When food prices rose, one family planned meals more carefully but protected its education budget.
/wɛn fud ˈpɹaɪsɪz ɹoʊz, wʌn ˈfæmɪli plænd milz mɔɹ ˈkɛɹfəli bʌt pɹəˈtɛktɪd ɪts ˌɛd͡ʒəˈkeɪʃən ˈbʌd͡ʒɪt./
At first, this looked like a small decision about the economy, but its result soon became visible.
/æt fɚst, ðɪs lʊkt laɪk ə smɔl dɪˈsɪʒən əˈbaʊt ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi, bʌt ɪts ɹɪˈzʌlt sun bɪˈkeɪm ˈvɪzɪbəl./
The case raises a broader question: how employment, prices, and production affect households.
/ðə keɪs ˈɹeɪzɪz ə ˈbɹɔdɚ ˈkwɛst͡ʃən: haʊ ɪmˈplɔɪmənt, ˈpɹaɪsɪz, ænd pɹəˈdʌkʃən əˈfɛkt ˈhaʊsˌhoʊldz./
If people receive clear information about the economy, they will make more informed choices.
/ɪf ˈpipəl ɹɪˈsiv klɪɹ ˌɪnfɔɹˈmeɪʃən əˈbaʊt ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi, ðeɪ wɪl meɪk mɔɹ ɪnˈfɔɹmd ˈt͡ʃɔɪsɪz./
The example draws attention to a rising inflation, which can shape how people respond to the economy.
/ðə ɪɡˈzæmpəl dɹɔz əˈtɛnʃən tə ə ˈɹaɪzɪŋ ɪnˈfleɪʃən, wɪt͡ʃ kən ʃeɪp haʊ ˈpipəl ɹɪˈspɑnd tə ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi./
A closer look at an employment rate reveals a practical side of the economy that general opinions often miss.
/ə ˈkloʊsɚ lʊk æt ən ɪmˈplɔɪmənt ɹeɪt ɹɪˈvilz ə ˈpɹæktɪkəl saɪd əv ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi ðæt ˈd͡ʒɛnɚəl əˈpɪnjənz ˈɔftən mɪs./
A convincing view of the economy gives a reason and then tests it against a concrete example.
/ə kənˈvɪnsɪŋ vju əv ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi ɡɪvz ə ˈɹizən ænd ðɛn tɛsts ɪt əˈɡɛnst ə ˈkɑŋkɹit ɪɡˈzæmpəl./
The result matters because it shows whether a response to the economy worked in practice.
/ðə ɹɪˈzʌlt ˈmætɚz bɪˈkʌz ɪt ʃoʊz ˈwɛðɚ ə ɹɪˈspɑns tə ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi wɚkt ɪn ˈpɹæktɪs./
Personal experience can introduce the economy, but a wider judgement also needs evidence.
/ˈpɚsənəl ɪkˈspɪɹiəns kən ˌɪntɹoʊˈdus ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi, bʌt ə ˈwaɪdɚ ˈd͡ʒʌd͡ʒmənt ˈɔlsoʊ nidz ˈɛvədəns./
For an individual, the first useful step is to describe what actually happened instead of offering a vague opinion.
/fɚ ən ˌɪndɪˈvɪd͡ʒuəl, ðə fɚst ˈjusfəl stɛp ɪz tə dɪˈskɹaɪb wʌt ˈækt͡ʃəli ˈhæpənd ɪnˈstɛd əv ˈɔfɚɪŋ ə veɪɡ əˈpɪnjən./
One concrete detail creates a picture, a reason explains its meaning, and a result gives the account a natural ending.
/wʌn ˈkɑŋkɹit ˈditeɪl kɹiˈeɪts ə ˈpɪkt͡ʃɚ, ə ˈɹizən ɪkˈspleɪnz ɪts ˈminɪŋ, ænd ə ɹɪˈzʌlt ɡɪvz ðə əˈkaʊnt ə ˈnæt͡ʃɚəl ˈɛndɪŋ./
This simple structure makes the idea easier to understand, remember, and retell in your own words.
/ðɪs ˈsɪmpəl ˈstɹʌkt͡ʃɚ meɪks ðə aɪˈdiə ˈiziɚ tə ˌʌndɚˈstænd, ɹɪˈmɛmbɚ, ænd ɹiˈtɛl ɪn jʊɹ oʊn wɚdz./
A sensible choice about the economy compares immediate convenience with longer-term effects.
/ə ˈsɛnsɪbəl t͡ʃɔɪs əˈbaʊt ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi kəmˈpɛɹz ɪˈmidiɪt kənˈvinjəns wɪθ ˈlɔŋɡɚ tɚm ɪˈfɛkts./
The main advantage of one response to the economy should be clear enough to observe or measure.
/ðə meɪn ædˈvæntɪd͡ʒ əv wʌn ɹɪˈspɑns tə ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi ʃʊd bi klɪɹ ɪˈnʌf tə əbˈzɚv ɔɹ ˈmɛʒɚ./
A clearly defined problem makes it easier to choose an appropriate response to the economy.
/ə ˈklɪɹli dɪˈfaɪnd ˈpɹɑbləm meɪks ɪt ˈiziɚ tə t͡ʃuz ən əˈpɹoʊpɹiɪt ɹɪˈspɑns tə ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi./
People can compare two responses to the economy only when they use the same criteria.
/ˈpipəl kən kəmˈpɛɹ tu ɹɪˈspɑnsɪz tə ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi ˈoʊnli wɛn ðeɪ juz ðə seɪm kɹaɪˈtɪɹiə./
A positive change in the economy becomes credible when people can explain how it happened.
/ə ˈpɑzɪtɪv t͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒ ɪn ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi bɪˈkʌmz ˈkɹɛdɪbəl wɛn ˈpipəl kən ɪkˈspleɪn haʊ ɪt ˈhæpənd./
The most practical lesson is that the economy should be judged through real effects rather than attractive slogans.
/ðə moʊst ˈpɹæktɪkəl ˈlɛsən ɪz ðæt ðə ɪˈkɑnəmi ʃʊd bi d͡ʒʌd͡ʒd θɹu ɹil ɪˈfɛkts ˈɹæðɚ ðən əˈtɹæktɪv ˈsloʊɡənz./
Good decisions connect a clear purpose with evidence, human experience, and the willingness to revise a weak approach.
/ɡʊd dɪˈsɪʒənz kəˈnɛkt ə klɪɹ ˈpɚpəs wɪθ ˈɛvədəns, ˈhjumən ɪkˈspɪɹiəns, ænd ðə ˈwɪlɪŋnəs tə ɹɪˈvaɪz ə wik əˈpɹoʊt͡ʃ./
When those parts stay connected, the topic becomes easier to discuss in daily conversation and in an IELTS answer.
/wɛn ðoʊz pɑɹts steɪ kəˈnɛktɪd, ðə ˈtɑpɪk bɪˈkʌmz ˈiziɚ tə dɪˈskʌs ɪn ˈdeɪli ˌkɑnvɚˈseɪʃən ænd ɪn ən aɪ ɛl ti ɛs ˈænsɚ./