IELTS Speaking Part 2: How to start your talk

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Start your talk with confidence by paraphrasing your topic card in IELTS speaking part 2. This video lesson gives advice and tips about the best way to begin your part 2 talk with example paraphrasing techniques to demonstrate a good command of English to the examiner. Target band score 6 and above.

Recommended Lessons

IELTS Video Lesson: How to improve your IELTS speaking: click here
Topics for IELTS speaking part 2: click here

Transcript

hello in this lesson I’m going to show
you

how to start your talk for IELTS speaking
part 2

now there is no right way all wrong way

to start your talk but I want to show
you a good way

to start and the topic we will use for
this lesson

is described a book you

recently read so let’s look at how to
start

here are to different ways to start

you could say I’d like to talk about

or I’m going to tell you about

now this one is a little bit more

formal and this one is less formal

but they are both fine the

IELTS Speaking test is not academic

it’s not formal so it’s okay to use

both of them you can also see here

that I’ve written I’d

and I’m so we don’t say

I would like to tell you about or

I am going to tell you about we say

I’d I’m and

this is to help you get a better band
score for your pronunciation

when you use the contraction I would

I’d this is better for your
pronunciation

now after this what

do you need to put well a lot of students

copy the words on that card and it’s not
very good to do that

if you want to get a band score

6 7 and above you need to show the
examiner

that you can use your own language

that you have flexible language

to paraphrase what is written on your
card

so it now let’s look at how we could

paraphrase that so here is one way

to paraphrase the information on the
card

I’d like to talk about a novel

which I read

two weeks ago so you can see that

the word book we paraphrased for the
word

novel now you need to

learn all the different types books

that you can’t read so was it a novel

was it fiction non-fiction was it a
guidebook

was it a self-help book so that’s
one way to paraphrase

take this word and be more accurate

what kind of book was it you can also
see here

I have put clause into the sentence

and that will help you get a higher band
score for your grammar and

here we’ve got two weeks ago

so instead of repeating the word
recently

we can give the time when

you did it two weeks ago 1 week ago

a month ago you can do that so that’s

a very nice way to paraphrase

and start your talk but we can improve
it

let’s have a look at one more and here’s
how we can improve

that start so you can see here that one
thing you can do

it give more information more
description

and we can use an adjective so here

I’ve used the adjective fascinating

which means really interesting
fascinating

you could also put useful

exciting you can describe

the book more and you can also see that
I’ve changed

this the paraphrase here and instead of
giving the information

I have given a paraphrase which is “not

so long ago” and that in a direct
paraphrase for recently

it’s very nice to use that and it

also means that during your talk

you can give more information about exactly

when you read the book and that’s
a way to

develop and extend your talk so I hope
you understand now

one way a good way to start your talk

well that’s all for this to happen I’ll
see you again

in another IELTS lesson

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IELTS Model Essay Score 9 for Direct Questions

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This is an estimated band score 9 model for an IELTS writing task 2 direct questions essay. This model essay shows you how to answer each question directly and how to organise the answers into paragraphs.

The Direct Questions Essay is also known as the IELTS Double Question Essay because it usually has two questions. However, I prefer to called it a Direct Questions Essay because sometimes it is possible to be given three questions instead of two. Also, your task is to answer the direct questions which can be very varied in nature.

IELTS Model Essay Band 9

Some people think that money is one of the most essential factors in promoting happiness.

Do you think people can be happy without much money?

What other factors contribute towards happiness?

Money is considered by many people to be one of the most important contributing factors towards happiness. In my opinion, it is possible for people to be happy even if they have little money and other aspects of life can play a more vital role in creating happiness than wealth alone.

Although money allows people to afford luxuries and treats, which certainly do bring temporary enjoyment and satisfaction, a substantial number of people are happy without money. Firstly, money is no guarantee of happiness, particularly if disease or disaster feature largely in someone’s life. Secondly, as long as people have the money to cover their necessities, doing without luxury items does not negatively affect the pleasures that a good life can bring.

Another way people can gain satisfaction in their life is through their work rather than money. For instance, a doctor doing volunteer service overseas in underdeveloped countries may earn little or no money, but the reward of doing such work is profoundly rewarding. Not only that but it can be a long-term fulfilment that they carry with them through life in the form of rich memories and the knowledge of a life well-lived.

