IELTS Articles | IELTS Learning Tips

How to get Band 8 in IELTS Reading

This may sound like a ‘million dollar question’ but the fact is that many of my students have achieved this and even 8.5 and 3 got band 9 in IELTS reading recently. So given a good level of English and the right techniques then Band 8 is really possible. So what is stopping you?I would […]

Improve your IELTS Speaking

I have recently been working with a number of students who want to improve their IELTS speaking. This is great news as often students are a little gung-ho about this and don’t really prepare well and end up disappointed in the exam. I know that for some people speaking is actually the most difficult thing […]

Bad habits in IELTS Reading that cost you marks!

Over the past few months as I’ve started working with new students, I have noticed quite a few practices that are really not helping them to achieve a high score and are often, in fact working against them, especially in getting everything done in the time. So, what are these things that stop you from […]

How to write at Band 7 and 8

I am always surprised when I speak to students who tell me that they are very confident about their IELTS writing and yet it has the lowest score in their test – and this happens quite a lot. I used to think that it meant they weren’t ready to tackle the writing as they needed […]

How can I keep motivated in my IELTS?

The very best way to keep motivated is to see progress and the best way to see progress is to practise regularly and keep a log of your progress – it’s amazing to look back and see how far you’ve come. You may not recognise this if you don’t monitor what you are doing. Ironically […]

Dealing with YNNG and TFNG in IELTS Reading

[Article] - IELTS Reading – Dealing with YNNG and TFNG

Many students tell me that they struggle with YNNG and TFNG are tricky for them and in all my years of working with IELTS students, they are often the last type of question to click with students and indeed, I myself can sometimes have a doubt over a TFNG/YNNG, especially if they appear in Section […]

The 3 things you need in a great IELTS Writing Task 2 paragraph

Almost every student I work with on IELTS Writing arrives at the first lesson unsure about how to manage this part of the exam. Generally they have researched a lot online about writing, practised a lot by themselves, sometimes submitted writing for correction but are still stuck in the same place. Mostly, they fear the […]

How to make sure you keep to the topic in IELTS Writing Task 2

I have heard on the grapevine recently, that examiners are reporting issues with Task Fulfilment. This is the first of the band descriptors and it basically looks at whether you are answering the question adequately. Where this breaks down in the writing task is generally related to not reading the question carefully enough, mis-reading or mis-interpreting […]

How to plan Task 1 General Training in IELTS Writing

The first thing to consider when writing the letter for Task 1 General Training is what type of letter is required. There are three types formal, informal and semi-formal. Once you have decided this then you can start to think about the subject. A good place to begin is by asking what kind of response […]

How to plan Task 1 Academic in IELTS Writing

The first band descriptor for IELTS writing task 1 and 2 is Task Fulfilment, this basically means ‘have you answered the question?’ It might sound obvious that you would answer the question that was set in the exam but sometimes it isn’t that straightforward. Often both Tasks 1 and 2 have quite a bit of […]