Jump IELTS Writing task 1 and 2

IE LT S JUMP IELTS IELTS ESSAYS LETTERS, GRAPHS, DIAGRAMS & MAPS ABAZAR ALIZADEH IE LT S Whatever you do, it heartily, as for the Lord and not for the Man IE LT S Acknowledgements I would like to appreciate all those who provided me with enlightening suggestions by reading the manuscript I would like to thank Mr Ashkzari who helped me immeasurably to publish this book Finally I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to my wife without whose patience and support writing this book would have been impossible Abazar Alizadeh Tehran, December 2009 IE LT S About the Author Abazar Alizadeh specialized in ELT (English Language Teaching) from the University of Allameh Tabatabaee, and started his professional teaching career as a TOEFL (Pbt) instructor in 1998 and in 2000, he began to teach IELTS, GRE and GMAT preparation courses In 2002, he was awarded a prize by the University of Allameh Tabatabaee for wining third place in Iran's nationwide MA examination He also has taught "Contrastive Analysis", "Language Teaching Methodology", "Advanced Essay Writing" and many other courses at various universities in Tehran He published his first book entitled "New IELTS Strategies" in 2004 and from 2004 to 2007 he worked as an IELTS supervisor and syllabus designer for various IELTS Centers in Iran In 2008, he published his speaking book entitled "New IELTS Interview Samples" which is widely used by candidates in Iran and many other countries in the world including Georgia, Armenia, the UAE and Turkey In 2009, he published his writing book "IELTS Essays" to give a chance to IELTS candidates to read as many samples as they wish to prepare themselves for the writing test IE LT S Author's Guide to the Book IELTS Writing Tasks For the first task of the Academic Module, you need to describe a graph; a diagram or a map and you are required to write at least 150 words in 20 minutes The second task requires you to write an essay with at least 250 words within 40 minutes For the first task of the General Module, you need to write a letter and you are required to write at least 150 words in 20 minutes The second task requires you to write an essay with at least 250 words within 40 minutes Essay Samples IELTS Essays provides numerous essay samples in both the academic and the general modules of the test There are precisely 30 academic essays and 30 general essays There are five essay question types in the IELTS writing test and the book provides essay samples on all question types Candidates should note that even though academic essay questions need you to discuss more complicated issues than the general essay questions, there is no difference in the essay formats As a result candidates can benefit from all sixty essays regardless of the module they intend to take In addition to practicing the essay formats by analysing the sample essays, you can have access to a plethora of ideas on various issues along with topical words used to discuss the idea After each essay sample, a question is provided to let you practice writing an essay on your own Hence in total the book provides 60 different essay questions for the candidates Graph, Diagram & Map Samples Graphs are far more frequent than diagrams; accordingly, the book contains 20 graph descriptions and diagram descriptions Maps are rarely given in IELTS task 1; hence, only two map descriptions are provided in order to give you the chance to familiarize yourself with such tasks and not to deviate your attention away from the main task which is the graph IE LT S The graph, diagram and the map samples not only let you get familiarized with various task types but also provide many of the words needed to pull off each task Letter Samples There are formal letter questions, semi-formal letter questions and informal letter questions in IELTS writing task and so the book contains letter samples of all types The letters are written according to standard letter formats and include all the various parts of a standard letter The letter samples give you enough ideas, expressions and words to handle sample questions provided after each letter sample Appendix To ace your writing test, you need to know numerous expressions and structures for different purposes I have included useful connectives, words and structures for 27 different functions Learning these useful words and structures can help you with various language functions Table of Contents s                                                  IE LT S Table of Co ontents    Gen neral Mod dule Letter Sampl les   1  Th hey broke the e front window w of your car   2  Yo ou are dissatis sfied with you ur grade   3  Yo ou were disre espected by an n employee   4  Yo ou have recen ntly moved to a new compa any    5  Yo ou recently he eard about the pass‐away o of your colleague’s father    6  In n response to a job advertis sement of a co ompany    7  A letter to som meone you me et    8  A resignation le etter to your m manager    9  Yo ou want to se ell some of you ur furniture    10  Yo ou borrowed some books f from a library    11  Write a compla W aint letter to a a bank    12  Yo ou have just b been qualified d for a position n    13  Write a compla W aint letter to a a telephone co ompany    14  Write a letter t W to a magazine about a prob blem   15  Yo ou saw a job a advertisement on a website e    16  Write a letter t W to a friend you u haven't met t for some tim me   17  Ask someone to act as a refe erence    18  Write a farewe W ell letter to one of your colle eagues    19  Write a letter t W to a colleague who is hospit talized    20  Yo ou cannot attend the class for some reas sons    21  Gen neral Essa ays    2  Do o animals hav ve rights?   