FREE IELTS LESSON - THEACADEMIC READING TEST

The Test Format

The IELTS Academic Reading Test has 3 sections. You have 60 minutes to complete the test. There is NO extra time at the end of the test to transfer your answers to the answer paper (you get 10 extra minutes in the listening test only); your answers must be on the answer paper at the end of the 60 minutes. The test has 40 questions based on a series of 3 texts. The total length of all the texts put together will be between 2000 and 2750 words. As in all the different parts of IELTS, the Academic Reading Test gets progressively harder through the paper. In each section of the Academic Reading Test there will be 1 text with 13 or maybe 14 questions to answer in 2 or 3 sets of differing formats. We will look at the types of question that you will meet later. The texts will come from magazines, books and journals and are written for general interest or for an academic though non-specialist reader. At least one text will contain a logical argument. One text may contain non-verbal materials such as a diagram, graph or illustration. If there are any words or terms of a specialist technical nature which candidates would not be expected to know, then a short glossary will be provided. To prepare properly for the reading test, you should read as widely as possible as many different types of "academic" style texts as possible and practice on good quality IELTS practice tests.

Marking
There are 40 questions in the IELTS Academic Reading Test and 1 mark is awarded for each correct answer. There are no half marks. Your final mark out of 40 is then converted to a band from 1 - 9 using a converting table and this band is then averaged with the other 3 parts of the test to give your final IELTS band. Band scores for the reading test and the final band are given as a whole band or a half band. The converting table used to change your mark out of 40 to the band out of 9 changes with every test. However, below you can see a rough guide that you can use to assess your practice on the IELTS practice tests that you use. There is no guarantee that you will perform the same in the real test itself as the test converters vary with each test, but it can be a guide to your progress.

IELTS Academic Reading Test Marks, Bands and Results - Rough Guide Converter
Score 1 2-3 4-9 10-15 16-22 Band 1 2 3 4 5

23-28 29-35 36-38 39-40

6 7 8 9

IELTS Academic Reading Test Question Types

Below is a list of the types of question that you could meet in the IELTS Academic Reading Test. It's useful to read the list of course, but the only way to really be familiar with the types of question is through practice on good quaity IELTS practice tests. Click here to go to the Home Page where you will have access to our free samples and our IELTS practice tests.

Multiple choice questions Short answer questions Completion questions: Completing sentences Completing notes Completing a summary (no word bank) Completing a summary (with word bank) Completing a diagram Completing a flow chart Completing a table Matching a bank of headings to identify paragraphs or parts of text Matching a bank of writers' views/claims/information with the writer Identification of information in the text: yes/no/not given questions true/false/not given questions Matching lists/phrases Classification questions

Some Tips for the IELTS Academic Reading Test

Don't spend too long on a single question as that will lose you time for answering questions that could be easier for you. Sometimes leaving a question and coming back later can help you answer it too. Leave any questions that you have spent too long on, and come back at the end of the test if you have time. Sometimes, if the question has a yes/no/not given answer, the answer you are looking for does not exist as it could be a not given. Be aware so you don't waste time looking for something that isn't there. Read the questions and instructions so you don't make a silly mistake. For example, people often will mix the yes/no answers with the true/false answers and write yes as an answer instead of true or vice versa. Strictly speaking you are wrong although you have understood the question and answer.

