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Sunday, February 21, 2016

pte test - Describe Image Strategies and Tips


Continuing the series of DESCRIBE IMAGE STRATEGIES AND TIPS, here we are with, let say episode two of season IMAGE DESCRIBING :D
If you have jumped to this "describe image strategies and tips 01, then we would like to suggest you to finish Describe Image Strategies and Tips from PEARSON EDU first as this is series and episode has to be understood from previous one.
if your willing to start from the very first post on Describe Image Strategies and Tips , click here
Okay let’s move on to episode two then;

1. Know the types of IMAGES
There are a few kinds of images that may appear for this section, so you need to get yourself familiar with it hence you will not go panic even if you encounter one. Imagine going for the same movie again and again, boring huh? Ok, that's not what I mean. What I mean is learning to expect the type of movies you are going to watch, so it would be worthwhile for your money and, of course, your precious time. 

During the test, do not be surprised if you encounter a picture, line graph, bar graph, pie chart, map, table, process graph, and even Venn diagram.

So be prepared to tackle any kind of image you get in test. Who knows the one which you find difficult to tackle may also appear. Depends on how lucky you are, but to get prepared for each section would be fruitful for all of us.


Ok let us move ahead on types of images we have to deal with;


i)             A PICTURE:





ii)             BAR GRAPH:




     iii)     PIE CHART:





     iv)      LINE GRAPH:


   v)       MAP





     vi)      TABLE





     vii)     PROCESS GRAPH





     viii)    VENN DIAGRAM






2. Get yourself a framework

You can use below framework when describing an image. Remember you only have 40 seconds to speak, so make use of it and do not speak beyond the timing. Otherwise, the system would mark your answer as incomplete. 

What you need to speak about:

A. Overview
The chart shows the future trends in the percentage of American citizens over 65 years old.

B. Point 1

In 2010, about 13 percent of US citizens were over 65. This figure is predicted to rise steadily so that by 2035, it will be 20 percent.

C. Point 2: 

Between 2010 and 2030, the rise will be quite steady whereas between 2030 and 2035, the rise is less significant. – suggesting that the increase in the aging population may peak shortly after 2035.

D. Conclusion/Prediction.
However, the rise will have serious implications in areas such as the provision of government services.

Often the image will have too many details, do not get yourself overwhelmed by this, you only need to identify two points and you can ignore the rest. 
Keep in mind that the test is not designed for you to speak about all the details, it is not possible in such short period of time.


3. Practice, review, repeat
Last tip would be a simple one, keep your smartphone ready, and then record your answer and review. Make sure you have finished your last sentence before it hit the 40-seconds mark, aim for 38-39 seconds.

CLICK HERE FOR HOW TO DESCRIBE GRAPHS IN PTE


practice questions coming soon, like us and stay tuned to us :)




pte academic test - COLLOCATIONS 04 - Adverb Collocation


So continuing the series of collocation, here is Collocation 04 which deals entirely with adverb collocations.
 Some of the important adverb collocations we should not miss ;


ADVERB COLLOCATIONS

Absurdly - low, high, easy, difficult

Widely - believed, spoken, used, distributed, known, renowned

Thoroughly - convinced, enjoyable, agree, satisfying

Fully - understand, comprehend, informed, automated, equipped

Totally and Completely - unaware, unprepared, unexpected, out of control, wrong

Patently - true, false, obvious, clear


Some more ADVERB COLLOCATIONS:- 

Highly= probable, (un)likely, successful, competitive, recommended, effective, controversial

Utterly/Absolutely = ridiculous, impossible, wrong, disgusting, devastating, pointless, appalled, worthless, senseless, hopeless

unbelievably / ridiculously / incredibly = cheap, expensive, big, small, long, short, early, late

bitterly =disappointed, resent, regret, complain, cry, weep

deeply = ashamed, concerned, moved, shocked, touched, affected, hurt, regret

strongly =oppose, influence, believe, deny, recommend, condemn, argue, object, support, suggest

............................ 
 
Entirely =different, separate, dependent

Wildly =inaccurate, exaggerated, inappropriate, unrealistic

Downright= wrong, dishonest, hostile, rude, disgrace, immoral

Mildly= surprised, amused, irritated, offensive

loosely= based, structured, connected, related

Vaguely= familiar, aware, remember, worded, threatening do well/badly


hope this post helped you to figure out some of adverb collocation with its different use. Dont forget to mention this post to any needy PTE preparing mates.
we shall deal with preposition and verb collocation in our next series of COLLOCATION 05  and TIPS ON IMAGES are in process, will be published shortly.

stay tuned :)

                                         For Collocations First Part Click Here

pte academic test - COLLOCATION 03 - examples on use of collocations


some more examples on use of collocation:


