Upper-Intermediate · Lesson 1 · Lesson guide
Present tenses: subtle differences in meaning
Welcome to Upper-Intermediate, my dear student!
At the Competent level you already know the rules. Now we work on the fine details that separate Band 6 from Band 7: why “I think” and “I’m thinking” mean different things, why “he is lazy” is not “he is being lazy”, and why newspapers write “Mayor opens new park” about something that happened yesterday.
From this level, almost every exercise is real IELTS: TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN, YES / NO / NOT GIVEN, matching headings, matching information and sentence endings, sentence and summary completion, choose TWO, form, flow-chart and table completion in Listening, Academic Writing Task 1 charts and Task 2 style, and Speaking answers. Everything is Academic IELTS. Read this guide first: it shows you how each question type works.
Aim high, and enjoy the detail,Your teacher
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What we’ll master today
- 8verbs with two meanings
- 18Academic IELTS question types
- 2IELTS reading texts
- 35minutes with this guide
By the end of this lesson, you will
- use think, have, see, taste, appear, weigh, look and be as a state or as an action, and know the difference
- show behaviour now with “being” (you’re being so noisy) and change in progress with the continuous
- use the present simple for stories, summaries and headlines
- answer 18 Academic IELTS question types across Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
- respect word limits and avoid distractors, the two biggest traps in the exam
A note from your teacher
At this level small things cost marks: one extra word over the limit, or one -ing on a state verb, is a wrong answer.
Six ideas behind the details
Each card shows one nuance. Read it, listen to both examples and notice what changes in the meaning.
State or action · think
An opinion or a process
I think = I believe (a state, no -ing). I’m thinking = I’m considering, the process of thinking (an action).
- I think this plan will work.(Menimcha, bu reja ish beradi.)
- I’m thinking about studying abroad.(Chet elda oʻqishni oʻylayapman.)
State or action · have
Owning or experiencing
Have for possession, relationships and illness is a state. Having is fine for experiences and actions: having lunch, a shower, a party, a good time.
- My sister has a flat in Tashkent.(Opamning Toshkentda kvartirasi bor.)
- We’re having dinner with friends.(Doʻstlar bilan kechki ovqat qilyapmiz.)
State or action · see, taste, look
The senses
See = understand (state) or meet (action). Taste, smell, look describe a quality (state) or a deliberate action (-ing).
- I see what she means.(U nima demoqchiligini tushunaman.)
- The judge is tasting each dish.(Hakam har bir taomni tatib koʻryapti.)
Character or behaviour · be
He is lazy / he is being lazy
Be describes character. Be being describes how someone is behaving now, often unusually: “You’re being very quiet today.”
- He is lazy.(U dangasa (xarakteri shunday).)
- He’s being lazy today.(U bugun dangasalik qilyapti.)
Change in progress
Trends and developments
The continuous shows something changing now: prices are falling, the company is expanding. Essential for IELTS Writing Task 1 and Speaking Part 3.
- Unemployment is falling.(Ishsizlik kamaymoqda.)
- More students are choosing online courses.(Koʻproq talabalar onlayn kurslarni tanlamoqda.)
Stories, summaries, headlines
The simple for the plot
We tell the plot of a film or a book in the present simple (the hero saves the city). Headlines use it for news: “Mayor opens new park”.
- At the end of the film, the hero saves the city.(Film oxirida qahramon shaharni qutqaradi.)
- Mayor opens new park(Shahar hokimi yangi bogʻni ochdi)
Remember!
Ask: is it a state (what is) or an action / process (what is happening)? The same verb can be both.
Nuance Lab
First choose a verb and switch between its state and action meaning: see the sentence, what it means and the rule. Then open each IELTS question type: what it tests, how to answer, and the trap.
1. One verb, two meanings
Choose a verb, then switch between its state and its action meaning.
I think English is easy.(Menimcha, ingliz tili oson.)
Meaning: opinion (fikr)
A state: no -ing. It describes what is (an opinion, a possession, a quality).
2. IELTS question types
Open a question type: what it tests, how to answer it, and the trap to avoid.
ReadingTRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN
Does the statement agree with the facts in the text?
How to answer Find the part of the text about the statement. Same meaning: TRUE. Opposite: FALSE. Nothing about it: NOT GIVEN.
The trap Using your own knowledge. Only the text counts.
ReadingYES / NO / NOT GIVEN
Does the statement agree with the writer’s opinion?
