This practice listening lesson is based on Short Answer Questions which appear in the IELTS Listening Test. I’ve also included some vocabulary questions to test your word knowledge. Vocabulary questions do not appear in the Listening Test but I thought they might be useful for you.

Short Answer Question Tips

1. be aware of the type of answer you are listening for: number, date, name, place, noun etc.
2. underline any word in the question that might help you recognise the information when it is given.
3. be aware of possible paraphrases when you read the question
4. pay attention to the word count for the answer
5. get the answer from the recording – you need the precise word or words
6. the answers come in order

IELTS Listening Practice: Short Answer Questions

Superbugs Listening 

Questions 1-8: Answers should be no more than two words and/or a number. 

1. Which mammals are often considered to be the strongest? 
2. How much weight in comparison to their body’s weight can a leaf-cutter ant pull? 
3. What animal was present on Earth when ants emerged? 
4. What are ant societies called?
5. How much of the Earth’s biomass do ants make up? 
6. A dung beetle can pull the equivalent to what as a human being? 
7. What type of sound do dung beetles mostly use as communication? 
8. How much cattle dung are dung beetles thought to bury in some areas of Texas? 

Recording:

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Vocabulary Focus Questions

Questions 9-13

Now listen again to the recording and find synonyms for the words below. One word answers only. Answers come in order. Remember, these types of questions don’t appear in the IELTS test – they are extra questions to help you improve your vocab.

• 9. impressive
• 10. pieces
• 11. lorry
• 12. audial 
• 13. waste

TRANSCRIPT & ANSWERS

Use the transcript first to check your answers so you can analyse the language and spot keywords. You can also use my transcripts to improve your pronunciation by listening and repeating. After that, check the answer key.

Click below:

Transcript Answers

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Below is a list of predicted IELTS essay topics for Writing Task 2 based on topics that have appeared recently, current world events and common topics that frequently appear in IELTS essays. Both GT and Academic IELTS candidates should prepare all topics from this list.

On this page, you will find:

1. Tips for Preparing Essays
2. Essay Topics 2021 List
3. Message from Liz

IELTS Essay Topics – Preparing Ideas

• Be aware of the range of possible topics and prepare them all. Be aware of current world issues – IELTS likes to stay up-to-date.
• Prepare strong main ideas for all topics. Main ideas should be ones you can easily explain and develop. 
• Prepare supporting points. These make up the supporting sentences in your body paragraphs. The examiner will mark these carefully.
• Practice planning paragraphing and links. See these pages:  paragraphing and Linking Words for Essays
• Getting ideas for topics
  • Source ideas in model essays online by google topics. You can find some model essays and free tips on this site. Click here: Free Model Essays etc
  • IDEAS E-BOOK. I wrote an e-book covering 150 essay topics with ideas and vocabulary. Get that if you need the help. Visit my store: Liz’s Ideas E-book
• Target 7 and above. If you need more help reaching your goal for IELTS writing, I have Advanced Writing Task 2 Lessons in my online store: Liz’s Store.

IELTS Essay Topics for 2021

Below is a list of predicted IELTS writing task 2 topics for 2021. The predictions are based on recurring essay topics, recent topics and world events which are all important in IELTS essay questions. The topics are not written as full IELTS essay questions, they are written as topics without the instructions. GT and Academic candidates should prepare all topics – even if you don’t get them in Writing Task 2, you might get them in Speaking Part 3. I’ve highlighted interesting essay topics for 2021 that are based on recent world issues that you might struggle with if you don’t prepare for them. Also note, topics change with each test, on one test day there can be a number of essay questions used, and essay topics are often recycled.

