of living and affect change in our lives. So, why not join Nick and I today as we go back and look at some of the motivational techniques that we have recommended in previous years to see if we still feel they work. Plus we will offer a
The Ultimate Guide to IELTS Bar Charts
We have spoken in depth on the podcast about IELTS maps, and IELTS line graphs before, but today it is the turn of IELTS bar charts. I would say of all the possible charts that you could be given on your exam day, IELTS bar charts are the most versatile. Why? Well, not only can they be used to represent change or to show comparisons individually, but they can also be used to show changes without t
A technique for really difficult IELTS listening matching questions!
Hey! Way back in 2020, Nick and I discussed the basic techniques for completing IELTS listening matching questions. However, these are some of the most difficult question in the exam, especially in Part 3, and we have noticed that many students still struggle answering them even when they know the basic principles.That's why today, we want to share a more advanced technique that can help you
Six real IELTS essay questions from 2023 analysed!
Join Nick and I today as we look at six essay questions that have recently appeared in the IELTS Academic and General Training exams. We will discuss our ideas for each topic, explain what our positions would be, and give each question a difficulty rating.You will get far more from this episode if you spend 2 or 3 minutes looking at each question and planning your IELTS essay nowSome people think
2 ex-examiners give IELTS Speaking Part 3 feedback!
Hey! 2 weeks ago Nick and I set you to the challenge of recording your answers to 5 very difficult Speaking Part 3 questions. Today, Nick and I listen to the recordings sent by our our listeners to give feedback. We will considerthe quality of the students' ideas (and how they could be improved)the appropriacy of the vocabulary used in the responsesthe impact of L1 on pronunciationthe affect
IELTS Speaking Part 3 (Rerun)
Hey! We have a technical difficulty here at My IELTS Classroom - the wind is blowing a gale and it has knocked out Shelly's Wifi, so Nick and I couldn't record an episode this week. Therefore, we are re-running our original episode on Speaking Part 3. That way, you can listen to this episode and last week's episode and then take part in our free Speaking Part 3 feedback. If you want
Reminder to send us your IELTS Speaking Part 3 recording!
Just a reminder that we are giving you the chance to record your own responses to five IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions and send them to us for feedback on next week’s episode.Record your answers to the following questions on your phone or computer, and email them to us at hello@myieltsclassroom.com before March 12th to be on the show.Remember, your recording should be no more than about 4 minutes
Unlocking the Questions in IELTS Speaking Part 3
Take part in our competition to win a free One Month Subscription to all the My IELTS Classroom videos and live lessons, plus a free piece of marking by leaving a comment on one of our YouTube videos that includes the word "podcast" here Then join Nick and I as we first discuss the basics of IELTS Speaking Part 3 and some simple strategies to help you address the questions even when they
How to develop the arguments in your IELTS essay!
Last year, Nick and I recorded two episodes about how to build paragraphs. They are among our most popular content and have been viewed over 20,000 times. However, even when students extend their ideas and try to justify their position, they can still end up with arguments that are vague and contain almost no topic-specific lexis. Today, Nick and I show you how to identify vague arguments and fix
All IELTS Cambridge 17 Academic Report Questions analysed!
Hey! I have always loved teaching IELTS Academic Task 1. Many students are afraid of charts, but I have always found that if you teach test-takers some basic principles, then it is always possible to find the key features and organise the report well.However, this week, I was looking at the new IELTS Cambridge 17 Academic Report Questions and I have to say that two of the prompts in the current bo
Let's do the IELTS Cambridge 6 Test 3 listening test!
Hey! Today, Nick and I are travelling back in time to complete the IELTS Cambridge 6 Test 3 listening test, which was first published in 2007. Why? Well, it's not because we were younger and better looking then, but because we want to give you a chance to experience the older IELTS test format, which seems to be making a come back in exam rooms.This is an interactive lesson, so you can downlo
Is the format of the IELTS exam changing in 2023?
