Archives for March 2017

Writing Skills: Spotting Mistakes 3

Mistakes in grammar or vocabulary can affect your score in IELTS writing. Learning to proof read your essay will help reduce the errors and improve your score. There are links to more practice lessons below.

Spot the Mistakes

The following sentences contain mistakes (one or more). Can you spot them?

Research into space explorations can lead to new cutting edge technology.
Handwriting skills is still essential even in todays modern world.
The best way to tackle problem of littering is to have more bins available.
Working long hours is a problem which can lead to increase levels of stress.
Government should spend more money on the arts for order to protect cultural identity.

If you are aiming for band score 7, you should be able to spot 6 out of 7 mistakes.

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers:

Answers

space exploration = uncountable
1. Research into space exploration can lead to new cutting edge technology.
noun verb agreement = are / today = today’s
1. Handwriting skills are still essential even in today’s modern world.
problem = it needs an article
1. The best way to tackle the problem of littering is to have more bins available.
working long hours = this is a noun phrase starting with a gerund = singular verb is correct / increase = increased
1. Working long hours is a problem which can lead to increased levels of stress.
2. Working long hours is a problem which can lead to an increase in the levels of stress.
government = article needed / for order to = in order to
1. The government should spend more money on the arts in order to protect cultural identity.

More IELTS Essay Writing Lessons

If you would like more lessons, tips and see some model essays, please see this page: IELTS Writing Task 2 Main Page

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Filed Under: IELTS Writing Task 2 Tagged With: writing skills

How I Scored 9 in IELTS Speaking

by Liz 117 Comments

IELTS Speaking Band 9 Tips from a sucessful IELTS candidate. Nouman shares his experience and tips of how he got 9 in IELTS speaking. You can find useful links for IELTS at the end of this article.

All students taking GT or Academic IELTS will take the same speaking test. There is only one speaking test for all students. These tips are useful for all candidates.

Band Score 9 in IELTS Speaking

How I scored Band 9 in IELTS Speaking

“I believe I managed to score a 9 with continuous practice and being myself in the test. The best thing is not to feel shy when you speak about any particular topic. Do not think that your thoughts might be too little or simple to express. Some of us may believe that if we are not full of knowledge, we may not be able to impress the examiner. In speaking module however, knowledge of the topic is not a big deal. The thoughts presented may just be of a lay man and do not need to reflect an in-depth understanding of the subject.

I never crammed any specific topics however; I did gather my thoughts for topics which I would have found difficult to talk about. For example, I have not been visiting many historical places in the past. The one or two that I have visited, I made sure that I gather sufficient thoughts about those places to talk about. Important thing is that those thoughts were purely my own and not learnt from a book or Wikipedia. Gathering own thoughts in your own words is important.“

Well done to you, Nouman, and thanks so much for sharing your tips!!! Liz

Liz’s Comments and Summary:

Nouman’s band score 9 advice is excellent. Here are his points in a list with some extra tips for IELTS Speaking:

don’t be shy
enjoy the chat with the examiner
your ideas are not important – your knowledge is not being tested
say your ideas with confidence and showcase your language skills
simple ideas explained using excellent English can get you band score 9
review topics
think of your experiences relating to the topics
if the topic is a museum, think of museums you have been to or would like to go to
remember your past experiences
speak from the heart – your English is better when you do that
learn to express yourself using your own language
imagine talking about your experienced and your views

Scoring 9 in Reading

Learn how one student scored band score 9 in IELTS reading: How I Scored 9 in Reading

Useful Links for IELTS Speaking

Click on the links to open them:

Tips: Should I speaking fast or slow?
How to start your talk in IELTS speaking part 2
Asking the examiner questions
Tips & Answers: All IELTS Speaking Model Answers & Tips

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Listening Practice for English Names

by Liz 158 Comments

These two listening practices focuses on listening for English names. This practice is important for students preparing for their IELTS test as well as other students studying English or planning to move to the UK.

Below are TWO LISTENING PRACTICE EXERCISES FOR NAMES.

You will find more useful tips for IELTS listening, after the practice exercise, lower on this page.

Instructions for Listening Practice

You should listen to the recordings and write down the names you hear.

Before you listen, please make sure you watch English Names Tips for Listening Video.

Don’t forget to listen for titles. Some will have titles and other won’t. If there is a title, you must write it.
Write down the complete name given.
Some names will be spelled and others will not.
You can learn some common English names here: Boys Name and Girls Names
All free listening practice and tips: IELTS Listening Main Page

Capital letters: Please see this page: Using capital letters in IELTS

Listening Practice for Names 1

You will hear 10 names. Listen and write down what you hear.

