Sanford Kottawa

In this lesson, we will look at eight different idioms that
all talk about people. All right? Now, you might hear these kind of idioms being used
anywhere. They could be used in the office, they could be used outside in social situations,
and people might refer to other people in these ways. Now, remember, what is an idiom?
An idiom is when we have a set of words or a group of words that means something different
when taken together than when taken separately. Okay? So, these are some kind of people idioms
or personality idioms. All right? So, you may have heard some of these before. Maybe
yes, maybe no. Let's find out. Okay? Let's go.
So, the first one. A man of his word or - that was the original expression. Today, of course,
we also say a woman of her word. So, if someone says to you, "You know what? I really like
John. He's a man of his word." What do you think that means? Of his word. Okay? It means
someone that you can trust. Someone who keeps their promises. When they say "word", it means
if I give you my word, it's like if I say I'm going to do something, then yes, I actually
do it. And when that happens, then I keep my word. So, when you say that someone is
a woman of her word, that means if she tells you that she's going to do something, then
yes, she does it. You can trust her. Okay? Or the same about the man. So, a person of
their word is a person who does what they say they're going to do, and it's someone
that you can trust and count on, depend on. Okay? That's the first one.
All right. Here's the next one. A chip off the old block. If you say - usually, it's
something like this. "He's just like his dad. He's a chip off the old block." So, usually
it will be in that kind of context, and even if you had never heard this expression before,
you can probably figure it out. So, if I said something like that, and I said "He's just
like his dad. He's a chip off the old block", it actually means that someone that you're
talking about is like - usually a child or an adult child - is like the parents. Okay?
It's like one of the parents, let's say. So, we say "a chip off the old block". Don't worry
about the imagery, the words, but what it is, it's like as if there is a wooden block,
and this is a little piece of that whole block. So, what they're trying to say is that this
child or this adult child has a lot of things in common with the parent. For example, it could be
in terms of appearance. It could be in terms of character. It could be in terms of talents. Maybe
the father is a great - loves to tell jokes and tells fantastic jokes, and the son is exactly
like that. Or the mother is very talented at art, and the daughter is also a very good artist.
So, it could be different things when they're referring to when they say that someone is a
chip off the old block, but that's what it means, okay? A child could be a young child or an adult
child who resembles one of the parents, okay? That's that. Alright, let's go to the third one.
"He's a jack of all trades." What is that? A jack of all trades. So, "trades" here means like
different kinds of work. So, when you say that someone is a jack of all trades,
you're trying to say that that person has many different kinds of talents. They don't
just specialize in one thing. They can actually do many things. So, maybe you have a person named
Bob in your finance department, but Bob is also very helpful when you're - when you have computer
problems, or when the photocopier breaks down, Bob is the guy who knows how to fix that. […]

here's a snippet (small section) from Justin and Katrina's conversation about what men look like:

Justin: "What are you ogling at?"

Katrina: "I’m watching those guys working across the street. There’s not a flabby gut in the bunch."

Ogling means looking at someone with interest, usually because you find them attractive or something interests you about him or her.

Ogling in public (where other people can see you) is sometimes considered rude - that is, it is considered not very nice or polite.
But you can ogle things as well as people:

Olivia was ogling the chocolate cookies in the window of the bakery, wanting to buy them all for herself.
Flabby is another work for fat, when someone is too heavy. The opposite of flabby is lean.

Your gut is basically your stomach or the area in the middle of your body, between your chest and your waist.

"That guy has been drinking so much beer he's gotten a huge gut. He needs to lose weight!"

So to have a flabby gut would be to have a fat middle part of your body.

that there is not a "flabby gut in the bunch."

Bunch here refers to a group of people or things. It’s like saying a "handful" but for a larger number.
"I was so hungry last night I had a bunch of nuts and five bananas."

Ever caught yourself ogling something interesting? What (or who) was it?

