THINK IN ENGLISH WITH COMPLEX SENTENCES

Sentence Construction

Let's take a simple sentence and see how to add more information to it:

1. I like cricket.
2. I like playing cricket.
3. I like playing cricket with my friends.
4. I like playing cricket with my friends on weekends.
5. I like playing cricket which is the most popular sport in our country with my friends on weekends.
5. I like playing cricket which is the most popular sport in our country with my friends on weekends for at least 2 hours in the mornings.

Let's take another simple sentence and see how we can add more information to it:

1. Rekha came to Calicut.
2. Rekha came to visit Calicut.
3. Rekha came to visit Calicut for Onam.
4. Rekha came to visit Calicut for celebrating Onam.
5. Rekha came to visit Calicut for celebrating Onam with her family.
6. My friend, Rekha came to visit Calicut for celebrating Onam with her family.
7. My best friend, Rekha came to visit Calicut for celebrating Onam with her family.8. My best friend, Rekha who is working in Bangalore, came to visit Calicut for celebrating Onam with her family.
8. My best friend, Rekha who is working in Bangalore at Wipro as a Software Programmer, came to visit Calicut for celebrating Onam with her family.
9. My best friend, Rekha who has been working in Bangalore at Wipro as a Software Programmer for the last two years, came to visit Calicut for celebrating Onam with her family.
10.My best friend, Rekha who has been working in Bangalore at Wipro as a Software Programmer for the last two years, came to visit Calicut for celebrating Onam with her family and returned on Friday, the 22 nd of September.
11.My best friend, Rekha who has been working in Bangalore at Wipro as a Software Programmer for the last two years, came to visit Calicut with her friends for celebrating Onam with her family, stayed at her ancestral home for two days and returned on Friday, the 22 nd of September.
12.My best friend, Rekha who has been working in Bangalore at Wipro as a Software Programmer for the last two years, came to visit Calicut with her friends for celebrating Onam with her family, stayed at her ancestral home for two days and returned on Friday, the 22 nd of September although she had three more days of leave remaining.
ed on Friday, the 22 nd of September.
13.My best friend, Rekha who has been working in Bangalore at Wipro as a Software Programmer for the last two years, came to visit Calicut with her friends for celebrating Onam with her family, stayed at her ancestral home for two days and returned on Friday, the 22 nd of September although she had three more days of leave remaining which should have been used to spend more time with her family during Onam season.
14.My best friend, Rekha who has been working in Bangalore at Wipro as a Software Programmer for the last two years, came to visit Calicut with her friends for celebrating Onam with her family, stayed at her ancestral home for two days and returned on Friday, the 22 nd of September to take part in an official program although she had three more days of leave remaining which should have been used to spend more time with her family during the Onam season.
15.My best friend, Rekha who has been working in Bangalore at Wipro as a Software Programmer for the last two years, came to visit Calicut with her friends for celebrating Onam with her family, stayed at her ancestral home for two days and returned on Friday, the 22 nd of September to take part in an official program although she had three more days of leave remaining which should have been used to spend more time with her family during the Onam season when the entire family was enjoying a get-together.
16.My best friend, Rekha who has been working in Bangalore at Wipro as a Software Programmer for the last two years, came to visit Calicut with her friends for celebrating Onam with her family, stayed at her ancestral home for two days and returned on Friday, the 22 nd of September to take part in an official program although she had three more days of leave remaining which should have been used to spend more time with her family during the Onam season when the entire family consisting of a total of ninety five members was enjoying a get-together.
17.My best friend, Rekha who has been working in Bangalore at Wipro as a Software Programmer for the last two years, came to visit Calicut with her friends for celebrating Onam with her family, stayed at her ancestral home for two days and returned on Friday, the 22 nd of September to take part in an official program although she had three more days of leave remaining which should have been used to spend more time with her family during the Onam season when the entire family consisting of a total of ninety five members who had come from different parts of the India and abroad was enjoying a get-together.
18.My best friend, Rekha who has been working in Bangalore at Wipro as a Software Programmer for the last two years, came to visit Calicut with her friends for celebrating Onam with her family, stayed at her ancestral home for two days and returned on Friday, the 22 nd of September to take part in an official program although she had three more days of leave remaining which should have been used to spend more time with her family during the Onam season when the entire family consisting of a total of ninety five members who had come from different parts of the India and abroad was enjoying a great get-together by seeking blessings of the elders in the family, chatting and playing games with the younger members, visiting places around their house where they all spent their childhood and remembering the good old days.
19.My best friend, Rekha who has been working in Bangalore at Wipro as a Software Programmer for the last two years, came to visit Calicut with her friends for celebrating Onam with her family, stayed at her ancestral home for two days and returned on Friday, the 22 nd of September to take part in an official program although she had three more days of leave remaining which should have been used to spend more time with her family during the Onam season when the entire family consisting of a total of ninety five members who had come from different parts of the India and abroad was enjoying a great get-together by seeking blessings of the elders in the family, chatting and playing games with the younger members, visiting places around their house where they all spent their childhood and remembering the good old days spent in the company of each other , climbing on the trees, swimming in the ponds and making big dreams about their life in future.