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers:

Answers

David Darwin
Mrs Alice Smith
Balthazar Jones
Sara Bartholomew
Sean Bean
Mr Frank Allenson
A R Beevers
James Chichester
Mary Schooling
Sir Paul McKellen

Listening Practice for Names 2

You now have a chance to listen again to 10 new names. Think about the mistakes you made in the previous practice and see if you can improve.

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers:

Answers

Dr Davis
Richard Chamberlain
Miss Victoria Halley
Mr C J Billings
Robert Powers
Emily Jackson
Nora Ingalls
Mrs Caroline Castle
Charles Pringle
Emma Ford

Capital letters are not needed and are not marked so don’t worry if you use them or not. See this page: IELTS Exam FAQ

More IELTS Listening Practice

To get more tips and also free listening practice. See my MAIN IELTS LISTENING PAGE

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Filed Under: IELTS Listening

What Tense to Use in IELTS Writing Task 1

by Liz 74 Comments

It is essential to use the right tense in IELTS writing task 1, both academic and GT. This page will explain which tenses to use. The academic test will be explained first and lower down the page you will find grammar tips for GT letters.

Also find writing task 1 tips further down the page.

Academic Writing Task 1 Tenses to Use

For IELTS writing task 1, you may be given a map, a diagram, a bar chart, a line graph, a table or a pie chart in the academic test. The IELTS examiner will mark you on the following (each worth 25% of task 1)

Task Achievement: information, overview, accurate of data
Coherence & Cohesion: Paragraphing, Linking Words
Vocabulary: Collocations, Spelling and Accuracy
Grammar: Sentence structure, tenses, punctuation, grammar range and accuracy

So, you can see that using the right tense is important in IELTS writing task 1 because it falls into the marking criterion of Grammar.

Dates and Tenses

On your IELTS graph, chart, map, diagram or table, you might find dates. These will tell you what tense to use. See the list below:

No Dates = present tense
Dates in the Past = Past Tense
Dates in the Future = Future Forms
Dates spanning both Past and Future = both Past Tense and Future Forms

Using Passive Voice in IELTS Writing Task 1

There are students who seem to think they will get a high score if they use passive voice. This is not true. You can only use passive voice when it is appropriate and correct to do so. Most writing task 1 will not give you this opportunity. However, if you get a diagram, they are usually a combination of passive and active voice.

Mixing both Past Tense and Future Forms

Here is a sample sentence using both tenses:

In 2010, the number of sales stood at 2 million and is forecast to rise to a peak of 10 million by 2050.

You can see past simple “stood” and future forms of prediction “is forecast to”

IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 Tenses

The examiner will mark you using the same criteria as the AC test, but with one difference in Task Achievement. The IELTS examiner will mark you on the following (each worth 25% of task 1). See below:

- Task Achievement: Purpose, tone and expanding points
- Coherence & Cohesion: Paragraphing, Linking Words
- Vocabulary: Collocations, Spelling and Accuracy
- Grammar: Sentence structure, tenses, punctuation, grammar range and accuracy

For students taking the General Training test. You will use a range of tenses in your letter depending on the aims and purpose. Below are some sample sentences:

I am writing to …. (present continuous)
I visited your store … (past simple)
…the poor service I have received (present perfect)
I hope the problem will be resolved … (future form and future passive)
I had hoped that … (past perfect)

Tips for IELTS Writing Task 1

Academic writing task 1 tips, click below:

All Tips, Model Answers, Free Video Lessons & Practice for IELTS writing task 1

GT writing task 1 tips, click below:

Essential 10 tips

Differences between GT and Academic Writing Task 1

Main IELTS Pages

Develop your IELTS skills with tips, lessons, free videos and more. Click below to find the main pages for IELTS on my website:

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Filed Under: IELTS Writing Task 1 Tagged With: tips

How I Scored 9 in IELTS Reading

by Liz 128 Comments

“How I got Band 9 in IELTS Reading.”

Manal got band score 9 in IELTS reading with band score 8.5 overall. Learn how she did it …

Below are her tips for a high score in GT reading:

Manal’s Story and Tips for Band 9 in Reading

Oh I couldn’t believe in my wildest dreams that I scored a 9.0 in Reading. Reading was one of my weakest areas. After I gave the test, I had a gut feeling telling me that probably I scored a 9.0 in Reading. I even got to check all my answers in Listening as well as Reading.

