Author Archives: Set Education

Sáng qua 22/4, nhiều sinh viên năm 3, 4 Trường ĐH Khoa học Xã hội & Nhân văn TPHCM phản ánh nhà trường đã không đồng nhất trong quy định công nhận chứng chỉ ngoại ngữ tiếng Anh để xét tốt nghiệp khiến sinh viên bối rối.

Biết cách sử dụng cấu trúc câu so sánh chính xác là một trong những yêu cầu về ngữ pháp mà bạn sẽ được người chấm thi cho điểm trong phần thi Nói.

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1) Clip 1: Grammatical Range in the Speaking Test

2) Clip 2: Vocabulary Exercise

3) Printable Documents

a) Notes for Study

IELTS Tip

Practise using word forms which have dependent prepositions.

These structures can be problematic so it is best to memorise their uses and meanings.

Memorising them can also help reduce the number of errors that frequently occur in these kinds of structures.

GRAMMATICAL RANGE IN THE SPEAKING TEST

In the Speaking Test you will be required to use a range of grammatical structures. You will be tested on how accurate your use of these structures is. There are some grammatical patterns in English which can be problematic. This is particularly true of word forms which have dependent prepositions. Reviewing the patterns and practising the particular use of prepositions in the various combinations can help avoid errors.

There are many verbs, adjectives and nouns which are used with particular prepositions. The choice of preposition is often dependent on the word that precedes it. Because there are no strict rules that tell you which preposition to use, it is best to memorise the most common usage.

Dependent preposition patterns

There are three main patterns:

• verb + preposition

• noun + preposition

• adjective/participle + preposition

Verb + preposition

Here is a list of common verbs and the prepositions that follow.

There are some verbs that are followed by a direct object first and then the preposition.

verb + direct object + preposition + indirect object

Example:    She blamed the technician for not fixing the computer.

(= blame someone for something)

John blamed the inferior workmanship on the plumber.

(= blame something on someone)

The following verbs can also follow this pattern.

Noun + preposition

Here is a list of nouns with the prepositions that normally follow.

Adjective/participles + preposition

Here is a list of some of the more common adjectives with the prepositions that normally follow.

b) Learning Activities

Practise and consolidate your learning about grammatical range by completing our activities. The answers for all activities are on the last page.

ACTIVITY 1

Complete the sentences with an appropriate preposition.

1. Who is the person responsible _____ registering candidates for the test?

2. The children were excited ______ the excursion to the mountains.

3. When asked about the accident he said he had no knowledge _____ it.

4. The trainees were inspired _____ his performance.

5. The Senator is responsible _____ the Parliament.

6. John is interested _____ pursuing a career in journalism.

7. They couldn’t agree ____ the gift.

8. It is best to complain _____ the officer in charge.

9. There is a significant difference ______ the products of the two companies.

10. I always was bad _____ maths.

ACTIVITY 2

Complete the sentences in the left-hand column with a suitable ending from the righthand column.

ACTIVITY 1 ANSWERS

1.         for

2.         about

3.         of

4.         by

5.         to

6.         in

7.         on

8.         to

9.         between

10.       at

ACTIVITY 2 ANSWERS

1. H Residents will need to safeguard themselves against dangers in the home.

2. J The question asks for a solution to the problem.

3. E In this part of the business course they'll learn about marketing strategies.

4. A Be sure to congratulate Mary on her promotion.

5. I Jack doesn’t seem capable of doing the work properly.

6. B The neighbours were annoyed by the barking dog.

7. C There was an unexpected rise in the unemployment rates.

8. D Horror films are always popular with the younger crowd.

9. G The parents were proud of their daughter's achievements.

10. F The award was presented by the principal to the youngest person in year 12.

c) Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS Preparation. I'm Margot Politis.

Knowing how to compare and contrast is something you are likely to need for the IELTS Speaking Test.

There are a number of grammatical structures that you can use to make comparisons and express differences.

Listen to this candidate comparing and contrasting his teachers:

What differences in teaching styles have you experienced with different teachers?