23  What are the a W advantages an nd disadvantag ges of being rich?   24  Are comic book ks trash?   25  Why are teenagers becomin W ng addicted?   26  Ca an they remove all the unh healthy foods from school c canteens?   27  Su uggest some s solutions in or rder to preven nt people from m getting obe ese   28  Does playing ga ames teach us s about life?   29  What are the a W advantages an nd disadvantag ges of studyin ng abroad?   30  Ca an the govern nment set a hi igher driving a age?   31  i T Table of Contents  IE LT S What are the b W benefits of exe ercise?   32  How can the go overnment he elp reduce the e number of car accidents?    33  Why are schoo W ol classes borin ng and useless s?   34  Sh hould hunting g animals as a sport be illeg galized?   35  How can recycling save the e environment and help the people on Ear rth?   36  Why do you think people att W tend college o or university?    37  What are the m W most importan nt reasons for r getting divor rced?   38  Is s people’s cho oice of leisure activities affe ected by fashio ons   39  Sh hould student ts spend their r free time lea arning their school lessons? ?   40  Sh hould police f forces use security cameras s in public plac ces?    41  What are the a W advantages of attending sch hool before th he age of 7?    42  Su uggest some g good places to o obtain infor rmation for a r research.   43  What are the m W major effects o of getting exe ercise?    44  What are the reasons for sch W hool drop‐out t and what are e the solution ns?    45  What are the n W negative effects of television? how can w we minimize th hem?     46  What are the p W problems asso ociated with TV V addiction an nd what solut tions can you offer?    47  Discuss the adv vantages and disadvantage es of building a a company in your commun nity.   48  What are the a W advantages an nd disadvantag ges of living in n a big city?   49  Discuss the cau uses of longev vity?   50  What are the c W causes of stres ss and how ca an we solve it? ?    51  Discuss the adv vantages and disadvantage es of studying abroad?   52  Aca ademic M  Module  Gra aphs, Diag grams & m maps  .  3  Th he different le evels of post‐s school qualific cations in Australia    54  Th he proportion n of different c categories of families living g in poverty    55  Th he amount of f money per w week spent on n fast foods in Britain    56  Th he rate of fish h catches in th he USA and Ca anada    57  Th he trends in the Australian immigration from 1992 to 2002   58  Th he causes of d diseases in developing and the develope ed countries    59  Th he forms of energy used to o generate ele ectricity in the USA    60  Th he average monthly tempe eratures in thr ree African countries    61  Fo our different c cars manufact tured in three e different cou untries    62  Th he factors affe ecting students' decisions w when choosing a university y    63  How much coal it would take e to make all the energy    64  ii Table of Contents s                                                  IE LT S Th he incidence o of injuries cau used in differe ent sports    65  Th he US spendin ng patterns in two different t years    66  Th he percentage e of the intern net users    67  Th he literacy rat tes of six diffe erent countrie es    68  Th he percentage e of obese people in 12 diff ferent countri ies   69  Th he amount of f meat consum med in the USA A    70  Th he number of f London Unde erground stat tion passengers    71  Th he oil product tion capacity i in six different Persian Gulf f countries    72  Th he number of f children kille ed in road acci idents    73  Th he typical stag ges of consum mer goods manufacturing    74  Th he process by y which bricks are manufact tured    75  Th he process by y which exams s are taken in a computer room    76  Th he process by y which plastic c paper clips a are manufactu ured    77  How a central h heating system m in a house w works    78  How olive oil is s produced    79  Th he map shows s the site of a shopping cen nter    80  Th he map shows s the city of N New Townsville     81  Aca ademic Es ssays  .  2  Sh hould the soci iety ban violent and pornog graphic scene es from being broadcast?    83  Must capital pu M unishment be e banned?   84  Must capital pu M unishment be e banned?   85  Why are the main reasons fo W or advertisem ment?   86  what are the harmful effects w s of body pier rcing on our health?   87  Would they like W e to live in a m multicultural s society?    88  Why should we W e avoid racism m and how can n we solve it?  89  Will violence on Television u W ultimately resu ult in more vio olence?    90  Will internet us W sers finally end up addicted d to the net?   91  Must the gover M rnment ban hand guns?    92  Why is it hard t W to define happiness? and h how can we ac chieve it?    93  Discuss views f for and agains st human cloning and give y your opinion    94  ploration mak ke any sense?  95  Does space exp What are the m W main sources o of environmental pollution?   96  How can peopl le save energy y in their hom mes?   97  What are some W e of the factor rs affecting se elf‐esteem?   98  Is s children’s mi isbehaviour in n life due to th heir genetic ch haracteristics? ?    99  iii T Table of Contents  IE LT S Must violent an M nd pornograp phic scenes be e censored?    100  How can techn nology help ed ducation?    101  Are welfare payments a was ste of the society's financial resources?    102  vantages and disadvantage es of forced re etirement and give your opi inion.   