Nowadays food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? You should write at least 250 words. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. You should give reasons for your answer using your own ideas and experience.

model answer: Food is a basic part of life, so it follows that improved methods of food preparation have made our lives better. Nowadays we can prepare meals much faster than we could in the past. We can also enjoy a greater variety of food and eat more healthfully, all because of modern methods of food preparation. Microwave ovens have made it possible to prepare delicious food quickly. People these days rarely have time to shop and prepare meals the old-fashioned way. We live very fast lives. We are busy working, caring for our families travelling, playing sports, and many other things. Because of microwave ovens, we have time to enjoy a good meal with our family and then play soccer, go to a movie, study, or do anything else we want to afterwards. Modern methods of preserving food have made it possible to enjoy a wide variety of food. Because of refrigerators, freezers, canning, and freeze-drying, we can eat fruits and vegetables that come from far away places. We can prepare a meal one day and save the leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer to eat at another time. We can keep different kinds of food in the refrigerator or on the shelf. Its easy to always have food available and to be able to eat completely different meals every day. Healthful eating is easier now than it ever was. Because of modern transportation methods, fresh fruits and vegetables are available all year round. Modern kitchen appliances make it easy to prepare fruits and vegetables fro cooking. Bread machines make it possible to enjoy healthful, home-baked bread whenever we like. We can eat fresh and healthful food everyday because modern methods have made preparation easy. Our lifestyle is fast, but people still like good food. New food preparation methods have given us is more choices. Today we can prepare food that is more convenient healthier, and of greater variety than ever before in history.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. You should write at least 250 words. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. You should give reasons for your answer using your own ideas and experience. model answer:

Parents shape their children from the beginning of their children's lives. They teach their children values. They share their interests with them. They develop close emotional ties with them. Parents can be very important teachers in their children's lives; however, they are not always the best teachers Parents may be too close to their children emotionally. For example, they may limit a child's freedom in the name of safety. A teacher may organize an educational trip to a big city, but a parent may think this trip is too dangerous. A school may want to take the children camping, but a parent may be afraid of the child getting hurt. Another problem is that parents sometimes expect their children's interests to be similar to their own. If the parents love science, they may try to force their child to love science too. But what if the child prefers art? If the parents enjoy sports, they may expect their child to participate on different teams. But what if the child prefers to read? Parents want to pass on their values to their children. However, things change. The children of today are growing up in a world different from their parents' world. Sometimes parents, especially older ones, can't keep up with rapid social or technological changes. A student who has friends of different races at school may find that his parents have narrower views. A student who loves computers may find that her parents don't understand or value the digital revolution. Parents are important teachers in our lives, but they aren't always the best teachers. Fortunately, we have many teachers in our lives. Our parents teach us, our teachers teach us, and we learn from our peers. Books and newspapers also teach us. All of them are valuable

As computers are being used more and more in education, there will be soon no role for teachers in the classroom.