How to answer Look for opinion language: in my view, I believe, should, misplaced.
The trap Confusing a fact in the text with the writer’s view.
ReadingMatching headings
The main idea of each paragraph.
How to answer Read the first and last sentences of the paragraph, then the list. There are more headings than paragraphs.
The trap Choosing a heading that matches one word or one detail.
ReadingMatching information
Which paragraph contains a piece of information?
How to answer Paraphrase the information in your head, then scan for the idea, not the words.
The trap Thinking each paragraph can be used only once.
ReadingSentence completion
Exact words from the text.
How to answer Copy the words exactly. Check the word limit and the grammar of your sentence.
The trap Writing one word too many: the answer is wrong.
ReadingSummary completion (word box)
The meaning of a part of the text.
How to answer Decide what kind of word fits (noun, verb, adjective), then choose from the box.
The trap A word from the box that fits the grammar but not the meaning.
ReadingMultiple choice (writer’s purpose)
Why the writer wrote the text.
How to answer Think about the whole text: does it explain, compare, describe or argue?
The trap An option that is true for one paragraph only.
ListeningForm completion
Names, numbers, dates and details.
How to answer Read the form first and predict the answer (a date? a price?). Spelling counts.
The trap The word limit: “ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER”.
ListeningMultiple choice with distractors
The final, correct information.
How to answer Listen for corrections: but, actually, in fact, instead, now.
The trap Choosing the first answer you hear.
ListeningFlow-chart and table completion
Steps in a process, or details in a table.
How to answer Follow the arrows or the rows while you listen; the answers come in order.
The trap Losing your place: if you miss one, move on to the next.
ReadingChoose TWO letters
Two correct answers from five.
How to answer Find each option in the text; tick only the two the text supports.
The trap An option that is true in general but not in the text.
ReadingMatching sentence endings
The ending that completes the meaning.
How to answer Find the beginning in the text first, then check the grammar of each ending.
The trap An ending that fits the grammar but not the text.
WritingAcademic Task 1: charts
An accurate summary of the main trends.
How to answer Open with “The graph shows…”, give an overview, then compare the main features with numbers.
The trap “The graph is showing” and describing every number.
WritingAcademic Task 2: style
A formal essay with a clear position.
How to answer “It is widely believed that…”, “An increasing number of…”, “This essay argues that…”.
The trap Chatty language (“lots of people”, “awesome”) and “I am believing”.
SpeakingRange of tenses (Band 7)
Grammatical range and accuracy.
How to answer Extend each answer: a habit (simple) + something temporary or changing (continuous).
The trap One-word answers, or -ing on state verbs.
A note from your teacher
Try “be”: “Ali is quiet” and “Ali is being quiet today” are both correct, but they describe very different people.
State verbs by family
These verbs are normally states: no -ing. The ones in the lab (think, have, see, taste…) can also be actions, with a different meaning.
Thinking and opinion
What is in your mind.
- know(bilmoq)
- believe(ishonmoq)
- understand(tushunmoq)
- realise(anglamoq)
- suppose(taxmin qilmoq)
- doubt(shubhalanmoq)
- mean(anglatmoq)
Feelings and wants
Likes, dislikes and wishes.
- like(yoqtirmoq)
- love(sevmoq)
- hate(yomon koʻrmoq)
- prefer(afzal koʻrmoq)
- want(xohlamoq)
- wish(orzu qilmoq)
- need(muhtoj boʻlmoq)
Possession and being
Having and existing.
- own(egalik qilmoq)
- belong(tegishli boʻlmoq)
- contain(oʻz ichiga olmoq)
- consist of(iborat boʻlmoq)
- depend on(bogʻliq boʻlmoq)
- deserve(loyiq boʻlmoq)
- seem(tuyulmoq)
Same verb, different meaning
The form changes a little; the meaning changes a lot. Tap to compare, then press Test me.
I see / I’m seeing
One is about understanding, the other about meeting someone.
How to tell them apart I see what she means = I understand. I’m seeing my tutor = I have an appointment.
He is / he’s being
Character or behaviour for now?
How to tell them apart He is selfish: that is who he is. He’s being selfish: that is how he is acting at the moment.
It tastes / he’s tasting
A quality or a deliberate action?
How to tell them apart The bread tastes fresh (its quality). The judge is tasting it (he is trying it).
Use it in IELTS
These patterns appear in every part of the exam. Listen, repeat, and use them in your own answers.
