Octa School | IELTS

2021-05-16 21:00:04 Topic vocabulary: Discrimination against disability (Part 1)

Able-bodied (adj) – not disabled; fit and strong

Ableism (noun) – discrimination in favor of those who are able-bodied.

Access (noun) – a way of entering or reaching a place

Appliance (noun) – an electrical device that is used for a particular purpose in the home

Companion (noun) – a person who spends a lot of time with you; a person who travels with you or goes

Disability (noun) – a lock of one or more of the physical or mental abilities that most people have

Discriminate (verb) – to treat someone or a group of people in a different and often unfair way, especially in a worse way, from the way in which you treat other people

Doorway (noun) – the entrance to a building or room where the door is

Equip (verb) - to provide a person or place with things that are necessary for a particular purpose

Escalator (noun) – a moving staircase which carries people between levels of a large building

Facilities (noun) – services, equipment that are provided for a particular purpose or to fulfill a particular need

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2021-05-08 14:04:57 A list of idioms to help your IELTS speaking exam

1. Fresh as a daisy
Someone who is lively and attractive, in a clean, fresh way.
Ex: My sister has been travelling for almost 24 hours, and she’s still as fresh as a daisy.

2. Couch potato
Spending too much time on the internet or watching TV.
Ex: My uncle is such a couch potato! He often spends his Saturdays watching American football on TV.

3. Full of beans
A person who is lively, active and healthy.
Ex: My 6 year old nephew is full of beans! He has more energy than three adults.

4. A bad egg
Someone who is untrustworthy.
Ex: Hey, Sue, I think your neighbor is a bad egg. He has these scary looking guys in black leather hanging around his place all the time.

5. Down to earth
Someone who is practical and realistic.
Ex: My aunt Karen is so down to earth. She can figure out any difficult situation, and offer a good solution.

6. Party pooper
A person who is gloomy, and having no fun at a social gathering.
Ex: Listen, my friend, I’m so sorry to be a party pooper, but I have to study for my IELTS speaking exam tomorrow.

7. Eager beaver
A person who is hardworking and enthusiastic.
Ex: My colleague drives me crazy! She is such an eager beaver that she always volunteers for overtime.

8. Ball in your court
It's your decision or responsibility to do something now.
Ex: Well, my friend, the ball’s in your court. I’ll wait for your decision.

9. Throw in the towel
Give up.
Ex: I’ve spent too much time on this project to throw in the towel now.

10. Get a head start
Start before all others.
Ex: Let’s get up early tomorrow to get a head start on our drive to Toronto.

11. Get a second wind
Have a burst of energy after tiring.
Ex: After having a coffee and a sandwich, he got his second wind, and finished painting the kitchen.

12. Jump the gun
Start too early.
Ex: I think I jumped the gun by buying my friends James and Susan a wedding gift. They just called off their engagement.

13. Give it my best shot
Try your hardest.
Ex: This test question is really tough! I’ll give it my best shot, and I’ll get some marks for doing my best.

14. On the ball
Ready and able.
Ex: Our department receptionist is really on the ball when it comes to fielding calls from annoyed students.

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2021-05-05 21:18:06 Phrasal verbs

Catch on - become popular or fashionable

Do away - get rid of

Draw up - create (plans)

Dress up - put on fancy or unusual clothes

Go over - repeat or think about again in order to understand completely

Grow out of - develop from

Hand down - give something valuable to your children or grandchildren, usually when you die

Line up - put into lines

Pop in - visit quickly or for a short time

Show around - take somebody on a tour of a place

Take off - remove (a piece of of clothing)

Tear up - rip into pieces

Try on - Put on (a piece of clothing) to see how it looks and whether it fits

Wear out - become old and unusable

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2021-05-03 12:13:17 3 Tips for Perfect IELTS Proofreading

IELTS Energy Podcast
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2021-05-01 11:50:29 Doing an enjoyable activity with a child can develop better skills and more creativity than reading. To what extent do you agree? Use reasons and specific examples to explain your answer.


