Hi guys,

I want to check how much you understand about Overviews in IELTS writing task 1 for the academic paper. There are six kinds of writing task 1:

• bar charts
• pie charts
• line graphs
• tables
• maps
• diagrams (processes)

Questions to You

1. Do you think all types of writing task 1 above require an Overview?
2. Do you think the Overview is very important?

Answers

The answers are now available.

Click below to see the answers, get tips and free video lessons:

Answers about Overview in IELTS Writing Task 1

All the best

Liz

Below you will find:

• the questions
• the audio recording
• the transcript
• the answers

to the listening for paraphrases exercise about Salt.

Try listening to the recording again and read the transcript at the same time. If you can speak out loud by following my voice, it will help your speaking skills and pronunciation 🙂

Questions

Write down the paraphrases in the recording for the following words:

1. acquired
2. familiar with
3. thousands of years
4. animal skins
5. limited
6. originates
7. world

Recording

Transcript

Early human hunters obtained their salt from eating animal meat. As they turned to agriculture and their diet changed, they found that salt (maybe as sea water) gave vegetables the same salty flavour they were accustomed to with meat. Over many millennia, they learned how salt helped to preserve food, heal wounds and also cure hides.  Nomadic bands would have carried salt with them and traded it with other bands for different goods. In Ancient Rome, salt was a scarce and expensive commodity, and soldiers were even partly paid in salt which is where the word “salary” comes from. The history of salt can be seen to have had a great impact on many aspects of life and culture across the globe.

Source: Adapted from http://www.saltassociation.co.uk/education/salt-history/

Answers

1. acquired = obtained
2. familiar with = accustomed to
3. thousands of years = millennia
4. animal skins = hides
5. limited = scarce
6. originates = comes from
7. world = globe

Comments from Liz

I’m glad you found this lesson useful. The lesson had easy answers and also difficult answers, such as the word “hides”. I hope through these exercises, you will improve your ability to hear paraphrases and also develop your vocabulary. I will make more of these lessons for you 🙂

 

Mania achieved band score 9 overall in her IELTS test (academic).

You will see that IELTS Band Score 9 is possible!!!

Below she shares her tips for how she scored band 9.

Mania’s IELTS Results: Overall Band 9

• Listening: 9
• Reading: 8.5
• Writing: 9
• Speaking: 9

My test center was in San Francisco, CA, and I took the academic module.
Given that my English was already at a good level, it took me 5 days to study for the test, while working full-time. Please keep in mind I speak/write in English in my daily life, and had also acquired plenty of English degrees / certifications as a high school student; therefore there was no type of question in IELTS that I had never seen before.

IELTS Band Score 9 Tips

My tips for other individuals in my position are the following:

Listening: Probably the easiest part for all good language users. Your time should mostly be spent identifying the different question styles you might encounter. I took 1 practice test and looked at a couple more.

Reading: Remember that T/F/Not Given questions refer to what the text actually says, not what you think. The rest of the questions should be again very easy to handle for good language users. Again, I mostly spent time looking at question styles, rather than taking tests (only took 2 practice tests, mainly for the T/F/NG questions).

Speaking: My biggest fear was that the few minutes/seconds I had for each answer would not be enough to actually make a point (I talk A LOT). However, the examiner interacted with me to lead the discussion accordingly, which actually made it feel like an every day discussion. Fun fact: she kept me an extra 15 minutes after the recording for an actual conversation! In terms of practising, I looked at a few topics just to get an idea of what to expect, and then I just let the generic ones (hometown, family, profession etc) brew in my mind the days before the exam. Again, remember I speak English every day, and it does make a difference.