Finally, another influencing factor of contentment in life is having supportive and loving people in one’s life.  While money may bring opportunities to enjoy pleasures, few people would enjoy them in isolation. Being surrounded by a loving and caring family is considered by many people to be the most valuable thing in life. This is one aspect of life that money certainly cannot buy. 

In conclusion, money is not essential for happiness, which can be found through job satisfaction as well as family. If more people strived in life towards true happiness rather than money, the world would be a better place.

297 words.

Examiner Comments: The task given was to answer two questions. The writer answered both questions with relevant main points that were well-developed. The main points were each sufficiently developed for a high score and organised into logical paragraphs with clear signposting. The use of three body paragraphs is not so common in IELTS writing task 2 with most people choosing an essay of only two body paragraphs. However, three body paragraphs does allow for enough developed of main points for a high score. The use of linking devices is skilfully managed. Vocabulary is flexible with less common expressions. Grammar is complex and widely varied with only an odd slip, but not obvious errors.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU FOR WRITING TASK 2

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Origins of Bread: IELTS T F NG Reading Practice

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A reading practice for the IELTS T F NG questions  (true / false / not given). I’ve put some difficult questions in and also one easy question. I’m sure you can all spot the easy question 🙂 Good luck with the difficult questions 🙂

Here is a quick review of what each one means:

True = the statement matches the information in the passage

False = the statement contradicts the information in the passage

Not Given = the information is not found in the passage

Origins of Bread

Bread is the most widely consumed food in the world. Not only is it an important source of carbohydrates, it’s also small and easy to carry, which helps to explain why it has been part of our diet for thousands of years. In fact, recent scholarship suggests humans started baking bread around 30,000 years ago.

Prehistoric man had already been making gruel from water and grains, so it was a small jump to starting cooking this mixture into a solid bread form by frying it on stones. A 2010 study by the National Academy of Sciences discovered traces of starch (likely from the roots of cattails and ferns) in prehistoric mortar and pestle-like rocks. The roots would have been peeled and dried before they were ground into flour and mixed with water. Finally, the paste would be cooked on heated rocks.

Question 1-4

Which of the following statements are true, false or not given?

  1. Bread is eaten in all countries in the world.
  2. Bread contains carbohydrates.
  3. The first bread was made about 30,000 years ago.
  4. Bread was first made from gruel cooked in clay pots.

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers.

Answers

  1. Not Given (It states in the text that bread is widely eaten in the world but we are not given information that shows it is eaten in all countries. If bread is widely eaten, we still don’t know which countries eat it – possibly only 90% of countries eat it. All countries is not confirmed in the passage)
  2. True (did you spot the easy question?)
  3. True (This is a direct paraphrase of the statement in the passage)
  4. False (The passage says that bread was made from gruel and fried on stones)
Vocab Builder
  • consume food = eat food
  • carbohydrates = foods with sugars and starch (potatoes, bread, pasta etc)
  • gruel = porridge
  • traces = small amounts
  • peeled = had their skins removed
  • ground = crushed / pounded

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

Liz

 

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IELTS Listening Practice: Sentence Completion

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These IELTS listening practice lessons have gap fill questions called Sentence Completion. The two practice lessons below have different levels of difficulty because they are based on different sections of the IELTS listening test. All IELTS candidates take the same IELTS Listening Test (both GT and Academic candidates).

IELTS Listening Practice: Sentence Completion

Below you will find two sentence completion listening practice lessons for IELTS. Use these practice lessons to develop your listening skills and also review your techniques for Sentence Completion Listening Questions.

  • Practice Lesson 1: Short Answer Questions & Sentence Completion / Section 2 Level
  • Practice Lesson 2: Sentence Completion Questions / Section 4 Level

For tips and techniques for sentence completion questions, click here: SENTENCE COMPLETION TIPS

****************

IELTS Listening Practice 1: Sentence Completion 1

This lesson is based on section 2 of the listening test. I’ve added some short answer questions to this practice lesson because in the IELTS listening test, you will get more than one type of question with every section.

Listening Practice: Tom’s Sponsored Walk

Questions 1-3: Use no more than one word or number for your answer.

  1. Does Tom currently serve in the army?
  2. How much did he hope to raise in pounds?
  3. Where was his sponsored walk to take place?

Questions 4-7: Use no more than one word for your answer.

