Although they are the same language, British and American English have some major differences. Even though both are acceptable on the IELTS test, it can be confusing and overwhelming when learning English. Here are some of the more common differences between British and American English. Vocabulary British and American English have evolved quite differently, especially in terms of vocabulary. This is because vocabulary used in British English is derived from different languages than vocabulary used in American English. Although there are a large number of words that are exactly the same, many ..read more

In English, we have a variety of common phrases for every situation. From multiple ways of saying hello, goodbye, and how are you, learning the most natural way can be difficult. The English language has common everyday phrases such as: What’s up? Can’t complain! No worries. I have no idea. I agree 100%. Have a good one! Watch where you’re going! Living the dream! There are also more obscure phrases, called idioms, such as: That puzzle is a piece of cake. (easy) All he got was a slap on the wrist. (light punishment) We’re all in the same boat. (same situation) She’s a loose cannon. (unpredicta ..read more

Even though there are no specific spelling or vocabulary tests in IELTS, that doesn’t mean that spelling is not assessed. In the Reading, Listening and Writing tests, not only are you expected to use the correct words (e.g. nouns, adjectives, verbs), but also the correct spelling of these words. In fact, words with spelling mistakes in the Reading and Listening tests will be marked as incorrect, while spelling errors in the Writing test may make it difficult for the examiner to understand and follow your message.   In today ..read more

Welcome back! In this last post of our IELTS Grammar Exercises series, you’ll be able to practice using future forms. As you may already know, there are different ways to talk about the future in English. Each future form suggests a specific intention or attitude towards the future, which is why it is important that you are familiar with the different structures used to talk about future events. If you would like to do a quick review on future forms before attempting the exercises below, you can find a more in-depth look at the different structures here. If you’re read ..read more

You can find IELTS in almost every country around the world. Globally, it is the largest English language test. We need it for everything from immigration applications, to employment requirements, to academic acceptance. Given this wide range of uses and wide global reach, it is normal to find people of every language and every culture taking IELTS. However, if you’ve ever studied English with people from other countries, you’ll know that we don’t all learn in the same way. For example, if you’re Japanese, it’s much easier to learn Chinese because similar written characters are used. On the ot ..read more

If you are preparing for the IELTS exam, whether Academic or General Training, you should know that you will only have about 15 minutes to showcase your speaking abilities in a face to face test with an examiner. Warning: Even if you are completely fluent in English, you are not guaranteed to achieve the highest level. That’s because the Speaking test is not just about pronunciation and grammar, although those areas are being assessed. It is also about how clearly you can articulate, organize, and support your ideas in English. Therefore, don’t walk in thinking you’re “all that” unless you kno ..read more

IELTS Academic measures the English language proficiency needed for an academic learning environment. To do so, Writing Task 1 presents candidates with a graph, table, chart or diagram. Candidates are asked to describe, summarize or explain the information using their own words, which not only requires a good understanding of different types of visual data, but also the ability to describe the information accurately, using a range of vocabulary. To help you achieve these goals, today’s post will look at a variety of phrases and collocations that you can use on your IELTS to describe tables, gr ..read more

English can be a difficult language to learn, especially when there are words that are spelled the same, but pronounced differently, words that are spelled differently, yet pronounced that same way, and even words that are spelled the same, pronounced the same and differently depending on the situation, and have different meanings. If this seems confusing, it is. Take a look at some examples to give you a clearer picture of homophones and homographs.  Homophones These words sound exactly the same but have different meanings. Some have different spelling while some have the same spelling ..read more

Learn how to start your Speaking test confidently and continue this confident performance for the whole test. Today, we will look at some tips to help you perform at your best in part 1 of the IELTS Speaking test.   We have created a series of three articles giving you tips and advice on how to perform at your best in all three parts of the speaking test; the part 1 introduction, the part 2 long turn and the part 3 discussion. Read on to see how to perform at your best in part 1 of the test. Starting a test can be quite daunting for most test-takers as you know you have to ..read more

When learning any new language, mistakes happen often. When learning English, some mistakes are more common than others. Here are some examples of common mistakes and how to fix them. Fun vs. Funny At times, some ESL learners mix up the definitions for fun and funny. When something is fun, you enjoy it and get pleasure from it. When something is funny, it makes you laugh. Example The card game is fun to play with my family. That movie was so funny I couldn’t stop laughing. Played vs. Hung out These two verbs get switched quite a bit. We can use play with friends when we are talking about child ..read more