Sample answer:
Parents throughout the world place spend time reading with their offspring to prepare them for school where their literacy skills are further developed; however, recent research suggests that focusing on reading at an early age can be detrimental, and participating in fun activities would be far more beneficial. I am a strong advocate of this approach, and the benefits of it will be covered in this essay.

A fundamental reason for this is that there is no biological age for reading, and pushing infants to acquire this skill before they are ready could have repercussions. For example, in the UK, many boys are reluctant readers, possibly because of being forced to read, and this turned them off reading. By focusing on other activities and developing other skills such as creativity and imagination, when they are ready to read, they usually acquire this skill rapidly.

In addition, the importance of encouraging creativity and developing a child’s imagination must be acknowledged. Through play, youngsters develop social and cognitive skills, for example, they are more likely to learn vocabulary through context rather than learning it from a book.

Furthermore, play allows youngsters to mature emotionally, and gain self-confidence. There is no scientific research which suggests reading at a young age is essential for a child’s development, moreover, evidence suggests the reverse is true. In Finland, early years’ education focuses on playing.

Reading is only encouraged if a child shows and interest in developing this skill. This self-directed approach certainly does not result in Finnish school leavers falling behind their foreign counterparts. In fact, Finland was ranked the sixth best in the world in terms of reading.

Despite being a supporter of this non-reading approach, I strongly recommend incorporating bedtime stories into a child’s daily routine. However, reading as a regular daytime activity should be swapped for something which allows the child to develop other skills.

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2021-04-27 19:13:00 ​Sample answer:

Two weeks ago, I bought a new motorcycle. I had not been planning to buy one but it popped up on my Facebook newsfeed because someone in a local group had listed it for sale. The bike was incredibly beautiful and also surprisingly cheap, so I bought it as a sort of impulse purchase.

Where I live, people often sell things on Facebook because there is an active community of people from around the world who have come to live here. You frequently see people selling their second-hand goods on various Facebook groups, and so I have subscribed to them and buy various things there from time to time.

Clearly, Facebook’s algorithm recognised that I paid attention to motorbikes that were for sale, and so it pushed me to take a look at this one. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the one for me. The thing that really convinced me was the fact that it looks exactly like a motorbike I owned ten years ago. That bike was my favourite possession and I was really sad when I had to suddenly sell it just six months after buying it. I had promised myself that if I ever saw it again, I was buy it no matter what.

This new bike is not exactly the same but it is very similar, and that was good enough for me. In fact, according to bike experts, this one is even better than my first bike. I was a bit worried because there is a lot of crime in this area and I did not want anyone to steal it from me, but I decided that I would have to take the risk.

After buying the bike, I drove it around the local area on a beautiful sunny day and it really made me feel happy. I have planned many trips with this bike and, once the rainy season ends, I will take it on several long journeys around the country.

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2021-04-27 15:43:58 IELTS Speaking Part 2
Describe a thing that you purchased recently. You should say:
– What it was
– What it looks like
– How you bought it
And explain how you felt about it.

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2021-04-27 15:26:33 Vocabulary to speak about family and friends (Part 1)

A lifelong friend – A friend that you have had for most of your life

A relationship of trust – a connection with another in which you have faith and confidence

Arrange a dinner date – Plan to share an evening meal

A shoulder to cry on – Someone to sympathize with you

Close knit family – A close family with common interests

Dear to my heart – Someone that I care about

Distant cousins – People who share a common ancestor but are not closely related

Extend the hand of friendship – Reach out to someone in a friendly manner

Extended family – Uncles, aunts and cousins form part of the extended family

Face to face – In person

Get to know one another – Learning different aspects of each other

Get together – Meet up

Immediate family – Spouse, parents, children, grandparents

Long lost friend – A friend that you have lost contact with

Long-term relationships – A committed relationship between partners

Nurture our friendships – Looking after our relationships with friends

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