Game 1 – say are these adjectives positive (good) or negative (bad) or neutral (neither good nor bad)
Game 2 – make sentences using present continuous and two adjectives
EXAMPLE: She is reading a heavy, interesting book.
I ___ play ___________________ , ______________________ music.
You ___ watch a _______________ , ________________ film.
He ___ talk to a ____________ , _____________ film star.
She _____ study every day because she ___ __________ and ___________.
Ms H ____ smile because she is so _________ and ___________ .
The fat cat ___ not share her food because she is ______ and _________ .
We ___ learn ________ grammar but it is _____________ .
President __ wear a _________ dress. She ____ very _________ .
The boy ___ leave school because he was __________ and _____ to the teacher.
The teacher ___ laugh because the ________ , _________ student was sent home !
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
This short blog introduces young learners to adjectives, and how they can start to build longer sentences.
First, let’s start an adjective word bank:
big // small
cute // dangerous
strong // clever
yummy // healthy
plus colours
Game 1:
Who can tell me a colour beginning with the letter y ?
Letter b ? Letter o ? g ? r ? p ? Letter w ?
Game 2:
Tell me an animal begins with the letter d Letter g Letter e Letter s Letter l Letter c Letter w Letter z
Game 3:
What is it ? Tell me about these animals. Use 2 adjectives.
EXAMPLE
It’s a cute white sheep
Now … your turn
Finally – tell me about the food
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
Here’s a compilation of video clips that can be used in class for listening skills, observation, collecting information, and for fun.
‘Screen Test’ was a children’s TV show on the BBC from 1970 – 1984. A group of children were shown short clips of films, then asked questions about what they had seen.
First up is a clip I’ve used several times, ‘Summer Holiday’ starring Cliff Richard and his backing band The Shadows.
1 Summer Holiday
What colour was the first car behind the bus ?
red // white // blue ?
2. What was the number of the bus ?
9 // 19 // 28 ?
3. What was the road sign at the beginning of the clip ?
London // Berlin // Paris ?
4. How many children wore a hat ?
1 // 2 // no children ?
5. How many men were riding bicycles ?
3 // 4 // 6 ?
6. What did Cliff, the driver, eat ?
a sandwich // a biscuit or cookie // nothing ?
BONUS POINTS – Can anyone sing the song – just two lines
“We’re all going on a summer holiday // we’re all going for a week or two.”
2 World’s tallest buildings
Questions
1) How tall was the Philadelphia City Hall ?
2) Where was the Singer Building ?
3) What year was the Bank of Manhattan Trust finished ?
4) How tall is the Chrysler Builder ?
5) The Empire State Building has two different heights – why ?
6) In what year did Chicago have the tallest building ?
7) What was the first tallest building in Asia ?
8) How tall is the Dubai Creek Tower planned to be ?
foundations of the Dubai Creek Tower
Answers: 1) 167m / 548 ft 2) New York City (NYC) 3) 1930 4) 319m / 1046 ft 5) first is height of building, second is height to the tip. 6) 1973 7) Petronas Tower in Malaysia 8) 1321m / 4351 ft
3 Ancient Egyptian Gods
Questions
1) What was the name of the Sun God ?
2) Which God was a writer ?
3) Anubis had the head of which animal ?
4) Would you see Nut in the day or night, and why ?
5) What was the name of the lioness ?
6) What animal was Bastet ?
Answers 1) Ra 2) Thoth 3) a jackal 4) night because she was the star goddess 5) Sekmet 6) a cat
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
Let’s kick off with an adjective review. What adjectives have you been taught recently ? I’ll give you a clue with the first letter:
f (means to be cheeky, a little impolite but in a funny way)
u (not usual, someone acting unlike their normal self)
p (very relevant, of interest at this time)
This is a test to see who has been making notes in class, and who has been coasting.
Hhhmmmm … this is not going to be a piece of cake
The answers are facetious, uncharacteristically & pertinent. For those that didn’t know, you now have to use them in a sentence. It may be one complex sentence, which would really impress me, or three basic sentences. What are you waiting for ?