If the question asks for one answer then give one answer. Giving two is wrong as it asks for one and you will be marked wrong. The type of question where this could happen would be: Give one example of... Writing two examples, to show you really understand, is wrong. If the question asks for no more than 3 words, use no more than 3 words. Writing 4 words or more is wrong. You won't be asked to do it in 3 words or less unless it is possible so don't worry; it can always be done. One area that students don't like is that, in the reading test, good grammar and spelling are important. The grammar part is not as important as you can't make many grammar errors in 3 words (the maximum you use in the reading test) but, if you spell something wrong, it will be marked as wrong. People think, quite rightly in my opinion, that the reading should test whether you understand what you read and not how you spell something but these are the rules. So, be careful about your spelling! One constant discussion I have had with students is whether to read the questions first and then read the passage or read the passage first and then the questions. From my experience with many students my conclusion is that there is no correct answer for this. It depends on a number of variables. It can depend on the types of question and how difficult the questions are. It can depend on how good and fast a reader you are. It can depend on the length of the text and how much time you have. Let's look at these variables. If the question type is difficult and asking something which is hard to answer then reading the text first can help. Just a quick read through using a technique called skimming (see below for an analysis of skimming) can give you the knowledge of the text that will help you find the answer more easily. If you are a good, fast reader, then you can read the text quickly, getting good knowledge of the contents without using up too much precious time. This can help you answer the questions better. If the texts are short then it doesn't take long to quickly read through them. On the other hand, if the texts are short it is easier to find the answers so you may not have to waste time reading the texts to find the answers quickly, especially if time is short. If time is short then it doesn't matter how complex or long the texts are. You need to get some answers on the answer sheet as quickly as possible. So, you can see that there is not one answer to the problem of whether to read the texts or questions first. What I tell students is to experiment in your practice and see what suits you for the different types of question in different situations. As usual practising your techniques with good quality IELTS practice tests is the key. Time management is an important thing to be aware of. You have a number of texts to read and 40 questions to answer in 1 hour. If you spend to long on one part, you may find that you have not

enough time to finish all the questions and some of those questions could be ones that you could answer quite easily. As I said above, don't spend too long on a difficult answer but also keep an eye on the clock. It's a good idea to have your watch or a small clock on your desk so you know exactly how long you have left in the test at any given time. In addition to this, keep control on how long you spend on each section. Remember the test gets more difficult as it goes on so you will probably need more time for the questions at the end than for those at the start. Maybe a guideline could be: 17 minutes on section 1. 20 minutes on section 2. 23 minutes on section 3. (If you can do things more quickly all the better as that will give you time to look at questions that you skipped and to check on your answers) With experience and practice on realistic IELTS practice tests, you will soon know how long things take you, and be able to manage your time well. As I just said, if you have finished the exam with time to spare, DON'T just sit there!! Check what you have done. If you have time after the check, check again. And so on....

Reading Techniques - Skimming and Scanning

Skimming and scanning are the two main techniques that people use to read and answer IELTS reading tests. It's not a question of using one or the other but you will need both methods in doing the test. Let's have a look at the two techniques in turn.

Skimming
Skimming is reading fast to get the "gist" or the general idea of the text. There are different techniques of doing skimming. You can run your eyes over the text getting the general meaning, not stopping at words that you don't understand as this will slow you down. The important thing with skimming is speed. Another way to skim is to just read the first and last paragraphs of a text and summaries as well. You could also just read the title, subtitles and illustrations if there are any. I prefer for IELTS the first way - reading it all quickly to get the general meaning, but of course it depends on your reading speed. If you are a slow reader in English you really need to practise to improve. You don't need IELTS specific texts for this. A good English newspaper is fine. Get one every day and read the articles as quickly as you can. Do this with as many articles as possible every day and your speed will quickly improve. Using IELTS practice tests is of course the best way to practice.

Scanning

This is another very important technique for the IELTS Reading Tests. This is the technique that you use when you are reading a telephone book or a dictionary. You are not starting at the top and reading every line back and forth as you would read a novel. You are moving your eyes around the text, back and across and up and down. You are searching for some specific information: a word or name. This is an important technique in IELTS reading as you are often searching for some specific information. You read the question and then you search for key words or ideas associated with the question. This is a bit more difficult to practise than skimming. You get long texts (from newspapers, magazines, IELTS practice tests, or other sources) and get a friend to read it and then ask you to find key ideas or words as quickly as possible. Again, if you do this frequently, your speed will quickly improve. If you want to improve, there's no secret. Practice. Practice. Practice. You won't get better sitting and doing nothing. Even good English users need practice for the IELTS exam. Doing plenty of challenging reading and doing IELTS practice tests could make all the difference between your getting the band that you need, and getting half a band less than you need and having to do the exam again. Finally, there are no correct answers or methods. Here I've given you some ideas to guide you and hopefully to help you but the questions can be answered well in different ways. Good luck with the IELTS Academic Listening Test! I hope that this tutorial has helped you. Below are the links to the other free Academic tutorials. We strongly recommend that you practice for the tests with good IELTS practice tests. Of course, we would like you to use ours as we believe ours are excellent and the cheapest on the market, but any good IELTS practice tests will do. PART 1 (4-5 minutes) Where did you grow up? Was that a good place to grow up? What do you remember most about growing up? What kind of child were you? Did you ever get into trouble at home or school? Do you miss anything about your childhood? PART 2 (3-4 minutes)

