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IELTS Speaking Sample Answer from a teacher – Pt 1 Interview

Bren Brennan — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:15:21 +0000

Here is an IELTS Speaking Sample Answer from the first part of the IELTS test: “The interview”.

In Part 1, the examiner asks the candidate questions about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics.

Examiners IELTS Speaking Part 1 Sample Questions

Where are you from?
Tell me something about your family.
What about your studies? Are you in the middle or end of your studies?
How long will your course take you to study?
Where would you like to work in the future after university?
Can you tell me something about Kazakhstan?
What are the best things about your culture that foreigners should know about?
Can you talk about food in your country?
Is television important in your country?

IELTS Student answers

Here you can hear Ica, from Kazakstan answering the questions.

Ica part 1 Interview

How do you think Ica did with her answers? I think she was very good.

IELTS Speaking Sample Answer from a teacher

Here’s a different set of answers by me (pretending to be a student from Germany) to a variation of the first four questions. Hopefully you will hear some improvements in the variety of vocabulary and more complex grammar being used.

4 IELTS Part 1 Standard Questions

Where are you from?
Tell me about your family
Are you a student?
Where would you like to work in the future?

Full transcript of teacher’s answers

1. Where are you from?
I’m from Germany. I live in the capital city, Berlin, but I don’t live in the city centre, I live in a suburb called Wilmersdorf.

2. Tell me about your family.
Well, I’ve got two older sisters and one younger brother, so I’m right in the middle. My mum and Dad are divorced and they’re remarried. So, actually I have quite a lot of stepbrothers and stepsisters, so there are quite a few of us. I also have a large extended family with lots of uncles, aunts and cousins.

3. Are you a student?
Yes, I’m at university. I’m studying business and economics degree. At the moment, I’m kind of in the the middle of my studies. I’m just over halfway through my course. I’ve got about a year and a half left. But if I get good enough marks when I graduate, I will go on to do a masters degree… probably.

4. Where would you like to work in the future?
Hmmm, that’s a good question. I would like to start off working somewhere in Germany, maybe in a more business oriented city than Berlin, like Frankfurt or Munich. Then if I branched out and worked for a big international corporation in somewhere like London or NY, then that would be perfect.

ANALYSIS OF TEACHER’S ANSWERS

1. I’m from Germany. I live in the capital city, Berlin, but I don’t live in the city centre, I live in a suburb called Wilmersdorf.

VOCAB:

GOOD – Variety with ‘capital city‘, ‘city centre‘ and ‘suburb‘
BAD – ‘Live‘ is repeated 3 times
HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER:
– Instead of repeating live, live, live…. say ‘I’m from‘ ‘My flat is in a suburb…‘.
– You could also give more info like ‘I’m only a teenager, so I haven’t got my own place yet and I still live with my parents, of course‘

2. Well, I’ve got two older sisters and one younger brother, so I’m right in the middle. My Mum and Dad are divorced and they’re remarried. So, actually I have quite a lot of stepbrothers and stepsisters, so there are quite a few of us. I also have a large extended family with lots of uncles, aunts and cousins.

VOCAB:

GOOD – Variety with ‘older / younger‘, ‘Mum and Dad‘, ‘divorced / remarried‘, ‘stepbrothers / sisters‘, ‘uncles / aunts / cousins‘ and ‘large extended family‘
BAD – ‘quite‘ and ‘lot‘ are both repeated twice
HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER:
– Instead of repeating lot…. say ‘loads of…‘
– You could also give more info (with even more new ‘family’ vocab), like ‘I really love my granny, because she is such a kind person and she always tells me interesting stories about…‘.
– How about using some of Ica’s vocab from her audio above, like ‘We are very close‘???

3. Yes, I’m at university. I’m studying business and economics degree. At the moment, I’m kind of in the the middle of my studies. I’m just over halfway through my course. I’ve got about a year and a half left. But if I get good enough marks when I graduate, I will go on to do a masters degree… probably.

VOCAB:

GOOD
- Variety of appropriate ‘education’ terms, like ‘university‘, ‘course‘, ‘studies‘, ‘marks‘, ‘graduate‘ and ‘degree‘
- Nice vocab chunks, like ‘at the moment‘, ‘I’m kind of…‘, ‘in the middle of sth‘, ‘just over halfway through sth‘, ‘to have sth left‘
- No repetition of language (apart from ‘degree’, but I think this is acceptable in this university context)

GRAMMAR:

GOOD
- 1st conditional sentence, ‘if I get good enough marks when I graduate, I will…‘
BAD
- Grammar slip: ‘I’m studying business and economics degree‘. I didn’t intend to say degree at the end of this sentence. I was just going to say ‘I’m studying business and economics’, which is correct. However, because I added the word ‘degree‘ on the end, the sentence was missing the article ‘a‘. In this instance, the correct version should have been, I’m studying for a business and economics degree.

4. Hmmm, that’s a good question. I would like to start off working somewhere in Germany, maybe in a more business oriented city than Berlin, like Frankfurt or Munich. Then if I branched out and worked for a big international corporation in somewhere like London or NY, then that would be perfect.

VOCAB:

GOOD
- Variety of appropriate ‘work’ terms, like ‘business oriented‘, ‘international corporation‘
- Use of Phrasal Verbs, like ‘start off‘, ‘branch out‘
HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER:
– Maybe use more ‘work’ vocab, like ‘do an internship / become a manager / office job / climb the career ladder / 9 to 5‘
– Maybe utilise more ‘desire’ vocab, like ‘I would love to… / It would be great if I could get a job with… / The perfect scenario would be to (infinitive)… ‘

GRAMMAR:

GOOD
- Comparative clause, ‘…in a more business oriented city than Berlin‘
- 2nd conditional sentence, ‘if I branched out and worked for… that would be perfect‘

Come back soon for sample answers from student, Ica and also from SGI teacher, Bren in parts 2 and 3 of the IELTS speaking test.

Good luck in your IELTS exam! If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments section below and I will try to help you.

IELTS Speaking practice: Speaking test Part 2

Phil Wade — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 13:34:10 +0000

Improve your IELTS Speaking by working through this lesson.

Get your answers to the questions by clicking on SUBMIT TEST in the bottom right hand corner.

Do NOT click on NEXT at the top of the page BEFORE you do this. – if you do you will go to the next part of the lesson and you will not see which questions you answered correctly.

You may also like our other IELTS practice/tips/advice posts…

1. IELTS exam preparation advice from a teacher who knows

2. Speaking Part 2: Sample answer

3. IELTS speaking sample answers: Part 3 – The Two Way Discussion

FEELING ROMANTIC?
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Good luck!

IELTS exam preparation advice from an English teacher

Phil Wade — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:26:24 +0000

A few people have asked us about how to improve their vocabulary, writing and other skills for the IELTS exam. So, I’ve decided to share some advice I give all my IELTS students. I hope it helps you as much as it does them.

BTW, make sure you mouse over the images below!

1) Find out which band you need.

If you want to do a BA or MA then look at the university’s website to see which IELTS band you need. Be realistic! The top universities demand higher scores than the others. Choose a course with an IELTS grade which you think you can achieve.

2) Assess your current IELTS band score.

Do an IELTS practice test in a book or online. You can easily find free reading and listening papers but it’s harder to get speaking and writing ones that are marked. For this, I would ask your English teacher or a friend with good English to assess you. Remember that you need to rate all your skills so you know your band in reading, listening, speaking and writing.

3) Ask yourself “how long do I need to reach my target band?”.

If you are an overall band 4 and you need band 7, you can’t improve that much in a week or even month. However, if you have 7766, then you just need to push 2 skills up a band each so a month may be enough, with the right amount of lessons and homework.

I know students who’ve gone up from a 5 to a 6 in less than a month but they had regular classes almost every day and studied hard at home. I’ve also had private students who’ve improved from a 4 to a 5 in a week due to daily intensive lessons.

So, it all depends on how you are going to prepare. You will improve faster with regular private classes but also quite fast with daily group lessons. Think about this when you choose your exam date. The IELTS costs a lot of money and it’s very depressing to fail it. So, make sure you have enough time to reach the band you need before you do the test.

4) Work out a study schedule.

I know students who study IELTS at school for 2 or 3 hours a day and then go home to revise and do practice tests for another 3 or 4 hours BUT they have time as they really have to pass the test and aren’t doing anything else. Not everyone is this lucky.

It’s a good idea to get a calendar and schedule study time every day, if you can. Start off revising what you learned in class, then work on some of your weaknesses and do some practice test sections or a full paper like a reading test. Don’t forget to time yourself though!! Time management is a very important IELTS skill.

You can give yourself days off as a reward but you have to stay motivated and keep studying. It’s easy to think you’re not improving though so keep a record of your practice test scores. I know quite a few teachers who give their students a full listening, speaking or writing test every week either in class or for homework. They correct them together and the teacher adds their scores to a chart on the wall. This way, everyone can see how they are progressing and where they still have problems.

5) Think about how you learn best.

Do you prefer listening to lessons, playing games, using apps, reading blog posts, doing book exercises or just doing tests and correcting them? Figure out what works for you best and use it to help you get better at IELTS.

The IELTS is a hard test if you want a band which is far higher than your current level. It can also be difficult for high levels who just don’t know the format of the test.

A perfect IELTS student has the right English level, knows all the sections of the test, has done practice tests, has great time management skills and is confident: not afraid of the exam, but ready to prove how great their English is!

I hope this advice helps you get the band you need.