The word big is often used in collocations with a happening or event, for example:
§  a big accomplishment
§  a big decision
§  a big disappointment
§  a big failure
§  a big improvement
§  a big mistake
§  a big surprise

The word great is often used in collocations with feelings or qualities.
Great + feelings
§  great admiration
§  great anger
§  great enjoyment
§  great excitement
§  great fun
§  great happiness
§  great joy
Great + qualities
§  in great detail
§  great power
§  great pride
§  great sensitivity
§  great skill
§  great strength
§  great understanding
§  great wisdom
§  great wealth

The word large is often used in collocations involving numbers and measurements.
§  a large amount
§  a large collection
§  a large number (of)
§  a large population
§  a large proportion
§  a large quantity
§  a large scale

The word strong is often used in collocations with facts and opinions:
Strong + facts/opinions
§  strong argument
§  strong emphasis
§  strong evidence
§  a strong contrast
§  a strong commitment
§  strong criticism
§  strong denial
§  a strong feeling
§  a strong opinion (about something)
§  strong resistance
Strong + senses
§  a strong smell
§  a strong taste

The word deep is used for some strong feelings:
§  deep depression
§  deep devotion
It is also used in these expressions:
§  in deep thought
§  in deep trouble
§  in a deep sleep (when the person won’t wake up easily)

Heavy is used for some weather conditions…
§  heavy rain
§  heavy snow
§  heavy fog
The word heavy is also used for people with bad habits:
§  a heavy drinker
§  a heavy smoker
§  a heavy drug user
There’s also the expression “a heavy sleeper” – that’s not someone who sleeps a lot; instead, it’s a person who doesn’t wake up easily when sleeping.
The word heavy is also used in collocations with two unpleasant things: TRAFFIC and TAXES!
§  heavy traffic

§  heavy taxes

     if this post helped you in any way, do not hesitate to like and share; spread the love of sharing among fellow PTE preparing friends.
Stay tuned for more updates on PTE materials :)
                                               For Collocations 04 click here

pte academic test - COLLOCATION 02 - Use of Collocations

Collocations, one of the most important part as they are important for the naturalization of one’s speech. Besides, they broaden one’s scope for expression.
some of the collocations to help you get started:
Collocations starting with the verb ‘do’
Do me a favour
Do the cooking
Do the housework
Do the shopping
Do the washing up
Do your best
Do your hair
Collocations with the verb ‘have’
Have a good time
Have a bath
Have a drink
Have a haircut
Have a holiday
Have a problem
Have a relationship
Have lunch
Have sympathy
Collocations with the verb ‘break’
Break the law
Break a leg
Break a promise
Break a record
Break someone's heart
Break the ice
Break the news to someone
Break the rules
Collocations with the verb ‘take’
Take a break
Take a chance
Take a look
Take a rest
Take a seat
Take a taxi
Take an exam
Take notes
Take someone's place
Collocations with the verb ‘make’
Make a difference
Make a mess
Make a mistake
Make a noise
Make an effort
Make money
Make progress
Make room
Make trouble
Collocations with the verb ‘catch’
Catch the bus
Catch a ball
Catch a cold
Catch a thief
Catch fire
Catch sight of
Catch someone's attention
Catch someone's eye
Catch the flu
Collocations with the verb ‘pay’
Pay respect
Pay a fine
Pay attention
Pay by credit card
Pay cash
Pay interest
Pay someone a visit
Pay the bill
Pay the price
Collocations with the verb ‘keep’
Keep the change
Keep a promise
Keep a secret
Keep an appointment
Keep calm
Keep in touch
Keep quiet
Keep someone's place
Collocations with the verb ‘save’
Save yourself the trouble
Save electricity
Save energy
Save money
Save someone a seat
Save someone's life
Save something to a disk
Save time
Collocations with the verb ‘go’
Go bald
Go abroad
Go astray
Go bad
Go bankrupt
Go blind
Go crazy
Go fishing
Go mad
Go missing
Go online
Go out of business
Go overseas
Go quiet
Go sailing
Go to war
Collocations with the verb ‘come’
Come under attack
Come close
Come direct
Come early
Come first
Come into view
Come last
Come late
Come on time
Come prepared
Come right back
Come to a decision
Come to an agreement
Come to an end
Come to a standstill
Come to terms with
Come to a total of
Collocations with the verb ‘get’
Get the sack
Get a life
Get a job
Get a shock
Get angry
Get divorced
Get drunk
Get frightened
Get home
Get lost
Get married
Get permission
Get ready
Get started
Get the impression
Get upset
Get wet
Get worried
Collocations related to time
Bang on time
Dead on time
Free time
From dawn till dusk
Great deal of time
Early/late 15th century
Make time for
Next few days
Past few weeks
Right on time
Run out of time
Time goes by
Time passes
Waste time
Collocations related to business English

