In some IELTS books, the listening answers are written using brackets. The common question I am asked is:
Question : Can I use brackets for my answers in IELTS listening or IELTS reading?
Answer: No, you can’t use brackets in your IELTS listening or reading test. Read the information below to understand why.
What are brackets?
Here is an example of some answers using brackets:
- charity (work)
- detail(s)
- (a) reception (room)
Brackets are used to provide optional answers ( more than one answer).
Why are brackets used in IELTS test books?
The brackets are used in the answer keys of books to show different possible answers for one question. It is a quick easy way to show multiple answers. For example:
- charity (work)
- charity or charity work (both answers are correct)
- detail(s)
- detail or details (both answers are correct)
- (a) reception (room)
- reception or a reception or reception room or a reception room (all 4 answers are correct)
Even though the answer key in books show different possible answers, you cannot do that in your test.
You must choose ONE ANSWER ONLY. You can’t give two possible options for your answer. If you think the answer is “detail”, then you must write it like that. You must decide if the answer is plural or singular. If the answer is plural, your answer will be marked wrong. So, take your time deciding if you need to give a plural answer or not. Or if you need to use an article (a/the) or not.
Can you use brackets in your test?
No, not for IELTS listening or IELTS reading. However, if you are taking Academic writing, you can use brackets in your writing task 1 to present data. See the writing section of this website for examples of this.
Want to learn more about IELTS Listening?
If you want to know more about counting words, writing answers and improving your score for IELTS listening, click here: IELTS Listening Free Tips & Lessons
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Hi Liz,
First of all, thank you for being my teacher.
I have a doubt about the specific type of instructions given in the listening test.
I am able to write the answer with the same meaning, but the problem is when I find an answer in the key given as only “one word answer” when the instruction clearly states that “No More Than Three Words And/ Or A Number.”
To be precise, Under key (answers sheet), I can find single word or double word answers when the instruction clearly mentions that no more than “3 words.” Can I still rely on the key sheet and follow it by correcting myself?
My answer for a question is “three times” (3 times as per the key sheet). Will my answer be correct in this case?
My answer for a question is “twenty fifth” (25 as per the key sheet). Will my answer be correct in this case?
For example, under the “No More Than Three Words And/ Or A Number” type instruction, my query is, can I still write like
1. 20 elephants (word and number combination) (Key: Twenty Elephants)
2. 66 (only with number combination) (Key: Sixty Six)
3. The number 44 (two words and a number combination) (Key: Number 44)
4. On the table (all three word combination)
5. In room number 58 (three words with a number combination) (Key: room number 58)
I am now bit worried about my answers assuming that they are wrong by looking at the key sheet.
Kindly suggest the type of answers that are correct in either way. Currently, I am struck with these kinds of doubts in my mind.
Appreciate your help!
It sounds like you are struggling to understand the instructions. You can find a full explanation for the instructions on the main page for listening: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-listening/. Always use the Red Menu Bar at the top of the website to access all main pages. The main listening page also contains links to all my practice listening materials.
About writing numbers as words or digits (for example twenty five or 25), you can find the answer to that question on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-help-faq/. This page contains loads and loads of information about each section of the test. So, all your concerns will be answered on that page.
Take your time to discover all the pages on my website because it is a huge site with so much information to learn from – and it’s all free. I made this site for you all.
Hi dear madam، how we write two or three ans in ielts listening to answer sheet
I don’t understand your comment. Do you mean “write two or three words”? There will always be enough space in the box for each answer to write three words.
If there are 2 answers like nuts and seeds, how to write it:
Nuts and seeds or nuts, seeds
If you write “nuts and seeds” that will be three words. Also, that answer includes the word “and” so if that word isn’t actually needed in the answer, your answer will be marked wrong. If you only need to write two separate words, then you write two separate words “nuts seeds”. No punctuation is needed in the listening test.
mam can we use hyphen (-) like nuts-seeds , is it count as one word ?
That’s right. If the words are connected together with a hyphen, they are counted as one word.