I re-took the General test. The first time I attempted this test was in October – that time I scored an overall band score of 8.0 with L – 8.5, Reading – 7.0, W – 8.0, S – 9.0. I retook the test specifically to improve my Reading score so obviously I relentlessly practiced tests from the General section of Cambridge IELTS books. I was aiming for a minimum of 8.0 in reading.

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Tips for Getting Band Score 9 in IELTS Reading

Here are some tips and strategies which you could post. Please feel free to make any editions necessary. I like to explain things in detail, otherwise I do not feel satisfied. You can make them more brief and concise.

Tip 1

Effective time management – I can’t stress enough about it. One thing which I meticulously practiced when I did the reading tests was to enforce a strict time division for each section of Reading. Even though in the cambridge books, it states to keep a minimum of 20 minutes for each section. I’d suggest to keep 15 minutes OR less in Section 1 and 2 and to rely solely on skimming and scanning (I mastered to finish Section 1 and 2 in less than 15 minutes leaving me with ample time to solve Section 3 questions). Keep 30 minutes or more for Section 3- where you will need to do a little bit more than skimming and scanning. I usually managed to have 5-10 minutes for revision.

Tip 2

Do not bother reading the passages. It’s a waste of time.

First, read the questions and circle the keywords and then try to look for those keywords or a synonym / paraphased text in the passage. For Section 1 and 2 – skimming and scanning will be your best friends.

I didn’t even waste time reading Section 3. I just read the text associated with the questions.

Tip 3

One strategy that worked for me best was “not to overthink” when you are solving the reading questions and to go with your gut instincts – there is no time to think during the 60 minutes of tackling reading questions. Especially this applies to me, because I tend to overthink and over analyze a lot when I am stressed. I struggled a lot with the true false questions. But as I trained myself not to overthink, if the text is there either it will be the same meaning as the question or opposite. If text is not there – not given.

Tip 4

For paragraph heading questions, only read the first and last sentence of each paragraph. A synonym or a related keyword in the heading title should be there. I also sometimes to be on the safe side for some questions read the second sentence as well.

Tip 5

Although, you will keep hearing from people practice and practice. I personally believe practice is inefficient if you do not learn from your incorrect answers. So it really helps to look at your mistakes and compare with the correct answers in the answer key and to reflect on where you made the mistake. I feel that way – you learn more efficiently.

Hope that helps.

Manal

Comments from IELTS Liz

Thanks so much for sharing your tips, Manal. I think many students will benefit from this and also be inspired to keep aiming for the higher scores 🙂

Anyone who would like to add more tips, please post them in the comments box below 🙂

Useful Links for IELTS Reading:

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Filed Under: IELTS Reading, Tips from Successful IELTS Candidates Tagged With: IELTS Candidate Tips

IELTS Writing Task 1 Answer 2017

by Liz 51 Comments

Below is an IELTS writing task 1 answer for 2017. The bar charts were reported by a student in February 2017 and recreated as accurately as possible. Please remember that IELTS do not release question or answers for each test. So, all reported tasks and questions are from students who have recently taken the test and have recreated their questions.

You can find links to more model answers for writing task 1 on this page: IELTS Writing Task 1, model answers & tips

IELTS Writing Task 1 Bar charts 2017

Download the above writing task 1 as pdf: IELTS 2017 Writing Task 1

IELTS Writing Task 1 Answer 2017

The two bar charts illustrate the population growth as well as the birth and death rates in England and Wales between 1700 and 2000. The population is given in millions, while the birth and death rates are per 1000 people.

Overall, there was a dramatic increase in the population of England and Wales over the 400 years. The birth and death rates initially witnessed a growth but then steadily declined over the period given. The birth rate was constantly higher than the death rate over the period given.

The population of England and Wales stood at under 10 million in 1700 which then doubled to around 15 million in 1800. By 2000, the figure had reached a high of almost 50 million, almost 5 times that of the population in 1700.

The birth rate was just under 10 per 1000 in 1700 and rose dramatically to peak at over 20 per 1000 in 1800 before dropping to slightly over 10 in the final century. The death rate showed a similar trend but was between 5 and 10 per 1000 less than the birth rate at all times.

187 words (I have put the word count for you. You shouldn’t do this in the test.)

Would you like to see more model answers for writing task 1? See the main pages below and click on IELTS Writing Task 1

Main IELTS Pages

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Filed Under: IELTS Writing Task 1 Tagged With: Band Score 9 IELTS Writing Task 1, bar chart, model task 1

IELTS Tops Scores Feb 2017: Band Score 9

by Liz 51 Comments

Hi guys,

I thought you would like to see some of the top scores that some students have achieved last month (Feb 2017). I want you all to know that top scores in IELTS are possible.