Here are some useful sites to help you:

http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare-test/free-practice-tests

http://www.britishcouncil.org/professionals-exams-ielts-intro.htm

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/ielts-mock-papers

Better IELTS speaking: Advice & Practice

Phil Wade — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 09:55:53 +0000

Practise for your IELTS exam and make your IELTS speaking better.

This lesson focuses on IELTS Speaking Part 3: Two Way Discussion, where you have to talk with the examiner in a natural conversation about the topic that you have already been going over in Parts 1 & 2.

When you are asked questions in this lesson (Step 2 & Step 4), you MUST click on SUBMIT TEST (in the bottom right hand corner of the page) to get your results.

IELTS writing: Background knowledge importance

Phil Wade — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 23:01:33 +0000

As you know, in the IELTS writing test, the academic writing paper has 2 sections. In the second part you have to write an essay about a given topic. This is often a for, against or both style.

The topics are quite general but it does help if you know more about them. One tip is to watch the news and read papers and our SGI blog posts so you can keep up-to-date with general trends in the world related to IELTS topics such as education, environment and work.

IELTS writing part 2 question:

In recent years, the number of organizations permitting their staff to work from home has increased significantly. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this development?

The topic is working from home or homeworking or telecommuting.
Without knowledge of this topic you would only have the idea stated in the question. You would then have to think and invent some advantages and disadvantages which would take a great deal of time. However, if you had read about it or watched a programme on it then you would know related vocabulary and have several ideas to choose from.

Fans of our blog will remember a post a few months ago on teleworking. If you missed the post then read it here: It contains both for and against arguments.

Now, using what you learned you can easily plan an essay to answer the question.

SAMPLE IELTS ESSAY PLAN

Introduction:

Teleworking is on the rise in numerous countries. As an alternative to the traditional office-based method it brings benefits related to cost-saving. Nevertheless, isolated homeworking is certainly not for everyone.

For:

Cost saving: Companies can make huge cost savings and thus increase their profits. BT saved £11m because staff worked from home. They reduced spending on office space, equipment and electricity.

Against:

Isolation – Working in a home-office reduces your contact with people and colleagues. Thus, workers can suffer from loneliness and become demotivated or even depressed.

Conclusion:

On paper, remote works can potentially increase a company’s profitability but to balance the risk of isolation part-time telecommuting may be the best option or the development of more telework centres where distance workers can benefit from being in a social environment.

As you can see, almost all these ideas and a lot of the vocabulary were based on the blog post.

Make sure you check out all our other daily blog posts (and our archive of hundreds of entertaining posts) to see which others may help you to improve your IELTS band score.

IELTS Writing Part 1: Academic Module

Phil Wade — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 22:53:08 +0000

In IELTS writing part 1 (academic module), the first part is often based on describing a graph/chart or comparing 2 of them. They generally include academic information about standard IELTS topics like unemployment levels or the ages of people who…

One reason why students say this part is difficult is that the topics are unusual to them, as in the speaking test. Another is that they aren’t accustomed to describing and comparing graphics using numbers and percentages. So, they don’t have varied grammar structures and vocabulary.

A good way to tackle these problems is to use information and topics you find interesting, then to learn and use more advanced/varied structures and language. So, here is an extremely visual infographic about American voters in the recent presidential elections and which parties they voted for:

This is perfect for practising your IELTS part 1 writing because it has lots of data. Read through the example sentences below and learn the structures that you don’t know so you can expand your range.

Gender

According to the infographic, 47% of voters were male and 53% female.
There was only a 6% difference between the sex of voters, with women accounting for 53% and men 47%.
Female voters slightly outnumbered their male counterparts, standing at 53% and 47% respectively.

Race/Ethnicity

The most prevalent ethnic group (of voters) was white, representing 72%. The remaining 28% consisted of blacks with 13%, followed by Hispanics (10%) then Asians (3%). Whereas the last 2% were attributed to others.

Tip 1

What’s wrong with these answers? Well, writing a full description of all the information is not often what you are asked to do. If the question says ‘summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features..’ then just describing everything will not earn you points and probably just give you a 5. Thus, you need to find the most important data.

This is a better summary:

The most striking difference regards the ethnicity of voters. A significant 72% were categorised as white, in stark contrast to the 13% of blacks. At the other end of the scale were 10% Hispanics and 3% Asians.

Tip 2

It’s also VERY IMPORTANT to avoid adding personal opinions and extra information such as:

as was to be expected
far more than 4 years ago
an unsurprising…

State the facts and only the facts!

Final tip

You only have 150 words so make sure every one counts. A current trend is to write over 150. Some produce 200+. I wouldn’t advise this at all.

If you find this part boring then do like here – choose an interesting topic and practise writing about it. If your weakness is your lack of vocabulary then try learning and using 5 to 10 new words in every writing you do. If you need to work on your structures then learn and use a few of those.

IELTS language: Comparing tablets – iPadmini v Nexus7 v Kindle Fire HD

Phil Wade — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:21:24 +0000

Find IELTS language below that if you use, you will definitely improve your band score:

a)Comparing & Contrasting – very useful for the IELTS writing section

b)Technology vocabulary

c)Informal language

It seems that everyone has or wants a tablet these days and the tablet wars are really heating up. Now there’s even more choice for all you tablet fans.

You can choose from full-size tablets or mini versions. These are smaller and cheaper than normal tablets and may be the latest Christmas must-have gift.

The current 7 inch tablet market contains 3 main products. Take a look at this infographic to see what they are and how they compare:

(Copyright for this image at ITPro here)

The screen

The iPad mini has a 7.9 inch screen, compared to the Google and Amazon tablets which only have a 7 inch one. Although the iPad’s is bigger it actually has less pixels with 1024 by 768. Whereas, the 2 others both have 1280 by 800. That means the iPadmini has the lowest quality image.

Price

The new smaller ipad is £110 more expensive than the Kindle and the Nexus. However, we all know how expensive all the Apple products are so that’s not much of a surprise and you do get what you pay for. The iPadmini comes with iOS 6, the newest Apple OS but contains the older A5 chip.

You should also remember that you aren’t just buying the device but the whole ecosystem. So, if you get an iPadmini you have to use iTunes and the App store. Get the Nexus and you need to access Google Play while the Kindle is for downloading from Amazon’s App store and Amazon.co.uk.

Cameras

Both the iPadmini and the Kindle have front HD cameras. While the ipad also has a rear 5 MP one. In comparison, the Nexus only has 1.2MP front camera. Neither, the Nexus nor Kindle have rear cameras. Therefore, if you want to take photos and do Skype then the iPadmini is the tablet for you.

Connectivity

All the mini tablets have WIFI and Bluetooth capability but only the iPadmini has 4G LTE. Another difference is that every tablet except the Kindle has GPS.

Memory

Tablets generally have less storage capacity than laptops. The iPadmini has several different versions ranging from the basic 16GB to the 32 and the biggest with an impressive 64GB of storage. In contrast, the Kindle does not have a 64GB version. The Nexus has far less memory, starting at 8GB and only going up to 16GB.

Conclusion

Each tablet is different so it depends on what you want it for but if you have a Mac or an iPhone then getting the iPadmini makes sense. If price is an issue or you just like Android then maybe the Nexus or Kindle is a better decision.

Informal language

heating up: getting more competitive
tablet fans: people who like tablet computers a lot
Christmas must-have gift: the present that everyone wants for Christmas
you do get what you pay for: the price of a product is related to the quality

Techie language and abbreviations

ecosystem: the environment and how everything is related such as iPhones, iTunes and iTV
HD: High Definition
MP: Mega Pixels = A million pixels
4G LTE: 4th Generation Long Term Evolution telephone network
GPS: Global Positioning System
GB: Gigabytes = 1000 Megabytes

Comparing and contrasting language

The text uses basic comparatives and superlatives but also a number of different structures. These are very useful for IELTS when comparing graphs or charts.

The iPad mini has a 7.9 inch screen, compared to the Google and Amazon tablets which only have a 7 inch one.

Although the iPad’s is bigger it actually has less pixels with 1024 by 768

Whereas, the 2 others both have 1280 by 800.

The iPadmini comes with iOS 6, the newest Apple OS but contains the older A5 chip.

Both the iPadmini and the Kindle have front HD cameras

While the ipad also has a rear 5 MP one.

In comparison, the Nexus only has 1.2MP front camera.

Neither, the Nexus nor Kindle have rear cameras. T

All the mini tablets have WIFI and Bluetooth capability but only the ipadmini has 4G LTE.

Another difference is that every tablet except the Kindle has GPS.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

IELTS Speaking Test Questions with answers: Royal privacy

Phil Wade — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:25:24 +0000

Our IELTS Speaking Test questions with answers can be found at the bottom of this blog. Read the article about the latest Royal scandal, which is all about the right to privacy.

Royals, celebrities and privacy are common IELTS Speaking test themes. It’s good practice to know relevant vocabulary and phrases about these subjects in case you get a question about them in the exam.

The British royal family are used to being in the media. During the recent Olympic Games they were all over the TV and the internet. Since then though they have been making headlines for the wrong reasons.

First there were some embarrassing photos of Prince Harry having a party with some friends. Although many people were shocked by the images, they were probably not surprised as similar photos have been seen before and Harry has somewhat of a reputation for his wild antics.

Next came some more shocking photos of someone who has a much calmer lifestyle. Kate Middleton, now known as the Duchess of Cambridge has appeared in several tasteless snaps taken by a spying journalist while she was relaxing on holiday in France. A French magazine then published several of these photographs followed by an Irish publisher.

The reaction from Prince William, the royal family and the British public has been condemning and they have accused the press of violation of the privacy and private lives. Prince William has even declared war on the press. He is particularly angry due to the way his mother, Princess Diana, was also treated by the French and English newspapers. One journalist quoted him as saying “the gloves are now off”.