Speaking Part 1: I don’t read much, but at the moment I’m reading a biography.
(Koʻp oʻqimayman, lekin hozir bir tarjimai holni oʻqiyapman.)
A general truth + something temporary: range of tenses.
Speaking Part 3: More and more people are working from home, which is changing our cities.
(Tobora koʻproq odamlar uydan ishlamoqda va bu shaharlarimizni oʻzgartirmoqda.)
A trend in society: continuous.
Writing Task 1: The proportion of renewable energy is rising steadily.
(Qayta tiklanuvchi energiya ulushi barqaror oshib bormoqda.)
A trend in a chart: continuous + adverb.
Writing Task 2: I believe that governments should invest more in education.
(Menimcha, hukumatlar taʼlimga koʻproq sarmoya kiritishi kerak.)
Opinion: believe is a state verb, never “I am believing”.
Writing Task 1: The line graph shows the share of electricity from solar power and coal.
(Chiziqli grafik quyosh va koʻmirdan olinadigan elektr energiyasi ulushini koʻrsatadi.)
The opening: the chart is a state, so “shows”, never “is showing”.
Writing Task 2: It is widely believed that online learning is changing higher education.
(Onlayn taʼlim oliy taʼlimni oʻzgartirmoqda, degan fikr keng tarqalgan.)
An academic, impersonal opening with a trend in progress.
IELTS Speaking Part 3: work and technology
Part 3 asks for opinions and developments. Notice the mix: states for opinions (I think, I believe), continuous for changes now.
- Examiner
How is technology changing the way people work?(Texnologiya odamlarning ishlash usulini qanday oʻzgartirmoqda?)
- Candidate
I think it’s changing almost everything. More companies are hiring people who never come to the office.(Menimcha, u deyarli hamma narsani oʻzgartirmoqda. Koʻproq kompaniyalar ofisga hech kelmaydigan odamlarni ishga olmoqda.)
- Examiner
Do you think this is a positive development?(Sizningcha, bu ijobiy oʻzgarishmi?)
- Candidate
Mostly, yes. People save time, although some workers are finding it hard to separate work and home.(Asosan, ha. Odamlar vaqtni tejaydi, garchi baʼzi xodimlarga ish va uyni ajratish qiyin boʻlayotgan boʻlsa ham.)
- Examiner
What do employers think about it?(Ish beruvchilar bu haqda nima deb oʻylaydi?)
- Candidate
It depends. Many of them see the benefits, but some are thinking about bringing staff back to the office.(Bu vaziyatga bogʻliq. Koʻplari foydasini koʻradi, lekin baʼzilari xodimlarni ofisga qaytarishni oʻylab koʻrmoqda.)
IELTS tip: “I think” (opinion) and “they are thinking about” (considering) in one answer: that is the range examiners reward.
A note from your teacher
Answer the three questions about your own country. Record yourself and check every verb: state or action?
Mistakes I correct every day
These are the errors that keep good students at Band 6. Read why, and listen to the right sentence.
Not: I am believing that technology helps us.Say: I believe that technology helps us.(Menimcha, texnologiya bizga yordam beradi.)
Believe is a state verb: no -ing, even in Writing Task 2.
Not: This milk is smelling strange.Say: This milk smells strange.(Bu sutning hidi gʻalati.)
A quality: smells (state).
Not: My grandparents are having a big garden.Say: My grandparents have a big garden.(Bobom va buvimning katta bogʻi bor.)
Possession: have.
Not: You are so noisy today.Say: You’re being so noisy today.(Bugun juda shovqin qilyapsan.)
Behaviour now, not character: being.
Not: I am seeing why it’s difficult.Say: I see why it’s difficult.(Nega qiyinligini tushunaman.)
See = understand: a state.
Not: The table is showing the population of three cities. (Writing Task 1)Say: The table shows the population of three cities.(Jadval uchta shahar aholisini koʻrsatadi.)
A chart is a state: shows, compares, illustrates.
Not: The museum has opened a new wing. (the text: “is building a new wing”)Say: The museum is building a new wing.(Muzey yangi qanot qurmoqda.)
IELTS Reading: “is building” is not finished. The statement is FALSE.
Not: online language courses (limit: TWO WORDS)Say: online courses(onlayn kurslar)
Three words over a two-word limit is wrong, even if the meaning is right.
