IELTS with Fiona: a comprehensive guide to IELTS
Join me for a weekly talk-through of IELTS topics to help you learn about the issues, vocabulary, tips and strategies you need to prepare. Find all my tips on my website ieltsetc.com and join the Members Academy for all the downloads, step-by-step online courses, and support to get you a Band 7+ in the IELTS test.
Episodes
IELTS Vocabulary: Nature or Nurture?
In this podcast, you'll learn key words and concepts that will help you understand and discuss the topic of nature and nurture.🧬 nature = the traits we are born with (genetics)🏠 nurture = the experiences we go through in life (environment)The lesson is based around a reading text called 'The Unselfish Gene'.Find the full lesson notes with audio, video and model answers for Speaking and Writing o
IELTS Reading Tips: Languages and Learning (Silbo Gomero)
In this episode, we explore the topic of language(s) in IELTS.From bilingualism and language learning to language loss and global communication, you’ll learn the key vocabulary and ideas you need for Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking. Perfect for boosting both your confidence and your band score.This podcast focuses on a reading about Silbo Gomero, a whistling language in the Canary Island
IELTS Listening: Céide fields
In this episode, we use the story of the Céide Fields (an archaeological site in Ireland) to help you improve the skills you need for IELTS Listening.You’ll practise following a real lecture-style talk, identifying key information, making educated guesses, and dealing with common challenges such as recognising paraphrasing, understanding fast speech, and listening for common gap fill answers and s
IELTS GT Reading: Women in medieval art
🧑🎨 In this podcast you'll learn ideas and vocabulary related to the theme of GENDER, specifically the forgotten role of women in medieval art.GET THE FULL LESSON ON MY WEBSITE:https://ieltsetc.com/ielts-tips-and-tricks/Text SummaryA recent archaeological discovery shows that women may have played a more important role in medieval art than people once thought. Scientists found tiny bits of lapis l
IELTS Listening: Bidcaster Archaeological Dig
This Listening Part 2 about an archaeological dig will help you review maps 🗺️ and vocabulary related to the topic of Civilisation 🏺.Get the full Listening Course on my website: https://ieltsetc.com/courses
IELTS Reading: The White Horse of Uffington
🏮 To celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Horse, here's an Academic Passage 1 text all about The White Horse of Uffington - an ancient chalk figure cut into a hillside in England. The text discusses how and when this 'geoglyph' was created, and my podcast walks you through a set of Gapfill Summary and True False Not Given (TFNG) questions. It includes tips about:⛳️ red flag clues in TF
IELTS Reading: Georgia O'Keeffe 🧑🎨
This Academic Reading Passage 1, which is about the life of a well-known artist, will help you review the huge topic of art and the arts in IELTS.This topic covers writers (Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo in the Listening Test) and sculptors (Henry Moore in the Reading Test) as well as theatres, art galleries, pottery, photography and music. In the Speaking Test, you might be asked to describe a favo
IELTS Reading: Why we need to protect polar bears
In this podcast you'll learn tips about guessing True False and Not Given questions, reference words, and how to use conditional sentences in your Writing Task 2.This text about polar bears explains how they are uniquely adapted to extreme Arctic conditions and possess genetic traits that may help scientists understand health problems in humans. threatened – at risk of harm or extinction ❄️adapted
IELTS Listening: Tardigrades
This IELTS Listening Part 4 is about research into microscopic animals called tardigrades or ‘water bears’. The speaker explains their extreme survival abilities - a topic that we covered in the previous Reading Podcast ('The secret of staying young').This is an essential topic in IELTS, so don't miss this chance to review the vocabulary related to ageing and longevity.You'll also pick up lots of
IELTS Reading: The secret of staying young
In this podcast, you'll work through an IELTS Academic Reading Passage 1 about ageing ('The secret of staying young') in a clear, guided way. I will take you step by step through gap fill and True False Not Given questions, so you can see how to find key information quickly. The episode helps you improve skimming, scanning, and careful reading skills. You can get the full lesson, with the video, e
IELTS Reading: Plant thermometers 🌡️
How Plants Sense Temperature – IELTS Reading Made EasyThis episode breaks down a challenging IELTS Reading Passage about how plants use light and temperature to grow. I’ll guide you through the key ideas, explain tricky vocabulary, and help you answer the questions with confidence. Perfect for Band 6–8 students who want to improve comprehension, build science-related vocabulary, and boost their IE
