Free IELTS lessons
Clear, original guides for every part of the test, written to help you understand what examiners reward and how to practise it.
Getting started
How the test works, how it is scored and how to plan your preparation.
The IELTS Test Format Explained: All Four Sections in One Guide
How IELTS Academic and General Training are structured: timing, question counts and what each of the four sections tests.
Read lesson →All levels · 7 minIELTS Academic vs General Training: Which Test Should You Take?
The real differences between IELTS Academic and General Training: who needs which, how Reading and Writing differ, and which is easier.
Read lesson →All levels · 7 minIELTS Band Scores Explained: How Your Overall Score Is Calculated
What bands 5 to 9 mean, how raw scores become bands and how the overall band is rounded, with worked examples.
Read lesson →All levels · 9 minAn 8-Week IELTS Study Plan You Can Actually Follow
A realistic week-by-week IELTS preparation plan for busy people: one hour a day, with clear goals for each skill.
Read lesson →Listening
Four recordings, forty questions: strategies for every question type.
IELTS Listening: 9 Strategies That Raise Your Score
Practical IELTS Listening strategies: predicting answers, handling distractors, following signposts and checking word limits.
Read lesson →Band 5–6 · 6 minListening Form Completion: Names, Numbers and Spelling Rules
How to get every mark in IELTS Listening form completion: spelled names, phone numbers, dates, prices and common spelling traps.
Read lesson →Reading
Three long passages in sixty minutes: techniques that save time and marks.
True, False, Not Given: A Reliable Method for IELTS Reading
Stop losing marks on True/False/Not Given. A step-by-step method with original examples showing the difference between False and Not Given.
Read lesson →Band 6–7 · 7 minMatching Headings in IELTS Reading: How to Find the Main Idea Fast
A clear technique for IELTS matching headings questions: finding the main idea of a paragraph and avoiding keyword traps.
Read lesson →Band 5–6 · 7 minSkimming, Scanning and Time Management in IELTS Reading
Finish IELTS Reading on time: when to skim, when to scan, and a minute-by-minute plan for 40 questions in 60 minutes.
Read lesson →Writing
Task 1 and Task 2 explained step by step, with original model answers.
Academic Writing Task 1: How to Describe a Line Graph (with Band 8 Model)
A four-paragraph structure for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, useful language for trends and an original band 8 model answer.
Read lesson →Band 6–7 · 9 minIELTS Writing Task 1 Bar Chart: Structure, Language and Band 8 Sample
How to describe an IELTS bar chart: choose the key features, group the data and compare. Includes an original band 8 sample answer.
Read lesson →Band 6–7 · 8 minIELTS Pie Chart Task 1: How to Compare Two Pie Charts (Band 8 Sample)
Describe IELTS pie charts with confidence: language for proportions, a structure for two-chart comparisons and an original band 8 sample.
Read lesson →Band 6–7 · 8 minIELTS Process Diagram: How to Describe a Process in Task 1 (Sample Answer)
A step-by-step method for IELTS process diagrams: passive voice, sequencing language, the overview and an original band 8 sample.
Read lesson →Band 6–7 · 8 minIELTS Map Task 1: How to Describe Changes to a Place (Band 8 Sample)
Describe IELTS Task 1 maps showing changes over time: location language, passive verbs for development and an original band 8 sample.
Read lesson →Band 5–6 · 8 minGeneral Training Writing Task 1: Formal, Semi-formal and Informal Letters
How to write IELTS General Training letters: choosing the right tone, covering all three bullet points, and an original model letter.
Read lesson →Band 6–7 · 10 minIELTS Writing Task 2: The Essay Structure That Works for Every Question
The five types of IELTS Task 2 questions and a flexible four-paragraph structure, with planning steps and a 40-minute timeline.
Read lesson →Band 6–7 · 10 minIELTS Writing Assessment Criteria Explained in Plain English
What the four IELTS Writing criteria really mean, what separates band 6 from band 7, and how to improve each one, explained simply.
Read lesson →Band 7+ · 8 minBand 8 Opinion Essay: IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer with Analysis
An original band 8 IELTS opinion essay on remote work, analysed paragraph by paragraph so you can copy the technique, not the words.
Read lesson →Band 6–7 · 9 minIELTS Advantages and Disadvantages Essay: Structure and Band 8 Sample
How to answer IELTS 'Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?' questions, with a clear structure, useful language and an original band 8 essay.
Read lesson →Band 6–7 · 9 minIELTS 'Discuss Both Views' Essay: How to Write It (Band 8 Sample)
Answer IELTS 'Discuss both views and give your opinion' questions: a balanced structure, where to put your opinion, and an original band 8 essay.
Read lesson →Band 6–7 · 9 minIELTS Problem and Solution Essay (Causes and Solutions) with Band 8 Sample
Write IELTS causes/problems and solutions essays: match each solution to a cause, use precise language and study an original band 8 answer.
Read lesson →All levels · 12 min60 IELTS Writing Task 2 Practice Questions by Topic
60 original IELTS Writing Task 2 practice questions grouped by topic and essay type, with tips on how to use them for timed practice.
Read lesson →Band 6–7 · 7 minLinking Words and Cohesive Devices: How to Use Them Like a Band 7+ Writer
Why overusing 'Firstly, Moreover, Furthermore' lowers your IELTS score, and how to use linking words, referencing and substitution naturally.
Read lesson →Speaking
What examiners listen for in Parts 1, 2 and 3, and how to sound natural.
IELTS Speaking Part 1: How to Give Natural, Extended Answers
What IELTS Speaking Part 1 tests, the ideal answer length, and a simple technique to extend your answers naturally, with examples.
Read lesson →Band 6–7 · 8 minIELTS Speaking Part 2: How to Speak for Two Minutes on Any Cue Card
Use your one minute of preparation well and speak fluently for two minutes on any IELTS cue card, with a planning method and a model talk.
Read lesson →All levels · 10 min30 IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Cards for Practice (with Tips)
30 original IELTS Speaking Part 2 cue cards grouped by type (people, places, objects, events, experiences), with a method to prepare any topic.
Read lesson →Band 7+ · 7 minIELTS Speaking Part 3: Answering Abstract Questions with Confidence
How to handle abstract IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions: giving opinions, comparing past and present, speculating about the future.
Read lesson →Grammar & vocabulary
The language that moves you from band 6 to band 7 and beyond.
Grammar for Band 7: Six Structures That Show Range and Accuracy
The complex sentence structures IELTS examiners look for at band 7: relative clauses, conditionals, passives, concession and more, with examples.
Read lesson →Band 6–7 · 8 minParaphrasing for IELTS: 5 Techniques with Examples
Learn the five paraphrasing techniques that help in every IELTS section: synonyms, word forms, word order, active/passive and clause changes.
Read lesson →Band 6–7 · 9 minIELTS Vocabulary by Topic: Collocations for the 8 Most Common Themes
Topic vocabulary and natural collocations for the IELTS themes that appear most often: education, environment, technology, health, work and more.
Read lesson →All levels · 8 min15 Common IELTS Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
The grammar, vocabulary and exam-technique mistakes that most often cost IELTS candidates half a band, with quick fixes.
Read lesson →