IELTS Speaking Test Tips

Celebrities, fame and famous people are common IELTS topics. In the speaking test, you could be asked to talk about them for 2 minutes and then have to do a debate on the same issue. All of them are connected to privacy, especially in England because the UK press are often in the headlines.

It’s best not to memorise fixed sentences/answers for the IELTS exam because they will sound unnatural and the examiner will realise this.

However, it’s excellent practice to answer questions like those below and to learn some of the relevant vocabulary and phrases that you can see in the Sample answers section.

IELTS Speaking Test Part 3 Sample Question

Here are some IELTS style speaking part 3 questions about the Kate and William situation:

Should the royals, like famous people, be given privacy?
Do they deserve the right to their privacy?
Do they have the right to say photographers can only take photos of them only when they are told?
Have the press gone too far this time?
Why do magazines and newspapers publish private photographs of celebrities and famous people?
Why do people buy these magazines and newspapers?
Should the press have complete freedom to print what they want?

IELTS Speaking Part 3 Sample Answers

Here are some interesting ways to talk about this subject for IELTS band 6.5+ candidates.

a) As far as I’m concerned, the royals have absolutely no right to any privacy.

b) They can’t have their cake and eat it. Either they want to be in the newspapers or they don’t.

c) William is out for blood. He’ll take no prisoners.

d) I don’t believe that privacy is a right that celebrities deserve – they court the press for their own business interests. You live by the sword, you die by the sword.

e) Look, I’m no fan of celebrities but the British press just go too far. This latest scandal involving Kate and William is an abhorrent violation of their rights.

f) The readership of British tabloids generally prefers scandalous photos and sensationalism. That’s what sells.

g) After the News of the World phone tapping scandal, many believed the press would turn over a new leaf, but his latest incident proves otherwise. It’s a case of ‘the same old, same old’.

h) It’s too late to cry over spilt milk. The damage has been done. All William and Kate can do now is try to limit the publication of more photos and sue those involved to prevent a similar situation happening again.

English Pronunciation: Be understood

Phil Wade — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 11:45:25 +0000

English teachers and students often focus a lot on vocabulary and grammar when doing speaking preparation for exams like IELTS, whilst neglecting improving their English pronunciation.

Well, it’s good that a candidate learns enough language to express themselves but what lets students down time and time again is their inability to sound good. For some they can’t be understood at all.

This isn’t really anybody’s fault as many textbooks focus more on reading and listening and squeeze speaking onto one page or even less. But, if the examiner can’t understand you then you’ll do badly, even if you have amazing vocabulary.

So, what stops candidates being understood?

English Pronunciation Problems & Help

Read our tips and then practise by recording yourself in our voicethread at the bottom of the page. Leave your name and we will reply to help you improve your pronunciation.

Mispronunciation

First and foremost it is mispronunciation of single phonemes or sounds. Have a look at some of our previous posts for some help on this. Every nationality has different problems due to their first language. Some can’t pronounce TH, some over pronounce S and others miss out any consonant on the end of a word.

Tip: Find out what problems you have and work on them.

Word stress

Secondly, word stress. This sounds basic but not everyone learns the right stress for every word in class. If you stress the wrong part you may change the word from a noun to a verb or even make it sound like a foreign word…. or just be completely misunderstood!

Tip: Ask a native or a good English speaker to listen to you and correct your word stress. Otherwise, check online or with a paper dictionary.

Practise with SGI – go to our blog where you can record yourself copying whole sentences of a native speaker and get help with your sentence stress from an SGI teacher for free!

Sentence-level Stress – listen to the audio at the bottom of the page

Next, you have sentence-level stress which is where you add stress to the important word(s) in a sentence. We normally stress verbs and nouns because they are the important words. For example, you would understand BOUGHT SHOES even without the other words. A good speaker will add major and minor stress so they will say something like this:

I bought some shoes.

minor major stress

A very good student (band 6+) will know how to change stress to give different meaning, like this:

I bought some shoes.

=He didn’t borrow, steal or sell them

I bought some shoes.

=Emphasises the speaker and is common where lots of people are speaking.

Tip: Focus on transferring meaning by adding minor and major stress.

Intonation – listen to the audio at the bottom of the page

Intonation is another pronunciation skill that is often forgotten about. Although it differs across English, it is best to go down at the end of a sentence for a statement but up at the end for a question. For example:

____________________________________↘

I tend to do all my shopping in the supermarket.

__________________ ↗

What do you usually buy?

To signal that a sentence isn’t finished you can use them together like this:

_________________↘↗ __↘↗ ____ ↘↗ __________________↘

I normally purchase fruit, vegetables, raw meat and cleaning products.

Tip: Practise making longer and more complicated sentences using varied stress

Conclusion

Don’t let your pronunciation reduce your band score. It’s not enough just to be understood. You need to use stress and intonation to convey meaning/be properly understaood. That’s where the saying IT’S NOT WHAT YOU SAY, BUT HOW YOU SAY IT comes from.

Listen to our huge collection of English native-speaker podcasts. Focus on how the teachers use sentence stress and intonation. Take some sentences that you like and practise copying them.

Practise your Pronunciation – record your voice

Don’t be shy – give it a try! You won’t improve if you don’t practise!
Record yourself, leave your name and we will reply with advice to help you improve your English pronunciation and be better understood

Tips to improve IELTS: Speaking test part 3 sample answer

Phil Wade — Tue, 29 May 2012 20:25:38 +0000

You must be interested in tips to improve IELTS band scores, so why not try our IELTS competition? You can win 2 self-study textbooks from Harper Collins. Hurry because you only have 48 hours left to enter the competition.

Here is a sample of an SGI student at the beginning of her course doing part 3 of the IELTS speaking test. Click here to listen to part 1 and here for part 2. Below are some tips and comments about the student’s answers.

IELTS Speaking PART 3: The Discussion

In part 3 you have 4 to 5 minutes to discuss the topic from part 2 in more detail. This part is designed to stretch you as far as possible to see just how good you really are. The examiner has a couple of related sub-topics and question ideas but adapts the questions to you. This means that if you are a low level you will get easier questions but if you are band 8 then you will start with quite difficult ones which get even more difficult. By difficult I mean the ideas, the question and the language you need to use to answer them.

Questions:

What effect has the internet had on the way people generally communicate with each other?
And what about information on the internet, how reliable to do you think that information from the internet is?
What about news on the internet, is that reliable?
Why do you think that some people prefer to use the internet for shopping?
Why doesn’t everyone use the internet for shopping?
Are there any kinds of products that are easier to buy and sell online?
Is there anything that’s not suitable to sell or buy online that, any kinds of things that are not appropriate?
What about supermarket shopping, do you think that’s a good idea?
Do you think shopping on the internet will be more or less popular in the future and why?

General Tips for IELTS Speaking part 3

Try to give longer answers than in part 1 and explain what you mean with examples.

If you don’t understand a question ask the examiner to repeat it or to explain it in a more simple way.

Listen to the type of question you are asked and answer it appropriately, don’t always say “yes…” because it probably won’t be a Yes/No question in this part.

Avoid giving personal information and examples, this should be an abstract discussion.

LISTEN TO IELTS SPEAKING SAMPLE ANSWER PART 3

Here are some sample questions for part 3 of the speaking test with differences structures to help you answer them.

Q1: And what about information on the internet, how reliable to do you think that information from the internet is?

Well, in my honest opinion
Well, to be honest
Well, frankly
+
I have to say that
I’m of the opinion that
it’s my opinion that
+
the vast majority of information on the web
some of the information found on the web
a very small percentage of information taken from the web
+
is completely reliable
is particularly unreliable
lacks any reliability
+
For example, just look at
Take X as an example,
X is a case in point,

Q2: If we move on to talk about the internet and shopping. Why do you think that some people prefer to use the internet for shopping?

There are many reasons but the main one is that
It’s quite simple,
I’m not really sure but I guess that

shopping online saves time and money
you can find far more online than in any shops
there’s so much choice and you don’t need to travel anywhere

Not to mention that
What’s more
And we shouldn’t forget that

not everyone lives nearby big chain stores.
people do everything else online so why not their shopping too?
lots of shops actually encourage online shopping as it cuts their costs.

Q3: Is there anything that’s not suitable to sell or buy online, any kinds of things that are not appropriate

I’d have to say that
I’m convinced that
I tend to think that
+
X is/are particularly unsuitable for sale and purchase via the internet
X should not be sold online
we should be able to buy and sell everything online
+
because first of all…secondly…
because we all know that..

Student’s IELTS strengths

She is willing and confident enough to tackle each question and really seems to want to speak.

She manages to answer every question and gives quite detailed answers.

She uses a variety of phrases for giving her opinion.

She rarely pauses or has to think of what to say.

She uses some good vocabulary and attempts to use varied grammar.

Her pronunciation is understandable even though she has noticeable accent.

Some tips to improve IELTS Speaking

She should work on her sentence construction and general grammar with a native speaker.

She needs to use varied tenses, structures and phrases to give answers.

She must learn more vocabulary to help her express herself and talk in-depth about lots of topics.

More pronunciation work like learning and practising ‘th’, word stress and the rhythm of English.

Some idioms and phrasal verbs would help her get a higher band so she could try learning a few about typical IELTS topics.

Tips to improve IELTS Band Score: speaking part 2 sample answer

Phil Wade — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:34:32 +0000

Don’t forget to enter our “Win free IELTS textbooks” competition this month. You can win IELTS Speaking and IELTS Listening self-study textbooks from Harper Collins by answering 2 easy questions.

