When I was in middle school, I got to the final round of a spelling bee in my district. I used to read a lot and I was really good at spelling (not sports so much though).
I lost on a pretty easy word too! The last word that I had to spell was ‘address’!
For some reason, that word has always been tricky for me and I still mess up the spelling all the time. I can never remember if it is two ‘d’s or two ‘s’s…
Where would we be today without auto-correct on our computers and phones?
Well, we’d be better at spelling that’s for sure! Our brain would also be cluttered with all the weird spellings you find in a language that’s been sleeping around and mutating for thousands of years.
There’s a famous example of the confused link between spelling and speaking in English.
How do you say ‘ghoti’?
The correct answer is ‘fish.’
‘GH’ as it is said in rough.
‘O’ as it is said in women.
‘TI’ as it is said in nation or station.
Combine those sounds and it is ‘fish.’
That shows you just how crazy spelling is in English. This is a problem not just for English learners!
Everyone has their own person list of words that they spell wrong basically every single time and rely on auto correct for – for me that includes:
convienentconvenient
acurrateaccurate
pronounciationpronunciation
rythmrhythm
I go out of my way to avoid spelling those words. If I have to use them, I just scramble together a bunch of letters and let spell check fix it for me because I know I’ll never get them right.
That’s the liberty I have though – you shouldn’t be like me! You won’t have Google to spell check for you on IELTS!
What’s your personal list of hard to spell words? Comment them below!
TOP 10 MOST COMMONLY MISSPELLED WORDS
Let’s get down to the most commonly misspelled words. I’ve chosen words that are academic and likely to come up on the writing so you can improve your IELTS grammar score.
I got these words from my personal experiences marking essays and from surveying my students.
10. Deteriorate
9. Veterinarian
8. Mediterranean
7. Amphitheater
6. Committee
5. Unnecessary
4. Successive
3. Conference
2. Assassination
1. Bureaucratic
How many of those words could you spell?
Which words give you the most trouble?
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SPELLING
Well, now that you don’t feel so bad about your bad spelling, let’s look at some ways to improve your spelling.
There are two problems you have to overcome.
The first is that English is a mess. There aren’t any 100% consistent rules for English spelling.
The second is that once you start spelling a word wrong, it’s easy to keep doing it your whole life.
That’s why I’m still messing up the word ‘address’ 20 years later!
Even though there aren’t consistent rules for English spelling there are still some rules. We do have an alphabet after all and it kind of matches the way we say things.
Here are 5 helpful rules:
1. All kids in America learn the ‘i before e except after c’ rhyming rule.
For example, believe, fierce and friend.
But be careful because there are some exceptions like ancient, science and neighbour.
2. If a word has just one sound/syllable like ‘big’ and we add an ending ‘bigger’ we always add an extra consonant.
For example: swimming, hitting, flipping, redder, etc.
3. The plural endings for words with ‘f’ like knife or leaf changes to a v: knives, leaves.
4. Another plural rule is that we add ‘-es’ to any words that ends with x, z, ch, s, ss, sh.
For example, matches, kisses, wishes, quizzes, foxes, etc.
5. Another common rule that kids learn is to change ‘y’ to ‘ie’ when you add an ending to it.
For example, try to tried, cry to cried, baby to babies.
The second problem is more interesting and means that you need some spelling activities to break your bad habits.
These activities have worked for my students in the past so they might work for you as well:
Anagrams: take the hardest words that you are learning to spell and make them into anagrams here: Print out the last or copy it down and use it to practice your spelling a few times throughout the day.
Keep a record of the words that you often mess up. You can do this when you are typing something online. Before you use the autocorrect to fix it, save the word to a separate document. Practice writing those words every day until you stop making mistakes with them.
Download a fun spelling game. You can find versions of scrabble, boggle, scattegories, and bananagrams on your phone. You can read about some more here. My favourite is Words with Friends, which you can play with a friend who is also studying.
Buy or download a book of wordsearches or crossword puzzles. These are a fun way to work on your spelling as well as your memory for vocabulary.
