MrBi useful language banks for IELTS learners

IELTS WRITING & SPEAKING MrBi’s IELTS Overall USEFUL LANGUAGE BANKS FOR IELTS LEARNERS There are hidden treasures in the famous Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary This is one of them, the Language Banks They cover the most important aspects when we speak and write in an academic environment I have compiled the scattered banks all over the Dictionary into this document, in order that you can improve your speaking and writing Print this document, and read it carefully I have made some modifications to make things easier for IELTS learners to follow:  The phrases in bold and dark red are more formal, often appropriate for writing and formal speaking, while those in bold and blue are more casual, suitable for speaking  Some confusing words and phrases are further explained by bold, italicized NOTE parts Hope you will enjoy! Bui Hai Anh (MrBi) Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/buihaianh.1505 IELTS WRITING & SPEAKING MrBi’s IELTS Overall MAKING AN EXCEPTION        She wrote all of the songs on the album except for the final track Apart from (Aside from) the final track, all of the songs on the album were written by her The songwriting – with a few minor exceptions – is of a very high standard With only one or two exceptions, the songwriting is of a very high quality The majority of the compositions are less than three minutes long, with the notable exception of the title track With the exception of the title track, this album is a huge disappointment Here is a list of all the band’s CDs, excluding unofficial ‘bootleg’ recordings ADDING ANOTHER ITEM        Bilingual children better in IQ tests than children who speak only one language In addition/ What is more, they seem to find it easier to learn third or fourth languages Learning another language not only improves children’s job prospects in later life, but also boosts their self-esteem Teaching children a second language improves their job prospects in later life Other benefits include increased self-esteem and greater tolerance of other cultures Another/ One further/ One additional reason for encouraging bilingual education is that it boosts children’s self-esteem Studies suggest that bilingual children find it easier to learn additional languages There is, moreover, increasing evidence that bilingual perform better across a range of school subjects not just foreign languages His claim that children find bilingual education confusing is based on very little evidence Moreover, the evidence he does provide is seriously flawed Research has shown that first-language development is not impeded by exposure to a second language Furthermore, there is no evidence to support the claim that children find bilingual education confusing REFERRING TO A CHART, GRAPH OR TABLE         This bar chart illustrates how many journeys people made on public transport over a three-month period This table compares bus, train and taxi use between April and June The results are shown in the chart below In this pie chart, the survey results are broken down by age This pie chart breaks down the survey results by age As can be seen from these results, younger people use buses more than older ones According to these figures, bus travel accounts for 60 per cent of public transport use From the data in the graph, it is apparent that buses are the most widely used form of public transport GIVING PROOF   There is clear evidence that TV advertising influences what children buy It is clear from numerous studies that TV advertising influences what children buy Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/buihaianh.1505 IELTS WRITING & SPEAKING       MrBi’s IELTS Overall Recent research demonstrates that TV advertising influences children’s spending habits Many parents think that TV advertising influences their children This view is supported by the findings of a recent study, which show a clear link between television advertisements and children’s spending habits The findings also reveal that most children are unaware of the persuasive purpose of advertising There is little evidence that children understand the persuasive intent of advertising The results contradict claims that advertising is unrelated to children’s spending habits Manufacturers argue that it is difficult to prove that advertising alone influences what children buy DESCRIBING A DECREASE       Car crime in Oxford fell significantly last year Car crime fell by about a quarter over a 12-month period The number of stolen vehicles dropped from 1,013 to 780, a fall of 26 per cent According to this data, 780 vehicles were stolen, 26% down on the previous year There was an 11% drop in reported thefts from motor vehicles, from 1,871 to 1,727 These figures show that, as far as car crime is concerned, the main trend is downwards DESCRIBING AN INCREASE        Student numbers in English language schools in this country increased from 66,000 in 2008 to just over 84,000 in 2009 The number of students increased