Four common mistakes at IELTS Advanced
1. the before general concepts
We use the before nouns which describe a general type of thing rather than a specific example of that thing.
The is also used before abstract nouns which describe a situation, a quality, a process or a change. These words are often followed by of something.
We use the development/improvement, etc. of something to describe a general process of change, but developments/improvements, etc. in something to describe specific changes.
2. a/an before noun phrases
Don’t forget to include a/an before an adjective + singular noun combination.
Notice the position of adverbs (very, really, quite, etc.) in these phrases.
Some common noun phrases to be careful with:
• to a certain extent/degree: I agree with you to a certain degree.
• a wide range/variety: We have a wide range of books to choose from.
• a(n) large/small/equal number/amount: an equal number of men and women
• a high/large/small/greater proportion/percentage: a small proportion of patients
• a long time: I haven’t seen her for a long time.
3. When do I use the capital letters?
Capital letters are always used for nouns in the following groups:
• countries
• towns, cities, states and regions
• nationalities, ethnic groups and religions – referring to people, languages or things from a country, region or culture
• months and days of the week
Capital letters are not used for the seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter
• names of organisations and institutions
Where a word like museum, university, station or hospital is part of the name of an institution, it has a capital letter. However, when these words are not part of a name, they do not have a capital letter
Also remember: the Earth (but not the World), the Third World/a Third World country, AIDS, CD/DVD (plural CDs/DVDs).
4. When do I use when, if, whether ?
We use when to talk about an event or situation that we believe will happen.
We use if to talk about a hypothetical possibility, especially in conditional sentences.
We also use if in certain polite requests.
I would appreciate it if / would be grateful if you could call me back.
Would you mind if I asked you a few questions about the accident?
We use whether where we are considering two possibilities.
We use whether after certain verbs (and nouns) which involve considering two options.
-----from a excerpt of "Common Mistakes at IELTS Advanced: And how to Avoid them",
Julie Moore, Cambridge University Press.