Day: 16 September 2015

Family # Writing Practice

Have you found yourself in a situation when you had an idea in your head but you could not explain it? When you felt a choke in your neck, as if you want to say something but the word just doesn’t comes out and in that struggle you mumble different words which have no meaning all together. Well, this happens because you have a weak vocabulary or you don’t know how to use the words that you know. It might also be possible that you are not confident, but for now, we shall consider the previous two conditions i.e. either you have a weak vocabulary or you don’t know how and when to use those words.
So, be calm and delve into the new venture of learning words and using them in an exciting way.
In this first article, we will begin with something we all are part of and we all love, FAMILY.
Now, every topic has its own vocabulary( words related to it). And family is no different.
Check out the entire list of family vocabulary HERE.
Now, let us start using them.
About My family.
So, let us begin. When asked about your family, there are few things you have to tell.
1. Who do you live with?
Now, suppose you live with your parents and have a brother or a sister. You must write, I live with my mother, my father and a younger brother.
What have you done, you have used the verb- live, wrote the names of the people you live with. And that is all required to begin with.
2. Where do you live?
Now, there has to be some place where you are currently staying. State the name of the place. You must write, I live in Dehradun( now this place can be anywhere in the world).
3. Now, you need to elaborate.
Tell, more about your parents and your brother or sister.
My mum’s name is Catherine.
She is Indian and speaks Hindi and Kumaoni.
She is a home maker.
She is tall and a little plum, she’s got long brown hair, brown eyes.
My dad’s name is Philip.
He is an Indian as well.
He is tall and a little fat. He has got black hair and brown eyes.
He works in a Thermal Power Plant.
My brother is Mayank.
He is an engineering student and loves to read engineering books.
He is tall, and has got brown hair and eyes.

QUESTION TIME
Choose the correct option-

1.
  1. We lives in Dehradun.
  2. We live in Dehradun.
2.
  1. She speak Hindi and Kumaoni.
  2. She speaks Hindi and Kumaoni.
3.
  1. My mother is an indian.
  2. My mother is an Indian.
4.
  1. She is home maker.
  2. She is a home maker.
5.
  1. My father name is Philip.
  2. MY father’s name is Philip.
6.
  1. She has got long hair.
  2. She has got long hairs.
7.
  1. He works in Thermal power plant.
  2. He work in thermal power plant.

ANSWERS
1. 2
2. 2
3. 2
4. 2
5. 2
6. 1
7. 1

IELTSBAND7

Speed Writing # Practice Reading

Sometimes, certain things happen as if designed by a hidden hand, who’s working are not known to us. Well-crafted( to make something with special skills especially your hands in a very good way) places are suddenly over turned by unforeseen( that you did not expect to happen) events ( a thing that happens, especially something very important). Gifts(a thing that you give to somebody, especially in special ocassions), which one would have never imagined( to form a picture in your mind, of what something might be), land in your lap(top part of your legs that forms a flat surface when you are sitting down).
For me, writing a book on and called value was one such mysterious(difficult to understand or explain) gift. There was no intention(what you intend or plan to do) of ‘writing’ it to start with. It was more like a playful( full of fun, wanting to play) exercise ( an activity that you do to stay healthy). As the book unfolded( to be gradually made known), each session(a period of time spent doing a particular activity) of writing became a peaceful(quiet or calm; not worried in any way) joyful(causing people to be happy) experience(the knowledge and skill that you have gained through doing something for a period of time ). Every morning, one sat down and surrendered (to admit that you have been defeated and want to stop fighting ) to the flow of words pouring out (to express your feelings or give an account of something , especially after keeping them or it secretly )on to the pages of notebook bound beautifully(very well) in colourful hand-woven cloth. Every bit of writing was like a silent communion ( the state of sharing or exchanging thoughts and feelings) with a loving source.
The value book is an interweaving( put your facts, events, details etc. together to make a story or a closely connected whole) of randomly picked messages from two other books with the words that came to me using ‘speed writing’. I have enjoyed reading these two reference books( a book that contains facts and information, that you look at when you need to find out something particular) over the years. They are, a course in miracles( an act or event that does not follow the laws of nature and believed to be caused by God) and opening doors within. I have also enjoyed speed writing.
On the morning of October 3, 2007, my quest( a long search for something especially for some quality such as happiness) for a deeper understanding of values, my love for the two books mentioned above, experience with speed writing and a deeper surrender to the source, all came together. Work, began in a nice hand-bound notebook which had been gifted to me. Every morning some words would flow. The morning ritual (a series of actions that are always performed in the same way, especially as part of a religious ceremony ) ended on the last page of the notebook on June 28 2008.
Source: Life Positive

QUESTION TIME

Match the words in column A with their meaning in column B.
Make sure while doing this exercise you don’t cheat, or else the entire purpose of it will be lost.