103  Discuss the adv Must the gover M rnment ban dangerous spo orts?    104  Do patients hav ve the right to o choose betw ween life and death?    105  s spanking chil ldren cruel?    106  Is What are the e W effects of alcoholism?    107  What are the reasons for the W e increasing d drug use and w what are the s solutions?.   108  Why do people W e produce more trash these e days? and ho ow can we red duce it?   109  What are the p W problems caus sed by drug ab buse and what are some so olutions?     110  Are there bette er ways of enc couraging employees to wo ork hard?    111  Discuss the views for and ag gainst first imp pressions and give your opinion?   112  App pendix  . 113  Ap ppendix 1  con nnectives   114  Addition   114  Tr ransition   114  Su ummation   115  Apposition   115  Result   116  nference   116  In Reformulation   116  Replacement   116  Co ontrast   117  Co oncession     117  Appendix 2 Structure and Vo ocabulary Aid  118  Lo ocation   118  Co omposition   119  Approximation n    119  Qualification  Q  119  Definition   119  Ex xemplification n   120  Classification    120  omparison    121  Co Ca ause and Effe ect.   121  iv Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S The introduction of national testing in schools had wider ramifications than people realized Repercussions of The psychological repercussions of the accident might affect her for the rest of her life Have repercussions (on something) The transport strike had all sorts of repercussions on other industries Important/profound/serious etc repercussions A scandal like this could have serious repercussions on his political career Economic/legal/political etc repercussions Even the possibility of a war in the Middle East has important political repercussions 3- when one thing happens because of another Because of Sampras seemed likely to miss the US Open because of a back injury Because of problems with the fuel system, the launch has been put back a week She was chosen for the Peace Prize because of her courageous fight for democracy Be a result of/result from Our success is the result of a great deal of hard work The big population increase in the US was partly the result of immigration It is thought that the train crash resulted from a fault on the line When one thing happens because of another Be the product of When one thing happens because of another The agreement was the product of 21 months of negotiations Saturday's goal was the product of some poor defending by the opposing team When one thing happens because of another Stem from from (doing) something Many of my patients' anxieties stem from experiences in their childhood The dog's aggression stemmed from being kept locked up all day Stem from the fact that Part of the education problem stems from the fact that class sizes have increased dramatically in the last years When one thing happens because of another Arise from the fact that Lung cancer is just one of the many diseases that arise from smoking too many cigarettes The difficulty arises from the fact that there has been insufficient time to train new staff As a result of He died as a result of cold and exhaustion Over 60 drugs have been removed from sale as a result of recent tests Resulting/consequent Burrows took the resulting penalty kick Without government support the factory would be forced to close, with the consequent loss of thousands of jobs 136 IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S Britain's resulting debt burden was greater than that of the French 4- to think that something happens because of something else To put something down to When Charlie became ill, I was inclined to put it down to the pressures of his job No one was injured, and US officials put the incident down to "high spirits" To attribute something to The management attributed the success of the company to the new Marketing Director 1150 deaths a year can be attributed to drunk driving Because what you say when you are giving the reason for something Because She's in a bad mood because her father won't let her go to the party tonight "This photograph doesn't look like you." "That's because it isn't me - it's my sister" Because you've done such a good job, I'm giving everyone a 10% bonus Just because (=used when you think an explanation is not a good enough reason for something) You mean you dumped him just because he forgot your birthday? Simply because (=used when there is a very simple reason for something) We're not going on holiday this year, simply because we can't afford it Because of something I had to move because of my job Because of the increase in street crime, many old people are afraid to leave their homes Since Also as British [conjunction] use this to give the reason why someone decides to something We had planned to play tennis but since it was raining we decided to go swimming instead Since you're going to be in the area anyway, you can pick up the order for me As he wasn't well, I offered to the shopping Owing to Owing to circumstances beyond our control, we regret to inform customers that this store will close early In the end I was unable to attend the conference, owing to financial difficulties Be due to The accident was due to a concrete block thrown from a bridge Thanks to Today thanks to the Internet, you can all your Christmas shopping from home The play was a great success thanks to the effort and commitment of everyone involved As a result of Many people are now homeless as a result of the civil war IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps 137 Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S As a direct