1. Art and the Arts
   • importance of the arts for society
   • supporting the arts – government funding 
   • theatre and live events
   • freedom of speech and freedom of expression
   • children learning art 
   • museums and galleries – importance
2. Business and Consumerism
   • local business vs international businesses
   • supporting local businesses – buying local produce
   • business skills – important skills / learning skills
   • family run businesses
   • buying goods or saving money
   • the power of advertising in business
   • shopping online
   • businesses supporting local communities
3. Communication
   • how online communication has changed our lives
   • are people becoming more isolated because of only meeting online
   • face to face or online communication
   • pros and cons of meeting people online
   • has the internet brought people closer or not
4. Crime & Punishment
   • how to stop criminals re-offending
   • fixed punishment for one crime or not
   • children – should parents be punished for their children’s crime
   • prison or rehabilitation
5. Culture
   • foreign cultures – learning through language, learning by travel, adapting to another culture
   • music – importance of music, international music
   • fashion – following trends and spending money
   • films – should historical films be accurate, learning about culture from films, foreign films, subtitles
   • how online media has changed local cultures
6. Environment
   • global warming
   • solving pollution – internationally or domestically
   • major problems and solutions
   • importance of nature for our well being
   • responsibility for problems – government or individual
   • urban nature 
   • protecting wild species / endangered species – funding, reasons,
   • why people don’t change their life styles to help environmental problems
   • air / noise pollution in cities
7.  Education
   • putting children into groups based on age or ability
   • importance of children reading books (types of books)
   • science or art / sciences or music
   • how children learn 
   • schools providing meals for children
   • making lessons more interesting
   • importance of science / history / technology in schools
   • disadvantages for children from poorer backgrounds
   • how to improve education in rural areas
   • what age to learn a foreign language
   • exams or on-going assessment / project work
   • university education – costs, funding, courses
   • home schooling / studying from home
   • online education
   • extra curricular activities
8.  Family
   • single parent families
   • importance of family for old people
   • roles of grandparents
   • supporting vulnerable members of the family: elderly, sick
   • peer pressure for children
   • children growing up in city or countryside
   • children with both parents working
9. Food
   • childhood obesity – reasons, solutions
   • healthy diet
   • vegetarianism
   • junk food – problems, solutions
   • snacking
10.  Health
    • funding – prevention or cure 
    • taking care of sick people – government or family
    • funding – health care or other society problems
    • good health – exercise or diet
    • free health care for everyone
    • cosmetic surgery – reasons, value
    • mental health – stress, positive mindset, meditation
11.  Housing
    • lack of housing – building in cities or rural areas
    • using space in cities for housing or parks
    • funding affordable housing or other problems in society
    • living in flats – pros and cons
12. Leisure & Free Time
    • importance of hobbies / free time
    • leisure time – importance, activities,
    • spending time with family and friends
13. People
    • leadership – innate or learned
    • talent – innate or learned
    • ambition – pros and cons
    • important character traits
    • famous world leaders – skills and traits
14.  Society
    • family, society or government – taking care of the elderly
    • the generation gap
    • city living – positive or negative
    • people moving to cities – reasons, problems, solution
    • spending money on weddings – pros and cons
    • respecting older people
    • traditions – food, clothing, festivals
    • protecting old buildings
    • isolation among people in society
    • supporting vulnerable people in society – government or community
    • roles models in society for children
    • ideal society
    • online media stars
    • reality TV stars
    • importance of charities and charity work
    • importance of green spaces and urban environment
15. Space
    • exploration – funding, importance
    • communicating with other planets
    • space travel for common people
16. Sport
    • international sporting event – importance
    • business sponsoring sporting events – pros and cons
    • exercising and health
    • children and sport – importance, who is responsible
    • indoor sports
17. Technology
    • smart phones – pros and cons, functions, limitations
    • the internet – pros and cons
    • online security (also for children)
    • the future of the internet
    • e-books – pros and cons, libraries
    • children spending too much time online
18. Tourism & Travel
    • plane travel vs train travel
    • cars in city centres – pros and cons
    • using bicycles rather than cars
    • walking – pros and cons
    • pros and cons of tourism for rural communities
    • tourism and economy
19. Work
    • working mothers
    • doing volunteer work / charity work
    • work / life balance
    • working long hours – pros and cons
    • experience or education or skills
    • four day working week
    • importance of promotion, salary, job satisfaction
    • working online – pros and cons
    • earning large salaries – films stars, sports people doctors etc
20. World Issues
    • richer countries should help poorer countries 
    • types of international aid
    • increasing number of old people
    • gap between rich and poor countries
    • violence on TV
    • tackling world issues domestically or internationally
    • news online – reliability of news, sources of news, fake news
    • globalisation
      • work
      • people becoming similar 
      • loss of culture (protecting traditions)
      • loss of local language (protecting language)
      • one language