Well, I think, you have to make a difference between a teacher's knowledge and personal style. Some teachers, you know, are very knowledgeable and have a lot of experience and everything. Both my history and science teachers knew their subjects really well, but my maths teacher, who was much older - maybe that's why – just didn't have the skills to convey all that to the students. If I were to compare all my classes, I would say his were the most boring. My history teacher, on the other hand, he knew how to communicate to students and his lessons were more enjoyable and we learnt faster.

He said that "both my history and science teachers knew their subjects."

He uses the word 'both' to say 'the two together'. They're similar in the way they know a lot about their subjects. He then contrasts them to the maths teacher by using the word 'but'. Listen:

Both my history and science teachers knew their subjects really well, but my maths teacher, who was much older - maybe that's why - just didn't have the skills to convey all that to the students.

To justify the contrast he compares the ages of the teachers. The maths teacher is much older. Older is a comparative adjective. Someone who is 50 is older than someone who is 40. 'Much older' is a way of saying the difference is larger – someone who is 80 is much older than someone who is 40.

He also compares the teaching styles of his teachers:

If I were to compare all my classes, I would say his were the most boring.

This time he uses the superlative - the most boring, because he is comparing more than 2 things. He does this using a conditional 'if' sentence which is a polite way of criticising someone:

If I were to compare all my classes, I would say his were the most boring.

He goes on to talk about his history teacher. How does he show that he is comparing him to the boring maths teacher?

My history teacher, on the other hand, he knew how to communicate to students and his lessons were more enjoyable and we learnt faster.

He says 'on the other hand' to show that he is now talking about a different style of teaching. And again he uses comparative forms - more enjoyable and faster – to express this difference.

Now listen to another candidate responding to a question designed to encourage her to compare and contrast:

Is it better to grow up in the city or in the countryside?

Well, I think that, mm, both places have their pros and cons. I've grown up in a city, and I've lived in a city all my life. And sometimes when I see those families who have their kids in the countryside I envy them, because they can run about, you know. They are free and the environment is cleaner and safer, but then, on the other hand, you know, living in a city gives you other, um, opportunities to socialise, have more contact with culture, and better opportunities for education. So, I don't know. It's difficult to say. Both things have advantages and disadvantages.

She begins by saying that "both places have their pros and cons". Saying 'both' means she is referring to the city and the country. Pros and cons is an idiom meaning advantages and disadvantages. Then she establishes that her point of view is that of a city person:

I've grown up in a city, and I've lived in a city all my life.

Then she says what the advantages - the pros - of living in the country are:

Sometimes when I see those families who have their kids in the countryside I envy them, because they can run about, you know. They are free and the environment is cleaner and safer …

The advantages are that in the country you can run about and be free. She also uses the comparative adjectives 'cleaner' and 'safer' to describe the country compared to the city.

Often you use comparatives with 'than' a word that means 'in comparison with'.

The country is cleaner than the city.

She chooses to contrast with the word 'but' and talk about the advantages of living in the city:

They are free and the environment is cleaner and safer, but then, on the other hand, you know, living in a city gives you other, um, opportunities to socialise, have more contact with culture, and better opportunities for education.

Like the previous candidate, she uses the phrase 'on the other hand' to show she is talking about something different - the city.

And again she uses the language of comparison, this time the irregular comparative form of good, 'better'.

Listen again:

They are free and the environment is cleaner and safer, but then, on the other hand, you know, living in a city gives you other, um, opportunities to socialise, have more contact with culture, and better opportunities for education.

Now let's listen to the way she rounds off her comparison of city and country living:

So, I don't know. It's difficult to say. Both things have advantages and disadvantages.

She ends by saying both have advantages and disadvantages which means that one isn't better than the other. You don't have to say that one thing is better than another if you don't think so. The phrase for this is 'as good as'. She thinks that the country is as good as the city.

The structures you use to compare things in the speaking test are assessed as grammatical range and accuracy, one of the IELTS marking criteria. Other things that are assessed in this area are the number of mistakes you make and the range of sentence types you use.

