IELTS and stuff
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Let's go IELTS. What?
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is a globally recognized English proficiency test, widely accepted by educational institutions, employers, and immigration authorities. The Academic version of IELTS specifically assesses the readiness of candidates to study or train in an English-speaking environment at an undergraduate or postgraduate level.
This exam is crucial for non-native English speakers who aspire to pursue higher education or professional registration in English-speaking countries. Typically, students, scholars, and professionals seeking admission to universities or job opportunities in countries like the UK, Australia, Canada, and the USA take the IELTS Academic exam.
This web page aims to help students focusing on IELTS Academic. However, since it contains general grammar rules, writing style suggestions, and useful vocabulary and collocations, it can also be applied to other advanced language exams or business correspondence.
IELTS Vocabulary
to foster – to encourage the growth or development of smt
1) To foster environmental awareness, the school initiated a recycling program and held workshops on sustainability practices
2) The organization implemented several new programs to foster community engagement and build stronger relationships among residents.
COLLOCATIONS
FOSTER → democracy/ideas/innovation/creativity/growth/collaboration
to deploy – to use in smt/sb in an effective way
1) It is crucial how schools deploy its staff.
2) The government started to recognize the importance of deploying its resources.
to stem from – to start or develop as the result of something
1) Many of the challenges in the project stem from a lack of clear communication between team members.
2) The economic downturn appears to stem from a combination of market volatility and poor policy decisions.
to incorporate – to include
1) The company plans to incorporate new technologies to improve their production efficiency.
2) Teachers are encouraged to incorporate interactive teaching methods into their lessons to keep students engaged.
to tackle – to deal with a problem
1) There was a great deal of uncertainty how to tackle inflation and social insecurity.
2) Ultimately, the government started to tackle the problem of unemployment.
to contaminate – to make something less pure or make it poisonous
1) Much of the coast has been contaminated by nuclear waste.
2) If cities keep contaminating the river with sewage, it will completely ruin its eco-system.
follow suit – to do the same thing as someone else
1) Seeing the success of remote work policies during the pandemic, numerous companies are followed suit and offered more flexible working conditions to their employees.
2) As the new policy gained popularity, other departments began to follow suit, adopting similar changes to improve efficiency.
economic/financial woes – big problems or trouble
1) Despite his financial woes, he remained optimistic and continued to look for new job opportunities.
2) The company’s financial woes deepened after a series of poor investments and declining sales.
on the verge of smt – very near to doing or experiencing something
1) The scientist was on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery that could revolutionize the field of medicine.
2) After years of hard work, the startup was on the verge of securing its position on the market among very fierce competitors.
Grammar Range & Style
Inversion
Inversion in the English language refers to the reversal of the usual word order in sentences, typically placing the verb or the helping verb before the subject. This structure is commonly used in questions (e.g., ‘Are you coming?’ or ‘Have you seen anything like this before?’) and after certain negative adverbs or adverbial phrases for emphasis or stylistic effect, (‘Never have I seen such a thing’ or ‘Only now can I fully understand the importance of English grammar.’
Inversion normally appears in literary, formal contexts or in political speeches to add emphasis or create a more poetic or dramatic tone. Additionally, it is used in conditional sentences to sound more formal (e.g., ‘Should you need any further assistance, let us know immediately! or ‘Had I known this before we would certainly have taken it into consideration’).
As you can guess, inversion can also be used in the writing part of the IELTS to broaden your grammar range. Have a look at the chart below:
not only … but also
Not only did the government pay little attention to the unemployed but they have also neglected the working class.
seldom/rarely
Seldom can you hear a politician say ‘sorry’.
only later
Only later did she understand the situation.
no sooner…than
No sooner had the company launched their new product than it became a best-seller.
little
Little did we know about the consequences of our actions.
under no circumstances
Under no circumstances are you allowed to enter this room.
hardly…when
Hardly had the team finished the project when they realized they made a huge mistake.
on no account
On no account should you do anything without asking me first.
not for a moment
Not for a moment did I think it would be a good proposal.
In certain expressions, the inversion comes in the second part of the sentence. Study the examples below:
only when
Only when all the guests arrived did she start with her speech.
only by
Only by working hard was she able to make reasonable progress.
not until
Not until I touched it with bare hands did I believe it was real.
We can drop ‘IF’ and use ‘SHOULD/WERE/HAD at the beginning of a conditional sentence.
II. conditional
Were it not for his help, we couldn’t make progress.
