Collocations
What is a
collocationA
collocation is a combination of two or more words which frequently occur
together.
If
someone says, 'She's got yellow hair, they would probably be understood, but it
is not what would
ordinarily be said in English. We'd say, 'She's got blond hair'. In other
words, yellow doesn't
collocate with hair in everyday English. Yellow
however collocates with flowers, or jacket, or brick road. It can be
difficult for learners of English to know which words col
Stuck at a 6.0 in writing?
Dec 16 2020
| Category:
IELTS
1. Unnecessary Use of SynonymsAvoid Certain synomyms for child, children, and parents.Most candidates make the mistake of thinking that using synonyms will improve their IELTS score. This is not entirely correct. Using the right word at the right place is a lot, lot, lot more important that using synonyms for otherwise common words.Many test takers use words like progeny, younglings, offspring, among others. With respect to IELTS, these words are almost always wrong. 'Children', 'youngster
IELTS Writing Task 2 Band 9 - Ageing
Dec 01 2020
| Category:
IELTS
Question
Many believe that we need to change the way the society and government treats our elders.
What is your opinion on this? What changes do we need to bring in to care more for our elderly?
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.
Write at least 250 words
Here is an analysis of the question
There are two sub parts within the question! One is asking for your opinion, the other is about what cou
Writing Better Mails
Emails have long become the de-facto form of communication. Thanks to this, a volume of email is sent and received. This makes it imperative for communication over emails to be clear, precise, and unequivocal (meaning, there is only one way of understanding something)Here are some tips that will help you send better letters/emails:1. Send brief, clear messages.The shorter the email, the greater the chance it will be read. Using short clear sentences is always a better way of presenting inf
UKVI Proposed Changes for 2021
Oct 14 2020
| Category:
General Interest
The immigration rules are set to change. And like it happens with the latest iPhones, the news about the proposed changes has leaked. Unlike with the iPhones, there is a lot of fake news floating around. Here is something that we know and we will keep things updated as and when they happen!If you are one of those who find it boring to read, the short version is that, nothing much has changed, except for that fact that there is more emphasis on English language proficiency.Let's take each of thes
...and the UK opens its doors!
Oct 08 2020
| Category:
General Interest
If you are looking to go abroad and do it the easy way - going to the UK is now the best step forward. Scholarships!The UK border control has now opened doors to foreign students who wish to study abroad, and to those who wish to someday make UK their home. The news only gets better, students are in some cases eligible for scholarships ranging from £1000 to £4000 depending on the course and the university.Work Permits!There is more! UK will now allow all incoming students to work! Ap
IELTS Actual Writing Task 2 - 2020 - 9 Band Sample
Aug 30 2020
| Category:
IELTS
Air Travel - Only for the rich?
The advances in air travel are focused only in first class and this seems to have left others with no benefits at all.
Do you agree or disagree?
IELTS Writing Task 1: Process Diagram: Band 9 Sample Answer
Aug 29 2020
| Category:
IELTS
The diagram shows the life-cycle of a volcanic island. Write a 150-word report for a university lecturer describing the features in the diagram.
IELTS August 2020 - Writing Task 1 Academic - Sample Band 9 Answer
Aug 28 2020
| Category:
IELTS
The bar chart above shows the production of the world’s oil in OPEC and non-OPEC countries.
Write a short report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.
Write at least 150 words.
IELTS August 2020 - Writing Task 1 General - Sample Band 9 Answer
Aug 27 2020
| Category:
IELTS
One of your friends lives in another country. You want to spend some time working in that country. Write a letter to your friend.
In your letter, you should: describe why you want to work in that country
tell him/her about your skills and experience
ask some questions related to work (e.g. wage/salary)Note: The highlighted part of the text shows the right way to make sure subject agrees with the verb. One of your (many) friends lives (singular verb). For more learning, you can take a f
IELTS - Writing Task 1 - Letter Band 9 Sample
Aug 26 2020
| Category:
IELTS
You work at an office and you need new equipment to do your job well; write to your manager about this. In your letter:
explain about the equipment you need
say why you need it
say what you want the manager to do
IELTS - Writing Task 2 - Band 9 Sample
Topic on Arts
Some people think that art is an essential subject for children at school while other think it is a waste of time
Discuss both sides and give your opinion
IELTS August 2020 - Writing Task 2 Question - Sample Band 9 Answer
Aug 24 2020
| Category:
IELTS
Picture Courtesy: https://liancho.com
Question - August 2020
Some people believe that scientists must take advantage of the progress of science to bring back extinct species, while the other believe that it will have unforeseen consequences.
Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
Idioms-about-hands
The phone buzzed. It was picked up. I picked it up, and I saw a message from one of the many, ordinary, routine, right-handed dudette telling me today is the day we celebrate left-handedness. Well, I did not know if it is a tongue-in-cheek thing. But, I decided that it did not matter. Though people call me lefthanded, I do have two hands. And only one of them is my left-hand.The last time I checked (which was just now), I used both hands equally. Yes, equally. I might do more things with one tha
Togo (2019) - Review
Aug 11 2020
| Category:
General Interest
I was talking to a veterinarian friend of mine about books, and like it always does, the conversation turned to dogs and by the time afternoon turned to evening, I was looking to set-up my weekday evening date with Togo.The date was, to quote Willem Defoe, memorable.It entertains, it teaches, it takes us to edges of things. It also tells us that the best way to coax a dog to rage against a storm is to quote Shakespeare. How?As the movie blitzes between the ice-storm hells of Norton Sound, Alaska
...and the UK opens its doors!
Aug 08 2020
If you are looking to go abroad and do it the easy way - going to the UK is now the best step forward. Scholarships!The UK border control has now opened doors to foreign students who wish to study abroad, and to those who wish to someday make UK their home. The news only gets better, students are in some cases eligible for scholarships ranging from £1000 to £4000 depending on the course and the university.Work Permits!There is more! UK will now allow all incoming students to work! Ap
SAT Scholarships | Get Full Funding | SAT Coaching
Jul 17 2020
| Category:
General Interest
,
SAT
A lot of us worry about SAT. Some of us worry as parents, and the others as test takers. Whichever classification we fall into, one thing is certain, the main reason for worry, apart from the basely human desire to climb the number mountain, is scholarships. Things are compounded by the fact that there is no clear information about if, we do get scholarships, and how to go about getting them. Let us break this down into bite sized chunks:
1. Do we get scholarships?
The simplest, and perhaps th
IELTS Post-pandemic and US Admissions
Jul 13 2020
| Category:
General Interest
,
IELTS
The pandemic has affected the lives and plans of everyone across the world. With international travel restrictions still in effect, a lot of students and potential immigrants are now waiting to figure out what their next step would be.
One of the first steps for most would be their IELTS exam followed by getting their passports stamped, before they can fly to their favoured destinations. If you are among the many who are stuck not knowing what to do, worrying about the decision taken by Trump
Lockdown Trains and Furniture
May 11 2020
| Category:
General Interest
Another day under lockdown, and some more news of more people being affected by the virus, and some hand-wringing by people in power, and then some more empty-talk of living with the virus. We have heard it all, we have seen it all, and we are now on the verge of frustration that is leading us to want to give it all up.Hold on. There is definitely going to be life after this, and if the way humanity has been going on all these years is any proof, life after this is going to be just the same as t
Coronavirus Vaccine
May 06 2020
| Category:
General Interest
The moment the world has been waiting for seems to be arriving, and soon. The vaccine for the dreaded CoViD-19 looks like it is on its merry way to us. Researchers from many countries are simulaneously working on finding a cure. Each is taking a different approach, and if reports are to be believed, several approaches seem to be yielding results.The first one was the much publicised research which has reached the human trials stage at the University of Oxford. Now, it is the turn of Germany and
IELTS Band 9 sample 8 - Task 2
Apr 05 2020
| Category:
IELTS
Question #8
More and more children are becoming involved in crime today. Society must be concerned with this.
What do you think are the reasons behind the increase in crime and what could be done about this?
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence.
Write at least 250 words
Here is an analysis of the question
There are two sub parts within the question! One is asking for reasons behind this. The o
IELTS Band 9 Sample 7 - Task 1 - Graph
Apr 02 2020
| Category:
IELTS
Question #6
The bar graph below gives information on the number of children and older people as a percentage of the
population in two different years, 1971 and 2002. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the
main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words
IELTS Band 9 Sample 6 - Task 1 - Graph
Apr 01 2020
| Category:
IELTS
Question #6
The graphs below show the number of people migrating to and from Ireland and New Zealand over a certain period.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words
IELTS Band 9 sample 5 - Task 2
Mar 29 2020
Question #5
Today, many families find it necessary for both parents to
go out to work. While some say the children in these families benefit from the
additional income, others feel they lack support because of their parents'
absence.
What do you think? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples form your knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words
Here is an analysis of the question
There are two points of view presented! You need to talk
IELTS Band 9 sample 4 - Task 2
Mar 28 2020
Question #4
School children are becoming far too dependent on computers. This is having an
alarming effect on reading and writing skills. Teachers need to avoid using
computers in the classroom at all costs and go back to teaching basic study
skills.
Do you agree or disagree?