You have 1 minute to read the instructions below and prepare an answer. You can make notes. After your preparation time has ended, please speak for 1 to 2 minutes on this topic. Describe your best friend during childhood. You should say: who the person was why you became friends what you used to do together and explain if you keep in touch with your friend now. PART 3 (4-5 minutes) Childhood friends Do children find it easy to make friends? Why do some people grow apart from their childhood friends? Is it better for children to have a few close friends, or many? Childhood changes Has the image of childhood changed in your country? At what age do children become adults? Do you think children should be treated the same as adults? Click here to download a PDF version of this IELTS Speaking practice test for classroom use.

IELTS Writing Task 1: Process Diagram with Sample Answer

Posted: 11/03/2012 | Author: DW | Filed under: IELTS Writing, Sample Answers, Task 1 | Tags: IELTS | 2 Comments

The diagram shows how electricity is generated by a hydroelectric dam. Write a 150-word report for a university lecturer explaining how the process works.

The diagram illustrates the basic principles of hydroelectric power. The process requires the construction of a large dam connected to a powerhouse. The dam creates a large reservoir and the powerhouse is where the electricity is generated. First of all, water trapped in the reservoir behind the dam is forced through an intake. It then flows into a narrow chamber called a penstock, where the resulting high pressure turns a turbine. The turbine is connected to a generator in the powerhouse above, and this is where the movement of the turbine is converted into electricity. The resulting electricity leaves the powerhouse via cables that carry it over long distances to where it can be used. It is interesting to note that a hydroelectric dam creates no harmful byproducts and relies entirely on natural forces to produce electricity. After the turbine stage, water flows out through a second channel and into a river. The process is renewable, thanks to the water cycle in nature. (163 words, IELTS 8.0)

IELTS Writing Task 2: Useful Language

Posted: 07/03/2012 | Author: DW | Filed under: IELTS Writing, Task 2, Useful Language | Tags: IELTS | Leave a comment
Memorising set phrases for use in the IELTS test is a highly effective way of achieving a higher score. Try learning the following signposting language which will make you sound more confident and sophisticated when writing an opinion or argument essay in Task 2. As with our Task 1 useful language yesterday, for each function the language is graded approximately for level, from regular use (Bands 5-6) to higher-level use (Bands 7-9).

Introducing the topic

Some people argue that Have you ever considered ? The question raises the issue of

Stating an opinion (thesis statement)

I believe that It is my belief that This essay will argue that

Indicating the scope of the essay

In this essay, I will state This essay will examine will be covered in this essay.

Giving reasons
One reason for this is that This can be explained by This can be attributed to the fact that

Giving further reasons

Not only that, but A further reason is It should also be stated that

Citing general opinions

It has been claimed that It is widely believed that There is a widespread belief that

Refuting opinions
I would dispute this, however. However, this is not necessarily the case. There are some faults with this reasoning, however.