Challenge your friend to a spelling contest. One of my good friends recommended this to me. It’s a simple way to practice with a friend when you have nothing better to talk about. Simply say a word for your partner to spell and then your friend says one for you. If your friend has worse English, you can give him/her easier words. You can also have a dictionary available to make it really challenging.
Good luck!
Remember to comment below: what is the hardest word for you to spell in English?
What you shouldn’t be doing: studying IELTS for years on end, learning idioms to try to cheat the test, memorising your responses, or going to the test with no knowledge of how IELTS works. If you do those things, you will make a fool of yourself and the examiner will be laughing about you in the break!
Instead you should: spend time improving your English, learn natural English expressions like phrasal verbs, make sure that you practice a lot, learn about IELTS and watch some practice tests online to know exactly what to expect.
Otherwise, it’s like trying to play a sport without knowing any of the rules – it will be obvious you have no idea what you are doing no matter how good your clothes look!
2. Follow the Unwritten Rules of IELTS
IELTS is full of unwritten rules, just like real life!
Some real life unwritten rules include:
Wait until everyone gets out of the elevator before you get on.
Don’t stop to read your phone in the middle of the sidewalk.
Turn off your high beams if there are other cars.
Don’t pee right next to someone at a urinal.
Don’t text ‘k’ or ‘kk.’
Say ‘thanks’ to people who open the door for you.
Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
Don’t speak too loudly into your phone.
The unwritten rules of IELTS are:
Don’t tell the examine your life story.
Don’t tell the examiner what score you need on the test.
Don’t ask what your score is at the end of test.
Don’t try to shake the examiner’s hand unless they offer first.
Don’t ask the IELTS examiner any questions.
When the examiner asks a short follow-up question at the end of part 2, give a short answer!
Don’t ask the examiner to explain whole questions, only words, in part 1.
Be as specific as possible in part 3 – don’t be general and don’t give personal examples.
Don’t try to have a long conversation with the examiner after the test ends.
Don’t try to look at the questions the examiner is asking or what the examiner is writing down.
3. Clean Yourself
Most of you can just skip this one because you are not an overgrown man-child.
But you’d be surprised by the number of candidates who show up looking like they just climbed out of the nearest garbage bin.
It shouldn’t impact your score. It probably doesn’t.
But still…
It’s bad enough that the examiner probably looks like trash – clean yourself up a bit!
Please do at least the following to spare your examiner: take a shower, wear clothes that look clean, brush your teeth, have a breath mint or two (this is the most important step), don’t vigorously scratch any part of your body during the test or pick your nose (I’m not joking!).
4. Be Interesting
Examiners usually have to talk to the same country, asking the same questions, over and over.
Sometimes that can turn out like this:
Candidate 1: Talk about an invention that changed the world in a good way.
“I’d like to talk about the smartphone…”
Candidate 2: Talk about an invention that changed the world in a good way.
“I’d like to talk about the smartphone…”
Candidate 3: Talk about an invention that changed the world in a good way.
“I’d like to talk about the smartphone…”
By the end of the day the examiner is bored to death of the same boring, predictable answers and wishes Steve Jobs had never invented the smartphone!
Being interesting won’t help your score necessarily – it might not make a difference.
But if you have interesting, unconventional answers the examiner will listen more closely and have a much more positive impression of you.
It could even help bump up your score in some cases!
How do you do it if you are not normally an interesting person? Just give more concrete, specific examples.
Don’t speak very generally: I really like movies. When I go to the movies I can relax and have a good time. It’s a nice environment to be in after a long day working and I feel much better after I’ve seen a movie.
Do speak very specifically:I really like movies. Last week I went to see Deadpool 2 and it was really cool. I saw the original too but the sequel was better because the action scenes were better. There’s one part where Deadpool …
5. Be Humble
Nothing turns off examiners more than arrogance (besides body odor or bad breath).
Here are some of the things that you shouldn’t do:
Don’t be late – you might make the examiner wait!
Don’t talk about how rich you are – examiners are poor, lonely, lost souls filled with hatred for people who are more successful than themselves!
Don’t look annoyed or impatient with every question the examiner asks.
Be respectful, listen carefully and don’t be rude at any point.
IELTS tip – Be Humble!
Comment Below: What was our IELTS speaking test like? Mean or nice examiner?
