This page is for IELTS candidates whose first language is Mandarin or Cantonese. It covers the grammar, pronunciation and speaking habits that cost Chinese speakers the most marks, and it gives you six daily lessons. Read the problems once, then do one lesson a day, and go round the series again.
On this page: jump to any of the 25 problems
- Finish the word: say the last consonant
- Consonants together: spring, desks, world
- -s and -ed endings: three sounds each
- Word stress: one strong syllable
- Sentence stress and weak forms
- Vowels: long and short, open and tight
- th: tongue tip touching the back of the top teeth
- Voice on: v, z and final b, d, g
- l, n and r
- Linking words and contractions
- Intonation: let your voice move
- Show time with the verb, not just a time word
- -s on the verb after he, she, it
- Plural -s on nouns
- a, an and the
- Don't leave out the verb be
- Question word order, including indirect questions
- Although … but and because … so
- Where time and place words go
- There is / there are, not 'has'
- Uncountable nouns: advice, homework, equipment
- he, she, his, her
- Verb patterns and prepositions
- Choose the right form of the word
- Sounding polite: modals and softeners
Pronunciation
Finish the word: say the last consonant
Big effect on being understood.
Why it happens: Standard Mandarin end in a , n or ng (apart from a few r-endings). Cantonese does have final p, t, k, but they are held shut and not released, and it has no final b, d, g. So in English you may drop the last (bed sounds like be) or push a small vowel after it (bag-uh).
Every consonant at the end of a word is part of the word. Close the word with the consonant and stop: no extra vowel. Stops (t, d, p, b, k, g) end cleanly (a tiny puff of air is fine), not with 'uh'. Final needs the tongue tip on the ridge behind your top teeth: mile is not my. The last sound often carries the meaning: bee / beat / bean.
- Not bed said as 'be' (last sound lost), but bed: finish with
- Not bag said as 'bag-uh' (extra vowel), but bag: stop at
- Not mile said as 'my' (no ), but mile: tongue tip on the ridge at the end
- Not She sat at the desk said as 'She sa at the des', but She sat at the desk: and both said
How to make it: Say the vowel, then close the word with the consonant: your tongue or lips must touch or move at the end. For t, d, s, l and n, the tip of your tongue goes up to the ridge behind your top teeth. For p and b, close your lips and let the word end there. A tiny puff of air is fine, but do not add 'uh'. For k and g, the back of your tongue touches the roof of your mouth, and then the word is over.
Consonants together: spring, desks, world
Big effect on being understood.
Why it happens: A Mandarin or Cantonese syllable has at most one consonant before the vowel and at most one after it (in Mandarin, only n or ng). So you break English clusters with tiny vowels: spoon becomes 'sipoon', or you drop the last sound: world becomes 'wor'.
A cluster is a group of consonants said in one smooth move, with no vowel in between. At the start: s + a consonant (spoon, street) or a consonant + l / r (play, free). At the end: world, desks, friends, left. For s-clusters, begin with a long quiet hiss. For final clusters, glide straight from one consonant to the next and finish the last one.
- Not spoon said as 'sipoon', but spoon: s and p together
- Not street said as 'sitreet', but street: s-t-r in one syllable
- Not desks said as 'desk-sa', but desks: finish with /ks/
- Not world said as 'wor', but world: finish with /ld/
How to make it: For s-clusters, start with a long quiet hiss (sss). Keep the hiss going and add the next sound with no pause and no vowel. Get your lips or tongue ready for the second consonant while you are still saying the first. For final clusters, say the first consonant and slide straight to the next one. Practise slowly, then faster.
-s and -ed endings: three sounds each
Big effect on being understood.
Why it happens: Chinese words do not change their endings, so small final sounds like -s and -ed are easy to drop. Some learners also say every -ed as an extra syllable ('look-id') or every -s as a hiss.
Noun and verb -s has three sounds. After a sound: (cats, books). After a sound: (dogs, days). After s, z, sh, ch or j sounds: a new syllable /ɪz/ (buses, watches). Past -ed works the same way: after voiceless sounds (looked), after voiced sounds (played), and a new syllable /ɪd/ only after t or d (wanted). Say the ending every time: it shows number and tense.
