Improving Sentences: E-books and paper books

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Improve your academic writing skills for IELTS writing task 2.

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

Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

The statements below are taken from a student’s essay and contain some mistakes. Can you re-write these sentences so that they are not only correct but also higher band score?

  1. In my point of view, reading digital books have more advantages compared with printed books.
  2. First and foremost, E-book is been accessed, nowadays, easily by the people in a fraction of seconds through the advanced modern communication technologies.
  3. Secondly, buying an electronic version books are easier than the printed paper books.
  4. On the other hand, People health will affect when they spend more time to read books by using the modern gadgets such as laptop, mobile phones and tablets.
  5. In conclusion, in my view, electronic version books bring more pleasure and easily to access.

Try writing the sentences for yourself before you check the answers.Answers

  1. In my opinion, reading digital books has more advantages compared to printed books. (“reading digital books” is the subject and it is actually singular so the verb must be “has” not “have”)
  2. First and foremost, e-books can be easily accessed by people in only a fraction of a second through the use of advanced modern technology. ( The phrase “a fraction of a second” can’t be plural and must be written as it is. It’s a nice phrase to use and can be used for academic writing – just make sure you write it correctly)
  3. Secondly, buying electronic books online is easier for the consumer than purchasing printed paper books.
  4. On the other hand, spending too much time reading e-books on bright screens from gadgets such as laptops or tablets, can have an adverse effect on people’s health.
  5. In conclusion, I think that e-books are more accessible to both read and buy for the consumer than conventional paper books.

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IELTS Two Line Graph: Sample Answer & Exercise

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Here is an IELTS line graph sample answer describing two lines. You must fill in the gaps to complete the model writing task 1. Answers are given below. If you wish to learn more vocabulary for a line graph, follow the link.

The line graph below shows radio and television audiences throughout the day in 1992.

Source: Graph below was not designed by IELTS Liz. Source unknown.


two line graphs

Line Graph Sample Answer

Fill in the gaps to complete the sample answer for the above line graph. You can use more than one word in each answer.

The line graph illustrates the (1) ………………………… of people listening to the radio and watching TV who were over the age of 4  in (2) …………………… period, in the UK from October to December 1992.

Overall, the (3)…………………….. of people listened to the radio in the morning while (4)………………. people watched TV in the evening. Over the 24 hour period, there were more people watching TV than there were listening to the radio.

(5)……………………. the TV, at 1am there were under 10% of people watching TV. This (6)…………………………… remained relatively (7)…………….. until 11am when there was a (8)……………. increase in people watching TV before (9)………….. at approximately 45% at around 9pm. After that time, there was a (10)…………… drop in viewers to under 20% by midnight.

Similarly, the percentage of listeners to the radio also began low at under 5%. After continuing at under 5%, the figure then rose (11)……………… to a (12) …………. of almost 30% at about 8am. From that point, the proportion of audience (13) ………………. in a gradual (14)……………… trend to 5% at the (15) ………. of the day.

Answers
  1. proportion / percentage
  2. a 24 hour
  3. majority
  4. most
  5. Regarding / With regard to / In regard to
  6. figure
  7. stable / constant
  8. steady / gradual
  9. peaking
  10. sharp / rapid / dramatic / sudden / considerable / significant
  11. sharply / rapidly / dramatically / suddenly / considerably / significantly
  12. peak / high
  13. fluctuated
  14. downward
  15. end

 

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IELTS Writing Penalty for Being Under Words

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“Under the word count” penalty update for IELTS Writing Task 2 

As you see on the page below, previously you would have a fixed penalty of band score 5 for Task Response in IELTS writing task 2 if you wrote under the word count which is 250 words. This rule has now been removed.

Does this mean you can now write under the word count?

The answer to this is yes and no. Let me explain. It is possible to write under the word count and you will get no fixed penalty. But will it impact your score?

