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Yes, after 76 days of silence, Nick and I are back to start a new season of My IELTS classroom! Today, we consider how much IELTS actually prepares you for university life in the UK. We will consider what skills you need to succeed in a degree course and how many are covered in the exam. More importantly, we’ll think about what “gaps” a student might have in their academic skills even if they gave achieved a high-level score. Useful Links Download my free ebook "An ex-examiner's guide to the Band IELTS Descriptors": https://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielts-examiner-ebook-mark/Watch the free video lessons on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLz9Dbe4NEIu5OCy0WA1sgRate and review My IELTS Classroom If you are on Apple Podcasts, help us to help more people just like you by rating and reviewing our show. Reviews let other students - just like you - find our information-packed episodes and start their IELTS journey in the best possible way. Remember, My IELTS Classroom offers a range of IELTS services: IELTS Video courses: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writingIELTS Essay Corrections: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/markingIELTS Speaking lessons: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingFree blog lessons: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.comFree Podcast episodes: https://myieltsclassroom.buzzsprout.comSupport the show

Hey! Today Nick and I tackle a reading from the new Cambridge IELTS 18 book. We choose to passage 3 from Test 2, which is titled "An Ideal City". Why? Well, it's because it  contains a rather unusual summary completion question. Usually summaries are given in a single paragraph, or divided into two shorter paragraphs. This summary, however, is divided into THREE parts and is much longer than the usual summaries that appear. What difference does this make to the way that you should approach this question? Listen to find out! Plus, we discuss exam management techniques such as how to preview passages, and allays the questions. Useful Links Download my free ebook "An ex-examiner's guide to the Band IELTS Descriptors": https://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielts-examiner-ebook-mark/Watch the free video lessons on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLz9Dbe4NEIu5OCy0WA1sgRate and review My IELTS Classroom If you are on Apple Podcasts, help us to help more people just like you by rating and reviewing our show. Reviews let other students - just like you - find our information-packed episodes and start their IELTS journey in the best possible way. Remember, My IELTS Classroom offers a range of IELTS services: IELTS Video courses: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writingIELTS Essay Corrections:https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/markingIELTS Speaking lessons: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingFree blog lessons: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.comFree Podcast episodes: https://myieltsclassroom.buzzsprout.comSupport the show by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/myieltsclassroom Support the show

Hey! Today, Nick and I tackling the listening test from IELTS Cambridge 18 Test 4. This is the latest book of past test papers, so is a great chance for you to practice the most recent IELTS test format. Plus, Nick and I will analyse all of the questions and discuss which we think are "easy" and which are difficult. This is an interactive lesson, so you can download the listening test that we use in this lesson here:. Useful Links Download my free ebook "An ex-examiner's guide to the Band IELTS Descriptors": https://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielts-examiner-ebook-mark/Watch the free video lessons on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLz9Dbe4NEIu5OCy0WA1sgRate and review My IELTS Classroom If you are on Apple Podcasts, help us to help more people just like you by rating and reviewing our show. Reviews let other students - just like you - find our information-packed episodes and start their IELTS journey in the best possible way. Remember, My IELTS Classroom offers a range of IELTS services: IELTS Video courses: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writingIELTS Essay Corrections:https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/markingIELTS Speaking lessons: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingFree blog lessons: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.comFree Podcast episodes: https://myieltsclassroom.buzzsprout.com Support the show

Hey. Last week Nick and I answered 6 of your questions about the IELTS exam. Today, we go though more of my mailbox to give you answers to enquiries such as  how can you tell if a letter is semi-formal or informalwhen you should complain about speaking scoreswhether singular and plural nouns are important in the listening exam or notYou can ask me a question any time by emailing hello@myieltsclassroom,com. Useful Links Download my free ebook "An ex-examiner's guide to the Band IELTS Descriptors": https://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielts-examiner-ebook-mark/Watch the free video lessons on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLz9Dbe4NEIu5OCy0WA1sgRate and review My IELTS Classroom If you are on Apple Podcasts, help us to help more people just like you by rating and reviewing our show. Reviews let other students - just like you - find our information-packed episodes and start their IELTS journey in the best possible way. Remember, My IELTS Classroom offers a range of IELTS services: IELTS Video courses: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writingIELTS Essay Corrections:https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/markingIELTS Speaking lessons: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingFree blog lessons: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.comFree Podcast episodes: https://myieltsclassroom.buzzsprout.comSupport the show by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/myieltsclassroomSupport the show