BY listening to this IELTS sample answer (below) of Part 2: The Long Turn from a student at the beginning of her IELTS course, we hope to show you what you can do to improve your IELTS Band Score for the speaking test.

IELTS Speaking PART 2: The Long Turn

In part 2 you have 1 minute to read a task card, prepare and make notes. Remember you get a piece of paper and a pencil but the notes are only for you. You don’t have to write anything if you don’t want to but it does help to plan your talk. You can then refer to your notes when speaking.

Sample question

Describe a useful website you have visited. Say:

What the website was.
How you found the address.
What the website contained.
Explain why it was useful.

General Tips for IELTS Speaking

Choose a subject (in this case, your favourite website) or one you know well.
Make notes for each point and try to talk about each one for about 20 seconds.
Remember to have an introduction so try paraphrasing the question
Don’t forget to include a very quick summary or conclusion.

LISTEN TO IELTS SPEAKING SAMPLE ANSWER PART 2

Student’s IELTS strengths

The student does convey some good points and covers all the parts of the task.

She tries to paraphrase the question as the introduction to her answer which is quite effective.

She also has some good language such as ‘section, exercise, contain and prepare’.

There are some examples of self-correction too.

Her pronunciation is quite clear.

Student’s IELTS weaknesses

She covers the main points too quickly and this is why her presentation is too short (1min 10secs). Therefore, she would be asked to speak more.

As a result, she has trouble talking at length about the last part.

There are examples of pausing while she searches for language and ideas.

She has limited grammar and makes simple errors, even when trying to use the simple past.

What specific things will improve her IELTS Speaking?

She has to practise planning by making quick notes. All she needs is to write a few key words for each point and try to speak about them for about 20 seconds each. Then if she adds on an introduction and summary/conclusion that is 2 minutes.

She should revise and practise using simple tenses then more complex ones.

She needs more language so she can express herself better

Linkers and discourse markers would help her to develop her speech better and create more complex structures.

How can she improve her IELTS Speaking overall?

Practise planning, talking and timing herself. She can speak with a clock so she gets used to talking for 2 minutes but also to work on getting halfway at 1 minute and finishing the last point at 1:45/50.

She needs to make an effort to learn more topic-related language about the common topics in the speaking test like the internet.

She ought to think which tenses she can use and practise combining different ones such as the past simple, perfect and continuous.

She can practise speaking and writing longer sentences using linkers and discourse markers. She should start off with basic ones like ‘and’ ‘but’ and ‘or’ but then use more advanced ones.

IELTS Band Score

The student would have scored a speaking IELTS Band score of 4 or 4+ for this 2nd section. But, improving your IELTS Band score is possible with hard work. This IELTS student did this demo IELTS test in her first week of her course with us here at SGI in London. The good news is that 3 months later, now she gets IELTS band scores of 6 for IELTS sample tests!

Look out for part 3 soon & click here to listen to part 1 of this IELTS Speaking test.

IELTS speaking test part 1 sample: Tips to improve

Phil Wade — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:45:39 +0000

As you are interested in IELTS, please have a go in our “Win free IELTS textbooks” competition this month. You can win IELTS Speaking and IELTS Listening self-study textbooks from Harper Collins by answering 2 easy questions.

This is an IELTS speaking test sample: it’s part 1 – the Introduction and Interview. The student is asked several basic personal questions about her life and has to give short but developed answers.

Listen to the audio and then read how this student can improve her IELTS band score below.

Student’s IELTS strengths

She manages to answer every question and uses a lot of word stress to convey meaning like ‘hot’ and ‘big’.

She uses her vocabulary effectively and says a couple of great phrases like ‘come together’, ‘especially during…’and ‘everything is under my control’.

Several examples are used well to explain the student’s answers.

Student’s IELTS weaknesses

She has limited vocabulary and so finds it hard to express herself fully and precisely.

Her grammar is also limited and she makes some basic mistakes.

She relies too much on the present simple when the present perfect could be better.

Pronunciation is an issue on several occasions as some words like poverty and heaven are very hard to understand.

What specific things will improve her IELTS Speaking?

She needs to learn and utilise more tenses so that she can talk more precisely about now, the past and the future.

She also needs more vocabulary in order to explain more about each topic.

More linking words would help her develop complex sentences

Some pronunciation training on individual sounds and words could also help people understand her better.

How can she improve her IELTS Speaking overall?

This student has to work on getting better and correcting her mistakes. In the speaking test she will gain mark for trying more advanced language but also lose them if she has lots of mistakes. So, she needs to focus on both.

She should learn vocabulary and useful structures for IELTS topics like holidays and hobbies. Then she needs to know speaking phrases for giving her opinion.

Learning how to use basic linkers like ‘but’ and ‘however’ will help her make complex sentences.

Studying the phonetic alphabet will help her to pronounce words correctly but she should also speak more to become more fluent.

IELTS Speaking Band Score

At the moment, this candidate would score an IELTS Speaking Band score of 4 or 4+ for this 1st section. However, the good news is that improving your IELTS score is possible. This recording was made with this student in her first week of lessons. Now, she has been studying IELTS in London with us here at SGI for 2 months and she is currently at a 6 level overall for IELTS!

Look out for parts 2 & 3 audio of this IELTS Speaking test next week.

IELTS Tips: Language choices to improve IELTS Band Score

Phil Wade — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:22:09 +0000

Do you need to improve your IELTS band score?
When studying for your IELTS Speaking test, it’s really important to improve your exam technique to be able to get the maximum out of every word you use in front of the examiner. Below we show you the way to prove to the examiner that you have a broad range of vocabulary, which scores big points! This advice is invaluable: please read if you are serious about scoring more than 6 in your IELTS test.

By the way, don’t forget to enter our IELTS competition this month, where you can win 2 IELTS self-study textbooks from Harper Collins.

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is an important skill in the IELTS speaking test.

It means saying something in a different way but how do you paraphrase?

1) Use synonyms which have the same or a similar meaning

Test/exam/assessment

Improve/progress/develop

2) Change the word form like from a verb to a noun or an adjective

Educate (vb) education (noun) educated (adj)

Graduate (vb) graduation (noun) graduated (adj)

3) Change the word order

University qualifications are important

It is important to have university qualifications

Universities give important qualifications

Qualifications from universities are important

4) Change the tense structure

I think a university education will help me find a job

Having a university education will help me find a job

Finding a job with a university education will be easy

If I have a university education it will be helpful for finding a job

If I had a university education, it would be helpful when looking for a job

I have always thought that a university education makes finding a job easier

Paraphrasing can be used for different reasons

1) To help you answer a question by rephrasing it

Q: How important do you think a degree is?

A: Well, I think a degree is very important…
2) To check that you understand a question properly by rephrasing the question

Q:How do you feel about postgraduate study?

A:You mean, what’s my opinion concerning postgraduate study?
3) To restate an answer using different language if the examiner asks you to clarify or explain.

Q:How can universities be improved?

A:They need more funds for libraries.

Q:Sorry, could you explain what you mean?

A:I mean that more funds are needed to build and equip libraries.

There are also several phrases you can use to introduce your paraphrasing

Rephrasing the question

So, what you want to know is . . .

So, what you’re asking me is …

So, you would like me to….

If I understand you correctly, your question is…

Paraphrasing yourself

To put it simply…

In other words, what I want to say is…
Or, to put it another way…
What I mean to say is…
What I’m trying to say is…

Have a go at paraphrasing with these questions:

Do you think that education is a powerful tool against poverty?
What do you think about studying abroad?

What are the benefits of going to university?

Which subjects are popular at university nowadays?

Should universities be free?

IELTS speaking vocabulary: Extending your vocabulary – Art

Phil Wade — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:27:51 +0000

Getting to IELTS band 7+ is tough and most students never manage it but why? Well, people at that level are similar to native speakers because they know lots of language and have a very naturally way of using it. More importantly, they know lots of different ways to talk about or reference the same thing using synonyms. Very high level students also know a large amount of collocations and are aware which nouns, adjectives, adverbs and prepositions go together to show off their IELTS Speaking vocabulary.

The topic of Art is common in the speaking. Here’s a typical type of question for part 2:

Describe a well-known painting you have seen or know about

You should say:

What it looks like
What is interesting about it
Why it is well-known

And say if you would buy this painting or not, and why.

In part 2 you have to speak for 2 minutes so you need lots of language!!

1) Related words

A band 4/5 student has very limited vocabulary and so will probably repeat lots of nouns such as ‘painting’ and the pronoun ‘it’ which is taken from the question. They’ll probably also use the adjectives ‘interesting’ and ‘well-known’. Saying them once is fine because they relate directly to the points but when you say them twice or three times it’s not effective. It shows that you just don’t know other words so you can forget a band 6+.

Using visuwords.com you can see and learn lots of related words to anything you type in. Here’s a screenshot for painting:

The highlighted words are:

Cityscape

Landscape

Mural

Wall painting

Graphic art

Oil painting

2) Collocations

Another problem for low level student is when they get a question that is unfamiliar then they will have a hard time because they just don’t know enough related words about unfamiliar topics. For instance, how many words do you know that collocate with painting? Could you name 6 adjectives or 5 verbs? Well, a band 7 student probably wouldn’t have a problem with that.

This is a screenshot from Oxford’s excellent collocations dictionary available at: http://5yiso.appspot.com/:

Useful words include:

Adjectives for types of paintings: Watercolour, decorative, portrait, still-life,

Adjectives to describe your opinion of paintings: Famous, original, valuable

Adjectives to say the style of painting: Impressionist, abstract, surrealist

Verb Paining: Hang up, display, exhibit, collect

Useful nouns: Style, technique

Now, think about which words you would use to answer the question then listen to this:

listen to ‘Monet’ on Audioboo

Practise using these 2 sites to extend your vocabulary for different IELTS topics.