III. conditional
Had we had fewer obstacles during the process, we could have finished it much earlier.
Inversion after ‘SO + adjective … + THAT’/ ‘SUCH … +THAT’
So advanced was the presentation that very few people could understand it.
So strong was Barb’s influence on the team that everybody accepted her rules.
Such was the pressure on her that she gave up and left the company.
Parallel Structures
Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. I.e. If there are two or more pieces of information in a sentence, grammatical form of the first information must be followed to express the remaining ideas. In a parallel structure, multiple information is usually connected by coordinating conjunctions.
To put it very simply, when writing parallel structures a verb should be listed with a verb, a noun with a noun, a phrase with a pharase and so on and so forth.
At the word level:
Incorrect: I was told to do the research quickly, thorougly and in a careful manner.
Correct: I was told to do the research quickly, thorougly and carefully.
Incorrect: In her view, money means three things: power, happiness and feeling secure.
Correct: In her view, money means three things: power, happiness, and security.
At the phrase level:
Incorrect: In the lesson students are not allowed to eat snacks, playing with their phones and they can’t talk to other student either.
Correct: In the lesson, students are not allowed to eat snacks, to play with their phones or to talk to other students.
Incorrect: The management argued not only about the finacial isssues but they also argued about laying off staff.
Correct: The management argued not only about the financial issues but also about laying off staff.
Incorrect: They couldn’t decide whether to wait for some miracle to happen or should they take some evasive action.
Correct: They couldn’t decide whether to wait for some miracle or to take some evasive action.
Incorrect: To earn a lot of money, some people are prepared to risk everything: their property, their health and would even risk their life.
Correct: To earn a lot of money, some people are prepared to risk everything: their health, their property and even their life.
Incorrect: This position requires relevant knowledge, skills to lead a large organisation and experience working around the globe.
Correct: This position requries relevant knowledge, managerial skills and global experience.
At the clause level:
Almost correct: When talking about environmental issues, we should collect waste selectively and the CO2 should be reduced.
(This sentence is gramatically correct, however changing the second clause to an active one makes it better structured and easier to read.)
Correct: When talking about environmental issues, we should collect waste selectively and reduce our CO2 emission.
Syntax & Sentence Types
Syntax
Syntax in English refers to the set of rules that govern the structure of sentences. It dictates the correct arrangement of words to convey meaning and ensure grammatical correctness. Syntax involves the proper placement of subjects, verbs, and objects, as well as the use of phrases and clauses. Mastery of syntax allows for clear and effective communication, ensuring that sentences are both coherent and meaningful. Understanding syntax is fundamental to both written and spoken English.
Sentence Types
A. Simple Sentence
Simple sentences consist of one clause (usually a subject, a verb and/or an object or prepositional phrase). They express a complete thought and are important to make a clear point. Be careful though, using only simple sentences in your writing might cause your essay sound boring and the reader could lose interest.
The cat fell asleep on the couch.
The Brown’s ran into serious debts.
The headmaster introduced the new school policy.
A team of young engineers suggested an unconventional approach.
B. Complex Sentence
Complex sentences consist of a main and a subordinate clause. A subordinate clause gives extra information but doesn’t make complete sense on its own. In the first sentence ‘After having eaten two large burgers’ gives more information to the main clause.
After having eaten two large burgers, the cat fell asleep on the cauch.
Being irresponsible and real shopaholics, the Brown’s ran into serious debts.
Following the intructions provided by the Ministry of Education, the headmaster introduced the new policy.
A team of young engineers suggested an unconventional approach, which totally shocked their senior colleagues.
C. Compound Sentence
Compound sentences consist of two or more independent clauses joined by a conjunction. With this type of sentences you can easily connect/contrast/compare events or ideas.
Even though Jack warned his cat mutiple times not to sleep on the couch, the furry beast wouldn’ listen to its owner.
Whenever the holiday season comes, the Brown’s run into serious debts.
While the headmaster was indroducing the new policy, two technicians tried to fix his microphone and the loudspeakers.
A team of young engineers kept working hard to come up with a new idea, whereas their older colleagues were sitting on their laurels.
D. Compound-Complex Sentence
As you might guess, if you come this far, compound-complex sentences consist of two or more independent clauses and at least one subordinate clause.
Even though Jack loved his cat, he couldn’t stand Mimy lying on the sofa, so in the end he put her sleep in a box in the back yard.
Since Mr. Brown couldn’t control his shopping addiction, his wife turned to a clinical psychologist and she was eventually able to get him back on the right track.
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