20.My best friend, Rekha who has been working in Bangalore at Wipro as a Software Programmer for the last two years, came to visit Calicut with her friends for celebrating Onam with her family, stayed at her ancestral home in West Hill for two days and returned on Friday, the 22 nd of September, by train to take part in an official program although she had three more days of leave remaining which should have been used to spend more time with her family during the Onam season when the entire family consisting of a total of ninety five members who had come from different parts of the India and abroad was enjoying a great get-together by seeking blessings of the elders in the family, chatting and playing games with the younger members, visiting places around their house where they all spent their childhood and remembering the good old days spent in the company of each other , climbing on the trees, swimming in the ponds and making big dreams about their life in future. (Around 175 words)

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EC Essays for IELTS

Please note: While writing essays use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence. You should write at least 250 words.

1. Why do so many people want to study in English? Why is English such an important international language?

English has become a common medium of instruction in many countries around the world irrespective of the fact that they use it as their first language or not. In countries like India it is the language of teaching in schools, colleges and universities; also in offices, business transactions, meetings, conferences, seminars and workshops the interactions and discussions take place in mostly English.
People nowadays are very much interested in learning various subjects and skills in English because they think that whatever is learnt and understood in English becomes very easy to be communicated also in English.  A well qualified person with good communications skills in English is seen as a global professional who has unlimited opportunities of growth and development.
In this era of globalization and technological revolution in information and communication, English assumes a special status because of its acceptability among various nations owing to historical reasons and also because of its compatibility with digital technology used in computers, Internet, mobile phones, tablets etc. It can be said that English has become the lingua franca of the modern world.
So in conclusion it can be said that since education makes people aspire for better jobs so by becoming proficient in English they can connect with the world and seek better opportunities for personal and professional success. Moreover in this century dominated by  tools of  information and communication, English provides the common and easy link to people speaking different native languages and living in different societies to come together and participate in the process of achieving goals collectively as a team.

2. How do you think the problem of unemployment can be solved in your country? What are the methods that you can suggest and why do you think these methods would be useful in reducing unemployment?

Unemployment is surely an important issue that requires a serious discussion. Now, how do we address the issue of unemployment? What are the means and ways to solve this problem? Let's search for new ideas and solutions.

First of all, we need to upgrade our educational institutions. They should be able to provide an education that leads to better employment and self-employment opportunities. Vocational and soft skill training should be a part and parcel of the school or college curriculum to increase the employability quotient of our students.

The next step is to encourage a culture of dignity of labour. People shouldn't feel bad when they are in a particular profession or job. This also creates a positive environment for improving the unemployment issue.

Since agriculture provides maximum employment in rural areas, the govt. and its agencies should help the farmers to un-learn and re-learn in order to be more productive. The farmers should also be well compensated against climate changes and market fluctuations.

As private companies employ the lion's share of the job market, they should be given incentives and relief measures for better growth and development. Developing the infrastructure like better roads and other means of transport, efficient power supply and easing the rules to start a business would go a long way in winning the confidence of the employers.

So in conclusion, it can be said that the issue of unemployment is a social challenge and the society has to address it in a collective and comprehensive manner. Only then we can end this menace that affects a large number of people.

 EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA                           

More topics for essay writing:

1.The idea of having a single career is becoming an old fashioned one. The new fashion will be to have several careers or ways of earning money and further education will be something that continues throughout life.

2. Today, the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real needs of the society in which they are sold. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

3. Some people believe that visitors in other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences. Discuss both these views and give your opinions.