IELTS Speaking: Sport idioms & phrasal verbs

Phil Wade — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:13:06 +0000

One way to try to get high scores in the IELTS speaking test is to use phrasal verbs and idioms. In this blog we are going to look at sport idioms & phrasal verbs.

At upper intermediate level and above you should be learning both of them and trying to use them in your daily life. They are not easy but are one way you can move towards advanced and proficiency.

A band 4/5 student may try to use 1 or 2 of them in the IELTS speaking test but normally in a very unnatural way. However, a band 7 student will probably know many and use them well but a band 8/9 candidate will utilise them completely naturally. At this level the student speaks very naturally and uses whatever language they need to express themselves clearly. When they choose a phrasal verb or idiom it is because it conveys more than a normal word (s) alone. This is just like a native English speaker. The band 4/5 student, on the other hand, will probably just say 1 or repeat a memorised phrase to try to sound more advanced.

Sport Phrasal verbs

Here are some phrasal verbs and their definitions which are used for sport

to warm up: To do movements/stretching to get your muscles/body ready for exercise
To cool down: To do movements/stretching after your main exercise to get it back to normal
To join in: To take part in a sporting event or match
To give up: To surrender/quit
To drop out: To leave a competition or race
To knock someone out: To beat someone in competition so they are no longer in it /To hit someone in a boxing match so that they become unconscious
To bulk up: To gain weight and muscle
To work out: To do exercise routines/sessions

Here is a sample speaking part 2 question:

Describe your favourite type of sport

You should say:
-What equipment is used
-Where it is normally played
-How it is played
And say how it compares to other sports.

Listen to the sample sentences here:

Sport Phrasal Verbs (mp3)

Text of the Audio

You need to use special training equipment to warm up and cool down so you don’t get cramps.
It’s normally played on a pitch outside and anyone can join in.
It’s a tough sport, you need determination and a high level of endurance because it involves a lot of running. This is why most people give up in the first month.
Because it’s very physical, injuries are frequent so it’s not uncommon for athletes to drop out of competitions.
Every match is part of a competition where each losing team is sequentially knocked out until there are only 2 remaining who play in the final.
To play this sport you need a strong body and must weigh a certain amount. What this means is that competitors frequently bulk up before matches.
In my opinion, it’s far more physically demanding than other sports on account of the strenuous training sessions where you work out with a coach.

Now, prepare your own 2 minute presentation using the phrasal verbs.

Sport idioms

What’s great about idioms is that they add new meaning and a creativity to how you express yourself. One idiom can often say far more than a whole sentence. Here are some sports idioms to you can use to talk about many things.

Another string to your bow: Another skill/ability
To dive in head first: To start doing something 100%
To get off on the wrong foot: To start a relationship badly
To jump through the hoops: To do what you are told to do
To do something off your own bat: To take the initiative and do something on your own
To get off to a flying start: To make a successful start
To be on the ball: To be sharp and to know everything that’s happening
Plain sailing: Without any problems
To run rings around someone: To be far superior to someone else
The name of the game: The core priority. “Speed is the name of the game in athletics”
You can’t win them all: It’s impossible to win every match/contest
You win some you lose some: It’s normal to lose some matches/contests
To be out of your league: When the other competitors are far superior to you

Here are some great videos to learn more sport idioms:

Try to learn 1 phrasal verb and 1 idiom every day. You should try to use them in speaking and also writing. At the end of the week revise everything you’ve learned and ask your teacher or a friend to check.

IELTS Speaking: Two-Way Discussion sample answers

Phil Wade — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:20:02 +0000

In part 3 of the IELTS speaking test you need to talk about a topic with the examiner for 4-5 minutes. During this time you will be asked various questions to help develop the conversation. (You can find more tips, advice and sample answers about the Two Way Discussion here).

Here are some sample questions and answers:

Q1: Let’s consider first of all why people write books. What do you think makes people want to write a book?

A1: In my opinion, there are many reasons why people decide to write a book. Some people have an important story to tell and that’s why they write their own autobiography. For instance, I recently read Richard Branson’s and it was fascinating. Writers of fiction, on the other hand, may just enjoy writing. Look at Stephen King, he has written countless books and shows no sign of stopping. People like him seem to have a real passion for writing.

Q2: What qualities does a writer need?

A2: Well, being a professional writer is a tough job and the whole creative process of planning, writing and redrafting a book can take years. So, I guess that dedication and self-discipline are prerequisites for any aspiring or established writing. I also believe that being able to connect with readers is essential.

Q3: So, do you think anyone could write a book?

A3: Not really. People say that ‘everyone has a book in them’ but I doubt if we could all write one. Take my father for instance, he has had an extremely interesting life which would make a fascinating story but I really doubt that he could write a book about it. Writing is a skill and not everyone has it. Also, people who are good at telling stories to friends etc might not have the patience you need to write a book, as I said before.

Q4: In your opinion, is writing a good career choice then?

There are many famous authors like Stephen King who has written books for decades and J K Rowling who created Harry Potter. They have had amazing careers and have also made a lot of money in the process. Nevertheless, for every Stephen King there are probably a 10,000 failed writers and even some of his books have not been well received. It’s a tough industry because so many people want to become writers and so it’s extremely difficult to write something original and even then it’s not guaranteed to sell.

Here are some useful phrases from the sample which you can use to answer the same questions.

In my opinion, there are many reasons why people decide to write a book

Some people have an important story to tell

For instance, I recently read…and it was fascinating.

Writers of fiction, on the other hand, may just enjoy writing.

Look at…he/she has written countless books and shows no sign of stopping.

People like him/her seem to have a real passion for writing.

Being a professional writer is a tough job.

The whole creative process of planning, writing and redrafting a book can take years.

I guess that dedication and self-discipline are prerequisites for any aspiring or established writing.

I also believe that being able to connect with readers is essential.

People say that ‘everyone has a book in them’ but I doubt if we could all write one.

Writing is a skill and not everyone has it.

There are many famous writers like…who has/have..

Some of his/her books have not been well received.

It’s a tough industry because…

Now, make some of your own sentences about writing books and write them in the comments box below. Here are some more practice questions. Leave your answers in the comments box and a teacher will mark them for you!

What kinds of books are popular nowadays?
Why do people like reading books?
How do you feel about electronic books?
Do you think people read more or less now compared to before?
How important is reading?
How can we encourage more reading in society?

You can find more sample questions and answers for the Two-way Discussion here.

IELTS speaking test part 2-Describing a friend you spend time with

Phil Wade — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:19:33 +0000

In part 2 of the IELTS speaking test you need to speak for 2 minutes about a given topic. You get 1 minute to prepare. During this time it’s a good idea to make short notes on the paper you are given.

Here’s a sample question with some notes:

Question

Describe a friend that you spend time with.

You should say:

- How often you see the friend

- What you do together

- Where you go

And explain why you like him/her

Notes

John, my best friend from primary school

During university holidays

We play football, tennis, computer games

To the sports centre, park, cinema

He is nice, friendly and funny

Here is a sample answer:

I spend a lot of time with my best friend John. I’ve known him since primary school where we were in the same class.

We only see each other during our university holidays because we don’t study in the same city. My university is in London but he lives in Liverpool.

When we are together we always play lots of sports like football and tennis. John loves Manchester United and he is a very good footballer. I prefer tennis but I am not as good as my friend. We also both enjoy playing computer games. Our favourite is probably World of Warcraft which many of my friends play too.

As we live in a small town there aren’t many places to go so we normally hang out at the sports centre or in the big park near my house. We’re both big film buffs so we go to the cinema quite often and we get a student discount.

I really like spending time with John, he’s such a nice person and very friendly. I always have a good time when we are together and he never fails to make me laugh. In fact, I think he’s the funniest person I know.

Useful IELTS Phrases

Here are some useful phrases from the sample which you can use to answer the same question.

I spend a lot of time with….

I have known him/her since…

We (only) see each other during/at…because…

When we are together we always…

We also both enjoy + noun/verb+ing.

We normally hang out at the…

We’re both big film buffs (you like films).

I really like spending time with…

He’s/She’s such a nice person and very friendly.

I always have a good time when we are together.

Now, make some of your own sentences about your friend and write them in the comments box below.

IELTS Two Way Discussion: Sample Questions and Answers

Bren Brennan — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 11:08:33 +0000

For a summary and tips on Part 3: Two Way Discussion please read last week’s blog, which should give you extensive help in your preparation.

Now, we will look at how Part 2: The Long Turn develops into the final part of the IELTS Speaking test.

Remember that you shouldn’t just read this information I am giving, you MUST practise with it. That means getting a friend to read out the sample questions to you and then you must answer them. Even better is to record yourself giving the answers and then think how you can improve your answers – refer to my earlier blog on how to do this.

Example 1

If your Long Turn card looks like this…

Talk about an historical place in your country. You should say:

what it is

where it is

what you can do there

why it is interesting

…then your Two Way Discussion may develop with questions like these:

So, you just told me about ______ and now I’d like to talk about that further.

How do you think an area benefits from having an historical place?
Are there any disadvantages to having an historical place in a region?
What do you think will happen to historic buildings in the future?
How do people in your country feel about protecting culturally important buildings?
You mentioned education. Do you think that school children learn about these places?
Should technology be used in historical buildings to increase their popularity?