You should write at least 250 words. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. You should give reasons for your answer using your own ideas and experience. model answer: There have been immense advances in technology in most aspects of people's lives, especially in the field of education. Nowadays, an increasing number of students rely on computers to research for information and to produce a perfect paper for school purposes. Others have decided to leave the original way of learning to get knowledge through online schools. These changes in the learning process have brought a special concern regarding the possible decrease of importance of teachers in the classroom. Some people believe the role of teachers started to fade because computers have been helping some students to progress in their studies quicker than when compared with an original classroom. For example, in the same classroom, students have different intellectual capacities, thus some would be tied to a slow advance in their studies because of others’ incapacity of understanding. In this way, pupils could progress in their acquisition of knowledge at their own pace using computers instead of learning from teachers. However, the presence of a teacher is essential for students because the human contact influences them in positive ways. Firstly, students realize that they are not dealing with a machine but with a human being who deserves attention and respect. They also learn the importance of studying in group and respect other students, which helps them to improve their social skills. Moreover, teachers are required in the learning process because they acknowledge some student's deficiencies and help them to solve their problems by repeating the same explanation, giving extra exercises or even suggesting a private tutor. Hence, students can have a bigger chance not to fail in a subject. In conclusion, the role for teachers in the learning process is still very important and it will continue to be in the future because no machine can replace the human interaction and its consequences. Sample 144 It has been said, \"Not everything that is learned is contained in books.\" Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why? You should write at least 250 words.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. You should give reasons for your answer using your own ideas and experience model answer: \"Experience is the best teacher\" is an old cliché, but I agree with it. We can learn a lot of important things from books, but the most important lessons in life come from our own experiences. Throughout the different stages of life, from primary school to university to adulthood, experience teaches us many skills we need for life. As children in primary school, we learn facts and information from books, but that is not all we learn in school. On the playground we learn how to make friends. In our class work, we learn how it feels to succeed and what we do when we fail. We start to learn about the things we like to do and the things we don't. We don't learn these things from books, but from our experiences with our friends and classmates. In our university classes, we learn a lot of information and skills we will need for our future careers, but we also learn a lot that is not in our textbooks. In our daily lives both in class and out of class, we learn to make decisions for ourselves. We learn to take on responsibilities. We learn to get along with our classmates, our roommates, and our workmates. Our successes and failures help us develop skills we will need in our adult lives. They are skills that no book can teach us. Throughout our adulthood, experience remains a constant teacher. We may continue to read or take classes for professional development. However, our experiences at work, at home, and with our friends teach us more. The triumphs and disasters of our lives teach us how to improve our careers and also how to improve our relationships and how to be the person each one of us wants to be. Books teach us a lot, but there is a limit to what they teach. They can give us information or show us another person's experiences. These are valuable things, but the lessons we learn from our own experiences, from childhood through adulthood, are the most important ones we learn

IELTS General Task 1 – Letter Writing.
The IELTS General Writing Task 1 measures your ability to communicate about common practical issues. You have 20 minutes to respond to a question prompt, by writing a letter to a person, company, or institution. Your response is worth about 30% of your writing score and is graded separately from the Task 2 essay.

TIPS FOR IELTS GENERAL TASK 1

1. Identify the type of letter you are being asked to write.

Formal
Semi-formal
Informal

Step 2 will help you recognize each type of letter.

2. Identify the purpose of the letter.

TYPE
PURPOSE:
Formal
Requesting information from a company
Applying for a job
Complaining to a bank, store, airline re:product/service
Making a recommendation/suggestion
Semi-formal
Complaining to a landlord
Explaining to a neighbor
Asking a professor for permission
Informal
Inviting someone you know well
Thanking a friend
Apologizing
Asking for advice
Read lots of sample questions. Decide whether the question requires a formal, semi-formal, or informal response. Steps 1 & 2 will help you choose the right language, style, and tone for your letter.

3. Open and close the letter correctly. Do this based on the type and purpose of the letter.
STYLE ;Formal

CHARACTERISTICs
To someone you have not met, whose name you don’t know.
Opening
Dear Sir/Madam
ENDING Yours faithfully,
Semi-formal
To someone you may or may not have met, whose last name you know
Dear Mr Brown,
Dear Ms Stone
Yours sincerely,
Informal
To someone you know well, whose first name you know and use Dear John,
Dear Anita,Best regards,
Warm wishes,
Start the letter appropriately.

a. Open a formal and semi-formal letter with a formal sentence and paragraph. Get down to business and say why you are writing. Don’t try to be friendly, as you do not know the person you are writing to.

Formal:
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to inquire about…
I am writing in connection with…

Semi-formal
Dear Mr Johnson,
I am writing to inform you that…
I am writing to…

b. Open an informal letter with a general, friendly paragraph. Acknowledge your friendship first, before explaining the reason for your letter. In fact, the first paragraph could include just friendly small talk, unrelated to the reason for your writing.

Dear Susan
I hope you and your family are all well! It was so wonderful to spend time with all of you last month. It felt great to catch up with you and Bob, get to know your children, and have fun together after so long. You have always been dear friends of mine, and always will be.

Anyway, the reason I’m writing is that I have some good news: I am getting married in September…

5. Learn and use standard written phrases.

In English letter writing, we use a number of standard expressions and phrases. These not only save time and effort, but also make it easier for the reader to understand our meaning. You can add on the specific information you wish to communicate to these standard phrases. See the list of Useful Expressions below.

