Relative Clauses

In today's blog we will look at how we use relative clauses in writing and speaking. Relative clauses are a great way to add information to nouns. In the IELTS written paper, they can be very useful for the task 1 question on processes. Moreover, using relative clauses in IELTS writing task 2 can increase your grammatical range.

What are Relative Clauses

Relative clauses are parts of sentences which add information to a noun in the sentence.

The relative clause can be either the subject or the object of the clause.

The are connected to the noun with a relative pronoun e.g. who, which, that.

What are Relative Pronouns

There are two types of relative clauses:

- A defining relative clause

- A non-defining relative clause

Defining relative clauses add information after the noun to identify the noun more clearly.

The man who has the red hat on stole your wallet.

Without these relative clauses, it is not clear who, where or what is being referred to.

The man stole your wallet.

.... which man?

Non – defining relative clauses add extra but non-essential information to something.

The burglars got through the window, which was left open.

Non-defining relative clauses are more common in written language than in spoken language. Therefore, they can be used in a very descriptive way in writing.

Compare the following ...

I applied to the university which is located in the city centre.

I applied to the university, which is located in the city centre.

Defining Relative Clauses

Defining relative clauses give information after a noun to identify the noun clearly.

Find someone who can pick you up from the airport.

Store away any objects that could become damaging missiles if it gets windy.

Without these relative clauses it is unclear which person, place or thing we are referring to.

Store away any objects if it gets windy.

(We do not know the types of objects this statement is referring to.)

Non-defining Relative Clauses

Non-defining relative clauses add extra, non-essential information about something. Compare:

I always use the local butchers, which is in the city centre, because the staff are very friendly.

There is only one butchers, so the location is added information – not defining it from another.

I always use the local butchers which is in the city centre because the staff are very friendly.

There are more than one local butchers, so the location is clarifying which butchers its is exactly – defining it.

We do not use the relative pronoun 'that':

The burglars got through the window, which the owners had forgotten to shut.

NOT – The burglars got through the window, that the owners had forgotten to shut.

Use of commas:

We cannot leave out the relative pronoun:

My new apartment, which is located further outside the city, is much larger.

NOT – My new apartment, is located further outside the city, is much larger.

Used for single noun phrase and whole clauses:

Summary of difference between a Defining relative clause and a Non-defining Relative Clause

Relative clauses in Sentence structures

Practice Activity

There is a mistake with relative clauses in each of the email extracts below. Find the mistakes and correct them.

1. I wonder if you can help me. I want to get in touch with the woman which we met at the meeting last week. Do you know the one I mean?

2. I'm sending tis email to ask for more information about the language course which I saw them advertised in the Daily Star yesterday.

3. How are you getting on with your new job? I'm finding my new job exhausting, that is not surprising considering I have to travel so much.

4. I really enjoyed the lecture which you gave it on Wednesday, and am thinking about doing my assignment on the same topic.

5. I'm just emailing you to find out if you want to go to the cinema on Thursday. I've got todays newspaper which has a list of films. If you're free, let me know.

6. Can you pick up some shopping on your way home? I want some of those bread rolls what we had last week. Will you be able to stop at the shop?

7. You are clearly a person who life is full and busy, and that is why we think you would like our Personal Organizer. For just €15.99 you ....

Answer Key

1. I wonder if you can help me. I want to get in touch with the woman who we met at the meeting last week. Do you know the one I mean?

2. I'm sending tis email to ask for more information about the language course which I saw advertised in the Daily Star yesterday.

3. How are you getting on with your new job? I'm finding my new job exhausting, which is not surprising considering I have to travel so much.

4. I really enjoyed the lecture which you gave on Wednesday, and am thinking about doing my assignment on the same topic.

5. I'm just emailing you to find out if you want to go to the cinema on Thursday. I've got todays newspaper, which has a list of films. If you're free, let me know.

6. Can you pick up some shopping on your way home? I want some of those bread rolls that we had last week. Will you be able to stop at the shop?

7. You are clearly a person whose life is full and busy, and that is why we think you would like our Personal Organizer. For just €15.99 you ....

Thank you for visiting the Solas English blog. We hope you found this helpful. 
You can download notes from this blog HERE

If you would like us to write a blog about any grammar or vocabulary of English, please leave a comment below.

