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  A deep dive into IELTS Matching Headings Questions

  17 August 2021

  A deep dive into IELTS Matching Headings Hopefully, you have already completed our Introduction to IELTS Matching Headings questions and so know the basic techniques for approaching these questions well. If you haven’t, I strongly recommend that you click on this link to complete the lesson now. Too many students rely on skimming or scanning to find the answers, or just reading the first and last lines of a paragraph. Neither of those techniques work and will leave you feeling confused and frustrated  But, what do you do if you are already using good technique but still cannot find the correct answers? Well, you are definitely not alone. IELTS Matching Headings questions continue to be the most difficult for many students,[…]

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  IELTS General Training Reading Multiple Matching

  20 July 2021

  IELTS General Training Reading Multiple Matching You know how some people like to relax by doing a crossword puzzle of a sudoko? Well, my ideal way to unwind would be doing dozens and dozens of IELTS General Training Reading Multiple Matching questions! You may think that I am joking, but I am 100% serious! Of all the IELTS reading questions, they are by far my favourite as they are quick and easy to complete and it is always clear when you have found the correct answer. So, join Nick and I today as we look at the three types of multiple matching questions to show you how you can master them. Below, you can find a summary of the episode, which[…]

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  IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions

  16 March 2021

  IELTS Reading Multiple Choice Questions Hey! It’s time for another interactive lesson! Yes, after the popularity of our Headings Match, and True / False / Not Given episodes, we are back with another immersive podcast. Today, Nick and I look at IELTS reading multiple choice questions to show you the two best ways to approach this type of question, and four “examiner’s tricks” that you may not be aware of! Plus, we will explain why this type of question is absolutely unlike any other in the test as it is important that you read the passage before you check the four possible answers. What? You are advising us to read without a purpose? Of course not! We just think that[…]

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  My IELTS Classroom Podcast Episodes 38: IELTS Heading Matching

  15 December 2020

  IELTS Heading Matching Last week Nick and I looked at box matching questions, which I think are the most difficult type in the IELTS listening test. Today, we turn our attention to IELTS heading matching, which, once again, is probably the most challenging in the reading test. The sad thing about headings match questions is that not only are they genuinely the most difficult to answer as they test you ability to summarise information, but they are made doubly-difficult by all of the poor advice given online about how to tackle them. In today’s episode, Nick and I complete two IELTS headings matching questions (one GT and one academic) to show you the right way to approach these questions (and[…]

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  My IELTS Classroom Podcast 24: Unlocking IELTS True False Not Given Questions

  08 September 2020

  Unlocking IELTS True False Not Given Questions Hey! Yes, it’s finally here – our episode about IELTS True False Not Given questions! TEN students requested that we have a lesson about this when we asked for listener questions two weeks ago, so I thought we would have a separate episode to go through how you should approach these questions, what you should actually check for when you are reading and, of course, how to choose between false and not given. This is an interactive lesson – you can download the reading text and questions on this link: https://tinyurl.com/y2z3rps9 The text that we will use today is taken and adapted from the 1st edition of “Focus on IELTS”, which was written by[…]

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  The WORST way to prepare for IELTS reading and listening!

  19 June 2020

  The worst way to prepare for IELTS reading and listening! How do you prepare for IELTS reading and listening? I think that for 99% of students, the answer is just “practice, practice, practice”. But almost every week, I get an email or a message on Facebook from a student that looks like this: Hey Shelly, I have finished Cambridge books 5 – 14. Can you recommend another source for reading and listening practice? Many thanks, Student Messages like this make me really sad because there is no reason at all for any student to ever run out of Cambridge practice tests! In fact, if your way to prepare for IELTS reading and listening is simply doing practice test after practice test,[…]

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  My IELTS Classroom Podcast 4: Introduction to IELTS Reading

  10 April 2020

  Introduction to the IELTS Reading Test Hey! Welcome to the fourth lesson in our IELTS 101 series – an Introduction to IELTS reading. Today, Nick and I will talk you through the basic facts of the IELTS reading test, such as how long it lasts, the type of texts you can expect to find in each part, and the type of questions you will have to answer. Then, we will have a more detailed discussion about the different types of reading skills that the IELTS test targets and how you should approach each question (spoiler – scanning does not work for every question!). 

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  IELTS True, False, Not Given – I understand the technique, so why can’t I find the correct answers?!

  26 April 2018

  IELTS True, False, Not Given – I understand the technique, so why can’t I find the correct answers?! We learned A LOT ​in my first post about IELTS True, False, Not Given questions. We learned how to identify keywords (even in difficult passages); what the difference between true, false, and not given REALLY is; and how important it is to go back to the beginning of a sentence (or even a paragraph) when you are reading in detail for the answer. ​ But, here’s the thing, even after learning these skills and practicing them for hours, many students still find that they have problems answering IELTS T/F/NG questions, and they don’t know WHY. And so, they reach a road block and get stuck 🚧. I mean,[…]

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  IELTS True / False / Not Given: The Basics

  22 March 2018

  IELTS True / False / Not Given: The Basics Are you confused by IELTS True / False / Not Given questions? Well, you are not alone. They really are question that seems to confuse IELTS test-takers most. I mean, what is the difference between False and Not Given? And if you can scan for the answers, why aren’t they easier to find?  Well, in today’s blog, I hope to finally clear up all of the basic questions you might have about True /False / Not Given questions AND look at where you might be going wrong. But first, let’s look at

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  Common Words in the IELTS General Training Reading Test

  08 March 2018

  Common Words in the IELTS General Training Reading Test Hey! If you are a General Training test-taker, do you ever get the feeling of deja-vu when you do multiple practice exams? The feeling that even though the texts have changed, the questions you are being asked seem to be the same? Well, if you have, WELL DONE 🎉. You’re right – the same words are used again and again . And, that’s what I want to look at in today’s blog: the words that most commonly tested in Sections 1 and 2.

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