Hey! Please do NOT panic! There are no major changes happening to the IELTS exam (that I am aware of) in 2023 - they are not adding a new section to the speaking exam, or changing the amount of time that you have for each section, or making the reading passages more difficult.However, some of our students have reported over the last few weeks that some of the exams that they have sat at the start
All Cambridge IELTS 17 Essays Analysed!
Hey! Yes, Nick and I have finally got out hands on a copy of the new Cambridge IELTS 17 General Training book! Today, we look at the four essay questions to discuss how difficult the questions are, how we would approach each one, and what ideas we would use as the basis of our arguments.As always, we recommend that you spend time analysing the questions and coming up with your own arguments before
Can Chat GPT help improve your IELTS Writing?
Unless you have been living under a rock (or not spending every moment on social media), I am sure that you have heard about Chat GPT - the new artificial intelligence search engine that can write advertising campaigns, poems, or hundreds of pages of code in milliseconds (and trust, me this is just the tip of the iceberg). Oh, and I did I mention that it will deliver these to you as if they had b
Will 2023 mark the end of your IELTS journey?
Happy New Year! Yes, we are back for a third year of the My IELTS Classroom podcast (albeit a bit late as Shelly has had COVID!) Last year we helped students in 138 different countries prepare for IELTS in 52 episodes that totalled almost 2,500 hours of contest! If you were one of the 150,000 people who downloaded an episodes - THANK YOU! It really means a lot.Today, Nick and talk about New Year&
It's our annual IELTS Christmas Quiz!
Can you hear the sound of bells jingling? That't right! It the final Tuesday before the 25th of December, which can mean only one thing - it is our annual Christmas IELTS Quiz.Only this year, there are absolutely NO questions about IELTS whatsoever, so it really us just a chance for Nick and I to let our hair down and talk about the Christmas traditions we enjoyed growing up in the UK. Obviou
2 ex-examiners give speaking feedback to 5 IELTS students!
At the end of last week's episode (in which Nick and I explained how the examiner will band your speaking performance for Fluency and Coherence, I sent out a call on social media for our listeners to record themselves attempting four current speaking part two questions. We will highlight some common errors and give expected scores based on the public band descriptors.Useful Links Join our nex
How will the examiner score your Fluency and Coherence in IELTS speaking?
In the IELTS Speaking exam, the examiner will give you a score in 4 areas: Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Range, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and Pronunciation. Your final score will be the average of these four scores rounded down.However, recently I realised that that there is a lot of confusion among students as to exactly what the examiner is looking for when they grade Fluency and Coherenc
A new type of IELTS MCQ's in the reading exam?
Hey everyone. IELTS reading MCQs have always been one of the most difficult to tackle in IELTS. That is because they can either test your understanding of the information given in the passage of your understanding of the writer's purpose or aim. Until now, 90% of questions have focussed on the former, but I noticed that in Cambridge IELTS Academic 17, almost ALL of the questions asked you to
The IELTS Life Skills Test explained
Every few weeks I get an email from a student who would like to know how to prepare for the IELTS Life Skills test. Sadly, I know nothing about the test, so I usually just point them in the direction of the official website and wish them luck.However, this week Nick discovered that one of his friend's had recently taken the test, so today he is going to explain to me exactly what the test is,
5 IELTS Speaking Part 2 Topics 2022 analysed!
Use code BLACK15 to get a 15% discount on all our courses this week. Find out more on this link: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writingHey! IELTS is well-known for recycling the same topics for Speaking Part 2 again and again. However, they do sometimes introduce new topics into the exam, which can confuse some students.Today, Nick and I analyse 5 new IELTS Speaking Part 2 topics from 2022
How to ace IELTS Listening Part 3!