Writing a short essay which is under 250 words will definitely impact your score and not in a good way. The requirements of good band score are that you develop your ideas sufficiently. This means you must have enough words to develop your main points. A short essay doesn’t do this. Take a look below at the requirements of Task Response regarding this:

  • Band 5 = ideas are limited and not sufficiently developed
  • Band 6 = ideas might be inadequately developed
  • Band 7 = extends main ideas
  • Band 8 = presents well-developed response with extended ideas
  • Band 9 = fully extended ideas

As you see, developing and extending your main points is crucial to increase your score. You cannot develop your ideas properly if your body paragraphs are too short. Certainly, a long paragraph is no guarantee of a well-developed idea, but a short paragraph will ensure it is not developed enough. So, you need two things: 1) body paragraphs that are long enough to be considered developed.  2) body paragraphs containing sentences that are focused and relevant. Basically, the right length and focused.

What word limits do you recommend for paragraphs?

  • Your introduction is a functional paragraph of just two statements usually about 40-50 words.
  • Each body paragraph MUST be sufficiently developed for a high score. If you have two body paragraphs, it’ll be about 95 words per paragraph and about 65 words for three body paragraphs. Having less might put you at risk of not having sufficiently developed main points.
  • The conclusion is also a functional paragraph of about 30-40 words.

In total, your essay should be around 270 – 290 words in length. If you write less, your ideas might not be developed enough for a high score. If you write more, your ideas might lack focus and sentences might lack relevancy. See my model essays on this page: IELTS Writing Task 2 Lessons & Tips

Word count Rules Previously Used by IELTS Before

There used to be a fixed penalty in IELTS writing if you wrote under the word count which is 150 words for writing task 1 and 250 words for writing task 2.  You would automatically get only band 5 in Task Response which counts for 25% of your marks.

Other things affecting your score

  1. Your handwriting – if the examiner has problems reading your handwriting, your band score can be seriously affected.
  2. Memorised answer – if your essay answer is memorised, it will not be accepted and could result in a 0 band score.
  3. Limited answer – if you fail to answer the whole question and only answer half of it, you will not get above band score 5 in task response.

Is there a penalty for writing too much?

No, there is no upper limit. However, writing too many words does not mean you will get a better mark. In fact, it might cause problems.  It might include sentences that are less relevant and less focused. People often like to add “padding” to their essays but this only lowers your score. See this page: How Many Words is Recommended for Writing Task 2

Recommended

For more answers to questions about IELTS writing task 2, follow the link.

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IELTS Reading: Sentence Completion – Tips & Practice

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IELTS Reading Sentence Completion Practice with Essential Tips. These questions require excellent paraphrasing skills and the ability to locate information quickly. Below are two practice reading lessons with techniques for tackling the questions. Having the right approach is essential. IELTS reading is a time sensitive test – get used to the questions now so you can save time in your test.

IELTS Reading Sentence Completion Tips

These are usually a short collection of sentences which are incomplete. They have gaps in them which you need to fill with a word, words and possibly numbers.

Instructions for Sentence Completion Reading Questions

IELTS Reading Sentence Completion Question

You need to answer using No More than Three Words and/or a Number. This means you can have less that three words, three words but not more than three words (not four words). And your words can be with a number or it is possible to have a number only.

Not noticing the word limit is one reason people lose points this with type of question.

Essential Tips for Success

Many people think these types of questions are familiar and therefore not worth practicing. That is a big mistake. These questions can be very challenging. Read the tips below very carefully so that you get your mind into gear for this type of reading question.

Tip 1: Grammar

In the question, you can see there is a gap missing in the sentence. Grammar will definitely help you because the answer you add to the sentence must make the whole sentence grammatically correct. The grammar will tell you what type of answer fits in the gap. For example, if you see the word “a”. before the gap, you know you are looking for a noun.

  • We use articles (a/the) before some compound nouns, such as a book shop. Compound nouns are individual nouns made of two or more words.
  • We also use an article before an adjective with a noun, such as a white feather.
  • The article “a” also means you are looking for a countable noun, not an uncountable noun. For example, we cannot have a traffic congestion because traffic congestion is uncountable. Click here for a list of common uncountable nouns.