If you learn English you will increase your job ____________
Nowadays, most young people are _____________ _________________ . They are able to use programs such as Word, ___________ & ________
When selecting a university, you may have to be ______________ in case you don’t get into your first choice.
Getting a great, well-paying job is essential if you want a high ________________________ .
One student moved to Boston where the temperature can drop to below freezing. He’s really having ________ to the new culture.
My actor friend is busy 24/7, attending parties, setting up meeting, pitching ideas and Tweeting. That guy is constantly ______________ .
Phew ! Thay Paul is a Tiger Teacher
Class Game
Split class into two teams.
One team selects an idiom and the other team has to use it, correctly of course, in a sentence.
EXAMPLE:
I would love this guitar, a left-handed Rickenbacker which is a famous American company with a very distinctive look and sound yet, to my dismay, it costs ______________________
Idioms from Semester 2
Another string to (your) bow – a new skill or learning experience
bear with me – please wait a very short time (usually spoken as opposed to written)
bit of a sore point – something that makes you sad or angry
down in the dumps – depressed, unhappy, feeling gloomy
hit the ground running – to start something immediately and with all your energy
like a madhouse – a place or area that is crazy, too noisy, too busy etc
run of the mill – ordinary, typical, normal, usual, boring
up in arms – to be very angry about something, to protest strongly
you take your life in your hands – doing something that is extremely dangerous
Idioms from Semester 1
Which you should all know by heart and be able to reel off at the drop of a hat.
it’s raining cats and dogs
it costs an arm and a leg
piece of cake
I’m burning the candle at both ends
once in a blue moon
pass with flying colours
Remember these old chestnuts ?
without further ado // tricks up your sleeve // ace the test
pass with flying colours // do yourself proud //
you are in the driver seat(or you are in the driving seat) //
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
My Princess requested some extra help with reading and gleaning information from text. Therefore, I prepared this little exercise about a Truly unique musical icon, David Bowie.
David Bowie was born David Robert Jones in Brixton, South London, England, on January 8, 1947. Bowie’s first hit was the song ‘Space Oddity’ in 1969. The original pop chameleon, Bowie became a fantastical sci-fi character for his breakout Ziggy Stardust album. He later co-wrote ‘Fame’ with Carlos Alomar and John Lennon, which became his first American No. 1 single in 1975. An accomplished actor, Bowie starred in The Man Who Fell to Earth in 1976. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Shortly after releasing his final album, ‘Black Star’, Bowie died from cancer on January 10, 2016.
Black Star
Ziggy Stardust
Questions
1. When was David Bowie born ?
2. What was his first hit ?
3. What was the name of his breakout album (LP) ?
4. With whom did he co-write ‘Fame’ ?
5. What film did he star in ?
6. When was he inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame ?
7. When did David pass away ?
8. What was his last LP ?
Now … IELTS language
Your turn to be a chameleon. Change this run of the mill passage into a piece of text worthy of an IELTS student.
Today, David Bowie’s music is (everywhere) (but) this wasn’t always the case. When he was (beginning phrasal verb) he was not successful, and he felt (sad – use an idiom). People only heard his music on the radio (rarely – use an idiom). However, by (not giving up) he finally archived fame.
He worked incredibly hard (idiom) and played concerts across the USA. He (idiom) by acting in a big movie in 1976. Unfortunately, the Rock ‘n’ Roll lifestyle was (bad) to his health, so he decided to (idiom), stop his bad habits, and move to Berlin, Germany.
Today, Bowie memorabilia can (idiom); for example, a lock of his hair sells for over £12, 000. That is out of this world !
Bye bye from David Bowie
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
Part 3 of the speaking test can be tremendously daunting. However, with some tricks up your sleeve, you will be able to ace the test, pass with flying colours and do yourself proud.