by almost 30% compared with the previous year Student numbers shot up (increased dramatically) in 2009 The proportion of Spanish students rose sharply from 5% in 2008 to 14% in 2009 The 2009 figure was 84,000, an increase of 28% on the previous year The 2009 figure was 84,000, 28 per cent up on the previous year As the chart shows, this can partly be explained by a dramatic increase in students from Spain DISCUSSING PREDICTIONS       The number of people using mobile phones to purchase goods and services is expected/likely to more than double by the end of 2015 Experts have predicted/ forecast that the number of people using their mobile phones to pay for goods and services should exceed 190 million in 2015 This figure is set to reach 200 million by 2016 By 2016, 800 million mobile phone users worldwide will be participating in social networks via their phone Sales of mobile phones in 2009 were lower than expected The company’s announcement of 1.26 billion handsets sold for the year is in line with predictions Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/buihaianh.1505 IELTS WRITING & SPEAKING MrBi’s IELTS Overall DESCRIBING FRACTIONS AND PROPORTIONS       According to this pie chart, a third of students’ leisure time is spent watching TV One in five hours is/are spent socializing Socializing accounts for/ makes up/ comprises about 20% of leisure time Students spend twice as much time playing computer games as doing sport Three times as many hours are spent playing computer games as reading The largest proportion of time is spent playing computer games HIGHLIGHTING INTERESTING DATA  What is surprising about these results is that boys are more likely to be left-handed than girls  Surprisingly, boys are more likely to be left-handed than girls  Interestingly, even when both parents are left-handed, there is still only a 26% chance of their children being left-handed  One of the most interesting findings is that only 2% of the left-handers surveyed have two left-handed parents  It is interesting to note that people are more likely to be left-handed if their mother is left-handed than if their father is  The most striking feature of these results is that left-handed mothers are more likely to have left-handed children  NOTE: this part has a casual tone, so we should use it in speaking 10 HIGHLIGHTING DIFFERENCES         This survey highlights a number of differences in the way that teenage boys and girls in the UK spend their free time One of the main differences between the girls and the boys who took part in the research was the way in which they use the Internet Unlike the girls, who use the Internet mainly to keep in touch with friends, the boys questioned in this survey tend to use the Internet for playing computer games The girls differ from the boys in that they tend to spend more time keeping in touch with friends on the telephone or on social networking websites Compared to the boys, the girls spend much more time chatting to friends on the telephone On average the girls spend four hours a week chatting to friends on the phone In contrast, very few of the boys spend more than five minutes a day talking to their friends in this way The boys prefer competitive sports and computer games, whereas/ while the girls seem to enjoy more cooperative activities, such as shopping with friends When the girls go shopping, they mainly buy clothes and cosmetics The boys, on the other hand, tend to purchase computer games or gadgets 11 MAKING COMPARISONS  This chart provides a comparison of the ways that teenage boys and girls in the UK spend their free time Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/buihaianh.1505 IELTS WRITING & SPEAKING       MrBi’s IELTS Overall In many cases, the results for boys and girls are virtually the same/ identical In many cases, the results for boys are virtually the same as/ identical to the results for boys Both boys and girls spend the bulk of their free time with friends Most of the boys more than two hours of sport a week, as many of the girls Like many of the girls, most of the boys spend a large part of their free time using the Internet The girls particularly enjoy using social networking websites Similarly, nearly all the boys said they spent at least two to three hours a week on these sites 12 WAYS OF SAYING ‘IN GENERAL’         Women generally earn less than men Generally speaking, jobs traditionally done by women are paid at a lower rate than those traditionally done by men In general/ By and large, women not earn as much as men Certain jobs, like nursing and cleaning, are still mainly carried out by women Senior management posts are predominantly held by men Most senior management posts tend to be held by men Women are, for the most part, still paid less than men Economic and social factors are, to a large extent, responsible for women being concentrated in low-paid jobs 13 SUMMING UP AN ARGUMENT         In conclusion, the study has provided useful insights into the issues relating to people’s perception of