IELTS Reading: Music and the emotions
In this lesson, you'll learn how to use the words you DON'T KNOW to get the right answers!It's a difficult Academic Reading Part 3, which contains several scientific terms that might cause confusion.But I will show you how IELTS uses these words for gapfills, and you'll learn the 6 'triggers' that indicate the answer.Get the full video lesson in the Bronze Membership on my website, and in the full
IELTS Reading: Maternity Allowance (Money Vocabulary Topic)
This month, we've been exploring the huge topic of MONEY in the Members Academy.It comes up in ALL parts of the test, so in this lesson, we examine two very similar General Training Texts in order to learn more about the topic of government benefit systems and the allowances that you might be entitled to.Each country's benefit system is different, so it's really worth a listen as you'll learn valu
IELTS Reading: Forced Rhubarb
This is a lovely reading about forced rhubarb: its history and how it is grown and harvested.There are 3 question sets: Matching Headings Multiple Choice GapfillIn this lesson you'll learn more about the general topic of FOOD and how this topic is tested in all parts of the IELTS test.Get the full lesson in the Bronze Academy on my website.https://ieltsetc.com/2024/12/ielts-vocabulary-of-food-cook
IELTS Pie Charts - how to avoid making this common mistake
Always check the title of a pie chart to make sure you're providing an accurate summary of the data.Pie charts show percentage and proportion, not numbers. Here's an example of a mistake that is very easy to make when you're under pressure.So practise plenty of pie charts before the test and get ready to use the language related to pie charts - listen till the end to find the 'marc' verbs that wil
How to learn prepositions from IELTS Reading (The impact of climate change on butterflies)
In this lesson, we'll analyse a Part 1 Reading text with the purpose of improving our understanding and use of prepositions.First, we go through the True, False and Not Given questions, followed by the Gapfill questions and then we go back to the first paragraph to analyse the prepositions.This is something that I recommend you do regularly - spend 5-10 minutes 'noticing' language from real contex
IELTS Grammar snack: A shocking 97%
Did you know that uou can use "a/an + adjective" before a statistic to express your reaction to the number?This technique adds emphasis and helps the listener or reader understand your perspective on the data. Examples: A staggering 95% of teenagers spend over 4 hours daily on social media. An alarming 62% of young adults report experiencing significant anxiety. A heartening 78% of volunteers say
IELTS Listening: A Science Experiment
In this lesson you'll learn 5 IELTS Listening Tips that (I'm guessing) nobody told you about.Get the full lesson with bonus materials in the Bronze Academy on my website.https://ieltsetc.com/2024/10/5-ielts-listening-tips-nobody-told-you-about/
Can I use personal pronouns in IELTS Writing?
Get the free lesson on my blog: How to use personal pronouns in IELTS Writing.
In this lesson, we look at ways of USING and AVOIDING personal pronouns in Writing Task 2 essays.
You'll learn when to use "I", "we" and "you", and you'll get examples of how to avoid personal pronouns by using plurals, the passive voice, and more general language.
https://ieltsetc.com/personal-pronouns-in-ielts-writi
IELTS Grammar: Quantifiers few, a few, little, a little
If you really want to make a difference to your test score, stop practising grammar with useless examples that you'll never use in the IELTS test! In this grammar review we look at how to use few, a few, little and a little SPECIFICALLY FOR the IELTS test.You'll learn useful expressions that you can use in the Writing and Speaking Tests, and you'll find out how to avoid common mistakes with these
IELTS Reading: How animals keep fit
In this lesson, you'll practise 3 reading question types while learning essential IELTS animal-related vocabulary items such as 'hibernation' and 'migration'.I also discuss differences between two summaries, which will help you use more formal language in the writing test e.g. to maintain fitness vs to stay fit.For example:(Advanced Summary)The article explores how animals maintain fitness differe
IELTS GT letter of request to a singer
In this lesson we look at direct and indirect ways of asking for help.You will learn fixed expressions that you can use in any letter of request letter, and you'll also learn how to demonstrate flexibility with a variety of tenses when you 'give details of your musical activities'.Find the full lesson with models and interactive practice on my website (Bronze Academy).https://ieltsetc.com/2024/09
IELTS maps and plans (describing future changes)
In this lesson, we look at how you can use Listening Test maps to improve the way you describe maps and plans in the Writing Test.