This with this knowledge, you can now look for a very specific word or words in the passage. Once you know what you need for your answer, return to the passage to locate the information in one of the paragraphs. Then analyse meaning of that area of the passage carefully to decide the answer.

Tip 2 – Keywords

The question will also have keywords which you need to identify. These keywords will help you locate the area of the passage where that information is located. These words can sometimes be words that have no paraphrase, in which case you can look directly for that word. For example, the word “penguin” has no equal so if it is in the question, you’ll also find it in the passage.

Other keywords might be paraphrased so prepare those paraphrases before you try to locate the answer in the passage. For example, in the image above of the example sentence completion question, one of the keywords is the word imminent and the other keyword would be water pollution. Those words will help you locate the answer.

Tip 3 – Paraphrasing

To locate the answer in the passage. This requires the use of your paraphrasing skills and this can involve synonyms. You might be looking in the passage for a single word with the same or similar meaning as in the question. Looking back at the image of the example sentence completion question, one of the keywords is imminent. What synonyms could be used to paraphrase that word in the passage? Well, possible synonyms are: impending, fast approaching, unavoidable, immediate. As you see, some of those words are perfect synonyms and others only similar in meaning depending on the context. Also, the paraphrase might not be one word matches one word, but instead it could be a phrase, for example, on the horizon or about to happen.

However, paraphrasing isn’t always about synonyms (matching words). Instead, it might be that the meaning is found scattered in various sentences. For example, water pollution might not be paraphrased with a synonym, but instead illustrated throughout three sentences:

There has been a lot contamination in various areas of the town. There have been reports of this in the central lakes around the city center which have affected trade for tourism. Furthermore, some of the rivers on the outskirts have also been hit.

Tip 4 – Read Around the Keywords 

This leads directly on from Tip 3. When you locate the sentence or sentences with the keywords in the passage, you must read around that area. Keywords are mostly about helping you locate the area of the passage that the answer is in. But deciding the correct answer might mean reading a few sentences before and after the keywords. So, you will read backwards and forwards in the passage to understand all details and context before deciding your answer. One of the biggest mistakes people make is focusing only on one sentence in the passage. Certainly, you can do that for some questions, but definitely not for all.

Tip 5 – Writing answers correctly

The answer will always be a word, words or numbers taken directly from the passage. You do not paraphrase or alter the word for your answer. You must write the precise word as it is shown in the passage. And don’t forget that spelling counts. Luckily, on the computer test, you can copy and paste words.

Tip 6 – Don’t waste time

Also note – answers will come in order in the passage. This is essential to know so that you don’t waste time reading all over the passage for an answer. If you struggle to find the answer to question 4, carry to to question 5 and then come back to question 4 after. Once you have the answer to question 5, you will know that you can find question 4 answer in the area of the passage between the answer for 3 and 5. Success in IELTS reading often relies on strategy. And strategy often relies on your knowledge of the test.

IELTS Reading Sentence Completion Practice Lessons

Below are two reading passages for you. The aim is to develop your understanding and technique to approach these types of reading questions. Enjoy!

Reading Practice Lesson 1

Neighbourhood Badgers

Badgers in gardens can be a delight. A nightly treat that householders all over the country look forward to. But for some, they are at the very least unwelcome visitors, threatening cherished pristine lawns and carefully cultivated vegetables because badgers find food where they can and have little respect for people’s efforts in gardening. Often unseen and unheard, they wander quietly into gardens at night, feeding on the earthworms, grubs, snails and slugs they find in lawns and borders before moving on. In their wake, they leave only the slightest clues, an odd small snuffle hole here and there, showing where they obviously sought out their nightly treat. If it is suspected there is a badger sett in a garden, expert advice should be sought. It’s easy to know if there is one by the many holes you’ll find which tunnel down to various living chambers in their underground sett. People should not try to interfere with them in this situation, as it is against the law. Badgers will not cause people any harm or pass on diseases so they should be left to live quietly in their residence but their presence should be reported to an expert who can rehome them if necessary.