result of Mr Logan died as a direct result of the injuries he received in the accident The reason … is The reason we didn't consider her for the job was that she didn't have enough experience The reason we are here this evening is to say thank you to Brian for all his hard work Through We succeeded through sheer hard work Hundreds of working days have been lost this year through illness The Community Association collapsed through lack of support Out of interest/curiosity/desperation etc She opened the letter, just out of curiosity I came to you out of desperation - you've got to help me On account of We had to move to London on account of my job They're called the Black Hills on account of their color Seeing as Spoken informal use this to give a reason for what you are suggesting or deciding Seeing as it's your birthday, why don't we go out for a meal? I'd better it myself, seeing as no one else wants to it Cause to make something happen To make something happen I wish you wouldn't slam the door It makes the floor shake Accidents don't always just happen - people can make them happen Gravity is the force that makes the planets move around the sun Cause something Heavy traffic is causing long delays on the roads About half of the chemicals that were tested caused cancer in rats The autopsy showed that her death was caused by liver failure Cause somebody trouble/problems/anxiety etc As children we were always causing our parents trouble Try to isolate the problems that are causing you the most difficulty Cause something to something The power failure caused the whole computer system to shut down To make something happen Be the cause of It's too early to say whether this virus is actually the cause of the disease An explosion on board appears to be the cause of the crash Be the leading/main cause of something The study showed that drug use is the leading cause of crime and violence Be responsible for Heart disease was responsible for most of the deaths He was clearly responsible for the deaths and must be punished Be largely/mainly responsible for something Inflation was largely responsible for the economic crisis Results in something 138 IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S Workers fear that the company's reorganization will result in layoffs Months of secret talks with the rebels finally resulted in the release of the hostages If left untreated, the condition will eventually result in blindness Lead to something His research eventually led to the development of a vaccine The new regulations should lead to an improvement in our water supply The bank has offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of the robbers Give rise to something The canal project gave rise to a malaria epidemic in the region The President's frequent cancellations have given rise to concerns about his health Create / creation The white walls and mirrors helped to create an illusion of space Margot's outburst created an unpleasant atmosphere and most of the guests left early The end of the cold war helped create a situation in which more countries than ever have access to nuclear weapons The government's main economic aim has been the creation of wealth to make someone something Make Sarah's very funny Her jokes always make me laugh The things she said make me wonder if she is in some kind of trouble The smell was so bad it almost made me throw up Be made to something I was made to wait for over an hour Cause somebody to something A dog ran into the road, causing the cyclist to swerve The parents' fear of gang activity caused them to move the family to a safer neighborhood No-one understands what could have caused her to hate him so much Lead somebody to something What led you to take up teaching as a career? It was my interest in gardens that led me to study biology Lead somebody to believe The negative publicity has already led many to believe that Tompkins is guilty Motivate somebody to something I don't know what motivates people to commit such crimes Be motivated by something He was motivated by a desire to help his fellow man Many in the Asian community feel that the police actions were motivated by racial bias To induce someone something Whatever induced her to buy such an expensive car? The state advertises a great deal to induce its citizens to buy lottery tickets To prompt someone something It was reading his book that prompted me to write to him What exactly prompted him to call you in the middle of the night? to make something bad suddenly happen Set off something The army's invasion set off a major international crisis Set something off Nobody knows what set the riot off Spark/trigger something IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps 139 Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S Even the smallest diplomatic incident can trigger a major international conflict The assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand sparked the First World War Trigger/spark off something Riots, sparked off by the arrest of seven student leaders, have spread to other universities Precipitate The 1929 stock market crash precipitated the collapse of the American banking system Both countries claimed the same area, precipitating a border war to be the first or basic cause of something Be at the root/bottom of Simple greed is at the root of most white-collar crime At the bottom of the country's economic problems is its overwhelming debt Lie at the root/bottom of something Difficulties with the company's overseas subsidiaries lie at the root of last year's losses Underlying cause/reason/factor etc A cause, reason etc that is one