4. News editors decide what to broadcast on television and what  to print in newspapers. What factors do you think influence these decisions? Do we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more good news was reported?

5. Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change. Others, however, think that change is always a good thing. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

6. Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

7. Improvements in health, education and trade are essential for the development of poorer nations. However, the governments of richer nations should take more responsibility for helping poorer nations in such areas. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

8. Popular events like the football World Cup and other international sporting occasions are essential in easing international tensions and releasing patriotic emotions in a safe way. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

9. When a country develops its technology, the traditional skills and ways of life die out. It is pointless to try and keep them alive. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

10. In many countries children are engaged in some kind of paid work. Some people regard this as completely wrong, while others consider it as valuable work experience, important for learning and taking responsibility. What are your opinions on this?

11. Some people believe that children's leisure activities must be educational, otherwise they are a complete waste of time. Do you agree or disagree?

12. It is generally accepted that families are not as close as they used to be. Give some reasons why this change has happened and suggest how families could be brought closer together.

13. Without capital punishment(the death penalty) our lives are less secure and crimes of violence increase. Capital punishment is essential to control violence in society.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

14. The position of women in society has changed markedly in the last twenty years. Many of the problems young people now experience such as juvenile delinquency, arise from the fact that many married women now work and are not at home to care for their children. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

15. Some governments say how many children a family can have in their country. They may control the number of children someone has through taxes. It is sometimes necessary and right for a government to control the population in this way. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

16. It is generally accepted that families are not as close as they used to be. Give reasons why this change has happened and suggest how families could be brought together. Include any relevant examples from your experience.

17. The mass media, including television, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping people's ideas. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement? Give reasons for your answer.

18. The idea of going overseas for university study is an exciting prospect for many people. But while it may offer some advantages, it is probably better that they stay at home because of the difficulties a student encounters living and studying in a different culture. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement? Give reasons for your answer.

19. The rising levels of congestion and air pollution found in most of the world cities can be attributed directly to the rapidly increasing number of private cars in use. In order to reverse this decline in the quality of life in cities, attempts must be made to encourage people to use their cars less and public transport more. Discuss possible ways to encourage the use of public transport.

20. A healthy person is often described as someone who has a good diet, gets lots of exercise and avoids stress. What do people do to stay healthy in your country?

21. In some countries, children have very strict rules of behavior  in other countries they are allowed to do almost anything they want. To what extent should children have to follow rules?

22. What difficulties will your country face in the next ten years? How can these problems be overcome?

23. Every country has some poor people and every country has different ways of dealing with the poor. What are some of the reasons for world poverty? What can we do to help the poor?

TO BE CONTINUED...

EC SPEAKING EXERCISE

The IELTS Speaking Module follows a pattern described below. It is to assess one's ability in initiating/sustaining/managing/coordinating a general conversation and to make it exciting/interesting/lively; also to see if the candidate can talk/converse on a specific topic ie., to fathom the depths of his/her conversational skills and the last part is to get into a formal discussion with the participant on a specific issue in order to gauge the person's critical thinking/argumentative/persuasive communication skills.

The SPEAKING MODULE BEGINS...there are four exercises in this section for you to practice and get familiar with.

First the examiner/evaluator asks the candidate about himself/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other similar/familiar topics.

EXERCISE 1
PART 1: A CONVERSATION ON A GENERAL TOPIC
Speaking about visitors
What would you suggest a visitor should see and do in your country?
Are there any traditional arts or music that you would recommend?
Tell me about the foreign visitors or tourists who come to your country?
In what ways has tourism changed your country?

PART 2: A CONVERSATION BASED ON A CUE-CARD
Describe a memorable event in your life. You should say: when/where/how exactly the event took place or happened and why this is special/important/memorable to you.

PART 3: A FOLLOW-UP DISCUSSION 
The next part is a discussion on : The role of ceremony in our lives.
(Prompting with questions like "How important are ceremonies in our lives?/ Do you see the role of private and public ceremonies changing in the future?")

Attitudes to marriage in your country.
(Prompting with questions like "Have attitudes to marriage changed in recent years?/ In what ways do men and women feel differently about marriage, in your opinion?")

Events to national/global significance.
(Prompting with questions like "What sort of national events make headlines in your country?/ Does the media in your country pay more attention to global or national events?")