Example 2

If your Long Turn card looks like this…

Talk about a place that you would like to travel to. You should say:

where it is

why you want to go there

what you can do there

…you may have questions like these in your Two Way Discussion:

So, now I’d like to talk more about travelling to far away places.

What advantages are there in reading up about a holiday destination before you visit?
Are there any disadvantages to this?
Is it good to have a local guide?
Do you think it’s better to visit important sites or meet local people?
Moving on slightly now, what are the benefits of taking a gap year before going to university?
What are the challenges of a gap year?
What preparation is necessary before taking a gap year?
Would you recommend people go on a gap year?

Example 3

If you were asked to talk about your favourite film in Part 2, then your Two Way Discussion may follow along these lines:

So, thank you for telling me about about your favourite film and now I want to talk more about film in general.

How do Hollywood films compare to films from your country?
Why do you think films are important in peoples’ lives?
And do you think that there is too much violence in films?
What do you think abou the way men and women are portrayed in film?
And you talked about downloading. Do you think that downloading films is a crime?
OK and why are people so interested in the private lives of famous film actors?
Are film star salaries justified?

Example 4

Now listen to a Hungarian student (who scored a 9 on the IELTS test) answer these part 3 questions on the topic of food.

You spoke about a typical Hungarian dish and now I’m going to ask you a few questions about food in general.
Do men and women cook in your country?
And what do you think they would cook?
And do you think that situation will change in the future?
You said that there isn’t a culture of dinner parties, but are restaurants popular?
Is there a particular type of cuisine which is more popular?
And like many other countries is there a problem with obesity in Hungary?

Teacher Comments on Answer

This Two Way Discussion would achieve a very high IELTS Band Score because the student uses:

Personal experience to give details to the answers
Contrasts and comparisons
Synonyms, instead of repeating the same word
Different time tenses (the past, the future)
Specualtion
References to the media
Good stress-timing and clear pronunciation
Different phrases to begin sentences giving personal opinion

When you practise for the IELTS Speaking, bear these things in mind.
Record yourself and analyse your answer.
What could you have said differently?
Did you miss out any of these important characteristics of a great answer?
Practise, practise, practise and you will get the results that you deserve.

Good luck!

IELTS Speaking Tips: Two Way Discussion

Bren Brennan — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:16:42 +0000

This is the third article about the IELTS speaking Exam. You can also get tips and sample answers for IELTS Part 1: The Interview and Part 2: The Long Turn.

I hope that you will absorb the advice here first, but check out the next blog if you are desperate to see and hear the Part 3: sample questions and answers.

IELTS Speaking Exam Summary – PART 3: Two-Way Discussion

Time: About 4 – 5 minutes

What happens: The examiner will speak with you about the same subject that you spoke about in Part 2; The Long Turn. You will be asked questions about your personal experience or opinions related to the topic.

Scoring

Each of the four categories (below) gets equal scores in the IELTS speaking exam, so you must work on all of them. Don’t just concentrate on grammar like a lot of students tend to do!

It’s possible to score 0 (non-user of English) up to 9 (Expert user, almost like a native) for each individual category. Then, your total score is divided by 4 to give you an overall speaking result.

Example:

Category Scores: Fluency – 6, Lexical – 8, Grammar – 7, Pronunciation – 8

Total: 6 + 8 + 7 + 7 = 28

IELTS Speaking Band Score: 28/4 = 7

TIPS for improving your score in each IELTS Speaking category

1) Fluency & Coherence:

Talk without long pauses (very short pauses are not a problem)
Don’t speak too quickly or too slowly. A nice even speed is best
Use linkers & connecting words (however, because, in fact, therefore, this means that etc)
Use expressions (Some people feel…but I believe that…, I don’t think much of, It all depends. On the one hand, on the other hand)
Support your ideas with examples

2) Lexical Resource:

Show your knowledge of English vocabulary by using a range of words
Use synonyms, instead of repeating the same word over and over again

1) advantages and disadvantages – pros and cons, benefits, fors and againsts, good and bad points, bonuses and drawbacks etc

2) ways – measures, steps, solutions, courses of action, steps, initiatives

3) difficult – hard, complicated, tough, complex, not simple, not straightforward

4) I think – in my opinion, for me, I imagine that, I believe that, from my point of view, if you ask me, in my mind

3) Grammatical Range & Accuracy:

- Use a variety of sentence structures

a. Present – I really like…, I go out every Friday night

b. Past – I went on holiday last year to…, I used to…,

c. Perfect – I’ve lived there since…, I’ve been studying for…,

d. Future – I will, I’m going to, I’m moving to …. next year,

e. Conditionals – Unless I fail I will…, When I pass I will…, If I knew that… I’d…, If I had studied… I would have…,

f. Comparisons – It’s much bigger than…, She’s far more intelligent than…, I’m not as… as, It’s getting more and more difficult to…, The more money you earn the more selfish you become

- Don’t worry too much about mistakes. If you can self correct immediately and quickly, then do it. However, the main thing that the examiner is looking for is a variety of structures (above) and noting if your grammar mistakes interfere with communication or create misunderstandings.

4) Pronunciation:

Again (like grammar) the examiner is judging you on how much your pronunciation makes it difficult to understand you. Pracitse your pronunciation by listening to native speakers (like the free mp3s on this site) and then record yourself saying the same sentences. Be aware of how a native speaker uses different speech rythyms to you and try to copy that. I know it’s horrible listening to a recording of yourself, but you have to do it if you want to improve your pronunciation.

TIPS for IELTS Speaking: Two Way Discussion

Try not to be nervous or terrified. Examiners will be nice to you – it’s their job. Be positive. You have prepared well (you are reading this blog as part of your preparation, aren’t you?) and you are going to use this opportunity to show how good you are at English.
If you can self-correct an obvious mistake immediately, then do it. But don’t try to go back to an earlier error. Think about fluency. It’s your job (and the examiner’s) to keep the conversation moving forward – not to go backwards.
Try to make points that are true, based on your opinion or real-life experience. Things that you invent sound invented. Also, if you tell an anecdote, it comes more easily to you and you can concentrate on your English…not on making up a story!
Go into greater depth. Explain your opinion. Give reasons. Speculate about the future.
Of course, like in all the parts of the IELTS speaking, never respond with just a yes/no answer.
If the examiner changes direction regarding the subject of the conversation, go with it. Don’t try to stay on the same topic. Follow their lead.
Concentrate on this part of the exam that you are doing now! Don’t think about things that happened before (in the listening, reading or writing). You can’t change the past!

IELTS Part 3: Two Way Discussion – Example Questions and Sample Answers

I think that you have had to absorb a LOT of information already today! However, if you can take some more…Check out the numerous sample questions and a complete Two Way discussion audio in this next blog…. IELTS Part 3: Two Way Discussion Sample Answer

IELTS Sentence Starting Adverbs: University Freshers

Gavin — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:11:24 +0000

If you want to make your IELTS Writing Tasks look more academic and professional then you should start to use various adverbs and expressions to introduce ideas in your sentences. Look out for how they are used in the article.

Typically, September is the month when British teenagers start university and for some, leave home and develop into a fully-fledged adult. In the UK, we call these first-year students, “freshers”. As you would expect, for most of our IELTS students, this is a dream that they hope to achieve. So, for all those starting university for the first time, here’s what to expect:

In the normal course of events, you will attend fresher’s week – go to events, join societies, make new friends and get accustomed to your new surroundings. By and large, most students settle in quickly because everyone is in the same situation; looking for new friends and experiences. Without doubt, you will never have the opportunity to talk to as many as people as when you are at university, so this is where most people find friends for life.

Predictably, the one thing which everyone soon discovers is cheap alcoholic drinks, either at the student union or by using their student card in certain pubs or clubs! As a general rule, participating in drinking games and doing embarrassing things are very much the norm. Unsurprisingly, remembering where you live is another thing you must discover quickly – how to get home after plenty of drinking will be very useful. However, you still have to be standing to acheive this aim.

It’s also a good idea to have a look around campus and the city where you are studying. On the whole, knowing where cheap restaurants, local supermarkets and student discount shops are will help cut down on spending. Second to the local pub, the nearest kebab shop is also useful knowledge for when you get the munchies after a drinking-session, although this is neither healthy nor economical!

For the most part, the first time at university is a scary, but ultimately, life-changing experience. Most students look forward to the social side of things and getting away from home. Nevertheless, learning to balance studying and partying is important, particularly if you want to pass your exams and get through to the second year.

Inevitably, there are some people who find it difficult adjusting to new surroundings, but all universities have guidance counsellors to help. It would probably be more difficult for international students, especially if English isn’t their first language. However, once you start making new friends, things soon start to get better. In all likelihood, this will be most enjoyable year of your life – have fun!

IELTS Introducing sentences adverbs & expressions

In IELTS writing task 2, you will be asked for your opinion, generally and personally, on a topic. Introduction adverbs for sentences help clarify what you want to say as well as impressing the examiners with your knowledge.

USUALLY TRUE	EXPECTED OUTCOME
Typically	As you would expect
In the normal course of events	Without doubt
By and large	Predictably
As a general rule	Unsurprisingly
On the whole	Inevitably
For the most part	In all likelihood

IELTS Speaking Tips: The Long Turn

Bren Brennan — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:54:41 +0000

This is the second of three articles about the IELTS speaking Exam. You can find tips here for IELTS Speaking Part 2: The Long Turn.
Look out for the final part coming soon about Part 3 of the Speaking section. Part 1: The Interview is here.