of the most basic and important, but which is not easy to notice They were treating only the symptoms of the disease rather than its underlying cause Climate and geography are the underlying reasons for the region's low level of economic development to cause someone or something to be in a particular situation or condition To cause someone or something to be in a particular situation or condition Make somebody late/ill etc Hurry up - you're going to make me late for work Something I ate last night really made me sick Make something safe/interesting/dirty etc He could make things very difficult for us Engineers have been working throughout the night to make the bridge safe We gave the house a coat of paint to make it more attractive Make it easy/impossible/necessary etc (for somebody) to something The regulations should make it easier for patients to receive the treatment they need The increased costs made it impossible to continue producing the computers in the U.S Have something ready/organized/prepared etc We'll have your car ready by o'clock I'm going to have the roof fixed as soon as I can afford it My parents had the little train all laid out under the tree on Christmas morning Render something useless/impossible/harmless etc Both runways have been rendered useless by enemy bombings The angry exchange rendered future compromise impossible Render somebody unconscious/helpless etc Suddenly Packer struck a blow that rendered his victim unconscious to be one of the causes of something Play a part Many cases of breast cancer have genetic causes, but environmental substances may also play a part Play a part in 140 IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S It is not yet known if weather conditions played a part in the accident The genius of the two designers has played a big part in the company's recent success Contribute to An increase in the price of drugs has contributed to the rising cost of medical care It is thought that the pilot's negligence may have contributed to the disaster Contributory cause/factor One of several causes of something that happens, but not the main cause Malnutrition was considered to have been a contributory cause of death Alcohol is a contributory factor in at least 50% of the violent crimes reported something that makes something else happen Cause Something that makes something else happen Doctors cannot find a cure for the illness until they have identified the cause Cause of Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the accident Root cause (=basic cause) The root cause of the current energy crisis is that we simply use too much energy Factor The price of insurance depends on several factors, including the age of the car Factor in His girlfriend lives in London and I'm sure that was a factor in his decision to move there Key factor (=very important factor) Money will be the key factor when we decide to buy a new house Deciding/determining factor (=the thing that finally makes something happens) Race should never be a deciding factor in a hiring decision Reason "Why are you helping her?" "She asked me to That's the only reason." The main reason she quit is that she was not being paid enough Reason for/behind Can anyone explain the reason for the delay? There were two reasons behind the company's failure Reason why/ (that) The reason why the economy is growing more slowly is a lack of workers Reason to something There's no reason to doubt what she says Origins of The origins of the crisis were very complex Other cultures' beliefs about the origins of disease often differ from our own Have origins in Many of our attitudes to the issue of race have their origins in the colonialism of days gone by Root of The roots of the wars in the Balkans go back hundreds of years Get to the root of something (=discover the most important cause) We need to get to the root of the problem IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps 141 Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S Stimulus The appointment of a new director gave the project immediate stimulus Stimulus to The surge in new housing construction ought to provide a stimulus to the economy Impetus for/behind The impetus for change in the industry was provided by a new management team Press criticism has been the main impetus behind the government reforms Give impetus to something The Surgeon General's speech will give new impetus to the anti-smoking campaign Stop to prevent someone from doing what they want to To prevent someone from doing what they want to Prevent somebody from doing something A leg injury may prevent Shearer from playing in tomorrow's game There were reports that some people had been prevented from voting in the election Stop somebody (from) doing something My parents tried to stop me seeing Anne The government has taken legal action to stop the BBC from broadcasting a documentary about the Secret Service Keep somebody from doing something Staying busy kept her from thinking about her illness It was all I could to keep myself from hitting him Restrain yourself She wanted to ask him all about his private life, but wisely restrained herself Restrain somebody from doing something His arm was hurting him and he had to be restrained from doing too much Discourage somebody from doing something Higher cigarette prices not seem to discourage people from smoking a problem that prevents you from achieving something Obstacle to The greatest obstacle to economic progress has been mass unemployment Overcome an obstacle (=deal with it successfully) She had to overcome a lot of obstacles to finally make it to Drama College A bar to