- Not looked said as 'look-id' (extra syllable), but looked /lʊkt/: one syllable
- Not two book (no ending), but two books /bʊks/
- Not watches said as 'watch-s', but watches /ˈwɒtʃɪz/: extra syllable
- Not played said as 'play' (no ending), but played /pleɪd/
How to make it: Put a finger on your throat. For and it buzzes; for and it does not. Say the ending quickly and join it to the word: look-t, play-d. It is not a new syllable. Open a short extra syllable only after t or d (want-id) and after hissing sounds (bus-iz).
Word stress: one strong syllable
Big effect on being understood.
Why it happens: Chinese syllables are mostly full and similar in length, and pitch is tied to the word. So you give every English syllable the same weight, or you the wrong one, and the listener cannot recognise the word.
Every English word of two or more syllables has one main stress: that syllable is louder, longer and higher. The others are short and weak, often with a lazy (teacher /ˈtiːtʃə/). Stress moves when the word changes: PHOtograph, phoTOgrapher, photoGRAPHic. Many two-syllable nouns stress the first syllable and verbs the second: a REcord, to reCORD. Words ending in -tion, -ic, -ity are stressed on the syllable before the ending: eduCAtion, ecoNOMic, aBILity. Check the stress in a dictionary whenever you learn a word.
- Not EDucation (first syllable stressed), but eduCAtion
- Not en-VI-RON-MENT (all strong), but en-VI-ron-ment
- Not I'll REcord the lesson (verb), but I'll reCORD the lesson
- Not phoTOgraphy said as 'PHOtography', but phoTOgraphy
How to make it: Find the strong syllable. Say it louder, longer and with a higher pitch than the rest. Make the other syllables short and quiet. Let their vowels go lazy: the 'er' in teacher is just a small . Tap the table on the strong syllable as you say the word: ed-u-CA-tion.
Sentence stress and weak forms
Makes you sound more natural.
Why it happens: Chinese gives almost every syllable a clear tone and similar weight, so you may say every English word loudly and slowly. English stresses the key words and squeezes the small words between them, so the beats come at a steady speed.
Stress the content words: nouns, main verbs, adjectives, adverbs, question words and negatives. Make grammar words short, quiet and weak: to /tə/, of /əv/, and /ən/, a , the /ðə/, for /fə/, can /kən/, was /wəz/, at /ət/, than /ðən/. The weak vowel is nearly always . The more small words between two beats, the faster you say them. Stress can also move to show meaning: the new or contrasting word gets the beat (the BLUE one, not the red one).
- Not WE WILL GO TO THE BEACH AT THE WEEKEND, but We will GO to the BEACH at the WEEKend
- Not a cup OF tea (/ɒv/, loud), but a cup of tea (/əv/, quick)
- Not I CAN SWIM (can said /kæn/, loud), but I can SWIM (can said /kən/)
How to make it: Find the key words (nouns, verbs, adjectives). Say them louder and longer, with a clear vowel. Say the small words quickly and lightly with a lazy 'uh' vowel: 'a cup uv tea'. Tap a steady beat on the table on the key words. Squeeze the small words in between the taps.
Vowels: long and short, open and tight
Big effect on being understood.
Why it happens: Neither Mandarin nor Cantonese separates vowels the way English does: there is no regular long/short pair like and or and , and no . So sheep and ship can sound the same, bad can sound like bed, and English glides (say, go) may come out too short.
English vowels differ in length and in tongue and lip position. (sheep) is long with spread lips; (ship) is short and relaxed. (pool) is long with round lips; (pull) is short and loose. (bad) needs a wide-open mouth; (bed) is half open. (cup) is short; (cart) is long. (shot) is short with round lips; (short) is long. Give and time to glide: say, go.