Below you can also find useful IELTS preparation tips 🙂

Overall Band Score 9

Two students achieved OVERALL BAND SCORE 9 !!!

See their results below:

Saif: L 8.5, R 8.5, W 9 and S 9 = overall band 9. His personal details have been removed from the certificate. He mentioned in his email:

“You can also mention that I only used your videos as study material for test preparation. I watched around ten of your videos and that was good enough to get an understanding of the test layout.”

Below are links to my videos and tips

2. Niharika: L 9, R 9, W 8.5 and S 8.5 = overall band 9

“I already shared my scores on your blog post about the test results (N G CST is the username). Please feel free to share my results/experience with others. Reading others’ experiences helped me tremendously and I think sharing my experience will definitely be useful. I resat for IELTS exam on 11 February 2017 in Saint Paul, USA.” Her speaking score went from 7.5 to band 8.5 after taking the test again. You can see her scores posted on my Post Results Page

Below are some of the tips for speaking I gave her:

Part 1 – Listen for the grammar in the question. Past tense question = past tense answer. Second conditional question = 2nd conditional answer. This is an English language test – show the accuracy of your language. For example:

Q: Can you swim?

A: Yes, I can but I wish you could do better and had more time to practice.

This demonstrates the right grammatical answer “can you = I can” and also future forms by adding hopes.

You will know the topics in part 1 because the examiner will say “Lets talk about sport” – then you know you will get 3 or 4 questions about sport. Or “moving on to weather” – now the topic has changed to weather. Listen for the topic and give examples of topic vocab.

Part 2

This is a chance for you to control the language you produce. A chance for you to show you deserve a high score by giving examples of great English.

Showcase your skills. You can add any information and change the prompts – but stick to the topic and pay attention to grammar tenses. Because you can add anything, it means you should be speaking for 2 mins. There is no reason to stop – you can say anything!!!!! So, show the examiner you have no problem to speak at length – fluency!!

Part 3

Discussion. This is chance to you to explain your ideas and develop ideas. It is not because you are marked on ideas, it is because you can show higher level language. The examiner doesn’t care what you think – only what your English is like. So, explain in depth and use higher level English.

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Overall Band Score 8.5

6 students got an IELTS overall band score of 8.5 this month.

Gurinda = L 8, R 9, W 7.5 and S 8.5
Kristine = L 9, R 8.5, W 7.5 and S 9
Rohan = L 8.5, R 9, W 7.5 and S 8.5
Patricia = L 9, R 9, W 8.5 and S 8.5
M Harris = L 9, R 8.5, W 7.5 and S 8.5
Ajuraj = L 8.5, R 8.5, W 9 and S 7

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Overall Band Score 8 or 7.5

11 students got an overall score of 8
13 students got an overall score of 7.5

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IELTS Preparation Tips

Nobody finds IELTS very easy. Even band score 9 students need to prepare and develop the right skills for the test. Here are a couple of tips for your preparation. Click the links to open useful pages:

Learn everything you can about the test. Learn the rules. Learn what is allowed and not allowed. See my IELTS Information page to learn as much as you can about the IELTS Test.
Develop your English. For speaking and writing, you need to avoid making errors in vocabulary and grammar. Find some Useful Websites to help you.
Learn tips to ensure you use the right techniques, practice and FREE VIDEO LESSONS. Click below to open page:
Start learning Ideas for IELTS Topics and also Vocabulary for IELTS Topics
Never do your IELTS test until you have practiced a real IELTS test at home under the time limit. You need to get the IELTS Cambridge Test books

Well done to all of you who have done so well in your tests!!!

And good luck to all of you about to take your test!!

Liz

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Archives for March 2017

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Band Score 9 in IELTS Speaking

How I scored Band 9 in IELTS Speaking

Liz’s Comments and Summary:

Useful Links for IELTS Speaking

Instructions for Listening Practice

Listening Practice for Names 1

Listening Practice for Names 2

More IELTS Listening Practice

Main IELTS Pages

Get my free lessons by email

Academic Writing Task 1 Tenses to Use

IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 Tenses

Tips for IELTS Writing Task 1

Main IELTS Pages

Get my free lessons by email

Manal’s Story and Tips for Band 9 in Reading

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IELTS Writing Task 1 Bar charts 2017

IELTS Writing Task 1 Answer 2017

Main IELTS Pages

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Overall Band Score 9

Overall Band Score 8.5

Overall Band Score 8 or 7.5

IELTS Preparation Tips

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