The exercises, part by part
Before your students start, here is exactly what each of the eight parts asks, with a worked example. Parts 1–2 train the grammar; Parts 3–7 are Academic IELTS with the exam’s own question types; Part 8 tests everything.
Part 1 of 8 · Grammar
Two Meanings
Verbs that are a state in one meaning and an action in another (think, have, see, taste, be, appear, weigh, look).
- State and action cards
- What does the verb mean here?
- Choose the form
- Type the verb
How it works Students hear each verb as a state and as an action, say what it means in a sentence, then choose and type forms.
Example
This perfume ___ (smell) wonderful.
Answer: smells
A quality of the perfume: a state, no -ing.
For the teacher The Nuance Lab above is the best warm-up for this part.
Open Part 1 →Part 2 of 8 · Grammar
Shades of Meaning
Behaviour now (being), changes in progress, stories, summaries and headlines; correcting mistakes.
- Choose the form
- Type the verb
- Find and fix
How it works Students choose and type forms in sentences where the meaning decides the tense, and correct one wrong word in a sentence.
Open Part 2 →Example
My brother ___ (be) very helpful this week – he wants something!
Answer: is being
Behaviour this week, not his character.
Part 3 of 8 · Academic IELTS
IELTS Listening
Completing notes, a flow-chart and a table; multiple choice with distractors; choose TWO.
- Note completion
- Flow-chart completion
- Table completion
- Multiple choice
- Choose TWO
How it works Each completion task has several numbered gaps checked together (ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER each). Right answers stay; wrong ones can be fixed once. Distractors are corrected by the speaker: wait for the final answer.
Example
You hear: “The talk was in room 5, but it’s moving to the main hall.” Place: the main ___
Answer: hall
Room 5 is the distractor: the speaker corrects it.
For the teacher All the transcripts and answers are in “Texts and answers” below. Ask “What was the distractor?” after each task.
Open Part 3 →Part 4 of 8 · Academic IELTS
IELTS Reading: Academic
Matching headings, matching information, sentence endings, TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN, sentence completion.
- Matching headings
- Matching information
- Sentence endings
- TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN
- Sentence completion
How it works One text, “The changing face of work”, with paragraphs A–D. Headings and endings use a list with extra choices and a menu for each question.
Open Part 4 →Example
Text: “The city is planning a new bridge.” Statement: “The new bridge is finished.”
Answer: FALSE
“Is planning”: still in progress, not finished.
Part 5 of 8 · Academic IELTS
IELTS Reading: Opinion
The writer’s views: YES / NO / NOT GIVEN, choose TWO, summary completion, the writer’s purpose.
- YES / NO / NOT GIVEN
- Choose TWO
- Summary completion
- Writer’s purpose
How it works One opinion text, “Why we should stop praising multitasking”. YES / NO / NOT GIVEN is about the writer’s opinions, not facts.
Open Part 5 →Example
Text: “In my view, homework is useful, but schools set too much of it.” Statement: “Schools should stop giving homework.”
Answer: NO
The writer thinks homework is useful; only the amount is the problem.
Part 6 of 8 · Academic IELTS
IELTS Writing: Academic
Task 1: describing a line graph and a bar chart. Task 2: formal, impersonal style.
- Task 1: which sentence matches the chart?
- Task 1: type the verb
- Find and fix
- Task 2: the best sentence
- Choose TWO
How it works Students read real charts drawn on screen. The chart is a state (“The graph shows”); trends in progress take the continuous (“is rising”).
Example
The pie chart ___ (illustrate) how a family spends its money.
Answer: illustrates
Describing the chart itself: present simple, never “is comparing”.
For the teacher Ask students to write a three-sentence overview of each chart after this part.
Open Part 6 →Part 7 of 8 · Academic IELTS
IELTS Speaking
Part 1 and Part 3 answers with range and accuracy (Band 7).
- Which answer gets the higher band?
- Complete the answer
How it works Students compare three answers to each question and complete answers with the right form. The best ones mix opinions (state verbs) and changes in progress.
Open Part 7 →Example
“Part 3: How is shopping changing in your country?”
Answer: More and more people are buying online, so many small shops are closing.
Part 8 of 8 · Test
Final Boss
Everything from Parts 1–7.
- 16 mixed questions
- One try each
- Pass mark: 80%
How it works Sixteen questions with no second tries, ending with four reading questions (both texts). Students need 80% to pass and can try again.
For the teacher Use it as the end-of-lesson test.