Right off the bat, relax … be cool. You merely have to:
1) demonstrate you understand the question
2) demonstrate you have IELTS-standard language to respond
3) reply based on either your opinion or experience. YOU DECIDE
As per usual, let’s kick off with a killer introduction
Prepare some expressions so you can adapt them for the specific question. To refresh your memory:
Well, that’s a very complicated question …
What a hard question, I may have to think about this
I’m not sure I know how to answer that because I don’t have enough information, however …
Next stage is to explain how you’re going to answer:
in my experience
allow me to tell you what I do
I can’t speak about other people, but I …
Finally you answer, only now, YOU are in control, you are in the driver’s seat.
Respond in a way that will earn you points. We want to hear low-frequency words, idioms, phrasal verbs, vernacular (“big time !”).
Furthermore, frame your answers in complex sentences, use body language and intonation and stress.
If you can illustrate your response with an anecdote, all the better.
Examples
What do you think schools will be like in the future ?
This type of question invites you to give YOUR thoughts (“In my opinion,” etc)
Well, I’m currently in my last year of high school, so this is a very pertinent question for me. Naturally, I can’t foresee the future however, I could offer some predictions though, of course, this is just my opinion.
To start with, I can only speak about …… (say your country) as I don’t know enough about the educational systems in other countries.
For me, I feel that technology will play a greater part in schools, such as using the internet, working on tablets and joining online groups. Personally, I’m in a small Facebook group to help with learning English and I find it tremendously helpful and rewarding.
On the other hand, this can be extremely expensive. Providing tablets for a whole school will cost an arm and a leg, so maybe this will only occur in private schools. Furthermore, as the population increases, there will be many more students. This could lead, inevitably, to larger class sizes.
I really hope our system continues to improve although we have to be realistic; higher standards means higher costs … but I feel it will be worth the expense.
Now, that was quite a long reply but let’s break it down:
The first paragraph personalises the question, as well as adapting an introduction expression.
The second explains how you are going to answer.
The third states your main point. Moreover, it includes an anecdote (this doesn’t have to be true).
The fourth gives an opposing view – thus affording you the chance to use a discourse marker, to alter your body language and intonation, and to throw in an idiom for good measure. Also, some L-FWs, which are always impressive (if used correctly).
The final paragraph is to conclude and is, as you can clearly see, purely personal. Did you also notice the poetic repetition ? Allow me to point it out – “Higher standards means higher costs.”
Piece of cake, right ?
See you in the next blog
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
Apart from idioms, phrasal verbs and low-frequency words (LFW), IELTS students need a collection of expressions and collocations to spice up their English.
With that in mind, here are some notes from the previous lesson, along with revision exercises and a splattering of vibrant vocabulary.
As for speaking tests, I listened to eight students last week and only heard one complex sentence. Now, it wasn’t one of my classes; my students know exactly what I will do if they don’t speak in IELTS-style sentences:
I just jammed around with two key words: ‘heart’ & ‘gold’.
Exercise 1: define these expressions & idioms
HEART
a heart of gold
a heart to heart
hand on heart
heart-felt greetings
heartbreaking
a heart of stone
GOLD
King Midas
The bard of Stratford
a heart of gold (yes, again, it’s called practice)
as good as gold
the golden touch
golden handshake
silence is golden (especially when one works in Vietnam)
Exercise 2: use these expressions & idiomsin an IELTS style, employing complex sentence(s).
EXAMPLE: My mother, who works incredibly long shifts at the hospital, has a heart of gold. Even when she is exhausted, she always finds time for me.
facetious // uncharacteristically // overheads // euphemism // lingua franca // prima donna
shaking in my boots // going to powder my nose // going to see a man about a dog // footloose and fancy free
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
Comes from a song written by Robert Charles Guidry, and released in 1955. The lines are:
“See you later, alligator, after while, crocodile.”
Crocodiles are bigger and more aggressive than alligators. A crocodile’s snout is V-shaped, an alligator’s is U-shaped. Viewed from the front, a crocodile will display both sets of teeth while the alligator only shows the top row.