IELTS Examiner Sample Answer: Foreign Languages (by Dave)
Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
One of the biggest social and practical challenges that people living abroad face is the language barrier. I believe that this can lead to very serious social problems in many countries but technology has made the practical issues less relevant over the last several decades.
The main reason that having to speak a foreign language can cause social problems is through the breakdown in understanding between people of different cultures. The most salient example of this is in the United States where there has been an influx of Hispanic immigrants, especially along the Southern border. These immigrants are typically able to integrate well if they learn English but those that have not learned have provoked social problems and even violent reactions. Many English speaking residents resent the immigrants failure to integrate and this has resulted in discriminatory practices and widespread racism towards Hispanics. This in turn has caused many Hispanics to develop an antipathy towards other residents and segregate themselves in homogeneous neighborhoods.
There are comparatively fewer practical problems caused by not knowing the language of the country where you live because of the development of technology in general and smartphones in particular. Computers have made it much easier to look up directions, find important information and get quick translations. Smartphones have made this even easier. If someone doesn’t know the language of the country where they live, they can still find restaurants to their liking on Facebook and get simple directions through Google Maps. They can even order food online without having to use another language at all. If they need to communicate with someone who does not speak their language they can simply take out their phone and use Google translate to slowly, but effectively, convey a message. The problems that not knowing the language of the country where you live causes are therefore minimal and easily overcome.
In conclusion, I only partly agree with the statement in question. Not knowing a language when living abroad can cause social unrest but pragmatic concerns have been mitigated by recent technology. In the future, it will become even less important to know the language of the country where you live although there is great potential for increased social unrest and heightened tensions in many parts of the world.
IELTS Examiner Sample Answer Analysis
One of the biggest social and practical challenges that people living abroad face is the language barrier. I believe that this can lead to very serious social problems in many countries but technology has made the practical issues less relevant over the last several decades.
My first sentence simply paraphrases the question and topic. Write this sentence fast as it isn’t that important.
My second sentence states my opinion and includes the main reason why (technology).
The main reason that having to speak a foreign language can cause social problems is through the breakdown in understanding between people of different cultures. The most salient example of this is in the United States where there has been an influx of Hispanic immigrants, especially along the Southern border. These immigrants are typically able to integrate well if they learn English but those that have not learned have provoked social problems and even violent reactions. Many English speaking residents resent the immigrants failure to integrate and this has resulted in discriminatory practices and widespread racism towards Hispanics. This in turn has caused many Hispanics to develop an antipathy towards other residents and segregate themselves in homogeneous neighborhoods.
My first sentence is a topic sentence that states why not knowing the language of the country where you live can be a problem.
My second sentence gives an example in the United States.
My third sentence further explains this example.
My fourth sentence states the results of this (in the United States).
My fifth sentence further describes the results and continues to develop the same example. Pick one great example and develop it with 3 – 4 sentences.
There are comparatively fewer practical problems caused by not knowing the language of the country where you live because of the development of technology in general and smartphones in particular. Computers have made it much easier to look up directions, find important information and get quick translations. Smartphones have made this even easier. If someone doesn’t know the language of the country where they live, they can still find restaurants to their liking on Facebook and get simple directions through Google Maps. They can even order food online without having to use another language at all. If they need to communicate with someone who does not speak their language they can simply take out their phone and use Google translate to slowly, but effectively, convey a message. The problems that not knowing the language of the country where you live causes are therefore minimal and easily overcome.
My first sentence is atopic sentence that states why not knowing the language of the country where you live isn’t much of a problem anymore because of technology.
My second sentence explains how computers have made it easier to get translations.
My third sentence extends this to smartphones.
My fourth sentence gives two specific examples of Facebook and Google Maps helping people.
My fifth sentence gives another example – ordering food online.
My sixth sentence gives another example of using Google translate to have a conversation.
My seventh sentence concludes that technology has made it easier to communicate with people who speak another language.
In conclusion, I only partly agree with the statement in question. Not knowing a language when living abroad can cause social unrest but pragmatic concerns have been mitigated by recent technology. In the future, it will become even less important to know the language of the country where you live although there is great potential for increased social unrest and heightened tensions in many parts of the world.
