Irina Lutsenko: IELTS, writing, cohesion pinned «Beyond grateful to Mukhammadali, Alisher, and the video team for this podcast! I loved the experience! 🩷 Happy Sunday and happy watching! 🦋»
Irina Lutsenko: IELTS, writing, cohesion pinned «https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly7ZbJUBfYc»
🦩 Reducing the word count 🦩
There is little I love more about writing than reducing the word count on my own texts.
Yesterday, I submitted three speaker proposals for TESOL 2025 in California 🇺🇸. The word limit on one proposal is 300 words. The first reduction – from 380 words to 320 – is easy. But when it comes to the final edit, you have to fight for every word.
Here are some examples of my fights:
1️⃣
Original:
I give students a piece of text and ask them what potential writing tools they notice.
Reduced:
I give studentsa paragraph and ask them what potential writing tools they notice.
2️⃣
Original:
While the examples come from my work based on articles from “The Guardian” and “New Scientist,” the fundamental principles behind the activities are the same for any kind of reading.
Reduced:
While the examples come from my work based on articles from “The Guardian” and “New Scientist”, the fundamental principlesare universal .
3️⃣
Original:
While I use these activities in my creative writing club, they can be used in different writing classes (except academic writing).
Reduced:
While I use these activities in my creative writing club, they can be usedfor different purposes .
Your turn. Reduce the word count of this piece:
“I give students a task that requires them to write a full coherent text. The task itself can be different and depends on the course requirements. For example, in this specific case, I asked students to write a letter to the editor with a response to the article we read.”
There is little I love more about writing than reducing the word count on my own texts.
Yesterday, I submitted three speaker proposals for TESOL 2025 in California 🇺🇸. The word limit on one proposal is 300 words. The first reduction – from 380 words to 320 – is easy. But when it comes to the final edit, you have to fight for every word.
Here are some examples of my fights:
1️⃣
Original:
I give students a piece of text and ask them what potential writing tools they notice.
Reduced:
I give students
2️⃣
Original:
While the examples come from my work based on articles from “The Guardian” and “New Scientist,” the fundamental principles behind the activities are the same for any kind of reading.
Reduced:
While the examples come from my work based on articles from “The Guardian” and “New Scientist”, the fundamental principles
3️⃣
Original:
While I use these activities in my creative writing club, they can be used in different writing classes (except academic writing).
Reduced:
While I use these activities in my creative writing club, they can be used
Your turn. Reduce the word count of this piece:
“I give students a task that requires them to write a full coherent text. The task itself can be different and depends on the course requirements. For example, in this specific case, I asked students to write a letter to the editor with a response to the article we read.”
🔥20❤10⚡2🦄2
My overview for this awful task 📝
"Overall, out of the given fruit types, oranges predominated in exports, followed by lemons, grapefruits, and other types. While different countries were the leading exporters of different types of fruit, the largest suppliers in terms of total volumes were South Africa, the USA, and Mexico."
📝 Share yours in the comments.
#IELTS #ieltswriting #ieltswritingtask1
📝 Share yours in the comments.
#IELTS #ieltswriting #ieltswritingtask1
🔥34❤8🦄7⚡2
Writing about myself is like treasure hunting – there’s always a chance to stumble upon some something unexpectedly valuable.
🦋 Please welcome our next Writing Incubator workshop:
🦋 "Self-presentation in writing: How to write about yourself even if you hate it" by Maria Botina
Writing about yourself oftentimes feels just as cringy as the interview question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Ideas are aplenty, yet doubts also abound. What should I write? I have nothing special to say…
It’s time to leave the doubts in the rear view mirror and calmly work out the strategies to approach each piece of writing with specific goals and examples in mind. This is what we’ll do in our next Writing Incubator workshop.
More specifically:
- We will learn about the types of writing where self-presentation is required: motivation letter, statement of purpose, objective statement, personal statement, covering letter.
- Brainstorm ideas and examples of what makes you special and interesting for the reviewers.
- Learn to identify which of them will work best in what type of writing.
- And, of course, practice!
📅 9 June, Sunday, 11:00 am Moscow time, Zoom
🦋 The workshop is free. To join, write a comment on this post with a creative ending to “Writing about myself is like … .”
💌 Then message me to get the link to the workshop @iraluts.