- Not sheep said as 'ship', but sheep : long
- Not pull said as 'pool', but pull /pʊl/: short and loose
- Not bad said as 'bed', but bad /bæd/: mouth wide open
- Not shot said as 'short', but shot /ʃɒt/: short vowel
How to make it: For , spread your lips as if smiling and hold it long. For , relax your lips and keep it short. For , push your lips forward in a small circle and hold. For , round them loosely and say it quickly. For , drop your jaw so that two fingers fit between your teeth. For , open only halfway. For and , start at the first vowel and glide slowly to the second. Do not stop early.
th: tongue tip touching the back of the top teeth
Makes you sound more natural.
Why it happens: Mandarin and Cantonese have neither (think) nor (this). Learners often swap in s, f or t for the first and d or z for the second: three becomes 'sree', 'free' or 'tree'.
There are two th sounds, and your tongue is in the same place for both: the tip lightly touching the back of your top front teeth. is voiceless, just air (think, three, month). is voiced, so your throat buzzes (this, the, mother). Don't press hard, and don't pull the tongue back to make s or d. is mostly in small common words: the, this, that, they, there.
- Not think said as 'sink', but think
- Not three said as 'free' or 'tree', but three /θriː/
- Not this said as 'dis' or 'zis', but this
- Not mother said as 'mudder', but mother /ˈmʌðə/
How to make it: Touch the back of your top front teeth lightly with the tip of your tongue. When you practise slowly, you can let the tip show a little between your teeth. For , blow air gently over the tongue. No voice: your throat is quiet. For , do the same but switch your voice on. Feel the buzz in your throat. Pull the tongue back smoothly. Do not stop on s, t or d.
Voice on: v, z and final b, d, g
Big effect on being understood.
Why it happens: Neither Mandarin nor Cantonese has or (their z-type sound is /ts/), so very may become 'wery' or 'fery' and rise may become 'rice'. Their b, d, g are normally said without voice, and no Chinese word ends in them, so at the end of English words bad and bat can sound the same.
Voiced sounds make your throat buzz. is with the voice on: top teeth touch the lower lip (very, live, move). uses round lips and no teeth. is with the voice on (zoo, rise, easy). At the end of a word, a voiced consonant makes the vowel before it longer: bad (long) / bat (short), rise / rice, leave / leaf. Stretch the vowel and keep the buzz.
- Not very said as 'wery' or 'fery', but very /ˈveri/: teeth on lip, voice on
- Not rise said as 'rice', but rise /raɪz/: buzz at the end
- Not leave said as 'leaf', but leave /liːv/: long vowel, buzzing end
- Not bad said as 'bat', but bad /bæd/: long vowel, voiced end
How to make it: Put your fingers on your throat. Say sss: nothing. Say zzz: you feel a buzz. For v, touch your top teeth to your lower lip, like f, and switch the buzz on. For w, keep your teeth away and round your lips. Before a voiced ending (d, g, b, v, z), make the vowel longer. Count one-two.
l, n and r
Big effect on being understood.
Why it happens: In some speech n and l are mixed up. This is well known for Cantonese (where an initial n often becomes l) and for Mandarin in parts of the south and south-west, so night and light can sound alike. A few speakers also mix r and l.
: the tip of the tongue touches the ridge behind your top teeth and stays there; air goes round the sides (light, play, mile). : the same place, but the air comes out through your nose (night, name). Pinch your nose: stops, keeps going. : the tongue pulls back and touches nothing, and the lips round a little (right, read, around). In British English you say r only before a vowel: car and door have no r sound, but red and very do.
- Not night said as 'light', but night /naɪt/: air through the nose
- Not light said as 'night', but light : air round the sides
- Not right said as 'light', but right : tongue touches nothing
- Not pray said as 'play', but pray /preɪ/: start with r
How to make it: For and , press the tip of your tongue on the ridge behind your top teeth. Pinch your nose to tell them apart: stops because the air goes through the nose; keeps going. For , pull the tongue back and up, let it touch nothing, and round your lips slightly. Then start the vowel.
Linking words and contractions
Makes you sound more natural.