In this lesson we'll cover
How to talk about FUTURE changes
How to avoid over-using 'going to'
How to use the passive tense
How to use the vocabulary of change related to maps
We also review map prepositions, and we look at a model answer. The lesson
IELTS Reading: The Fosbury Flop
This is a talk-through of a General Training Reading Passage 3.
The text tells the story of the 'Fosbury Flop', which is a high-jump technique developed by a 21 year-old university student from the USA called Dick Fosbury in the late 1960s.
In this lesson, you'll practise Matching Information, Multiple Choice and gapfill questions.
Get all my lessons on my website ieltsetc.com and
IELTS Listening Section 2: Tips for runners 🏃♀️
In this Listening Section 2 about tips for runners, you'll learn how to spot distractors in different question types such as matching people and multiple choice.
Get the full lesson with 180+ more lessons in the Bronze Academy
https://ieltsetc.com/2024/07/ielts-listening-matching-people-distractors/
Get the list of phrasal verbs to talk about hobbies (Free)
https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithf
IELTS Reading: How tennis rackets have changed 🎾
This is a talk-through of a Passage 1 Academic Reading text about tennis rackets (Book 19 Test 1).
It covers 2 sets of questions (True, False, Not Given and Gapfill Summary).
Full lesson notes and video available on my website and Members Academy.
IELTS Writing: 9 tips for a Band 9 essay
In this lesson, you'll see why so many model essays are NOT model essays.
For each of the points I mention, you'll learn a better alternative so that you can make changes to your own writing.
Here's the question:
Some people believe that charities should help people in need no matter where those people are in the world. Others feel that these organizations should only serve the people
IELTS GT Part 1: Passport Applications and Airport Services 🛂🛄
A quick look at TFNG and a less common type of Matching Headings.
Get the full text here https://www.ieltsetc.com/2019/03/ielts-gt-reading-passports-and-airports/
IELTS Reading: Crows and tools 🧰
Quick tips to help you with the Speaking Challenge followed by a Reading Passage 2 about the tool-making abilities of crows (and what we have in common with them). True/False/Not Given. Get the full reading here https://www.ieltsetc.com/2018/11/ielts-reading-two-wings-toolkit/
IELTS Reading: Stonehenge
This is my walkthrough of an Academic Passage 1 about Stonehenge.
Keyword before you listen:
‘Winter solstice’ - the shortest day of the year (December 21st)
Meaning: to stand still
The solstice (combining the Latin words sol for “sun” and ‘sistere’ for “stand still”) is the point where the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest point in the sky for the year and thus ancient astronomers
IELTS Listening 🌋: academic words you need for Part 3
This listening about a research project contains several examples of ‘academic’ language (language related to studying at university) that you need to understand Listening Part 3.
It's about a volcanic eruption, and is adapted from a Cambridge Past Paper (Book 18).
Get the full lesson notes and video in the Bronze Membership on my website ieltsetc.com and the Listening Course in the Members
IELTS Listening: Elephant translocation 🐘
This Part 4 Listening is all about moving elephants.
In the lesson you'll learn about:
using word prompts to keep your place
using intonation and sentence stress to identify answers
using spelling patterns and plurals to get the right answers
The full transcript is available in the Bronze Membership on my website.
https://ieltsetc.com/2023/10/ielts-listening-part-4-keeping-up-with-the-sp
IELTS Reading: Forest Management 🌳
This is a relatively easy Passage 2 from a Cambridge Past Paper, with 3 sets of questions [Matching Information, Categorising and Gapfill].
https://ieltsetc.com/2023/10/ielts-reading-forest-management/
IELTS Listening: Victor Hugo
This Listening Part 4 about a writer called Victor Hugo is taken from the new Practice Book 18.
In the podcast you'll learn
why this particular test is more difficult than usual
how reference words give you the answer (if you can remember what they refer to)
techniques for predicting and retaining information
common gapfill answers and how they're related to pronunciation
Get the f
IELTS Reading: The birth and growth of Manhattan's Skyscrapers. 🗽
This is a Passage 3 review about a book about The Birth and Growth of Manhattan's Skyscrapers.