My first sentence summarizes my position and makes it completely clear. It can never be too clear!
My second sentence summarizes my argument that technology has done enough to overcome this problem.
My third sentence extends my opinion by talking about how in the future this will be even less of a problem. I add the caveat that I may be wrong about certain parts of the world.
Sample Answer Vocabulary
What do the phrases highlighted below mean in your own words?
One of the biggest social and practical challenges that people living abroad face is the language barrier. I believe that this can lead to very serious social problems in many countries but technology has made the practical issues less relevant over the last several decades.
The main reason that having to speak a foreign language can cause social problems is through the breakdown in understanding between people of different cultures. The most salient example of this is in the United States where there has been an influx of Hispanic immigrants, especially along the Southern border. These immigrants are typically able to integrate well if they learn English but those that have not learned have provoked social problems and even violent reactions. Many English speaking residents resent the immigrants failure to integrate and this has resulted in discriminatory practices and widespread racism towards Hispanics. This in turn has caused many Hispanics to develop an antipathy towards other residents and segregate themselves in homogeneous neighborhoods.
There are comparatively fewer practical problems caused by not knowing the language of the country where you live because of the development of technology in general and smartphones in particular. Computers have made it much easier to look up directions, find important information and get quick translations. Smartphones have made this even easier. If someone doesn’t know the language of the country where they live, they can still find restaurants to their liking on Facebook and get simple directions through Google Maps. They can even order food online without having to use another language at all. If they need to communicate with someone who does not speak their language they can simply take out their phone and use Google translate to slowly, but effectively, convey a message. The problems that not knowing the language of the country where you live causes are therefore minimal and easily overcome.
In conclusion, I only partly agree with the statement in question. Not knowing a language when living abroad can cause social unrest but pragmatic concerns have been mitigated by recent technology. In the future, it will become even less important to know the language of the country where you live although there is great potential for increased social unrest and heightened tensions in many parts of the world.
Answers:
that people living abroad: people who live outside the country where they were born
language barrier: the challenge of talking to people who don’t speak your language
less relevant: not as important or related
breakdown in understanding: inability to understand
the most salient example: the best example, the one that stands out the most
influx: big rush of something
Hispanic: relating to Spain or to Spanish-speaking countries, especially those of Latin America
to integrate well: to become part of a group, community, or nation
provoked social problems: causes social problems
resent: feel angry towards
failure to integrate: inability to join a group, community, or nation
discriminatory practices: doing things to keep certain genders or races out/away
widespread racism: lots of people disliking an ethnic group or race
this in turn: this causes
antipathy: hatred
segregate: to separate or stay apart
homogeneous neighborhoods: communities with only 1 ethnic group
comparatively fewer: less of something compared to something else
in particular: this one area emphasized or standing out
look up directions: find the way to get somewhere
at all: in any way or completely
take out: to remove something from a pocket or somewhere else
convey a message: communicate something
minimal: negligible or little impact
easily overcome: not hard to get over
I only partly agree: agree to some extent but not 100%
pragmatic concerns: practical issues/questions
mitigated: make less severe or serious
great potential: a very good chance or possibility
social unrest: social problems
heightened tensions: stressful relationships between people or groups of people
Vocabulary Practice
One of the biggest social and practical challenges ____________________ face is the ____________________. I believe that this can lead to very serious social problems in many countries but technology has made the practical issues ____________________ over the last several decades.
The main reason that having to speak a foreign language can cause social problems is through the ____________________ between people of different cultures. ____________________ of this is in the United States where there has been an ____________________ of ____________________ immigrants, especially along the Southern border. These immigrants are typically able ____________________ if they learn English but those that have not learned have ____________________ and even violent reactions. Many English speaking residents ____________________ the immigrants ____________________ and this has resulted in ____________________ and ____________________ towards Hispanics. ____________________ has caused many Hispanics to develop an ____________________ towards other residents and ____________________ themselves in ____________________.
