IELTS Listening Diagrams Practice & Tips

by Liz 211 Comments

Useful practice and tips for IELTS Listening Diagram Labelling Questions. IELTS listening diagrams can come in any section of the IELTS listening test. You will be presented with a visual diagram requiring you to either label parts of the diagram or complete notes in the diagram. It is important that you prepare for this type of IELTS listening question. Please note that the lessons below are not tests, they are practice lessons for IELTS listening diagrams.

ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR IELTS LISTENING DIAGRAM QUESTION

Take your time to read and understand the tips below. It can feel overwhelming to see a visual diagram in your listening test. You don’t have much time to absorb the illustration and prepare questions. So, the more you get used to diagrams in IELTS listening, the better.

Title: Always notice the heading/title of the diagram. This gives you valuable information to understand the content.
Details: Don’t get lost in trying to understand every detail of the diagram – you won’t have time. So, spot the keywords and notice which part of the diagram they relate to. IELTS do fill their listening tests with lots of information that isn’t required for answers. This is to test your ability to filter meaning and language in order to focus on your task.
Questions:
1. Note completion – often the questions require you to fill in the gap of a note or sentence. In this case, the other words in the notes will help you understand the type of answer you are looking for, such as a noun, verb, adjective, number etc.
2. Empty Gaps – you must just have an empty gap relating to a part of the diagram with no extra words to help you. This usually indicates the name of that particular part of the illustration.
3. Location: Notice where the questions are located and what order they come in. The questions will follow the order of the recording, but be placed in different places within the diagram.
Answers: They will come in order. You must spell the word correctly.
Instructions: Notice how many words or numbers you are allowed for your answer.
Keywords: The diagram will contain keywords that are already labelled – pay attention to them. They will help you understand the recording and keep your place in the diagram.
Always be ready to move on to the next question. It’s easy to lose your place in the recording, particularly when you are looking at the diagram as well as listening. This really is a multi-tasking listening test.
Guess: If you are not sure about an answer, don’t leave it empty – guess. Your guess might be right.

Diagram Language Tips for Listening

Diagrams are visual and this means you will learn language which relates to the location of things in the diagram. Below are some examples, but you can learn many more from the transcripts for the recordings below. Always use the transcripts after you finish a lesson to enlarge your vocabulary.

at the top / at the bottom / on the side (of)
to the left / on the left side / to the right / the right side / either side / both sides
behind / next to / opposite / adjacent to / in front of
above / on top of / below / underneath / upside down / the right way up
the center / the periphery / the focal point / inside / outside

Often (not always) the person speaking will indicate when they are about to speak about the diagram. For example, they might say:

if we look at the diagram
looking at the illustration
as you can see by the visual representation

IELTS LISTENING DIAGRAM PRACTICE LESSON

Listening Practice Lesson 1

As you see, this lesson contains two types of questions. It is normal to get two or more types of questions in one section of your IELTS Listening Test. The first type of question is Sentence Completion and the second is a practice of the IELTS Listening Diagram Labelling question. The recording will not tell you when to move from one question to another – you must listen and be ready to move at the right time.

This is a challenging lesson with complex language and topic. The level is similar to Section 4.

Mars Insight Probe

Questions 1 – 3: Complete the sentences using no more than one word and/or a number.

The Insight probe will investigate Mars’ ………………

The probe is currently situated near Mars’ …………..

Scientists aim to learn about Mars’ composition from its core to its ………..

Questions 4 – 9

Complete the diagram below using no more than two words and/or numbers.

Source: Article from BBC NEWS

RECORDING:

Please note – there are now 9 questions in this listening practice (not 7).

**********

ANSWERS & TRANSCRIPT

Before you check the answers, read through the transcript while listening to the recording. This is a great way to review answers, spot paraphrases and keywords, analyse language, and gain test awareness. Remember, your aim is not to complete lessons, it is to learn and improve your listening score.

TRANSCRIPT

Click here: Transcript

Use the transcript below to check your answers, make a note of useful tips and paraphrases and also improve your pronunciation by listening to the recording and reading the transcript at the same time.