Hedging strategies
It could be argued that One explanation might be that This suggests that

Strengthening an argument
There can be no doubt that Therefore, we can say beyond any doubt that These are just some of the reasons why

Concluding and summarising

To sum up, / In summary, / In short,

Overall, / On the whole, To return to my original idea,

IELTS Writing Task 1: Useful Language

Posted: 06/03/2012 | Author: DW | Filed under: IELTS Writing, Task 1, Useful Language | Tags: IELTS | 1 Comment
Some IELTS test-takers memorise a stock of useful phrases for both writing tasks. This is not cheating learning expressions by heart and reproducing them in an appropriate context is one of the most fundamental ways to improve in a second language. The key is to stick to learning effective signposting phrases; that is, expressions whose only function is to link ideas and which can therefore be used when writing about any topic. See the list below for suggestions for IELTS Writing Task 1. For each function, the language is graded for level, from regular use (Bands 5-6) to higher-level use (Bands 7-9).

Introducing the topic

The graph shows / The table reveals The chart displays / The diagram illustrates Some interesting facts concerning are revealed in the diagram. Several key trends are revealed by the graph showing

Introducing the first set of data

Beginning with the To begin with the Let me begin by describing the

Introducing the second set of data

Meanwhile, the shows that As for the , it shows that

Turning to the , it can be seen that

Introducing the first major trend

First of all, it is clear that Most noticeably of all, it can be seen that The first result worth pointing out is that

Introducing lesser trends

Another trend that can be observed is that It is also worth pointing out that Also worth noting is that

Exceptions to the main trend

However, this was not always the case. However, it should be pointed out that There was one noticeable exception, however.

Comparing and contrasting

Similarly, / By contrast, A similar trend can be observed in The results for , however, reveal a markedly different trend.

Adding figures
The figures were X and Y respectively. , at X. / , with Y. (Usage note: use at when you mean the figure was; use with when you mean something had) , at/with X and Y respectively.

Concluding and summarising

To sum up, / In summary, / In short, Overall, / On the whole, 1. Stick to pair practice Since the Speaking module of IELTS takes the form of a one-on-one interview, there is rarely any need to deviate from this pattern in practice. Avoid whole-class interactions as much as possible and maximise pair practice instead. It is a common myth in language teaching that learner pairs simply replicate each others mistakes, when research shows that they actually develop more advanced negotiation and explanation strategies than they would with a native speaker. 2. Close the textbook The problem with using prepared materials for speaking practice is that students are rarely able to resist reading the question even as their partner is asking it. If you are not activating their listening skills in Parts 1 and 3, you are not adequately preparing students for IELTS Speaking. Force them out of the reading habit by making the interviewee close the textbook during Parts 1 and 3. 3. Model for different band scores Often the reason students fail to improve is simply that the models they are offered by trainers are so far beyond their capabilities that they have no idea how to apply them when speaking. Metalinguistic advice based on the scoring criteria, meanwhile, is often difficult for lower-level students to comprehend. A more effective classroom technique may be to model different answers for Bands 4, 5, 6 and 7, making only minimal changes to each answer so students have a clear sense of which changes produced a higher score. 4. Useful language remains useless until you make it useful Most IELTS textbooks will suggest useful language for answering a set of practice questions, but few provide any real incentive to use it. Bewilderingly, many textbook authors place useful language after the questions when students have already made up their minds about what they are going to say! Making this so-called useful language truly worth using thus becomes one of the teachers most challenging roles in the classroom. One technique that works is making students cover the questions with one hand and try to guess what those questions might be based on the model answers suggested. This forces them to process the useful language more carefully, making it potentially, well, useful. 5. Ban certain words and phrases