  • 4.  Tom eventually raised a ………………….. £21 million.
  • 5.  Many hope that Tom will be ……………….. for his efforts.
  • 6.  Tom’s aims to support the NHS ………… a chord with many people in the UK.
  • 7.  Tom has shown how a single person can ……….. the nation.

RECORDING:

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TRANSCRIPT & ANSWERS

Use the transcript to check answers after you complete the lesson. Also use it to review keywords and paraphrases. Click below:

Transcript

Army veteran Tom Moore did a sponsored walk at the age of 99 years old to raise money for the NHS (the National Health Service in the UK). His aim was to raise £1,000. This was an ambitious walk of 1.6 miles in his back garden given that he had recently been treated for a broken hip and skin cancer.

As he began his sponsored walk, he was surprised to see the response from the British public as donations started pouring in. By the end of this sponsored walk, he had raised not £1,000 but a staggering £21 million. Many around the country are now calling for Tom Moore to be knighted for his remarkable fund-raising efforts.

Tom Moore has stated that he was “overwhelmed by this sum of money” that was donated. His praise for the NHS struck a chord with many around the country today as the population watch doctors, nurses, other hospital staff and all front-line workers put themselves in harms way to save lives as they battle against the coronavirus crisis. This story truly is an example of how a humble, unambitious person can stir the nation and effect incredible change. Surely we should all be doing more in one way or another. As the saying goes “Every little helps” and who knows whether your modest attempt to help might not also create a flame of support throughout your own country.

Answers
  1. NO
  2. 1,000
  3. GARDEN
  4. STAGGERING
  5. KNIGHTED
  6. STRUCK
    • “to strike a chord” is idiomatic and means:
    • a) to say or do something that other people agree or approve of.
    • b) to say or do something that causes emotions to rise or triggers memories in another person.
  7. STIR
    • to stir a nation means to raise emotions within a country.
  8. News: Unfortunately, Captain Sir Tom Moore died in 2021. He eventually raised a total of just over £30 million before he died. What a man!

.

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IELTS Sentence Completion Listening Practice 2

This lesson is similar to a level of section 4, which means the language and topic are more challenging.

Comet Landing

Questions 1-8: Write no more than two words and/or a number for the answer.

  1. On ………………. 2014, Philae landed on a comet.
  2. Philae’s goal is to collect information about a comet’s composition and also to capture ………….. of the surface.
  3. Because of an ………… relating to Rosetta’s orbit, Philae could have missed landing on the comet.
  4. The time delay between Rosetta and the controllers on Earth was ……………….
  5. Because of a lack of ……………., the lander had to find its own way down to the comet.
  6. There is an element of ………. in landing in a good location on the comet. 
  7. The lander can drill ……………… into the exterior of the comet for stability.
  8. Analysis will be done on surface composition, amino acids and ……………..

RECORDING:

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TRANSCRIPT & ANSWERS
To see the transcript and answers, click below. 

Transcript
Rosetta spacecraft released Philae lander which landed successfully on a comet on 12 November 2014 at 08:35 GMT. The Philae lander achieved the first-ever controlled touchdown on a comet nucleus. The aim of Philae is to obtain the first images of the surface of the comet as well as make the first in situ analysis to determine the composition of the comet.
An inaccuracy of a few millimetres per second in Rosetta’s orbit could have resulted in Philae completely missing the comet. The descent, monitored from Esa’s mission control in Darmstadt, Germany, lasted about seven hours. Because the comet is about 510 million km from Earth, communication between Rosetta and controllers takes about 28 minutes each way. As a consequence, confirmation of the landing came through just after 16:04 GMT.
There was no steering of the lander down to the comet’s surface. Once released, it was on a path of its own. A certain amount of luck was needed for Philae to land in a nice spot. When the lander hit the surface, harpoons were fired to be used as anchors, although they do not appear to have anchored the craft as intended. The lander also has footscrews to drill into the surface of the comet to keep it secure. Now it’s on the surface of the comet, Philae can get to work. Drills, ovens, cameras and sensors onboard Philae will analyse everything from the surface composition and temperature to the presence of amino acids – essential building blocks in the chemistry of life. (from BBC news)
Answers
  1.  12th november / 12 november
    1. capital letters at the start are not required
    2. IELTS listening does not pay attention to punctuation or the use of capital letters. So, you can use or not use capital letters as you wish.
  2. images
  3. inaccuracy
  4. (about) 28 minutes 
  5. steering
  6. luck
  7. footscrews / foot screws
  8. temperature
VocabBuilder
  • nucleus = center / core
  • in situ = in position
  • to determine = establish / conclude / decide
  • composition = makeup / consistency
  • an inaccuracy = mistake / error
  • to release = liberate / let go
  • to anchor = fasten / secure
  • to fire = to discharge / shoot
  • intended = planned

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IELTS Listening Practice: Time

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It is common to be asked to listen for a time in IELTS listening section 1. This lesson gives you practice in listening and writing down times.