There are some fascinating facts about badgers. Badgers are extremely clean animals and do not take food into their setts preferring to eat out in the open and retain a clean living area underground. They are remarkably suited to their purpose of digging, having powerful claws and limbs. American badgers even have a third eyelid that keeps out grains of sand and soil. Interestingly, the idiom we know as “to badger someone” comes from an old sport of Badger Baiting rather than their actual character. The idiom actually means to tell someone to do something or to question them again and again and again – incessantly without let up. No wonder badgers sometimes get such a bad rep.

Questions 1 -6: Use no more than two words and/or a number for your answer.

  1. While badgers are seen as a delight by some people, others see them as ………………IELTS Reading Sentence Completion Practice Lessson: About Badgers
  2. A ………….. is a sure way to know a badger has visited a garden.
  3. It is best  not to …………… with badgers if they have  made a home in your garden.
  4. Badgers do not transmit ………….. to humans.
  5. Badgers are built for digging and some also have a protective ……………….. .
  6. The idiom “to badger someone” is unrelated to the ……………….. of badgers.

VOCABULARY & ANSWERS

Click below for vocabulary review and answers.

Vocab Builder
  • cherished = to hold something dear to you / close to your heart
  • pristine = immaculate / unspoilt
  • lawn – garden
  • in their wake = what is left behind when someone leaves
  • grubs = larvae of insects
    • note, the word “grub” is also a very informal slang word sometimes used meaning “food”. For example, “My son loves his grub” means he loves his food.
  • snuffle = sniff / a noise made with the nose
  • badger sett = a badger home which has underground chambers connected by tunnels
  • limbs = arms and legs
ANSWERS
  1. UNWELCOME (VISITORS)
  2. SNUFFLE HOLE
  3. INTERFERE
  4. DISEASES
  5. (THIRD) EYELID
    1. In answer keys, the brackets are used to show when a word is optional in the answer.
    2. You cannot use brackets in your listening test.
  6. CHARACTER

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Reading Practice Lesson 2

Water Pollution

Clean and plentiful water provides the foundation for prosperous communities. We rely on clean water to survive, yet right now we are heading towards a water crisis. Changing climate patterns are threatening lakes and rivers, and key sources that we tap for drinking water are being overdrawn or tainted with pollution. NRDC experts are helping to secure safe and sufficient water for people and the environment by:

  • Promoting water efficiency strategies to help decrease the amount of water wasted;
  • Protecting our water from pollution by defending the Clean Water Act and advocating for solutions like green infrastructure;
  • Helping prepare cities, counties and states for water-related challenges they will face as a result of climate change; and
  • Ensuring that waterways have enough water to support vibrant aquatic ecosystems.

Dirty water is the world’s biggest health risk, and continues to threaten both quality of life and public health in the United States. When water from rain and melting snow runs off roofs and roads into our rivers, it picks up toxic chemicals, dirt, trash and disease-carrying organisms along the way. Many of our water resources also lack basic protection, making them vulnerable to pollution from factory farms, industrial plants, and activities like fracking. This can lead to drinking water contamination, habitat degradation and beach closures. NRDC is working to protect our water from pollution by:

  • Drawing on existing protections in the Clean Water Act, and working to ensure that the law’s pollution control programs apply to all important waterways, including headwater streams and wetlands, which provide drinking water for 117 million Americans;
  • Improving protections to reduce pollutants like bacteria and viruses, which threaten Americans’ health and well being; and
  • Establishing new pollution limits for top problem areas, such as sources of runoff and sewage overflows.

Questions 1-5

Complete the sentences below with the correct word(s) taken from the passage. Use no more than three words and/or a number.

  1. The keystone to any thriving society is to have …………..and ……….. water.
  2. With the increase in water pollution a ………………. is imminent.
  3. One way to help keep water clean is by the construction of …………………..
  4. Dirty water can be a ………………. as chemicals and other pollutants enter the water supply.
  5. Due to a lack of ……………….., some of our water resources are at risk of pollution.

