Have you ever wanted to be famous? Can you think of some of the advantages and disadvantages that fame brings? Nick discusses both sides of this question, which could be an IELTS speaking part 3 or writing part 2 question.

If I ........ you, I would buy a car.

It was sunny today. Since tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, we had a banquet with our relatives tonight. The recent influenza has been really bad—my uncle was sick and feverish, and my maternal grandmother was lethargic and barely ate anything. We used separate, neutral utensils to serve the food to each one, which is something we rarely do. I also avoided any physical contact with them. A big virus is spreading!

Hi! Can you please tell me if there are any changes to make? I'm going for a casual conversational style. Many thanks! • ‎The brothers looked alike but had very different temperaments. • Some people feel bad when they see him feeding his python live mice. • The embarrassed boy admitted that he hadn't really put much effort into it. • The girl was ashamed of herself and apologized for being rude to her mom. • The sleeping little boy didn't hear the doorbell. • The wide-awake young lady answered the landline at midnight. • Some people say that a conscious citizen cares about the environment and tries not to consume too much. • Since my sick son couldn't handle the chores, my healthy son took care of it. • The sick man couldn't bear the pain any longer, and he ended his life. • The guy who wasn't feeling well caller in sick to work.

In the writing sub-test for OET candidates quite often start a referral letter this way; "I'm writing to refer my patient John Smith who requires..........." There is nothing wrong with this in terms of language, but when you have a limit of approximately 200 words conciseness is very important. It is obvious you are writing, (it's a letter!) so why say it? The same can be said of using the word "referral". The reader will know it is a referral because of what you are going to ask them to do with your patient. Therefore you can simply write; "My patient John Smith requires......... " Think about what your reader will want to know, and what they need to know so that your communication is clear.

English students, try this! Choose the correct answer.

What English words would you use to describe this image? 📷 Photography by tommao wang (@tommaomaoer