IELTS Review: The basics you should know before your test.

25th June 2020

IELTS

Useful words and expressions

All IELTS students should have these words and expressions in their vocabulary, and be able to use them confidently and correctly.

Adjectives

absent-minded / eye-catching / mouth-watering / second-hand

ubiquitous / sky-high / visually stunning / spectacular /

10 Best Korean Restaurants in Singapore: BBQ, Bibimbap & Fried ... — How would you describe this Korean food ?

THE BEST Tiong Bahru (Singapore) Hotels with Free Parking of 2019 ... — The prices at this Singapore hotel are …

19 Best Coffee Shops in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City - Back Of The ... — Coffee shops in Sai Gon are …

Adverbs

quite / rather / somewhat

considerably / significantly / remarkably / undeniably

Asia's Most Visited Countries — The number of tourists visiting China is … more than those visiting Vietnam

Discourse Markers

Additionally / as well as / furthermore / moreover

Therefore / consequently

On the other hand / having said that / although / despite

Top 10 Most Beautiful Korean Girls In The World — Describe this Korean lady using at least two discourse markers.

Expressions / chunking phrases

At the end of the day / Am I pronouncing that correctly ?

Turn a blind ear / it fell on deaf ears

Friends and family / According to …

Same thing, day in, day out / You get what you pay for / a waste of money

Bored Office Worker, Annoyed Businessman At Workplace Stock Photo ... — How does this man feel about his job ?

Like / Dislike

Like:

I absolutely love … / I’m crazy about … / I (really) like / I’m into / I haven’t heard (seen/read) this before, but I think it’s great / I’m a big fan of … / I’m quite keen on /

No strong opinion:

I don’t mind / I have mixed feelings about …/ It’s OK / I don’t really have any strong views / feelings either way

Dislike:

I hate / I can’t stand / I don’t really like / I think it’s awful / I detest / I’m not a big fan of … / I’m not that keen on …

What do you think of:

India Capable Of Winning All ICC tournaments, Says Brian Lara ... — The sport cricket

Everyday items, Street litter 3D Models 2nd_World — Litter, trash, rubbish on the streets

To buy time

Photo of thinking young asian beautiful woman posing isolated over ... — Remember … never leave silence; use these time-fillers:

That’s a good / interesting question

Let me think …

Well, I would say …

How can I put it … ?

Sentence building

Use adjectives to describe nouns

adverbs to describe adjectives and verbs – give more information

opinion phrases

linking words to connect positive to positive or positive to negative

reasons why an action is being done

I like coffee

Winston the Wolf enjoys Jimmie's coffee as Jules and Vincent look ...

I like coffee so much because it tastes great and makes me wake up although too much will stop me from sleeping at night but, in my opinion, the benefits far out weigh the disadvantages.

Using Relative Clauses

who For people: This is the man who sold me the fake Rolex !

which For things: We tried fish and chips which is delicious.

where For places: Let’s go to the shop where we saw the great bargains.

Whose Possessive: That’s the singer whose record we heard last night.

The car, whose driver was young, won the race.

Exercises

We arrived at a nice beach ______ we could swim and lie in the sun.

A man ______ mobile phone was ringing did not know what to do.

The patient, ______ had a serious disease, was taken to hospital immediately.

Smithsfield is a small village ______ people live a quiet life.

A boy ____ sister is in my class was in the bank at that time.

I know a person ____ can speak seven languages.

We visited the church _____ is in the middle of the square.

It is a protected area of land _____ you can see a lot of interesting wildlife.

This dress is made of silk, _____ is a very expensive and delicate material.

A police officer _____ car was parked at the next corner stopped and arrested them.

Listening Websites: A list with links can be found on this page:

https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2019/01/23/listening-skills-tips-and-links/

IELTS: Mindset, introduction lesson

23rd June 2020

Preparation Offline | IELTS Asia | British Council

A new class, so I have to assess their ability, motivation and potential.

Let’s kick off with a Family Fortune game – I give writing boards to the class, arranged in small groups, and ask for four answers to basic questions.

Example : Four places I’ve been to in Viet Nam / Four things I love about Viet Nam / Four things I hate / Four instruments I can play / Four languages I can speak. To test general knowledge, Four countries in Asia or capital cities / Four countries in Europe / Four cities in the USA

Next up, I want to get the class speaking as soon as possible so, they can interview each other asking basic questions. No one speaks alone, so this helps to cover any shyness as all the class are speaking at the same time.