Shelly is sick today, so we are planning a re-run of our most popular ever episode - how to nail IELTS Listening Part 3!Many students find Part 3 of the IELTS listening test the most difficult. There are a number of reasons for this: there are more than two voices, the questions usually focus on the outcome of a discussion in which many views are offered, and you may also be asked to locate a pers
What is the new IELTS One Skill Retake?
Last week, IELTS IDP announced that they are planning to introduce a new test called the IELTS One Skill Retake. This will give students the opportunity to retake only one section of the four skills (Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking) in the IELTS test if they did not achieve the score they aimed for the first time around.Obviously, this could make a HUGE difference to the experience test-ta
How good is your IELTS spelling?
Today, Nick and I take you on a tour of IELTS spelling. We will cover the basic spelling rules that every test-taker needs to know, such as when you should replace a -y with an -ies, and when you have to double consonants in a word.Then, we will look at words that are commonly spelt incorrectly by IELTS test-takers, before finishing with a light hearted quiz to see if you can spell better than a n
What is parallelism and why do you need to use it in your IELTS writing?
Yes! That's right - this week Nick and I are looking at a grammar point - parallelism! This is not a topic that is widely discussed in the IELTS world, but if you are looking for a score of 7.0 or higher in Writing, it is definitely something that you should pay attention to.In today's lesson, Nick and I will explain what parallelism is, and take you through the different situations it s
Cambridge IELTS 17 letters analysed (we think!)
Hey! Today, Nick and I take a look at what we think are the letter prompts from the new Cambridge IELTS 17. (In other words, although the book was published in July, we were unable to get our hands on a copy so are relying that these are the real questions based on a third source!)We will look at each question in turn to analyse which tone you will need to adopt, and how you should approach each b
How to write a genuinely informal IELTS letter!
Hey! I have noticed over the last few years that students really struggle to write letters that are genuinely informal. Even good students who follow all of the language rules for informal letters send me letters to mark that feel "cold" and "stiff" and simply still " too formal". Why is that? Well, that is what I sat down this week to ponder, and the result is this p
The Top 5 IELTS Essay Errors!
Hey! We're back this week with a look at some common problems students (who haven't taken our writing course!) run into with essay writing.In today's episode, we look at some common problems with organisation, grammar, and ideas which can prevent YOU from scoring a 7.0. in writing on exam day. In this episode, we willtalk about the 5 mistakes Nick and I find most often in First Asse
We give 7 students IELTS cue card feedback!
Today, Nick and I give IELTS Cue Card Feedback to 7 of our listeners. We will highlight some common errors and give expected scores based on the recordings. You can read more about today's episode at: https://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielts-cue-card-feedback-2021 Episode notesLast week, I sent out a call on social media for our listeners to record themselves attempting three speaking part tw
Let's do the full listening test from Cambridge 17 Test 4!
Hey! Last week, Nick and I completed an Academic reading passage from Cambridge 17 Test 4. Today, we thought that we would do the full listening from the same test.Click here to download the questions for the lessonJoin us as we complete each section of the test. We will starting by outlining how we would approach each part and reminding you of the best way to approach each one. Then, we will give
Let’s do a Cambridge 17 Reading test together!
Join Nick and I today as we go through the Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic Reading – Timur Gareyev – blindfold chess champion In the test, we will discover that although there are definite “rules” for each type of question, there are times when IELTS may break those, so you should be prepared for everything!Plus, if you have never seen our unique Read Once, Read Well technique (then where have you bee
The best approach to IELTS Speaking Part 3!
In IELTS Speaking Part 3, the focus moves away from you to the world around you. This means that you must be able to speak about abstract topics, which is not easy even for high-level test takers. If you want to take part in next week's episode, you can record your answers to the IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions at the end of this blog post: :http://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielts-speaking-p
Understanding vocabulary in context in IELTS reading!