Recommended Lessons


IELTS Listening Video Lesson: Predicting Answers

IELTS Listening Video Lesson: Names

IELTS Listening Practice: Picture Multiple Choice

IELTS Listening Practice: Selecting from a List


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IELTS Reading Practice: Multiple Choice Exercise


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Before answering the IELTS multiple choice reading exercise questions, read through the passage and then prepare paraphrases for the multiple choice options.


Having an Ear for Music


It brings new meaning to having an ear for music. Musical aptitude may be partly down to genes that determine the architecture of the inner ear.

We perceive sound after vibrations in the inner ear are detected by “hair cells” and transmitted to the brain as electrical signals. There, the inferior colliculus integrates the signals with other sensory information before passing it on to other parts of the brain for processing.


Questions 1 – 2. Choose the correct letter, A-C.


1. What does ‘having an ear for music’ mean according to the passage?


a) a person enjoys listening to music

b) a person has an ability and predisposition for music

c) a person has special hearing


2. Sound is perceived when vibrations are sent to the brain in the form of ……………..


a) hair cells

b) electrical signals

c) sensations


 


Answers


Click below to reveal the answers.


Answers
1 = b (aptitude means an ability or predisposition for something)


2 = b (this answer is testing your grammar as well as vocab – to be transmitted as = sent in the form of)


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


Liz


Vocab Builder


    

  • aptitude = skill / ability / capacity
    • 

  • to determine = decide / conclude / establish
    • 

  • perceive = notice / observe
    • 

  • vibrations = sensations
    • 

  • integrate = combine / amalgamate / put together



 


Recommended Lessons


IELTS Reading Practice: Summary Completion

IELTS Reading Practice: Sentence Completion

IELTS Reading Practice: Matching Paragraph Information


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Structure & Paragraphs for IELTS Writing Task 1


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Learn how many paragraphs for your IELTS Writing Task 1 with tips about where to put your overview statement. In writing task 1, the examiner will mark you on your structure as part of the marking criterion of Coherence & Cohesion, which is 25% of your marks. Below you learn about how to structure your writing, how to organise information into the right paragraphs and which paragraph is the most important.


IELTS Writing Task 1 Structure


In writing task 1, you will be asked to write a report for a bar chart, line graph, table, pie charts, maps or diagram. All IELTS Writing Task 1 have the same structure, regardless of which task you are given. There are four main paragraphs that you need to use for task one. Only occasionally will there be five.


    

  1. Introduction Paragraph
    2. 

  2. Overview Paragraph
    3. 

  3. Body Paragraph 1
    4. 

  4. Body Paragraph 2
    5. 

  5. Body Paragraph 3 (not usual, but occasionally possible)
    6. 



Remember, IELTS writing task 1 is a report, not an essay. This means the structure will be different and the examiner is looking for an overview, not a conclusion. 


IELTS Writing Task 1 Paragraphs


Below read about the individual paragraphs you need in your writing task 1 report.


Introduction Paragraph


The first paragraph will be your introduction and that contains a description of the graph – what it shows. IELTS will always give you a  description and you can use that information for your introduction but don’t copy it. You need to  paraphrase it. So write it again using your own English.


This is your chance to introduction information such as categories, titles, headings, names, dates etc. Make sure your introduction is complete. It is usually one sentence but sometimes it can also contain a second sentence about the measurement of units. 