Why are you studying IELTS ? /

Do you think IELTS will be difficult ? / Why ?

Do you use English at school or work … how ? /

What do you do in your free time ? /

What do you do or what do you study ? /
Would you like to live in USA or UK ?

Moving on, time to explain the importance of sentence building. We would expect new IELTS students to be able to speak quite fluently, in reasonable long sentences. If students answer in four words or under, or even single words, then the teachers know we have a ‘difficult’ class.

To give an example, I’ll introduce a standard IELTS-style question:

Where would you like to visit in Viet Nam (or your own country) and why ?

Example Answer:

I show them a plan:

Introduction / First good point / second good point / something bad / conclusion.

I choose Hoi An

Hoi An: Vietnam's most charming city - Exoticca Blog

Introduction: DON’T answer immediately but introduce the answer by repeating or rephrasing the question:

Vietnam has many beautiful places but my choice would be Hoi An.

First Good Point:

Firstly, Hoi An is a historical city with a wonderful Japanese bridge and lovely old shops. At night, the shops use romantic lanterns.

Second Good Point:

Hoi An is close to Da Nang, so I can fly there easily and quickly. There are many things to see and do in the local area.

Now, something negative

However, Hoi An is very small and can be extremely crowded in summer. Maybe it will be difficult to find a hotel or a table at a good restaurant.

Conclusion

In my opinion, Hoi An is a very special place to visit because it is a town of Vietnamese culture.

How to build sentences:

Use adjectives to describe nouns (beautiful, historic, romantic)

adverbs to describe adjectives and verbs – give more information (very, easily)

opinion phrases (in my opinion)

linking words to connect positive to positive or positive to negative – discourse markers (however)

reasons why an action is being done (because)

Now – your turn:

Where do you want to visit ? This can be in Vietnam or anywhere.

Women wearing Vietnamese ao dai granted an imperial favor — Hue

Getting Around Hanoi [2019] Guide to Get Around Hanoi for ... — Ha Noi

Finally, to test knowledge of occupations and personality adjectives, I will show the class photos of five friends and elicit their opinions. https://thaypaulsnotes.com/2018/12/28/friends-men-teaching-sheet/

At IELTS level I would expect the students to form basic sentences such as:

“In my opinion, he is … “

“For me, he looks like … “

“He seems to be a … “

It will probably be a mixed-ability class, so I shall encourage the top learners, asking them to describe the photos, using as many adjectives and adverbs as they can.

Adult Speaking Class, level 2: Extended personality exercises.

20th June 2020

To practise and develop the use of adjectives when describing people:

Personality adjectives

Positive

funny / dependable / generous / witty / friendly / solid as a rock / reliable intellectual / light-hearted / life and soul

Negative

aggressive / a screw loose / hard as nails / unreliable / unpleasant / scary / serious / arrogant / boring mean / bossy / impatient

This man is ….

This chap is …

She is extremely …

He doesn’t look very …

Add the missing word or words :

1 She gives money to charity. She is ……..

2 He never says ‘please’ or ‘thank you’ and never smiles. He is very …..

3 He is crazy ! He has …….

4 German cars are always …….. and ……..

5 She thinks she is better than everyone. She is so ………

6 The dog wants to bite everyone, he’s very ………….

7 You can believe what he says, he’s ………………

8 His girlfriend always tells him what to do. She’s incredibly ………….

Speaking practice:

Ed How long will the pizza be ? I’m starving (very hungry)

Bill Don’t be so impatient ! It’ll be here soon. Who’s coming tonight ?

Ed Anne, Daisy and her boring boyfriend Peter.

Bill Don’t be mean, he’s not so bad. He’s just a little serious.

Ed He’s really generous. He bought Daisy a new laptop.

Bill Yes, but from China. They are not very dependable.

Ed Anne’s very funny, always telling jokes. She’s so witty.

Bill She’s too intellectual for you and also too gorgeous!

Saying what you think – expressing opinions

I think …

In my opinion …

I feel that …

He / She / It seems ..

Will Vietnam win the World Cup in the next 20 years ?

Which is better ? Barcelona or Real Madrid ?

What do you think of these clothes:

Adult Speaking Class, Level 2: Coffee shop chat

11th June 2020

As always, I use these exercise to introduce idioms and expressions, as well as demonstrating how adverbs and adjectives can be used in everyday conversation.

Speaking practice:

Old Compass Cafe Saigon - Vietnamese cuisine, wine, cafe, events

Pat Well, I’m exhausted. I need a damn fine cup of coffee and a big piece of pie.

