Learn common phrases

Learn phrases to improve your writing and speaking skills

Essay Writing TIps

Learning phrases can be a fun-and-easy way to improve writing and speaking skills.

A list of ready to use phrases add to your speed and persuasiveness.

Here is a list that you can use

Phrase	Meaning	Sentence	Where	Purpose
In today’s modern world	In the current times	In today’s modern world computers have taken the central stage in our lives. In today’s modern world, travelling has become easy because of metro train.	Beginning	To describe a trend
Around the globe	Around the world; When talking about a universal trend	Around the globe, there is a growing realization about the importance of health. Around the globe, more and more people are taking to Yoga.	Anywhere	To describe a trend
Although /while	To express contradicting cause and effect	Although he was old, he was very energetic. Although I am tired, I will teach you. Although it is too late, we need to consult the doctor right now.	Anywhere	contradiction
In my opinion	In my view	In my opinion health takes precedence over money. In my opinion right education or more important than anything else.	Anywhere	your view
The basis for my views…	Tell the reason for your views	The basis for my views are personal, academic and professional.	Beginning	your view
From a … point of view	To begin a paragraph	From the personal point of view	Beginning of a para	your view
From an …. viewpoint	To express a viewpoint	From an academic viewpoint, children have no choice but to master this technological invention..	Beginning of a para	your view
For instance / for example / case in point…	To give an example	For instance, when as a student, I have seen how computers can help us learn difficult subjects, through simulation.	Anywhere	example
From a … perspective	To express a viewpoint.. at the beginning of a para	From professional perspective knowledge of computers help you to become more employable.	Beginning of a para	your view
In conclusion, in gist,	To give a gist,	In conclusion, your critics are the ones who tell you, that they care.	End	conclude
Over the last half century	To tell a trend… something going on for some years	Over the last half century, the pace of change has been beyond our wildest expectations.	Beginning	To describe a trend
This has been driven by	Cause and effect relationship	There has been a lot of discussion about education among all circles.. This has been driven by unprecedented competition. Driven by his desire to start his own business, Steve worked hard during his initial days. Modi introduced demonetization, driven by his desire to curb black-money.	Anywhere	cause and effect
This means that	To extend an idea.. In other words…	This means that learning computers is no more a choice, but an unacceptable fact of life.	Conclusion	extend an idea
Living in denial	To contradict; telling something is a myth.	Thinking that things will not change is like living in denial.	Anywhere	your view
Sooner or later	To tell about something inevitable (surety)	Sooner or later, people will realize the importance of health.	Anywhere	To describe a trend
No longer exist	To tell about something old	The old familiar jobs no longer exist	Anywhere	to describe your view
Here to stay	Something that has become a part and parcel of life. An in thing.	Computers are here to stay; It behoves us to learn and use them.	Anywhere	trend
However	To contradict an idea	However, every change is not favourable.	Anywhere	contradiction
Yet	Contradiction	Parenting is such an important topic, yet only a few schools have included it in their curriculum.	Anywhere	contradiction
Stimulating and energising	Talking about something positive	Doing exercises can be stimulating and energising for you. Doing exercises keeps you stimulated and energised. Our hobbies keep us stimuated and energised. It was a stimulating and energising experience. Pursuing a hobby can be very stimulating and energising.	Anywhere	your view
Pursue	To follow	I want to pursue a career in the field of education. I pursued a lot of hobbies when I was in school. Pursue your interests; you will never get bored.	Anywhere	general phrase
In essence	To conclusion	In essence, if you are healthy, you can enjoy your life more than the one who is not. In essence practice makes a man perfect. In essensce books are our best friends.	Conclusion	conclude
Change is the only constant in the world..	To describe something that is inevitable	Change is the only constant in the world…	Beginning	trend
Thanks to unprecedented…	To describe some modern developments	Thanks to unprecedented developments in the field of computing, our lives are truly dependent on computers today. Thanks to unprecedented development in infrastructure tourists from abroad prefer to visit Gujrat. Thanks to easy access to money, many younsters start their own business.	Anywhere	trend
Giving way to	Getting replaced by	The older methods are giving way to the newer and better ones. In the modern world man made things are giving way to electronic machines. Old traditions are giving way to new thinking.	Anywhere	trend
Even….	To extend an idea..	Electronic equipments are getting more and more compact. Even mobile phones, have a camera and a radio.	Anywhere	trend
Prevalent	Common	Bulky computers were prevalent in earlier days. Life style diseases are very prevalent these days.	Anywhere	trend
On one hand…. ; on the other hand..	To extend an idea	On one hand, education makes a person more employable; on the other hand, it helps bringing harmony in the society.	Anywhere	your view
Inevitable truth	Something unavoidable	Death is an inevitable truth; Change is an inevitable truth.	Anywhere	your view
Exaggeration	Unrealistic; un real; an overstatement	To say that knowledge and ideas alone can solve our problems is an exageration. Advertisemnts have a right to exaggerate.	Anywhere	your view

Use Good Samples to Learn Writing Essays (ielts, toefl, pte)

Good essay writing tips. Follow simple method to master the art of writing engaging essays and content.