The US space agency Nasa has landed a new robot on Mars, otherwise known as the Red Planet. after a dramatic seven-minute plunge to the surface., The Insight probe aims to study the world’s deep interior, and make it the only planet – apart from Earth – that has been examined in this way. Insight is now sitting on a vast, flat plain, close to the Red Planet’s equator. This will be the first probe to dedicate its investigations to understanding Mars’ interior. Scientists want to know how the world is constructed – from its core to its crust.

Looking at the functions of the Insight probe shown on the diagram, we can see that at the top there is a robotic arm which places instruments such as the seismometer on the planet’s surface. Attached to the arm is an instrument monitoring camera. On the main body of the probe there are sensors for both temperature and wind as well as a rise antenna. This measures the movement of Mars’ North Pole as it orbits the sun giving pointers about the iron-rich centre of the planet and hopefully more information about the composition and size of the planet’s core. On either side of the main body of the probe are two large circular solar panels which were deployed immediately on landing to operate its systems and warm equipment in the sub-zero temperatures on the planet . To delve deep into the ground and measure the planet’s temperature, there is a heat flow probe that will penetrate to a depth of 5m or 16ft.

Note: you will not get the transcript in the real test. I am giving it to you for the purposes of learning.

ANSWERS

Check your answers after you review the transcript above. Click here: ANSWERS

Answers have been written using all capital letters. This not necessary for the computer test – you can use upper or lower case.

INTERIOR
EQUATOR
CRUST
ROBOTIC ARM
TEMPERATURE / WIND
WIND / TEMPERATURE
- Note: questions 5 & 6 can be in any order.
- You can only have one word for each question. Writing two words for each answer would be marked wrong.
SOLAR PANELS
- You must have the “s” on panels or the answer will be marked wrong.
- You cannot write “circular solar panels” because that is three words and the limit is two words. Also the word “circular” is purely descriptive, not part of the compound noun. Labelling questions do not require articles, prepositions or adjectives (unless the adj forms part of a compound noun or is specifically required in the answer).
HEAT FLOW
16
- Note: if you wrote 16ft, it would be wrong because “ft” is already given.
- You cannot write 5, because that is meters not feet.

VOCABULARY

review the vocabulary from this lesson. Click here: VOCABULARY

plunge = dive, descent
vast = enormous
plain = large area of flat land without obstacles such as large rocks
core = centre
crust = hard outer layer of something
seismometer = an instrument that measures movement such as earthquakes
orbits = circles (vb)
pointers = clues
circular = round
deploy = move into position

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

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Maps Topic in IELTS Speaking Part 1

by Liz 15 Comments

I recently had someone ask me to post answers and vocabulary for the topic of MAPS in IELTS Speaking Part 1. It’s not a common topic to get but it is being used at the moment.

On this page, you will find:

Questions for the topic of MAPS
Model Answers for the topic of MAPS
Information about the examiner interrupting your answers
Useful link to more model answers.

Map Questions for IELTS Speaking Part 1

Below is a collection of questions about MAPS. The examiner will usually select between 3 or 4 questions to ask you for one topic. Part 1 usually contains about 3 topics.

What kind of maps are available?
Do you often use maps?
Have you ever used a map to find a location?
Do you prefer paper maps or electronic maps?
Which is better, paper maps or e-maps?
Why do some people prefer electronic maps?
Did you ever use a map when you were a child?
Did your school ever teach you how to use maps when you were younger?
Do you ever ask anyone for directions?
Would you ever use a map on holiday?

World Map

Street Map of Central London

Model Answers for MAPS Speaking Part 1

These model answers are actually quite long for speaking part 1, but I wanted to give you a chance to learn useful words and phrases. It is fine to prepare lots of ideas for part 1. The examiner will interrupt your answer when it’s time for the next question so always keep talking until that happens. See below about the examiner interrupting your answer.

What kind of maps are available?

There are quite a few, for example world maps that show all the countries in the world and their location. There are also maps for individual countries, road maps for main motorways in a country and street maps for the streets in a given city centre. Some maps show climates around the world or other particular information. It is possible to choose between paper maps or digital maps, such as Google Earth.