EXERCISE 2
PART 1
SPEAKING ABOUT DAILY ROUTINE
What/how would like to change in your daily routine?
Are all your days the same?
Tell me about your typical weekday and your typical weekend.
How do you balance your work/study/free time in your normal day?

PART 2
Describe something you own which is very important to you.You should say:Where you got it from/ How long you have had it/ What do you use it for/ Why it is so important to you?

PART 3:The next part is a discussion on : How values can change.
(Prompting with questions like "What kind of possessions show status in your country?/ Do you think it was different for your grandparents?")

The consumer society
(Prompting with questions like "Modern society is often called 'materialistic'/ Why do you think this is?/ Do you think consumerism is a positive or a negative development?")

The consumer market
(Prompting with questions like "What is the role of advertising?/ How do you think the Internet will affect buying patterns in the future?")

EXERCISE 3
PART 1
FESTIVALS
Tell me about the most important festival in your country.
What special food and activities are connected with this festival?
What do you most enjoy about it?
Do you think festivals are important for a country? Why?

PART 2
Describe a film or a TV programme which has made a strong impression on you. You should say: What kind of film or TV programme it was, e.g. comedy/ When you saw the film or TV programme/What was it about and explain why it made such an impression on you.

PART 3
The next part is a discussion on: People's cinema-going habits nowadays.
(Prompting with questions like: "Do you think cinema has increased or decreased in popularity in recent years?/ In your opinion, will this trend continue into the future")

Making a film or TV or drama of real/fictional events
(Prompting with questions like: "What are the advantages and disadvantages of making films of real-life events?/ How important do you think it is for a film maker to remain true to the orginal story?")

Censorship and the freedom of the film-maker/TV producer
(Prompting with questions like: "Should films and television be censored or should we be free to choose what we see/ How do you think censorship laws will change in the next 20 years?")

EXERCISE 4
PART 1
FAMILY
Do you have a large family or a small family?
Can you tell me something about them?
How much time do you manage to spend with members of your family?
What sorts of things do you like to do together?
Did/Do you get on well with your family? Why?

PART 2
Describe a teacher who has influenced you in your education. You should say: where you met them/ What subject they taught/ What was special about them and explain why this person influenced you so much.

PART 3
This part is a discussion on: Developments in education
(Prompting with questions like: "How has education changed in your country in the last 10 years/ What changes do you foresee in the next 50 years?")

A national education system
(Prompting with questions like: "How do the expectations of today's school leavers compare with those of the previous generation?/ What role do you think extracurricular activities play in education")

Different styles/methods of teaching and learning
(Prompting with questions like: "What method of learning works best for you?/ How beneficial do you think it is to group students according to their level of ability")

TO BE CONTINUED...



 

THINK IN ENGLISH WITH PERSUASION SKILLS

Let's practice the art of persuasion with the  the verb "WAIT "

Wait...I am coming. 

Wait please, if you don't mind.

Can you wait a bit...

Could you please wait for a minute.

Would you mind waiting a few seconds more?

May I ask you to wait for just a few seconds?

Would you mind if I ask you to wait a few minutes more?

It would be very kind of you if you could wait for a few more seconds.

Let's all wait here for some more time.

Shall we wait here for a few minutes more?

Let's wait for another five minutes, shall we?

You will wait for me to come, won't you?

Would you like to wait for a few seconds as the work is almost over?

You wouldn't mind waiting here for your friend, would you?

I am afraid, we will have to wait for a few minutes.

I was just wondering if we could wait here for an hour and take some rest.

I am sorry to say that you will need to wait for half an hour more...

How about waiting for a few minutes more?

What about a small wait here?

We should wait for him to come.

We ought to wait...let's be patient.

I wonder if you could possibly wait for a few minutes more...

I hope you don't mind, but would it be at all possible for you to wait for just a few more seconds...

...TO BE CONTINUED

EC LISTENING SKILLS

Listening is a skill which is seldom taught/learnt/practiced in academic/family/social environments. But in relationship building and management listening holds the key. To be good at listening one should do all these things:

1. Ask questions in an encouraging/supporting way to get more details; questions show interest in the speaker and the topic being mentioned.

