IELTS Map Listening Practice

This lesson is to practice Map Completion Questions for IELTS listening. First, there are some sentence completion questions and then you must fill in the gaps in the map given.

Tips for Maps

  1. Check the location of each number on your map
  2. Think of language that might be used to describe that location
  3. Look for any arrows on the map
  4. Answers to questions will come in order (the answer for question 1 will come before the answer for question 2 in the recording)
  5. Most map recordings are similar to a guided tour which follows a logical order
  6. Don’t be distracted by extra information
  7. Don’t forget that each time the question type changes, the instructions will change as well. Always pay attention to the word count in the instructions.

IELTS Map Listening Practice: The Taj Mahal 

Questions 1-2: Complete the sentences below using no more than one word and/or a number.

  1. The Taj Mahal was completed in ……………..
  2. Around ………… labourers were used in its creation.

Questions 3-7

Label the map below using no more than two words and/or a number.

building map ielts listening

Recording:

 

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Transcript and Answers

Click below to reveal the transcript and answers to this lesson:

Transcript

Welcome to the Taj Mahal. This is one of the most famous monuments to love in the world. It was built between 1631 and 1653 in the city of Agra by the Mughal Emperor Shah as a mausoleum for his wife. The construction involved some 20,000 workers and incorporated materials from China, Tibet, Sri Lanka and Arabia.

We are here at the Outer Gate and directly in front of us is the forecourt. On the left hand side of the forecourt, you will see some subsidiary tombs and opposite that are the tomb attendants’ quarters. If you go straight ahead, you will come to the Great Gate and beyond that is the formal gardens. The gardens are divided into 4 sections by paths which represent the 4 rivers of paradise. Midway, where the paths intersect, is a marble pond, in which the mausoleum is beautifully reflected. Walking through the gardens, past the pond, you will come to the mausoleum itself which has a marble dome, 35m high. Each side of the building has archways which are framed by carefully chosen verses from the Qur’an in beautifully stylised calligraphy. To the left of this, is the mosque and to the right you can find a guesthouse. Now I’ll give you some time to wander round and see this marvel for yourself.

 Answers
  1. 1653
  2. 20,000
  3. forecourt (you must have the correct spelling)
  4. Great Gate (capital letters not important – see IELTS Exam FAQ page)
  5. pond / marble pond
  6. mausoleum
  7. guesthouse / guest house

 

IELTS Listening: Free Practice and Tips

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IELTS Direct Question Essay: Success of a Business

Sample essay about judging success in business. This essay question  asks two direct questions which you must answer about the way success in business can be measured. The essay below was written by a student but as one major flaw – can you find it.

Essay Question

Some people think that the only way to judge someone’s success in business is by the amount of money they make.

Is money a true indicator of the success of a business?

In what other ways could success in a business be measured?

Student’s Essay

It is argued in the statement that achievement and success in business can only be judged by the amount earned by the people. From my perspective, money is a true and most valuable criterion to mark success of a business. There are different other ways to measure business success which will be taken into account prior to reaching an informed conclusion.

Money is considered as a correct and reliable index to predict the strength of a successful business. For example, families of victorious business owners are rolling in money just because they earn a lot to fulfil the needs and demands of their dependents. It is clearly evident from the given example that the amount of money directly correlates with the huge productivity and outcome of a trade. So, it is only possible for someone to deal with all the life affairs very coherently with an ample amount of earning.

There are many other potential ways in which the peak of running business can be measured easily. Firstly, different deals and standard packages are only offered by the leading multinational companies. Secondly, a power of occupation can also be judged by the remarkable number of clients. Thirdly, an organization can also become successful with happy clerks and working staff. Finally, a success of a business can be related to the amount of taxes paid by its owners, as increased income will lead to more tax payments.

To conclude, although money is the most important way to determine the effectiveness of a business but other methods are also very important to tackle multiple problems in running a business. By following the above mentioned protocols, economy would have a bright future internationally.