Don't be overly concerned about being perfectly correct all the time. Some mistakes will occur in your speech.

It's good to review the rules for forming comparatives.

One syllable words have the –er comparative form: big, bigger

You need to memorise the forms for 2 syllable words because they can be either –er or have 'more' before them:            

narrow, narrower

useful, more useful

Words of 3 syllables and longer have the 'more' form:

intelligent, more intelligent

spectacular, more spectacular

You can emphasise the degree of difference and say 'much older'.

With 'more intelligent', you say 'much more intelligent' and with 'more spectacular', you say 'much more spectacular'.

And don't forget to review irregular comparative adjectives like:

good, better

bad, worse

far, further or farther

Whenever a question has a comparative adjective in it, you can be confident that you are expected to reply with the language of comparison.

That's all for now. To find more information about grammatical range and accuracy in the Speaking Test visit our Study English website. The address is: australianetwork.com/studyenglish.

Good Luck with your studies. Bye.

(Nguồn UTS: Insearch and Australia Network)

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Sample 1:   BAR GRAPH AT APPROX. 6.0 IELTS SCORE

Greeting from La Trobe University, Australia!

Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our agents for your hard work in promoting La Trobe in Vietnam and recruiting students for us. The number of students enrolling at La Trobe in S1, 2010 was great! We understand this is due to your effort, without your help, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy continued success in Vietnam.

Secondly, I would like to update you about our admission process, recently we appointed Ms. Agnes Leung as an Admission Coordinator working for SEA team, especially processing all UG, PG applications from Vietnam.  She will be your contact person in relation with admission processes. Please send your applications as below:

UG, PG’ applications and acceptances a.leung@latrobe.edu.au

ELICOS, Foundation and Diploma’ applications and acceptances icollege@latrobe.edu.au

Research applications and acceptances ltiresearch@latrobe.edu.au

We will process your application and issue an eCoe as soon as we receive a full application and supporting documents.

Thank you very much for your cooperation. Please let me know if you have any further queries.

Regards

Bài học này sẽ hướng dẫn bạn cách sử dụng vốn từ vựng của mình một cách hiệu quả nhất cũng như làm sao để thể hiện khả năng áp dụng những chức năng ngôn ngữ trong IELTS Speaking Test.

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1) Clip 1: Vocabulary for Speaking 

2) Clip 2: Vocabulary Exercise

3) Printable Documents

a) Notes for Study

IELTS Tip

Build your vocabulary around topic areas such as health, the environment, media, society, technology, education and others.

Demonstrate your range of topic vocabulary by using a variety of word forms, synonyms and opposites.

Don’t forget to include collocations and less common words and expressions, such as idioms.

VOCABULARY FOR SPEAKING

Having a wide range of vocabulary at your finger tips and being able to use it accurately and appropriately allow you to communicate freely, spontaneously, effectively and fluently.

When building your vocabulary it is not only important to organise it in a meaningful way according to topics but also to look at how the words are used. There is more to a word than just its meaning.

There are different component parts of a word. Using a wide range and having a command of word forms are what is referred to as your lexical resource, one of the criteria by which your speech is assessed.

It is important to know and learn the different ways words are used.

When setting up a vocabulary notebook for yourself you should include the following aspects of a word.

• word forms and stress

• word associations

• collocations

• register

• idioms and fixed expressions

Word forms and stress

Words function differently when they are used as adjectives, nouns, verbs or adverbs.

Knowing the various forms gives you flexibility in the way you can express yourself.

Be careful though the stress may change when using a different word form.

Some examples are on the following page:

Word associations

Knowing the way words are associated with each other helps to learn the meaning of words more easily and provides the opportunity when demonstrating your speaking ability to use a wider range of vocabulary. Using synonyms, opposites and other related words allows you to extend your talk or response with more detail and express yourself more eloquently.

There are various ways that words are related. Some of the more common relationships include:

• synonyms

• opposites

• hyponyms

Synonyms

These are words that have the same meaning, or are similar in meaning. Be careful that some words, even though they may be similar or slightly different in meaning, may be more appropriate in one particular context than in another. Grammar can also make a difference in the choice you make.