This is an extremely difficult text. It would really help if you have the text in front of you.
The only good thing about this text is that everything goes in COMPLETE ORDER and we know where everything is, because it goes from 'Chapter 1' to 'Chapter 10'.
The Yes, No, Not Given quest
IELTS Reading: Urban farming
Farming and agriculture is my Number 1 Vocabulary topic for IELTS, and I noticed that most of the readings in this new Cambridge Practice Test Book (18) are related either to the environment (Week 1 of my vocab course) or to cities/architecture/buildings (Week 2 in my Vocabulary course - the Man-Made Environment).
So make sure you re-read this text for the useful vocabulary e.g. sustainable, orga
IELTS Reading: Stadiums
This is a pretty straighforward Academic Part 2 about Stadiums.
In this podcast we'll go through 3 question types (Matching Statements, Gapfill Summary and Choosing from a list.)
Get more in the Members Academy https://ieltsetc.com/courses.
IELTS Reading: The development of the London underground railway
I guarantee that you can do this in under 10 minutes if you follow my system.
Find the Reading online and do it yourself before you listen.
Learn more about my IELTS Reading techniques with TWO courses in the Members Academy.
ieltsetc.com/courses
IELTS Listening Part 2: Matthews Island Holidays
Get the full blog with audio on my website:
https://ieltsetc.com/2023/04/ielts-listening-tips-complete-guide/
In this lesson, I examine the MACRO and MICRO skills you need to get all of the answers right in this Section 2 IELTS Listening about a holiday company.
For example:
Background knowledge (what you already know about holiday companies, tour itineraries, travelling/place names in the UK et
📝 Which is the best (free) online IELTS writing checker?
There are many free online IELTS Writing checkers available, and they can be useful when you’re starting your IELTS preparation.
Online writing checkers such as Grammarly can give you simple feedback on your grammar, vocabulary and linking words.
There are more sophisticated versions available that claim they can assess your IELTS writing using the Band Criteria, and give you a grade and feedback
How many IELTS Reading question types are there? (Tips on how to tackle different questions in the IELTS Reading test)
[Skip the 5-minute introduction if you want to just get to the question types!]
Different websites have different ways of categorising IELTS Reading Question types.
See my latest blog for all the details:
https://ieltsetc.com/2023/03/how-many-ielts-reading-question-types/
In my online courses, I follow the official IELTS.org guidelines, and I have simplified the types so that you focus more on dev
How to prepare for IELTS in 10 days
The best thing about the IELTS Test is that you cannot fail it. The test simply takes a ‘snapshot’ of your current level of English.
So if you’ve suddenly realised that you need to take the test in 10 days don’t panic too much. Consider it a ‘practice run’.
10 days is just enough time to familiarise yourself with the test requirements so you can give yourself the best chance of getting the best in
Pronunciation for IELTS Listening - how to understand fast speech
There are 7 key features of fast speech and pronunciation that you need to develop a better understanding of in order to increase your Listening Score:
Features of connected speech (dropping sounds, adding sounds, changing sounds, weak sounds and twin sounds).
Word boundaries
Homophones
Sounds that are different or don’t exist in your language
Accents and rhoticity (‘r’)
Minimal pairs
C
IELTS Listening: Hotel Staff Turnover
In this Listening Section 2 we look at:
- Multiple choice questions
- distractors - matching from a list
- the word 'staff' and how it's repeated 32 times
- how to pronounce 'staff'
- academic language you can use in Task 2
Improve your IELTS score with my intensive Listening Course:
ieltsetc.com/courses
IELTS New Year Resolutions 2023
What will you do differently in 2023? Here are my 7 resolutions to help you get the IELTS test over and done with once and for all. Get all the tips on my Daily Tips page https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en and get all my lessons on my website ieltsetc.com. Join the Members Academy to make faster progress.
IELTS Reading: To catch a king 🤴👑
In this episode, I'll take you through one of my Guided Readings - it's an Academic Passage 3 from Book 17 and, unusually, it's a book review.