Note: The examiner is not testing your knowledge. Even if you don’t know many kinds of maps it doesn’t matter because you can showcase your English in other answers.

Do you often use maps?

I use them only when I’m going to a new place. Before any holiday, I use an online map beforehand just to see the exact location of the place I’m going to. I also check the street map to see how central my hotel is before I book it. If I’m driving anywhere new, I’ll check the map to find the quickest route and then have the map app on my phone visible throughout the drive so I don’t lose my way.

Why do some people prefer using e-maps?

Well, I guess it’s because they can be easily accessed by phone which means people will be carrying them anyway. Also you can zoom in to enlarged the map to see more detail with just a simple click, rather than rooting around to find a new paper map for the detail. Online maps also allow the user to access extra information about restaurants and hotels which is really useful.

Did schools ever teach you to use maps?

I can’t say that I learned a lot about maps, but we did spend some time looking at a world map and a map of our own country. We spent time labelling the major cities of our country on a blank map and filling in details such as population and shared borders with other countries. But we didn’t really learn how to read maps, such as road maps or street maps which is a shame.

The Examiner Interrupts my Answers

It is 100% normal that the examiner will interrupt your answer in speaking part 1. They are not being rude, it is just part of the testing system. Once they know that you can easily handle the question, they will interrupt you to move on and test you on another question. This way they are hearing a broader range of your English which is the only way to award a higher score.

This all means that you must keep talking until the examiner interrupts your answer. When that happens, don’t be surprised and just listen to the next question.

Useful Link

Below is a link to the main speaking page which contains tips, model answer, topics etc:

IELTS Speaking Tips Plus

If you want to learn about the other parts of the test, click on the RED BAR at the top of the website.

All the best

Liz

Filed Under: IELTS Speaking

IELTS Line Graph Vocabulary

by Liz 170 Comments

Essential vocabulary to describe an IELTS writing task 1 line graph. To get a good band score you must show the examiner a range of different words to show upward and downward trends as well as key features. IELTS line graphs show change over a period of time and you must vary your language and vocabulary when you write your report.

Important: This page is about line graphs. But it is possible to use some of this language with bar charts that show change over time as well as tables or pie charts that show change over time.

This page contains:

1. 1. VERBS & NOUNS WITH PRACTICE LESSON
  2. ADVERBS & ADJECTIVES with PRACTICE LESSONS
  3. TIME PHRASES
  4. LINK TO MODEL LINE GRAPH

1. IELTS Line Graph Verbs & Nouns

Below are lists of verbs and nouns that can be used to describe a line graph in IELTS writing task 1. You should alter your sentences to use the noun form of the word and the verb form of the word.

Upward Trend Words

to rise / a rise
to increase / an increase
to climb / a climb
to grow / a growth
to go up

Past Tense Verbs:

to rise / rose
to increase / increased
to climb / climbed
to grow / grew
to go up / went up

Downward Trend Words

to decrease / a decrease
to drop / a drop
to fall / a fall
to decline / a decline
to go down

Past Tense Verbs:

to decrease / decreased
to drop / dropped
to fall / fell
to decline / declined
to go down / went down

Question: Can you use the verb “increase” and the noun “an increase” in the same writing or is it considered repetition of words?
Answer: You can definitely use the verb and noun form of the same word. This shows great flexibility that you can change word form. Your task is to show the examiner this flexibility. You will use these verbs and nouns in all line graphs because all line graphs show upward and downward trends.

Other Vocabulary

to fluctuate / a fluctuation
to dip / a dip
to remain steady
to remain stable
to remain unchanged
to level off
to rocket / to soar

Peaks & Lows

to peak at
(reach) a peak of
hit a high of
hit a low of
bottom out
plateau

Tips: You will use the above words according to what is shown in the line graph you are given. Fluctuations are when a line goes up and down repeatedly. A dip is when the line goes down but then returns to its previous point. Nearly all line graphs will have a peak, which means the highest point. Each line only has one peak, which is good to highlight in your report. To rocket and soar are both verbs that describe extremely dramatic increases. Never use these two verbs unless the increase truly is dramatic.