Sharing your IELTS Writing Task 2 Experience

• Did you get an essay topic you hadn’t prepared for?
• What preparation tips do you have for others?
• How did you manage your time in your writing test?
• What score did you get in your writing test?
• Sharing is caring 🙂 

Message from Liz

2021 is our chance to start fresh, to move forward and to build a strong future. Forget your difficult experiences and be proactive about your future. Each positive step forward takes you towards your goal and towards success. 

Be focused and strategic in your preparation for IELTS. You can find lots and lots of free lessons, tips, topics, model answers on this website – go to the HOME page to access it all.

I wish you all lots of luck !!

All the best, Liz 🙂

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Linking words are an essential part of your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay and fall under the marking criterion of Coherence & Cohesion, which counts for 25% of your task 2 marks. This lesson will allow you to test yourself with the correct use of linking words.

The topic is about “Celebrities”. This topic has appeared a number of times in the IELTS Writing Task 2 this year and is guaranteed to appear in 2021 as well. It also frequently appears in the speaking test as well.

Instructions

Read the instructions below very carefully.

1. Each question contains two sentences.
2. Read carefully to understand the connection between the two sentences in terms of ideas and content.
3. Choose the most appropriate linking word to join the two sentences.
4. Each linking word can be used only once.
5. Make necessary changes to the sentences to ensure the grammar is correct. It might not be enough to simply add the linking word. You might need to adapt the grammar.
6. Pay attention to punctuation as well as grammar when you make changes to the sentences. 

Linking Words Practice

Questions 1-7

and     /     but     /     for     /     nor     /     or     /     so     /     yet

Choose one of the above linking words to join the sentences below.

1. Many famous athletes and pop stars donate generously to charities. Many others are just intent on increasing their own wealth.

2. Celebrities have moral shortcomings like everyone else. Many young people often idolise them.

3. Celebrities have tremendous influence over teenagers. They should behave responsibly.

4. Teenagers often idealise celebrities. We all need someone to look up to when we are young.

5. Some film and sports stars only aspire to fame. They dream of becoming famous fast.

6. Young people need positive role models. They will not be able to live with hope and honesty.

7. Celebrities should not be regarded as spiritual mentors. They should not be regarded as life coaches either.

Answers

The answers are now available for this lesson. Click below:

Click here: Answers to this Lesson

All the best

Liz

The answers to the reading lesson about “News we can trust”. If you haven’t completed this lesson yet, please do so before you look at the answers. To complete the lesson, click here: Reading Lesson

Below are the questions, answers and vocabulary focus for the lesson.

Questions 1 – 7: Complete the sentences using no more than three words from the passage above.

1. Trustworthy news is more important than ever because the world is going through a period of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and unpredictability.

2. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ are the main source of news for most web users.

3. People often tend to choose the version that most agrees with _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ when they are offered differing accounts of an event.

4. Sharing unverified news stories with social media friends contributes to
the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of false information.

5. Objective investigative journalism can _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the spread of fake news.

6. Investigative reporters try to bring to light the relationship between
apparently _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ events.

7. Through their work, investigative reporters try to make it easier for us
to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the world in which we live.