Sam There’s a Highlands over the road, or we can go to Coffee Bean or Milano.

Pat I’d prefer Tran Nguyen but it costs an arm and a leg. Highlands is also incredibly expensive.

Sam But great quality and superb cakes. Come on, I’m starving, I need coffee now !

Pat OK, hold your horses hahaha. After we can meet up with Thay Paul.

Sam Sounds good. Now … shall we have chocolate cake or fruit cake … ?

costs an arm and a leg = very expensive

hold your horses = please be patient and wait

Inside Highlands

Sam Hi, I’ll have a large cappuccino, please. What do you fancy ?

Pat Tough decision. I’m going for the cheesecake and a slice of blueberry pie.

Sam Oh, me too. Big slice, no, only joking, I have to watch my weight.

Pat I think you look great. Lets also get some chocolate cake and we can share.

Sam Brilliant. Oh, did I show you my recent photos ? Here, on my phone.

Pat Let me see … oh, so funny. Who’s that ? The man next to Niall ?

Sam That’s Jimmy, he’s in Niall’s band. He plays drums and drinks like a fish !

Pat And that’s you, a selfie. You look adorable. Butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth !

VietnamCupid on Twitter: "Selfie tip of the week: Know your angles… " — A very sweet young lady – butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth

drinks like a fish = drinks a lot of alcohol

Butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth ! = looks very sweet and nice … but can be very naughty

Drinking Too Much of This Kind of Beer Might Be Giving You Man ... — Don’t invite him to your party – he drinks like a fish !

Speaking practice: Adverbs of probability

definitely / probably / possibly / unlikely / definitely not !

Toni What are you doing tonight ?

Anna Not sure. I’ll probably go home and watch TV

Toni Sounds boring. Do you want to see a film ?

Anna Let me think … possibly. Where will we go ?

Toni Lotte Cinema. We will definitely get tickets on a Thursday night.

Anna Great idea. I’ll ask John but it’s unlikely he’ll be free

Toni Cool ! Then we’ll (we will) meet at 6.30. Don’t be late.

Anna Me ? Definitely not ! I’ll call you if I’m late.

How to start exciting conversations with women in girl random chat

Gil & Zoe are on a coffee break

This has many new words and expressions for you to learn and practice.

Gil Who’s that in the photo ? The tall bald guy ?

Zoe That’s Peter. He works in IT. I get him to fix my laptop when it crashes.

Gil Have you seen our IT guy ? He’s so arrogant, and very bossy.

Zoe Really ? In what way is he bossy ? Give me an example.

Gil Well, he shouts at everyone and tells them how to use their computers.

Zoe A real computer geek. I bet he has no friends. Do you like Peter ?

Gil He seems nice, honest and reliable. Will he be at the party later ?

Zoe If he’s free. His office is just over the road. Maybe he’ll play piano for you.

Gil Cool, I adore music. Karaoke, however, is not my cup of tea. Will there be karaoke?

Zoe Oh, I hope not. Anyway, how was your day ? Another fun happen ?

Gil In my job ? No way, same thing day in, day out. Total boredom, in a nutshell.

Zoe Oh, poor you. I hope you will find a better job … and very soon.

Geek GIFs | Tenor — Peter, the tall bald computer guy

Left wing politics should be kept out of schools, say right wing ... — Arrogant and bossy IT computer geek

Adult Speaking Class, level 3: Short scenarios

10th June 2020

Some more dialogue scenes to practise using grammar, phrasal verbs, idioms and expressions

To practise question words and the past tense.

what / where /why / when / who / which / how

Dialogue: Catching up

How To Talk To Friends And Loved Ones About Health And Weight ...

Jane & Tina are catching up

Jane What did you do last night ? Who did you meet ?

Tina I went out with friends. We saw a movie. How about you ?

Jane I just stayed at home and did chores. Which cinema did you go to ?

Tina At Diamond Plaza. We bought popcorn which we ate before the film began.

Jane You must have been very hungry ! Was the film good ?

Tina Yeah, really exciting. The tickets were incredibly cheap too.

Jane How much were they ?

Tina Only 333 000 VND (three hundred and thirty-three thousand Dong).

Jane is intrigued and curious about the price

Jane Why so cheap ?

Tina Because my husband won a competition.

Jane Which competition ? Where was it ?

Tina An online one. Do you want to drink coffee tonight ?

Jane Of course ! When ? What time do you knock off work ?

Tina About 10 … we have been very busy, lots of work.