2. There should be minimal interruptions when a person is sharing an experience/emotion/idea/information.

3. The environment for conversation should be safe, secure, friendly and peaceful.

4. The listener can provide sufficient breaks to the speaker by paraphrasing what he/she has already said. 

5. Use a five O' clock posture while listening.

6. Maintain eye contact to show strong emotions/empathy/acceptance/responsibility/full engagement with listening but don't overreact.

7. Nurture the conversation by making the other person feel free to open his/her mind by asking open ended questions like "How was the experience...please describe" and not close ended questions like "How did you come here...by bus/car/auto/on foot"

8. The listener should not advise at any point. That breaks the rhythm of the conversations. The listener can give options according to his/her understanding of the situation.

9. The listener should act as a friend, philosopher and guide.

10. The listener can make the conversation a never before experience to the other person through compassionate, affectionate, appreciative and above all a non judgemental listening.

TO BE CONTINUED...

EC PHONETICS

It is to be noted that the way English is pronounced by the people of South East England is accepted/received as the standard variety of English. This variety is also called RP - Received Pronunciation of English.

There are 44 sounds in English. (These include 24 consonant sounds and 20 vowel sounds - 12 are pure vowel sounds and 8 sounds are called diphthongs )

When we speak English words, we speak in syllables. Syllables are combinations of sounds always having a vowel sound. Some words are mono-syllabic, some are di-syllabic, tri-syllabic, poly-syllabic.  

While speaking words we also emphasise or STRESS certain syllables. These stressed syllables are heard more clearly than the unstressed ones.

While speaking we also change the tone of our voice ie., our pitch rises and falls just like in singing. This is done to show emotions, politeness, power etc.

TO BE CONTINUED...

EC AND WRITING SKILLS

PRACTICING HOW TO USE CONNECTIVES(CONJUNCTIONS AND PREPOSITIONS) TO HAVE A SMOOTH FLOW OF IDEAS: In English communication it's very easy to connect information,ideas,thoughts etc. Let's see how:

First we will use wh-words for making connections. 1.HOW: I really don't know how to thank you for this.
2.WHAT:He actually doesn't know what to do next.
3.WHEN:Of course,she knows when the train will reach Kannur.
4.WHY:They don't know clearly why he cried while speaking.
5.WHERE:We do know where you had gone.
6.WHO: It(the dog) probably doesn't know who you are.
7.WHOM:You don't know the person with whom your boss is having the meeting now?
8.WHICH:You know very well which dress to wear for the function, don't you?
9.WHOSE:Ram knows for sure whose handwriting is this. 

Now let's see wh-ever words for making strong connections.

WHICHEVER: I will be on time whichever be the occasion.
WHATEVER: I will do the work whatever be the problems.
WHEREVER: She will find friends wherever she goes.
WHENEVER: He will have food whenever he comes to our house.
WHOEVER:I will have to follow the rules, whoever you are.
HOWEVER:We will find a way, however difficult be the mission.

Now let's see how we can use prepositions to make connections:

Jass has come...to meet you...with his father...for giving the invitation...of his sister's marriage...on 21 st of next month...at 11 am...at their house...in Beypore...near the LP school... So it is very easy in English to keep on adding  information to a sentence by using prepositions as in the given example.

PRACTICING WRITING WITH A SMALL TOPIC "HEALTH IS WEALTH"

First let's have a  strategy for writing on this topic:

1.Introduce the topic along with your views on it.

2.Define the topic.

3.Divide the main topic into sub-topics if any.

4.Give some interesting details related to the topic.

5.Give a message.

Now let's see how to write a small paragraph on this topic.

1.To enjoy any form of wealth, we need to be healthy first. So definitely "Health is wealth". (Introduction and views)

2.Health means physical fitness. A healthy person is fully conscious of his world and the world outside. He performs his duties and also helps in others' duties. So he is a useful member of the society. (Defining the topic)

3.To be healthy you need to eat natural food,drink pure water and give importance to your diet. You should also give your body enough exercises so that the blood circulation is smooth. (Dividing the main topic into sub topics)

4. As the saying goes "A sound mind in a sound body" a healthy mind comes only from a healthy body. And so to succeed in life health is very important. (Interesting details like why/how etc. supported by sayings or proverbs)

5. So let's be at the peak of our health always. Create situations of good health and this in turn will create a happy you. (Message to the readers)

TO BE CONTINUED...

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