Mistakes when using words will affect your band score. This includes spelling.

Band 6 = some vocabulary errors.
Band 7 = few vocabulary errors.

2. Practice with Nouns and Verbs

Fill in the gaps using the vocabulary above. Look at the graph below and then fill in the gaps in the sentences 1-5 below.

IELTS Line graphs never have one line, except occasionally in a multiple task. So, this isn’t a line graph to practice with for a full model answer. For sample charts, click here: Sample Practice Charts

QUESTIONS: 1-5

Fill in the gaps with the correct nouns and verbs. You should use no more than two words for each gap.

The number of reported cases of influenza began at 40 in 1985 after which the figure (1). …………………… steadily to reach about 55 in 1987. In 1988, there was a (2) …………. in the number to below 50 before (3) ……………. to reach a (4) ………… (5) ……….. approximately 75 in 1991. After that date, the figure dropped to about 55 in the final year.

ANSWERS

Click below to reveal the answers:

Answers

rose / increased / climbed / grew / went up
a fall / a decline / a drop / a dip / a decrease
climbing / increasing / rising / going up / growing
peak
of

NOTICE: to peak at / a peak of (the preposition changes when you use the verb or noun)

3. Line Graph Adverbs & Adjectives

Below are useful adverbs and adjectives to describe change.

Adverbs for Line Graphs

steadily / gradually / eventually
slightly / marginally
rapidly / dramatically
significantly / considerably
relatively

Adjectives for Line Graphs

steady / gradual
slight / marginal
rapid / steep / dramatic
considerable / significant

Adjective Definition Exercise:

What is the real meaning of these adjectives and adverbs? Below you will find a table with adjectives and meanings. Match the adjectives with the correct meaning.

1) rapid / steep / dramatic	A) the change took a long time
2) marginal / minimal	B) a change that went from very low to very high
3) steady / gradual	C) a change that went from about 50 to 100 out of 1,000
4) considerable / significant	D) a big change that happened over a very short period of time

ANSWERS

Click below to reveal answers:

Answers

4. Time Expressions for Periods of Change

IELTS line graphs show change over a period of time. Below are some expressions to help you describe the passing of time without too much repetition.

Time phrases:

steady / gradual = these words do not show how much change, but rather that it took a long time for the change

over the next three days
three days later
after three days
over the following three days
the next three days show
from…to… / between … and…
the last year / the final year
the first year / initially

over the period / given period / period given
at the beginning of the period
at the end of the period
over a ten-year period
- you must have an article (a/the)
- the word year has no s
- ten-year has a hyphen

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I hope you found this page useful. All the best, Liz

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Andrew’s Tips for IELTS Speaking Band Score 9

by Liz 63 Comments

Andrew was successful in scoring band 9 in IELTS speaking. Below he shares his tips with you on how to prepare and tackle IELTS speaking. Andrew clearly demonstrates his full understanding of IELTS speaking and how prepare properly.

Andrew’s IELTS Results

Overall IELTS Band Score 8.5

Listening: 8.5
Reading: 8.5
Writing: 7
Speaking: 9

“On one side I was confident of my abilities but as it was my first attempt on such a test, I had a lot of jitters. Though I was disappointed about my score in writing, I was more than happy about the other modules. All credit goes to you and your amazing blog.” Andrew

Andrew’s Band 9 IELTS Speaking Tips

Regarding tips, I did not follow many for speaking, but I did a few:

1 Calming yourself

Right before the speaking test one tends to get tense and nervous, this if unchecked could lead to stammering, loss of words and a general discontinuation of speech. To overcome this I simply took deep breaths, for about five minutes till the examiner called me, to calm my nerves.

2 Timing

This is an integral part of the module where one must practice the speaking test using a timer to time their answers, as one cannot afford to speak too less or too much. Use timer to time your answers. Timing is everything.

3 Part II

Go through all the possible questions for part II of the speaking test test. This helps a lot as you one will not have enough time to think and speak, so therefore it must be sub-conscious. It pays to prepares answers to such questions before hand(but don’t memorize) to have an idea, even if the questions seem similar to you.