Hey! You are in the IELTS reading exam and everything is going well, when suddenly you find a word that you do not recognise, but you know is important. What do you do? Do you pause and think for a few minutes? Do you skip the word and continue reading? Or do you quickly make an educated guess using one of the 5 techniques offered in this podcast?!Yes, today Nick and I look at a bottom-up reading
NEW key features for Academic Task 1 Maps 2022
Hey! Maps have long been a possible question-type in Academic Writing Task 1. However, until recently, 99% of maps focused on changes that happened in a town. In recent exams, however, there have been more maps tha focus on changes to specific buildings or road systems.The problem is that many students still try to use the same key features and organisation for these maps as traditional town maps.
Ideas for 6 Real IELTS Essay Questions 2022!
Hey! It's time again for Nick and I to generate ideas for some recent IELTS essay questions. Today, we look at 6 real IELTS Essay Questions 2022, which were all taken from exams in July and August.You are welcome to sit and passively enjoy the episode, but you will get a lot more out of the lesson if you actively take part.You can find the questions at https://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/real-
How can I generate GOOD ideas for my IELTS essay?
One of the main problems that students face when they start IELTS Writing is generating ideas for IELTS essays. Today, Nick and I look at one way that you should definitely NOT use to find ideas, and then look at two simple approaches that you should. You can read more about today's episodes at: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/my-ielts-classro…for-ielts-essays/ In this episode, we will disc
IELTS Success Story: Yiqi, China (7.5 in Writing)
Hey! It has been a long time since we featured one of our student success stories. Why? Good question! I think that I have been so busy teaching lessons, making YouTube videos, and running the school that I just forgot! That's what I am delighted today to introduce you to Yiqi - one of our IELTS success stories from China.Yiqi was accepted onto a PhD course in the UK, but needed a 7.5 overall
IELTS Reading Multiple Matching Questions Unlocked!
Hey! A couple of weeks ago, Nick and I looked at how you should approach multiple multiple choice questions in IELTS listening. Today, I thought that we would look at the similar questions that appear in the reading exam - IELTS Reading Multiple Matching Questions. These also ask you to select more than one correct answer from a list, but the technique that you will need to successfully complete t
Let's talk about Cambridge IELTS 17!
In August, the new Cambridge IELTS 17 Academic book will be published. However, as always, the essay questions are already circulating on social media, so Nick and I thought that we would spend today analysing the four new essay questions to give you our ideas for each. More importantly, we will spend time discussing how we would organise each of the essays, and why we think each one is difficult
Everything you need to know about IELTS General Training Reading Part 2!
There are 13 points up for grabs in IELTS General Training Reading Part 2 and, as every text will focus on work or migration, a small amount of preparation can make a huge difference to the number of questions you can answer correctly (and the time it will take to do so). Today, Nick and I discuss the language your should learn to maximise your potential in Part 2, and how you should approach two
IELTS announces change to test format in 2022!
Hey! One complaint that IELTS test-takers have been making for decades is the order that the exams are taken on test-day. Starting with listening and ending with writing often means that students are tired when the attempt the most difficult (and often most important) section of the test.This week IELTS announced that this is about to change for students taking the paper-based IELTS test. Yes! Fin
Let's ace IELTS Listening Multiple Multiple Choice questions!
In the IELTS listening exam, there are two types of multiple choice questions: those where you are given 3 possible answers and asked to choose ONE, and those where you are given 5 or 7 possible answers and are asked to choose TWO or THREE. Today, we are going to look at the second type of question or, as I like to call them, IELTS listening multiple multiple choice questions. Many students are af
The 5 worst pieces of advice for the IELTS speaking exam!
The role of any teacher is to help their students maximise the scores that they will get in an exam. However, over the years Nick and I have noticed that many teachers are giving their students advice for the IELTS speaking exam that could actually harm their scores not improve them. Obviously, this is not intentional, but it can be difficult as an examiner watching a student put into practice the
How to regain your lost IELTS confidence!