It is important to take these aspects into account when building your vocabulary notebook and include a reference to the meaning to which the group of synonyms belongs.

On the following page are some groups of synonyms for the word advance used as noun and verb, including a reference to the intended meaning.

Opposites

These are words that are opposite in meaning. Similarly, as with synonyms it is important to be aware that appropriate use depends on context and grammar. Here are some groups of opposites for advance.

Hyponymy

This describes the relationship between types of something, for example colours or weather.

Collocations

Collocation refers to the way words combine together. Using word combinations appropriately and accurately is important because it will make your speech sound more natural and native-like. For example, in English you can say Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas but it is incorrect to Merry Birthday.

Here are some of the kinds of combination and examples using the noun peace and verb explain.

Register

Register refers to the use of formal and informal language. In the interview you will be required to speak on a variety of different topics that range from the general and personal to the more abstract, and to use both formal and informal language appropriately. While slang is considered a form of very informal language it is inappropriate to use it in the speaking test.

There are scales of formality. Here are some examples of formal and informal word choices:

* Phrasal verbs are less formal

Idioms and fixed expressions

An idiom is a phrase or fixed expression whose meaning is not clear or obvious from the meanings of the words that form the expression. For example, the expression to start the ball rolling is an idiom which means “to get some activity started”. It’s not immediately obvious what is meant by the expression but the context will usually shed some light on the meaning.

Here are some common idiomatic expressions:

b) Learning Activities

Practise and consolidate your learning about vocabulary by completing our activities.

The answers for all activities are on the last page.

ACTIVITY 1

Choose the appropriate idiomatic expression from the box for each sentence.

1. Having to do the night shift is ________ of being a nurse.

2. Your diligence will pay off _______ when you succeed.

3. Let’s do the shopping tomorrow! No, _______ let’s get it out of the way now.

4. As a ______ students are allowed a 10 minute break every hour.

5. Be prepared to _____ when they find out you damaged the lock.

6. Let’s just _____ before we start arguing.

7. John has progressed _______ since his last report.

8. Because the computer crashed we lost the whole assignment and had to _____.

9. She was _____ when the results came in yesterday.

10. I’ve done the research so this assignment will be a _______.

ACTIVITY 2

Match each of the musical instruments in the box below with the types of instrument in the left-hand column.

ACTIVITY 1 ANSWERS

1.         H         part and parcel

2.         C         in the long run

3.         J           on second thoughts

4.         A         rule of thumb

5.         F          face the music

6.         I           drop the subject

7.         E          in leaps and bounds

8.         G         start from scratch

9.         D         on cloud nine

10.       B         piece of cake

ACTIVITY 2 ANSWERS

c) Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS Preparation. I'm Margot Politis.

Today we'll look at how to make best use of your vocabulary and get your meaning across in the IELTS Speaking Test.

Knowing how to use your vocabulary in different ways can help you maintain conversation.

When you find that you can't think of the right word, you can talk around the idea as this candidate does here:

Do you think the children of famous people have it easy?

No, I don't think so. It must be very, very hard. You know, when I lived in Ecuador, I knew a lot of famous people and they always have to have bodyguards, or they have to live behind bars, you know, behind big walls, and children are always protected, and they don't have the freedom, so it's a big price you pay.

You can picture the surroundings from her description even though she has not named it.

She said 'have to have bodyguards' … 'live behind bars' … 'behind big walls' … 'children are always protected'… and 'they don't have the freedom'.

She paints a clear picture of what she means: 'live behind bars' - we imagine someone in jail; 'bodyguards' - employing someone to protect you and your children.

The vocabulary used in her description accurately, effectively and successfully describes a 'gated community'.

The ability to use your vocabulary to describe something you don't have the exact word for is called circumlocution. Circumlocution means 'talking around something' and is assessed as a vocabulary skill.

During the interview the examiner may use a word that you don't know the meaning of. Let's imagine the topic of computers in education comes up in the interview. The interviewer takes the opportunity to explore this area and says:

Computer technology plays a big role in children's education today. Do you think the benefits of using computers are overrated?