Firstly, some general tips about the speaking section:

Don’t stop speaking until you are told to stop! Do NOT just answer the question and stop. You get NO marks for silence.
IELTS Speaking questions get used more than once. Look at the numerous questions that you can find online and practice saying your own answers in the correct time limit. If you don’t get exactly the same question, you have a good chance of getting the same subject in your exam.
Practice, Practice, Practice! Lots of IELTS candidates have a great level of reading and listening in English, but they haven’t done enough work on speaking. Speak out loud in English as much as possible. Read an article from a newspaper out loud. Read your practice essays out loud. Pretend you are in an exam and get a friend to ask you Part 1: Interview questions and answer them out loud. Practice makes perfect!

IELTS Speaking Exam Summary – PART 2: Long Turn

Time: About 3 – 4 minutes (including 1 min for preparation)

What happens: The examiner will give you a card with a subject written on it. You will have 1 minute to prepare your answer. BEWARE – 1 minute is NOT a long time! Then you will have to speak for around 2 minutes about your subject without any help from the examiner.

Possible Subjects: Anything! Here are just a few examples:

People – someone who has influenced you (teacher, family, friend, sportsman, celebrity, author etc), someone you would like to meet, your favourite person from history
Technology – something that you couldn’t live without, does technology make our live easier? Would you like to live without emails?
Places – your favourite place in the world, somewhere that you dream about going to, a place that brings back fond memories, best place for a holiday, describe your hometown, what recommendations would you have for a tourist visiting your country, a place that has had a major impact on you
Personal – what is your favourite film genre, song, book, something that would you like to achieve in life, a diificult time in your life and how you got through it, healthy lifestyle: Do you have one?; How could you be healthier? What are the disadvantages of not being healthy?
And many more subjects!!!

Example Question and Answer:

1) What is the favourite thing that you own?

MY (1 min prep) NOTES:

Laptop: sth fav shouldn’t be shouldn’t be technological – explain

when + why did i get it / uses? friends, work, family, music, / why is it so important

How do you think this answer could be made better? Leave your ideas in the comments section below.

PROBLEMS

1) If you don’t know anything about the subject you have to talk about. If this is true, then tell the examiner and he can give you another question. However, if you get a topic like ‘films’, but you would rather talk about music, do NOT say you don’t know anything about film: the next topic you get might be about a subject that is even worse for you. (It would be better to talk about films and mention how the incredible soundtrack affected you.)

SAY: I’m sorry, but I really don’t know anything about …. Is it possible to have another subject, please?

2) If you get lost in your answer and forget what you want to say. Look at your notes that you made in the 1 minute preparation time.

SAY: Now, what did I want to say about that. Oh yes, (now you can remember) so, as I was saying…

IELTS Speaking Tips: Introduction & Interview

Bren Brennan — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:39:49 +0000

This is the first of three articles about the IELTS speaking Exam. You can find tips here for IELTS Part 1: The Interview.
Look out for more posts coming soon about Parts 2 & 3 of the Speaking section.

Firstly, there are some basic things to consider whenever you are thinking about IELTS speaking practice.

Speak as much as possible – You’ve got 12 minutes to show how good your speaking is.
Don’t pre-learn your answers – These sound rehearsed and examiners will notice this and move on to a different topic.
Avoid yes/no answers – Always include details to fill out your answer.
Correct yourself if you make a mistake – This is what native speakers do and you won’t lose marks for it.
Make sure your intonation is not flat – English speakers have melody in their intonation. If the way you speak sounds flat, you will sound bored – the examiner might think that you are not interested or don’t care!

IELTS Speaking Exam Summary – PART 1: Introduction & Interview

Time: About 4 minutes

Possible Subjects: ‘Getting-to-know-you’, family, where you come from and interests

Example Questions and Answers:

1) Where do you come from?

Originally, I come from a really small village in southern Spain called, Benalup. Most people there work on the surrounding farms or in the construction industry and there’s a good sense of community – everybody knows everbody else. But, anyway, now I live in Cadiz, which is the nearest big city. I live there because I’m studying Law at university and it’s perfect because it’s far away enough from home, but also close enough to go back home if I want a good meal or some clothes washing done!

2) What do you like doing in your free-time?

I wouldn’t say that I’ve got any specific hobbies, but I like meeting my friends, of course and gossiping about things going on at Uni. We usually go out for a coffee or something small to eat after lectures, but at the weekend we meet up at someone’s flat and get ready to go out and then spend the whole night drinking and dancing and all that kind of stuff. It’s really good to stay out until the sun comes up and then go and have hot churros for breakfast together.

3) Why are you studying IELTS?

Well, as part of of my Law course there is the possibility to go on an exchange program with UCL in London for 6 months. So, I really want to use that opportunity to broaden my horizons. But, it means that I need to get a 6.5 IELTS score. So, I’ve really been studying hard to try and secure my place, because I definitely want to experience London, as it’s obviously one of the best cities in the world.

PROBLEMS

1) If you didn’t hear properly:

SAY: Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Could you repeat the question, please?

2) If you don’t understand a word/expression:

SAY: Sorry, I haven’t come across that expression/word before. Could you explain what it means, please?

3) If you’re not sure about the nature of the question, and you want to clarify what you THINK the examiner asked:

SAY: Do you mean….? When you say…. are you asking about….?

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY: OFFICIALLY No# 1

Max Loach — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:05:30 +0000

Cambridge University has come top of an international league table of the world’s best universities. For the second year running, it beat Harvard and MIT in the USA into second and third places.

In fact, in the top 7 places of the QS World University Rankings, there are 4 British universities: Cambridge (1st), Oxford (5th), Imperial (6th) and UCL (7th).

The university rankings are based on factors such as academic reputation, employability of graduates, citations, and the staff-student ratio. The Head of Research at QS said that, “The gap between Cambridge and Harvard is very small, but Cambridge’s superior student/faculty ratio helped tip the balance. Individual attention is one of the key attractions of the Oxbridge tutorial system.”

The only non-English speaking university in the top 20 was the Zurich Institute of Technology in 18th place. The results also showed that higher education in the UK is still cheaper compared to universities in the USA.

This shows that the best way to start a high-flying career is to achieve a great IELTS score and secure a place at one of these traditionally, excellent universities.

You can start an IELTS course any Monday at SGI in London and you will be taking your first steps towards a stellar education.

IELTS Test Tips

Bren Brennan — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:52:19 +0000

IELTS Test Tips

A couple of weeks ago, I did a 3 hour written exam for a higher teaching qualification, so similar in timing to the IELTS exam. I haven’t got the results yet, but I think I didn’t do myself justice because of poor exam technique: I spent way too long on the first section and didn’t leave sufficient time to complete the final sections. So, with these IELTS tips below added to your IELTS preparation, hopefully you won’t repeat my poor time management and you will get a great IELTS result!

IELTS Exam Tips

IELTS WRITING: If you write less than the minimum words, you will lose marks. Task 1 minimum word count = 150. Task 2 minimum word count = 250. There is NO maximum number of words, but make sure you don’t keep on writing for hours and hours on one question.
IELTS SPEAKING: Don’t attempt to give a prepared speech that isn’t really related to your question. Make sure you are being relevant to what the question is about.
IELTS WRITING: Always think about the suggested timing for answers (unlike me!!). You can score more marks on task 2 than on task 1, so don’t wait too long to get there!!
IELTS READING: You don’t have time to understand every word. Make sure that you understand the main meaning of a text…you might not even be tested on that particular word that is causing you difficulty. If there is a word that you need to understand for a specific question, there is normally some clue to its meaning in the context of the sentence, or surrounding sentences.
IELTS SPEAKING: You are NOT being tested on your knowledge of the world. The IELTS results will reflect on how good your communication skills are – bear that in mind.
IELTS LISTENING: The questions normally appear in the same order as they do in the recording, so answer the listening questions in the correct order. Don’t try to jump ahead to some of the later questions.
IELTS WRITING: Make sure you leave enough time (5 minutes or so) to check your essay after you’ve finished writing for mistakes. Finding simple mistakes and correcting them will make an overall good impression on the examiner.
IELTS SPEAKING: Speak to and communicate with the examiner. Don’t try to speak into the recording equipment.
IELTS LISTENING: Keep listening until the recording ends and only look at the questions that are related to that part of the recording. Stay focused!
IELTS ACADEMIC READING: Begin by going through each article to understand things like: the topic, the writer’s purpose, the source, the intended reader….but don’t spend too long on this. Keep it quick!

Good luck with all your IELTS preparation. I know it’s boring, but just think how great you will feel when you get the IELTS result that you need.

If you want to do a free IELTS practice test (and you should WANT to – because you NEED to do practice tests for IELTS) then try out this link or this one.

Get better at IELTS listening

Lynette — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:22:46 +0000

Lots of people find the listening section the most difficult part of the IELTS exam. In part this is because you only get to listen once to each section of the four sections. This post will tell you a little bit more about what to expect in the test and some useful tips at becoming better at it.

What is in the listening test?

The whole listening takes about 30 minutes and is divided into four sections. You can hear it all only once and normally there are no long pauses within the sections unless there is a change in question types.

The first two sections are based on general or social English; the first is usually a conversation while the second one is either a monologue or an interview.

The third and fourth sections are normally more about academic English. The third usually has a few people interacting while the last one is a lecture, presentation or talk.