COLUMN A COLUMN B
1. Well-crafted (i) that you did not expect to happen
2. Mysterious (ii) a period of time spent doing a particular activity
3. Imagine (iii) an activity that you do to stay healthy
4. Event (iv) causing people to be happy
5. Gifts (v) what you intend or plan to do
6. Unfolded (vi) to be gradually made known
7. Intention (vii) to make something with special skills especially your hand in a very good way
8. Peaceful (viii) something that give to somebody, especially on special ocassions
9. Joyful (ix) a thing that happens, especially something important
10.Lap (x) quiet or calm
11.Unforeseen (xi) full of fun
12.Playful (xii) difficult to understand or explain
13.Session (xiii) the top part of your legs that forms a flat surface when you are sitting down
14.Exercise (xiv) to form a picture in your mind of what something might be
15.Ritual (xv) to admit that you have been defeated and want to stop fighting
16.Miracles (xvi) a series of actions that are always performed in the same way, especially as part of a religious ceremony
17.Interweaving (xvii) a book that contains facts and information, that you look at when you need to find out something particular
18.Experience (xviii) the knowledge and skill that you have gained through doing something for a period of time
19.Pouring out (xix) very well
20.Communion (xx) put your facts, events, details etc. together to make a story or a closely connected whole
21.Beautifully (xxi) a long search for something especially for some quality such as happiness
22.Surrendered (xxii) ( an act or event that does not follow the laws of nature and believed to be caused by God
23.Quest (xiii) to express your feelings or give an account of something , especially after keeping them or it secretly
24.Reference Books (xxiv) the state of sharing or exchanging thoughts and feelings

ANSWERS

  1. vii
  2. xii
  3. xiv
  4. ix
  5. viii
  6. vi
  7. v
  8. x
  9. iv
  10. xiii
  11. i
  12. xi
  13. ii
  14. iii
  15. xvi
  16. xxii
  17. xx
  18. xviii
  19. xxiii
  20. xxiv
  21. xix
  22. xv
  23. xxi

IELTSBAND7

Family Vocabulary

Family is a social unit of two or more persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption and having a shared commitment to the mutual relationship. You will be asked to tell about your family very often, and these are the times you have to use the specific relationship that you share with a particular person.

IMMEDIATE FAMILY

– There are two main ways to determine immediate and other family members. They are:

Relation by blood: This means they share the same lineage or parent, such as in the case of siblings, children or grandchildren.
Relation by marriage: This means they share a common bond through the marriage of one member of each family, such as with in-laws or stepchildren.

PARENT
If you have children, you are their parent.
FATHER
Father is the male parent
MOTHER
Mother is the female parent
SON
The male child
DAUGHTER
The female child
BROTHER
The male who has the same parents as yours
SISTER
The female who has the same parents as yours
HUSBAND
If you get married, the man is the husband.
WIFE
If you get married, the woman is the wife.

Siblings is a collective term for brothers and sisters.

RELATIVES

GRANDPARENTS
The parents of your parents
GRAND FATHER
The father of your mother or father
GRAND MOTHER
The mother of your father or mother
GRAND CHILDREN
The children of your children
GRAND SON
The son of your son or daughter
GRAND DAUGHTER
The daughter of your son or daughter
UNCLE
The brother of your mother or father
AUNT
The sister of your mother or father
COUSIN
The child of your uncle or aunt
NEPHEW
The male child of your brother or sister
NIECE
The female child of your brother or sister

THE IN-LAWS

FATHER-IN-LAW
Father of your spouse
MOTHER-IN-LAW
Mother of your spouse
SON-IN-LAW
The husband of your daughter
DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
The wife of your son
BROTHER-IN-LAW
The husband of your sister
SISTER-IN-LAW
The wife of your brother

THE MIXED FAMILY

Step means that you are related to the person because of one parent marrying

STEP-FATHER
The husband of your mother, but not your biological father
STEP-MOTHER
The wife of your father, but not your biological mother.
STEP-SON
The son of your new wife or husband, but not your biological son.
STEP-DAUGTHER
The daughter of your new wife or husband, but not your biological daughter.
STEP SISTER
The daughter of your step mother/ father.
STEP BROTHER
The sister of your step mother/father.
HALF BROTHER
The brother you have only one parent in common
HALF SISTER
The sister you have only one parent in common

IELTSBAND7

Favorite Drink

MY FAVORITE DRINK

Name your favorite drink

Tell me something about the taste

When do you drink it

SAMPLE ANSWER

My favorite drink is Coca Cola. I drink it whenever I am upset or worried or confused about something. You can say I am almost addicted to it. My fridge is always stuffed with chilled cans of coca cola. It was five years back when I saw an advertisement of it in television. I was very impressed by the message it gave. It said, one must always share their happiness. So, when I had a house party, I thought why not bring in coca cola. It is since then, that I have loved its taste, especially the chilled one.

It is easy to tell about the taste of the drink. It has a unique taste and it feels a little sweet and something different. It tastes best when it is chilled and even better when mixed with vanilla ice cream. I cannot describe the feeling and the taste, but you could get a good idea of its quality and taste, if you try it yourself.

I drink it whenever I feel a very strong emotion, it could be either happiness or sadness or love or anger. It helps me calm down in moments of distress and brings in the extra joy when I am happy. I don’t mind sharing my can with others unless I also get a bit of share. You can say I go by the ad of coca cola, sharing brings happiness.

IELTSBAND7

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