There are ____________________ practical problems caused by not knowing the language of the country where you live because of the development of technology in general and smartphones ____________________. Computers have made it much easier to ____________________, find important information and get quick translations. Smartphones have made this even easier. If someone doesn’t know the language of the country where they live, they can still find restaurants to their liking on Facebook and get simple directions through Google Maps. They can even order food online without having to use another language ____________________. If they need to communicate with someone who does not speak their language they can simply ____________________their phone and use Google translate to slowly, but effectively, ____________________. The problems that not knowing the language of the country where you live causes are therefore ____________________ and ____________________.
In conclusion, ____________________ with the statement in question. Not knowing a language when living abroad can cause social unrest but ____________________ have been ____________________ by recent technology. In the future, it will become even less important to know the language of the country where you live although there is ____________________ for increased ____________________ and ____________________ in many parts of the world.
I’ve been teaching and examining IELTS for more than 7 years and sometimes I feel like I’m in a movie that keeps repeating itself over and over with students making the same mistakes.
Here are the 10 most common that I’ve come across again and again (and again and again).
Comment below any questions that you have!
Related to this you can read about how to make the examiner like you here and about how long you need to study for IELTS here.
#10 Talking Too Much During the Speaking Test / Showing Off
Some students walk into the test like a secret agent on a serious mission.
They are going to talk as much as possible and show off at every opportunity.
I have had candidates where it was almost impossible to ask the next question because they wanted to tell me their life story when all I asked was ‘What’s your name?’
The problem is that this annoys the examiner (who has a job to do and must try to get through all the questions or get in trouble).
It can also really hurt your fluency. If you keep talking by adding ‘uh’ ‘um’ and ‘er’ onto the end of every sentence your fluency score will start dropping faster than a Task 1 line chart!
Even worse than talking too much and showing off is sticking your head inside your shell because you’re shy and talking too little!
I have had candidates who answered with simple words or a single sentence for every question. The examiner has to keep asking more and more questions and has a tough time hearing enough to give you an accurate score.
Don’t be shy on IELTS!
It will hurt your fluency of course because you are unable to maintain ‘long turns’ or ‘speak at length.’ You also won’t use enough vocabulary, grammar or examples of good pronunciation for the examiner to give you a good score above 6.
Some of the most common questions I get about IELTS include ‘Can I write T/F instead of True/False?’ ‘How many people will check my writing test?’ ‘Will the examiner listen to my recording again after I leave the room?’ ‘Can I write Y instead of Yes in listening and reading?’ Can I write in all caps? How is my score averaged?’
These questions are not important. Don’t stress about trivia. Write the full word – it doesn’t take any extra time!
#6 Not Learning the Band Descriptors in IELTS Writing and Speaking
If you’re not sure about whether or not to trust what someone is telling you about IELTS, there is an easy way to check.
Is it in the band descriptors? If yes, then it is true!
And that’s all the information you really need.
So print them out, put them on the wall, study them all the time and they will be your guide!
Everything else is just rumour and you shouldn’t waste your time with it!
#5 Leaving out Data in IELTS Writing Task 1
This is such a simple, silly mistake!
If you leave out important data (for example, the leading demographic or a really big change) your score will be limited to a 5 for task achievement. Maximum!
If you leave out some less important information (a less important demographic, smaller changes) you can still get up to band 6 for task achievement.
Make sure you include all the data in the graph (don’t describe is mechanically – you can group it together and that still counts as including it)!
Simple, simple, simple way to save you from slipping on a banana and looking silly!
#4 Too Many Main Ideas in IELTS Writing Task 2
Here is my nightmare of an IELTS paragraph:
There are many reasons that banning smoking is a good idea. The first one is that it is harmful to people’s health. Moreover, it is also harmful to other people who may inhale second hand smoke. Another reason is that it costs a lot of money that could be better spend on other things. The final reason is that it is has a negative impact on the environment.
This paragraph includes a new main idea for every sentence. 4 sentences, 4 main ideas = band 5 for task achievement!
None of them are well-developed. Stick to 1 main idea per paragraph. Develop it well with a good example = band 7+.
A lot of students are wasting a lot of time improving their grammar and vocabulary while they really need to be working almost 100% exclusively on pronunciation.
It doesn’t matter if your grammar and vocabulary are perfect if no one can understand you! You could have the best ideas in the world, but if your handwriting was too messy no one would be able to read them!