Note: If you struggle with these questions, go back and read Tip 6 again.

Answers

Click to reveal the answers below:

Answers
  1. clean   plentiful
    1. you should not put the word “and” in your answer because it would make the sentence grammatically incorrect.
    2. you must have both words for a correct answer.
  2. (water) crisis
  3. green infrastructure
  4. health risk
  5. basic protection /protection
    1. In answer keys, optional answers are usually written like this – (basic) protection. The use of brackets shows the option or options for extra words in the answer. You cannot do this in your test. You must choose one answer only.

All reading exercises on ieltsliz.com have been written by myself to help you prepare for your IELTS test.   

Liz

Vocab Builder
  • foundation = keystone / bedrock
  • prosperous = thriving / flourishing
  • key = vital / critical / major
  • tainted = contaminated / polluted  / fouled / spoiled
  • advocating = backing / supporting
  • vibrant = alive / energetic
  • toxic = lethal / deadly / poisonous

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I hope you found the lessons useful. All the best, Liz

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IELTS Essay Ideas: Banning Mobile Phones

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IELTS Essay Question about Banning Mobile Phones in Public Places: IELTS Writing Task 2. This essay question can appear in both the Academic and GT IELTS test. It appeared in 2020 and then in other years after that, including 2024. See below to get useful ideas and language for tackling this essay question.

IELTS Essay Question: Banning Mobile Phones

Some people think that the use of mobiles (cell) phones should be banned in public places such a in libraries and shop and on public transport. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Ideas & Vocabulary for Banning Mobile Phones Topic

I’ve underlined some useful language to use for this topic.

Reasons for Banning Mobile Phones in Public Places

  • Phones can be intrusive. (uninvited noise)
  • Phones can disturb others when they are concentrating, for example in a library.
  • They are antisocial as people are too busy sending messages to talk to the people in front of them, for example in a shop when they are being served.
  • The signal can cause problems in some public places, such as hospitals, by interfering with delicate instruments or equipment.
  • In some public place, such as libraries, music halls or galleries, phones can annoy and ruin the experience for others.
  • Phones have many functions such as recording video which can intrude on people’s privacy rights if they are unknowingly filmed in the background.

Reasons for Not Banning Mobiles Phones in Public Places

  • Mobiles do not need to be intrusive as they can easily be turned to silent or vibrate.
  • Phones can be useful in case of emergencies, for instance accidents in public places.
  • Phones can provide entertainment when travelling on tedious journeys, particularly on public transport.
  • Phones are multi-functional and are useful for online banking, researching information and texting which can be extremely useful and are not intrusive features to use public.
  • They are useful for families overseas to get in touch with each other.
  • They provide a safety net for youngsters because they are able to call for help or contact their parents whenever they need.

Concessions

  • mobile phones should be banned in places where they interfere with equipment, interrupt a service or break rules, such as in a library, but in all other public places they should be allowed as long as they are used with respect to others

Recommended

Please note that some of the above ideas are not connected to the exact essay question (for example, they include ideas about banning phones in hospitals or museums – these are ideas just to help you with the general topic rather than the exact essay question)

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IELTS Listening Map Techniques & Practice

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Maps frequently appear in the IELTS listening test. They can appear in any section, although it is more common to find them in Section 2. Below you will find useful tips and techniques to tackle a map completion question in IELTS listening with some map practice lessons as well to hone your skills.

IELTS Listening Maps: Essential Tips

Below are a few tips and techniques to help you tackle map questions in IELTS listening. Hopefully you will already have prepared language for maps because they do appear in IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic test.