🦋 Please welcome our next Writing Incubator workshop:
🦋 "Self-presentation in writing: How to write about yourself even if you hate it" by Maria Botina
Writing about yourself oftentimes feels just as cringy as the interview question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Ideas are aplenty, yet doubts also abound. What should I write? I have nothing special to say…
It’s time to leave the doubts in the rear view mirror and calmly work out the strategies to approach each piece of writing with specific goals and examples in mind. This is what we’ll do in our next Writing Incubator workshop.
More specifically:
- We will learn about the types of writing where self-presentation is required: motivation letter, statement of purpose, objective statement, personal statement, covering letter.
- Brainstorm ideas and examples of what makes you special and interesting for the reviewers.
- Learn to identify which of them will work best in what type of writing.
- And, of course, practice!
📅 9 June, Sunday, 11:00 am Moscow time, Zoom
🦋 The workshop is free. To join, write a comment on this post with a creative ending to “Writing about myself is like … .”
💌 Then message me to get the link to the workshop @iraluts.
⚡13❤5🔥3🦄2
Writing your own bio is not as easy as it sounds. 📝
Since I am a regular speaker at different ELT events, I already have a whole host of bios of different lengths and with different foci. This is why I could afford to have some fun writing my bios in today’s “Writing Incubator” workshop.
Here are two:
1️⃣ Irina Lutsenko is a dynamic and practice-oriented English teacher with 20 years of experience under her belt … who shudders when she hears “linguo-didactic methods.”
2️⃣ Irina Lutsenko is a self-employed writing teacher who – surprisingly – doesn’t share her breakfast pictures on her socials. A passionate writer, she skips breakfast because morning is her sacred time for writing IELTS answers.
On a more serious note, writing a bio can be hard not only because there is typically a strict word count limit (from 30 to 100 words), but also because you need to tailor it to each specific purpose.
3️⃣ Here is my serious bio for my talks about writing at the MISIS university conference in May:
"Irina Lutsenko is a dynamic English teacher with 20 years of experience under her belt. An alumna of three American exchange programs, Irina is also an avid test taker, boasting IELTS 9 (twice) and CPE A (twice). Irina's passion is writing – she writes tirelessly and inspires others to follow suit. On her mission to empower as many people to write as possible, she designs her own authentic writing courses. Her students write – from essays to novels."
See how each of my bios, fun and serious, focuses on a different aspect.
What’s your bio? Share in the comments (a fun or a serious one). Word limit: 50 words.
Since I am a regular speaker at different ELT events, I already have a whole host of bios of different lengths and with different foci. This is why I could afford to have some fun writing my bios in today’s “Writing Incubator” workshop.
Here are two:
1️⃣ Irina Lutsenko is a dynamic and practice-oriented English teacher with 20 years of experience under her belt … who shudders when she hears “linguo-didactic methods.”
2️⃣ Irina Lutsenko is a self-employed writing teacher who – surprisingly – doesn’t share her breakfast pictures on her socials. A passionate writer, she skips breakfast because morning is her sacred time for writing IELTS answers.
On a more serious note, writing a bio can be hard not only because there is typically a strict word count limit (from 30 to 100 words), but also because you need to tailor it to each specific purpose.
3️⃣ Here is my serious bio for my talks about writing at the MISIS university conference in May:
"Irina Lutsenko is a dynamic English teacher with 20 years of experience under her belt. An alumna of three American exchange programs, Irina is also an avid test taker, boasting IELTS 9 (twice) and CPE A (twice). Irina's passion is writing – she writes tirelessly and inspires others to follow suit. On her mission to empower as many people to write as possible, she designs her own authentic writing courses. Her students write – from essays to novels."
See how each of my bios, fun and serious, focuses on a different aspect.
What’s your bio? Share in the comments (a fun or a serious one). Word limit: 50 words.
🔥28❤9⚡6🦄2
It. One tiny word, one giant source of confusion. 🦩
All the sentences below (written by students) contain the same mistake: "it" is used in different meanings and/or to refer to different nouns inside one sentence. Don't do that. And offer your rewrites in the comments.
1️⃣ "The development of such infrastructure is, however, of paramount importance as without it it might be challenging for individuals to have an active lifestyle."
2️⃣ "ChatGPT might make some jobs obsolete. Even more worrisome is the effect it can have on students' understanding of the topics, making it shallow and insufficient."