Annual turnover
Keep in mind
Break off negotiations
Close a deal
Close a meeting
Come to the point
Dismiss an offer
Draw a conclusion
Draw your attention to
Launch a new product
Go bankrupt
Go into partnership
Make a profit/loss



if this post helped you in any way, do not hesitate to like and share; spread the love of sharing among fellow PTE preparing friends.
Stay tuned for more updates on PTE materials :)
                                               For Collocations 03 click Here

pte academic test - COLLOCATION 01 - overview and exercise

COLLOCATION


INTRODUCTION                                                                                        


Collocation is a way in which some words are often used together, and sound natural together. This also refers to restrictions on how words may be used together, such as which verbs and nouns can be used together, and which prepositions and verbs can be used together.

For Example: We often say heavy rain, or light rain, instead of strong rain or mild rain, heavy goes well with rain, whereas strong does not. This sort of language behaviour is called collocation. There are many cases in English when it is difficult to know which words go well with the word you want to use, because there are no clear rules. Some words just sound right together, while others do not

Verbs that  Collocate with Nouns                                               When you use a noun in a sentence, you need to know which verbs go well with it. Learners often make mistakes with these verbs. For example:

•   Instead of saying do a bath; you say take a bath
•   Instead of  do an effort; you say make an effort
•   Instead of  do a crime; you say commit a crime
•   Instead of  say a joke, you say tell a joke, make a joke, or crack a joke


Adverbs that  Collocate with Adjectives                                     For example, there are a number of intensifying adverbs that can be used instead of very or extremely with adjectives, such as:

•   highly controversial (= very controversial)
highly = adverb & controversial = adjective
•   deeply offended (= very offended)
•   bitterly disappointed (= very disappointment)

Often it is difficult to predict which adverb will be used with a particular adjective. Some adverbs occur quite often before some adjectives, e.g. perfectly normal (= very normal) and grossly misleading (= very)

•   bitterly ashamed / disappointed / cold             NOT   bitterly successful
•   highly successful / accomplished                    NOT   highly divided / grateful
•   deeply divided / grateful / unpopular                NOT   deeply developed


Adjectives that  Collocate with Nouns                                       When you want to describe a noun, there is often a range of adjectives you can use, e.g. you can say a  strong, real, or  distinct possibility when something is very possible, or
a remote or faint possibility if something is not very likely.


Practice Exercise                                                                          
Exercise 1: Choose which one of the following verbs (Miss, Get, Do and Make) goes well with the expressions below:



a)........... a goal                                   j)...........  progress
b)........... peace                                   k)...........someone's help
c)..........  lost                                       l) ...........nothing
d)...........a home                                 m) ..........an effort
e)...........an appointment                    n) ...........one's best
f)........... a lesson                               o) ...........furniture
g)...........homework                            p) ...........the shopping
h)...........the cooking                          q)............trouble
i)........... ready                                    r)...........  someone a favour




Exercise 2: Decide which word or phrase completes the sentence.

1. He didn't know anything about business, so starting his own business was          

a)  a leap into the clouds          b)  a leap in the dark                 c)  a leap into the whole

2. I hate the way he criticises everybody. It really rattles              

a)  my back                               b)  my bones                             c)  my cage

3. When her business crashed, she had to pick up              and start again.

a)  the fragments                       b)  the pieces                            c)  the stones

4. She felt sad when she realized that she had lost her watch. It wasn't expensive but it had sentimental             .

a)  expense                               b)  price                                     c)  value

5. I used to go to church under false         . I never wanted to go but my mother made me. a)  agreements                          b)  feelings                                c)  pretences
6. One minute they were just talking and then all hell broke              and everybody started screaming and shouting.

a)  free                                      b)  loose                                    c)  over


7. He never cheats or tricks anybody when he plays. He always goes by the              . a)  book                                     b)  instructions                          c)  principles
8. Don't tell Mary your plans or she'll tell everybody. She is always              her mouth off. a)  shooting                               b)  speaking                              c)  talking
9. Tom might be able to help with your problem. He has friends in high              who might be able to change the decision.

a)  jobs                                      b)  places                                  c)  spots











Answers

Exercise 1:

a) make
b) make
c) get
d) get
e) make
f) get
g) do
h) do
i) get
j) make
k) get
l) do
m) make
n) do
o) get
p) do
q) make
r) do


Exercise 2:


1.  b        2. b    3. b    4. c    5. c    6. b    7. a    8. a    9. b



if this post helped you in any way, do not hesitate to like and share; spread the love of sharing among fellow PTE preparing friends.
Stay tuned for more updates on PTE materials :)
 For Collocation 02 click Here