Assessing the Essay Above

  1. Should the thesis statement begin with “From my prospective, …”
  2. Does the thesis statement provide answers to the questions?
  3. Does the first body paragraph answer the first question?
  4. Does the second body paragraph answer the second question?
  5. Does the topic sentence ( the first sentence) for each paragraph contain the main point?
  6. Are linking devices used well?
  7. What other comments can you make about this essay?
Answers
  1. It is better to start with “In my opinion”. See this lesson about how to give your opinion in an IELTS essay.
  2. Yes, each question should be answered in the introduction.
  3. Yes.
  4. Some of the points are off topic. Some ideas about how a company can become successful instead of how success is measured.
  5. The topic sentence for BP1 is fine and provides a clear answer. However, the topic sentence for BP2 is not clear because it doesn’t mention about measuring success of a business but about measuring the running of a business  (which is not the same thing).
  6. Yes, they are used well.
  7. More time needs to be spent planning ideas to make sure they are on topic. Here are some tips on planning an IELTS essay.

 

IELTS Model Essays Band Score 9, click to open

 

 

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Clothes Vocabulary: Formal and Casual

Clothes is another common topic in IELTS speaking. Organise the following vocabulary into three different categories: Casual / Formal / Suitable for both Formal or Casual. You will see that the vocabulary below includes both clothing and accessories (bags etc).

  • tie
  • suit
  • shorts
  • t-shirt
  • trousers
  • suitcase
  • dress
  • flipflops
  • shoes
  • jacket
  • waistcoat
  • backpack
  • briefcase
  • pajamas
  • coat
Answers

Casual Clothes

  • shorts
  • t-shirt
  • flipflops
  • backpack
  • pajamas

Formal Clothes

  • tie
  • suit
  • waistcoat
  • briefcase

Either Casual or Formal

  • trousers
  • dress
  • shoes
  • jacket
  • coat
  • suitcase

 

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Single-Sex Schools Vs Mixed Schools

Learn useful ideas to talk about the advantages or single-sex and mixed sex schools. This topic can appear in IELTS writing task 2:

Some people think that children perform better in a single-sex school compared to a mixed school. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Single-Sex and Co-educational Schools

If you don’t have youtube, try listening to a recording of the video. Audio

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IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic: Travel & Transport

It is common to get the topic of travel or transport in IELTS speaking part 1. These topics can actually be divided into subtopics which are all be asked in part 1, see the list below:

  • Holidays
    • Weekend Breaks
    • Hotels
    • Traveling Abroad & Culture
    • Public Holidays (Celebrations and Festivals)
    • Days off work
    • Trips
    • Journeys
  • Tourist Attractions
    • Historical Attractions
    • Museums and Galleries
    • Statues and Monuments
  • Private & Public Transport
    • Bicycles
    • Cars
    • Driving
    • Buses
    • Trains
    • Planes
    • Walking
  • Getting Around
  • Roads
  • Traffic

As you can see above, there are a number of subtopics for the topics of travel and transport. Make sure you prepare a range of ideas and vocabulary for all topics and subtopics.

IELTS Bar Chart: Tips for a High Score

Learn how to describe an IELTS bar chart by following the tips and techniques in this video lessons. This lesson is 100% vital for all IELTS candidates doing writing task 1 academic paper.

You must learn:

  • how to write an introduction
  • how to identify key features
  • how to write an overview (this is the key paragraph)
  • if there is a conclusion or overview
  • how to organise the body paragraphs
  • how to write complex sentences
  • tips to avoid getting a low score
  • how to get a high score
  • MODEL ANSWER FOR THIS LESSON: BAR CHART MODEL ANSWER BAND 9

IELTS Bar Chart Tips Video Tutorial

This video lesson shows you how to tackle an IELTS bar chart for writing task 1 (academic paper). To see the full model answer for this video lesson, please click on the link above. Also read the summary of tips below the video.

IELTS Bar Chart Essential Tips

Below are useful tips for an IELTS bar chart.

1. Introduction Paragraph

Keep your introduction paragraph simple. Just paraphrase the information given by IELTS. It is usually just one sentence. It is possible to also comment on the units of measurement in the chart “Units are measured in …”. You might want to add other key information such as country names, category names and dates.