3️⃣ "Some believe that it is the government’s responsibility to address this crisis as it has the power to influence people’s behavior by introducing new laws and regulations." *
* The last sentence also contains an "implied antecedent" mistake. Find out more here: https://news.1rj.ru/str/irinalutsenko/317
#IELTS #ieltswriting #ieltswritingtask2
All the sentences below (written by students) contain the same mistake: "it" is used in different meanings and/or to refer to different nouns inside one sentence. Don't do that. And offer your rewrites in the comments.
1️⃣ "The development of such infrastructure is, however, of paramount importance as without it it might be challenging for individuals to have an active lifestyle."
2️⃣ "ChatGPT might make some jobs obsolete. Even more worrisome is the effect it can have on students' understanding of the topics, making it shallow and insufficient."
3️⃣ "Some believe that it is the government’s responsibility to address this crisis as it has the power to influence people’s behavior by introducing new laws and regulations." *
* The last sentence also contains an "implied antecedent" mistake. Find out more here: https://news.1rj.ru/str/irinalutsenko/317
#IELTS #ieltswriting #ieltswritingtask2
⚡14❤5🦄3
IELTS Writing Task 1 Overviews Sprint: 10 days, 10 overviews
It's plain and simple: Join the sprint to write one overview a day for 10 days. Every day, you will get one IELTS Writing Task 1. Within the next 24 hours, you have to write your overview. Then you get mine to compare and the next task.
Dates: 12-23 June
Start: 12 June, 10 pm Moscow time
Place: Telegram chat, no real time meetings
Price: free
Feedback: no individual feedback
Important:
- This sprint will feature tasks with figures only.
- If you don't write by the deadline, you have to leave.
- If you don't write, but don't want to leave, no worries - you can stay if you pay a fine of 1,000 RUB (for each instance of not writing an overview).
- Deadline: 10 pm Moscow time every day.
How to join:
To join, write an overview for the attached task in the comments (use the "spoiler" feature on Telegram). Then message me to confirm @iraluts. 💌
When you message me, please introduce yourself properly. My name is Irina Lutsenko - I want to know yours. Nameless subscribers and people with nicknames or aliases won't be admitted. 🌷
We're off to the races! Stay tuned for the next sprint in July! 🏃♀️
#IELTS #ieltswriting #ieltswritingtask1
It's plain and simple: Join the sprint to write one overview a day for 10 days. Every day, you will get one IELTS Writing Task 1. Within the next 24 hours, you have to write your overview. Then you get mine to compare and the next task.
Dates: 12-23 June
Start: 12 June, 10 pm Moscow time
Place: Telegram chat, no real time meetings
Price: free
Feedback: no individual feedback
Important:
- This sprint will feature tasks with figures only.
- If you don't write by the deadline, you have to leave.
- If you don't write, but don't want to leave, no worries - you can stay if you pay a fine of 1,000 RUB (for each instance of not writing an overview).
- Deadline: 10 pm Moscow time every day.
How to join:
To join, write an overview for the attached task in the comments (use the "spoiler" feature on Telegram). Then message me to confirm @iraluts. 💌
When you message me, please introduce yourself properly. My name is Irina Lutsenko - I want to know yours. Nameless subscribers and people with nicknames or aliases won't be admitted. 🌷
We're off to the races! Stay tuned for the next sprint in July! 🏃♀️
#IELTS #ieltswriting #ieltswritingtask1
🔥24⚡8🦄7
💌 IELTS General Training Task 1 💌
The town council has announced the plan for a new cinema (movie theater) in your town. They have called for opinions on this. Write a letter to your town council. In your letter,
- Suggest a location for the cinema
- Suggest what kind of movie the cinema should show
- Explain what effect a new cinema will have on the town.
Dear Sir or Madam,
My name is Irina Lutsenko, and I am writing in response to the call to share opinions on the plan to build a new movie theater in New Haven.
Regarding the location, I believe the best one would be right in the center, near New Haven Commons. This location would make getting to the movie theater convenient for everyone. Additionally, there is now an empty building which used to be a store and which closed down during the pandemic. Placing a movie theater there would be a good idea as the building would finally be put to good use.
Given that New Haven is a university town, with Yale and the University of New Haven located in it and NorthEastern within a ten-minute drive, I think the movie theater should offer a range of art-house and independent movies. Students tend to dislike Hollywood blockbusters, giving preference to content that gives food for thought.
Finally, I am convinced that a new movie theater will give the town a new, much-needed life. Barely out of the pandemic, people – and students in particular – are eager to go out. If they have a place to do so, the town will get its vibrant, lively atmosphere back, one it used to be famous for.
Thank you for considering my opinion.