Thank you
Dee

Solas English

IELTS Listening Test Tips

The IELTS listening test can be very difficult for all levels of English language learners. The best way to prepare for this test is to develop your overall listening skills and practice the test as much as you can before doing it. However, there are a number of things you should know about the test that might help you get through the test more comfortably and achieve higher score. In this blog post, we will go through some key points about the IELTS listening test that you should know, and give you some tips to help you be aware of where you could be making small mistakes.

The first thing you should be aware of in the listening IELTS test is that you will only hear each listening once. Therefore, it is extremely important while you practice for the test, that you learn to move along with the listening and the questions. If you miss an answer, stop thinking about it when you hear the speaker continuing onto the next part and the next question, or you'll miss the next question too.

Another thing you should know before going into the exam, is that the IELTS listening test is long. The test is around 30 minutes. For an English language learner, who has to listen actively for this amount of time, it can be very difficult and very tiresome. Therefore when you are preparing for an IELTS listening test, it is important that you develop your overall listening skills.

As listeners in any language, there are two types of listening that we do: active listening and passive listening. Active listening is when we are focused on the listening for specific information. For example, when we do a listening test, or when we when we listen to take notes. Passive listening is when there is something on in the background, and we are listening to it, but not paying too much attention. For example, listening to music while cooking the dinner. 

When we are learning a language, it is very important that we tune our ear into the language. Passive listening is a great way to do this. By listening to music or podcasts while cooking or cleaning, we are giving our ears and our brain the opportunity to "tune into" the  language and allow us to become familiar with the sounds and the patterns of the language. This helps us even more when we want to develop our active listening skills.

Active listening skills can be developed by practicing activities, such as gap-fills and multiple choice questions. We can also practice our active listening by taking notes and writing specific information down. 

When developing listening skills in another language, it is very important that you are patient. It is also very important that you do not become stressed or annoyed. When we get stressed, we block things out, and this can happen a lot in listening. Staying calm and allowing the information in is key to good listening in any language. For more information about this, I recommend you read up on Stephen Krashen's Affective Filters theory.

So let's look at the IELTS test and some of the types of questions you will find in the test.

Listening strategies

In parts 1 and 3 of the listening test, you will hear a dialogue.

Some of the tasks you may have to do are completing sentences.

Before you listen, make sure you read the task carefully to get a general idea of what sort of information is required. You must spell correctly and make sure you don't write more words than you are told to.

You will only hear the recording once.

In parts 2 and 4 of the listening test, you will hear one person talking about something of general interest.

There is usually more than one type of question.

You will often need to listen for specific information – that is dates, times, names important words.

You will hear a lot of information, but you don't need to hear all of it.

You should always look ahead to the next question so that you don't miss hearing the answer to a question.

Write the exact words that you hear, but don't write more than the maximum number of words.

Type of Questions and Strategies

Matching

Read the task before you listen

If you miss an answer, stop thinking about it when you hear the speaker going on to talk about the next question, or you'll miss that one too.

Multiple Choice

First read the questions and the options.

As you listen, consider all the options. Only one is right, unless you are asked to pick more than one answer.

Diagrams

There are different types of diagrams in the listening test. There may be a map, a plan, a process, a chart or a picture of an object. Study the diagram very carefully before you listen.

Read the instructions carefully.

Study the drawing and the heading, if it has one.

Try to work out what the drawing shows.

If parts of the drawing have question numbers, find the first number and notice where the numbers continue.

Look carefully at the drawing and notice the words that are given.

Think about the words that might be used; for example, for a map you might hear words for giving directions – left, right, on the corner, before, after, and so on.

Listen for information relevant to the first question

Think about the meaning of the words in the questions and the box, if there is one. The words may be exactly what you hear or you may hear different words that mean the same.

When you hear the relevant information, listen carefully for the answer. If you miss an answer, go onto the next question or you may miss that too.

Sentence and note completion

You will be given time to read the sentences or note before you listen.

Think about what information is likely to fit each space (e.g. amount of money, address, time etc).

Think about both the meaning and the grammar.

Listen for each answer in turn.

If you miss one, go onto the next question or you may miss that one too.