At My IELTS Classroom, we take the emotional welfare of our students very seriously. In the past we have spoken to a trained psychologist about how test-takers can remain calm before and during their exam (and if you haven't watched that episode, I strongly recommend that you do as even I learned a lot!), and have written a lot of about motivation and how to get it back if you have lost it. T
Let's do a full IELTS speaking test together!
Hey! Today Nick and I are continuing our "Let's do" series by completing a full IELTS speaking test . First, you will get a chance to answer the questions in a similar way to the real exam, and then you can listen on as Nick (our very own native speaker who is an ex-examiner) attempts the same test. That way you can listen to how the test is actually conducted and compare your answe
Learning IELTS vocabulary in context!
Today, Nick and I look at the importance of learning IELTS lexis in context. We will start by analysing an Instagram post with synonyms for “highest” to show how the dictionary can definitely NOT be your friend. Then, we will review a set of IELTS flash card from Educational Software Technologies Limited, and give our verdict on whether they are a good purchase for IELTS students or not. You can v
Let's do an IELTS listening test together!
Hey everyone! In a recent podcast, Nick and I completed an Academic reading passage from Cambridge 15 Test 4. Today, we thought that we would do the listening from the same test.Click here to download the questions for the lessonJoin us as we complete each section of the test. We will starting by outlining how we would approach each part and reminding you of the best way to approach each one. Then
Feeling tired of IELTS? Join us for Motivation May!
Hey! We all know that it can be hard to find the motivation to start studying for IELTS, which is why Nick and I have recorded so many episodes in the past about finding motivation. First, we did our 30-day motivation challenge, then we spoke about how to avoid procrastination in by eating those frogs, and last year we discovered a new way of self-studying by using metacognition.Today, we return w
Let's write introductions to Agree / Disagree essays!
Hey! Today Nick and I are trying a new style of lesson. Instead of giving you lots of information about one topic, we are going to break down one element of essay writing - how to write an introduction to an IELTS agree / disagree essay.Join us to learn the three ingredients that you need to write an introduction well (they may not be what you expect) and how you can tackle questions that include
Let's do a Cambridge IELTS Reading together!
Join Nick and I today as we go through the Cambridge IELTS Reading - Changes in Reading Habits from Cambridge 16, Test Four, Passage Two.We will show you how to put the technique into action. First, we will explain how to analyse the questions before you read (which will be a nice revision of Multiple Choice and Summary Completion questions for those who have missed previous lessons). Then, we wil
How should you present your opinion in an IELTS Discuss Both Views essay?
One of the most common questions asked about IELTS writing is how you should present your opinion in an IELTS Discuss Both Views essay. Do you need to write a separate paragraph with your opinion? Can you wait until the conclusion to "reveal" your opinion? And what does it mean to offer "positive" arguments for each view? That is what Nick and I will discuss in today's epi
How to use conditional sentences in IELTS
One of the most useful sentence structures in your grammar toolkit should conditional sentences. But, how many types of conditional sentences are there, and where can they be used NATURALLY in your speaking and writing? That is what Nick and I look at today.Useful LinksWatch the first three lessons in our GT Task 1 Writing Course here: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/categories/general-training-w
Planning your IELTS preparation perfectly
Preparing for IELTS can feel daunting with four modules to prepare for and seemingly endless amounts of information available online to "help" you do so. But, how long do you really need to prepare for IELTS? And what should you cover if you only have one month or two months to prepare? That is what Nick and I will discuss in this episode.In this episode, we will talk about where to star
Cambridge IELTS 16 essay questions analysed!
This week, Shelly is travelling in Brussels (drinking all the beer) so we thought we would have an easy episode this week and look at the Cambridge IELTS 16 essay questions.A couple of weeks ago Nick and I looked at the letter questions from the new Cambridge 16 IELTS General Training book, and ranked the letter prompts from easiest to most difficult. Who can forget the letter to Mrs Barrett?!!!!
Everything you need to know about using uncountable nouns and plurals!