Follow my Advent Challenge on my website:
https://ieltsetc.com/ielts-advent-adventure/
Join the Members Academy:
https://ieltsetc.com/courses
IELTS Mindset: 😵💫 How to deal with 'too much information' (feeling overwhelmed)
Question: "How do I cope with so much information when I'm preparing for the IELTS test?"
Answer: "Just do as much as you need to do for the Band score that you want."
In all aspects of life, there are different levels of expertise and knowledge.
Deciding what you want to do with your IELTS score will help you manage your time and your learning.
I've carefully programmed this into the Members Acad
IELTS Listening: 🇮🇸 The impact of digital technology on the Icelandic language
Can you guess the answers to the gapfill before you listen? In this episode I talk you through a Passage 4 where I think about 60% of the answers are guessable!
Thinking of becoming a Member of my Academy?
Find out more on my website:
ieltsetc.com/courses
IELTS Reading: Feathers as decoration in European History
A tricky GT Part 3 Reading with Matching Headings, Multiple Choice, and Matching Sentence Endings.
IELTS Mindset Part 3: How to ask SMARTER questions
I've spoken a lot about Mindset for IELTS in 2 earlier blogs:
1. How to train your mindset for IELTS
https://ieltsetc.com/how-to-train-your-mindset-for-ielts/
2. How to stop making excuses and start making progress
https://ieltsetc.com/2020/11/improve-ielts-score/
In this (rather long) podcast I talk about asking SMARTER questions to get smarter answers.
S = Specific (Why, What, Why, When, Where?)
IELTS Listening Part 3: Veterinary science students
In this podcast, you'll practice listening for the tricks in Multiple Choice Questions.
This is yet another Listening based on the topic of farming, and it includes many of the keywords on my IELTS planner list Day 1 (Agriculture), for example:
- breed
- bred/reared
- livestock
- to increase production
- domesticated animals
- controlling and eradicating those diseases
Add these to your wordlist a
IELTS Reading: Reducing injuries on the farm
This Reading will also help your Task 2 Writing.
Watch this quick video to see why:
https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en/week-2-september-challenge-reading-about-farming
IELTS Writing Task 2: How to write a Band 9 essay [Introductions]
In today's September Challenge, we're reviewing Task 2 essays, starting with how to write a good Introduction.
Check out the blog I refer to here (with a model essay):
https://ieltsetc.com/2021/03/ielts-band-9-sample-essay-charity/
and learn more about Introductions here:
https://ieltsetc.com/2020/05/ielts-writing-task-2-how-to-write-an-introduction/
IELTS Writing Task 1: 🐟🍗Consumption of meat and fish.
Day 3 of the September IELTS Planner Challenge is all about describing changes in Writing Task 1.
See the graph and video here.
https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en/september-challenge-day-3-writing-task-1
Or just go to my Daily Tips Day 3 on ieltsetc.com
IELTS Listening Part 1: 🏄♀️ Learning to surf
Day 2 of the September 2022 Challenge.
This is a Part 1 but full of TRICKS!
Get the full video version in the Members Academy.
Join the challenge on my website: www.ieltsetc.com (find it in the Daily Tips section)
IELTS Reading GT: 🥾The best hiking boots
This is Day 1 of my free IELTS September Challenge 2022.
Follow the challenge every day on my website (What's new - daily tips):
https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en/september-challenge-day-1-reading-the-best-hiking-boots
Get your FREE copy of the planner and work through it with me:
https://payhip.com/b/7OZlV
IELTS Listening: 🦋 Buckworth Conservation Group
This is a slightly unusual Listening Part 1 from the latest Cambridge Test Book 17.
Get more in the Members Academy:
https://members.ieltsetc.com/academy
and on my website
https://ieltsetc.com
IELTS Reading GT ⚽️: History of women's football in Britain
This is a fascinating Section 3 General Training Reading text about the origins of women's football and why it disappeared for 50 years.
Practice Multiple Choice Questions, Matching Information and Gapfill Summary.
Get the full video version with all of the other General Training Courses in the Members Academy:
https://members.ieltsetc.com/academy
IELTS Listening 🍁 Maple Syrup 🇨🇦
In this lesson we cover more words from The List (my 100 Most Common Listening Gap Fill Answers).
Pay special attention to the second half, where the speaker describes how maple syrup is produced. This is really useful for Academic Writing Task 1.