Crocodiles
Crocodile tears
Meaning: shedding fake tears
“He acted like he was sad but they were just crocodile tears.”
Bats
Blind as a bat
Meaning: to have very bad eyesight
“I can’t see without my glasses, I’m blind as a bat.”
Bats, actually, are not blind but have very sensitive vision, especially for seeing in the dark. However, bats use a form of sonar called echolocation to search for food, and to help with navigation. They do this by producing sound waves above the range of human hearing. Additionally, the belief that bats always turn left when flying out of a cave is simply not true.
Buffalo
To be buffaloed
Meaning: to be confused, puzzled, or tricked by someone. This, I believe, is an idiom from the USA although I have never come across it, either in life or in the media.
Buffalos are native to Africa and Asia, bison in the USA and Europe. Although related, they are different species. Buffalo Bill, a soldier, hunter and showman, should really have been named Bison Bill
Butterfly
The butterfly effect
Meaning: a small, insignificant action can have enormous consequences. Based on Chaos Theory; if a butterfly flaps its wing in Brazil, will it cause a hurricane in Japan ?
The link between butterflies and Chaos Theory is actually based on the patterns made on paper when recording data:
Camels
The straw that broke the camel’s back
Meaning: a small but final event that causes someone to react strongly
“My boss kept making me overtime, but when he told me I had to work on my free day, I quit ! It was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
A perennial question in my Young Learners’ class is “What does a camel store in its hump ?” the answer being fat (not water). Furthermore, camels have three sets of eyelashes. However it is perhaps not so widely known that camel milk is incredibly healthy.
Cows
Until the cows come home
Meaning: some thing that will take a long time, last a long time, or will never happen
“Steven owes me money but I’ll be waiting until the cows come home before he pays me.”
In the Marx Brothers film ‘Duck Soup’ (1933) Groucho declares, “I could dance with you ’til the cows come home. On second thoughts, I’d rather dance with the cows ’til you come home.”
Cows have 32 teeth but lack upper front ones. They have great memories and sense organs, being able to smell something up to six miles away.
Deer
Like a deer caught in the headlights
Meaning: paralysed with fear, unable to move. Totally shocked or surprised and unable to speak or react.
“When his mum caught him at the mall instead of being at school he was like a deer caught in the headlights.”
The Chinese water deer is the only species of deer not to have antlers. Deers, apart from having a great sense of smell and hearing, have a wide field of vision due to their eyes being on the side of their heads.
Ducks
Water off a duck’s back
Meaning: something done or said that has no effect
“She kept insulting her boyfriend about his laziness and being a slob but it was all water off a duck’s back.”
See you later, alligator !
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
Complex sentences, which use relative pronouns and subordinate clauses, are imperative in attaining a respectable IELTS score.
You will, no doubt, experience a feeling of triumph once you have mastered this technique which, I admit, does require extra effort on your part but will, without a shadow of a doubt, enable you to attain the score for which you are aiming.
And now, without further ado, let’s kick off. First, a warm-up. Of today’s three highlighted expressions, which would you use:
1 when you are certain or 100% sure about something
2 to start immediately, with no more interruptions
3 to express great happiness when you have achieved or won something
Answers at end of blog
Here are some standard IELTS-type questions, followed by a typical answer and then, by way of comparison, an extended response to demonstrate improvements.
1 Tell me about your hometown
2 How often do you go online ?
3 What jobs will be important in your country in the future ?
4 Tell me about a time you received good news
An average answer, which would probably result in a middle score, around 4 – 5 would be, to take one example, (Number 2):
I go online every day because I need the internet to help me study. I use the internet to check new words in English. I go online for information for my work.
What do you notice about this ? Firstly, what are the mistakes ?
The candidate answers the question immediately; a sentence leading into the response will make for a longer answer.
The second sentence is acceptable for providing more information although I advise students to be careful in case they start deviating from the subject.
