This is the third sample report (Task 1) which follows IELTS guidelines for the Writing section of the Academic Module.  The graph in this case deals with three categories of gas emissions that contribute to air pollution. It is a longer report than what a candidate would have time to draft (230 words approximately), but the reason for this is to give candidates more words to underline and add to their list of phrases to use in such types of writing tasks.   You can begin by reading my post 

This is the second sample report (Task 1) which follows IELTS guidelines for the Writing section of the Academic Module. 

This, I hope, is the first of several sample reports to come. They follow the guidelines for the IELTS Task 1 writing section which asks candidates to write a summary of data presented in a graph or diagram.  Task 1 can therefore be seen as consisting of two subcategories of tasks:  a graph, chart, table or a diagram, map, image showing a process or object In this series of reports, I'll focus on the first type which deals with graphs so that candidates can see how facts can be grouped together and presented in an orderly manner.  You can begin by reading my post  

Writing a review presupposes making judgments and rating, say, a service, establishment or work of art. For ESL / EFL exam-takers, this means having to come up with a variety of words that qualify what is being described, something which might present problems since making more than one assessment in such pieces of writing is the norm. If words used to assess something are repeated, then candidates cannot expect to receive a satisfactory grade (at least in terms of their lexical ability and range). Using less formal words is also frowned upon. Therefore, this list should serve as a brief catalog of go-to words aimed at digging students out of the proverbial hole they might find themselves in during the Writing section of an English exam. The list has been divided into three categories: saying something is terrific, so-so and terrible.

The first post in this series of "Words to use instead of ..." dealt with the overly used word "nice" (read about it here ). Today, I'll tackle that bane of every ESL teacher's existence, that word they often hear when helping students work on their oral exams or read when correcting essays, the one every student so easily lets slip out when they can't think of what else to say: important. It's always "this must be done because it's very important " or "saving the planet is extremely important " or "graduating from a good university is very important these days." Examiners might be lenient the first time they hear this word, but imagine hearing it 5 times in answers to 6 questions asked? To put it more mathematically, in a 10 to 12-minute examination where an exam candidate uses the word in five out of six responses, the examiner hears the same word once roughly every two to two and a half minutes. Though it...

Naoshi Koriyama deftly equates the poetic process with a commonplace procedure in his poem "A Lo af of Poetry," proving that in the end , poetry is open to anyone who has the persistence, experience and i nspi ration to dab ble in it . Added to this is the idea that p oetry, like a loa f o f bread , is not a n ornate affair like some gastronomical preparation , but one of the primary forms of susten ance crucial to our diet. The fascination with this poem , often reprinted in textbooks and taught to students by way of introducing poe try to them, lies i n its simplicity which conce a ls Koriyama's metho dical approach. That, however, is what t he poem actually wants to point out : great care and diligence to create such a piece of writing is required , no matter how modest the end product may appear to be. 

This is the last part of the overview to Carol Ann Duffy's poem "Havisham" which covers stanzas three and four of the poem in terms of content , namely: the puce curses, power of words and degeneration to an animal state, t he i ncubus image and vampirism, the white veil, wedding cake, honeymoon, red balloon and necrophili c thoughts and final stutter presen t in a poem that comes full c ircle through the choice of words used at the begin ning of each stanza . P art 1 g a ve a brief biography, discusse d the poem's structure (meter and rhymes), the sounds present in the poem and analyze d the persona of Miss Havisham (what is known about her from Great Expectations and how Duffy treats her case). P a rt 2 dealt with various points present in sta nzas 1 and 2 (enjambment , inability to escape, the notions of time and ageing, Miss Havisham's homicidal thoughts, green pebbl es, ropes on the back o f her hands, the conc ept of the spinster, the ...

Describing a person is a basic skill required when speaking a language which is why English tests contain both oral and written tasks that ask candidates to talk about a person they know or admire, someone who influenced them or is a close friend.  If you are simply learning English to be able to communicate, the list that follows will help improve your vocabulary.  For those preparing to take an English exam, the difference between a good answer and an exceptional one is vocabulary. Saying a person is "nice" and "kind" is not that bad, but using words like "trustworthy" or "demure" will certainly give you points for lexical range. Teachers can distribute the following list, ask students to find the meanings of words and make sentences with them. Those who want to improve their English on their own can translate the words into their own language and practice using them with a speaking partner.

As part of the series of blog posts on letter/email writing (read the previous one on letters of complaint here ), the present post will turn towards formal letters giving information and making suggestions. Such letters, like letters of complaint, fall under the category of transactional letters. The list of useful phrases for such letters can be used for tasks you have to write as part of an English examination (FCE, CPE, IELTS, to name a few), but in addition to this, can improve your speaking skills any time you are asked to give information or suggest a few things in a polite fashion.  First of all, let's take a quick look at how a letter which provides information is organized.