One of the enduring problems for many IELTS test-takers is being able to use uncountable and plural nouns correctly. Today, Nick and I take a deep-dive into the common problems that IELTS test-takers make in their writing and speaking.We will spend a lot of time discussing the definite article (the), so I strongly recommend that you watch our free grammar lesson so that you understand the 7 fundam
IELTS Reading Matching Sentence Endings
Hey! In IELTS reading matching sentence endings is a strange question type. At first glance, they can seem simple. After all, your only task is to match the start of a sentence with its correct end. And, as all of the possible endings are given to you, the challenge seems minimal.However, as we will see today, matching sentence endings question are unique as they rarely contain clear scaling words
The YouTube Channel is live!
I repeat the YouTube channel is live! Yes, this is just a short reminder that from 7am GMT today, you will be able to watch 8 My IELTS Classrooms lessons for free on our YouTube channel. Just click here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLz9Dbe4NEIu5OCy0WA1sgPlus, we will be releasing a video every day in the coming week, including 3 that have only ever been available to my paying subscribers. T
We have a HUGE announcement .....
Hey everybody. This week Nick and I have a huge announcement to make. Can you guess what it is? No, we are not getting married (don't worry Nick), but we are finally launching our YouTube channel. Join us today to find out what content we plan to release. Plus, Shelly will share the techniques she used to get over her mental block over the channel - I mean, she has been promising to launch fo
Which is the most difficult Cambridge IELTS 16 letter?
In recent weeks, Nick and I have spent a lot of time talking about Academic Writing Task 1, so we thought that today it was time that we gave some love to our General Training students!Join us as we rank the four prompts in the new Cambridge IELTS 16 in order of difficulty from easiest to most challenging. Trust me, the Cambridge IELTS 16 letters are NOT the same as previous Cambridge books! T
How to tackle IELTS object cue cards!
Hey! This week, Nick and I look at how you should tackle IELTS Object Cue Cards, which are one of the most common in Part 2 of the exam. We will start with a brief review of IELTS Speaking Part 2 (as it has been along time since we did a speaking episode!), and then share a range of useful lexis to describe objects. Finally, we will demonstrate how you can put all of these skills together by compl
Writing paragraphs that have ONE main idea!
Today, Nick and I continue our series on writing both paragraphs by looking at how to write IELTS paragraphs that contain just one idea. We will look at the different language blocks that you can use to build your paragraphs, the different sentence structures that are often used in each block, and the importance of progression. In other words, we will show you everything you need to write these pa
How to build an IELTS Paragraph
I think that being able to construct a paragraph is the most fundamental IELTS writing skill. If you are able to start with a clear topic sentence and then build a logical argument, you are almost guaranteed a high score for Task Response and Coherence (and you have a good chance of a high one for Coherence and Cohesion too!)Today, Nick and I start with the basic question "What is a paragraph
An emergency IELTS podcast!
Hey! There are always times in life when things don't go as planned. You buy a wardrobe and think it will take an hour to put together, but it takes 10. Or you have a lovely week planned and then you unexpectedly have your wisdom tooth removed! But what happens if things do not go as planned in the IELTS exam? When should you complain? And, more importantly, how can you make an IELTS complain
6 IELTS Essay Questions from 2022 analysed!
Can you here the trumpets playing? Yes, back by popular demand, today Nick and I break down the first IELTS essay questions 2022. As always, we will choose 6 essay topics that have been reported from recent exams that we think are difficult, and offer you our arguments and tips for organisation. You are welcome to sit and passively enjoy the episode, but you will get a lot more out of the lesson i
A new type of IELTS line graph in 2021?
In 2020, Nick and I recorded an episode of the podcast that gave you a complete fail-prof system for tackling any type of IELTS line graph. You can listen to that episode here.We went through the basics, such as the vocabulary you need to describe changes and how to organise your paragraphs, to more complex advice such as how to find key features and write your specific details from start to finis