Lastly, the third sentence just repeats what has already been said, even using the same phrase “I go online“, and then explaining the reason for using the internet NOT how often it is used.
Here’s a different way of answering
Well, that’s interesting because I have internet access at school, at home and on my phone so I would say I’m absolutely online every day. How much time I spend online varies from day to day, but I am probably online about three hours daily, sometimes more if I have a project or if I’m playing a cool game.
See how this answer only uses two sentences , but is far superior. Let’s break down how it earns points.
Initially, we have a short introduction and then the question is answered directly in the first, extended sentence.
Secondly, the opening sentence includes a list of three, so this is a chance to practise speech rhythm (one, two and three) – remember, you get points by HOW you say something as well as what you say.
Thirdly, the answer uses three everyday adverbs (highlighted); ‘so‘ can also be used as an adverb, but here it is a conjunction (a word such as ‘and’, ‘but’, etc).
Additionally, the sentences employs an expression, “from day to day,” which examiners like to hear, as it shows familiarity with vernacular language.
Lastly, the candidate explains the reasons for being online, and how it affects the time spent on the internet.
Now … your turn
Try to answer the same question, following this pattern.
Now … let’s move on.
Question 1: Tell me about your hometown.
This time, I will give you facts and you arrange in an answer.
My hometown is Da Nang. Fifth largest city in Viet Nam. Is in Central Vietnam. Near historic town Hoi An. Important port. Many tourists. Has a cable car and a dragon bridge. Famous for its beach.
Thank you for letting me introduce to you my hometown which is Da Nang, one of the biggest cities in Vietnam, although it is much smaller than Ha Noi or Sai Gon. My hometown is in the middle, sorry, I mean in central Viet Nam, and had many tourists. They come to see many things such as the Dragon Bridge, go on the cable car or for swimming. Also, Da Nang is very near many famous place such as Hoi An. As it is on the coast, my hometown is also a busy port.
Check for
Introduction
Information in first sentence
Discourse marker ‘although‘
Correcting a mistake in line 3
A list of three items in lines 4 and 5
Can you spot two grammatical errors ?
Change of sentence structure in the last line: instead of saying,
“My hometown is also a busy port because it is on the coast,”
I started with the end of that sentence (“it is on the coast,”) and replaced ‘because’ with ‘as’ (though because would also be all right to use).
Dragon Bridge at Da Nang. Bye bye – see you next blog
Answers:
1 = without a shadow of a doubt
2 = without further ado
3 = feeling of triumph
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
Totem poles, which are large carved and painted logs, were created by Native Americans in western Canada and the north-west of the USA.
How many animals can you see ?
As you can see, they can be very beautiful, colourful and mysterious. Totem poles are usually made from only one piece of wood, mostly from the cedar tree.
Unfortunately the rainy climate destroys the paint, so most totem poles only last about 70 years.
How tall can they be ?
The tallest one still standing is Kalama, Washington, at 140 feet tall. However, that wasn’t made by a Native American.
In Alert Bay, British Columbia, a pole is 173 feet but that is constructed from two pieces of wood.
The thickest totem pole is in Duncan, British Columbia, at over 6 feet in diameter.
Centennial Pole from 1988, in Duncan, British Columbia.
What are they for ?
Totem poles can stand outside a home, and tell the story of that family. Some are used as grave markers. The word totem means a guardian or ancestor. They are respected by the family.
The interesting figures on the poles tell stories, and each animal has a meaning.
How to read a totem pole
You can see many animals carved here:
The thunderbird is a mythical creature. The bird is said to control the weather, and it represents power.
The raven is a symbol of the Creator.
The eagle means peace and friendship.
The whale shows strength.
The snake means change, and maybe also medicine and good harvest (because snakes shed their skins).
The wolf means loyalty and family (because wolves live in packs).
The beaver means determination and creativity (because they are amazing builders).
Finally, the bear represents strength and authority but also motherhood and teaching.
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
Thay Paul's Notes 