Answers:

1. UPHEAVALS
   1. the answer does not require the word “global” because this is already indicated in the sentence by the word “world”. Therefore the answer is just one word.
2. SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS (SOCIAL MEDIA)
   1. Both answers are possible.
   2. Note that brackets indicate other words or answers that are possible. Books often show answers in this way. However, you cannot use brackets for your listening answers. You must choose your answer and be specific.
   3. Note, one answer option has an “s” and the other does not.
3. THEIR OWN VIEWS (THEIR VIEWS)
   1. Both answers are possible.
   2. The word “views” must be plural.
   3. You cannot paraphrase the answer. “Their thoughts” is wrong.
4. DISSEMINATION
   1. The spelling must be correct.
5. COUNTERACT
6. UNCONNECTED
7. MAKE SENSE OF
   1. You must have the preposition “of”- “to make sense of something”
   2. The meaning is “understand”.
   3. “analyse and present” is not a possible answer. The sentence cannot be “for us to analyse and present”. The words in the passage (analyse and present) refer to what investigative journalists do, not what we do.

Vocabulary Focus

The following adjectives are positive in meaning and are used to talk about news or news sources that you can trust:

• trustworthy  /  reliable  /  dependable  /  verified  /  credible  /  real

The following adjectives are negative in meaning. They are used to talk about news or news sources that you cannot trust:

• untrustworthy  /  unreliable  /  undependable  /  unverified  /  dubious  /  fake

These words can be used in both your speaking and writing tests. They are all topic relevant words when talking about news and media.

I hope you found this lesson useful.

All the best

Liz

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This lesson focuses on the topic of Media which is a common IELTS reading topic. The question type is sentence completion which basically means you fill in the gaps. This is the most common type of question in IELTS reading.

Whether the information in news is trustworthy or not is a common question and topic in IELTS Writing and IELTS Speaking Part 3. This reading lesson focuses on a passage about trusting news. You can use ideas and vocabulary from this reading passage in your Writing or Speaking Tests. However, let’s see how good your reading and paraphrasing skills are with sentence completion questions. Read the passage and then answer the questions below.

Passage: News We Can Trust

Climate change, worsening inequality between rich and poor, and social unrest in many parts of the world have left many people confused and distrustful of all those in a position of power. In this time of global upheavals and uncertainty, if we want to understand what is going on around us, an ability to distinguish between unreliable and trustworthy news sources is absolutely essential.

A recent study has shown that social media platforms have become by far the prevailing way for people to find news on the Internet. There are several issues associated with this. Firstly, social media users are continually bombarded with information, a lot of which may be from credible sources, but a lot actually coming from unverified or dubious ones. The conflicting messages that often emerge from this jumble of news stories only add to the feeling of confusion and mistrust. As a result, people usually end up choosing to believe the version of the facts that is most in tune with their own views. They then go on to share their favourite stories with their friends, most of whom will almost inevitably “like” them.

This in turn brings about the issue of the dissemination of misinformation or, at worst, fake news. To counteract these problems, what is needed more than ever before is independent, fact-based investigative journalism. Investigative reporters do not write stories to get a lot of clicks or likes. They work hard to unveil matters that people in a position of power try to conceal, or to reveal the links between events that seemed unconnected. They tirelessly search for evidence and aim to analyse and present all the relevant facts to the public with clarity and precision. In short, their work is to help us make sense of our world and our place in it.

Source: IELTS Liz Own. Some of the content of this passage was inspired by the following sources: https://en.unesco.org/investigative-journalism  and http://wayback.archiveit.org/10611/20160906193350/ and http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001930/193078e.pdf

Questions 1 – 7: Complete the sentences using no more than three words from the passage above.

1. Trustworthy news is more important than ever because the world is going through a period of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and unpredictability.
2. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ are the main source of news for most web users.
3. People often tend to choose the version that most agrees with _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ when they are offered differing accounts of an event.
4. Sharing unverified news stories with social media friends contributes to
   the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of false information.
5. Objective investigative journalism can _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the spread of fake news.
6. Investigative reporters try to bring to light the relationship between
   apparently _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ events.
7. Through their work, investigative reporters try to make it easier for us
   to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ the world in which we live.