2. The overview

Look at your bar chart and choose the key features. These might be highs, lows, main differences etc. Collect them together and present them in an overview. To learn more about the overview / conclusion debate, please see my IELTS Overview Video Lesson. You must remember that the examiner is looking for the overview and it is an essential part of your Task Achievement mark. That criterion is 25% of your marks.

3. Body Paragraphs

Make sure you have more than one body paragraph. The usual is two body paragraph. Decide how you will divide the information in the bar chart into difference body paragraphs. You must organise your paragraphs into a logical order.

4. Support Sentences with Data

Your body paragraphs must have numbers to support them. If you fail to have numbers with your sentences in the body paragraphs, you might get only band 5 in Task Achievement. To learn useful vocabulary for using data accurately, see my lesson: IELTS Vocabulary: Accurate Data.

5. Complex Sentences

You must write your task 1 using a range of complex sentences. You must learn these sentence structures. The best way is from model answers: IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answers.

6. Linking devices

You should use a range of linking devices. For example, while / whereas / as opposed to / compared to / in comparison with. All these will help you get a higher score in Coherence and Cohesion which is 25% of your marks. Make sure you use them correctly.

7. Assessment Criteria

Learn more about what the examiner wants to see in your writing. You must understand the requirements for the band score you are aiming for. See this page to learn about IELTS Writing Task 1 Band Scores 5 to 8 Explained.

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Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

“Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?” is a common IELTS essay question in writing task 2 which many students struggle with. Below is an sample essay question to practice this type of essay and also some tips to help you.

Essay Question Sample

In recent years, more and more people are choosing to read e-books rather than paper books.

Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Tips for Outweigh Essay Questions

To answer this type of IELTS essay question you must:

  1. brainstorm ideas supporting both sides first
  2. this question is asking for your opinion
  3. answer the question – do you think the advantages or the disadvantages are most important? Which one?
  4. put your answer to the question in the thesis statement in your introduction
    • you can use the word “outweigh” in your introduction if you want
    • or you can simply explain if there are more advantages or disadvantages in your opinion
    • avoid formulaic statements for your thesis statement – this means don’t use a memorised phrase
  5. have one body paragraph which gives details about the opposite side to your opinion
  6. have either one or two body paragraphs which give details of the side you chose to support
  7. re-state your opinion in the conclusion using different language

Be Careful

  • The “outweigh” essay question is not exactly the same as the Advantages and Disadvantages essay question.
  • This type of question is very different from the “positive or negative” essay question.

Post your essay in the comments box below for other students to comment on and so you can compare with others.

Recommended for Writing Task 2

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Tourism and The Local Community

Below are some ideas for the advantages and disadvantages which tourism brings to a community. These ideas can be used both for speaking part 3 and also writing task 2 in IELTS.

Essay Question

Over the last few decades, there has been an increase in international tourism. Some people think that tourism is beneficial for local communities and should be encouraged.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Speaking Part 3 Questions

  1. Do you think tourism is a good thing?
  2. Why do you think some people  believe tourism to be bad for local communities?
  3. Do you think local communities change as an effect of tourism?
  4. Do you think there are more advantages than disadvantages of tourism for local communities?

Don’t forget we are looking at the effects of tourism as an industry rather than a tourist as a person. Don’t confuse the two.

Advantages of Tourism

  1. Tourism brings money and boosts the economy.
  2. It offers employment to local people.
  3. It offers fresh perspectives on life and culture.
  4. Locals usually need to learn English to talk to tourists which can have beneficial long term effects.
  5. To boost tourism, local communities often invest money on improving the infrastructure which has lasting positive effects.

Disadvantages of Tourism

  1. Tourism can create a economic dependency which can be detrimental to the community if it is not sustainable.
  2. Tourism can have a negative impact on the local environment in terms of pollution.
    1. noise pollution from tourist entertainment
    2. air pollution from increased transportation
  3. Tourism can cause friction between locals and tourists, if local culture is not respected.
  4. The bulk of the money brought in by tourism rarely finds its way into local hands and instead lines the pockets of the middle man (the tour operator).

 

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