The reason that this happens is that pronunciation is not exactly like other skills. You can improve your grammar and vocabulary because those are muscles inside your mind.
The muscles in your mouth become fixed like statues (for some people) and it is much harder to change.
The biggest problem for all students who take IELTS: the general overview for Task 1.
It’s not your fault! It’s a very, odd and specific sentence that only exists on IELTS and has way too much of an impact on your score.
So, so, so many students get 6s for grammar, vocabulary and cohesion/coherence and 5 for task achievement just because of the overview.
That student should be getting a 6 overall but they get a 5.5. It’s not fair. But crying about it won’t help.
The only way to help yourself is to improve your overviews. Start here!
Careful on your IELTS writing!
#1 Misunderstanding the Question for IELTS Writing Task 2
Just like the biggest problem for Writing Task 1 is overviews, the biggest problem for Task 2 writing is misunderstanding the question.
Students in my class don’t really like practicing this because it isn’t technically writing. It’s a reading skill (and kind of a writing skill).
But students should be focused on this more than anything else. If you misunderstand the question, depending on how badly you do it, you will get a band 3, 4, 5 or maybe 6 for task achievement. Guaranteed!
The recent questions from the IELTS writing task 2 exam are here, task 1 is here and the speaking questions and topics are here.
Dave
IELTS WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Some people think that it is a waste of money for countries to host big sporting events like the world cup, and that the money would be better spent on other things. However, others think that hosting large sporting events has a clear, positive impact on a country. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
Give reason for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
There is fierce competition between nations to host major international sports events like the World Cup or Olympics as it is a unique opportunity to boost the national reputation of the host nation. In spite of its undeniable benefits, I believe that the costs are too great and therefore governments should prioritise other key issues to better benefit their citizens.
On the one hand, becoming a host nation for global events such as the World Cup or the Olympics brings a number of economic and infrastructural benefits. During these events, there is an influx of tourists from all over the world who need places to stay, restaurants to eat in and traditional products to purchase. The efforts made to cater to these tourists will remain long after they have gone. The cost of renovating a hotel might pay for itself during the event and then begin turning a large profit in later years. The other main area of development is related to the rapid expansion of quality infrastructure. Nations will be forced to invest in new sports facilities like swimming pools and stadiums as well as make renovations to pre-existing infrastructure like roads and airports. For example, China used the Beijing Olympics as an opportunity to modernise old buildings and roads.
On the other hand, these competitions use up tremendous resources from the host nation for a temporary competition. To ensure the success of these prestigious events, governments must waste a large percentage of the nation budget in the years leading up to the competition, oftentimes in the billions of dollars. The newly constructed facilities usually fall into disuse after each tournament. A salient example of this is Brazil as many of the swimming pools and sports facilities that were used in the 2014 Olympics are currently abandoned and becoming decrepit. Meanwhile, there are other pressing issues that have been festering including the need for new schools for underprivileged students and quality healthcare for the elderly population. If the government had prioritised these issues the country would be in a better position and its citizens would have a higher standard of living.
To summarize, due to the exorbitant costs, I am of the belief that the government should not allocate such a large percentage of its financial resources to hosting global events with negligible long-term impact. Instead these events should be hosted in the same countries year after year so that the new infrastructure pays for itself over time.
IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer Analysis
1. There is fierce competition between nations to host major international sports events like the World Cup or Olympics as it is a unique opportunity to boost the national reputation of the host nation. 2. In spite of its undeniable benefits, I believe that the costs are too great and therefore governments should prioritise other key issues to better benefit their citizens.
1. My first sentence simply restates what the topic is. Try to write this sentence as quickly as possible as it is not that important.
2. My second sentence includes my opinion and main ideas to support it. Try to put your opinion at the beginning so it is clear throughout your writing.