crime Based on this study, it can be concluded that the introduction of new street lighting did not reduce reported crime To sum up, no evidence can be found to support the view that improved street lighting reduces reported crime The available evidence clearly leads to the conclusion that the media have an influence on the public perception of crime The main conclusion to be drawn from this study is that public perception of crime is significantly influenced by crime news reporting This study has shown that people’s fear of crime is out of all proportion to crime itself Fear of crime is out of all proportion to the actual level of crime, and the reasons for this can be summarized as follows First… Overall/ In general, women are more likely than men to feel insecure walking alone after dark 14 HIGHLIGHTING AN IMPORTANT POINT    This case emphasizes/ highlights the importance of honest communication between managers and employees Effective communication skills are essential/ crucial/ vital It should be noted that this study considers only verbal communication Non-verbal communication is not dealt with here Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/buihaianh.1505 IELTS WRITING & SPEAKING      MrBi’s IELTS Overall It is important to remember that/ An important point to remember is that nonverbal communication plays a key role in getting your message across Communication is not only about the words you use but also your body language and, especially/ above all, the effectiveness with which you listen I would like to draw attention to the role of listening in effective communication Choose your words carefully: in particular, avoid confusing and ambiguous language Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you must learn to listen as well as to speak 15 SAYING THAT SOMETHING IS NECESSARY        It is vital that journalists can verify the accuracy of their reports Journalists play a vital/ crucial role in educating the public Public trust is a crucial issue for all news organizations The ability to write well is essential for any journalist The Internet has become an indispensable tool for reporters In journalism, accuracy is paramount./ …is of paramount importance It is imperative that journalists maintain the highest possible standards of reporting 16 VERBS FOR REPORTING AN OPINION              Some critics argue that Picasso remained a great master all his life Others maintain that there is a significant deterioration in quality in his post-war work Picasso himself claimed that good art is created, but great art is stolen As Smith has noted (As the author points out), Picasso borrowed imagery from African art The writer challenges the notion that Picasso’s sculpture was secondary to his painting It has been suggested that Picasso’s painting was influenced by jazz music Photography is, according to Vidal, the art form of untalented people For Vidal, photography is the art form of untalented people His view is that photography is not art but merely the mechanical reproduction of images Smith takes the view that photography is both an art and a science In Brown’s view, photography should be treated as a legitimate art in its own right James is of the opinion that a good painter can always be a good photographer if he or she so decides Emerson believed that a photograph should only reflect what the human eye can see 17 GIVING LANGUAGE     OPINIONS USING IMPERSONAL It is vital that more is done to prevent the illegal trade in wild animals It is clear that more needs to be done to protect biodiversity It is unfortunate that the practice of keeping monkeys as pets still continues It is difficult for many people to understand the reasons why certain individuals choose to hunt animals for sport Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/buihaianh.1505 IELTS WRITING & SPEAKING   MrBi’s IELTS Overall Unfortunately, it would seem that not enough is being done to support tiger conservation There is no doubt that the greatest threat to polar bears comes from global warming 18 MAKING AN OPINION SOUND LESS DEFINITE      Most cybercrime involves traditional crimes, such as theft and fraud, being committed in new ways Phishing is perhaps/ possibly/ probably the best-known example of this It seems/ appears that the more personal data which organizations collect, the more opportunity there is for this data to be lost or stolen It seems clear that introducing national ID cards would little to prevent identity theft It could be argued that the introduction of national ID cards might actually make identity theft easier It is possible that/ It may be that the only way to protect ourselves against DNA identity theft is to avoid the creation of national DNA databases 19 WAYS OF SAYING ‘BUT’       Politicians have promised to improve road safety So far, however, little has been achieved Despite clear evidence from road safety studies, no new measures have been introduced Politicians have promised to improve road safety In spite of this/ Despite this, little has