Every week I get dozens of emails from our My IELTS Classroom students, podcast listeners, YouTube followers and Newsletter subscribers asking questions about the IELST exam. They range from questions are about exam procedures to questions about how the exam is marked or how the student can maximise their preparation. Today, I thought that I would share a range of the emails that I have received in the last couple of weeks. Not only will that give you an insight into the life of an IELTS teacher, but it may also answer some of your own doubts about the exam. You can ask me a question any time by emailing hello@myieltsclassroom,com. Useful Links Download my free ebook "An ex-examiner's guide to the Band IELTS Descriptors": https://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielts-examiner-ebook-mark/Watch the free video lessons on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLz9Dbe4NEIu5OCy0WA1sgRate and review My IELTS Classroom If you are on Apple Podcasts, help us to help more people just like you by rating and reviewing our show. Reviews let other students - just like you - find our information-packed episodes and start their IELTS journey in the best possible way. Remember, My IELTS Classroom offers a range of IELTS services: IELTS Video courses: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writingIELTS Essay Corrections:https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/markingIELTS Speaking lessons: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingFree blog lessons: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.comFree Podcast episodes: https://myieltsclassroom.buzzsprout.comSupport the show by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/myieltsclassroomSupport the show

Yes! Finally, on our third attempt, Nick and I have managed to successfully record an episode analysing the essays in the new Cambridge IELTS 18 Academic book. We offer our ideas and insights into the new questions, including how we will organise each essay and what our position would be. Plus, we rate the difficulty level of each question. This is an interactive lesson, so make sure you spend at least 5 minutes generating ideas for each essay before you listen. Useful Links Download my free ebook "An ex-examiner's guide to the Band IELTS Descriptors": https://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielts-examiner-ebook-mark/Watch the free video lessons on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLz9Dbe4NEIu5OCy0WA1sgRate and review My IELTS Classroom If you are on Apple Podcasts, help us to help more people just like you by rating and reviewing our show. Reviews let other students - just like you - find our information-packed episodes and start their IELTS journey in the best possible way. Remember, My IELTS Classroom offers a range of IELTS services: IELTS Video courses: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writingIELTS Essay Corrections:https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/markingIELTS Speaking lessons: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingFree blog lessons: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.comFree Podcast episodes: https://myieltsclassroom.buzzsprout.comSupport the show by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/myieltsclassroomSupport the show

Today, Nick and I discuss one of the most important IELTS questions - why are so many students stuck at a 6.5 for IELTS writing? Is it because there is a conspiracy to trick test-takers, or are there other less sinister reasons? You can find the full episode notes and a transcript of the conversation at http://podcast.myieltsclassroom.com/ This is a re-run of an episode from 2020, so don't be surprised if Nick and I sound so youthful! Episode Notes Following on from our lesson last week, today we look at the most common IELTS myth -  examiners are changing test-takers writing scores on purpose to prevent them getting a 7.0. Is there really any evidence for this? Well PC Lone and Sargent Cornick will investigate to find out! Then, we will spend the rest of the episode discussing the most common errors in that we saw when we were examiners when marking students' essays. Are you making these mistakes? Well, join the episode to find out! In this episode, we will discuss: if it is possible that Cambridge, the British Council, IDP, examiners, or individual test centres are changing scores of purposively making it hard for students to get a 7.0 in IELTS writing?why students tend to get a lower score in writing than in the other parts of testthe most common errors that we see with Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy that stop students getting a 7.0 for their IELTS essayUseful Links  Find out the three most difficult essay questions in the Cambridge IELTS books: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/cambridge-ielts-books/Complete my free lesson for subject / verb agreement: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielts-grammar-subject-verb-agreement/Watch my free video lesson for articles: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/programs/articlesWatch my free video lesson for contrast clauses: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/programs/three-types-of-contrastRate and review My IELTS Classroom If you are on Apple Podcasts, help us to help more people just like you by rating and reviewing our show. Reviews let other students - just like you - find our information-packed episodes and start their IELTS journey in the best possible way. Remember, My IELTS Classroom offers a range of IELTS services: IELTS Video courses: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writingIELTS Essay Corrections:https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/markingIELTS Speaking lessons: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingFree blog lessons: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.comFree Podcast episodes: https://myieltsclassroom.buzzsprout.comSupport the show

Hey! A couple of weeks ago, we received an email from one of our listeners (thanks Adam!) asking if all the fuss happening on YouTube about the "NEW IELTS Band Descriptors" was true. My immediate reaction was "probably not", but when I did a deep dive, it turned out that it was! Yes, IELTS have finally released the examiner version of the band descriptors for writing. Let me be clear, this will NOT change the way that your writing is marked in any way. However, it does give students a better idea of the "ceiling scores" that can prevent you getting a high score. Find out what those ceiling scores are and how you can avoid them in today's episode. Useful Links Download my free ebook "An ex-examiner's guide to the Band IELTS Descriptors": https://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/ielts-examiner-ebook-mark/Watch the free video lessons on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLz9Dbe4NEIu5OCy0WA1sgRate and review My IELTS Classroom If you are on Apple Podcasts, help us to help more people just like you by rating and reviewing our show. Reviews let other students - just like you - find our information-packed episodes and start their IELTS journey in the best possible way. Remember, My IELTS Classroom offers a range of IELTS services: IELTS Video courses: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writingIELTS Essay Corrections:https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/markingIELTS Speaking lessons: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingFree blog lessons: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.comFree Podcast episodes: https://myieltsclassroom.buzzsprout.comSupport the show