1. On the one hand, becoming a host nation for global events such as the World Cup or the Olympics brings a number of economic and infrastructural benefits. 2. During these events, there is an influx of tourists from all over the world who need places to stay, restaurants to eat in and traditional products to purchase. 3. The efforts made to cater to these tourists will remain long after they have gone. 4. The cost of renovating a hotel might pay for itself during the event and then begin turning a large profit in later years. 5. The other main area of development is related to the rapid expansion of quality infrastructure. 6. Nations will be forced to invest in new sports facilities like swimming pools and stadiums as well as make renovations to pre-existing infrastructure like roads and airports. 7. For example, China used the Beijing Olympics as an opportunity to modernise old buildings and roads.
1. My first sentence says what the whole paragraph will be about – how these events are helpful.
2. My second sentence explains how tourism will help specific parts of a country.
3. My third sentence introduces the idea that the changes made for tourists will have a long-term impact.
4. My fourth sentence gives an example of the long-term benefit for a hotel.
5. My fifth sentence describes how the events also help a country’s infrastructure.
6. My sixth sentence describes the specific areas of infrastructure.
7. My seventh sentence gives a specific example of this.
1. On the other hand, these competitions use up tremendous resources from the host nation for a temporary competition. 2. To ensure the success of these prestigious events, governments must waste a large percentage of the nation budget in the years leading up to the competition, oftentimes in the billions of dollars. 3. The newly constructed facilities usually fall into disuse after each tournament. 4. A salient example of this is Brazil as many of the swimming pools and sports facilities that were used in the 2014 Olympics are currently abandoned and becoming decrepit. 5. Meanwhile, there are other pressing issues that have been festering including the need for new schools for underprivileged students and quality healthcare for the elderly population. 6. If the government had prioritised these issues the country would be in a better position and its citizens would have a higher standard of living.
1. My first sentence says what the whole paragraph will be about – why they are a waste of resources.
2. My second sentence explains that governments spend billions on these tournaments.
3. My third sentence claims the facilities are not often used after the tournaments.
4. My fourth sentence gives an example of the Olympics in Brazil.
5. My fifth sentence describes the more important issues that have not been addressed in Brazil.
6. My sixth sentence claims that focusing on those other issues would have been better for the people of Brazil.
1. To summarize, due to the exorbitant costs, I am of the belief that the government should not allocate such a large percentage of its financial resources to hosting global events with negligible long-term impact. 2. Instead these events should be hosted in the same countries year after year so that the new infrastructure pays for itself over time.
1. My first sentence summarises my opinion and the main reason for it.
2. My merciful final sentence adds an extra detail containing a potential solution.
Sample Answer Vocabulary
There is fierce competition between nations to host major international sports events like the World Cup or Olympics as it is a unique opportunity to boost the national reputation of the host nation. In spite of its undeniable benefits, I believe that the costs are too great and therefore governments should prioritise other key issues to better benefit their citizens.
On the one hand, becoming a host nation for global events such as the World Cup or the Olympics brings a number of economic and infrastructural benefits. During these events, there is an influx of tourists from all over the world who need places to stay, restaurants to eat in and traditional products to purchase. The efforts made to cater to these tourists will remain long after they have gone. The cost of renovating a hotel might pay for itself during the event and then begin turning a large profit in later years. The other main area of development is related to the rapid expansion of quality infrastructure. Nations will be forced to invest in new sports facilities like swimming pools and stadiums as well as make renovations to pre-existing infrastructure like roads and airports. For example, China used the Beijing Olympics as an opportunity to modernise old buildings and roads.
On the other hand, these competitions use up tremendous resources from the host nation for a temporary competition. To ensure the success of these prestigious events, governments must waste a large percentage of the nation budget in the years leading up to the competition, oftentimes in the billions of dollars. The newly constructed facilities usually fall into disuse after each tournament. A salient example of this is Brazil as many of the swimming pools and sports facilities that were used in the 2014 Olympics are currently abandoned and becoming decrepit. Meanwhile, there are other pressing issues that have been festering including the need for new schools for underprivileged students and quality healthcare for the elderly population. If the government had prioritised these issues the country would be in a better position and its citizens would have a higher standard of living.
To summarize, due to the exorbitant costs, I am of the belief that the government should not allocate such a large percentage of its financial resources to hosting global events with negligible long-term impact. Instead these events should be hosted in the same countries year after year so that the new infrastructure pays for itself over time.