Part 4 - Lecture Style Listening Task
Part 4 of the listening is a short talk or lecture related to academic work or study. There will be a mixture of task types and you will be told which questions to read, and be given time to read then before you hear the recording.

Before listening read the instructions carefully. Check how many answers you should write, and the maximum number of words for each answer.

Try to write your answers in the same order that you hear them, but it doesn't matter if you change the order.

You should write the words exactly as you hear them

Summary

You will be given the time to read the summary before you listen.

Think about what information is likely to fit each space, and think about the meaning and the grammar.

Listen for each answer in turn. If you miss one, continue onto the next or you may miss that one too.

It is important to listen for what is relevant to the questions. You will not understand everything.

Pay attention to specific information such as times, dates, addresses. Often one or more of these specific pieces of information will be close to each other to try to confuse you. Remember what the question is asking for.

Classification

Use the time you are given to read the instructions carefully and think about the meaning of the three options.

Check what letters you should use for your answers: they may be A, B, C or three other letters

Listen for each answer in turn and consider all three options before choosing your answer.

Always give an answer – you will never lose a mark for guessing but might get it right!

Remember - if you want to prepare for the IELTS listening test, it's important that you practice listening skills regularly. This does not mean that you should only practice IELTS listening tests. Listening to talks online, watching TV in English, listening to radio and Podcasts are all great ways to develop your overall listening skills, and will benefit your performance in the IELTS listening test.

Cambridge English Objective IELTS Intermediate Student Book, 2016 (16th ed.), Cambridge University Press: UK

The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS, Cambridge University Press

I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Please comment and share below. We would love to hear from you!

IELTS Writing, Question 2 - Task Achievement and Coherence, Coherence

Many IELTS candidates make the mistake of rushing into the writing of part 2. This may be because of the time limit to write 250. Rushing into the writing of part 2 can cause problems for the candidates. The first 5 minutes of part 2 in the writing test are very important. The work candidates do in this first five minutes sets the ground-work for the remainder of the writing and can have a very impact on your overall score. In this blog post we are going to look at how to effectively start the part 2 writing process, and illustrate how this can help your task achievement of the question.

First it important to highlight the 4 criteria in which your essay is marked by, and how these steps can help you score higher in 2 of the criteria.

1. Task Achievement / Response

• Did your answer address all of the points in the question?
• Did you provide a balanced argument and support your ideas with evidence and examples?
• Were all of your ideas relevant to the question?
• Did you write 250 words?

2. Coherence and Cohesion

• Is your writing easy to understand?
• Are your ideas well organised and clearly linked?

3. Vocabulary

• Did you use a wide range of vocabulary accurately and effectively?

4. Grammar

• Did you use a wide range of grammatical structures accurately and effectively?

To help you get started with the writing, we have created a system which gives structure to your overall essay and to your introduction paragraph. By following these steps you can achieve higher band scores in Task Achievement and Coherence and Cohesion. To explain this system in the easiest way, we will demonstrate it step-by-step with the following example essay question:


Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Many museums charge for admission while others are free.

Do you think the advantages of charging people for admission to museums outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.



Step 1 - Analyse the essay question. (1 minute)

It is very important to look carefully at the essay statement and question, and to critically think about that the essay is asking you to do. If you don't analyse the essay statement and question, you may answer the question incorrectly which will result in you loosing points in your task achievement criteria. To analyse the essay question:

1. Note key words / phrases in the statement and think about what they mean. Try to note down how your could say these words / phrases in other words (paraphrase). Write down words that mean the same (synonyms).

2. Note the key words in the question. What are you being asked to do?

Step 2 - Brainstorm your ideas. (2 minutes)

Very quickly note down any ideas or examples you could use to speak about the topic. Don't worry about order or structure, just note down anything that comes into your mind. You can do this in a list or make a mind-map.

_____________________________________________________________

Step 3 - Make a plan. (2 minutes)

Look at your ideas and decide how you will answer the question (refer back to your analysis of the question). Then make a quick plan of the best way to present your ideas.
In your plan keep themes together, for example advantages or disadvantages.
Make sure you are not using the same idea twice as you do not want to have repetition in your essay. Refer to your brainstorm and check for examples you can use to develop your ideas. Work these examples and results into your plan.