Let's say you don't understand the word overrated. You can ask the interviewer what that word means, like this:

Computer technology plays a big role in children's education today. Do you think the benefits of using computers are overrated?

What do you mean by overrated?

I mean that the benefits are regarded too highly. They're exaggerated.

This is called asking for clarification. Apart from helping you answer, it shows the interviewer an aspect of your speaking ability. There are several ways of asking for clarification. You could say:

Sorry, I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'overrated'.

Or

Would you mind explaining what 'overrated' means?

All these examples ask for clarification appropriately. They range from the least formal what do you mean by …? to the most formal would you mind explaining …?

It would be inappropriate in such a formal interview to just say:

What's overrated?

It would, however, be more to your advantage if you tried to guess the meaning of overrated and then checked with the interviewer whether your understanding is correct.

Let's try doing this.

You know from your own experience that the use of computers for education can be good and bad. The question asks about benefits. Benefits are good things but are they overrated? Is there any part of the word you recognise?

It starts with 'over', a prefix you might know. You hear of overpopulation and people being overweight. That's too many people … and too fat. So 'over' probably means 'too much'. And it's not a good thing.

So you can check with the interviewer to see if you've understood by rephrasing the question like this:

Computer technology plays a big role in children's education today. Do you think the benefits of using computers are overrated?

Are you saying that the benefits of computer use might not be that good?

Yes, that's right.

Asking a question like this shows that you can use your vocabulary skilfully.

The questions in the Speaking Test interview are designed to encourage answers that show you can use a range of language functions.

The interviewer wants to see if you can express an opinion, or speculate or give a suggestion.

It's a good idea to vary the ways you respond.

Take the question: Do you think there is too much violence in films today?

It's inviting you to express an opinion, like this:

As far as I'm concerned there is too much violence in films these days.

But there are other ways of expressing an opinion. Listen:

In my opinion there is too much violence in films these days.

From my point of view there is too much violence in films these days.

It seems to me that there is too much violence in films these days.

Well, I would say there is too much violence in films these days.

The same applies to speculating. Speculating means making suggestions, where you don't necessarily know the right answer.

Here are some phrases you can use to speculate:

Why do teenagers vandalise public transport?

If I had to guess I'd say that it's boredom

I'm not sure but from my observation it's boredom

I imagine that the most important reason would be boredom

And here are some ways to give suggestions:

What would you do to improve public transport?

I think what should be done is increase services

The problem could be solved by increasing services

What might be done is increasing services

Another strategy is to use synonyms or words that have similar meanings.

Listen to this candidate doing this:

Why have the forms of popular entertainment changed over the years?

Because the society has changed a lot, and now we seem to be rushing all the time and want to consume everything a lot faster, so I think every form of entertainment is also reflecting that kind of very fast, quick way of wanting something different and wanting something very quickly.

He uses a number of synonyms to talk about how society has changed - he feels there is a need for things to be done in a hurry.

He uses the synonyms: rushing, fast and quick. He uses different word forms: the adjective fast and its comparative faster, the adjective quick and the adverb quickly.

By using a variety of synonyms and different word forms he is managing communication well and maintaining fluency.

Listen again:

Because the society has changed a lot, and now we seem to be rushing all the time and want to consume everything a lot faster, so I think every form of entertainment is also reflecting that kind of very fast, quick way of wanting something different and wanting something very quickly.

One way to build up your vocabulary is to organise words around categories such as movement. You can arrange words like this:

Some synonyms are fast and quick.

A collocation, or group of words often used together is 'rushing all the time'

Word forms would be faster and quickly.

Some opposites would be slow and sluggish.

An idiom could be 'in the fast lane', which means living an exciting if sometimes risky life.

Keep adding to this and then using the words you've discovered.

That's all for now.

To find more information about the vocabulary you need for the Speaking Test visit our Study English website. The address is: australianetwork.com/studyenglish.

Good Luck with your studies. Bye for now.

(Nguồn UTS: Insearch and Australia Network)