Use Good Sample Essays

Learn templates

Writing a good essay requires a lot of practice. There are simpler and easier ways to develop this skill.

Here is one such method.

The method is called as practice with purpose. Let get to the business right away.

Step 1: Take a sample
Step 2: Understand the elements of style and elements of persuasion, you like in that essay.
Step 3: Make a list of them and practice them.
Step 4: Take another essay of the similar nature.
Step 5: Apply those elements of style and elements of persuasion to write that new essay.

Practice with Purpose

Here is an example… the two essays shown below are similar in many respects..

both talk about school education
They are agree disagree type of essays
The vocabulary to be used is academic (school-education)
We can use them as templates to learn writing on similar topics.

Topic 1:Everyone should stay in school until the age of eighteen. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is often said that if you want to succeed in life, you need a proper school-education. I would agree with this, but it is debatable whether a proper education means having to stay in school until 18 years of age.

Perhaps the strongest reason not leaving school early is that it prepares you for your working career. If you leave school early with only a basic education, you are unlikely to be able to find any skilled work. Indeed, the education one receives between the ages of 16 and 18 is crucial for skilled work and a fulfilling life experience. Another compelling reason for remaining in school until 18 is that school provides moral and social education too. This is particularly important for people between 16 and 18 who have many temptations. Young people who stay in school until the age of 18 tend to be more responsible and help build a stronger society.

There are however, equally strong arguments against making school compulsory until the age of 18. One such argument is that not everyone is academically inclined and that some people benefit more from vocational training. For instance, someone who wants to become a car mechanic may find better training and more satisfaction in an apprentice scheme. Another related argument is that, in today’s world, young people are maturing ever more quickly and are able to make their own life decisions by the age of 16.

To my mind, everyone should be encouraged to stay in school until 18. However, I believe it would be a mistake to make this compulsory.

Topic 2:Some people believe that studying in a university or a college is the best route to a successful career while others believe that it is better to get a job straight after school. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Points:

Relationship between education and job
How good education helps you to get a job.
Importance of practical approach

The best course of action would be take the middle path.

Sample Essay:

Higher education is generally considered as a ticket to a great career. However there are many exceptions to this view also. Let us dig a little deeper to understand this subject holistically.

When we look around we see many examples of successful people who came from a very humble educational background. Many of them completed schooling only and some were college drop-outs. Mark Zukerberg and Bill Gates are two prominent examples to corroborate the view that a college degree is not mandatory for success. From India, we have Dhiru Bhai Ambani, the founder of Reliance, to cite as a well-known example.

Is college degree totally useless then? Should colleges shut-shop? Well, higher qualification is definitely an asset. Many professionals such as doctors, engineers, politicians, lawyers owe a lot of their success to their college-education.The fact of the matter is that one should go for college degree, if one is sure that whatever he learns in the college will help him in his future-life.

Arguably, personal-interest and passion matters more than college degree. Example of Steve Jobs can serve as a point-of-reference in this regard. He quit college and studied calligraphy as he was interested in it. Later this skill helped him to develop fonts in Apple-computers. Similarly, Elon Musk the founder of Tesla Motors, self-trained himself on Space-science and founded the renowned space-company ‘Space-X’. These stars never attended a college, but they were led by a dream to excel and do good in the field of their interest.

The bottom line is – knowledge is undeniably a valuable asset; however, college degree is not the only means to acquire knowledge and be successful.

How To Write Essay Introduction (IETLS / TOEFL / PTE) Part 2

IELTS ESSAY / TOEFL ESSAY / PTE ESSAY Introduction

‘Practice with purpose’ is the foundation of learning a new skill. Sometimes, even after a lot of practice one does not learn the desired skill.

Why?

Well, the reason is obvious, our practice is not focused. The best way is to break a larger goal into smaller goals and work on each of them separately.