Open Part 8 →
Texts, recordings and answers
Every text and recording used in the IELTS parts, with the answer key folded away. Read them before the lesson; open the key when you check answers with the class.
Recording (transcript) · Part 3
Evening course: enrolment form
The course starts on the fifteenth of March, so you have two weeks to prepare. Classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, not Wednesdays as it says on the website. The fee was four hundred pounds last year, but it’s four hundred and fifty now, including all materials. On the first day, please bring a copy of your passport. You don’t need a photo. Your teacher is Mrs Ellison. That’s E, double L, I, S, O, N.
Answer key (5 questions)For the teacher — tap to show the answersTap to hide the answers
- Start date: ___ March15
- Days: Tuesdays and ___Thursdays
- Fee (£): ___ (including materials)450
- Bring: a copy of your ___passport
- Teacher: Mrs ___Ellison
Recording (transcript) · Part 3
How to join the university library
Joining the library is easy. First, you fill in the online application form. Then you bring your student card to the front desk, where we take a photo. After that, you choose a password for the computers. Finally, you attend a short tour, which takes about twenty minutes.
Answer key (4 questions)For the teacher — tap to show the answersTap to hide the answers
- Fill in the online application ___.form
- Bring your student ___ to the front desk; staff take a photo.card
- Choose a ___ for the computers.password
- Attend a short tour (about ___ minutes).20
Recording (transcript) · Part 3
Campus tours this week
This week we are running three tours. The science tour usually starts at the library, but this week it’s starting at the main gate, at ten o’clock. The sports tour leaves from the swimming pool on Wednesday afternoon. And the history tour, which is the longest, takes ninety minutes and runs on Friday.
Answer key (3 questions)For the teacher — tap to show the answersTap to hide the answers
- Science · Monday, 10:00 · the main ___gate
- Sports · ___ afternoon · the swimming poolWednesday
- History · Friday · ___ minutes90
Recording (transcript) · Part 3
Short recordings with distractors
Most visitors think the museum is closed on Mondays, but in fact it’s closed on Tuesdays. Monday is actually our free entry day.
We were going to meet in room twelve, but it’s being painted this week, so we’re using the library instead.
The number seven bus usually leaves at ten past eight, but during the roadworks it’s leaving at five to eight.
Tickets normally cost twenty pounds, but this month students are paying only twelve.
Answer key (5 questions)For the teacher — tap to show the answersTap to hide the answers
- When is the museum closed?on Tuesdays
- Where is the meeting this week?in the library
- What time does the bus leave during the roadworks?at 7:55
- How much does a student ticket cost this month?£12
- Which TWO buildings are being repaired this summer?the sports hall + the old library
Reading text · Part 4
The changing face of work
AFor most of the twentieth century, people expected to have one job for life. A typical employee joined a company after school or university and stayed there until retirement. Loyalty was rewarded with promotion and a pension.
BToday, the picture looks very different. Young professionals change jobs every few years, and many are combining a full-time position with freelance projects. Researchers at several universities are studying this trend, which they call “portfolio careers”.
CTechnology is driving much of this change. Online platforms allow designers, translators and programmers to find clients anywhere in the world, and an increasing number of companies are hiring staff who never visit the office.
DNot everyone welcomes these developments. Critics argue that flexible work often means less security, and that freelancers rarely receive holiday pay or sick leave. Governments in several countries are now considering new laws to protect them.
Answer key (21 questions)For the teacher — tap to show the answersTap to hide the answers
- Heading for paragraph Ai — A traditional career path
- Heading for paragraph Bii — A new kind of career
- Heading for paragraph Ciii — How the internet is creating new opportunities
- Heading for paragraph Div — The risks of a flexible career
- Which paragraph contains a criticism of flexible work?D
- Which paragraph contains workers who never go to their workplace?C
- Which paragraph contains what employees received in return for loyalty?A
- Which paragraph contains a name given to a new pattern of working?B
- In the past, many companies …rewarded loyal employees with a pension.
- Many young professionals today …are combining a full-time job with freelance work.
- Online platforms …allow people to find clients in other countries.
- Several governments …are considering laws to protect freelancers.