6. Spell commonly used words correctly. Learn and practice the correct spelling of words you are likely to use on the exam. Examples are: “sincerely”, “faithfully”, “in connection with”, “apologize”, and so on. This is an easy way to boost your score.

7. Divide your letter into paragraphs.

Usually you need four paragraphs:

IntroductionProblem / SituationSolution / ActionConclusion

Make sure to signal the start of a new paragraph in one of two ways:

Indenting: Do NOT leave a line space between paragraphs. Start writing a little to the right of the left margin.
Skipping a line: Leave a line space between paragraphs. Start writing directly from the left margin.

8. Use clear handwriting. Make sure your writing is neat and legible, so your words can be read easily and do not appear to have spelling mistakes. Get feedback from a teacher on your handwriting. Pay special attention to how you form and connect letters such as a, e, i, u, n, r, and w.

9. Write at least 150 words. Practice writing letters till you know what 150 words feels like and looks like. You will lose marks if you write less. You will not lose marks if you write more.

10. Include all three bulleted points. If you exclude even one of the points given to you in the question prompt, you will get a lower grade. Answer all the points.

In your letter:

explain the problemdescribe why it disturbs yousuggest a solution

11. Finish in time.

The IELTS General Task I letter is worth about 30% of your writing score, so make sure you complete the whole letter. Though you have to make up a story to explain the situation, keep it simple so you don’t run out of time. Make sure to keep 40 minutes to complete the essay in Task 2, which is worth much more in terms of points.

12. Read model letters but don’t memorize them. Instead, read the letters to get an idea of the overall flow and to pick up new vocabulary and expressions. Make sure to consult only reliable sources, such as Good Luck IELTS, for model answers.

13. Understand the scoring criteria. Learn how to get a high score by knowing what examiners look for and how they award or deduct points.

Task achievement
Do everything you are asked to do
Give a full developed response
Include/cover all the necessary points
Write 150 words
Coherence & cohesion
Coherence:
Present ideas logically
Use structured paragraphs

Cohesion:
Write so points stick together, make sense, and convey your message
Use standard expressions & transition words

Lexical resource
Use a wide range of vocabulary naturally, correctly, and fluently
Use correct spelling
Choose the right words (word choice)
Use the correct form of words, such as verbs, nouns, etc. (word form.

Grammar range & accuracy.
Use a wide range of grammar structures
Include different kinds of sentences – simple, compound, complex
Use effective punctuation
Use correct capitalization.

IELTS GENERAL TASK 1: USEFUL EXPRESSIONS FOR LETTER-WRITING

To complete your IELTS letter-writing task within 20 minutes, learn to use and spell common phrases and expressions correctly. Choose the correct level of formality based on your question prompt. By using these phrases, you will save time and effort and earn a higher IELTS score. Most of the expressions below are arranged from formal to semi-formal to informal.

For a full list of phrases and expressions, check Good Luck IELTS.

Apologizing
Please accept my sincere apologies for…
I am very sorry about…
Sorry for…

Asking for help
I’d be grateful if you could…
I would appreciate it if you could…
Could you please…

Asking for information
I am writing to enquire about…
I am writing to find out about…
I would like to know about…

Closing
I look forward to hearing from you,
I look forward to seeing you,
I look forward to meeting you,

Complaining
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with…
I am writing to express my annoyance with…
I’m not happy with…

Expressing satisfaction
I was delighted to learn that…
I was thrilled to hear that…
I was very glad to hear that…

Expressing concern
I am writing to express my concern about…
I was very sorry to learn that…
I was really sorry to hear that…

Giving bad news
I regret to advise you that…
I regret to inform you that…
I am sorry to tell you that…

Giving good news
I am pleased to advise you that…
I am delighted to inform you that…
I am happy to tell you that…

Giving reasons
This is due to…
This is a result of
… This is because…

Making suggestions
Perhaps it would be useful to…
Perhaps it would be possible to…
It might be helpful to…