Writing: Of course, the fear for even the greatest language users is time. You might be able to compose your essays very fast, but in my opinion there is a risk of overthinking things, wanting to give more arguments and/or expand on sophisticated ideas the topic might trigger in your brain, which will actually cause you to lose valuable time. On the day of my exam, I met another woman who was an excellent speaker and had been living in the US for years – even had a green card. After the exam, she told me she ran out of time in the Writing section, what a pity! In a nutshell, look at Liz’s sample essays and identify how your ideal structure should be. When developing arguments, I prefer to stick to 2 arguments for each side of the topic, as I am able to expand on each one of them (it was actually impossible for me to stay under 300 words for Writing Task 2). The instructions Liz gives are super clear, just stick to the “approved” recipe! They don’t actually care how much of a thinker you are. Needless to say the Writing section is the one I focused my studying on. I wrote a total of 4 essays for each Writing task (not much more I could do in a week full of work!), and I self-corrected them in terms of how they could be more concise. After writing the first one and seeing I should write less, I studied the model essays provided here and then wrote the rest of my own; the improvement was significant.

Good luck to everyone! Once again, thank you, Liz!

Comments from Liz

Very well done Mania!! Band 9 is a Fantastic Result!

I agree very much with your preparation for listening and reading. Of course, it is important to do practice tests at home, but you also need to focus on question types. There are many different types of questions that involve different techniques and have different challenges – you need to be prepared for them all. Speaking is all about being ready for general topics and using ideas in a fluid way with different topics. The examiner is not marking your ideas, so you need to prepare your own memories and stories, and also think of your own opinions. Mania, you are spot on for writing 🙂

Hi guys,

Here are some tips about how to address the examiner. I asked you if you should use Sir or Madam when speaking to the examiner in your IELTS speaking test. You all had very different opinions about that. Let me explain.

Using Sir or Madam Tips

Informal

The IELTS speaking test is informal. This means you speak to the examiner in a friendly manner as through you were chatting to a friend. Yes, you should be polite, but you do not use Sir or Madam.

Referring to the Examiner

The only questions you might ask in the test are:

• Could you repeat that please?
• Could you explain what you mean please? (only in part 3)

When you ask these questions you do NOT use Sir or Madam. It is actually incorrect to do so. The word “please” is the polite way of asking, no titles are needed.

When is Sir or Madam Used?

Sir and Madam are mainly used:

1. in the hospitality industry when you are working in a hotel, for example, and you speak to a customer
2. in formal letter writing when you do not know the name of the person you are writing to.

You do not refer to people in the street or doctors or teachers or anyone else as Sir or Madam. You should not refer to me as Madam.

Using the Examiner’s Name

The examiner will introduce their name. You can use it or not use it – it’s up to you. It is certainly not necessary to use their name. If you use their name, then you will use their first name. For example, if the examiner’s name is Sarah Biggins, you will call the examiner Sarah.

Conclusion

You should NOT use Sir or Madam in the IELTS speaking test. Your politeness to the examiner is by smiling, looking them in the eye when they are talking to you and when you talk to them, and saying “please” when you ask a question.

Notice:

I wish to make it clear again.  I DO NOT OFFER A QUESTION/ANSWER SERVICE.

Always remember when you post a comment that I do not offer an answer service. I am sorry that many students will not receive a reply to their comments, but I work alone and cannot possibly reply to everyone. Always read comments written to other students in the past – you might find your answer there. This is not a conspiracy on my part, this is life – I can’t answer 2500 comments every month. Please do not get upset if your comment is not answered.

IELTS Liz website is to give you access to over 300 pages of lessons, tips, model answers and free video lessons. The materials on this site are extensive and you can learn a lot from them – this is the sole purpose of my site – to provide you access to my lessons. It is not my aim to provide an answer service.

Please enjoy the using and learning from my lessons and tips.

All the best

Liz

 

Hi guys,

I thought some of you would like to see this video about Overview or Conclusion I made a while ago. It is found on the main page for writing task 1 which you can access through the red bar at the top of the website.

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/zjzuxyVlkR8″]

Hope you find the lesson useful 🙂

All the best

Liz

Hi guys,

I have added the list of essay questions for February to my list on this page, click here: Jan & Feb Topics for IELTS WT2.

Please remember that I am still on holiday until May and won’t be answering questions.

