Learn IELTS General Test with Free Lessons & Tips

I often come across many people wondering which IELTS test they need to take. Firstly, all IELTS test takers should understand the 2 IELTS test types - Academic and General. 
Generally, IELTS Academic is taken by students who want to move abroad to pursue their higher education. 

IELTS General is taken by people who want to migrate abroad and get their permanent residence (PR). It is generally accepted in countries such as Canada and Australia. 

IELTS is a pretty expensive exam and it is extremely important to know which type of exam you should give depending on your plans. Therefore, do your research before you book for your IELTS exam. Visit the website of the college you're applying to or the country that you wish to migrate to. Don't end up wasting money and effort by choosing the wrong exam. 

All the best!

We generally use an before the words start with vowel sound [a, e, i, o, u] and a before the words start with consonant sound [non-vowel sounds, or their corresponding letters]

The use of ‘a’ and ‘an’ completely depends on the sound of the letters and how we pronounce the particular letter in English. It’s no matter the word starts with the vowel or consonant letters.

Vowels

A, E, I, O & U

Consonants

B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y

Sometimes the letter sounds as “Y” is not consonant. So we use a here (see the examples below – in use of ‘a’)

Use of ‘an’ [ before the letter start with vowel sound ]

Example:

1. Before the word starts with the vowel sound

              an Apple, an egg, an owl, an idea

2. Before the word starts with silent “h”

An hour, an honourable chief minister, an honest man

3. F, H, M, L, N, R, S, X are letters that are not vowels but start with vowel sound, so we use an before the word start with these letters.

an S.P, an F.I.R, an M.L.A, an N.C.C, an R.F.A

• ‘M’ has the sound of ‘em’ same as ‘N’ has the sound ‘en’ and ‘F’ has the sound ‘ef’, so we use an before abbreviations start with vowels or these letters.

Use of ‘a’ [before the letter start with consonant sound]

1. In the sense of one

a one-man show, a one-rupee note.

• Here one starts with the sound ‘W’, so we use a
• Since letter O is vowel but it sounds like consonant

2. With vowel letters having consonant value

a university,  a unique, a unit, a European Language

• All these letters start with the consonant sound ‘yu’, so we use a before these

3. With a certain expression of quantity

a lot of, a dozen, a great deal of, a couple

• Sometimes we tend to say ‘one dozen’, and that is the wrong expression.

4. With a special meal ( to celebrate something or in someone’s honor)

A dinner was arranged to welcome the chief guest.

I called my friends to a lunch to celebrate my success.

5. To make a common noun of a proper noun

He is ‘a second Newton’.

• This phrase means ‘a philosopher as great as Newton’)

Gerunds and Infinitives

Put the verbs in brackets in their correct form: 

1. Even though I felt like __________ /PERSUADE/ her __________ /GO/ on __________ /TALK/, I did not let myself __________ /IMPOSE/  anything like that, especially that she was just about __________ /FINISH/  her speech. 
2. Although she would rather __________ /COMMENT+NOT/ on my behaviour last night, she insisted on __________ /GIVE/ some explanation  concerning the last events. 
3. Benjamin is suspected of __________ /MAKE/ his clients __________ /PAY/ twice as much as is usually charged even though they do not seem  __________ /MIND/ __________ /MUST+PAY/. 
4. Her doctor forbade her __________ /SMOKE/ without __________ /SAY/ why she should __________ /STOP/ __________ /LEAD/ her life the way  she used to. 
5. Helen had better ____________ /STOP/ ____________ /CRITICISE/ people behind their backs. Has she ever stopped ____________  /CONSIDER/ why people never look forward to ____________  /INVITE/____________ /COME/ to her office? 
6. ____________ /TALK/ to all voters in the area, the young politician had no difficulty ____________ /WIN/ the campaign, although he admitted to  ____________ /MAKE+NOT/ his own wife ____________ /SUPPORT/   
7. Although doctors used to ____________ /RECOMMEND/ ____________ /GO/ ____________ /JOG/, they must have changed their minds as now  patients are slowly getting used to ____________ /ADVISE/ ____________  /DROP/ that habit. 
8. Mary is claimed ____________ /WATCH/ ____________ /START/____________ /FIGHT/with Anthony yesterday. 
9. Jeremy proposed __________________ /POSTPONE/ the meeting, but he was made __________________ /DROP/ the idea because nobody felt like  __________________ /MUST+COME/ once again. 
10. Stephen wouldn’t like __________________ /MISS/ the party the previous night although for him __________________ /EXPRESS/ any  regret must be very difficult as everybody considers him  __________________ /BE/ very insensitive. 
11. Agnes was afraid __________________ /CLAIM/ __________________ /FOLLOW/ by two strangers since the previous week, but she was sensible  enough __________________ /DEMAND/ __________________  /PROTECT/. 
12. Although I was delighted __________________ /HEAR/ Eve __________________ /SAY/ things which encouraged me  __________________ /KEEP/ on __________________ /WORK/, I would  rather __________________ /DISCOURAGE/ from that particular task. 
13. Why did you forget __________________ /WARN/ them __________________ /LET+NOT/ themselves __________________  /CRITICISE/ by their peers? 
14. Terry has always boasted of __________________ /CAN+MAKE/ even his greatest enemy __________________ / LOOK/ unimportant in his own   
15. Jim is said __________________ /DATE/ Jenny for some time now, in spite of __________________ /BE/ inclined __________________  /MARRY/ Jenny’s sister. 
16. Although I can’t help __________________ /FINISH/ the assignment on time, I can’t help __________________ /FEEL/ sorry about the delay. 
17. I don’t mind __________________ /TAKE/ to hospital the other day. I only regret __________________ /STAY+NOT/ there long enough  __________________ /RECOVER/ fully and __________________  /CAN+PLAY/ today. 
18. Did you remember __________________ /TELL/ the boss __________________ /ALLOW+NOT/ his both secretaries  __________________ /GO/ on __________________ /WORK/ till late? 
19. The conflict between the two superpowers, which seems __________________ /DIE/ down a few months ago is said  __________________ / INCREASE/ at present. 
20. Did they succeed in __________________ /PERSUADE/ Jimmy __________________ /LET/ Maggie __________________ /GO/ to the  movie instead of __________________ /KEEP/ her at home? 
21. For Jeremy __________________ /PRETEND/ __________________ /TALK/ to us while __________________ /ANSWER/ the phone from his  boss was not anything unusual.
22. George doesn't forbid _________________ (DRINK) at parties although he prefers  _________________ (DRINK) in restaurants. 
23. As father doesn't allow _________________ (SPEAK) during breakfast, we are all used to _________________ (EAT) in silence. 
24. The man _________________ (THREATEN) _________________ (CALL) the police, the boys _________________ (BEGIN)  _________________ (ESCAPE). 
25. As my coat wants _________________ (SHORTEN) I'll need _________________ (TAKE) it to a good tailor. 