Write at least 250 words
Here is an analysis of the question
These types of questions can be confusing! The question is not about computers but about teaching methods. The answer should be abou
IELTS Band 9 sample 3 - Task 2
Question #3
Climate change is a phenomenon that affects countries all over the world. Many people strongly believe that it is the responsibility of individuals, rather than corporations and governments, to deal with this problem. To what extent do you agree?
Write at least 250 words
Here is an analysis of the question
The questions asks about the extent of your agreement. It could be partly, fully, not at all, or anything else that falls between those. Remember The ques
IELTS Band 9 sample 2 - Task 2
Question 2
More and more qualified people are moving from poor to rich countries to fill vacancies in specialist areas like engineering, computing and medicine. Some people believe that by encouraging the movement of such people, rich countries are stealing from poor countries. Others feel that this is only part of the natural movement of workers around the world.
Which viewpoint do you agree with? Why?
Write at least 250 words
Here is an analysis of the question
The
IELTS Band 9 sample 1 - Task 2
Question 1
Many newspapers and magazines feature stories about the private lives of famous people. We know what they eat, where they buy their clothes and who they love. We also often see pictures of them in private situations. Is it appropriate for a magazine or newspaper to give this kind of private information about people?Give reasons for your answer.
Write at least 250 words.
The purpose of newspapers, as their name suggests, is to present news. The issue however, is how th
Translation and Meaning of Sittarala Sirapadu
Mar 02 2020
| Category:
General Interest
Regional and folk songs seem to be all the rage these days. From the super popular daari choodu dummu choodu, to the incredibly popular Penimiti to the ya.. ya.. song, the secret to block-busting the box office seems to be the inclusion of a folk song retuned to the tastes of the milennial audiences. On the lines of these songs comes the staggeringly well-sung and well picturised Sittaraala Sirapadu from Ala...Vaikunthapuramulo...
Here are the lyrics and the translation of the song:Sitt
6 Tips for a Killer SOP
Feb 24 2020
| Category:
General Interest
,
GRE
What to write in an SOP and what not write in an SOP are questions that seem to constantly confuse candidates seeking admissions. The more the candidate, the more there are posts about how an SOP should be. The bottom line is that, just as every person has had different experiences, every university, and every program, and every chair has different expectations from the SOP.However, the general rule is that an SOP should be about you as a potential student at the university, and not about what m
OET Exam Awareness
Hope you have all had a great Valentine's day! 💕Especially the cardiologists among you! 😉We get a lot of queries about coaching for OET, and unsurprisingly, many who wish to take coaching only want to do so because they are not always aware of the nuances of the test. They have command over language in general, and they have been dealing with patients and already know what it is to be a medical professional. However, the fact that they would be soon taking a test, no matter how simple, som
There or Their?
We at First Academy have the fortune of learning on the job. As teachers of English, we are naturally among the first to encounter the most common mistakes people make and encounter them on a regular basis. The one mistake that usually takes the cake is the difficulty most people face in understanding the difference between there, they’re (they are) and their.Here is a short primer on what these words mean and how to use them correctly. Be it IELTS or PTE or CELPIP or any other English test wh
IELTS Pattern Changes – January 2020
Jan 29 2020
| Category:
IELTS
There seems to be only one news that seems to be more popular now than the changes in the IELTS test – and that is news about Coronavirus. Since we are more in tune with the first and not with the latter, we will now talk about the changes in IELTS.TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read) Version: The Changes Do Not Matter!If you still want to know what those changes are, continue reading.
🦻Only in Listening!
There are changes only in the listening section of the test. All other sections r
Samajavaragamana - Lyrics, Translation, Meaning, Background
Jan 20 2020
| Category:
General Interest
This song has become something of a hot property. Everyone knows how to look for the meaning of the word, and by now everyone knows the meaning of samajavaragamana. However, we could not find any proper translations that explained the context. This is where the post comes in.
🐘 Some Back Story
This word originally (samajavaragamana) became popular because of a thyagaraja keertana of the same name. This is a song about Lord Krishna. It describes how he moves - like an elephant - wit
IELTS Myths
IELTS is easily the most popular English proficiency test. It’s robust structure, and integrity is making it a valuable language assessment tool. Familiarity breeds contempt, and prevalence breeds misconception. Here are a few common misconceptions about IELTS.IELTS is difficultIELTS is neither tricky nor difficult. It starts off easy, and as you progress, so does the level of complexity. This is designed to gently take the test taker into higher levels of language without the test taker feeli
Three tips for 8 band in Speaking
Getting a 7 band in speaking is very easy. Start with these 3 easy tips and ace the test. These are tips that will work for everyone, and work quickly.
If you are looking for a great score in IELTS, you will need to first understand how IELTS is evaluated. IELTS makes this really easy. There is something called the speaking band descriptor that provides a detailed report of all the parameters that IELTS looks at while evaluating a candidate’s proficiency in English.
In this article we will
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