7 Tips and Strategies

Listen to the introduction to each task as it will tell you what the listening is about. It might tell you how many speakers are involved and should tell you if it is a conversation, lecture, talk, query etc.
In the exam they give you preparation time. Use this time to underline the key words in the questions.
Remember these key words will probably not appear in the same form in the listening. Instead, you need to listen for parallel expressions or words that give a similar meaning. For example, the question might have the word ‘weather’ but the speaker talks about ‘rain’, ‘sun’ or ‘climate’, which are of course all words related to weather conditions.
Try to predict any answers that you can, but don’t just guess.
e.g. Polar Bears eat __________ (predict: a food e.g. seals/fish/meat)
There were ________ bears killed last year. (predict: a number)
Do remember, though, that you must listen carefully even if you think you know the answers. It is about what the listening really says and not what you think it should say!
Notice the type of tasks you are asked to do because this could help you find the answers more easily:
1. For multiple- choice, multiple matching or short answers check for ‘academic word list’ words, such as ‘leads to’ ‘caused’ ‘effect’, to understanding basic relationship between the task and the listening. Also look for language of possibility to help e.g. always, every, none. Always notice the negative words.
2. After you have answered a multiple-choice question, always read the complete sentence to check that it is grammatically correct and it means what you want it to mean!
3. Remember to check the order of the questions in tasks with tables, maps or diagrams as there is often no obvious chronological numbering.
Take notice of how many questions you will need to answer before the next break in listening.

Tips for IELTS Writing Task 1 – Describing Graphs!

Lynette — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 12:11:53 +0000

You need to write 3-4 paragraphs and 150 words. If you don’t, you will be penalized.
In the initial paragraph, you need to paraphrase the question. Start the paraphrase with one of the following prompts,
- ‘The table shows/illustrates the trends in …. between …….
- The graph shows……
- The chart shows how the ….. have changed ……
Don’t include below in your paraphrase.
Write an overview as you second sentence of your introduction. Look at the beginning and the end of the chart to help determine your overview.
Decide if the graph you are describing is a comparison, progression or both. You will need to use the appropriate language for each type. For example, if it is comparative , use ‘the same as’ or if it is progressive, use ‘ a slight increase’.
Change noun and adjectives phrases into verbs and adverbs to create a range of expressions, for example ‘a slight increase’ to ‘increase slightly’. Also, try to learn a few different ways to say the same thing so you don’t have to repeat yourself (‘increase’, ‘go up’, ‘rise’). Remember you will be marked on your language range and accuracy.
Describe the most general trends in second paragraph, including the most striking characteristics.
You need to add linker to help your essay to help with its cohesion and coherence; in other words, it’s flow. Here are some useful expressions: in addition, furthermore, however, although.
In the 3^rd paragraph you need to give a more detailed description. You still need to focus on main trends, but focus more on elements within each part of the graph (For 10 years, there was a gradual upward trend until it peaked at 250units in 2002, followed by a dip.). Add data to support your information.
Don’t describe all small details as this creates lists which sound mechanical.
- Instead of writing :It went up by 2% and then dropped up 5%, then rose again for 2 years, and again dropped by 2%.
- Write: It fluctuated between 5% and 2% for the first quarter of the year.
You don’t have to write a conclusion, but it makes the writing seem more complete if you do.
Don’t forget spelling and punctuation count towards accuracy.

IELTS Speaking: How to improve your speaking skills for the IELTS exam

Clare — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:00:07 +0000

To do well in IELTS Speaking you need to develop 3 things: your exam technique, your verbal language and, your speaking skills. Some of this can be done by practising in class but here are some useful tips you should not forget.

Part 1: Exam technique

Listen to what the examiner is asking and answer the question.
Do not prepare a set speech as an answer as this always sounds un-natural.
The topics in Part 1 & 2 will be personal and familiar, and so not difficult to talk about.
Answers in Part 1 should be quite brief but be sure to say more than a single-sentence Yes or No. In Part 3, you need to develop answers in a general and more abstract way.

Part 2

When you are given the topic card, you have one minute of preparation time.

You may start to speak before examiner tells you to if you wish but it’s a good idea to make maximum use of this time. Think about what you are going to say and how you can best express it.

Underline the topic in the first line, and the key words in the 4-5 points listed below. This will help you focus.
Note which points will be describing and which ones need explaining. Leave more time for the last kind.
Decide quickly at least one thing you can say for each point and write a single word note to remind yourself. You can write the notes in your own language but it’s better to use English. (You are not marked on what you write.)
Don’t forget your notes when you start to speak!
Think about the grammar you will need. For example, past tenses for past experiences, present tense for things you do every day or repeatedly, would like to/could/should for future hopes and plans, comparative adjectives for things which need to be compared.
Rely on your memories of sights, sounds, smells and feelings to expand descriptions of personal experience.
Remember you must mention all the points on the topic card, and be able to speak for 1 ½ to 2 minutes without help from the examiner. He/she will cut you off if you are still talking after 2 minutes have passed.
Practise using strong starting and finishing expressions such as I’m going to talk about … because … or So that’s why it’s my most precious possession.

Part 3

Describe your opinions and feelings and explain the reasons for them. Use examples to support your ideas.
Be prepared to speculate about what you don’t know. For example, I’m not sure but what I think may happen is …

Skills and language

The more you listen to spoken English, the easier it will be to pick up how the language sounds. Make use of the internet, SGI e-learning, TV/radio/DVDs, the people around you.
General knowledge about your own country, the UK and global issues is essential for these exams. Make sure you are well informed about typical IELTS Speaking topics including social and environmental issues, education, culture, health and popular science.
Read relevant websites, newspapers & magazines, and watch current event & documentary programmes on TV and internet.
The sentences you use when speaking will become more complex as your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary develops. In general you will receive a better mark in the exam for attempting ambitious sentence structures, even with a mistake or two, than you will speaking accurately in short, simple sentences.

Good luck and if you are interested in practising IELTS speaking there are plenty of practice tests online, or alternatively take an IELTS course with SGI!

IELTS Reading: Top Tips for the Exam

Sonia McMullen — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:40:56 +0000

In all my experience as an IELTS teacher I have to say that the reading part of the IELTS exam is often the one which causes the most difficulty.

Obviously there is not just one correct way of doing it but why not try to follow these tips and see if they help.

Tip 1 – Don’t read every word!

You don’t have time to read the text carefully and intensively as you only have about 15 minutes per text. Instead try these steps:

Use the heading, subheading, excerpt and pictures to imagine what the text is about and then skim read to get a global understanding of the text. Don’t get stuck on vocabulary you don’t know- it may not be important – and don’t spend more than a minute or two on this. Do, however, try to identify the text type: is it a newspaper article, extract from a book or a journal?
Now look at the questions. In each set of questions, the answers will appear in the text in the order in which they are asked. Use this to identify where in the text you need you read.

Tip 2 – Learn about the different question types!

There are four different types of question.

You have to decide if the answer to the question is Yes/True, No/False or Not given:
- Identify and underline the key words in the questions: this will help you to identify synonyms and parallel phrases in the text.
- Look for evidence to support whether the statement is true or false. If there is no evidence, choose ‘not given’. Even if you know the information is true, you must choose ‘not given’ if there is no evidence in the passage.
- If the question states ‘write true/ false’, do not write ‘yes / no’ (and vice versa).
Short Answer Questions – you need to write a short answer to each question:
- Check in the question how many words you are expected to write (e.g. ‘choose no more than 3 words’.)
- Skim read to find the section of text you need to read in more detail and scan read to locate the information you need.
Multiple Choice Questions – choose the correct answer from options given:
- Predict the answer you think will most likely be true.
- Use topic sentences (the first sentence in each paragraph) to help you identify where to find the answers in the text.
Sentence Completion – complete the statements so that they mean the same as parts of the text:
- Again underline key phrases in the questions. Find parallel expressions in the text.
- Think about the grammar of the words as not every word/ phrase can complete each sentence. Think about dependent prepositions (e.g. ‘it depends on’), countable/ uncountable nouns and collocation (words which go together e.g. ‘take a photo’).

Tip 3 – Be careful of your grammar and spelling!

As in the listening test, double check your spelling in the answers as you will lose a point if your answer is misspelled or not in correct English.

Good luck and if you are interested in practising IELTS reading there are plenty of practice tests online, or alternatively take an IELTS course with SGI!

Twelve tips for IELTS success

Max Loach — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 08:48:37 +0000

IELTS is a hugely popular and significant test of English these days. It is now the standard English language test for entry to British Universities and Colleges and is now being used worldwide for academic and work related purposes. The following twelve tips will go a long way in ensuring you achieve your best possible IELTS score.

IELTS Writing module

1) When writing an essay always allow time at the end to check through what you have written.
2) Write at least 150 words in Task 1 and at least 250 words in Task 2. If you write less than these minimums you will lose marks. Don’t write too much though, as you must stick to your time limits for each question.
3) Keep to the topic set!. Make sure you answer what is being asked of you and never try to prepare sections of text before the exam

IELTS Speaking module

4) Remember! you are being assessed on your ability to communicate in English not on your general knowledge.
5) Be talkative ! Don’t just answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to the examiner’s questions, add details to your answer.
6) Don’t try to give a prepared speech, or talk about a different theme from the one you are asked to discuss. You will lose marks for this.

IELTS Reading module

7) Keep to stated word limits in your answers e.g use no more than eight words.
8) Check the instructions carefully! sometimes tasks expect you to use words from the text in your answer and at other times your own words.
9) Remember! At first read for general meaning. Don’t try to understand every word or phrase, you just don’t have the time!.

IELTS Listening module

10) At the end of the Listening you have time to transfer your answers to the Answer sheet. This is a great opportunity to check your grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
11) After each section there is usually a break in the recording. Use this short break to prepare for the next set of questions.
12) There is always an example At the beginning of the IELTS listening module, which you should use to familiarise yourself with the sound, the speakers and the situation they are speaking in.

Good Luck!!!