Answers Below 

Communicating ideas understandably and impressively is a skill that is desired in all fields of life. Most of us have been using at least two means of communication: speaking and writing. Test of speaking and writing skills demands grammatically correct, coherent and fluent answers.

During any speaking test one should focus on the question asked and try to present the answer in the following format:

* one line concise answer to the question.

* elaborate the opinion/argument/claim keeping in mind to use a wider vocabulary.

* Conclude using a statement.

Note that using different types of sentence structures, phrases, idioms and fitting adjectives would do your writing and speak more impressive. However, this should not be done at the expense of fluency in speaking.

Examples Speaking:

Q. What is your opinion about punctuality in life?

A. Respecting and managing time should be everyone's priority, and this can be efficiently inculcated in our lives by being punctual. (This is your opinion)

By being late for something, we waste precious time of others and ourselves. From our school days, we were taught to be punctual. This is still helping us in managing our time without being stressed. For example, I am always the first one to reach my workplace, and hence, I can also leave my office on time. As a result, I get time for personal activities and feel satisfied at the end of the day. I am not very proud to say that in my country many people are in the habit of being late for everything. On a lighter note, even the trains are never on time here, and this has become a reason for a great loss to our economy.

(This elaborates your thought, and the last statement ends the conversation on a good note so let it be the conclusion)

***********************************************************************************

Writing tests are both easier and difficult as compared to reading. Easier because one gets time to think, organise, present and edit. Difficult because one is expected to include more elements of the language to embellish the piece. Writing should be organised in the following way:

* Before actual writing-Read the question carefully and draw a flowchart to organise your writing. The flowchart may be roughly divided into four sections- 1) Intro 2) Fact/ Reason1 3)Fact/ Reason2 4) Conclusion.

* Intro can be started using a fitting phrase or quotation. The intro should be short, crisp and to the point. The last line of intro should provide transition platform for next para.

* If you asked to give your opinion/ argument/ agree/disagree type question, start with the most important point in favour of your opinion/argument. First line should be a statement to the same effect. Next elaborate the idea with examples.

* The second fact should be the one which is relevant to your topic and has content to back it up.

* The last para should be a conclusion/ suggestion as required by the question.

   To obtain an impressive piece of writing, transition words, phrases, idioms and adjectives should be used smartly. Also, keep the writing within or close to a word limit.

Please look up for my next lecture for an example of writing.

Hope this helps and good luck with writing and speaking!

Do you want to learn how to speak English well?

Are you also looking for a shortcut to English fluency?

We don’t have tricks that will give you perfect English in five minutes a day.

But we do have solid tips that will help you learn how to speak English more fluently, in less time.

Here are some tips that will help you speak English better than ever.

Sometimes you can find patterns in English grammar, but other times English doesn’t make sense at all. For example, why are “read” (reed) and “read” (red) the same word, but pronounced differently depending on whether you’re speaking in the past or present tense? Or why is “mice” the plural of “mouse”, but “houses” is the plural of “house”?