Today, we continue our journey into the world of IELTS listening any how the exam writers try to confuse you by playing with opposites. This week, we move away from lexis and into the word of grammar. In particular, the 2nd and 3rd conditionals.  Nick and I will explain exactly what the 2nd and 3rd conditional are, how they are formed, and how IELTS using them in listening recordings to confuse you! This is an interactive episode so please have a pen and piece of paper ready so that you can join in the activities.  Useful Links  Join our intensive listening course: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/listeningWatch the first three lessons in my IELTS essay video course: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/programs/writing-task-2-academic-general-trainingRate and review My IELTS Classroom If you are on Apple Podcasts, help us to help more people just like you by rating and reviewing our show. Reviews let other students - just like you - find our information-packed episodes and start their IELTS journey in the best possible way. Remember, My IELTS Classroom offers a range of IELTS services: IELTS Video courses: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writingIELTS Essay Corrections:https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/markingIELTS Speaking lessons: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingFree blog lessons: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.comFree Podcast episodes: https://myieltsclassroom.buzzsprout.comSupport the show

Hey! Nick and I have recorded many episodes about IELTS listening. Usually, we focus on one particular type of question and break down which listening skills it is testing, and how you should approach it best. Plus, for everyone type of question, there are two or three "tricks" that IELTS uses to try to force you to choose the wrong answer (although these are not really "tricks" but good testing methods that check that you really understand the recording!)  Today, we are doing something different. Today, we really are looking at a trick that IELTS uses in a range of questions. That' s using "opposites". Join Nick and I as we explain how the "opposite" trick works, and then show it to you in action using four questions from the Cambridge IELTS books. This is an interactive episode so please have a pen and piece of paper ready so that you can join in the activities.  Useful Links  Join our intensive listening course: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/listeningWatch the first three lessons in my IELTS essay video course: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/programs/writing-task-2-academic-general-trainingRate and review My IELTS Classroom If you are on Apple Podcasts, help us to help more people just like you by rating and reviewing our show. Reviews let other students - just like you - find our information-packed episodes and start their IELTS journey in the best possible way. Remember, My IELTS Classroom offers a range of IELTS services: IELTS Video courses: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writingIELTS Essay Corrections:https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/markingIELTS Speaking lessons: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingFree blog lessons: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.comFree Podcast episodes: https://myieltsclassroom.buzzsprout.comSupport the show

Hey! Today, Nick and I continue our journey into idiomatic language by looking at phrasal verbs. We will explain what phrasal verbs are, how some are separable and some are inseparable, and demonstrate phrasal verbs in action in Speaking Part 1! Useful Links  Join our next intensive speaking course: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingIntroduction to IELTS Speaking http://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/introduction-to-ielts-speaking/Rate  and review My IELTS Classroom If you are on Apple Podcasts, help us to help more people just like you by rating and reviewing our show. Reviews let other students - just like you - find our information-packed episodes and start their IELTS journey in the best possible way. Remember, My IELTS Classroom offers a range of IELTS services: IELTS Video courses: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writingIELTS Essay Corrections:https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/markingIELTS Speaking lessons: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingFree blog lessons: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.comFree Podcast episodes: https://myieltsclassroom.buzzsprout.comSupport the show

Hey! One of the criteria to score a 7.0 or higher in the IELTS speaking test is being able to show good use of "idiomatic language". But, what is idiomatic language, and when should you introduce it into your vocabulary. Join Nick and I today to discuss  the path that most English language learners take when they are learning lexiswhen idioms should be introducedthe problems second-language learners face when using idiomswhich idioms we fee could be useful for IELTS test-takersAnd finally, we introduce you to another type of idiomatic language that could be more useful in your exam than pure idioms. Useful Links  Join our next intensive speaking course: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingIntroduction to IELTS Speaking http://blog.myieltsclassroom.com/introduction-to-ielts-speaking/Rate  and review My IELTS Classroom If you are on Apple Podcasts, help us to help more people just like you by rating and reviewing our show. Reviews let other students - just like you - find our information-packed episodes and start their IELTS journey in the best possible way. Remember, My IELTS Classroom offers a range of IELTS services: IELTS Video courses: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/writingIELTS Essay Corrections:https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/markingIELTS Speaking lessons: https://www.myieltsclassroom.com/pages/speakingFree blog lessons: http://blog.myieltsclassroom.comFree Podcast episodes: https://myieltsclassroom.buzzsprout.comSupport the show