Why it happens: In Chinese each syllable is a separate unit, so you say English words one by one with small gaps ('turn... off'). English joins words into one stream, and speakers shorten I am, they are, do not to I'm, they're, don't.
Link a final consonant to a vowel that follows: turn off sounds like 'tur-noff', an apple like 'a-napple'. When a vowel meets a vowel, a small glide fills the gap: in my aunt, in go on. In British English a written final r is said when a vowel follows: far away /fɑː rəˈweɪ/. Sounds merge in did you /ˈdɪdʒə/ and don't you /ˈdəʊntʃə/. Contractions are normal in speaking: I'm, I'll, they're, it's, don't, can't. Can is weak /kən/, but can't is strong /kɑːnt/: listen for the vowel and the final t.
- Not turn... off (a gap), but turn off: 'tur-noff'
- Not I do not know (every word full), but I don't know.
- Not Did... you like it?, but Did you like it? /dɪdʒə/
- Not They are late (separate words), but They're late.
How to make it: Say the last consonant of the first word and start the next word on it, with no pause: tur-noff, a-napple. Between two vowels, let your lips or tongue glide: 'my-yaunt', 'go-won'. For did you and don't you, let the d or t slide straight into you: 'didjer', 'dontcher'. Say contractions as one quick syllable: don't, I'll, they're.
Intonation: let your voice move
Makes you sound more natural.
Why it happens: Mandarin (four tones plus a neutral tone) and Cantonese (six tones in the usual description) use pitch on each syllable to tell words apart. Carried into English, this can give a flat voice, or a jerky one with sharp rises and falls on single words.
Think of one melody over each phrase, not a tone on each syllable. Fall at the end of a statement and of a question-word question (Where do you live?): it sounds sure and finished. Rise at the end of a yes/no question (Do you live here?). In a list, rise on each item and fall on the last: apples ↗, pears ↗ and grapes ↘. To sound interested, start higher on the key word and use a wide range; a narrow flat voice sounds bored. In Part 2, pause between ideas and fall at the end of each one.
- Not Where do you live? (rising, sounds unsure), but Where do you live? (falling)
- Not Do you work here? (falling, sounds like a statement), but Do you work here? (rising)
- Not apples, pears and grapes (all falling), but apples ↗, pears ↗ and grapes ↘
- Not It was exciting. (flat, same pitch on every word), but It was ex-CI-ting! (starts high, wide, falls)
How to make it: Hum the phrase first like a tune, then say the words on the same melody. On the key word, move your voice up (or up and down) and keep the other syllables lower. At the end of a finished statement, let the pitch fall to a low relaxed note and stop. For a yes/no question, let it climb on the last stressed word. To sound interested, smile, open your mouth more and go higher on the important word.
Grammar
Show time with the verb, not just a time word
Why it happens: Chinese verbs never change. You show time with words like yesterday or already, or the listener works it out from context. English also needs the verb itself to change.
A finished past time needs a past verb form: went, met, studied. A time word is not enough. Use the present perfect (have lived) for 'from then until now', but never with a finished time like ago or last year. After if, when and before about the future, use the present, not will.
- Not Yesterday I go to the market., but Yesterday I went to the market.
- Not I have bought this phone last week., but I bought this phone last week.
- Not I will call you before I will leave., but I will call you before I leave.
- Not I live here since 2019., but I have lived here since 2019.
-s on the verb after he, she, it
Why it happens: Chinese has no agreement between subject and verb, so there is nothing to add. In English, a present-tense verb needs -s after a singular subject, and learners drop it, especially when speaking fast.
In the present simple, add -s after he, she, it and any singular noun: my sister works. Have becomes has. Words like everybody, nobody and homework count as singular. After does, did and modals, the verb has no -s.
- Not My brother work in a bank., but My brother works in a bank.
- Not She have two children., but She has two children.
- Not Nobody are late., but Nobody is late.
- Not He doesn't likes coffee., but He doesn't like coffee.
Plural -s on nouns
Why it happens: Chinese nouns stay the same whether there is one or many. You show number with words like three or many. In English the noun must change as well, and a final -s is also hard to say.
