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Week 22: Truth & Lies

IELTS Warm-up Questions: Truth & Lies

Warm-up Questions: 

• When was the last time you told a lie?
• Do you know what ‘a white lie’ is?
• How do you feel when someone lies to you?
• How do you feel when you lie to someone else?
• Do you ever lie a little bit to make your stories sound more exciting or interesting?

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IELTS Lesson – Part 3 – Describing Changes

This week’s Part 3 Question Type is about ‘Describing Changes’.

Watch the video below to learn a useful grammar tip and sentence pattern than can help you describe changes!

Here is the language pattern again:

• [Subj.] + have / has become + (comparative) adjective

• Technology has become cheaper than ever before.
• English has become more important all over the world.
• Elderly people have become healthier thanks to modern medicine.

The present perfect shows that the changes have happened gradually over a longer period of time.

The comparative adjectives shows that the current state of the change is more expensive / healthier / better / faster than before.

• In your country, have people’s eating habits changed in recent years?

“A lot of people have become more conscious about factory farming.”

“Vegetarianism has definitely become more popular than ever before.”

• How have cities changed in your country in the last 20 years?

“Most major cities have become more expensive nowadays.”

“Pollution has become more serious every year.”

• How has technology affected the way news spreads?

“News updates have become faster than ever before.”

“Fake news has become harder to spot than many people expected.”

You can read even more about Describing Changes in my Part 3 Question Type post here: https://wp.me/p8VGd6-1j3

There’s no doubt that our world has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. A lot of those changes have come from technology. So if you get a question about technology, the internet, or social media, you have a good chance to use this language structure.

Let’s apply this to this week’s topic: The Truth & Lying 

• Can we trust news on the internet?

“I suppose it depends on where you get your news from, because I believe that most major newspapers and their websites run stories that are truthful and trustworthy. But I think social media has become much worse over the last few years, because people share and spread fake news just to get attention and ‘likes’. So I think news on sites like Facebook has become less reliable than ever before, and that’s why I stick to news sources I can trust.”

• Do you agree that many people exaggerate how good their lives are because of social media?

“I would agree with that, yes, because some people definitely do. Social media has become a bigger part of people’s lives, and it has become more important in how people measure their own popularity or self-worth. So that means that people might embellish or exaggerate how fun or exciting their lives are, just to get more likes and maintain the illusion that they are interesting people.”

———

“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.

This week in fact, I’ve just uploaded the 300th example answer to the library! With hundreds more to come!

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 ‘Truth & Lies’. 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: Can you suggest why people tell lies?

• Level 1:”Generally speaking, I suppose most people, including children and adults, tell lies to avoid punishment. For example, an office worker might not hear their alarm and be late for work, but then lie about the traffic. Kids do the same thing, if they break something in the house, they might blame one of their siblings to avoid getting into trouble. Another reason could be to avoid hurting someone else’s feelings by telling ‘white lies’. Like if their friend or partner is wearing and ugly outfit, they can tell them it looks great, so they don’t feel embarrassed or sad.”
• Level 2:
  “Generally speaking, I suppose most people, including children and adults, tell lies to escape punishment. For example, an office worker might miss their alarm and be late for work, but then use the traffic as an excuse. Kids do the same thing, if they break something in the house, they might lay the blame on one of their siblings to get out of trouble. Another reason could be to spare someone else’s feelings, by telling ‘white lies’. Like if their friend or significant other is wearing an ugly outfit, they can tell them it looks great, so they don’t feel embarrassed or upset.”

IELTS Question #2: Why is it sometimes easier to tell the truth to strangers than to close friends?

• Level 1:
  For the most part, I would say that telling the truth to strangers is easier because there are no real consequences. In other words, what you tell them in unlikely to cause problems again in the future, because the stranger isn’t in your social circle, so the news can’t spread and maybe hurt your relationships. Some other people may want to admit the truth without being judged, which can be a relief for them, and could help them figure out what to do next. So those are some reasons that come to mind.

• Level 2:
  For the most part, I would say that opening up to strangers is easier because there are no real repercussions (conseq.). In other words, what you tell them is unlikely to come back and bite you, because the stranger isn’t in your social circle, so the news can’t spread and potentially (maybe) damage your relationships. Some other people may want to get something off their chest without being judged, which can be a relief for them and could help them figure out what to do next. So those are some reasons that come to mind.
  

Links and Resources

You can find even more IELTS-appropriate vocabulary, collocations and phrases about Truth & Lies here:

• http://www.freecollocation.com/search?word=truth
• http://www.freecollocation.com/search?word=lie

Why do children tell lies? Here are the main reasons. Each one of these would be a good IELTS Speaking answer too!

• https://www.verywellfamily.com/top-3-reasons-kids-tell-lies-1095001

What do you think are the top 10 most common white lies? Find out here! How many of these white lies do you use? Be honest! 😉

• https://www.ranker.com/list/things-people-lie-about/elise

IELTS Practice Questions

Putting it all together:

Part 2 Questions: 

• Describe a time when you lied to your friend. You can say:
  • When and where this happened
  • Who this friend was
  • Why you lied
  • How you felt about lying

 

Part 3 – Questions

Truth – Part 3 

• Are there any situations when it isn’t polite to tell the truth?
• Is it necessary to always tell the truth to achieve success in life?
• Why is it sometimes easier to tell the truth to strangers than to close friends?
• Can we trust the news on the internet?
• Do you think people can’t about truth if they are being entertained?
• Do you agree that some people exaggerate how good their lives are because of social media?

Lying – Part 3 

• Can you suggest why people tell lies?
• Should friends be honest with each other all the time?
• Do you think there are times when it is suitable to tell a small lie, or a lie with good intentions? (A white lie)
• What can parents do if their children tell lies?

Happy learning!