In context of writing essays we can divide our approach into following parts-

Writing Introduction
Writing Body Paragraphs
Writing Conclusions

However before thinking about introduction / body / conclusion.. it makes sense to plan what you want to write first… Thus first make a rough draft of what you want to write, then start your essay…

For each of these sections we can have a collection of phrases and fixed expressions which we can use in drafting our thoughts.

Bingo! These templates give you a head-start to begin on the right foot.

Lets explore expressions and terms we can use in writing introduction today..

Use a quote

‘Well begin is half done.’ This cliche beautifully sums up the essence of this topic. A deep dive will help us to analyse and understand various aspects of this topic.

State the obvious… State your Opinion… Invite for further discussion

Some people say that children should be taught as school, others opine that children should be taught at home instead of schools.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

The topic of school education has been been the epicenter of discussions in many forums. Everyone is interested to find the best way to educate children. Let us dig a little deeper to understand this subject holistically.

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In last few years we have witnessed an unprecedented changes in the arena of school-education. Everyone has some opinion about the best way to teach, however there is no universal consensus on the subject. Let us dig a little deeper to understand this subject holistically.

==============================================

Undeniably, school education lays the foundation for a bright career. There are differing views on the best way to educate children, however there is no consensus. A deep dive into the subject will help us to understand the pros and cons associated with different methods.

=================================================

The subject of school-education has attracted a lot of attention in last few decades. I tend to believe that there is no one-size-fits-all way of teaching school-children. Let us dig a little deeper to understand this subject holistically.

Let us take some more examples

1. Arts sports and music should be replaced by more career oriented subjects in schools. Do you agree or disagree.

This is a decision topic. You have to support one side..

Sample introductions..

It would be naive to say that there are no career options in the field of arts and sports. Dropping them from school-education will be a big mistake, according to me. Let us dig deeper to understand the nuances of this subject.

In the last few decades, we have witnessed unprecedented changes in the arenas of career-choices. Fields such as arts and sports have opened many avenues for those who are interested in them. I don’t think dropping these subjects from school-education will be a good idea. Let us dig deeper to understand this subject holistically.

2. Some people say that it is better to get married before 30. Others say that one should get married only after 30. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Marriage and the the age to marry is a personal choice. However, I tend to believe that it is advisable to get married sooner than later. Let us dig a little deeper to understand various aspects of this subject holistically.

Part 1 – Essay Writing Tips

essay writing tips

Scored 8 bands in IELTS

Essay Writing Tips

1. Please read your essay AT LEAST TWICE before submitting. It is YOU who should CORRECT YOUR ERRORS which you can. Don’t let any error slip into your essay WHICH YOU CAN CORRECT.

2. Use short expressions and sentences. For example, in the intro you can say say “Vacations help you to rejuvenate and refresh by doing something different from your routine life. It makes a person more productive and peaceful. There are different views and counter-views about the duration of paid-vacations. Let us analyze them to understand various aspects of this subject.

3. Let the subject sink into you intelligence completely. Analyse views and counter-views deeply. Then write your essay.

4. Be at peace with yourself. Remember, you are already there. Your handwriting is beautiful and you already know how to write a good essay. Just show what you really think about the topic. Don’t worry too much about vocabulary or grammar. You can take care of itafter writing the essay. Give yourself at least 5 minutes to reach and check.

5. Embrace speed. Move past every sentence quickly. Think once before writing. But, don’t think too much before writing. Write short and crisp paragraphs. Follow PEE structure while writing paragraphs.

An essay is an integral part of IELTS / TOEFL / SAT / PTE and other English tests.

This week we will discuss essential skills to score high on essays.

Follow a fixed process – Prompt / Plan / Produce / Proofread
Develop a list of standard phrases to be used in different sections of the essay
Divide your time into – planing, writing, and checking

Template for Introduction

Line 1: State the Obvious
Line 2: State your view
Line 3: Invite for further discussion

Template for Body

Use PEE (Point / Example / Explanation)

Point – The topic sentence of the paragraph

Example – This is optional.. If you wish to support your idea with a cogent example, put it here.

Explanation: To further your expand your point of view.

TIP: To prepare writing essays… you can divide your preparation into following sections

Understanding nature of essay… Analyse different varieties of essays and develop structure on them.
Develop designs/Templates for each of the essay types
Develop standard vocabulary for each of the essay types
Practice writing full essays.. Take one type at a time and write a few essays on that type, till you master it.
Maintain a Corrections Log

Here is an example

Type: Decision Essay.. You have to defend one side of the argument…

Topic: Some people believe that it is the individual faith that helps recovery rather than the quality of treatment or the qualifications of the doctor.

What is more important according to you?

