Search Blog Posts
Blog Post Categories
- Grammar (1)
- Listening (2)
- Reading (3)
- Speaking (2)
- The Key to IELTS Series (6)
- Videos (3)
- Vocabulary (1)
- Writing (26)
Blog posts
How to answer ‘To what extent do you agree or disagree?’ questions.
17th November 2015
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
16th November 2018
The Key to IELTS Writing Worksheets
17th May 2020
How to quickly plan your essay in the test
11th September 2018
When should I make a counter-argument?
18th April 2019
A common problem for candidates between band 6 and band 7
5th October 2018
How can a native speaker score band 7 in IELTS Writing?
29th January 2019
Making your position clear throughout
2nd December 2018
If I agree with the opinion in Task 2, should I only mention that?
25th January 2016
Model answers and the invisible IELTS band 10
27th October 2018
Writing Task 2 Feedback – How to improve your Band 6 score
4th September 2018
Are .5 scores used for each criteria in writing and speaking?
23rd May 2019
Common problems when writing an introduction
14th October 2018
How writing task 2 is assessed – Task Response
16th February 2017
Academic writing task 1
21st December 2018
Answers and resources from The Key to IELTS Success
2nd November 2018
Last-minute writing advice
11th January 2019
How writing task 2 is assessed – Coherence and Cohesion
17th February 2017
A lack of ideas leads to repetition
18th March 2019
My top tips for solving common band 6 writing problems
20th October 2018
How to answer IELTS True False Not Given questions
22nd April 2016
How to Approach General Training Writing task 1
2nd November 2018
Do you make these Common Mistakes in the IELTS writing test?
15th March 2016
Academic writing task 1 – Writing an overview
2nd November 2018
Can I use personal pronouns in #IELTS writing task 2?
31st October 2016
My IELTS Vocabulary teaching app is ready!
12th September 2015
Changes to IELTS Listening
29th December 2019
Key points for Academic writing task 1 – describing data
28th September 2018
My videos, talks, and webinars
5th November 2015
Watch my interview talking about some great IELTS resources
19th February 2019
Lesson 13.3 recordings
29th May 2020
The Key to IELTS Writing is now available on Apple books
28th July 2020
How to use the IELTS vocab apps
13th June 2018
How should I manage my time in the reading test?
22nd September 2015
News about The Key to IELTS Writing
4th December 2020
Lesson 3.1 Answers
4th December 2020
Manish
28th November 2019 - 2:57 pm ·Hi Pauline,
I have a question regarding the approach with respect to the MCQ question in the listening section. I get most of my answers wrong in the MCQ section. I usually end up reading the options simultaneously when the narrator is speaking, which ends up in a situation where i miss the answer or don’t pay much importance to what the narrator says. Are there any important tips you would like to share? This is the only section i struggle with.
Pauline
29th November 2019 - 9:18 pm ·Hi Manish I go into detail on how to answer MCQs in listening in one of my videos and in my freeboot, The Key to IELTS Success. Here is a link to the book:https://ieltsweekly.com/product/ielts-teacher-the-key-to-ielts-success/
Mahidul Islam
21st November 2019 - 9:49 pm ·I am using one of the two books by you on vocabulary to improve my vocabulary for ielts. They are amazing! I am yet to buy some other books and apps for my ielts preparation.
I need one important piece of advice from you. Alongside your vocab books and apps I want to read a lot to retain everything I study from your books. But I am lost. Many are suggesting to read online newspapers or something else. But I don’t feel that interested in them. I have always liked to read books.
But they were mainly on language learning. This time I need them for IELTS preparation. You said to read non fiction books. I want to read non fiction books. But I am not sure which ones?
Could you please suggest me some? I wanted to read graded reader series, but not sure which series etc.
Kind Regards
Pauline
29th November 2019 - 9:29 pm ·I’m glad you’re enjoying my books – in chapter 10 of my free book I recommend other books for wider reading:https://ieltsweekly.com/product/ielts-teacher-the-key-to-ielts-success/
Makhbuba
20th October 2019 - 4:54 pm ·Thank a lot I reaaly love your books, especially Official Guide and A Key to Success. I beg you a favour. I am quite indecisive about where to find reliable speaking questions for a specific topic. T
Pauline
21st October 2019 - 9:14 am ·When I have finished my writing workbook I will be writing extra materials for my 2 vocabulary books to provide more practice materials for speaking and writing. The 2 books cover the most important topics in IELTS and already have speaking and writing questions in them, but I plan on adding more so that anyone who buys my books can get the most out of them.
Mohammad Al-Amin Talukder
12th May 2019 - 9:06 am ·Hello Ma’am,
I hope you are doing fine.
Very soon i will seat for real IELTS exam, however, i am struggling with writing module. Every time i am getting 5.5 to 6.5 in mock test. Now, My question is, how can i improve writing skills to acquire band 7.00.
Thanks/// Regards,
Mohammad Al-Amin Talukder
Pauline
13th May 2019 - 2:30 pm ·Start by reading my free book, The Key to IELTS Success. Here is a link:http://ieltsweekly.com/product/ielts-teacher-the-key-to-ielts-success/
Houman
21st February 2019 - 12:15 pm ·Dear pauline,
I have a question about your emphasis on linking ideas to the question.
I can clearly see, for instance, at the end of your third paragraph on “reliability of online sources” essay, you have linked the ideas to the question:
“These are some of the concerns that lead many to question how far we can trust the multitude of reports we now find online”
But in many other paragraphs you have not done that, like the second paragraph of mentioned essay. Or in the second paragraph of “completely disagree on unpaid community service” essay.
Would you please explain it?
Best wishes
Pauline
21st February 2019 - 3:14 pm ·That is an older essay aimed at simply giving a model answer not at teaching one style of paragraph writing. The linking method is my recommended method to improve band 6 writing and ensure you score band 7 or above, it isn’t something that a skilled native speaker writer will always do. A native speaker writer can make the link clear in much more subtle ways, that link will e clear. But with band 6 essays there is almost always something missing from the body paragraphs and almost 100% of the time, the main problem is that the link to the question is unclear. Also, with the community service essay, we wrote that together – my followers and I. We would spend a week with everyone sending me ideas for a plan, from the plan we would write the introduction together and I would correct these. Then body paragraph 1 etc. until we had a complete essay. It was done live and you would understand the reasoning behind the ideas better if you had been involved in the whole process at the time. They were written for a completely different purpose.
Sanjar
26th July 2019 - 10:41 am ·Thank you very much for your great help and I really enjoy reading your books and posts. It’d be awesome if you frequently write posts here. Thanks in advance
Pauline
26th July 2019 - 11:56 am ·Ipost whenever I have time between trying to finish my new book and trying to complete paid work. I also post more when there is a specific reason – is there a topic you need information about?