something His disability was no bar to his entry into the profession Differences in religious beliefs are not necessarily a bar to a good relationship Limiting I found the lack of available reference books very limiting There is a lot of research that still needs to be done, but money is an important limiting factor intended to prevent something happening Preventive/preventative We should spend more money educating people about preventive medicine Schools must take preventative measures so that this type of tragedy never happens again Preventative action can easily be taken to avoid damp occurring in your house 142 IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S Pre-emptive strike/action/attack An action that is done to harm someone before they can harm you - use this especially about official or military actions The US says it is prepared to launch a pre-emptive strike with nuclear weapons if it is threatened something that can be prevented Preventable Whooping cough and measles are both preventable diseases Many of these deaths each year are preventable Avoidable Running out of gas is annoying and easily avoidable Too many children are still injured in avoidable accidents to stop happening Come to an end When we had children, all our trips to theatres and cinemas came to an end Research at the college came to an end in 1870 All good things must come to an end Cease Hostilities between the two countries have now ceased Presently, the rain ceased and the sun came out Cease altogether (=stop completely) The sound of gunfire gradually receded and then ceased altogether to gradually stop happening Wears off The effects of the anesthetic will wear off within a few hours The shock has not worn off yet and he seems to be walking around in a daze The novelty wears off (=when you stop feeling interested or excited about something because it is no longer new) The kids spent hours on the computer at first, but the novelty soon wore off Fade away He waited until the sound of the engines had faded away As the music faded away the audience broke into enthusiastic applause Disagreement when people disagree Disagreement about/over Disagreement over who should produce the next album caused the band to split Disagreement between/among There is some disagreement among medical experts about the best treatment for back pain Difference of opinion about/over There were major differences of opinion over who should command the UN forces Difference of opinion between/among There is a difference of opinion between the chairman and the board as to the best way to handle the takeover IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps 143 Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S Controversy Controversy surrounds the TV show, which many consider to be racist, sexist, and homophobic Controversy over There has been a huge controversy over where to put the city's new sports stadium and who should build it Deadlock/stalemate over The political deadlock over allowable levels of greenhouse emissions Break the deadlock/stalemate (=end the situation) US negotiators met with representatives from both countries today in an attempt to break the deadlock Discord over There has always been discord over NATO's role in world conflict causing disagreement Controversial A recent government paper on education contains some controversial new ideas Rossellini's controversial film, "The Miracle" The decision to use the bomb remains the most controversial question of the Second World War Causing disagreement Contentious issue/subject/problem etc One that is likely to cause a lot of disagreement and argument Abortion has always been a contentious subject The contentious issue of arms sales to non-democratic countriesone that is likely to cause a lot of disagreement and argument Abortion has always been a contentious subject The contentious issue of arms sales to non-democratic countries to have a different opinion from someone else Disagree with I showed my article to the editor He disagreed with almost everything I'd written Disagree about Throughout their marriage my parents disagreed about whether to stay in their hometown or not Disagree that The company's lawyers disagreed that the complaint was a criminal matter Strongly disagree The court decision represents an issue on which the president and the Justice Department strongly disagree Take issue with somebody over something I took issue with Meeker over the way he was running the company Differ about/over Critics differed about the importance of Osborne's new play All politicians agree that inflation must be beaten but they differ over methods of achieving this Differ widely (=differ a lot) Scholars differ widely about when the two manuscripts were written 144 IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S a person or group that opposes something Opponent of In some countries, any opponent of the government is likely to lose their job One notable opponent of the proposal was the mayor Opposition Opinion polls showed the opposition pulling ahead in some areas Newspapers must reflect the views of the opposition as well as those of the government words or behavior that show that you oppose something Have an objection If anyone has any objections, please let us know as soon as possible Raise an objection (=state an objection) When I told him about my plans, my father raised one objection after another Have no objection If you have no objection, I would like to use your name as a reference when I start applying for jobs Opposition to Opposition to the war grew rapidly Face opposition Plans for the new stadium will