Answers

The answers to this lesson are now available:

CLICK HERE: ANSWERS TO THIS LESSON

All the best

Liz

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Below you will find the transcript and answers to the listening practice lesson about plastic straws and the environment.

If you haven’t completed this lesson, please do so before reading the transcript and answers. Click here: Straws Listening Practice

Transcript

I usually offer the transcripts so you can listen and read at the same time. This is a great way to check the answers and also improve your own pronunciation for speaking. I have also highlighted interesting vocabulary below that you can learn from this recording.

TRANSCRIPT: Single use plastic is a particularly nasty form of plastic. These items have a shockingly short lifespan, normally used once and then discarded to landfill. Like other plastics they never biodegrade and take hundreds of years to break down. Plastic straws are one such single use item and are ending up in our oceans by the thousands. The Marine Conservation Society estimated that the UK uses 8.5 billion straws every year.

Avid scuba diver Kasey Turner was snorkelling after work recently at a popular dive site in Manly Australia. In the area, she found 319 straws on a single 20 minute snorkel. It can be hard to see how using one measly plastic straw is going to cause huge amounts of damage to the environment but let me put it into context for you. Recently a team of scientists in Costa Rica came across an endangered species of sea turtle with what they thought was a parasitic worm blocking its airway. They realised it was actually a plastic straw. Most people just do not realise that the majority of plastic straws are not recycled.

The simplest way you can eradicate straws from your life is to just stop using them at home. It’s as easy as that. Making a connection between our actions and the often devastating outcomes they can have on the environment acts as a catalyst for change.

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ANSWERS

Answers using no more than two words and/or a number:

1. LIFESPAN
   1. Plastic straws have a limited LIFESPAN owing to their predominantly single usage.
2. BIODEGRADE / BREAK DOWN
   1. These straws do not BIODEGRADE and can pollute the environment for hundreds of years.
   2. Both options are correct. However, you must choose one only as
   3. You cannot have the answer “break down”. Biodegrade and break down are the same.
3. 8.5 BILLION
   1. 8.5 BILLION straws are thought to be used annually in the UK.
4. 319 SNORKEL
   1. Kasey Turner found 319 straws during her 20-minute SNORKEL.
   2. It is not necessary to use punctuation to separate the number and word. However, if you do use punctuation, your answer would still be marked correct.
   3. If you wrote “319 and SNORKEL”, it would be wrong because the word “and” is an extra word that is not given for the answer.
5. SEA TURTLE
   1. One plastic straw was even found in the airway of a SEA TURTLE.
   2. If you wrote only “turtle”, the answer would be wrong.
6. OUTCOMES CHANGE
7. Understanding the relationship between what we do and the negative OUTCOMES can be a motivation for CHANGE.

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Learn how to improve your IELTS Letter to band score 9. Also get learn some English language vocabulary and grammar tips. IELTS candidates taking the General Training test will be given a letter, not a chart, in Writing Task 1. Learn how to take a letter from band 6 to band 9. If you are taking the Academic test, you do not write a letter for Writing Task 1, but you can still use this lesson to improve your overall English.

On this page, you will find:

• Candidate Letter Estimated Band 6
• Feedback with language highlights
• Model Estimated Band 9 Letter
• Feedback with Highlights

IELTS Letter Task

Write a letter to a friend. You have borrowed something from your friend and it got damaged.

1. Apologize for damaging the product
2. Explain what happened
3. Say how are you going to fix the issue

Candidate’s IELTS Letter: Estimate Band 6

Dear Nelly, Sorry, it’s taken me so long to write to you but at last, I decided to own up my mistake why I haven’t returned your new laptop till yet. I want to sorry as I damage your new laptop, which I had borrow for my office presentation. I am feeling bitterly disappointed about this, as I know you had bought a new laptop. Everything was going well. I was working on my presentation, but after sometime when I was having my cup of coffee, I accidentally poured coffee over it, and since laptop is not working. Though I had tried many times to restart the windows all went in the vain. I know it’s my blunder mistake. I had already sent the laptop to repair centre and they had promised me to get it to repair within a week. I didn’t want to cause you inconvenience and for this reason, I had arranged another laptop for you to attend your online classes. I hope you can forgive me! Best wishes Robert

Feedback to above Letter

The comments below are organised based on the marking criteria for IELTS Writing Task 1. Each of the marking criterion are worth 25% of your task 1 marks.

