BM Talks

Episode II

#BMTalks #NewPodcast

Leave your questions to our X-man, a.k.a Asilbek Yusupov

Let’s do a writing task 1 lesson (through posts) today!

Anything you want me to focus on?

I'm still preparing the lesson, so it will be ready by tomorrow! Today, take a look at this seemingly straightforward line graph and try analyzing it. Tomorrow, you can check how your analysis matches the example answer.

Although the minimum word count for an IELTS Task 1 report is 150 words, there isn't a strict upper limit. However, it's recommended that you should aim for between 200 to 230 words if you find yourself needing to write more extensively.

Out of curiosity, what's the highest word count you've come across for a Task 1 response, either from your own experience or someone else's?

Here is one of the longest responses I've seen (sb else wrote):

Word count: 505

The graph displays the statistics of (the number at tourists visiting a particular caribbean island between (the years) 2010 and 2017) in the year 2010, there were a quarter of a million visitors that stayed on cruise ships, while another 750000 visitors were staying on island that totals up to a million of visitors during that year. The following year, which is 2011, half a million visitors stayed on cruise ships for the visitors who were staying on the island, the graph doesn't show and decrease or an increase because the number was the same as the previous year, which is 750000 visitors. Total visitors for that year was 1 million and a quarter visitors. Moving on, the number of visitors staying on cruise ships decreased to 250000 visitors in the year 2012 while the number of visitors staying on island increased to 1250000 people. This sums up to an amount of 1500000 visitors that year.

In the year 2013, 500000 visitors stayed on cruise ships while 1500000 visitors stayed on island that adds up to 2 million visitors that year. During the next year which is 2014, a total at one million visitors stayed on cruise ships while the same number of visitors staying on island remained consistent which is 1500000 people, totalling up to two million and a half visitors that year. For the year 2015, 1250000 visitors were staying on cruise ships and 1500000 tourists were staying on island, showing no changes from the previous year. The total of tourists in that year increased to 2750000 visitors. The total number of visitors remained the same in the following year which is 2016 where it summed up 1500000 visitors staying on cruise ships and 1250000 visitors staying on island. In the final year. 2017, the number of visitors staying on cruise ships and staying on island increase to three and a half million of visitors. The graph showed an increase of half a million for the number of visitors staying on cruise ships which totals up to two million visitors. As for the number of visitors staying on island, the graph also increased for a quarter million which adds up to a total of 1500000 visitors that year.

Through the years, the number of visitors staying on cruise ships showed an unstable increase and decrease for the first four years, but continued to increase in the next year onwards. As for the number of visitors staying on island, there was no progress of increase or decrease in the first two years which are 2010 and 2011 but the graph rose until it remained constant for three consecutive years in a row. The number of visitors then slacked off in the year 2016, but managed to increase to the same level as the year before the previous in 2017. All in all, the graph showed an outstanding performance for the total number of visitors through 2011 to 2017, where it increased gradually every single year except from 2015 to 2016 where it remained constant.

Interestingly, the report we discussed is actually one of the sample answers from the back of the official Cambridge IELTS 15 book. 😊 Next time you're practicing at home, don't forget to review the sample and model answers included at the end of the book.

Here is the examiner's comment:
This is a full and detailed description of the data contained in the graph, supplemented by a comparison of the variations in the numbers for the two types of visitors (staying on cruise ships or staying on the island). There is a clear overview at the end of the description. Organisation is fairly clear and progresses logically across the time period, although it could be improved by subdividing the rather long second paragraph. The range of vocabulary is wide enough to show some variety of expression [adds up to | totals up to] and some use of collocation [three ... years in a row]. There is a high level of accuracy in grammatical control, in both simple and complex structures, but there is an omission of a full stop between the first and second sentences and no capital letter to indicate the beginning of the new sentence.

#GuessTheIdiom

What idiom is being described here and how do we use it?

A short definition and an example sentence are coming soon.

Cold Turkey:

Simple Definition:
Suddenly stopping a habit or addiction completely, without slowly reducing it first.

Example Sentence (Speaking)
Sarah quit eating candy cold turkey, and didn't have any more after that day.

Example Sentence (Writing):
In addressing the challenges of substance cessation, many individuals opt for the 'cold turkey' approach, abruptly discontinuing use, a method that, while demanding, can yield significant results for those seeking immediate change.

#Vacancy

Artel Technical School in Tashkent (Chilonzor) – English Teacher Vacancy Announcement

Artel Technical School, located in Chilonzor district of Tashkent, is currently seeking a dedicated and skilled English teacher to join their dynamic team.

Qualifications:

• A relevant degree in education or a related field.
• Proven teaching experience.
• Fluency in Russian is essential.

We Offer:

• A competitive salary package.
• Attractive bonus incentives.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their resumes via Telegram to @sshakarova

Note: This announcement is a personal initiative. My son also goes to Artel Technical School, so I am committed to helping them in finding a talented and passionate ESL/EFL teacher.

Thank you for your participation in the survey! 20 people will be contacted soon!

By the way, do you remember the "BM Talks" project? The YouTube page is being set up at the moment; we will be uploading the first episode of our podcast very soon!

Make sure to subscribe and turn the notification bell on!

https://www.youtube.com/@bekzodmirahmedov9

The teaser is out! Stay tuned for the full episode!

https://youtu.be/SBNLwnsCOkU?si=_JHrQjlCP8wNng2d

#GuessTheIDIOM

What idiom do you think of when you see this picture?

Aytgancha, bugun 8pm da premierani o’tkazib yubormanglar:

https://youtu.be/Bh-sth5Yr4c?si=Ofw2cxB0atlk9fq5

down the road

Short definition:
a point in the future or something that will happen later.

Example sentence: “We might face some challenges down the road, but for now, our project is on track.”

Has it been 15 years already since president Obama took office as the first black president of America??? It feels like it happened just a few years ago, a classic example of “temporal distortion”.
What other historic events do you feel the same way about?

Davronbek Turdiyev bilan til o’rganish va uning miya faoliyatiga ta’siri haqida va ko’plab boshqa qiziqarli mavzularda fikr almashdik. Suhbatimizni ko’rib, o’z fikr-mulohazalaring bilan o’rtoqlashsangiz mamnun bo’lamiz!

O’zbek tilida matn yozishga nechchi? 😁

https://youtu.be/rHdLaF2G41Q?si=T2gFYGb-I0vqZFdG

Common pronunciation problem among Uzbek people

Back in 2012/13 I was doing my masters in the states. I had a few American friends obviously, who always complimented my English, but also pointed out to my tendency to mix up the V and W sounds. Once aware of this issue,I actively sought solutions to improve. One video that really helped me see the difference was this EngVid video where Ronnie thoroughly explains the distinction between these two sounds.

In IELTS assessment, consistently mixing up Vs and Ws may not be a major issue, but it could limit your pronunciation score to a maximum of band 7.

https://youtu.be/e8NbVrMGrh8?si=2U5B8zC8jkO3xKNz