Yours faithfully,
Irina Lutsenko
8.5+
#Irina_writes_IELTS
#ieltswriting
The town council has announced the plan for a new cinema (movie theater) in your town. They have called for opinions on this. Write a letter to your town council. In your letter,
- Suggest a location for the cinema
- Suggest what kind of movie the cinema should show
- Explain what effect a new cinema will have on the town.
Dear Sir or Madam,
My name is Irina Lutsenko, and I am writing in response to the call to share opinions on the plan to build a new movie theater in New Haven.
Regarding the location, I believe the best one would be right in the center, near New Haven Commons. This location would make getting to the movie theater convenient for everyone. Additionally, there is now an empty building which used to be a store and which closed down during the pandemic. Placing a movie theater there would be a good idea as the building would finally be put to good use.
Given that New Haven is a university town, with Yale and the University of New Haven located in it and NorthEastern within a ten-minute drive, I think the movie theater should offer a range of art-house and independent movies. Students tend to dislike Hollywood blockbusters, giving preference to content that gives food for thought.
Finally, I am convinced that a new movie theater will give the town a new, much-needed life. Barely out of the pandemic, people – and students in particular – are eager to go out. If they have a place to do so, the town will get its vibrant, lively atmosphere back, one it used to be famous for.
Thank you for considering my opinion.
Yours faithfully,
Irina Lutsenko
8.5+
#Irina_writes_IELTS
#ieltswriting
❤28⚡8🔥7
Coherence and cohesion - the cornerstone of any IELTS essay 🦩
Flaws in CC can be hard to notice.
To help my students practice this skill, I sometimes create the following exercise for them: I take a good paragraph I wrote, disrupt CC in it, ask students to identify the flaws, and, finally, invite them to rewrite the paragraph.
Try walking in my students' shoes.
📝 Topic: "In many countries, people are now living longer than ever before. Some people say an ageing population creates problems for governments. Other people think there are benefits if society has more elderly people. To what extent do the advantages of having an ageing population outweigh the disadvantages?"
Body paragraph 1: the flawed version
"It cannot be denied that large elderly populations put a strain on different state institutions, for example, the pension fund. Thus, younger populations have to experience a significant burden as taxes are raised for them. On top of this drawback is another one – the pension fund might have to be replenished by using the money allocated to other purposes. Yet another downside is the healthcare system as budget allocations and personnel have to be supported additionally. Aging populations thus exert a burden on those in other age groups, albeit indirectly."
Body paragraph 1: the original, with CC in place
"It cannot be denied that large elderly populations put a strain on different state institutions. One such institution is the pension fund, which has to be replenished either by using the money allocated to other purposes or by raising taxes for the younger populations. Another is the healthcare system as it has to be provided additional support both in terms of budget allocation and personnel. Aging populations thus exert a burden on those in other age groups, albeit indirectly."
Did you notice all the flaws? Was it easy?
#IELTS #ieltswriting
Flaws in CC can be hard to notice.
To help my students practice this skill, I sometimes create the following exercise for them: I take a good paragraph I wrote, disrupt CC in it, ask students to identify the flaws, and, finally, invite them to rewrite the paragraph.
Try walking in my students' shoes.
📝 Topic: "In many countries, people are now living longer than ever before. Some people say an ageing population creates problems for governments. Other people think there are benefits if society has more elderly people. To what extent do the advantages of having an ageing population outweigh the disadvantages?"
Body paragraph 1: the flawed version
"It cannot be denied that large elderly populations put a strain on different state institutions, for example, the pension fund. Thus, younger populations have to experience a significant burden as taxes are raised for them. On top of this drawback is another one – the pension fund might have to be replenished by using the money allocated to other purposes. Yet another downside is the healthcare system as budget allocations and personnel have to be supported additionally. Aging populations thus exert a burden on those in other age groups, albeit indirectly."
Body paragraph 1: the original, with CC in place
Did you notice all the flaws? Was it easy?
#IELTS #ieltswriting
🔥24❤5⚡2🎉2🦄1
Missing part? 🦋
"The covid-19 pandemic drove a sharp increase in screen time because, for many young people, education shifted online, [_________] socializing and entertainment." (Source: New Scientist)
"The covid-19 pandemic drove a sharp increase in screen time because, for many young people, education shifted online, [_________] socializing and entertainment." (Source: New Scientist)
Anonymous Quiz
49%
so did
30%
as did
8%
likewise did
6%
and did so
6%
as did so
⚡19🔥9🦄5
Titles speak louder than posts
Coming up with a memorable post noscript is no mean feat. One technique you can use is taking an existing idiom or proverb and changing it to fit topic of the text. The technique also works for taglines and sentences you want to be memorable just because.