Unfortunately, there are just as many exceptions as there are rules in English. It’s easy to get stuck on learning how to speak English properly, if you try to find a reason for everything.  Sometimes English is weird and unexplainable, so instead the best thing to do is just memorize the strange exceptions and move on.

2. Dive into the deep end:

Studying English for an hour once a week isn’t usually enough to make any real progress. The best way to quickly improve your English is to spend at least a few minutes practicing every day. Immerse yourself as much as possible every time you study, and challenge yourself to listen to, read, and even say things in English that you think might be too difficult for you. If you want to speak English fluently, you need to make it an essential part of your everyday life.

3. Stop being a student:

The right attitude can make the difference between failure and success. Stop thinking of yourself as someone who is learning English, and start thinking of yourself as someone who speaks English. It’s a small change, but it will make you feel more confident and help you to use the English you already know more effectively.

This also means you need to start thinking in English. If you want to say the word “apple” in English, for example, right now you probably think of the word in your native language first, and then try to think of the correct word in English. Instead, try imagining a picture of an apple, and then just think the English word “apple”. Real fluency happens when you stop mentally translating conversations.

4. Remember the answer is in the question:

Listen carefully when someone asks you a question in English and you’ll answer perfectly every time. English questions are like mirrors:

1. Does he…..?          Yes, he does.

2. Can she….?           Yes, she can.

3. Is it….?                   Yes, it is.

If someone asks you a question and you’re not sure how to answer, start by thinking about the words used in the question.  The person has already said most of the words you need to make your answer. Instead of just memorizing English grammar, start to look for patterns like this one. There are a lot of simple ways to “cheat” and make it easier to remember the right words.

5. Get more out of listening:

When most students listen to a native English-speaker, they focus on understanding what all the words mean. This is definitely important, but there is a lot more you can learn from listening. Try listening not just to what the words mean, but to how the person says them. Notice which words the person links together in a sentence, or when they say “ya” instead of “you.” Try to remember these details the next time you speak and your English will begin to sound more natural.

Easier said than done, right? When you listen to native English speakers, it can be hard to understand every single word that is spoken. They might use many words you don’t know, talk too fast or have a strong accent.

Once you’re there, how you learn is entirely up to you. While browsing our hundreds of awesome videos, you’ll have the freedom to choose which ones are most relevant to your personal learning experience.

There’s an expression in English: “Use it or lose it,” which basically means if you don’t practice an ability, you might forget it. This idea can be used to help you remember new English vocabulary. The best way to remember a new word is to use it right away so it will stay in your memory.  When you learn a new word, try to say it in sentences a few times over the next week and you’ll never forget it.

7. Learn and study phrases:

Speaking English fluently means being able to express your thoughts, feelings and ideas. Your goal is to speak English in full sentences, so why not learn it in full sentences? You’ll find that English is more useful in your everyday life if you study whole phrases, rather than just vocabulary and verbs. Start by thinking about phrases that you use frequently in your native language, and then learn how to say them in English.

8. Don’t study grammar too much:

The key to learning a language is finding a balance between studying and practicing. Speaking English fluently isn’t the same as knowing perfect English grammar even native English-speakers make grammar mistakes! Fluency is about being able to communicate. That’s why sometimes it’s important to put the grammar textbook away, so you can go out and practice those writing, reading, listening and speaking skills in the real world.

9. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes:

Sometimes it can be difficult to put all those rules and words together into a simple sentence. Don’t let the fear of saying something wrong stop you from speaking at all. Even if you think you’re making a mistake, keep speaking anyway. Most of the time, people will understand what you’re trying to say, even if you make a mistake. Plus, the more you speak, the easier it gets, and the more quickly the right words will come to mind.

10. Learn from everyone:

You don’t have to only learn English from textbooks and teachers, anyone who speaks English can help you practice. Imagine how you would feel if someone asked you, in your native language, how to pronounce something? Would you be angry? No! You’d probably be happy to help, just like most English-speakers are happy to help you. If you know any English-speakers, whether it’s a friend or co-worker, take advantage of the opportunity to practice and learn from them.

This is perhaps the most asked question by prospective test takers, and to which trainers rush in to answer, predicting anywhere from few days to weeks. The fact is, no one knows; not even your well-meaning friend who took the exam and got his/her desired score, simply because each individual is at a different proficiency level to begin with and preparation times may vary widely.

A lot of people have fairly good speaking skills but their writing abilities may need improvement and that can take time. It's important to understand how each section of the exam is assessed before you set out to prepare on your own or undergo coaching with an individual trainer/institute - what the question types are, how they are marked and what the assessment criteria are for the speaking and writing sections.

So the first step towards IELTS preparation is to take a test and get yourself assessed by a certified trainer. While one can self-assess the listening and reading sections, it is prudent to seek professional advice to avoid the pitfalls in each section, and receive feedback for the speaking and writing responses. A good trainer should be able to explain what the IELTS examiners are looking for and hence, the specific areas in which you need improvement. 

Therefore, seek out someone who is equipped to guide you well and set you on the right path.

Good luck on your IELTS preparations!