Jane Me too. I worked until midnight last week. I was exhausted.

Tina I saw you. You looked terrible !

Jane Thank you !

Knock off = phrasal verb to finish work

Linking words: and / as well as / also / along with

Meeting the new boss

5 ways to win the confidence of the new boss - The Economic Times

Sid What are your plans for this afternoon ?

Viv Well, I need to buy some coffee as well as some milk. How about you ?

Sid Oh, I’ve got to have a meeting with the new director. He seems very strict.

Viv Yeah, I get the impression that he is very serious. However, he is friendly.

Sid Right, he could be an improvement. Having said that, he could be worse.

Viv He seems professional, very neat and tidy. Always a plain white shirt.

Sid Remember the old boss ? Such gaudy ties ! For me, that was unprofessional.

Viv Anyway, is there a convenience store nearby ?

Sid Naturally. Take the second left, then cross over. Can’t miss it.

Viv Brilliant ! You’re an angel.

Dialogue: Talking about Germany

Present perfect, past continuous and questions. Listen for adverbs

Ask Asian Girls: Do Asian Women like Black men? - YouTube

Mary Have you been to Germany ?

Amy No, not yet. Have you ?

Mary Yes, twice. I have (I’ve) visited Berlin and Munich.

Amy Which did you like best ?

Mary Well, Munich is very clean, elegant and stylish, but quite expensive.

Amy And Berlin, the capital ?

Mary I was working there for six months. It was really cool.

How to Solo Travel Berlin like a Boss! - Girl With The Passport

They continue after eating a big piece of pie.

Amy Sounds like you had lots of fun !

Mary Oh, yes ! The food was cheap and the people were incredibly friendly.

Amy How about the weather ? I have heard it can be cold.

Mary It was terrible ! Every day it rained cats and dogs.

Amy You must have been so glad to get back to Vietnam. (glad = happy)

Mary Yes, but I miss the German trains and buses; they were so reliable.

HD wallpaper: people, woman, girl, train, berlin, blonde, commute ...

Idioms: a piece of cake

1st June 2020

New expressions for working life

I start my speaking classes by explaining that I do not teach English, but Englishes; how the same sentences can be pronounced in Standard English, or in my London accent, in my east London accent, in my (attempt at an) American accent etc …

For those working towards an IELTS qualification, these distinctions are point-earners. Similarly, a knowledge of idiomatic English is so beneficial, not just for boosting scores, but for making students feel they are learning real English; this is how people REALLY speak.

Have a gander at this

(This is London slang meaning take a look at this):

11 of the UK's best farmers' markets ~ Rosemary and Pork Belly

You telling me they’re chattin’ away in Standard English ? Pull the other one.

(Are you trying to make me believe that the people are talking in Standard Queen’s English ? I don’t believe you).

English, as you can see and hear, is a multifaceted language, and I see so many problems in listening exercises, due to speed of speech, accents and unknown words or phrases. So let’s tackle idioms – expressions you will hear everyday, from street markets to politicians being interviewed on the news.

Let’s kick off (start) with some common idioms and expressions:

bear with me = please wait a short time

seems to me = I think, I believe but I can not be certain

do you follow ? = do you understand ?

hold the line = please wait on the phone a very short time

I’ll get back to you = I’ll reply to you as soon as possible (ASAP)

the day after tomorrow = in two day’s time

hit the ground running = to start work at a fast pace immediately

24 / 7 = all day, every day

Now … practice: What idiom or expression ?

This equation is easy, right ?

Caregiver Burnout | Updated for 2020 | AgingInPlace.org

“I’m exhausted, I’ve been working …”

Legal Services Provided by Generations Law Group

“No, I’m busy tomorrow, how about … ?”

Sales Motivation: 6 Big No's of Sales Meetings & 6 High Payoff ...

“Let’s all work with energy and be successful. I want us to … !”

ᐈ Receptionist stock pictures, Royalty Free receptionist images ...

I’ll see if the manager is in …

The critical role that tough questions play in consultative selling

“Well, I’m not sure of the answer, let me … “

Work in pairs – try to make sentences using these new idioms.

Japanese High School Girls Stock Video Footage - 4K and HD Video ... — PRACTICE TIME

Idioms – A random selection. Which do you know ? Which can you use in a sentence ?

same old, same old = same thing everyday, as always

stuck in a rut = no progress or change at all. Doing the same thing in life

raining cats and dogs = extremely heavy rain

chockablock = too busy to move – traffic

cooking the books = cheating with the accounts

cost an arm and a leg + very expensive

straight up = serious, not joking

pulling my leg = joking with me

learning the ropes = learning what the job involves

snowed under = very busy

let’s call it a day = we can finish work now

can you run that by me again ? = please repeat.