4 Work hard

Though the exam can be taken again, it is quite a morale booster when one achieves in the first go. Practice speaking the answers, attempt mock practice tests till you are confident. Spend some time practising daily. Consistency is the key.

5 Language

When speaking don’t worry about the correctness of your answers, the examiner is looking at your language and not on your knowledge. Even if you do not know the exact answer for a question, you can beat around the bush to an extent.

6 Notes

For part II the examiner will give you paper to make notes. Make notes in the order of your speech, in a logical manner. Write hints and not sentences. I guess it is safe to say that the examiner does look into it for their final scoring. Comment from Liz: That’s correct. Your notes are not marked and do not influence your score.

7 Practising with a Recorder

Doing so will give you an idea of the flow of your speech pattern, your speed, pronunciation, pitch of sound and clarity of voice, with which you can improve all parts of you speech. It also aids you to consciously categorize your thoughts before speaking.

These were the tips I followed for speaking test. Once again I would like to thank you. Andrew.

IELTS Liz Message: I want to congratulate Andrew on his excellent results. Band score 9 in IELTS speaking is something to be very proud of. Andrew, your tips will certainly help many IELTS candidates to not only gain confidence but also tackle this test in the right way. Thank you and well done 🙂

For more tips about IELTS speaking, visit this page: IELTS Speaking Tips, Topics & Model Answers

Filed Under: IELTS Speaking Tagged With: IELTS Candidate Tips

Listening Practice: Future of Libraries

by Liz 242 Comments

A listening lesson about the future of libraries. This is an interesting topic that can appear in IELTS speaking, listening, reading and writing task 2. So, it’s well worth using this lesson to gain ideas and vocabulary. The questions are sentence completion which are common question types in IELTS listening.

Listening Practice

Future Libraries

Questions 1-5: No more than two words and/or a number.

Libraries provide creative spaces and learning ………..

Libraries can help to improve technological ……….. in society.

………… to any given book becomes possible using Library Bookmark.

Patrons would be able to receive books at home using …………….

Fingerlink allows the user to combine …………….. with a printed book.

Recording:

Source: Information was taken from ebookfriendly.com. Their article contained more ideas for this topic so take a look.

Transcript & Answers

Click below to reveal the transcript and answers for this lesson.

Transcript

Today, libraries are not only about lending books. They are creative spaces, not only for individuals, but also teams. They are economic incubators and learning hubs. Most of all, the libraries are the entry points to the digital world. They are the way to embrace technology and avoid digital exclusion. Therefore, to improve technological literacy of local communities, libraries should be equipped with relevant technologies.

Here are some suggestions for future improvements of technology in libraries:

Library Bookmark: First of all, the device would be a perfect companion when navigating through the library, by giving turn-by-turn directions to the book the patron wants. The device could also keep track of all borrowed books, as well as remind the user of the return dates.
Delivery Drones: To get the book from a library, you can either go and find it, or you can let it find you. The future belongs to the unmanned flying machines, and just like Amazon drones can deliver the goods to customers, libraries could deliver the books to patrons.
FingerLink: It is a project currently developed by Fujitsu that will let you use digital tools to work with a printed book. It’s a stand you can put on a library desk. It includes two elements: a camera to read the information from the real world, and the projector to display digital information in the real world.

Answers

Spelling must be correct to have the answer marked correct. Using all capital letters is recommended for listening and reading answers.

HUBS
1. You must have “s”. If you write this answer as “hub” it will be marked wrong. You are being tested on being able to hear the difference between plural and singular.
LITERACY
NAVIGATING
(DELIVERY) DRONES
1. Brackets are used in the answer key of test books to show possible answers. In this case, it is possible to have the answer “drones” or “delivery drones”. You cannot use brackets in your test – you must choose only one answer.
2. It is not possible to have “flying machines”. The paraphrase of drones is actually “unmanned flying machines” but it contains 3 words which goes over the word count limit.
DIGITAL TOOLS

More IELTS Listening Materials & Tips

Click here: IELTS Listening Main Page

……………………

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Spelling Practice: Vocabulary for Zoos

by Liz 50 Comments

Spelling is part of the IELTS writing task 2 marking criterion of vocabulary, which is 25% of your final marks. Spelling mistakes will lower your score for writing task 2.

The passage below is based on the Advantages & Disadvantages of Zoos. A common topic in IELTS writing task 2.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Zoo

Spelling Practice: Read the paragraphs below and spot the 14 spelling mistakes. What is the correct spelling? Please note, this is NOT a full essay.

There are a number of reasons why it is wrong to put wild animals in zoos. Firstly, wild animals are not domisticated and should be free to rome around their natural habitate. Putting them in confinned spaces in zoos means that they will never be able to return to the wild again. Secondly, animals have natural instinkts which they develop from living in the wild and pass down to their own off spring. These instincts will gradually fade and never return if they are kept in capivity.

On the other hand, keeping animals in zoos does serve some useful porposes. Zoos can serve a way to protect indangered species. Many species are facing dwinling numbers due to the distruction of their habitat or from disease so by keeping them in zoos, they are protected from extinction. Another reason why zoos can be useful is that they can serve as a way to educate the public. Most people will never come into contract with such a range of species in their lives. So, by having zoos, people are able to experiance seeing them and also learn about them. Hopefully this will help with the pretection of animals in the future as people will learn to appreciate animals.

Answers

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

Answers for Spelling Zoo Vocabulary Lesson: Answers

All the best

Liz

This lesson was suggested by a student called Karamdeep. If you have any ideas for lessons, please let me know by posting your ideas in the comments box below.

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Filed Under: IELTS Writing Task 2

IELTS Model Answer Bar Chart Writing Task 1

by Liz 300 Comments

IELTS bar chart model answer for writing task 1. This IELTS bar chart appeared in two different years in the IELTS writing task 1 test and will likely appear again. The model answer below will help you understand how to organise your ideas and support your statements with data. Also check the 10 useful tips below to help you understand the model answer better.

IELTS Bar Chart Sample Question

IELTS Model Answer for Bar Chart

The bar chart illustrates the proportion of women, men and children consuming five servings of fruit and vegetables each day in 8 years from 2001 to 2008 in the UK.

Overall, it can be seen that the highest percentage of all people consuming fruit and vegetables was women, while children consistently accounted for the lowest proportion. Furthermore, a significant increase in the proportion of people eating these food items can be seen over the period given.

The percentage of women who ate fruit and vegetables started at just over 20% in 2001. This figure then rose steadily to reach a peak of almost 35% in 2006, before falling slightly to 30% in the final year.

In terms of men and children eating fruit and vegetables, the rate remained relatively stable in the first three years (about 17% and 12% respectively). From this point, the proportion of men climbed gradually to peak at about 27% in both 2006 and 2007, after which it dropped to about 26%. A similar growth in the figure for children was evident reaching 25% in 2007 and around 24% in the final year.

Tips for Analysing the Model Answer:

Paraphrasing does not need to be complicated. Not all words can be changed all the time. Choose which words you will and won’t change. Trying to paraphrase too often will result in too many errors and a lower score.
Highlight highs, lows and trends in your overview where possible.
Make sure statements in your body paragraph are supported by data.
Make sure paragraphs are easy to see.
Remember this is a report, not an essay
Look at the logical organisation of information in the model answer above. It is easy to read and not confusing. If your report is confusing to read because you jump about with information, it is a bad report. All reports should be logical and clear.
Check the linking words used.
Note the variation in sentence structures.
Don’t overload your report with too many small details – be selective.
Aim for around 170-190 words. This model answer is 184 words in length. You do not need to write your word count on your test paper.

GT Candidates: You will only have to write a letter for your writing task 1 (GT Writing )

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IELTS Writing Task 1 Bar Chart October 2018

by Liz 40 Comments

This IELTS writing task 1 bar chart (October 2018) was reported and reproduced by an IELTS candidate. It appeared in the IELTS test three days ago. You can download a pdf copy below.