It's a lot of fun too. Look at what my students and I came up with while practicing the skill:
1️⃣ Commas speak louder than words – and dashes speak even louder than commas. (This one is mine. I am so very proud of it.)
2️⃣ The cake is always sweeter on the other plate. (Vera)
3️⃣ A chat with your bestie a day keeps a therapist away. (Valentyna)
And some variations of "I came. I saw. I conquered." from an essay writing class:
- I cried. I thought. I wrote.
- I came. I wrote. I erased.
- I wrote. I cried. I erased.
Your turn. Take one of the proverbs below and change it to create a memorable noscript or tagline. Try to keep the original rhythm.
- The grass is always greener on the other side
- An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
- Rome wasn’t built in a day.
- When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
- Actions speak louder than words.
Share in the comments. 📝
Coming up with a memorable post noscript is no mean feat. One technique you can use is taking an existing idiom or proverb and changing it to fit topic of the text. The technique also works for taglines and sentences you want to be memorable just because.
It's a lot of fun too. Look at what my students and I came up with while practicing the skill:
1️⃣ Commas speak louder than words – and dashes speak even louder than commas. (This one is mine. I am so very proud of it.)
2️⃣ The cake is always sweeter on the other plate. (Vera)
3️⃣ A chat with your bestie a day keeps a therapist away. (Valentyna)
And some variations of "I came. I saw. I conquered." from an essay writing class:
- I cried. I thought. I wrote.
- I came. I wrote. I erased.
- I wrote. I cried. I erased.
Your turn. Take one of the proverbs below and change it to create a memorable noscript or tagline. Try to keep the original rhythm.
- The grass is always greener on the other side
- An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
- Rome wasn’t built in a day.
- When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
- Actions speak louder than words.
Share in the comments. 📝
❤27🔥5🦄2⚡1
On marathons...
Please, please, please never ever call any of my projects "marathons" unless I do. 💔
I have never called any of my projects "marathons" and I ask, beg, implore that you do not either.
The word marathon has made its way into common parlance in education. Anything is a marathon. As a runner and a writer, I oppose this trend vehemently and vociferously because of the true meaning of the word.
So what is an actual marathon? It's a distance of 42.195 km. The average marathon time is 03:48 - it's 3 hours and 48 minutes of running non-stop! I run 25-27 km a week. The longest distance I have ever run in one go is 13 km. I don't know first-hand, but I can imagine how hard it is to run an actual marathon.
I therefore do not call any of my projects marathons - intentionally so.
My projects are courses, sprints, clubs, bootcamps, and workshops. These word choices are intentional too.
That said, I can actually see myself launching an educational marathon. But what would be an educational project commensurate with running a real marathon? Writing a 42,000-word novel? Writing one IELTS answer a day for 42 weeks or writing 42 IELTS answers non-stop? What else? 🏃♀️
Please, please, please never ever call any of my projects "marathons" unless I do. 💔
I have never called any of my projects "marathons" and I ask, beg, implore that you do not either.
The word marathon has made its way into common parlance in education. Anything is a marathon. As a runner and a writer, I oppose this trend vehemently and vociferously because of the true meaning of the word.
So what is an actual marathon? It's a distance of 42.195 km. The average marathon time is 03:48 - it's 3 hours and 48 minutes of running non-stop! I run 25-27 km a week. The longest distance I have ever run in one go is 13 km. I don't know first-hand, but I can imagine how hard it is to run an actual marathon.
I therefore do not call any of my projects marathons - intentionally so.
My projects are courses, sprints, clubs, bootcamps, and workshops. These word choices are intentional too.
That said, I can actually see myself launching an educational marathon. But what would be an educational project commensurate with running a real marathon? Writing a 42,000-word novel? Writing one IELTS answer a day for 42 weeks or writing 42 IELTS answers non-stop? What else? 🏃♀️
❤47⚡10🦄3
I am thrilled to announce the summer season of my legendary Creative Writing Club! 🦋
It’s perfect for people who want to unleash their creativity and have fun writing in English.
🦋 Here is how it works:
- I prepare inspiring creative writing prompts and exercises;
- We meet on Zoom for some pre-writing practice;
- We write on our own over the following five days;
- We share and review each other’s works on a collaborative Google doc;
- We meet again, and the cycle is repeated.