Thanking
I am extremely grateful for…
I really appreciate…
Thank you for…
IELTS GENERAL TASK 1: SAMPLE QUESTIONSFORMAL

You are looking for a full-time job. Write a letter to an employment agency. In your letter:

introduce yourselfexplain what sort of job you would likesay what experience and skills you have

Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir/Madam

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

SEMI-FORMAL

You are going to take a short holiday in Singapore and you want to rent a holiday apartment while you are there. Write to the tourist information office. In your letter:

explain what you needsay when you plan to be thereask for information about prices

Begin your letter as follows: Dear Mr/Ms __________

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

INFORMAL

You stayed at your friend’s house when you attended a conference in Australia. Unfortunately, you left a large envelope with some important documents in your room. Write a letter to your friend. In the letter:

thank your friend for the staydescribe where you left the envelopeask him/her to return it to you by post

Begin your letter as follows: Dear _________

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
IELTS Letter Topics -
Formal

1. Asking for Information
You live in an English speaking country and you want to do some voluntary, unpaid work in a developing country. Write a letter to a company called Cultural Expeditions, which organizes such trips. In your letter:

Explain why you want to do the voluntary work.State what your skills and experience are.Indicate where you would like to volunteer and for how long.

Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir / Madam

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

2. Applying for a Job
You have decided to apply for a job as a Spanish instructor that was advertised in the April edition of the magazine Teaching Professional. This ad was posted by Mr John Sullivan, director of the Spanish department at The Language Institute of Great Britain in London, England. In your letter to Mr Sullivan:

explain why you are writingdescribe your qualifications and experienceexplain how they can contact you

Write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
(Question taken from Kaplan IELTS 2009-2010 )

3. Making Suggestions
You eat at your college cafeteria every lunchtime. However, you think it needs some improvements. Write a letter to the college magazine. In your letter:

explain what you like bout the cafeteriasay what is wrongsuggest how it could be improved

Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir / Madam

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
(Question taken from Instant IELTS by Guy Brook-Hart)

4. Applying for a Job
You are looking for a part-time job. Write a letter to an employment agency. In your letter:

introduce yourselfexplain what sort of job you would likesay what experience and skills you have

Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir / Madam

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
(Question taken from Instant IELTS by Guy Brook-Hart)

5. Complaining to a Bank
You have received a letter from your bank, asking you to acknowledge receipt of a new bank card. However, the card was missing from the envelope. Write a letter to the bank's head office. In your letter:

explain why you are writingexpress concern about the missing cardask them what they intend to do

Begin your letter as follows: Dear ________,

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
(Question taken from Action Plan for IELTS by Vanessa Jakeman and Clare McDowell)

Last Tuesday you flew from New York to Paris. When you arrived home, you discovered that you had left your cabin bag on the plane. Write a letter to the airline. In your letter, you should explain:

where and when you lost your bagwhat your bag looks likewhat its contents were

Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir / Madam

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
(Question taken from Kaplan IELTS 2009-2010 )

7. Applying for a Job
You have seen an advertisement for part-time work in a hotel for three months over the summer. Write a letter to the manager. In your letter:

say what experience you haveask what the work involvesenquire about conditions

Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir / Madam

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
(Question taken from Action Plan for IELTS by Vanessa Jakeman and Clare McDowell)

8. Making Recommendations
You normally go shopping in the area where you live. However, you think some of the facilities for shoppers could be improved. Write a letter to your local newspaper. In your letter:

say in general what you like about shopping in your areasay what is wrong with the facilitiessuggest how they can be improved

Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir / Madam

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
(Question taken from Instant IELTS by Guy Brook-Hart)

9. Applying for a Job
You would like a temporary job working in the summer camp which runs sports and outdoor activities for children and young people next summer. Write a letter to the organizers of the summer camp. In your letter:

explain what sort of job you would like to dodescribe your personalitysay what experience and skills you have

Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir / Madam

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
(Question taken from Instant IELTS by Guy Brook-Hart)

