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Week 20: Film & Cinema

IELTS Warm-up Questions: Film & Cinema

Warm-up Questions: 

• What was the last film you watched in the cinema?
• What’s your favourite film genre? (Action / Comedy / Romance / Horror / Sci-fi)
• Was there a film you watched lots of times when you were a child?
• Have you ever walked out of the cinema halfway through a film because it was so bad?

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IELTS Lesson – Your Country & Society

Following on from last week, here is another common Part 3 question type, and a couple of  high-band ways you can answer.

Part 3 is always about 1 main topic (travel, food , education etc.), and sometimes the examiner might ask you directly what people in your country or society think about this topic. 

For example: 

• What kinds of movies are popular in your country?
• Do people still go to the cinema in your country?
• Do you think people in your country enjoy violent movies?

Watch the video below to learn some skills you can use to answer these types of questions. 

Afterwards, I will show you some example answers using the same structures and grammar. 

https://youtu.be/5BWOi2-bINI

Here are the grammar and language structures again: 

Behaviour: 

• There is / There are…
• You can see [smth]+ [verb-ing]

Passive Voice:

• Obj. + be verb + 3rd form verb

Here are some more example answers using the same grammar and language structures in the video: 

• Do people still go to the cinema in your country?
  Absolutely. Actually nowadays you can see more and more small, independent cinemas appearing in British cities, where beer, cocktails and even food is served to the audience during the film, so they are quite popular at the moment. As well as that, blockbuster movies have made a comeback, so there are big-budget movies, like Avengers or Fast & Furious being released almost every other month, so the cinemas are quite busy in the UK, I would say. 

• Do you think people in your country enjoy violent movies?
  There are lots of people who enjoy action movies, for sure, which almost always have explosions, car chases and shoot-outs. Even superhero movies which are aimed at younger audiences contain quite a bit of violence, like fist-fights and weapons. I suppose the only time violence is frowned upon is when it’s extremely gory or gratuitous, like they are trying to shock you, and some audiences don’t enjoy that.

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“I can never think of any ideas.” 

“I can’t find the right IELTS vocabulary anywhere.” 

Are you having any of these problems? 

If you’re struggling with vocabulary and ideas for your IELTS Speaking answers, you can find HUNDREDS more high-band example answers (written and recorded by me) to help you tackle any IELTS Speaking Topic you might encounter. 

Get lifetime access to my IELTS Answer Library on Udemy for just $10.00 (that’s 50% off for Newsletter Subscribers only!) 
>>> http://bit.ly/IELTSVOCAB <<< Click here if the picture link doesn’t work.

Loving the IELTS Lesson? Get even more in the Complete Edition of my IELTS Speaking E-book, Audio Book and Workbook below!

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IELTS Vocabulary and Levelled Reading

Read these 2 levels of about ‘Film & Cinema’. Every level becomes more difficult but every level has the same meaning. The new words are highlighted, so if you don’t understand a word in Level 2, look back at Level 1 to find the easier synonym! This is a great way to learn new vocabulary!  

Level 1: Basic  Level 2: Advanced 

IELTS Question #1: Why do film producers spend so much money on producing films?

• Level 1:

“I suppose film producers spend most of their money on making sure they have a lot of famous actors in their films. Sometimes just having a famous name on the poster for a film almost guarantee the film will be popular. As well as that, expensive films often have good computer effects, so they can impress audiences. They might also want to include lots of ambitious moments, or even put the film in exotic and expensive places, like Hawaii, London or New York.”

• Level 2:

“I suppose movie-makers spend most of their budget on making sure they have a host of A-listers in their films. Sometimes just having a famous name on the poster for a film can virtually guarantee the film will be a hit at the box office. As well as that, big-budget films often have impressive CGI so they can wow audiences. They might also want to include a lot of ambitious stunts or even set the film in exotic and expensive locations, like Hawaii, London or New York.”

IELTS Question #2: What kinds of movies are popular in your country?

• Level 1:

“For the most part, Hollywood movies are well-known throughout England. American romantic comedies and science-fiction films are quite popular. There are also cult films, which are usually older, low-budget films that [are a bit silly], like ‘The Italian Job’ or ‘The Life of Brian’. In England, especially during Christmas, the same films are always shown on TV. For some reason, movies like ‘The Great Escape’ and ‘Chicken Run’ have become Christmas traditions of British TV.”

• Level 2:

“For the most part, most Hollywood blockbusters are well-known throughout England. American rom-coms and sci-fi are quite popular. There are also cult classics, which are usually older, low-budgets films that [are a bit silly] or  like ‘The Italian Job’ and ‘The Life of Brian’. In England, especially during Christmas, the same films are always shown on TV. For some reason, movies like ‘The Great Escape’ and ‘Chicken Run’ have become festive staples of British TV.”

Links and Resources

You can find even more IELTS-appropriate vocabulary, collocations and phrases about Films, Movies & Cinema here:

• http://www.freecollocation.com/search?word=film
• http://www.freecollocation.com/search?word=movie
• http://www.freecollocation.com/search?word=cinema

Why do so many people still prefer to go to the cinema when they can  just as easily watch movies in the comfort of their own home? The Verge gives 10 main reasons why the ‘silver screen’ experience is still the best way to enjoy films (each of which would be a great IELTS Part 3 answer!)

• https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/4/15177542/movie-theater-box-office-ticket-prices-get-out-record

Despite the increasing popularity of online streaming, YouTube shows, and video games British cinemas are actually experiencing a 50-year high. Is this happening in your country too? (Also good practice for Writing Task 1). 

• https://www.thedrum.com/news/2019/03/15/vue-boss-the-resurgence-cinema-and-why-it-should-be-wake-up-call-brands

IELTS Practice Questions

Putting it all together:

Part 3 – Questions

• What kinds of films are popular in your country?
• Do people still go to the cinema in your country?
• Do you think people in your country enjoy violent movies?
• Why do film producers spend so much money on producing films?
• Do you prefer films with lots of CGI (computer generated imagery) or with real effects?
• Do you think that actors can be replaced by robots in the future?

Happy learning!
Mark Teacher