After two, three, many, several, a lot of, different and similar words, the noun takes -s (or an irregular plural: children, people). Say the -s clearly; it carries meaning. Use the plural when you mean 'in general': Teenagers need sleep.
- Not I visited three city last year., but I visited three cities last year.
- Not Many student want to study abroad., but Many students want to study abroad.
- Not There are a lot of tourist in summer., but There are a lot of tourists in summer.
- Not Child learn quickly., but Children learn quickly.
a, an and the
Why it happens: Chinese has no articles, so you can leave them out, add them where English does not use them, or mix up a and the.
Use a / an for one of many things, or when you first mention something: I saw a film. Use the when both of you know which one: the film we talked about. Use nothing for general plurals and uncountables: Pollution is a problem. Use the with musical instruments (the piano) and superlatives (the tallest), but not with most sports or meals.
- Not She wants to buy house., but She wants to buy a house.
- Not This is most famous temple in the city., but This is the most famous temple in the city.
- Not The pollution is a big problem in cities., but Pollution is a big problem in cities.
- Not He lives in small flat., but He lives in a small flat.
Don't leave out the verb be
Why it happens: In Chinese, an adjective can act as the verb: 'I busy', 'she very happy'. English adjectives need be in front of them.
Put am / is / are / was / were between the subject and an adjective: I am busy. The same is true for a noun after the subject: He is a teacher. Don't add be after another verb: not I am agree, just I agree.
- Not My flat very small., but My flat is very small.
- Not The traffic very heavy in the morning., but The traffic is very heavy in the morning.
- Not She a good student., but She is a good student.
- Not I am agree with you., but I agree with you.
Question word order, including indirect questions
Why it happens: Chinese questions have the same word order as statements, and a question word stays where the answer would be. In English you need do / does / did or another helper, put before the subject. In an indirect question the order goes back to normal.
Direct question: question word + helper + subject + verb: Where did you go? If there is no other helper, add do / does / did. Indirect question (after Can you tell me…, I wonder…, She asked…): statement order, no do/did: I wonder where she lives.
- Not How much time you spend online?, but How much time do you spend online?
- Not What time the shop will open?, but What time will the shop open?
- Not Where you visited last summer?, but Where did you go last summer?
- Not He asked me why did I leave., but He asked me why I left.
Although … but and because … so
Why it happens: Chinese often uses a pair of linking words: suiran … danshi (although … but) and yinwei … suoyi (because … so). English uses only one of the pair.
Use one linking word per clause pair. Although the exam was hard, he passed. Or: The exam was hard, but he passed. Because it rained, we stayed in. Or: It rained, so we stayed in. Never both together.
- Not Although it was cold, but we walked., but Although it was cold, we walked.
- Not Because I was ill, so I stayed at home., but Because I was ill, I stayed at home.
- Not Although he studies hard, but he still fails., but Although he studies hard, he still fails.
- Not Because it rained, so we stayed in., but It rained, so we stayed in.
Where time and place words go
Why it happens: In Chinese, time and place words come early, before the verb: 'Tomorrow morning I come'. In English, place and time usually come after the verb and object, with time last.
Order: subject + verb + object + place + time: I will meet her at the station tomorrow morning. Never put a time or place between the verb and its object: not I eat every day breakfast. You may open with a time phrase for emphasis, but then keep the rest of the sentence normal.
- Not I will tomorrow call you., but I will call you tomorrow.
- Not I eat every day breakfast at home., but I eat breakfast at home every day.
- Not My friends yesterday came to my flat., but My friends came to my flat yesterday.
- Not She visited last year Beijing., but She visited Beijing last year.
There is / there are, not 'has'
Why it happens: Chinese says 'my city has many parks' and also 'in my city has many parks', using the word for have to say something exists. English needs there is / there are for this idea.
To say something exists in a place, use there is (singular) or there are (plural): In my city, there are many parks. Use have only when something belongs to someone: My city has many parks is correct, but In my city has many parks is not. Don't leave out the subject.