Thanks

Liz

Below are the answers to the reading practice lessons about the ancient city of Caral. If you have not completed this reading lesson, please finish it before looking at the questions below. Click here to complete the lesson: Reading Lesson Caral City

Questions: Are the following statements True False or Not Given based on the passage above?

1. The city did not include housing for its citizens.
2. As far as the eye could see, the landscape was arid.
3. The largest pyramid is 60 feet in height in Caral.
4. Caral had a bigger population than most cities at that time.
5. Caral is thought to have provided a prototype for subsequent civilisations.

Answers

1. FALSE
   1. The passage clearly states there were “residential areas”. This means areas for citizens to live = housing.
2. FALSE
   1. It does not matter where the person is in the city to view the surroundings. The passage shows that the city was “overlooking” a “lush valley”. This means a green, fertile valley was visible from the city. Arid means “dry” so the passage shows the opposite.
3. TRUE
   1. “six large pyramids (platform mounds) …. The largest of the mounds … is 60 feet high”
4. NOT GIVEN
   1. There is no information in the passage that compares the population of Caral with other cities.
5. TRUE
   1. “Researchers believe the model of the city was used by many civilizations that came after the Norte Chico.”.

I hope you found this reading lesson useful. For more reading lessons, click here: IELTS Reading Main Page

All the best

Liz

Hi guys,

Please read this full page, particularly the thank you message for my supportive students at the bottom of the post.

As you know, I post regular lessons to help you prepare for your IELTS test. It is something I enjoy and I try to do this once or twice a week. My lessons are usually well designed and aimed to develop awareness of specific skills or to provide vital test information. These regular lessons are all free. I have also written over 300 pages of tips etc which are all free for you and are accessible through the red bar at the top of the website. You should all read those pages before asking questions.

Recently I have been receiving some angry responses from students who demand I answer their questions.

Let me make things clear: I do NOT offer a free answer/question service.  

• So far, I have responded to over 20,000 comments. I cannot respond to ALL comments.
• I currently have around 9,000 comments waiting in moderation (unpublished). I can’t answer them all – most will be deleted.
• Ask a question, but realise you might not get a reply.
• Do NOT demand free individual support.
• I also do NOT offer a free marking service for writing.
• Check the answers I have already given to other students – most questions have been answered before.

Holiday: For health reasons, I will be taking an extended break from this website in Feb, Mar and Apr. I will post a notice when I start my hols. It means I won’t be answering questions or posting lessons but I will keep certain pages open for up-dates.

I hope you all appreciate the work I do and the support I offer students. My website contains more replies to comments than any other IELTS website in existence. Let me give you four idioms relating to this issue:

1. Give an inch and they take a mile.
   1. This means if you give one thing to someone, they demand more and more. Let’s avoid this.
2. Respect is a two way street.
   1. This means you respect me and I will respect you.
3. Pick someone’s brains.
   1. This means to get information or ideas from someone. I know you would all like to pick my brains, but I am only one person – take it easy on me 🙂
4. Great minds think alike.
   1. This is used when people have similar ideas to each other. I hope, from this point onwards, we will all have similar understanding 🙂

The majority of students on my site are polite, kind and supportive – to you, I wish to say thank you. It is your support and encouragement that helps me continue 🙂

USEFUL LINKS for IELTS

Read this carefully:

1. All main pages for IELTS (which contain 300 pages of free materials, tips etc) are accessed through the RED BAR at the top of the website. You MUST visit those main pages for the tips and lessons: Click on the Red Bar
2. There are excellent, vital pages linked in the right hand side column of each page. Read them.
3. Also read the comments boxes which contain thousands of extra tips and pieces of advice. Most questions have already be asked and answered before.
4. For basic test information (using pens, pencils, handwriting, answer sheets etc), see the Test Information page.
5. Again, let me repeat – there are over 300 pages of tips, model answers and lessons – all free. Use them to find your answers and use them to learn IELTS.

I wish you all good luck with your tests 🙂

All the best

Liz