So to quickly re-cap!

In the first 5 - 6 minutes of the IELTS Writing test part 2 you should:

Now you are ready to write!

The first thing you need to write is an introduction. An introduction should have the following:

1. A restate of the question in your own words.

2. You interpretation of the words or ideas used in the question

            Or

     A brief reaction to the question.

            Or

     A summary of the question or topic through a new question.

3. An explanation of what you intend to write about.

So let's look at how you can you use the three steps above to shape your introduction.

Restate the Question






Often museums and galleries have an entrance fee, but this is not always the case. There are both benefits and drawbacks to having entrance fees.







Reaction to question OR summary of question OR interpretation of words

Reaction to question: Museums are seen as places of education and wonder. Such places should be available widely to everyone who is interested in them. However, there are some considerations to think about when having museums items and art accessible to the public.


Explanation of what you intend to write

In this essay I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of entrance fees and free admission. In my discussion. I will show how the advantages of having fees in museums outweighs the disadvantages.

Let's bring our three part together to make our introduction.

We hope you found our three step system to help you get started in your IELTS writing task 2. Please write a comment and tell us what you think! If you are interested in reading more of our posts and blogs, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and InstagramIf you are interested in online classes with us, visit out website Solas English.

Preparing for a Speaking Exam

How do I prepare for a speaking examination? Many people will tell you to speak as much English as possible before the exam, and they are right! However, there are some things you can do yourself to prepare for a speaking exam. Here are some self-study tips to guide you.

Know the exam layout

It's very important that you know the exam layout before you go into the exam. Being familiar with the exam means you will not be surprised by the type of questions or tasks you will be asked to do. Speaking exams are usually arranged into parts. Each part has a specific task, for example in part 3 of the Cambridge PET exam you are asked to speak about a photograph for 1 minutes. Likewise in part 2 of the IELTS exam you are asked to speak about a topic for 1 to 2 minutes with 1 minute preparation and note-taking before. Therefore it is important to know the speaking exam structure, so you will know what to expect.

Watch example videos online

There are many example videos of speaking exams available online for you to watch. These can be found on the official Cambridge and IELTS websites and also on video websites such as Youtube. The more videos you watch, the more topics you will see covered. This will give you an idea of the type of questions that can come up in the different parts of the exam.

Prepare and Practice Speaking Sheet

It's a good idea to take some time to prepare a topic sheet or a Prepare and Practice Speaking Sheet (PPSS). A PPSS is a brainstorming sheet on which you write ideas and vocabulary about a topic. So how does it work? It's very easy; pick a topic, brainstorm ideas on the sheet of things you could say about the topic, check your dictionary for any words that you would like to use and add them to the sheet. Once you have completed your sheet, practice speaking about the topic using the sheet to guide you and help you remember your ideas and new vocabulary.

It's very important that you DO NOT write full sentences on your PPSS. The PPSS must be in your style of note-taking like mind-maps (above) or linear notes (below). The PPSS is only an aid to help you remember key points and vocabulary. If you write your PPSS in sentences, there is a good possibility that you will read your sentences or paragraph, rather than speaking your ideas.

Also it is very important that you DO NOT memorise a paragraph to answer questions in a speaking exam. Key ideas and words allow you to talk more naturally about the topic and give you the flexibility to change your ideas according to the questions you are being asked.

Remember, if an examiner thinks you have memorised an answer, they will stop you and ask you a different question on a different topic.

It's a good idea to write up as many PPSS's as you can on different topics. Then use the sheets to practise - take a sheet out of your collection, and practise speaking out loud about the topic using the sheet to help you remember what to say and how to say it. You can practise with a friend or by yourself. Sometimes practising in front of a mirror is a good way to help you maintain eye-contact, rather than focusing on the notes all the time. You can also record yourself on your phone or recorder, and then listen back to your pronunciation and delivery.
Another good idea is to set a timer on your phone. In some exams you are asked to speak for 1 or 2 minutes. Set the timer and check if you can talk for a certain length of time about the topic. This is great to help you with your fluency also.

Topics for Speaking Exams

Each speaking exam is different, so do some research on the types of topics that can come up in the exam. Here is a list of the more popular topics that can come up in most exams.