been achieved so far Although politicians have promised to improve road safety, little has been achieved so far Some politicians claim that the new transport policy has been a success In fact, it has been a total disaster Government campaigns have had a measure of success, but the fact remains that large numbers of accidents are still caused by careless drivers 20 CONCEDING A POINT AND MAKING A COUNTERARGUMENT        While the film is undoubtedly too long, it is nevertheless an intriguing piece of cinema It can be argued that the movie is too long It is nonetheless an intriguing piece of cinema The film is undoubtedly too long Still, it is an intriguing piece of cinema Of course, huge chunks of the book have been sacrificed in order to make a two-hour movie, but it is nevertheless a successful piece of storytelling Critics are wrong to argue that the film’s plot is too complicated Certainly there are a couple of major twists, but audiences will have no difficulty following them It is true that you cannot make a good movie without a good script, but it is equally true that a talented director can make a good script into an excellent film It remains to be seen whether these two movies herald a new era of westerns, but there is no doubt that they represent welcome additions to the genre Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/buihaianh.1505 IELTS WRITING & SPEAKING MrBi’s IELTS Overall 21 EXPLAINING REASONS       The number of people with diabetes is growing, partly because of an increase in levels of obesity The number of overweight children has increased dramatically in recent years, largely as a result of changes in diet and lifestyle The increase in childhood obesity is largely due to/ the result of changes in lifestyle and diet over the last twenty years Many obese children are bullied at school on account of their weight Part of the problem with treating childhood obesity stems from the fact that parents not always recognize that their children are obese Childhood obesity may be caused by genetic factors, as well as environmentally ones 22 X CAUSES Y       Childhood obesity can cause/ lead to long-term health problems Changes in lifestyle and diet over the last twenty years have caused/ led to/ resulted in a sharp increase in childhood obesity Several factors, including changes in diet and lifestyle, have contributed to the increase in childhood obesity Research suggests that fast food and soft drinks directly contribute to childhood obesity Genetics, lifestyle and diet are all important factors in cases of childhood obesity Even small changes in lifestyle and diet can bring about significant weight loss 23 DESCRIBING THE EFFECT OF SOMETHING     One consequence of changes in diet over recent years has been a dramatic increase in cases of childhood obesity Many parents today not have time to cook healthy meals for their children Consequently/ As a consequence, many children grow up eating too much junk food Many children spend their free time watching TV instead of playing outside As a result, increasingly more of them are becoming overweight Last year junk food was banned in schools The effect of this has been to create a black market in the playground, with pupils bringing sweets from home to sell to other pupils 24 WAYS OF SAYING ‘FOR THIS REASON…’     Today’s children eat more junk food and get less exercise than previous generations of children It is unsurprising, therefore, that rates of childhood obesity are on the increase Children who grow up on a diet of junk food find it difficult to change this habit later in life It is essential, therefore, that parents encourage healthy eating from an early age Children who grow up on a diet of junk food find it difficult to change this habit later in life For this reason/ This is why it is essential that children eat healthily from an early age Eating habits formed in childhood tend to continue into adult life Thus, the best way to prevent heart disease among adults is to encourage healthy eating from an early age Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/buihaianh.1505 IELTS WRITING & SPEAKING MrBi’s IELTS Overall  Eating habits formed in childhood tend to continue into adult life, hence the importance of encouraging healthy eating from an early age  NOTE: We not use “hence” and “thus” synonymously “Hence” should always be followed by a noun phrase, as the example mentioned directly above “Hence” can be translated into Vietnamese as “do dẫn tới” 25 GIVING EXAMPLES         The website has a variety of interactive exercises (e.g matching games, crosswords and quizzes) The website has a variety of interactive exercises, including matching games, crosswords and quizzes Web 2.0 technologies, such as wikis, blogs and social networking sites, have changed the way that people use the Internet Many websites now allow users to contribute information A good example of this is the ‘wiki’, a type of website that anyone can edit Wikis vary in how open they are For example, some wikis allow anybody