Get my guide to IELTS Reading Book 17 (Course) in the Members Academy with all the other workbooks, guides, planners and lists.
Get individual printable
IELTS Reading: 🍅 Domesticating the tomato
This is an Academic Test Passage 2 Reading from Book 17 and the podcast covers 3 types of questions: matching information, matching people, and gapfill.
In the podcast I discuss how you can understand more of the text if you learn my basic vocabulary lists - you can buy my 3 IELTS vocabulary workbooks and guides on my website shop:
- A complete guide to IELTS Word Formation and Spelling
- A comple
IELTS Listening: Labyrinths
Book 17 Test 1 Part 4
I chose this Listening just because it's from the most recent Cambridge Practice Test book, and I was pleased to see that all of the gapfill answers conformed to my theories about common IELTS gapfill answers e.g. uncountable nouns, irregular word forms, "made from ____" etc.
I put all of my research together in a handy little booklet which you can get in my shop:
https://pay
IELTS Listening: 🧼 Early History of Keeping Clean
This is a Section 4 IELTS Listening Test Gapfill Summary based on a lecture about the history of keeping clean.
Get more listening practice on my website or follow my 28-day Listening Course in the Members Academy.
https://ieltsetc.com/courses
⭐️IELTS with Fiona daily tips from February 2022⭐️
Here's my roundup of daily tips from February. Watch the video version on YouTube with this link:
https://youtu.be/zZ0TLDv0qxc
In the podcast we'll review:
- Idioms for IELTS Speaking ('food for thought' 'peckish' 'flagging')
- Formal language ('a high risk of failure')
- How to use inversion (Rarely I have? Or Rarely have I?)
- Tech tools to help you practise Speakin
⭐️ IELTS tips ⭐️ Jan 19th - 31st (also on YouTube)
Here's my round-up of the weekly tips that you can find on my website (ieltsetc.com).
This podcast is also on YouTube/fionawattam:
https://youtu.be/TNcyL63yWbI
https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en
In this episode we look at my daily tips from January 19th:
- when to use the contraction 's' instead of 'is' (Pronunciation)
- how to start a letter and why you shouldn't
IELTS Reading: 💃🏽 Could urban engineers learn from dance?
This is a particularly challenging Reading Passage 1, which follows the structure of a Passage 3 'discursive' argument rather than the usual Passage 1 'factual' description.
The title gives us a warning of this academic style - it starts with a question, suggesting that there will be a theory developed, with the opinions of expert. It will pose a problem and try to find a solution.
This is uncommo
⭐️ IELTS tips ⭐️ podcast Jan 1st - Jan 17th 2022 with YouTube video
This podcast talks you through a fortnight of daily tips, with an accompanying YouTube video.
https://youtu.be/byb9_Dg2UP8
Get the daily tips here on my website.
https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en
In this episode we cover:
Pronunciation features - weak sounds e.g Fishnchips
How to spot a terrible "Model answer"
Free Flashcards for common IELTS topics (Quizlet - Marine Ecosystems)
How
IELTS Reading:🧴Plastic is no longer fantastic
In this IELTS GT Part 3 Reading lesson we'll practise Matching Headings, Multiple Choice and Gapfill summary on the topic of plastic.
IELTS ⭐️Daily tips⭐️from Fiona Dec 9th - 24th 2021
In today's podcast you'll review my daily tips from my annual advent challenge which you can find on my website under "What's New" and https://ieltsetc.com/ielts-advent-adventure/
Day 9: "It's not worth + ing"
Day 10: Pronunciation - Juncture e.g. Ice-cream/I scream, That stuff/That's tough
Day 11: Factor vs reason vs cause
Day 12: Linking devices - the present participle
Day 13: Modals of d
IELTS ⭐️Daily Tips⭐️from Fiona Nov 20 - Dec 8
In this episode I catch up with the daily tips that you can find on my website under "What's new".
This episode covers:
Pronunciation of phrasal nouns vs phrasal verbs (to give someone the go-ahead)
The meaning of 'a shambles = shambolic'
The real meaning of 'actually'
The use of 'tripling' (reduce, reuse, recycle)
Inversion (Never have I ever...)
