IELTS Energy 1491: Time Transition Phrases for IELTS 7+
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This is an IELTS Energy Podcast, Episode 1491, Time Transition Phrases for IELTS 7 and Higher. ♪

Welcome to the IELTS Energy Podcast from All Ears English, downloaded more than 22 million times with former IELTS examiner Jessica Beck and Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz. If you are stuck with a low score, our insider method will help you get the score you need to unlock your dreams. Get your estimated band score now with our two-minute quiz. Go to allearsenglish.com

forward slash my score. Today, you'll learn nine high level phrases to organize time. You can use these all over the speaking and writing exams. So make sure to take notes.

Are you still translating from your native language into English in your head? Are you always getting confused between the different grammar tenses? Let's figure out what you need to work on. Find your current English level with our five-minute quiz at allearsenglish.com slash fluency score.

Hello, Aubrey. Are you a good storyteller? I think I am a good storyteller. This is one of my better qualities, at least my children tell me. I'm really creative when I come up with them like at bedtime. What about you?

I used to love coming up with my own stories to tell James. That's not an easy thing to do. Yeah, I know a lot of people who aren't. A lot of people will tell me a story and I'm like, okay, get to the point. TMI. We don't need those people. And was it Tuesday or Thursday? No one cares. It's a little tricky. Totally.

Totally. So guys, if you've been listening to us for a while, you know that a the best strategy for part two is to tell a story. And in order to do that well in an organized way, and score highly for cohesion, sorry for fluency and coherence, you need a lot of time phrases.

Yes. And we had a lot of good time phrases come up in a very recent episode. So we want to make sure that you check that out. But we're going to highlight some of these today and talk about how you can use these, especially in a part two answer to move a story along.

Yes, totally. So the episode you need to listen to to hear the model answer with these phrases, scroll up very recent IELTS Energy 1488 self-aware band nine part two describing a person. So scroll up for that model answer. But let's get to these phrases, guys. Take notes if you're not driving or something. Take notes on these phrases today. Awesome. Let's dive in with the first one.

When Jessica was giving this model answer, she sort of started by saying one of the main reasons, and she's planning on giving, you know, details about this reason, but what a great introductory phrase to start out a story and start describing, in this case, a person.

Yes, yes. So this is great for introducing like an independent clause, right? One of the main reasons I love my mom or one of the main reasons I bought this refrigerator is, right?

Yes, and this is so good for opinions. This is useful for writing task two all over the speaking exam because you're needing to defend your opinion and you're going to share reasons for that opinion. So this is a great phrase to introduce that. Yes, totally. All right. And the next phrase, honestly, when she was 40, so we're giving context, right?

We're also using a filler phrase, honestly, to introduce this. And we're going to give a detail about a time. And it doesn't have to be an age. It could be honestly, what?

with like in the 1980s or honestly last week. It could be any time phrase, but putting the context in like a very specific time frame is important. Yes. And we've talked about this before on the podcast, but keep in mind with the phrase honestly, it's

It can be strange when students use it and then it's just something that's very matter of fact. It sort of doesn't make sense. Here, Jessica was sharing sort of like a surprising detail. So remember when you say like in all honesty or frankly or honestly, it needs to make sense. It's sort of like something you wouldn't always be honest about or something very surprising.

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Good point. All right. Now we have two more here during that time and throughout this time.

Are those different, do you think, or can we use them interchangeably? Yeah, these are interchangeable. And especially if you've already used one of them, instead of repeating it, right? Avoid vocabulary repetition. Have this other one in your pocket for the same meaning. That's what Jessica did. She was sharing two details of things that happened during, you know, while she was 40 during a specific time. And she had these two different transition phrases to be able to do that.

Right. And guys, I think it's important to note here as well that all of these phrases are in the order I use them in my story. Right. So you can consider today's episode like a like a template for a part two story. Right. So we set it up with the context. Right. One of the main reasons we give a reason and then the time frame. Right.

when she was 40 and then we give details about that time during that time throughout this time, right? Exactly. So helpful to be able to sort of follow a template to move your story along and provide lots of different details.