Overview Paragraph


This paragraph is the most important paragraph in your IELTS writing task 1 report. This is where you collect all the key features shown in the task  and present them together. This paragraph has a direct impact on your band score for Task Achievement, which is 25% of your score. You can read more about the band scores here: IELTS WRITING TASK 1 BAND SCORES 5-8 TIPS. But to give you an idea:


    

  • Band Score 5 = key features are very limited or there is no overview 
    • 

  • Band Score 6 = a relevant overview is attempted (it is tried but not well done)
    • 

  • Band Score 7 = presents a clear overview
    • 

  • Band Score 8 = key features are skilfully selected (referring to the overview)
    • 



The clearer and more complete your overview paragraph is, the higher your score for Task Achievement. The biggest challenges with the overview are: 


    

  • not spotting all key features
    • 

  • spreading key features into various paragraphs instead of into one overview paragraph
    • 

  • presenting only one key feature
    • 



You can see examples of key features in all my model answers for writing task 1: ALL MODEL ANSWERS. 


All writing task 2 reports have an overview no matter which task you get. An overview is not the same as a conclusion. Writing task 2 has a conclusion, writing task 1 has an overview. This is clearly stated in the IELTS Band Score Descriptors. An overview has a different function to a conclusion. See the video below:








An oldie, but a goodie. My older videos are still packed with useful tips. All still relevant today.









Overview or Conclusion Video










Body Paragraphs


These paragraphs (usually two) contain the details. If your task contains numbers, such as a chart, you will need to support your sentences with data. Failing to do that will lower your score for Task Achievement. 


You should organise the details of the task into logical body paragraphs based on the key features. You should also take into consideration what type of task you have. For example, a bar chart shows comparisons between two things, such as men and women, for different categories so your aim is to compare men and women within each category. You would then see which categories are most  popular and which are least and then organise categories into body paragraphs. Of course, it might not be about popularity, it might be about which categories have the biggest differences or the least differences. Which ever way you organise the information, it must be logical.


WRITING TASK 1 STRUCTURE & PARAGRAPHING – A SUMMARY


To sum up, it can feel complicated and overwhelming when you first start preparing for your writing task 1. So, I made this video years ago to sum up how to organise your task 1 report. It’s an old video, but of course still relevant today. The test hasn’t changed.








How to Organise Your Writing Task 1 Video











Another oldie which is still great today and reviews the paragraphing for writing task 1.








    

  • 

    

    I hope you enjoyed this page and found it useful. I wanted to give you as much as I could because it’s so important to your scores. All the best, Liz
    

    

    • 



Now it’s time to review model answer for writing task 1 and see what the paragraph looks like. See links below:


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Opinion Essay Introduction: The Thesis Statement


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In an IELTS opinion essay for writing task 2, your introduction has a Background Statement and a Thesis Statement. You should aim for between 40 to 50 words for the length of your essay introduction. While the background statement introduces the topics, the thesis statement is your answer to the task given by IELTS. It should introduce the main points and show the direction your essay will take. Below are two possible introductions with different thesis statements for the following IELTS task.




IELTS Task 2


The increase in the amount of traffic is responsible for growing problems in many large cities and this has resulted in more traffic congestion, particularly at rush hour. What measures could be taken to deal with this problem?




IELTS Essay Introductions – Comparing Thesis Statements


The introductions below have different thesis statements. Which one do you think is the best?




1. The growth in the quantity of traffic in most major cities has led to problems of congestion in the peak travel hours. There are a number of solutions to this issue which I will discuss in this essay.






2. The growth in the quantity of traffic in most major cities has led to problems of congestion in the peak travel hours. This can be solved by having a traffic free zone and improving the public transportation system offered to the public.




ANSWER


Click below:

Answer


Number 2 is the best introduction because the thesis statement is more specific and directly related to the topic. 


Explanation:


    

  1. Introduction 1 contains what is called a “generic” thesis statement. This means it is a learned phrase which the writer has memorised to use for all solution essays. This is the type of sentence that isn’t useful for your score. All your sentences need to be relevant to the specific topic you have been given. This is a very common sentence that is taught by teachers who do not fully understand IELTS marking. Students like it because it’s easy to learn and easy to use – but it doesn’t help your score. 
    2. 

  2. Introduction 2 provides a clear, relevant thesis statement. It introduces the main points clearly. This allows the reader to know what is about to be explained in the body paragraphs. It provides coherence for the whole essay. This will help your score.



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RECOMMENDED VIDEO:


This is an old video but it is good and still relevant over a decade later. Please watch to learn:


HOW TO WRITE AN INTRODUCTION FOR IELTS WRITING TASK 1




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