• Task Response: The task has been completed and the prompts covered. This is important. However, the final prompt is slightly wrong. The prompts asks about what you will do, not what you’ve already done. Also some details is slightly unclear.
• Coherence and Cohesion: There are paragraphs, but they are not used properly. There is a lack of linking words and connectors.
• Grammar: Complex sentences are used but they are often faulty. There is also a problem with the way tenses are used, although there is a good range of tenses used.. There are also other grammar errors:
  • own up my mistake = own up to my mistake
  • since laptop is not working = since the laptop is not working
  • all went in the vain = it was in vain
  • restart the windows = restart Windows
  • sent the laptop to repair centre = … to the repair centre
  • to get it to repair = to repair it
• Vocabulary: There are some good examples of vocabulary, such as “cause you inconvenience” and “bitterly disappointed” (although the word “disappointed” is not the correct word to use in this context) and “arrange another laptop”. Unfortunately, there are also errors, for example:
  • till yet = yet
  • I want to sorry = I want to apologise
  • accidentally poured coffee over it = accidentally spilled coffee over it 
  • blunder mistake = blunder OR mistake (not both together)
  • arranged another laptop for you to attend your online class = arranged another laptop for you to use for your online class

Model Letter Estimated at Band Score 9

Dear Nelly,

Sorry, it’s taken me so long to write to you but at last I decided to own up to my mistake and explain why I haven’t returned your new laptop yet.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to return your laptop to you because it got damaged during my presentation last week. To be honest, I’ve delayed writing this letter to you because I’ve been feeling dreadfully guilty about it all knowing that it was a brand new laptop. I’m so very sorry.

Let me explain what happened, everything went well with the presentation until just near the end when I got completely flustered. At that point, I was concentrating so much on what I was saying that I accidentally knocked my cup of coffee which spilled all over your laptop. Since then, your laptop hasn’t worked properly even though I’ve restarted it a number of times.

As the laptop just won’t work properly, I’ve decided to send it to a specialist I know. Actually, I’ve already talked to him and he assures me that it’ll be as good as new by Wednesday next week which will be in time for your online class that you start on Thursday. Of course, I’ll cover all costs.

I can’t apologise enough for what’s happened, but please know that it will all get sorted. I hope you can forgive me.

Best wishes,

Robert

Feedback to Model Letter

Quite a lot has changed in the letter. Below I’ve highlighted a few things to focus on:

1. The final prompt is now in the right tense. It is about what you plan to do to fix the problem.
2. Paragraphing is now improved and follows the prompts. Each paragraph has a clear function with a central theme.
3. A range of linking words and connectors:
   1. unfortunately, to be honest, at that point, since then, actually, of course
4. There is a good range of tenses which are used accurately. Here is a few tenses highlighted: it’s taken me …. I decided …. I haven’t been able to  …. I was concentrating …. I’ve been feeling …. he assures me … I’ll cover
5. There is a good range of vocabulary:
   1. to own up to my mistake 
   2. I’ve delayed writing this letter
   3. feeling dreadfully guilty
   4. a brand new laptop
   5. I got completely flustered
   6. to knock something over
   7. to spill something
   8. he assures me
   9. as good as new
   10. I’ll cover all costs

I hope you’ve found this lesson useful both to develop your English and understand about paragraphing as well as other IELTS requirements. to read Top Tips for GT Letters, click here: IELTS GT Letter Essential Tips

All the best

Liz

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