- Not In my hometown has a big river., but In my hometown there is a big river.
- Not In the library has many books., but In the library there are many books.
- Not Have a lot of traffic in the city., but There is a lot of traffic in the city.
- Not Is many pollution here., but There is a lot of pollution here.
Uncountable nouns: advice, homework, equipment
Why it happens: In Chinese you can count almost anything with a measure word, so information or homework feel . In English they are not.
Some nouns have no plural and no a/an: advice, information, equipment, homework, traffic, evidence, research, progress. Use some, much, a lot of or a piece of: a piece of advice. The verb is singular: The traffic is heavy.
- Not I did all my homeworks last night., but I did all my homework last night.
- Not The gym bought three new equipments., but The gym bought some new equipment.
- Not I need some informations., but I need some information.
- Not The traffics are heavy., but The traffic is heavy.
he, she, his, her
Why it happens: In spoken Chinese, he, she and it sound the same, and the pronouns don't change for subject or object. It is easy to say he about a woman or him when you need he.
Choose by who you are talking about: he / his / him for a man, she / her for a woman, it for things. Use a subject pronoun (I, he, she) before a verb and an object pronoun (me, him, her) after it. My and mine are different: It's my book. It's mine.
- Not My mother is a nurse. He works at night., but My mother is a nurse. She works at night.
- Not Mrs Lin is a writer. His books are popular., but Mrs Lin is a writer. Her books are popular.
- Not Do you know Tom? Have you met she?, but Do you know Tom? Have you met him?
- Not This book is my., but This book is mine.
Verb patterns and prepositions
Why it happens: Many English verbs take a particular preposition or a particular form after them (to + verb, verb + -ing). Chinese uses different patterns, so learners add or drop prepositions and choose the wrong verb form.
Learn the verb with its pattern. Discuss, answer and enter take no preposition: answer her, not answer to her. Enjoy, avoid and finish take -ing. After had better and modals, use the bare verb. Learn depend on, good at, interested in as whole units.
- Not She answered to my question., but She answered my question.
- Not I enjoy to cook for my family., but I enjoy cooking for my family.
- Not You had better to call first., but You had better call first.
- Not We discussed about the plan., but We discussed the plan.
Choose the right form of the word
Why it happens: In Chinese the same word often works as a noun, a verb and an adjective, so the form does not change. English changes the ending: success, succeed, successful. Learners use the wrong one.
Check what the gap needs. After is / very you need an adjective (difficult). After the / a / of you need a noun (difficulty). Before a verb, an adverb often works (quickly). -ed adjectives describe how you feel (excited); -ing adjectives describe the thing that causes it (exciting).
- Not It is very difficulty to find a job., but It is very difficult to find a job.
- Not I was very surprising by the result., but I was very surprised by the result.
- Not The develop of tourism is rapid., but The development of tourism is rapid.
- Not He walked very slow., but He walked very slowly.
Speaking style
Sounding polite: modals and softeners
Why it happens: In Chinese, a direct request can be completely polite. In English, direct commands sound abrupt. English uses and longer forms to soften requests, opinions and refusals, and learners tend to use them too rarely.
For requests, use Could you…? / Would you mind…? / Would you like to…? To soften an opinion, use I think, perhaps, might, may. Say That might not be true instead of That is definitely not true. In Speaking Part 3, softeners make you sound balanced: It may depend on the person.
- Not Read this article now., but You might like to read this article.
- Not Open the window., but Would you mind opening the window?
- Not That is definitely not true., but That might not be true.
- Not I come tomorrow probably., but I might come tomorrow.
Sources
Problems chosen with reference to Learner English (Swan & Smith, 2nd edn, Cambridge University Press), chapter on Chinese speakers by Jung Chang, with further problems well known to IELTS teachers. Explanations and examples are IELTS Laboratory’s own.
- Learner recordings: speechocean762 (Zhang et al., 2021, Interspeech), CC BY 4.0, openslr.org/101. Adult speakers; sentences played unedited.