'comfortable' gapfill in the Listening test
IELTS Reading: Marine ecosystems 🐡
This is a nice GT Part 3 Reading to get 2022 off to a great start. It practises Matching Headings, Multiple Choice AND gapfill, and it's absolutely jam-packed with useful IELTS vocabulary, so I made a Quizlet for you to review it.
Go to my website "What's new" to get the Quiz Link.
https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en/new-podcast-marine-ecosystems
IELTS Reading: Having a laugh
This is an academic Passage 3 about the importance of laughter.
⭐️IELTS tips⭐️ Nov 9th - 20th
In this episode I go through a week of tips about:
"is pissed" vs "ears pierced",
PEEL paragraphs,
Jacinda Ardern and New Zealand accents ("bed" vs "bid"),
Bruce Willis, The Sixth Sense and modals of deduction ("He must be a teacher"),
Why Martin Luther King didn't say "I've got a dream",
Are you feeling OVERWHELMED?,
Cost vs value,
When "I will" sounds like "ul",
Hey! and other offensiv
⭐️IELTS tips⭐️ Oct 27th - Nov 8th 2021
This is my weekly round-up of tips from the "What's New" tab on my free website: ieltsetc.com
In this episode we look at
Pronunciation mazes by Matt Hancock (the 'ou' and 'ow' sounds and spelling),
What's the opposite of 'must'?,
"It's not worth it",
Listening tricks and synonyms "at least" and "a minimum of",
Is it ok to use "etc" in formal writing?,
Modal verb meanings e.g "That should
🏆What's the best online IELTS course?🏆
That's a tough question. It's so hard for anyone to measure the quality and effectiveness of an IELTS course objectively unless they've taken all of the IELTS courses available!
So here's a quick checklist of things to look for in a course. Go to the blog to download the checklist; I designed it to help you make an informed decision.
https://ieltsetc.com/2021/11/best-online-ielts-course/
⭐️IELTS tips⭐️ Oct 17th - 27th
Here's the latest round-up of all my IELTS Daily Tips blog that you can find on my website.
In this blog we go through and revise:
Have or get something done
How to pronounce 'ative'
How to pronounce 'able'
Thinking critically
Research vs researchers
Economic vs economical
deteriorate vs get worse
instill vs install
funnest vs the most fun
Get all the tips on my website homepage ("What
⭐️IELTS tips⭐️: a weekly summary
I'm trying out a new way of sharing my tips and advice for IELTS.
If you go to the 'What's new' tab on my website, you'll find a daily tip:
https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfiona/en
You can leave a comment there and ask questions if you need help or if you have any requests.
In this podcast I cover the last 7 days of tips:
Should I appeal my IELTS score? https://app.getbeamer.com/ieltswithfion
Things you need to know before you buy an online IELTS Course 🤑
Have you ever been ripped off, conned, scammed, tricked, duped or just misled when buying an online IELTS course?
In this blog and podcast, I've outlined the 10 'red flags' that you need to know about before you decide which course provider to go with.
Here are are some common tactics that you may not even notice, and they range from being simply 'misleading' to illegal.
For more information and e
IELTS Reading: Henry Moore (TFNG Bootcamp Day 1) 🗿
The Members Academy Reading Bootcamp started today (you can still join - it's just $28 and includes 28 days of both live and recorded lessons). This week's focus is on True False Not Given questions, so here's a taster of today's lesson.
This is an Academic Passage 1 about a sculptor called Henry Moore.
I try to get my students to make educated guesses about TFNG questions by the way they're writt
IELTS Reading: Attitudes to AI 🤖
This is an Academic Passage 3 Part 3 (Book 16), so it's tough.
In this lesson we'll look at how the language that you learn for Task 2 will help you understand the Reading, and how Reading academic texts like this will help you improve your Writing.
Some of the points I mention include:
- Word formation
https://ieltsetc.com/2020/06/word-formation/
- The 'marc' system for pie charts (Makes up, acco
How to use idioms in IELTS
Are you using the right idiom in the right place with the right person and the right pronunciation?
To use an idiom correctly there are so many factors that you have to take into account, for example
who uses this idiom (age, gender, profession, location)?
when do they use this idiom? (context)
why do they choose to use this idiom (humour, anger, sarcasm, style)?
how often do people use this
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