🦋 The nuts and bolts:
- There will be four sessions meeting weekly on Sundays 7-28 July;
- The schedule is Sunday 10 am MSK. One session is around 45 minutes.
- Not participating in online sessions is OK as long as you keep in touch, write, and review other people’s work in time.
- If you join, you have to write one work and review one participant’s work every week.
- The project is free, but if you don’t write or review other people’s work by the deadline, you’ll have to leave.
- Our club chat is on Telegram.
🦋 If your creative juices are flowing and you are itching to participate, write a creative ending to the phrase "The pale pink sun rose over the city like ... " in the comments.
💌 Make sure you message me to confirm @iraluts. When you do, please introduce yourself properly. My name is Irina Lutsenko - I want to know yours. Nameless subscribers and people with nicknames or aliases won't be admitted.
🌻 Here are two stories from the previous seasons:
- "Fixing starts with the tap" by Timur Khamzin https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/10/fixing-starts-with-tap.html
- "A tree, a home and a life. Split in half." by Svitlana Demchenko https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2023/08/a-tree-home-and-life-split-in-half.html
PS: This project is in no way helpful in IELTS prep. If anything, it might be detrimental. ‼️
It’s perfect for people who want to unleash their creativity and have fun writing in English.
🦋 Here is how it works:
- I prepare inspiring creative writing prompts and exercises;
- We meet on Zoom for some pre-writing practice;
- We write on our own over the following five days;
- We share and review each other’s works on a collaborative Google doc;
- We meet again, and the cycle is repeated.
🦋 The nuts and bolts:
- There will be four sessions meeting weekly on Sundays 7-28 July;
- The schedule is Sunday 10 am MSK. One session is around 45 minutes.
- Not participating in online sessions is OK as long as you keep in touch, write, and review other people’s work in time.
- If you join, you have to write one work and review one participant’s work every week.
- The project is free, but if you don’t write or review other people’s work by the deadline, you’ll have to leave.
- Our club chat is on Telegram.
🦋 If your creative juices are flowing and you are itching to participate, write a creative ending to the phrase "The pale pink sun rose over the city like ... " in the comments.
💌 Make sure you message me to confirm @iraluts. When you do, please introduce yourself properly. My name is Irina Lutsenko - I want to know yours. Nameless subscribers and people with nicknames or aliases won't be admitted.
🌻 Here are two stories from the previous seasons:
- "Fixing starts with the tap" by Timur Khamzin https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2021/10/fixing-starts-with-tap.html
- "A tree, a home and a life. Split in half." by Svitlana Demchenko https://iraluts.blogspot.com/2023/08/a-tree-home-and-life-split-in-half.html
PS: This project is in no way helpful in IELTS prep. If anything, it might be detrimental. ‼️
🎉16❤9🔥3⚡1
IELTS Writing Task 1 Overviews Sprint: 10 days, 10 overviews
It's plain and simple: Join the sprint to write one overview a day for 10 days. Every day, you will get one IELTS Writing Task 1. Within the next 24 hours, you have to write your overview. Then you get mine to compare and the next task.
Start: 11 July, 9:45 am Moscow time
Place: Telegram chat, no real time meetings
Price: free
Feedback: no individual feedback
Important:
- This sprint will feature maps and floor plans only.
- If you don't write by the deadline, you have to leave.
- If you don't write, but don't want to leave, no worries - you can stay if you pay a fine of 1,000 RUB (for each instance of not writing an overview).
- Deadline: 9:45 am Moscow time every day.
- Limit: 50 participants
How to join:
To join, write an overview for the attached task in the comments, using the "spoiler" feature. Then message me to confirm @iraluts. 💌
When you message me, please introduce yourself properly. My name is Irina Lutsenko - I want to know yours. Nameless subscribers and people with nicknames or aliases won't be admitted.
PS: People who call this a marathon will break my heart and won't be admitted either. 💔
#IELTS #ieltswriting #ieltswritingtask1
It's plain and simple: Join the sprint to write one overview a day for 10 days. Every day, you will get one IELTS Writing Task 1. Within the next 24 hours, you have to write your overview. Then you get mine to compare and the next task.
Start: 11 July, 9:45 am Moscow time
Place: Telegram chat, no real time meetings
Price: free
Feedback: no individual feedback
Important:
- This sprint will feature maps and floor plans only.