  1. Maps can appear in any part of the listening test, although they appear more often in section 2. Section 2 is one speaker talking about something of general interest, such as a museum or, in the practice lesson below, a farm.
  2. Maps are visual so there is a lot to look at in a short amount of time before the recording begins. For this reason, you need to be ready to tackle this type of question.
  3. First notice the title which tells you what the map is showing.
  4. Notice next the number of buildings, facilities or rooms. Notice their names and their location.
    • Maps will nearly always have rooms and buildings labelled to help you. These words are likely to appear in the recording.
    • When you see the location of the places on the map, you’ll be able to recognise the type of language you might hear, such as:
      • beyond, next to, after that, further in, to the side, to the left, to the east, opposite, at the end of the road, by the gate etc.
  5. Then check the location of the questions. The questions will come in order in the recording, but they might be placed in different parts of the map. So, make sure you know where they are on the map and which order they are in so you can move to the next question easily.
  6. Locate north. This is often helpful if it is given on the map.
  7. See if there are any arrows or if the map shows a logical path that the speaker might take as they talk about the place. Don’t forget that the speaker will always give information in a logical order as they describe the place.
  8. Always note how many words you need for the answers. Many people forget to read the instructions properly.
  9. As you move from question to question, follow the order of information in the recording. You’ll notice which places on the map have been mentioned so that you can keep your place in the recording. Getting lost in the recording is a common reason why people miss answers.
  10. Most map recordings are similar to a guided tour which follows a logical order.
  11. Don’t be distracted by extra information. you will hear a lot of extra words. Don’t get lost in detail and focus on listening for those answers.

Now it’s time to practice listening for maps. Use this as learning curve to see where your strengths and weakness lie in tackling these questions.

Practice Lessons for IELTS Map Listening

IELTS Map Listening Practice 1

The Taj Mahal 

In this listening exercise, you will listen for questions 1 to 7 in the recording. But questions 1 and 2 are not map labelling, only questions 3-7 are map labelling. This means you need to listen carefully to know when to move from questions 1-2 to questions 3-7 about the map.

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.

IELTS Map Listening Practice Lesson 1

Recording:

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TRANSCRIPT AND ANSWERS

Click below to reveal the transcript and answers to this lesson. The transcript is given as a way to check answers. You will not get this in the test. I like to provide transcripts so that people can review their answers to see precisely why they got a question right or wrong. With map listening exercises, it’s useful to review language as well.

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

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IELTS Map Listening Practice 2

The Farm

Questions 1 – 4: Complete the diagram using no more than two words.

IELTS Map Listening Practice Lesson 2

RECORDING:

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MAP ANSWERS & TRANSCRIPT

Click below to reveal the transcript, answers and a list of keywords. I suggest you use the transcript after you complete the listening lesson to listen and read, then check the answer key.

Click below:

Transcript

As you drive up the driveway you will immediately arrive in the parking area. You will see to your left the farmhouse where the farmer lives as you drive up and directly to the left of the parking area is the main shed. There are a number of smaller sheds located around the main shed which are not currently labelled on the map. In the northwest corner of the farm is a pasture area which is a wide grassy expanse. It provides rich organic grass for our cows and, along with other types of feed, gives us our organic status and key selling point.  From the parking area, you go east through the milk house, which is used daily, and then into the barn. This is where the cows are often sheltered. On the other side of the barn is the manure storage. To the north you will find the calf hutches which are located just beyond the maternity pens. Only 30% of our cows are used for breeding. In the bottom left corner of the barn is the loading chute. To the south are two circular areas, one of which is the feed storage and the other the deadstock area. We hope you will enjoy looking around our farm and learning about how we manage our cows.

Answers
  1. pasture area
  2. milk house
  3. maternity pens
  4. feed storage
Keywords

Knowing keywords for maps and building plans is essential for success in IELTS listening. Here are some words from the recording.

  • You will see to your left…
  • directly to the left of ….
  • located around
  • which are not currently labelled on the map
  • In the northwest corner
  • From the parking area, you go east
  • On the other side
  • To the north you will find
  • which are located just beyond….
  • In the bottom left corner of the barn
  • To the south are two circular areas

Adapted from royal.gov.uk

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IELTS Direct Question Essay: Success of a Business

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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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Filed Under: IELTS Writing Task 2 Tagged With: ,

Clothes Vocabulary: Formal and Casual

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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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Filed Under: Vocabulary Tagged With: ,
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