What's new on IELTS with Fiona

Reading a variety of sources will help your Writing in so many ways.

You don't need to read a lot to make progress - often quality reading is better than quantity.

Take this photo caption as an example, and analyse the choice of words:

"Japan is estimated to have had fewer than 800,000 births last year, down from more than two million a year in the 1970s."

1. Japan is estimated ....(Passive = people estimate - Present Tense because it's NOW)

2. ...to have had (referring to the PAST because it was last year)

3. ... fewer than (not 'less' than, because it's countable)

4. ...800,000 births (a rounded-up figure, because the exact numbers aren't important for the article)

5. ...down from (a linking device, meaning "which has gone down from")

6. ...more than two million a year (no exact figures, rounded-up again, and notice 'two' rather than '2' and no 's' on 'million')

7. ...in the 1970s (this gives the reader a rough idea of time as a reference point, but no exact details).

Can you reconstruct this sentence?

Try to do this little by little:

1. "Japan is _____________________ to have had __________ than 800,000 births last year, ___________ from more than _______ million a year ____ the 1970s."

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2. "Japan is _____________________ to have _______ __________ than 800,000 ________ last year, ___________ from _________ than _______ million _____ year ____ _______1970s."

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3. "Japan ___ e____________ to h_____ h____ f______ than 800,000 b_____ l______ year, d______ f_________ more t________ t______ m___________ a year i___ ________ 1970s."