- If you don't write by the deadline, you have to leave.
- If you don't write, but don't want to leave, no worries - you can stay if you pay a fine of 1,000 RUB (for each instance of not writing an overview).
- Deadline: 9:45 am Moscow time every day.
- Limit: 50 participants
How to join:
To join, write an overview for the attached task in the comments, using the "spoiler" feature. Then message me to confirm @iraluts. 💌
When you message me, please introduce yourself properly. My name is Irina Lutsenko - I want to know yours. Nameless subscribers and people with nicknames or aliases won't be admitted.
PS: People who call this a marathon will break my heart and won't be admitted either. 💔
#IELTS #ieltswriting #ieltswritingtask1
🔥13⚡4❤2🎉2🤩1🦄1
📊 Missing word?
"The system as it stands makes sustainable development of the ocean [almost] impossible, says Unger. “We need to transform how we are governing the ocean,” he says." (Source: New Scientist)
"The system as it stands makes sustainable development of the ocean [almost] impossible, says Unger. “We need to transform how we are governing the ocean,” he says." (Source: New Scientist)
Anonymous Quiz
13%
so too
9%
be it
52%
all but
17%
shy of
9%
save for
⚡18🔥6❤5🦄5
Giving away three one-to-one consultations with me for free
Because I want to give back to the community 💜
For a chance to get a one-to-one consultation with me for free, just write a message to me explaining why you need it @iraluts.
In your message:
- Introduce yourself;
- Explain what kind of help you need and why you need it;
- Explain why you think I am the right person to help.
I will choose three people who I think I can help the most. 💜
Important:
- Word count limit: 100 words.
- Deadline for accepting applications: Tuesday, 16 July 13:00 Moscow time.
- Messages from anonymous subscribers or accounts with aliases will not be considered.
- Messages with sloppy formatting will not be considered.
📅 All meetings will take place on Zoom, on Thursday, 18 July, between 14:00 and 19:00 Moscow time (precise time to be decided together). One meeting is 50 minutes.
💜
Because I want to give back to the community 💜
For a chance to get a one-to-one consultation with me for free, just write a message to me explaining why you need it @iraluts.
In your message:
- Introduce yourself;
- Explain what kind of help you need and why you need it;
- Explain why you think I am the right person to help.
I will choose three people who I think I can help the most. 💜
Important:
- Word count limit: 100 words.
- Deadline for accepting applications: Tuesday, 16 July 13:00 Moscow time.
- Messages from anonymous subscribers or accounts with aliases will not be considered.
- Messages with sloppy formatting will not be considered.
📅 All meetings will take place on Zoom, on Thursday, 18 July, between 14:00 and 19:00 Moscow time (precise time to be decided together). One meeting is 50 minutes.
💜
❤32🔥13⚡6
Missing part? 🐟
"[___?___] mineral exploration, shipping, energy, tourism, desalination, cable laying, bioprospecting or more, ocean-based industries are picking up speed fast." (Source: New Scientist)
"[___?___] mineral exploration, shipping, energy, tourism, desalination, cable laying, bioprospecting or more, ocean-based industries are picking up speed fast." (Source: New Scientist)
Anonymous Quiz
26%
Regardless of
11%
Notwithstanding
7%
It is either
42%
Whether it is
14%
So be it
🔥15⚡9🦄2
Personification: a stylistic device that can yell, murmur, wink, and mock 🦋
Personification is the stylistic device we played with in my Creative Writing Club today. This device involves attributing human qualities to inanimate objects.
Here are some examples from our creative session:
🦋 The closed door ...
- The closed door was grinning at me, daring me to open it. (Ekaterina Kachalova)
- The closed door was winking at me with its keyholes as if trying to say "Don't give up, pal!" (Yuliya Gamza)
- The closed door was murmuring in low deep voice as if inviting her to approach and dare take a peek inside. (Evgenia Karabatova)
🦋 The morning cup of coffee …
- The morning cup of coffee was shouting at me angrily: "Wake up, you sleepy bastard. You're late!!" (Ekaterina Kachalova)
- The morning espresso slapped me right in the face. (Taisiya Voloshina)
- The morning cup of coffee waltzed with me through my morning routine. (Lana Gagaeva)
🦋 Your turn. Finish one of the beginnings with personification in the comments:
- The closed door was
- The morning cup of coffee …
- The essay …
Image by the wonderful Anna Skopina 💜
#creativewriting
Personification is the stylistic device we played with in my Creative Writing Club today. This device involves attributing human qualities to inanimate objects.