Hi Liz,
When I am practicing ‘Listening’, I came up with these words (warm-up & cross-training), and I wrote them as (warm up & cross training). Can I still get a point if I didn’t mention the hyphen? If not, how can I know when to mention a hyphen?
You can google lists of hyphenated compound nouns. Compound nouns are nouns made of two or more words. Some of them are written as one word, some as two words and some are hyphenated.
can we write alternative answers using a slash in reading part while marking in answer sheet.ex: TRUE\NOT GIVEN
OR for headings or mcq; IV\II ;A\D?
You can’t use slashes or brackets in your answers for the reading or listening test. You choose one answer and give one answer. You can’t give two answers and hope that one is correct.
Thank you so much Liz!!!!! I have my exam on 27 general…
can you suggest me best quick source for writing task 1 & 2
This website contains model answers, tips etc for writing task 1 and task 2 – use the RED Menu Bar to access all my free materials. The GT writing task 1 is at the bottom of the page of the writing task 1 section of the website. Writing Task 2 is the same whether it’s Academic or GT. You can find advanced writing task 2 lessons in my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ good luck!
Sometimes I found answer 5-12 to show gap like allowed age 5-12 So its right if its wrritten use only one word in answer and other things is it neccessary to use hyphens like note-taking etc.
Thanks
There will never ever be a time when the instructions in IELTS do not match the answer. These tests are written by professional test writers and then checked again and again. Most instructions will say “and/or a number” or “and/or numbers”. Always pay attention. If you find an answer like that in the IELTS Cambridge test books (don’t use any other source for full tests), go back to the test and re-read the instructions so you can learn about this.
Regarding your second question, if the compound noun uses a hyphen, you will need to put the hyphen. Not all compound nouns use hyphens.
Hi Mam, I have to know one thing in listening and reading both parts.
If the answer is a plural number(students) and I write a Singular number(students) is it right or wrong?
It would be marked wrong.
Hey liz
In Cambridge test series test 9, peculiarly in reading section where in answer for not more than words have indicated in brackets, for instance “ (the/only) rich “ what if it write the answer as “rich”?
Kindly reply
The words in brackets are only optional and are not actually required for a correct answer.
I have acadamic ielts exam tomorrow ,
Last minute i have a doubt about the listening and writing answer sheets
So can i use all answers in captial letters for both reading and listening answer sheet?
Sure you can, unless the audio recording on the listening test says specifically “lower case”. You can use all upper case for both reading and listening tests. But you should use normal letters for the writing test because the correct use of capital letters is part of your marks for Grammar. Good luck tomorrow!
Thanks liz you are great 😃
You’re welcome 🙂
Greeting,
Liz could you please help me out because i am making this mistake consistently. The answer is (a) Silence in the answer booklet and i have written silence and the answer is (the) splash ride and i have written splash ride. Will the answer be marked as right or wrong ?. I really appreciate that.
As explained on the page above, the brackets show other possible words that can be included in the answer. These are words that can be included or omitted for a correct answer. Please read the page above again. I wrote this page specifically to explain all this. Thanks.
Hello Liz. Thanks a lot for your good works. Please am I allowed to use brackets in my writing task 2 ?
Brackets are used in IELTS Writing Task 1, Academic Test, as a way to present data. You should not use them in IELTS Writing Task 2. Try to use a variety of clauses instead to boost your grammar score.
Hi Liz, Thanks for your wonderful support.
Is it allowed to use symbols in the listening/reading answers ? for example. “20%”
Accepted sybmols such as for percentage (%) and currencies ($) can be used. But cannot be used in the same way as texts – you can’t write (&), you must write “and”.
If one question of Reading/Listening part has two answers then how to write it on the answer sheet?
Do you mean if one single question requires two words as an answer? In that case, write the two words in the same box for the answer.
1.TRUE
2.NOT GIVEN
3.NOT GIVEN
4.FALSE
5.FALSE
6.TRUE
7.FALSE
1. True
2. Not given
3. Not given
4. True
5. False
6. False
7. False