Last-Minute IELTS Tips – 7 Ways to Keep Calm on Exam Day
Feeling stressed when taking exams is a normal feeling that happens to everybody. Examiners say that students generally get one band lower in IELTS speaking due to stress. If you have two, three or even up to six hours between your writing test and your speaking test,...
How to answer difficult IELTS speaking questions
In English you are "put on the spot" when someone asks you a question, and you are forced at that moment to answer. This usually causes embarrassment or difficulty. Being put on the spot is my students biggest fear when they go through the IELTS speaking...
Using the minute which is given to you in the IELTS speaking test part 2. Do’s and don’ts
In IELTS part 2 you get 60 seconds to plan. What's the best strategy? Q: What's the best way to use those 60 seconds planning time in IELTS speaking part 2? A: The one you are most confident with and have practised the most! Follow these do's and don'ts to find the...
The importance of collocations in IELTS, for example when describing people
Collocations are important to learn in order to speak naturally in English. This is where ozdic.com comes in handy. Ozdic.com allows you to enter a word and get all the most common collocations (words that go together with that word). Let's use it for a common IELTS...
From Band 7 to Band 8: Talking about Winter Weather
In England we love talking about the weather and headlining the BBC news. It was the 31 st October yesterday, Halloween, and temperatures were exceptionally warm for this time of year. By contrast, this got me thinking about a mistake I often hear my Russian IELTS...
My New Hairdo – “To have something done”
Recently people have been reporting IELTS questions about hair. Just before New Year, I had my hair done at my local salon and I wanted to write about it here to help you out with some useful grammar and idiomatic phrases about hairdos. I spent an arm and a leg on...
The secret of going from band 7 to 8 in IELTS speaking
This article will tell you two ways to go from a 7 band to an 8/9 band in IELTS speaking. It has some key secrets that native speakers know that you don’t. But if you read the article and do the exercises, you will have the secrets within the next 20 minutes.
Not using contractions can sound angry. What does it have to do with IELTS?
Over the next five weeks, I am going to be studying how to teach pronunciation with Linked English trainer Elena Mutonono. Why? Because linked English is something that too many IELTS teachers do not give enough attention to, and I want to change this. Is having an...
Buildings We Live In – An IELTS Practice Speaking Test
Have you got a pen and paper ready so that you can give yourself one minute to prepare for the cue card? Here are the questions: Part 1 (Try to answer with at least three sentences for each question. What sort of place do you live in? (Hint: Do you live in a house or...
How Whales Change Climate – IELTS Listening Practice
What is a trophic cascade and how can protecting whales prevent climate change? Huh? What? But you have watched the video, so you understand what a trophic cascade is now. It is much better to learn by examples than by definitions. Trophic cascades occur when...
IELTS Speaking Questions on Colours.
Watch this video on how to speak about colours in English with some rarer and idiomatic vocabulary for a high vocabulary score.
13 FOR REAL Ways to Sign Off an Informal Letter in IELTS General Writing
AUTHENTIC WAYS TO SIGN OFF AN INFORMAL IELTS LETTER How do English native speakers really sign off an informal letter? Only one week to go before your IELTS exam and still not sure? Here are some alternatives, choose the three ones you like best and memorise every...
777 IELTS Essay Types, Subjects, and Questions.
Below, there are some essay questions for the IELTS writing task part 2 Try to put them into the following categories: What are the problems of A and their solutions. What are the advantages and disadvantages of B. Discuss two opinions C and D. "Q", do you agree or...
Manage your Energy for a High IELTS Band Score
Maybe you need to prepare in a more organised way? Is it as simple as getting all your ducks in a row? Idiom: To get all your ducks in a row: To take action to become well-organized, prepared, and/or up-to-date Source:...
24 Idioms Course
The Idioms course is coming soon. Here is some content to help you in your IELTS in the meantime (while you are waiting).
How to be a confident English speaker…
Hi, I'm Kate, the creator of this website. I hope I can help you become confident in speaking English. I am a poet, English TEFL teacher and language learner. You are in the right place if you want to improve your IELTS score or confidence in speaking English in...
I help highly qualified people improve their English for career success, emigration, and high IELTS band scores.
Online language coaching FAQ... What is English language coaching? It is an enjoyable process, where the coach and the learner have a highly motivating conversation. The learner is helped to find their own answers and solutions. Together the coach and learner design...
Sleep Deprivation: Could it reduce your IELTS score?
Guess the meanings of the highlighted words! Most of my students are busy working on their careers and taking IELTS as an extra activity. In the last two weeks before your IELTS, you may be tempted to burn the midnight oil cramming for your test. What I have to say...
Do you need a practice IELTS speaking test before the real thing?
Take one online with Kate. Last-minute - at the latest possible time before an event (in this case the week before your IELTS test.) Mock test - not the real test, a practice test. Who is it for? Anyone who wishes to warm up for their IELTS test. Anyone who has 14 or...
Do you want to know your IELTS speaking band score?
Join 300+ students with IELTS results up to 8.5 Click the button below to arrange a trial lesson This is an example of a typical speaking test. If you want an assessment of your IELTS speaking band score and a personalised plan to improve it, I have detailed a special...