Team game

Teams ask each which idiom fits for:

Time to finish work // Bad weather // Stuck in traffic // Too much work

The accountant was writing false information // I am new at a job // iPhone 11 is not cheap // Sorry, can you explain again //

Everyday same thing // I must change jobs //

Are you joking with me ? // No, I am honest.

“You can believe me, mate !”

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Business English: Accountancy

6th May 2020

Jan Sanders van Hemessen (Hemessen c. 1504-1556 Antwerp) | Double ... — Jan sanders van Hemessen 1504 – 1556, Antwerp

1950s Office | Office with typewriters, adding machines, vertical ... — A 1950s office with adding machines, filing cabinets and typewriters

How to Become an Accountant: Skills, Degrees | All Business Schools

Property Management Accounting & Reporting Software - AppFolio

Cách giữ chân nhân tài của Big 4 - unitrain.edu.vn

New vocabulary

Look up any words you don’t know.

loophole

firm

audit

involvement

stock

None of the Big Four firms is a single firm; rather, they are professional services networks. The Big Four are the four largest professional services networks in the world, offering audit, taxation, corporate finance and legal services. They handle the vast majority of audits for publicly traded companies as well as many private companies. They used to be the Big Five until the fall of Arthur Andersen in 2002, following its involvement in the Enron scandal.

Enron used loopholes and poor financial accounting to hide billions of dollars of debt. The company’s stock which rose to over $90 a share in mid 2000, fell to less than $1 by November 2001.

Enron - The Biggest Fraud in History - YouTube

Accountancy words / expressions

annual accounts // I am working on our annual accounts

asset // Make a list of all our assets

budget // We need to increase our budget

business expenses // We must reduce our business expenses

cash flow // Keep an eye on the cash flow

New idioms / collocations

Change of plan = to stop what you are doing and start something new

to handle something = to take care of something

to get hold of someone to speak to or meet someone

Hell breaks loose = will be a lot of trouble

to be into something = to like something very much

more or less = not 100% but almost.

I beg to differ = polite way to disagree

Dialogue Practice:

Two friends are chatting about their work day:

Two asian businesswomen talking during coffee break in modern ...

KIM: Hello, how’s your day been ?

Tina: Oh, so-so. And you ? Did you finish off the reports ?

KIM: Yes, more or less.

Tina: You better make sure they’re finished. You know what the Director’s like.

KIM: I know. If things aren’t done, all hell breaks loose !

Tina: Better keep on his good side. What else do you need to do ?

KIM: File some invoices, send off some emails and I need to get hold of Anna in HR.

Tina: I think she’s off sick today.

KIM: That’s a pity. Did you finish the wages ?

Tina: Yes, piece of cake ! Now I’m going through all the bank statements for the last quarter.

KIM: Not cooking the books I hope. Are we still going out tonight ?

Tina: Oh, sorry, I can’t know. Something’s come up.

KIM: What ? I thought you wanted to see the film. Johnny Depp’s in it.

Tina: I know, but I have to work late. Why don’t you ask the Director ? He’s really into cinema.

KIM: I don’t think so !

Tina: Why not ? He’s such a charming man.

KIM: Well, I beg to differ. He’s an old windbag and he drinks like a fish !

Portrait beautiful indian business woman smiling happy ...

New expressions:

off sick = not at work because of illness

old windbag = someone who speaks and speaks and speaks !

drinks like a fish = drinks a LOT of alcohol

cooking the books = making false entries in the accounting

Young Learners, Level 5: Around the world (in eighty minutes)

27th October 2019. E Up 5 U 7 L 1 Countries pp. 64 – 65

Today’s theme is travel, and we will focus on six countries from five different continents. As a warm up, the students can be put in teams (this is a large class in a small room so activities have to carefully planned to prevent chaos and injury). Each team is given a small board and has to write:

Four ways to travel – vehicles.

BONUS QUESTION: unscramble this

tho ria ololban

Start the clip around 0:52 seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjiCO8k6Jhg

Thay Paul has been to many countries – write four countries in Asia where I’ve been.

Clue 1) Kimchi 2) Sawass dee Krap 3) Petronas Tower 4) Merlion

Now, in Vietnam – write four places to which I’ve been.