Sample 1

Introduction

Personal faith of the patient and the qualifications of a doctor, both are vital in successful treatment. However, I tend to believe, that a qualified practitioner plays far more important role. A deep dive into the subject will help to understand various aspects of it.

II Para: My Agenda: PEE … Point Example Explanation

There are many reasons to give higher priority to an able hand. By virtue of treating many patients with similar ailments, a doctor gains necessary experience to prescribe proper medicine based on the symptoms, age and other factors. To quote an example, one of my friends who was unconscious after an accident. He was saved because he got proper medical assistance immediately. As he was unconscious, he did not even know about the name of the doctor or type of medication given to him. Clearly, his faith did not play any role in his recovery. Similarly, we see many examples of patients with severe diseases such as cancer, lead a normal life, because of the treatment from an able doctor. Advancements in the field of medicine and surgery have further enabled doctors to treat dreaded diseases. They constantly evolve their practices and methods to provide better treatment.

Exception Paragraph

On the other hand, newspapers are replete with examples of sufferers losing this lives because of some quacks. They go with a lot of faith, but because of inappropriate medicines, they are killed or their disease gets worsened. (aggravated). The purpose is not to undermine, the value of faith, but a doctor plays a more important role.

Conclusion

To conclude, faith acts a catalyst in the process of treatment, however it is the treatment given by an expert that actually cures a patient.

Sample 2

Undeniably, qualifications of doctor as well as personal faith affect a patient. However, if I have to tell one over the other, I would say it is the doctor’s abilities that come first. A deep dive into the subject will help us to understand all the related aspects to this preposition.

Qualifications and experience of a doctor play a pivotal role in the treatment of a patient. We can take the example of a child in this case. A 5 years old child is too small to understand faith. Yet, when he is given proper treatment, he responds well and recovers quickly. The case is similar for grown-ups as well. Even when we go with no faith, our bodies respond positively to good treatment. On the contrary, wrong medication does inflict harm on our body. Our faith does little to save us from the hands of an unqualified practitioner.

Faith also plays its due role. It is generally seen that patients with faith recover and recuperate faster than those without. However, it would be presumptuous to put faith at a higher pedestal than the qualifications and experience of an able doctor. Newspapers are replete with reports about how naive people become victim of fake treatments given by quacks. A few even lose their lives as a result of taking such medicines. Further, there are many whose diseases get aggravated by consuming medicines prescribed by such impostors.

In the final analysis, treatment given by a knowledgeable and qualified doctor is the primary determinant. Faith and attitude affects the speed of recovery to a certain extent.

Another conclusion

To conclude, I firmly believe that personal faith can-not be a substitute for a good doctor. I strongly advise to go with a good doctor and then take medicines with faith.

Reading Strategies and Tips – Prepare, Practice, Succeed!

Reading strategies to speed up and get the right answers.

Reading – Tips

9 bandsi in ielts reading — Inderjeet scored 9 bands in reading

Reading is an intense exercise. It calls for concentration and undivided attention. People who are not accustomed to reading find it difficult to develop this skill. Consistent efforts and practice with purpose yields results.

The right strategies can help you gain speed and accuracy. Learn them, practice them, apply them!!

Develop interest in reading.
First focus on precision, then focus on speed.
Practice using different types of passages
Focus on -STOP
- Scope,
- Tone,
- Organization
- Purpose

Fill up the blanks – Tips
1. Note the maximum number of words / numbers acceptable
2. Understand the context
3. Understand the type of word (noun / verb / adjective / number)
MCQs – Tips
1. Paraphrase and predict
2. Read the options later
3. Select the right option
4. Process of Elimination ( POE)

Want to do a free exercise? Call – 9871001015

True / False /Not Given – Tips
1. Look for evidence
2. If there is a clear evidence to support / contradict the statement – True / False
3. Else, Not Given
4. Even when there is a possibility of True / or False [under different situations].. the answer will be not given

Example:

Text: Aryans are native Indians

Question: Aryans are found only in India.

Match the heading – Tips
1. Read one paragraph at a time..
2. Look at the whole paragraph not individual lines.
3. Paraphrase it to get the essence of it
4. Match with the options

If two answers seem to be right.. Select both of them first and later you can do a tug-of-war to select the best one.

First Precision Than Speed

First focus on getting the questions right. Speed is always a result of practicing he skills for a reasonably long time. So, regular practice will make you fast.

Thus, you will do well to just do away with the watch during the initial phase of your preparation. Your focus should be to the questions right.

You will develop speed by practicing regualry.

For writing Tips – Click Here

Wish to practice reading – use ted.