MARDON'S Lessons (C2)

The above 2 recordings have been clipped from a full listening section 3 recording. They contain the search areas of the multiple choice questions only. This allows to really understand the correct answers by listening to their search areas multiple times without needlessly wasting time.

Did you know that I run a separate IELTS channel where post such reading quizzes on a daily basis? Join https://t.me/dailyieltsreading for more of these goodies.

🔎 Search area — Question 20 Each year across India, 600,000 children are tested, and year after year over 50% of children in Standard 5 [ten-year-olds] cannot read a Standard 2 [seven-year-olds] task fluently, and just under 50% of them cannot solve a Standard 2 subtraction task.

Back in the game. Missed my speaking samples?

Ertalabgi (10:00-12:00) va kechgi (14:00-16:00. 16:00-18:00) IELTS standard guruhlari uchun qabul ochilmoqda. Yangi o'quv yilidan boshlab IELTS Junior (level 5) bosqichlarini ham o'zim o'qitishni boshlayabman. Guruhlarga qo'shilish uchun @cullensschooladmin ga murojaat qiling. Guruhlarga

This is the format of reading passages our students at Cullen School receive every single lesson!

#speaking I have been looking into what exactly separates Bands 7, 8 and 9 in Fluency and Coherence. Surprisingly, the main difference is not how quickly you speak or whether you pause. It is why you pause. At Band 7, some pauses can still be caused by searching for language. At Band 8, they are mostly about ideas. At Band 9, hesitation is used only to prepare content. I have explained the descriptors in detail here, using Pauline Cullen's work and examiner research: https://telegra.ph/IELTS-Speaking-Fluency-and-Coherence-at-Bands-7-8-and-9-08-20

#commonmistakes #wt1 An overview and a conclusion are not the same thing. Many candidates finish their Task 1 report with a paragraph beginning with “In conclusion”. This is usually unnecessary. A conclusion restates an argument or judgement. Academic Task 1, however, does not ask you to argue a position. It asks you to identify and report the main features of visual information. What you need instead is a clear overview: ❌ In conclusion, car expenditure increased considerably over the period. ✅ Overall, spending on cars, restaurants and computers increased, whereas the figures for the remaining categories declined. The most notable change was the dramatic fall in expenditure on food. The second version does more than repeat one detail. It summarises the broader patterns and identifies the most significant feature. According to the official Writing Band Descriptors, a Band 7 response presents a clear overview and identifies the main trends or differences. IELTS also explicitly states that a separate conclusion is not required in Academic Task 1.

Just popped my telegram open and saw the best piece of saying that has set me up for the morning. "Worthy people want worthy things"