- In the past, many workers stayed with one employer for their whole career.TRUE
- Most young professionals today work only as freelancers.FALSE
- Universities are researching portfolio careers.TRUE
- Freelancers earn more than full-time employees.NOT GIVEN
- Several governments have already passed laws to protect freelancers.FALSE
- Long-term employees were rewarded with promotion and a ___.pension
- Researchers call the new trend ___.portfolio careers
- Freelancers rarely receive holiday pay or ___.sick leave
- Online platforms help designers and translators to find ___ anywhere in the world.clients
Reading text · Part 5
Why we should stop praising multitasking
We live in an age that celebrates multitasking. Job adverts ask for candidates who can “juggle several tasks”, and many of us are proud of answering emails while we are sitting in meetings. In my view, this admiration is misplaced.
The evidence is clear: when we switch between tasks, we lose time and make more mistakes. Admittedly, some routine activities, such as listening to music while running, cause few problems. But complex work requires full attention, and I believe managers should encourage employees to focus on one thing at a time.
Schools, too, are getting this wrong. Students are increasingly doing homework with their phones beside them, and I suspect this is one reason why concentration seems to be declining. Teachers should not ban phones completely, however; they simply need to teach students when to switch them off.
Answer key (12 questions)For the teacher — tap to show the answersTap to hide the answers
- Multitasking deserves the admiration it receives.NO
- Switching between tasks makes people less accurate.YES
- Listening to music while running is harmful.NO
- Managers should encourage employees to concentrate on one task.YES
- Students today are cleverer than students in the past.NOT GIVEN
- Phones should be completely banned in schools.NO
- Which TWO things does the writer recommend?Managers should encourage staff to focus on one task. + Teachers should show students when to switch their phones off.
- The writer argues that the admiration for multitasking is ___.misplaced
- Switching tasks wastes time and causes more ___.mistakes
- Complex work requires full ___.attention
- Teachers should show students when to ___ their phones.switch off
- What is the writer’s main purpose?to argue that multitasking is overvalued
Can you answer my questions?
Answer out loud in full sentences, then open the card.
What is the difference: “I have a car” / “I’m having a car wash”?
Correct this: “He is seeming nervous.”
Why “is being” in “She is being very patient today”?
Why “opens” in the headline “Mayor opens new park”?
TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN? Text: “The museum is building a new wing.” Statement: “The new wing is open.”
What is the difference between TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN and YES / NO / NOT GIVEN?
The limit is “NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER”. Is “15th March” acceptable?
You hear: “It was £30, but now it’s £25.” What do you write?
A note from your teacher
Seven or more? Excellent: start the exercises. Fewer? Go back to the key ideas and the Nuance Lab.
Extra resources for serious practice
The Competent level (band 6–6.5) is where you practise with real exam material. Do one activity a day after this lesson.
- Cambridge DictionaryGrammarState verbs and action verbsWhich verbs are states, which are actions, and the verbs that can be both.(opens in a new tab)
- British Council · LearnEnglishGrammarTalking about the presentAll the ways English talks about the present, with examples.(opens in a new tab)
- IELTS (official)IELTSIELTS sample test questionsOfficial sample questions for Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking, with answers.(opens in a new tab)
- IELTS (official)IELTSIELTS preparation resourcesFree practice tests and guides from the organisations that make the exam.(opens in a new tab)
- BBC Learning EnglishListening6 Minute EnglishShort discussions on current topics: perfect for Listening and Speaking Part 3 ideas.(opens in a new tab)
For teachers using this lesson
If you teach this lesson in a classroom, here is how I run it in about 95 minutes.
Class plan85 min
- 5 minWarm up
Write “I think” and “I’m thinking” on the board. Students explain the difference in pairs.
- 15 minKey ideas and Nuance Lab
Go through the six cards, then project the lab. Students predict the meaning before you switch.
- 10 minSpeaking Part 3
Pairs ask the three questions from the dialogue. Each answer: one opinion (state) and one change (continuous).
- 20 minIELTS Reading
Parts 4 and 5 in exam conditions (no dictionary). Then students justify every answer with words from the text.
- 15 minIELTS Listening
Part 3 with headphones. After each answer, ask: what was the distractor?
- 15 minAcademic Writing
Part 6 together: describe the solar chart in three sentences (an overview with “shows”, then two trends).
- 5 minHomework
Parts 1, 2, 7 and 8, and one sample test from the extra resources.
Now it’s your turn!
Eight parts of Competent-level training: two parts of grammar, then Academic IELTS — Listening with forms, flow-charts and tables, two Reading texts, Writing Task 1 charts and Task 2, Band 7 Speaking — and the Final Boss.
— Your teacher