Here are some examples from our creative session:
🦋 The closed door ...
- The closed door was grinning at me, daring me to open it. (Ekaterina Kachalova)
- The closed door was winking at me with its keyholes as if trying to say "Don't give up, pal!" (Yuliya Gamza)
- The closed door was murmuring in low deep voice as if inviting her to approach and dare take a peek inside. (Evgenia Karabatova)
🦋 The morning cup of coffee …
- The morning cup of coffee was shouting at me angrily: "Wake up, you sleepy bastard. You're late!!" (Ekaterina Kachalova)
- The morning espresso slapped me right in the face. (Taisiya Voloshina)
- The morning cup of coffee waltzed with me through my morning routine. (Lana Gagaeva)
🦋 Your turn. Finish one of the beginnings with personification in the comments:
- The closed door was
- The morning cup of coffee …
- The essay …
Image by the wonderful Anna Skopina 💜
#creativewriting
❤34⚡6🔥6
👑 If the queen and the king of writing were to conduct a joint webinar on CPE vs. IELTS essays, which day and time would work better?
Anonymous Poll
34%
Thursday, 8 August 18:00 Moscow time
33%
Saturday 10 August 13:00 Moscow time
32%
Both of the above
❤11⚡7🔥4🦄3
🌻 My Creative Writing Club 🌻
The summer season of my Creative Writing Club has come to its inevitable end. And it was one of the best seasons ever. The participants were awesome and the engagement was off the charts! Look:
Our Google Doc is 129 pages or 52,966 words long! We have 579 active comments (and counting) - and I mean just Google comments in the special boxes on the right. Plus, there are hundreds of reactions in the forms of hearts and stars.
I want to give you a sneak peak of - and an opportunity to participate in - our last session, in which we studied some fancy stylistic devices.
1️⃣ Polysyndeton = repetition of conjunctions in close succession
For example: "I'm so sorry for missing the deadline for the writing - so much was happening to me, it's ridiculous! My brother's birthday party turned into a disaster, and then my dog suddenly had a puppy, and my best friend moved to Belgrade, and the rain kept pouring down, and my head was exploding... Anyway, I truly am sorry." (By Lana Gagaeva)
2️⃣ Zeugma = the use of a word to modify two or more words in such a way that it applies to each in a different sense
For example: "When he emigrated, he left his job, his apartment and his heart in Saint-Petersburg. He took a flight to New-York early in the morning, never to return, carrying only a small backpack and a dead weight in his soul." (By Anna Skopina)
Your turn. Write a comment about your love for writing - or the lack thereof - using polysyndeton or zeugma or both.
And stay tuned for the next season of my Creative Writing Club. It is free and will remain free because I want to give everyone an opportunity for a creative outlet in the company of like-minded writers. 💜
Image by the wonderful Anna Skopina 🌻
#creativewriting
The summer season of my Creative Writing Club has come to its inevitable end. And it was one of the best seasons ever. The participants were awesome and the engagement was off the charts! Look:
Our Google Doc is 129 pages or 52,966 words long! We have 579 active comments (and counting) - and I mean just Google comments in the special boxes on the right. Plus, there are hundreds of reactions in the forms of hearts and stars.
I want to give you a sneak peak of - and an opportunity to participate in - our last session, in which we studied some fancy stylistic devices.
1️⃣ Polysyndeton = repetition of conjunctions in close succession
For example: "I'm so sorry for missing the deadline for the writing - so much was happening to me, it's ridiculous! My brother's birthday party turned into a disaster, and then my dog suddenly had a puppy, and my best friend moved to Belgrade, and the rain kept pouring down, and my head was exploding... Anyway, I truly am sorry." (By Lana Gagaeva)
2️⃣ Zeugma = the use of a word to modify two or more words in such a way that it applies to each in a different sense
For example: "When he emigrated, he left his job, his apartment and his heart in Saint-Petersburg. He took a flight to New-York early in the morning, never to return, carrying only a small backpack and a dead weight in his soul." (By Anna Skopina)
Your turn. Write a comment about your love for writing - or the lack thereof - using polysyndeton or zeugma or both.
And stay tuned for the next season of my Creative Writing Club. It is free and will remain free because I want to give everyone an opportunity for a creative outlet in the company of like-minded writers. 💜
Image by the wonderful Anna Skopina 🌻
#creativewriting
❤50🔥8⚡6🦄5🎉1