to edit content, while others only allow registered users to this Wikis vary in how open they are Some wikis, for example/ for instance, allow anybody to edit content, while others only allow registered users to this More and more people read their news on the Internet To take one example, over 14 million people now read the online version of ‘The Oxford Herald’ Online newspapers are now more popular than paper ones ‘The Oxford Herald’ is a case in point Its print circulation has fallen in recent years, while its website attracts millions of users every month 26 DEFINING TERMS        It is important to clarify what is meant by climate change Climate change can/ may be defined as ‘the long-term fluctuations in temperature, precipitation, wind and other aspects of the earth’s climate’ A generally accepted definition of global warming is the gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere owing to the greenhouse effect The greenhouse effect is defined by the author as the process by which heat from the sun is trapped in the earth’s atmosphere, causing the temperature of the earth to rise The author uses the term climate change to refer to any significant change in measures of climate lasting for an extended period The term ‘carbon footprint’ refers to the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of an individual or organization Scientists suggest that increase carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will result in an increase in global temperatures, and the term ‘global warming’ is used to describe this phenomenon 27 SAYING WHAT A TEXT IS ABOUT    The book is about homeless people in the cities The report deals with the issue of homelessness in London The writer discussed the problems faced by homeless people Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/buihaianh.1505 IELTS WRITING & SPEAKING     MrBi’s IELTS Overall The article presents an overview of the issues surrounding homelessness The novel explores the theme of friendship among homeless people The first chapter examines the relationship between homelessness and drug addiction The paper considers the question of why so many young people become homeless 28 EXPLAINING WHAT YOU MEAN        Some poems are mnemonics, i.e they are designed to help you remember something Some poems are mnemonics, that is to say, they are designed to help you remember something Mnemonic poems, that is poems designed to help you remember something, are an excellent way to learn lists A limerick’s rhyme scheme is A-A-B-B-A In other words, the first, second, and fifth lines all rhyme with one another, while the third and fourth lines have their own rhyme In this exercise the reader is encouraged to work out the meaning, or rather the range of meanings, of the poem This is a poem about death, or, more precisely, dying He says his poems deal with ‘the big issues’, by which he means love, loss, grief and death 29 ORDERING YOUR POINTS     This study has the following aims: first, to investigate how international student in the UK use humour; second, to examine how jokes can help to establish social relationships; and, third, to explore the role that humour plays in helping overseas students adjust to life in the UK Let us begin by identifying some of the popular joke genres in the UK Next, let us turn to/ Next, let us consider the question of gender differences in the use of humour Finally/ Lastly, let us briefly examine the role of humour in defining a nation’s culture 30 DESCRIBING A PROCESS        The diagram illustrates the process of paper-making./ The diagram shows how paper is made First/ First of all, logs are delivered to a paper mill, where the bark is removed and the wood is cut into small chips Next/ Second, the wood chips are pulped, either using chemicals or in a pulping machine Pulping breaks down the internal structure of the wood and enables/ allows the natural oils to be removed Once/ After the wood has been pulped, the pulp is bleached in order to remove impurities./ …is bleached so that impurities can be removed The next stage is to feed the pulp into the paper machine, where it is mixed with water and then poured onto a wire conveyor belt As the pulp travels along the conveyor belt, the water drains away This causes the solid material to sink to the bottom, forming a layer of paper Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/buihaianh.1505 IELTS WRITING & SPEAKING   MrBi’s IELTS Overall At this point the new paper is still wet, so it is passed between large heated rollers, which press out the remaining water and simultaneously dry the paper./ …dry the paper at the same time The final stage is to wind the paper onto large rolls./ Finally, the paper is wound onto large rolls Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/buihaianh.1505 [...].. .IELTS WRITING & SPEAKING   MrBi s IELTS Overall At this point the new paper is still wet, so it is passed between large heated rollers, which press out the remaining water and simultaneously dry the paper./ …dry the paper