no doubt face a lot of opposition Express opposition Thousands of people plan to gather on Sunday to express their opposition to the government's handling of the crisis Strong opposition Despite strong opposition, the law was passed Hostility to/towards Recently there has been hostility towards the Prime Minister from members of his own party Open hostility (=obvious or public hostility) Given his open hostility, it seemed pointless to try and continue to persuade him Antagonism to/towards Hines made no effort to conceal his antagonism towards his supervisor Antagonism between Mitchell sees no clear way to end the antagonism between the two groups Agreement to have the same opinion as someone else Agree with Mr Johnson thinks it's too risky, and I tend to agree with him Lee agreed with Jackson that more opportunities should be created for minorities in film Agree that Most experts agree that drugs like heroin can cause permanent brain damage Agree on/about I agree with you about the color it looks awful The one thing all the parties agreed on was the need for fair elections Be in agreement on The two sides are in agreement on the need for arms reduction Be in agreement with IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps 145 Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S I found myself in agreement with the lawyer, for once Share somebody's view Many people shared Duvall's view, and thought the plan should be stopped Share this/that view This view is shared by many doctors Concur with He resigned three years later, because he did not concur with the division of the country into separate republics to agree by accepting less than you originally wanted Compromise The employers will have to be ready to compromise if they want to avoid a strike Critics accused the mayor of compromising too easily Compromise on Stalin refused to compromise on any of his demands The President might be willing to compromise on defense spending Make concessions on The government has already made significant concessions on pay and conditions Make concessions to Our policy of not making concessions to terrorists remains intact when people have the same opinion about something Agreement that There is general agreement among doctors that pregnant women should not smoke Agreement on Officials said there was widespread agreement on the need to promote growth by cutting government spending In agreement Tara nodded her head in agreement Consensus on/about There is still no general consensus on what our future policy should be Consensus of opinion The consensus of opinion seems to be that the Prime Minister should resign Reach a consensus (=achieve agreement) The delegates will continue to meet until a consensus is reached Unanimous The decision of the committee was unanimous Unanimous agreement/choice/decision/vote etc Mr Harada was elected by a unanimous vote Ryan needed unanimous agreement to bring his proposal up for a vote Unanimously The union members voted unanimously for a strike Allow to let someone something Let somebody something Sue doesn't let her kids eat candy Thanks for letting me spend the night at your place 146 IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S Allow somebody to something We not allow people to smoke anywhere in the building Under federal law, Indian nations are allowed to operate casinos on their reservations, with the state's permission Allow somebody something (=allow them to have it) Paul's bank now allows him £35 a week, and Geoff can withdraw no more than £40 Agree to The rebels finally agreed to a ban on terrorist activity McCaskill left the California Angels on Saturday and agreed to a three-year contract with the Chicago White Sox worth over $6 million Permit somebody to something The law permits foreign investors to own up to 25% of British companies Permitted The water contained six times the permitted level of chlorine Authorize Who authorized the decision to close the factory? Among other matters, the city council authorized more funds for additional police officers Authorize somebody to something Only Congress can authorize the President to declare war Have no objection to somebody doing something They said they had no objection to us leaving a little early Give your consent to something In September, he gave Dr Arming his consent to conduct the experiment to be allowed to something Be allowed to something Are we allowed to use calculators on the test? Something is allowed Lanterns and heaters are allowed on Forest Service lands if they are fueled by propane Be allowed in/out/off/on etc (=be allowed to go in, out, off etc) Several international relief organizations had been allowed into the area to determine what help was needed Be permitted to something Residents were not even permitted to fish in the reservoir Something is permitted Smoking is only permitted in the public lounge Forbid to tell someone that they must not something Not let somebody something My parents won't let me stay out after 11 o'clock Not allow somebody to something The university does not allow athletes to work during the school year Not allow something Joan and Bill don't allow smoking in their house Forbid somebody to something The management forbids employees to accept tips from customers Forbid somebody (from) doing something IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps 147 Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S They were forbidden from entering the sacred chamber Ban Many doctors now say that boxing should be banned A new international treaty banning all nuclear tests Ban somebody from (doing) something Relatives