IELTS

In the second part of the series, we will look at use of Another and Other, and along the way also take a look at use of Articles. Most of us already know that A and An are articles to indicate non specific nouns, while the is used for specific nouns. Extending from this, Another simply is the combination of the two words an and other. So, when we are using Another or other, it means we are looking at nonspecific noun.  Ex: This pen is not writing well. Give me another. (Any other pen) Howe

This article is details 6 pointers which will help you score high on the OET writing subtest. 1. Who are you writing to? ❔ The answer to this question has the potential to completely change the geography of the letter you are going to write. Are you writing to a doctor or a caretaker or a nurse? If you are writing to a doctor, are you writing to a general physician, or a gynaecologist, or a neurologist? Understanding this will give you an understanding of what to look for in the case notes.

There are several seemingly simple words and expressions that test takers regularly encounter. Seemingly because these words have different meanings in different contexts. Understanding what these mean and when can mean the difference between selecting a right answer and being saddled with a lower than expected score. Take for instance the following expressions: Here are a few common words that are used in questions and reading comprehension passages. Take a look:

Reading in the IELTS, GRE, PTE, OET, TOEFL tests is not about reading aloud but being able to understand the texts. Sometimes understanding texts can be difficult due to unfamiliar words or challenging sentence structure.There are various reasons why words might be  unfamiliar to a reader. One of them could be culture. An American, for instance, might not immediately figure out what lorry is, since Americans use the word truck. The same goes with biscuits and cookies. This could be a hurd

The test is in 4 Parts. Answer the questions as you listen. Fill in the answers in the blanks below!Audio : https://firstacademy.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Paraphrase-Listening.mp3?_=1The full PDF of the test is available here:  https://firstacademy.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/FULL-LISTENING-TEST.pdf

Continuing from Part 1 of the article on clauses: Let us now look at complex sentences. A complex sentence is one that has a Main (or independent) clause (an independent clause is something that can form sentences on their own and are finite) along with subordinate (or dependent) clauses (These cannot form sentences on their own.) Look at some examples below. The parts in bold are the main clauses (can work as independent sentences while the parts in italics are dependent clauses (do not wo

Understanding how sentences work is very important. For you to be able to do that, you will have to know how to construct them. This short quiz will present you with 8 different sentences. Try and reconstruct those sentences using the word in bold. You might have to use phrases and idiomatic expressions where necessary.

If you want to read better, you will absolutely need to understand how a sentence works. This will allow us to break a sentence down into easily understandable pieces. Each of these bite-sized pieces is called a clause. A clause is the basic unit of grammar. Usually, a main clause is made up of a subject (s) (a noun phrase) and a verb phrase (v). [Subject]Ram [Verb]called.  This is an example of a simple sentence. However, when one is reading, we do not just encounter simple sentences. Most

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 there. 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

The only problem with my sister is that she is always splitting hairs. Does it mean that she’s a hair dresser? Or does her hair have split ends, and that she needs to visit a salon or a hairdresser? Not really. Expressions of this kind have become part of everyday English, and have naturally filtered into language that is used in tests. If you are not aware of what these expressions mean, there is a danger of you misunderstanding what has been presented. The 12 idioms listed here all fall

This is going to be an article that we are going to come back to once every two months are so. In this series, we will be looking at idioms that have appeared in newspapers and articles. This means two things – these idioms are commonly used and indicate a fluency in language, the second, if you are taking an advanced test like the GRE or the GMAT, these are things that they expect you to know. Here are the idioms you will look at today: Leap of faith Falling on deaf ears Full steam

Here are 20 Expressions and words that you need to know to ace you exam.There are a few words and phrases that occur fairly commonly no matter what exam you take. Understanding these phrases will make it easy for your to crack the reading comprehension section or might just be able to help you understand the question better. In many cases the fifteen expressions that follow are used in contexts where many questions appear. Be familiar with these and you will ace the competitive tests. GRE? Sure.

Read this article about Vancouver. A city in Canada. “Vancouver is a wonder city,” Canadian author Stephen Leacock once wrote. “It has the combined excellence of nature’s gift and man’s handiwork.” Today this statement rings truer than ever. The glittering glass metropolis – set against temperate rainforest, ocean inlets, and the Coast Mountains of British Columbia – keeps finding new ways to shine. Over the past five years, the city has taken important steps toward reconciliat

Stay Tuned for the next part! 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. 1. IELTS is difficult IELTS 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

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

Situated in the east-coast, Fairleigh Dickinson University has become a popular destination for Indian students. Among the many benefits FDU provides, here are a few: A) Scholarships in the USA FDU offers up to 9000USD scholarship for all deserving international students. This scholarship is the reflection of student’s GPA and GRE scores. B) Location FDU is located in New Jersey. Its a centrally located city in the east coast amidst many technology companies. It is also a ston

The Most Awesome IELTS Preparation Begins here One of the most important aspects of IELTS preparation is thoroughly understanding the pattern of the test. Knowing that there are 4 sections is easy. This is, by now, common knowledge. However, knowing how the test is exactly will go a long way in helping your IELTS practice time become more fruitful. One of the ways to do this is to take an IELTS online test. The online exam will not only allow you to understand that pattern of the test but als

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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. 

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.

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?

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

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

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