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Describe a period in history which has always interested you.

18/1/2018

SENTENCE-BY-SENTENCE STRATEGY (Sample answer):

1st question: When did it happen?
Well, I would like to talk about the Chinese Qin Dynasty, which I am particularly interested in. This dynasty was in place in Ancient China from 221-207 BCE and it was ruled by the self-proclaimed emperor, Qin Shihuangdi and by Emperor Er Shi.
Total: 2 sentences

2nd question: What happened?
Firstly, the king of the state of Qin, Zhuang Xiang, died in 246 BCE, leaving his son, Zheng as king. Zheng quickly began fighting with the states bordering the state of Qin and, as each one of them fell, his army grew and so did his empire. As a result of the exponential growth of his territorial domination, he declared himself Emperor Qin Shihuangdi in 221 BCE and became the first emperor of the new Chinese empire. The capital of the Qin dynasty was Xianyang, in the Shaanxi province, Northern China.
Total: 4 sentences

3rd question: Why are you interested in it?
This period is incredibly rich because the most prevalent tourist attraction in China was built during this dynasty. I am referring to the Great Wall of China, which is the longest man-made structure in the world and a symbol of the country. During the Qin dynasty, the 2500 miles of the Great Wall of China were made into a solid fortification, holding back nomads and tribes from the North of China.
Total: 3 sentences

4th question: Who told you about it?
As an exercise in orientating students to the significance of the Great Wall of China, Chinese teachers introduce the idea of 'cultural symbols’ into the primary school curriculum. In reality, they were the first ones to tell me about this majestic sight. As a result, I have been fascinated with the Great Wall of China ever since I first saw it in a school history book.
Total: 3 sentences

© Paul J. Wood. All rights reserved.

IELTS speaking part 2 - Utilising a sentence-by-sentence strategy

14/1/2018

Idioms

1st question: Who are they?
OK, I am going to describe the most emblematic hurdler in Chinese history, Liu Xiang. He is a retired Olympic Gold medalist and World Champion. His 2004 Olympic gold medal was the first in a men's track and field event for China.
Total: 3 sentences

2nd question: How do you know them?
I’d like to begin by highlighting that Liu is one of China's household names and has emerged as a cultural icon. He is the only male athlete in history to have achieved the triple crown in the event of 110-metre hurdles: World Record Holder, World Champion and Olympic Champion.
Total: 2 sentences

3rd question: What have they achieved?
Now concerning the matter of his continental achievements, one can only admit that he was in a league of his own. In May 2001, he won at the East Asian Games in Osaka (Japan) with a time of 13.42 seconds and, a few months later, in August 2001, he went on to win at the Universiade in Beijing (China) with a time of 13.33 seconds. He was also the winner of China’s National Games that same year.
Total: 2 sentences

4th question: Why are they famous?
Finally, if I still have enough time, I’d also like to make it clear that he was hands-down the best Chinese track and field athlete of all time. In fact, he has been inspiring generations of youngsters to pursue greatness in life and, for that, we are all eternally thankful.
Total: 2 sentences

IELTS Speaking Topic: describing a piece of furniture (sample answer)

8/1/2018

First of all, I would like to mention that I live with both my husband and daughter in Beijing and our apartment is filled with a variety of elegant furniture. For the purpose of this task, I will be discussing my favourite piece of furniture, which is our sofa bed.
Despite being as old as the hills, it has increased the usefulness of our living room for a considerable number of years now. I have a sentimental attachment to this article of furniture because it was the very first one that my husband and I purchased together. As I’m a bookworm, I find it extremely convenient because it offers me the comfort of staying at home, curling up on the couch and feeling lost in the real page turners.
We acquired a small 2-bedroom apartment in a multi-storied complex so I do not have much furniture in there except for my bed, a medium-size reading table, a computer desk, a set of three wonderful sofas, a tiny table adjacent to the sofa bed and a wall-mounted closet. The particularity with this sofa bed is that it is mostly used for when my friends or family members come to visit us and stay overnight.
As you are probably aware, a massive advantage of a sofa bed is that it can be made to serve as a bed by lowering its hinged upholstered back to a horizontal position or by pulling out a concealed mattress.
Unfortunately, we will soon be forced to invest in a new one because its springs are protruding through the mattress. My husband has promised to reward me with an upgraded leather version of this sofa bed when I pass my IELTS exam with flying colours.

© Paul J. Wood. All rights reserved.

IELTS Writing part II (ACADEMIC MODULE) -How To write paragraph 1 (sentence by sentence)

3/1/2018

Paragraph 1
Introduction
Sentence 1 - Rewrite/ Paraphrase the ‘general statement’
Sentence 2 – Mention “main advantage” and “main disadvantage”
Sentence 3 – Give your opinion

Question prompt:
University students are increasingly studying abroad as part of their studies. Do the advantages of studying abroad outweigh the disadvantages?

General statement

Example:
The number of tertiary students undertaking their studies overseas, as part of their degrees, is on the rise. Although students will often experience anxiety as a result of being separated from their loved ones, they will gain significant life experiences that will reward them at a posterior phase in their careers. In my opinion, students are far better off having studied in a different country despite the challenges that they will inevitably face.

© Paul J. Wood. All rights reserved.