of the prisoners were banned from visiting them Prohibit International Law prohibits the use of chemical weapons The U.S prohibited all flights to the country while the war was in progress Prohibit somebody from doing something Mexican law prohibits the clergy from teaching in universities and schools Contrast when one thing is being compared with another Compared to/with The British are good drivers compared to those in the rest of the EU Statistics show that there has been a 20% reduction in burglary compared with last year Women visit their doctors six times a year compared to the three or so visits that men make In comparison/by comparison with We employ far fewer staff in comparison with similar-sized companies Pale in/by comparison (=to look worse or much less important in comparison) Forecasters say this year's drought could make that of 1991 pale by comparison The Yankees' problems pale by comparison with those of the Dodgers In contrast I read a lot as a child, but my daughter, by contrast, just seems interested in television In contrast to In contrast to the hot days, the nights are bitterly cold Besides Tom's efforts seemed so weak beside Martin's Delhi is so old that many European cities actually look young beside it As against Last year there were 443 industrial accidents as against 257 in 1985 With only 57 inhabitants per square mile, as against a world average of over 70, the country is far from overcrowded In proportion to Ricky's head is small in proportion to the rest of his body I've always thought that my problems were very minor in proportion to those of many other people Relative strength/weakness The relative strength of the dollar against the Mexican peso Relative advantages (and disadvantages) 148 IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S She was terrified of flying The relative advantages of air travel didn't tempt her at all Relative merits (=what is good about them compared with each other) The two men stood at the bar discussing the relative merits of various sports cars It is all relative (=it cannot be judged on its own, but must be compared with others) It's all relative, isn't it? Someone who is poor in this country might be considered well off in another Relatively Once you've mastered the basic strokes of squash, the rest is relatively simple Comparative happiness/comfort/safety etc Happiness, comfort, safety etc that is fairly satisfactory when compared to another After a lifetime of poverty, his last few years were spent in comparative comfort Fresh fruit and vegetables have become a comparative rarity in the region During the bombings, families sheltered in the comparative safety of the underground rail stations Comparatively We were absolutely broke in those days Now we're comparatively well off More/less/bigger etc than Geographically, Canada is bigger than the US My sister earns a lot more than I To compare things Compare something/somebody with I hate the way you always compare me with your ex-boyfriend If you compare rents in London with those in New York, you'll find they are about the same You can't compare Charlie Parker with John Coltrane They were completely different musicians Liken somebody/something to Critics have likened the new city hall building to a barn Morris has often been likened to Bobby Kennedy He likened today's stock market to that of the 1920s Make a comparison between The article makes a comparison between the novels 'Anna Karenina' and 'Madame Bovary' Draw an analogy between He drew an analogy between mathematics and language Joe drew an analogy between the Soviet Union of 1946 and Germany of 1938 Draw a parallel between/with One could draw a parallel between the professions of acting and politics He was drawing parallels between events leading up to the last war and current political problems You could draw parallels with the old Samson and Delilah story Contrast with IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps 149 Appendix 3: Essential Ideas IE LT S In the film, the peaceful life of a monk is contrasted with the violent life of a murderer It is interesting to contrast life in Spain now with what it was like prior to 1975 Compare and contrast (=show the similarities and differences) The book compares and contrasts the various methods used in language teaching Similarity the quality of being similar Similarity between The author notes the similarity between Western and Chinese principles and sees them as having a common basis in science Similarity with/to We were able to tell the date of the statue because of its similarity with other statues of that period The similarity of something (to something) For generations, scientists and science-fiction writers talked about the similarity of Mars to Earth Resemblance to Although the fish have little external resemblance to each other, skeletally they are quite similar Family resemblance (=a resemblance between members of the same family) When he met Francesca's aunt he was instantly struck by the family resemblance Striking resemblance (=extremely strong resemblance) The Japanese maple leaf bears a striking resemblance to a marijuana leaf a particular way in which things or people are similar Similarity in The book classifies cheeses by similarities in flavour, rather than by ingredients Similarity between There is one important similarity between the two political systems Parallel between There are certain parallels between the situation in Europe today and that which existed 90 years ago Kakar finds parallels between the Hindi film and popular myths 150 IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps