Listening Multiple Choice Practice: Moles

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Below is a listening practice lesson for IELTS preparation. The questions are multiple choice questions which require you to pay very close attention to the paraphrases used and to pay close attention to the differences in the options given. Don’t expect only one option to be mentioned in the recording. You will likely hear words that relate to all options, but only one will be the real answer.

Instructions for Multiple Choice Listening

  • Always pay attention to the topic of the listening test which will help prepare you for the language in the recording. There will usually be a title given.
  • Read the questions before you listen to the recording.
  • Pay attention to keywords in the questions and the answer options.
  • Notice the similarity and differences between options. Sometimes the answer options can appear similar so spot the differences.
  • You might hear words for all answer options but only one answer option will be correct.
  • The questions will come in order but the answer options will not.
  • Be ready to listen only once. You can’t pause the recording in the real test.
  • Make sure you write a letter, not words, for your answer.

IELTS Listening Multiple Choice Questions 1-7

Choose the correct option for the statements below from a choice of A-C. Your answer will be a letter.

Moles & Mole Hills

  • 1. The mole hill idiom means …
    • a) making small things seem big.
    • b) make facts seem small.
    • c) making big things seem small.
  • 2. Most people are worried that mole hills …
    • a) damage lawns.
    • b) look ugly.
    • c) are a health concern.
  • 3. Moles …
    • a) are blind.
    • b) only eat worms.
    • c) can sense movement in the earth.
  • 4. Moles can dig …
    • a) over 200 yards daily.
    • b) just under 200 yards a day.
    • c) in an upward direction.
  • 5. Moles give birth ….
    • a) in a bedroom.
    • b) underground.
    • c) in a tunnel.
  • 6. The birthing chamber is …
    • a) below the largest mound of earth.
    • b) larger than a football.
    • c) where the male takes care of the young.
  • 7. Moles are equipped with ….
    • a) strong limbs for digging.
    • b) curved nails for digging.
    • c) immense hands for digging.

Recording

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TRANSCRIPT & ANSWERS

CLICK BELOW:

TRANSCRIPT

I give transcripts on my website to help you review your answers and analyse why you got an answer right or wrong. The transcript is not given with the multiple choice questions – it is given with the answers only. You won’t have access to the transcript in your listening test. You can also use the transcript to listen and repeat out loud to improve your pronunciation.

Transcript: Moles and Mole Hills. The earliest species of mole was found more or less 55 million years ago. Since then, they have developed into 42 species all of which are categorised as insectivores. Nowadays, most people in the UK come across moles when they discover mole hills on their lawns. It is from these mole hills that the idiom “making a mountain out of a mole hill” was formed. This is a very common idiom used by most native English speakers and means exaggerating something that is in fact quite small and trivial. Mole hills are created by the mole digging out earth to create tunnels and throwing the earth outwards into the garden which creates little mounds of earth on the surface. These mole hills do not cause the garden much damage but many people think they are unsightly. Moles can carry rabies which can cause serious illness if someone is bitten, but as most people rarely come into contact with a living mole, they are hardly considered a health risk. As people, particularly in the UK, are very proud of their gardens, the unsightly mole hills result in them laying down traps which kill the moles. Some people think moles are blind which is why they live underground in the dark. However, this is a myth. Although, it’s true that their eyes are very small and play little role in their life underground. They rely mostly on their sense of smell and hearing which they use to find food, such as worms. They are particularly sensitive to vibrations in the soil. A mole is capable of digging upward of 200 yards in a day, which considering that a mole only grows to about 15cm is a great achievement. They often use their tunnels as highways to travel from one place to another. They can run down their tunnels, go backwards and even do little somersaults all inside their tunnels. Their tunnel systems are also used to connect subterranean living chambers such as bedrooms and birthing chambers. The birthing chamber is about the size of a football and the female mole lines it with dry grass and leaves for the young. It’s easy to spot the breeding chamber because the mole hill above it is the biggest. She is the only adult mole who is responsible for taking care of the young. Moles are sweet looking creatures with massive hands, short limbs and strong claws all designed as excellent digging tools. Unfortunately, for moles, their skins used to be prized highly by British High Society for clothing which meant that many moles died for the vanity of people.

ANSWERS

Below are the answers to the multiple choice questions:

  1. The mole hill idiom means …
    • A
      • To exaggerate mean to make something small appear bigger than it is. Such as acting like a small spot on your face, it is huge tumour.
      • Also note, IELTS listening never tests your understanding of idioms. But in this question the meaning as given so it tested only your listening.
      • This isn’t a realistic question for IELTS listening because many of you could guess the answer. This isn’t normal for IELTS listening questions. But I thought you’d all enjoy the question anyway 🙂 
  2. Most people are worried that mole hills ….
    • B
      • The recording says “mole hills don’t cause much damage”. This means option A is wrong. Just because you hear the word “damage” which is also found in the question doesn’t mean it is the answer. Don’t try to match words.
      • The recording says “many people think they are unsightly”. The word “unsightly” means ugly. 
      • The recording says “Moles can carry rabies which can cause serious illness if someone is bitten, but as most people rarely come into contact with a living mole, they are hardly considered a health risk” This means that while moles can carry disease, they aren’t actually a risk.
  3. Moles …
    • C
      • The recording says that blind moles “are a myth”. This means it is not true.
      • The recording says they eat worms. But it does not say they eat “ONLY” worms. Pay attention to the word “only”. It means they eat worms and nothing else. 
      • The answer is found here “They are particularly sensitive to vibrations in the soil. ” This means they can feel movement in the earth.
  4. Moles can dig …
    • A
      • The recording says “A mole is capable of digging upward of 200 yards in a day”. The word “upward of” means “over”.
  5. Moles give birth ….
    • B
      • The recording says “Their tunnel systems are also used to connect subterranean living chambers such as bedrooms and birthing chambers. “. 
      • This was a difficult question. The birthing chamber is where moles give birth and the recording shows it is also one of the “subterranean living chamber”. This means “underground”.
      • You could also arrive at this answer by process of elimination. This means to delete the wrong answers. They don’t give birth in a bedroom, but in a birthing chamber and definitely not in a tunnel.
  6. The birthing chamber is …
    • A
      • the recording says “The birthing chamber is about the size of a football and the female mole lines it with dry grass and leaves for the young. It’s easy to spot the breeding chamber because the mole hill above it is the biggest. She is the only adult mole who is responsible for taking care of the young.”. This shows it is not specifically larger than a football and the “she mole” (not the males) cares for the young. This provides the only answer which is 100% accurate: “the mole hill above is the biggest” which means the chamber is below the biggest mole hill.
  7. Moles are equipped with …
    • C
      • The recording showed that moles have “massive hands, short limbs and strong claws all designed as excellent digging tools. “
      • Limbs are said to be short, no mention about strength. So, answer A is wrong.
      • Claws (nails) are strong, but no mention of being curved. So, answer B is wrong.
      • The word “immense” is the same as: huge, very big, massive.

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Filed Under: IELTS Listening

Misunderstanding the IELTS Speaking Cue Card

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What happens if you misunderstand or misread your IELTS cue card in Speaking Part 2? Does it mean you will get a lower score? How do the band scores relate to this?

Examples of Misunderstood IELTS Speaking Cue Cards

Below are some cue card topics and examples of how it is possible to misread or misunderstood them:

  1. A piece of equipment you use at home
    1. You talk about a tennis racket or football.
  2. A time someone helped you
    1. You talk about a time when you helped your friend.
  3. A foreign food you would like to eat
    1. You talk about a foreign food you don’t like.
  4. An achievement you celebrated
    1. You talk about your mother’s 60th birthday party.
  5. Something you borrowed
    1. You talk about an item you gave to a friend.
  6. An interesting old person
    1. You talk about someone who is 40 years old.
  7. A type of weather you like
    1. You talk about the sports you enjoy playing when it’s hot.
  8. A film you like
    1. You talk about a sport you enjoy.

All the examples above are from IELTS candidates who went slightly off topic and either didn’t read the cue card properly or misunderstood the topic. 

The Impact of Misreading the IELTS Cue Card

Question to you: Which of the examples given above for the IELTS cue cards in speaking part 2 might be a problem or are they all ok? 

Click below to reveal the answer:

ANSWER

OK. Get ready to read and become more informed. There is no quick answer, only detailed explanations.

As you can see from the examples listed above on this page, all of them go off topic slightly. The reason being that someone in the test was so nervous that they misunderstood or didn’t read the cue card properly. It happens a lot in the speaking test.

There is NO marking criterion called Task Achievement in IELTS Speaking. Task Achievement or Task Response is part of the Writing Test marking, not part of the Speaking test marking. In Speaking, you are marked on:

  • Fluency
  • Grammar
  • Vocabulary
  • Pronunciation

Only your spoken English matters. 

So, with the examples listed above, all examples from 1 to 7 are fine. The candidate has understood the main topic and stayed on the main topic. But they have missed specific details. In example 1, the topic is equipment and the specific detail is equipment in the home. In this case, the candidate didn’t read the card properly and only talked about equipment, missing any mention of “home”. This is not a problem. You won’t lose marks because of this. The examiner might draw your attention to this or might not. In number 5, the candidate has misunderstood the word “borrow” and talked about “lend”. This is very small vocabulary error and won’t have a big impact on your score for vocabulary. Even number 6 is fine. Some people think that being 40 years old is old, while others think that only 70 years and above is old. We all have different understandings of age and it’s ok.

However, the problem is number 8. In this situation the candidate hasn’t misread the cue card and hasn’t misunderstood it either. A film is 100% different to a sport. Even people with only simple English know the difference between a film and a sport. This candidate has actually changed the topic completely. This could be a serious problem. If the examiner thinks you have changed the topic because you prefer a different one that you prepared at home or one you have memorised, you might have your entire talk discounted. It won’t result in minus points because there are no minus points, but your talk might be seen as invalid and not counted towards your marks. You can’t change the topic and you can’t memorise answers. 

Basically, if you misread the cue card, don’t worry about it. Keep talking. No matter the mistake, your talk will count towards your marks. Each word and sentence you say in the test will count towards your marks. But never try to completely change the topic on the cue card.

I hope this gives you more insight into how your talk in IELTS Speaking part 2 is marked.

 

All the best

Liz

 

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IELTS Essay Questions for 2022

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Below is a list of predicted IELTS Writing Task 2 essay topics for this year, 2022. As usual, these topics are based on common topics, current world issues and trending topics. Both GT and Academic candidates should prepare from the list below.

On this page, you will find:

  • List of types of essay questions
  • Essay Topics for 2022
  • Useful Links for lessons & tips

IELTS Essay Types in 2022

There are five types of essay questions in IELTS Writing Task 2. You will not know which type of essay you will be given. So, you must prepare for all types. When you read the 2022 Essay Topics list below, be ready for that topic to be phrased in different ways for different essay types. Be prepared to be flexible!!

  1. Opinion Essay – agree/disagree/ partial agreement
  2. Discussion Essay – discuss both sides
  3. Advantage / Disadvantage – includes outweigh essay
  4. Cause / Problem / Solution Essays
  5. Direct Question Essays – Positive . Negative Development / one question / two question / three question essays

Click here to learn how to spot which type of essay you have: IELTS Essay Types

IELTS Essay Topics for 2022

I’ve organised the predicted IELTS essay questions below and highlighted the topics I feel are more likely to appear. All topics in IELTS essays are current world issues and known society concerns. Our world today is mainly focused on health, work, technology, internet and other aspects of life.

Art

  1. is art important
  2. what can children learn from art, drama etc
  3. is literature important to teach in schools
  4. should the government fund artists
  5. what people gain from live events
  6. should art be censored
  7. does art transcend the language barrier

Books & Reading

  1. e-books – pros and cons
  2. are libraries a thing of the past
  3. children reading story books in their free time
  4. adults reading children’s stories

Business & Money

  1. family run businesses – pros and cons
  2. should we save or spend
  3. should companies be responsible for their employees’ health
  4. why some people do not save
  5. should money management be taught in schools
  6. is dress code or uniforms important in a company
  7. why do some people get into debt
  8. spending money on unnecessary items / luxury goods
  9. supporting small local businesses
  10. buying local or foreign products
  11. relocating companies to the countryside away from city centers – pros and cons
  12. factors in business success
  13. is the layout of an office important

Character & People

  1. is leadership innate
  2. factors behind success
  3. are people more impatient than before
  4. are older people as respected as they should be
  5. people who follow fashion trends
  6. keeping up with the Joneses
  7. individuality or conformity in schools 
  8. why do some people struggle with change
  9. are people less respectful of the elderly nowadays
  10. are people becoming less formal

Crime & Punishment

  1. fixed punishment for a crime or should circumstances play a role in deciding punishment
  2. prisons – pros and cons
  3. stopping ex-convicts from re-offending
  4. how to reduce crime in society
  5. do some films encourage criminal behaviour
  6. should teenage offenders get the same punishment as adult offenders
  7. why people watch crime shows on TV
  8. online crimes
  9. is safety a personal or government responsibility

Culture

  1. are museums and art galleries important
  2. can children gain from visiting museums and galleries
  3. should the government support artists
  4. should schools prioritise science over the Arts
  5. importance of traditional clothes and music
  6. how tourism is changing local cultures
  7. how can the government / schools preserve traditional culture
  8. globalisation – will cultures be lost
  9. how has the internet affect culture around the world
  10. are public celebrations important for culture
  11. people spending a lot of money on weddings and celebrations
  12. do foreign films change local culture

Education

  1. discipline in schools
  2. pros and cons of learning online
  3. is science and technology important to teach
  4. are university degrees more important than experience
  5. how can people learn soft skills, such as communication, personal skills etc
  6. homework for children – an aid to learning or too much pressure
  7. who influences children most – teachers or parents
  8. teaching good values – teachers or parents
  9. are children from poor backgrounds disadvantaged in education
  10. is history important to learn
  11. studying abroad
  12. children of different abilities should be taught separately
  13. home schooling pros and cons
  14. education in cities compared to rural areas
  15. how to make learning interesting for children
  16. all education should be free

Environment, Nature & Wildlife

  1. protecting trees/ endangered species – causes / problems / solutions
  2. how to educate people about environmental problems
  3. noise pollution / air pollution / water pollution – causes / solutions
  4. how to tackle littering
  5. importance of tackling climate change – causes, problems, solutions
  6. importance of spending time in nature
  7. are wild animals important
  8. testing consumer products on animals
  9. children having pets
  10. who should protect the environment: individuals or governments

Family

  1. what is the generation gap and how can it be tackled
  2. can children benefit from a close relationship with their grandparents
  3. should women with children go to work
  4. are family roles changing within the family
  5. who should support elderly family members: family or government
  6. is it important for family members to spend time together
  7. why do some couples choose not to have children
  8. parents should give children the freedom to make their own mistakes

Food

  1. is our food culture changing
  2. is it important to keep traditional meals
  3. why do people eat junk food if it is unhealthy
  4. should families eat together
  5. is animal welfare important to know about when buying meat in supermarkets
  6. what information would stop you buying a certain product
  7. what is a balanced diet
  8. why are some people vegetarian 

Health

  1. should all health care be free – pros and cons
  2. is public health a personal responsibility or the responsibility of the government
  3. sugar as a cause of health problems
  4. problems with junk food
  5. importance of mental health
  6. tackling obesity in society / in children
  7. health problems connected to using screens
  8. how to encourage children to do more exercise
  9. why people take up meditation, yoga or taichi
  10. walking, cycling to work pros and cons
  11. funding prevention or treatments

Language & Communication

  1. are text messages / emails / video calls a good form of communication
  2. pros and cons of one global language
  3. how has the internet changed the way we communicate and socialise
  4. should children learn a foreign language at an early age
  5. is handwriting a thing of the past
  6. will snail mail one day disappear
  7. difficulties learning a foreign language

Leisure

  1. are holidays important
  2. why is leisure time important
  3. are hobbies important
  4. spending time in nature
  5. children spending time playing together
  6. do people value leisure time more nowadays
  7. why do people watch so much TV in their free time
  8. Is watching TV a good leisure activity
  9. what leisure activities are best for children
  10. should children do homework or have fun in their leisure time

Media & The Internet

  1. social media and our image of beauty
  2. shopping online pros and cons
  3. how the internet has changed the way we work
  4. importance of accuracy in historical films
  5. does the internet make people feel more connected
  6. online streaming for films – pros and cons
  7. problems sharing personal information online
  8. reality TV stars
  9. what makes a film successful – stars, special effects or story
  10. meeting new people online
  11. how advertising influences people – billboards, internet pop ups, brand placement in films, social media
  12. celebrities as role models for children
  13. are newspapers a thing of the past now that news can be found online
  14. unreliable news or information online

Technology

  1. technology makes people lazy
  2. pros and cons of smart phones
  3. technology in the work place results in job losses
  4. technology and solving pollution / environmental problems
  5. technology, science and health
  6. government spending on space exploration or health care social services
  7. how has technology changed our lives / the way we work
  8. how has technology helped mankind

Transport

  1. pros and cons of a traffic free zone in city centers
  2. way to reduce pollution from cars
  3. should driving tests be obligatory every 5 years
  4. how to reduce traffic congestion in city centers
  5. pros and cons of plane travel
  6. how to ensure road safety
  7. should we all use electric cars
  8. people over 80 should not be allowed to drive

Tourism

  1. experiencing foreign countries on TV rather than travelling there
  2. conforming to the culture of the country you are visiting
  3. pros and cons of tourism on the domestic economy
  4. adventure holidays
  5. tourism and environmental factors (including wildlife)
  6. pros and cons of taking holidays on your own country
  7. tourism and its impact on the country

Sport

  1. what children learn from team sports and individual sports
  2. should sports teach competition or cooperation
  3. should schools increase physical education lessons
  4. benefits of exercise, walking, cycling
  5. should sports stars be paid so much
  6. companies sponsor sports events and teams for advertising – pros and cons
  7. sports professionals earning high salaries compared to doctors or nurses
  8. why people do adventure sports
  9. importance of international sports competitions

World Issues & Social Issues

  1. how can homelessness be tackled
  2. should world issues be solved nationally or internationally
  3. closing the gap between rich and poor countries
  4. rich countries should support poor countries at any cost
  5. overpopulation – problems / solutions
  6. people are living longer – pros and cons
  7. should charities help people locally or nationally
  8. are charities important
  9. more people are raising money for charities – why, is this a good thing
  10. living in the countryside or city – pros and cons
  11. food wastage / increase in world food demand
  12. (affordable) housing shortage – solutions
  13. migration of workers from rural to urban areas
  14. taking care of the elderly – family or government responsibility
  15. lack of good education in under-developed countries

Work

  1. pros and cons of working from home
  2. work-life balance
  3. pros and cons of being self-employed / working for a company
  4. bosses contacting people on their days off
  5. importance of holidays from work
  6. both parents working – how it impacts children
  7. is team working skills
  8. job satisfaction or salary
  9. working online pros and cons
  10. work-life balance
  11. pros and cons of technology / machines at work
  • Was this list useful to you?
  • Did you get one of these topics in your test?

USEFUL IELTS WRITING TASK 2 LINKS:

Click below to access some useful lessons and tips for your IELTS essay

How to write an introduction

List of keywords for essay writing

How to use the last 5 mins in your writing test

How long should your essay be

All Free Writing Task 2 Lessons and Tips

Filed Under: IELTS Writing Task 2

Listen & Write: Dealing with Natural Disasters

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This lesson is about listening to an audio recording, taking notes and then reproducing the full written text. This is not an IELTS test practice. It is just a practice exercise to develop sharper listening skills and check your accuracy of written English. Many people preparing for IELTS say they don’t know if their grammar is accurate or not. This is one way to check. When someone speaks aloud what they want you to write down, it is called Dictation. This is a dictation practice.

In this lesson, you will check your ability to:

  1. listen for keywords such as nouns
  2. make notes at the same time as listening 
  3. recreate what you hear in writing – produce a written script of what you hear
  4. check your grammar
  5. check your spelling
  6. check your basic punctuation

How to use this lesson:

  1. get a pen and paper
  2. listen and make notes at the same time
    1.  write down all the nouns you hear. Nouns are always the most important words to write down when you want to reproduce what you hear on paper. 
    2. the aim is not to pause the audio, but to keep it running while you make notes. Of course, the first time, you will only get about 15% of the words. But you can listen again to collect more nouns.
    3. when you write down the nouns, don’t worry about spelling the full word. You can edit all this later after you have finished listening three times.
    4. make sure you keep the order of nouns correct so that you can create the sentences afterwards. You will use those nouns to recreate the full script.
    5. Your aim is not to write all the words while listening. It is to write only key nouns and keywords so you can then recreate the script. This is the same as you do in a university lecture.
  3. listening again and add more nouns to your list
  4. Listen a third time and even a fourth if necessary. You can also write down other useful words as well.
  5. using the nouns you have written down, try to write the whole script on your paper. Don’t listen at this point. Just look at the nouns on your paper and recreate the passage. You will need to add verbs, adjectives, adverbs, articles (a/the) and any other words to make your writing grammatically accurate.
  6. review what you have written and put in full stops, commas and capital letters.
  7. when you think your writing is accurate, listen one more time to see what  words you have missed. 
  8. after those steps, when you are sure your writing is an accurate reproduction, check the answer.
    1. Check which words you are making mistakes with  – are they plurals, articles, verb agreement – which aspects of grammar do you make the most mistakes with
    2. check your spelling and punctuation

This is NOT an IELTS test. It is an opportunity to develop note taking skills at a high level and check the accuracy of your written language. 

Listen and Write: The Best Way to Deal with Natural Disasters

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Natural Disaster = tsunami, typhoon, earthquake etc

ANSWER

The answers are available by clicking below:

CLICK HERE: ANSWERS TO THIS LESSON

i hope you found this useful.

All the best,

Liz

………………………

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Filed Under: IELTS Listening

How to write an IELTS Essay

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Learn how to write a high band score IELTS essay step by step. You will find 15 key steps for a high score IELTS essay. These steps are for both GT and Academic Writing Task 2. After the steps listed below, you will find useful links that will help you learn more and develop the right skills necessary to be successful in IELTS.

Step by Step: How to tackle your IELTS essay

None of these steps below can be missed if you are aiming for a good score in your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay. Be strategic and focused in how you approach your IELTS essay. Failure to tackle the points below will result in a lower score. They are particularly important for candidates aiming for band 7 and above. For those candidates, you must fulfill the requirements of the higher band scores by following and mastering the steps below.

Step 1: Make sure you identify the type of essay you have been given. This essay is what I call a “Direct Questions” essay. There are two specific questions that you must answer. The first question is about cause. You must state the cause of this trend. The second question requires you to evaluate. This means you must present your opinion as to whether you think this is a good thing or a bad thing. Click here to learn about the Types of IELTS Essays.

Step 2: Before you plan your essay, think about the structure. You have two questions and they are of equal weight. This means you will have two body paragraphs. Both body paragraphs will have equal length. Click here to learn about how many paragraphs in your essay.

Step 3: Identify the issues in the essay question. The essay question above is very simple. It is about computer games. However, some IELTS essay questions are more complex so you must take time to identify the issue or issues. 

Step 4: Brainstorm main ideas. When you brainstorm main ideas. it does not mean you will use all your ideas in your essay. First, brainstorm ideas and after that select the best ideas. To prepare ideas, see this list of common essay topics.

Step 5: Develop supporting points. This is the step that most people miss. Most people plan their main ideas and then start writing. Your main ideas are certainly important, but the supporting points are equally as important. And this is the area where most people easily go off topic. So, using your planning time to prepare your supporting points. Don’t start writing until you are clear about the whole content of your body paragraphs.

Step 6: Think about linking for body paragraphs and supporting points. Linking is another area that is often forgotten during the test. Linking and paragraphing is crucial. They are also both very very easy for you to score high points in. So, never overlook these two points. Plan your paragraphs and make sure you are using a good range of appropriate linking words. Here is a list of keywords.

Step 7: Don’t waste time on your introduction. It is a functional paragraph which usually contains just two sentences. The bulk of the marks are in the body paragraphs.

Step 8: Read the essay question again before you start each body paragraph. This will help you make sure you are using the right language to present your ideas. People think having good ideas is enough. It is NOT enough. You must think about how you will present them. So, read the essay question again and get your bearings.

Step 9: Use a range of grammar features. This is not just about tense. There are a whole range of features that you can use to show your grammatical prowess. 

    1. noun phrases
    2. gerund noun phrases
    3. noun clauses
    4. language of probability
    5. relative clauses
    6. conditional statements
    7. Referencing
    8. quantifiers and intensifiers
    9. comparatives & superlatives
    10. passive voice

To learn more about grammar in Writing Task 2 and to avoid errors, consider my Grammar E-book whcih will help you boost your grammar score and improve your English. Click here to see a Preview of my Grammar E-book. My Grammar E-book is available in my online store: Liz’s Online Store

Step 10: Avoid errors in grammar: articles, pronouns, uncountable nouns, word order, tenses, complex sentences. The more errors you have, the lower your score. Knowing the strength of your grammar will help you avoid errors. Aim for accuracy – do not aim to impress. 

Step 11: Vocabulary only counts for 25% of your marks. Too many candidates focus too heavily on this area. Use vocabulary appropriate for the topic. Don’t over use idiomatic language. Idioms are mostly informal, not formal, so go with phrasal verbs instead which are also idiomatic. Don’t use less common vocabulary if you might use it incorrectly. Errors will lower your score. Aim for accuracy. Spelling counts. There are some useful vocabulary lists on this page: IELTS Vocabulary.

Step 12: Paraphrasing is a language skill that you need to demonstrate. This doesn’t mean changing all words all the time. It means being selective about which words you change and which words you will leave and repeat. It is fine to repeat some words. Over paraphrasing is one reason why many people get a low score in vocabulary.

Step 13: Don’t aim for a long essay or a short essay. If it is too short, it means you haven’t developed your main ideas enough. If it is too long, it gives you room for more errors which will lower your score. Aim for between 270-290 words on the whole. Click here for a video lesson about essay length.

Step 14: Edit your essay. Leave 2 mins to edit your essay. Pay attention to not repeating linking words, checking spelling and spotting vocabulary errors. You might have other areas specific to your language skills that you want to check. Know your weaknesses.

Step 15: Look at the clock. Timing is everything. You must be very strict with timing so that you have enough time to finish your essay. You can start with task 2 if you want, but if you do, make sure you leave 20 mins for task 1. Use no less than 5 mins preparing your essay. Use no less than 2 mins to check your essay at the end. This leaves around 33 mins for you to write your whole essay. Practise this at home under exam conditions until you are able to do this.

Step 16: If you find my free lessons are not enough for you or if you want more in-depth training for essay writing, please get my Advanced Writing Task 2 lessons which are available in my online store. Click here: Liz’s Online Store

Other Useful Links

Hope you find this page useful. From Liz 🙂 

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Improving Sentences for IELTS Writing Task 2

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Improve your Sentences for IELTS Writing Task 2 by creating more complex sentence structures and reducing your grammar errors. Below are some sentences written by a student. Your task is to spot the mistakes and also to improve the sentences so that they are a higher band score.

Creating Higher Band Score Sentences for IELTS Writing

There are many ways to improve sentences in your IELTS writing. Some people think the only way is to create long sentences – this is not true. To improve sentences you can:

  1. use clauses
  2. using linking words to connect ideas
  3. give more precise information that improves the quality of the sentence 
  4. reduce errors

See the sentences below and the ways I use to improve the sentences to make them higher band score.

Improving Sentences Example 1

Below are three short sentences. You can increase your IELTS writing band score by connecting them and also adding more precise details

Many children are obese. They eat too much junk food. They should do exercises.

Option 1: Connect the sentences:

  • Many children are obese because they eat too much junk food and one way to tackle this is to encourage them to do more exercises.

Option 2: Add more valuable information:

  • An increasing number of children are struggling with obesity which can have a serious impact on their health. This is mainly because they are eating foods which are high in unhealthy fats and sugars as well as having a sedentary lifestyle lacking in sufficient exercise. To tackle this, children must be given a balanced, controlled diet and encouraged to get exercise every day to burn the calories they consume as well as reduce blood sugar levels.

Improving Sentences Example 2

Facebook is a good way to connect to friends. People can keep up to date with friends. Personal information is not always secure.

Option 1: Connect the Sentences

  • Although Facebook allows people to connect to each other and keep up to date with their news, their personal information might be at risk.

Option 2: Add more valuable information

  • Admittedly, Facebook provides a fun, interactive way for people to stay connected and remain in each other’s lives no matter the distance. However, by sharing so much personal information on a public, insecure platform, people are opening themselves up to online security problems such as identify theft, fraud and even cyber stalking.

Reduce Sentence Errors to Increase your IELTS Score

The more errors your sentences contain, the lower your score will be. It is better to write two sentences which are controlled in length and with no errors than one long sentence with errors. A long complex sentence with errors will not help your score.

The most common errors are in:

  • articles  a/the
  • plural nouns and countable nouns
  • prepositions
  • linking words
  • clauses
  • gerunds (verb+ing = noun)

Spot the errors in the sentences below:

  1. In my opinion, study history is extremely important in term of learning about culture, and science, medicine development.
  2. On the one hand, history is a subject that is rarely used in people’s lives. Thus it would be better to focus on science and technology, which is more relevant to the future.
  3. In other word, they should use the school time effectively, because students are loosing the motivation to study subjects like history that has no importance role in day to day life.
  4. For instance, most people memorising dates, names and facts when they studying history. This information is not useful for future.
  5. Furthermore, Valuable information can often be found in history, how science and technology had developed over the years.
  6. Although history has many information that is not useful in today’s world, studying history can help people learn about their background.

ANSWERS

Click below to see the mistakes and how to improve the sentences:

ANSWERS
  1. In my opinion, study history is extremely important in term of learning about culture, and science, medicine development.
    • Answer: In my opinion, studying history is extremely important in terms of learning about culture, the development of science and medicine.
      • studying = you need a gerund (a verb that has been converted to a noun using +ing).
      • in terms of = this is a linking word that you should learn by heart. It is quite common to use in writing task 1 and writing task 1. See this page for LINKING WORDS LIST
      • and = you must have the word and before the last item in a list.
      • Improvement = In my opinion, studying history is important because it can help people gain a deeper insight into certain aspects of everyday life such as the evolution of culture, science and even medicine.
  2. On the one hand, history is subject that is rarely used in people’s lives. Thus it would be better to focus on science and technology, which is more relevant to the future.
    • Answer: On the one hand, as history is a subject that is rarely used in people’s lives. Thus, it would be better to focus on science and technology, which are more relevant to the future.
      • “subject” is a countable noun and requires an article = a
      • Thus, = sure you use a comma after a linking word at the start of a sentence.
      • science and technology are two separate subjects so the verb should be plural =  are
      • Improvement = On the one hand, as history is a subject that is rarely of use in people’s everyday lives, it would be better to focus on subjects that are more relevant in today’s modern world and to our future, such as science and technology.
  3. In other word, they should use the school time effectively, because students are loosing the motivation to study subjects like history that has no importance role in day to day life.
    • Answer: In other words, school time should be used effectively because students are losing the motivation to study subjects, such as history, that play no important role in day to day life.
    • In other words = another example of a mistake with linking words. Linking words are easy to learn and make a huge difference to your final band score for writing task 2. You shouldn’t make any mistakes with this language.
    • “the school time” does not require an article (no “the” needed).
    • losing = the spelling loosing is a spelling mistake
    • such as = you cannot use like as a linking device in writing task 2 because it is too informal. Also, don’t forget the commas
    • has no importance role = play no important role
    • Improvement = In other words, the time spent in schools should be used more effectively by focusing on subjects that are more relevant in today’s world rather than subjects such as history, which has little meaning for most young people, so that students do not lose motivation to learn.
  4. For instance, most people memorising dates, names and facts when they studying history. This information is not useful for future.
    • Answer: For instance, most people memorise dates, names and facts when they study history which is not considered useful information for their future. (Combine the sentences.)
    • most people memorising = most people memorise
    • when they studying = when they study
    • the future = their future
    • Combining the two sentences into one complex sentence is better and it is quite easy to do.
    • Improvement = For instance, most people are forced to memorise long lists of dates, names and facts for events that happened centuries ago when studying history, which is not particularly useful information for their future.
      • Note: I’ve changed when they study to when studying (using a gerund is better for your band score).
  5. Furthermore, Valuable information can often be found in history, how science and technology had developed over the years.
    • Answer: Furthermore, valuable information can often be found in history relating to how science and technology have developed over the years.
    • valuable should not have a capital letter in this sentence
    • the two clauses in the sentence should be connected using relating to
    • had = have (plural)
    • Improvement = Furthermore, there is a lot to gain from the study of history namely valuable information relating to how science and technology have developed over the decades, which can help people spot trends of how they are likely to continue developing in the future.
  6. Although history has many information that is not useful in today’s world, studying history can help people learn about their background.
    1. Answer: Although history has a lot of information that is not useful in today’s world, studying it can help people learn about their background.
    2. many information = a lot of information (information is an uncountable noun)
    3. studying history – studying it (don’t repeat words)
    4. Improvement = Although the study of history requires people to learn a lot of information that does not seem to directly relate to their life today, it can help people gain a sense of their own cultural identity, which can bring understanding, tolerance and even unite a country.

I hope you found this lesson useful. If you did, let me know and I’ll post more like this for you. All the best, Liz

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RECOMMENDED FOR YOU:

Linking Words List for IELTS Essays

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ALL MODEL ESSAYS & TIPS FOR IELTS WRITING TASK 2

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IELTS Essays: Five Types of IELTS Essays

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There are 5 types of IELTS essays which can appear in IELTS writing task 2. These types of essays are for both GT and Academic writing task 2. Below you will find sample essay questions for each type of essay and links to model answers. 

Please note that IELTS teachers sometimes divide essays into different categories based on how they teach. This means IELTS and teachers give essays different names and categorise them differently.

1) IELTS Opinion Essay

This type of essay is where you are presented with someone else’s opinion and you are asked if you agree or disagree with it. The opinion is often flawed or extreme in its views. Some teachers call this the Argumentative Essay. The instructions can be written in a number of ways. Below are a few examples:

  • Do you agree or disagree?
  • Do you agree?
  • What do you think?
  • To what extent do you agree?
  • To what extent do you agree or disagree?
  • What is your opinion?

No matter how the instructions are written, you can take any position you want: agree, disagree or partial agreement (balanced view). Below is an example essay question:

Some people think that only electric cars should be allowed on the road by 2040. Do you agree?

Note:

  • IELTS will not tell you which type of essay you are given. You must identify the essay type yourself by looking at the instructions and the task given.
  • The biggest mistake for an opinion essay is not giving a clear opinion. Writing “this essay will show that…” does not express your own opinion. Your opinion must be clear and remain the same opinion throughout the entire essay.
  • Another problem is when people sit on the fence without any clear opinion. A balanced view does not mean you agree with both sides fully. You can’t turn an opinion essay into a discussion essay.

2) IELTS Discussion Essay

This type of essay presents you with a statement and you must present the two sides. This might be two sides of the same issue:

Some people think there should be free health care for all people, but others disagree. Discuss both sides.

Or it might be two separate issues which you need to discuss:

Some people think that urban spaces should be used for parks rather than for housing. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

3) IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essays

There are two types of questions in this category.

i) Advantage and Disadvantage Essay

This is similar to a discussion essay where you are given a statement must present the positive and negative side of the issue:

Some people think it is good for students to take a gap year before going to university. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing so?

ii) Outweigh Essay

This is by far the most difficult of the two essay types in this category. It requires you to present an opinion and explain your opinion.

Some people think the world will eventually have only one language. Do you think the advantages of having one global language outweigh the disadvantages?

4) IELTS Solution Essays

There are a number of types of possible questions in this category:

i) Solution Only Essay

Some children have serious weight problems. What are the possible solutions?

ii) Cause Solution Essay

Children in rural areas are being left behind in their academic development. Why is this is the case? What solutions can you suggest?

iii) Problem Solution Essay

More and more people are moving to cities to look for work. What problems does this cause? What are the possible solutions?

iv) Cause Effect Essay

More and more people are moving from the countryside to cities. Why is this? What problems does it cause?

5) Direct Questions Essays

Some teachers call these the Double Question Essays or Two Question Essays. However, these types of essay questions might contain one, two or three questions for you to answer. Below are some examples.

Pollution around the world is becoming a serious problem. Do you think this is a problem that should be solved internationally or on a local level?

In the question above, you are asked one specific question. Your whole essay must tackle this question only.

More and more people are choosing to work from home. Is this a positive or negative development?

This essay question has just one issue and one question. You must explain what type of development you think working from home is.

Some people spend a lot of money on weddings. Why do they do this? Do you think it is good to spend a lot of money on weddings?

Above, you will see you have been presented with two questions to answer: reasons and opinion (evaluating if it is good or not.) 

News editors decide what to print in newspapers and what to broadcast on TV. What factors do you think influence these decisions? Do we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more news was reported?

It is not common to be given three questions. However, it has appeared in the test before so I’ve included it in this list.

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Practice Essay Questions for IELTS

You can find over 100 essay questions to practice on this page: 100 IELTS Essay Questions. The questions are divided first into topics and then into essay types. This way you can get lots of practice before your actual test day.

Model Essays & Tips

You can find model essays for each type of IELTS writing task 2 on this page: IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Essays & Tips. You’ll also find tips for essay structure, paragraphing, linking words etc. Everything on this website is free for you to use.

Advanced Writing Task 2 Lessons

I also have advanced lessons for IELTS essays in my store which take you step by step through the techniques of writing a high band score essay. You can find my store here: Liz’s Advanced IELTS Store.

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Listening Practice for IELTS: Plastic Straws

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This listening practice is about the current world issue of plastic straws and how they affect the environment. This is the type of listening you are likely to hear in section 4 of the listening test.  Furthermore, the ideas are useful to learn for your writing and speaking test. It is also something I feel very strongly about. We all know about the problems of plastic straws, but how many of us are choosing not to use them? Hopefully this listening practice will remind us all about the importance of not using such pollutants. 

In the IELTS listening test, you can listen only once. For this lesson, read the questions and make a note of keywords before you listen to the audio. You will always have time to do this in the real test.

Listening Practice Lesson for IELTS

Listening Questions 1- 6

Complete the sentences with words from the recording. Use no more than two words and/or a number.

  1. Plastic straws have a limited ……………… owing to their predominantly single usage.
  2. These straws do not …………….. and can pollute the environment for hundreds of years.
  3. ……………….. straws are thought to be used annually in the UK.
  4. Kasey Turner found ………… straws during her 20-minute ………………
  5. One plastic straw was even found in the airway of a …………………
  6. Understanding the relationship between what we do and the negative ……………. can be a motivation for ………..

Recording

Don’t forget that in the test, you can listen only once and you won’t be able to pause the recording.

Source: This article was adapted from 1millionwomen.com.au and also bbc.co.uk/news

ANSWERS & TRANSCRIPT

Please note, the transcript is something I usually offer with all listening lessons as a way to check your answers and improve your pronunciation by listening and repeating on your own. Transcripts are not given with questions and you won’t be given them in your test. 

Click to open:

ANSWERS

  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.

 TRANSCRIPT

Use this to review the answers and improve your pronunciation.

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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Raising Awareness of Plastic Straws

If you would like to learn about about the effects of plastic straws, watch the video footage of the endangered sea turtle mentioned above. Click here: Effect of Straws on a Sea Turtle. Warning: The video is distressing to watch – be warned!!

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