Vocabulary Definitions
fierce competition: fighting with each other seriously in sports or business usually
as it is: because it is
unique opportunity: very good, one time only chance
national reputation: how a country is viewed by the rest of the world
host nation: the country where the event is
in spite of: despite
undeniable benefits: clear positives
prioritise: made something the most important matter
key issues: most important matter or question
a number of: many or a lot of
influx: a rush of something or a lot of something suddenly appearing
traditional products: things with an historical background
cater: to serve or try to please
renovating: fixing up or making better
rapid expansion: quickly growing
quality infrastructure: very good roads, buildings, etc.
invest: put money into something
pre-existing infrastructure: the infrastructure that has already been around for a long time
modernise: becoming more modern/new
use up tremendous resources: spend a lot of money/time/natural resources
temporary competition: impermanent tournament
ensure the success: make sure that it will work/be successful
prestigious events: important events
in the years leading up to: the time before something
fall into disuse: no longer used by people
a salient example of this is: an example that stands out
abandoned: left behind
decrepit: old and falling apart
pressing issues: important or urgent problems
festering: getting worse without anyone paying much attention
underprivileged students: students without much money/opportunity
quality healthcare: good hospitals and doctors for people to use
better position: a good place
higher standard of living: good quality of life
exorbitant costs: very expensive
allocate: distribute resources to a particular area
financial resources: money
negligible long-term impact: little effect over a long period of time
pays for itself: will end up breaking even/not losing any money
Vocabulary Practice
There is _________________ between nations to host major international sports events like the World Cup or Olympics _________ a _________________ to boost the _________________ of the _________________. _________________ its _________________, I believe that the costs are too great and therefore governments should _________________ other _________________ to better benefit their citizens.
On the one hand, becoming a host nation for global events such as the World Cup or the Olympics brings _________________ economic and infrastructural benefits. During these events, there is an _________________ of tourists from all over the world who need places to stay, restaurants to eat in and _________________ to purchase. The efforts made to _________________ to these tourists will remain long after they have gone. The cost of _________________ a hotel might pay for itself during the event and then begin turning a large profit in later years. The other main area of development is related to the _________________ of _________________. Nations will be forced to _________________ in new sports facilities like swimming pools and stadiums as well make renovations to _________________ like roads and airports. For example, China used the Beijing Olympics as an opportunity to _________________ old buildings and roads.
On the other hand, these competitions _________________ from the host nation for a _________________. To _________________ of these _________________, governments must waste a large percentage of the nation budget _________________ the competition, oftentimes in the billions of dollars. The newly constructed facilities usually _________________ after each tournament. _________________ Brazil as many of the swimming pools and sports facilities that were used in the 2014 Olympics are currently _________________ and becoming _________________. This means that more than 2 billion dollars from Brazilian citizens was wasted. Meanwhile, there are other _________________ that have been _________________ including the need for new schools for _________________ and _________________ for the elderly population. If the government had prioritised these issues the country would be in a _________________ and its citizens would have a _________________.
To summarize, due to the _________________, I am of the belief that the government should not _________________ such a large percentage of its _________________ to hosting global events with _________________. Instead these events should be hosted in the same countries year after year so that the new infrastructure _________________ over time.
World Cup Quiz!
IELTS Quiz!
Answers:
1. Striker/Forward. 2. Goalkeeper, forward, defender, centreback, fullback, right back, left back, sweeper, winger, midfielder, centre midfielder, defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, wide midfielder, centre forward
ANTON CHOOSES TO fight everywhere. Anton is a bouncer and a boxing coach and an instructor at a gym in St. Petersburg that specializes in training hooligans. Anton loves fighting, loves talking about it, loves the language of it.
1. Anton is a hooligan himself. 2. In Russia, football hooligans are very common. 3. Anton enjoys fighting. 4. Anton doesn’t have a job.
Answers:
1. Not Given. He trains fighter but it isn’t clear that he is also a football hooligan.
2. True. If there are gyms training them, then they must be common. It’s logical – most countries don’t have that.
3. True. It says he ‘loves’ fighting so he must enjoy it.
4. False. It says he is an instructor at a hooligan training gym and that is a job, believe it or not.
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