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All ears English dot com slash my score. All right. And the next phrase is as she was going through school. So we have the past continuous here and as meaning like during or while. Right. So as she was going through school, she was also working. Perfect.

perhaps, right? So this is going to usually use past continuous because it's like a longer time frame. Yes, and this will be so useful for your IELTS speaking answers, essays as well, this structure to be talking about as something was happening, what else was happening in the past.

Yeah, you could use this in writing task one as well. Like as, you know, product one was increasing in sales, product two was decreasing in sales, for example. Yes, exactly. Or even general training letters. If you're complaining about a flight, as I was waiting for the plane, you know, something happened. These are great all over the exam. Yes, yes. All right. We have four more, believe it or not. We have...

So many time phrases for you today. All right, guys. So four more on this list. Make sure you're writing these down. She actually ended up. So end up introduces like the last action of a story or the consequence or conclusion of an action. And it's often, it could be a surprising action as well. Like maybe someone studied accounting, but they ended up

as a famous pop star. Right. And we might instead hear students say like, finally, she decided to, this is actually higher scoring. It's more native and natural to instead say like, finally, she ended up deciding to la la la.

- To la la la. - La la la, details, details. - All right, three more. One reason why she was able to. So this is some complex grammar here, having that relative clause there, why she was able to. So not only is this a time phrase, but it's also a great grammar structure. So a complete sentence would be, one reason why she was able to get a great job was that,

She had a PhD. Yes, and all of these transition phrases, if you go back and listen to the part two answer where Jessica used all of these, it's making her thoughts flow from one to the next. And the examiner is looking for this in your answer. You can't use choppy simple sentences or even sort of choppy complex sentences. You've got to transition between your ideas. And all of these phrases do that very well in a high scoring way.

Exactly. Exactly. And the next phrase you wouldn't really think about as a time phrase, but it does organize us. It does orient the listener and it's also great grammar. So verb I-N-G to set context in a sentence, right? So in this case, we said growing up, she was surrounded by a

So verb ing, right? To set the context. I could say, living in Spain,

I was, it was difficult to get used to siesta. Yes. And there's an interesting strategy here. If you have, if you're doing your part to answer and you have not filled the two minutes, the examiner hasn't stopped you yet and you've kind of completed the story. There's not a lot more to say.

go back to the past, right? Growing up, she was then you start sharing details about her past, her childhood. You don't have to share childhood first, then teenager, then late. That doesn't matter, right? This is an interesting way to tell a story, to share what happened later in life and then go back and share about the formative years and how that affected the story you're telling.

Yeah, totally. You could say what someone does now and then give the context of their childhood, right? Like that led them to where they are today. All right, cool. One more, guys. If we think about, how do we use this, Aubrey? Yeah, so this was right at the end of your answer. And this is a bonus today because we actually didn't get to this one when I gave you the feedback. There were so many good transition phrases.

But this is also good when you're sort of summarizing. You gave some really interesting analysis to things that had happened in her life and how that ended up. So you could say, you know, if we think about everything she went through, we should be amazed by what she became. Something like that, right? Yeah.

Yeah. So yeah, that's a great conclusion phrase, right? If we think about this story, it is really inspiring, right? Like you could really just, this is a very flexible phrase to conclude a story. Exactly. Awesome. So many great transition phrases, Jessica. I'm so glad you used all of those so that we could highlight them today. Awesome. All right. So if you missed that, guys,

Maybe you're not following us. So hit follow right now or subscribe if you're on YouTube and go back and listen to Aisle to Energy 1488, Self-Aware Band 9 Part 2, Describing a Person. Awesome. And we will see you next time. Thanks, Jessica. Thanks, Aubrey. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.

Thanks for listening to IELTS Energy. Hit subscribe now and don't forget to find your estimated band score at allearsenglish.com slash myscore.