We hope you found our idea of the preparation and practice speaking sheets helpful. If you use any other methods or techniques to prepare for your speaking exams, please comment below. We would love to hear your ideas.
Happy Speaking!

IELTS Speaking Test Tips

In this week's blog we are looking at the IELTS Speaking test, and we have listed some tips below to help you improve your performance. It's a good idea to look up some practice test tips while you are preparing for the test and to watch some example videos on Youtube. Before the test, practise speaking as often as you can and make sure that you can talk for two minutes on a topic. For a good score it's important to answer each question fully but, do not try to learn answers for the test. Studying all aspects of English including pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar will help improve your IELTS score. Here are some other tips to help you prepare:

 

What is the layout of the IELTS speaking test?

The interview has three separate parts and is divided up as follows:

Part 1 (4-5 minutes)

The examiner will ask you questions about familiar topic (e.g. hobbies, likes and dislikes, daily routine).

Part 2 (3-4 minutes)

The examiner will give you a handout showing a topic and some suggestions on it. You need to talk about the topic for 1-2 minutes. You have one minute to write notes and prepare before you begin. The examiner may ask you some follow-up questions.

Part 3 (4-5 minutes)

The examiner will ask you more detailed and more abstract questions linked to the topic in part 2.

How is the speaking test assessed?

The examiner will listen carefully to your answers and will assess your speaking according to the following criteria:

Fluency and coherence - Do you speak fluently and are you easy to understand? Do you link your ideas together?

Lexical resource - Can you use a wide range of vocabulary accurately and the effectively? Can you explain your ideas even if you do not know particular words? Can you use or attempt to use higher-level vocabulary correctly?

Grammatical range and accuracy - Can you use a wide range of grammatical structures rather than repeating basic structures? Do you often make grammatical mistakes?

Pronunciation - Is your spoken language clear and easily understood? Do you use stress and intonation to add extra meaning? Do you use stress word stress accurately?

Now for some tips!

Speaking Test Part 1 

Arrive early to the test so you are not in a hurry and stressed. Give yourself time to relax at the test centre. It's a good idea to visit the test centre a few days before the test, so you know where to go on the day of the test.

Eye contact with the examiner is important, so make good eye contact from the minute you enter the room. Speak and answer questions in a polite and friendly way. Body language is an important part of communicating so be aware of hand gestures or how you are sitting.

The speaking test should be more like a natural conversation between two people. If you learn chunks of language or give a prepared speech, the examiner will know and interrupt you to ask you a different question.

Good communication skills also includes good listening skills. Listen to the examiner's questions so that you can answer correctly. For example, listen for what tenses the questions are in and answer in the correct tense. If you are asked a yes/no question, be sure to answer with yes or no and then give your reason by using linking words like 'because'. Don't just say yes or no only.

Speaking Test Part 2 

Your notes are a reference only, so only look at notes briefly. Don’t read directly from your notes and keep eye contact with the examiner.

If you run out of ideas after one minute, look at your notes, or look at the task in the booklet again. 

When you are making your notes, write notes. Do not write full sentences. It is a good opportunity to put down as much vocabulary you can think of for the topic. It is a good idea to link your vocabulary to your ideas. Make sure you can read your notes easily, so when you quickly look down they are easy to see. Practice note-making before the exam so you can create a system that helps you read notes when you look down very fast. 

Speaking Test Part 3 

Listen carefully to the examiner’s questions so you know how to answer them. If you don't understand a question, don't be shy about asking the examiner to repeat the question again.

In each part of the test, it is very important to answer all of the questions as fully as possible. Full answers will help improve your score,  so expand on your answers as much as you can. 

It is important to have your own opinion. Try to read newspapers and watch the news to keep up with current issues. Your opinion is valid, but it's important that you can explain or support you opinion.

Don’t be afraid to disagree with the opinions of the examiner. The examiner is assessing your language - not your opinions. The test is simply an opportunity for you to show your language skills, and your ability to express your ideas. 

Reference: 2014, Cullen, French and Jakeman. The Official Cambridge Guide for IELTS for Academic and General Training, Cambridge University Press and UCLES

If you want to practice and prepare for an IELTS exam, we offer one-to-one Skype classes. Contact us for more information or visit our website www.solasenglish.com