Original BandLadder material
Along the way you get worked examples with the key words marked, before-and-after fixes that show why the first version loses marks, a one-page visual summary, a quick check to test yourself and a recap of the rules to remember. Each card holds one idea, so you can read it on a phone between practice sessions.
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The first 3 of 8 cards
small words, easy to miss
Articles are so small that they slip past you. But one wrong article is enough to spoil an otherwise perfect sentence.
The tourismgeneral idea brings a trafficcan't count it to small townneeds 'a' like Kingsford.
IELTS Band 7 grammar needs frequent error-free sentences.
ask them in this order
Plurals and uncountable nouns can still take 'the' when the reader knows which ones.
the sound decides, not the letter
| You see | You hear | So write |
|---|---|---|
| h | “on” (silent h) | an honest reply |
| U | “you” | a UK survey |
| M | “em” | an MSc course |
| o | “won” | a one-off event |
| 8 | “eight” | an 8% rise |
| X | “ex” | an X-ray |
Say the next word out loud. A vowel sound takes 'an'; everything else takes 'a'.
Card 4 of 8 onwards
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