10. Complaining about a Product
You live in a small university town. Last week, you drove to a big city about two hours away to buy a new laptop at a good price. You worked on the laptop all week and finished writing a long assignment that is due shortly. However, this week, the laptop doesn't even switch on. Write to the store. In your letter:

tell the store where you live & what happenedexplain the problem with the laptopstate what action you would like the store to take

Begin your letter as follows: Dear ________

You should write at least 150 words. You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

CHANGE GENERAL ENGLISH TO BUSINESS ENGLISH
GENERAL ENGLIS
H
pay attention to someone or something
BUSINESS ENGLISH
focus on or focus _____ on
COLLOCATIONS
attention, camera, causes, clients, consequences, courses, debates, differences, discussions, documents, effects, efforts, energy, factors, family, goals, grades, health, image, income, lectures, markets, media, meetings, mind, outcomes, papers, priorities, reports, research, results, similarities, studies, talk, topics, training, thoughts, workshop
EXAMPLE
You need to focus on your job search.
GENERAL ENGLISH
make or do more of something
BUSINESS ENGLISH
generate
COLLOCATIONS
business, capital, cash, data, demand, discussion, earnings, electricity, employment, energy, enthusiasm, funds, goodwill, heat, ideas, income, interest, jobs, motivation, noise, publicity, resentment, responses, results, returns, revenue, sales, savings, support, surplus, waste, wealth
EXAMPLE
How can we generate more capital?GENERAL ENGLISH
find someone or something
BUSINESS ENGLISH
identify
COLLOCATIONS
areas, barriers, categories, candidates, careers, causes, characteristics, dangers, defects, departments, divisions, employees, errors, factors, flaws, gaps, goals, issues, jobs, limitations, locations, managers, means, motives, needs, objectives, opportunities, patterns, people, possibilities, problems, programs, reasons, solutions, strengths, suspects, targets, traits, ways, weaknesses, workers
EXAMPLE
The IT department is trying to identify the cause of the problem.
GENERAL ENGLISH
put something into action
BUSINESS ENGLISH
implement
COLLOCATIONS
agreements, changes, decisions, goals, guidelines, ideas, improvements, laws, legislation, measures, perspectives, plans, policies, priorities, processes, programs, proposals, provisions, recommendations, reforms, regulations, resolutions, rules, schemes, strategies, suggestions, systems
EXAMPLE
The new hiring policies will be implemented next month.
GENERAL ENGLISH
make the most of something, increase as much as possible
BUSINESS ENGLISH
maximize
COLLOCATIONS
advantages, benefits, chances, effects, effectiveness, efficiency, gain, impact, income, interest, investments, likelihood, opportunities, performance, possibilities, potential, production, productivity, profits, recovery, results, returns, revenue, sales, success, time, use, utility, value
EXAMPLE
How can we maximize consumer interest in our products?GENERAL ENGLISH
make the least of something, lessen as much as possible
BUSINESS ENGLISH
minimize
COLLOCATIONS
arguments, bias, chances, competition, conflicts, confusion, contamination, costs, damages, danger, delay, discomfort, difficulties, distraction, distortion, effect, emission, errors, expenditure, expenses, exposure, friction, hazards, impact, likelihood, loss, pain, pollution, problems, quarrels, risk, stress, suffering, waste, window
EXAMPLE
If they don’t minimize costs, they’ll be out of business soon.
GENERAL ENGLISH
make someone want to do something
BUSINESS ENGLISH
motivate
COLLOCATIONS
adults, buyers, citizens, clients, colleagues, customers, department, employees, family members, leaders, managers, myself, speakers, staff, students, supervisors, team, union, viewers, workers
EXAMPLE
These incentives should motivate our sales people.
GENERAL ENGLISH
fix something
BUSINESS ENGLISH
resolve

COLLOCATION
Sconflicts, crises, differences, difficulties, dilemmas, disagreements, disputes, issues, matters, problems, situations, tension
EXAMPLE
You need to resolve your differences with the other team members