Students repeatedly ask how they can improve their IELTS Speaking scores in the same way they constantly cling to their favourite words and phrases: I think; I agree; For example; So; Because; fun; interesting. If you really want your students to venture out of their comfort zone in speaking, you might consider imposing a penalty on the use of a certain word or phrase during practice. Possible penalties include coming up with five synonyms when their turn is over. 6. Involve the listener in Part 2 There are various techniques available to keep students involved while their partner is doing the individual long-turn. One is to require everyone to ask a follow-up question at the end (with a strict time limit so this doesnt turn into another two minutes of unstructured talk). Another is to get students to reproduce their partners notes while listening. One technique that is good for feedback purposes is to get students to tick off the different prompts in the task as they are answered by their partner. A more challenging task is to withhold the question from one of the pair, who then has to guess and write down the different prompts based on what their partner says. By involving the listener, of course, you can also prevent them from mentally rehearsing for their own turn! 7. Teach and continually reinforce a range of strategies to expand answers in Part 3 Students often forget that there are many ways of answering the question in IELTS Speaking Part 3. If your students rarely deviate from the opinion>supporting reason linear approach, you should consider practice activities that force them to expand in other ways. One technique is to have them deal cards containing prompts such as Personal Example, Example from Knowledge, Three Reasons, Attribution, Concession, Recommendation, Prediction, Comparison (Country), Comparison (Past/Present), or signal phrases eliciting similar responses. Answers will sometimes become incoherent or even surreal but that can add to the fun of the exercise. Students should know beforehand that the goal of the exercise is to explore the range of possibilities in speaking, not to come up with perfect answers. 8. Make a note of common errors in speaking For teachers, IELTS Speaking practice is a very useful opportunity to gather information about their students high-frequency errors. Views differ, however, when it comes to the best way to respond to such mistakes. Immediate recasting may be an option in one-to-one lessons, but in group situations it is generally considered best practice to promote fluency and avoid highlighting errors made by individual students. There is no need to provide feedback on errors immediately after practice, either. Your notes could form the basis of a grammar workshop later in the lesson or the course, one that is probably more relevant to your students real needs than the grammar exercises offered by the textbook. When selecting which errors to highlight, prioritise likely L1 interference errors, especially when the students belong to the same L1 group.

9. Give your students feedback tools Pair practice becomes much more rewarding when students are able to give feedback. A simplified checklist based on some (but not all) of the scoring criteria in IELTS Speaking is one way to enable this. Beware of giving students so many items to consider that feedback becomes the focus of the practice session. As a general rule, giving feedback should never be more difficult than answering the question itself. Once peer feedback becomes an established practice in class, different checklists graded for difficulty can be introduced over time. 10. Take a speaking test yourself It may seem like stating the obvious, but theres no better way to become a better test trainer than by taking a test yourself. Get a colleague or a student to put you through the three parts of IELTS or devise a similar test in another language you have studied. Reflect later on how your answers could have been improved. If you had no trouble answering, try analysing the speaking strategies you used when fielding questions and consider how best to introduce them to your students.

IELTS Speaking: 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid

Posted: 29/11/2011 | Author: DW | Filed under: IELTS Speaking, Techniques, Techniques, Techniques | Tags: IELTS | Leave a comment
1. Silence Different cultures have different attitudes to silence, but for English speakers the attitude is one of near-zero tolerance. Its fine to hesitate for a few seconds before speaking or between ideas, but silences of longer than five seconds will go down badly. Happily, theres a solution to this problem and thats to learn some filler expressions such as Thats a tough question and Let me see. 2. Memorised answers The examiner is very likely to notice if you try to recite an answer from memory, and there is a penalty for this. The telltale signs of a memorised answer include speaking in a written style of English, unnatural intonation, and the candidate attempting to rephrase the question to the one they want to answer. Any questions you try to memorise answers to are very unlikely to be asked, so it is much more effective to practice speaking about a wide range of topics before you take the test. 3. Overuse of transition signals

Its helpful to use a few signposting words like first, for example or on the other hand. But if you overload your speech with these you could actually damage your score. Sounding natural, not like a signposting robot, should be your goal in IELTS Speaking. There are also many words characteristic of formal writing such as furthermore, moreover and in addition that are hardly ever used in speech and could actually make you sound less natural if you say them. 4. Parrotting the question In the wild, a parrot is a bird that can mimic but not understand human speech. In IELTS, a parrot is a candidate who repeats the question back in statement form: Q: Whats your favourite sport to watch on TV? A: My favourite sport to watch on TV is football. As the scoring criteria of IELTS heavily reward those who can vary speech, paraphrasing the words or structure of the question is a fast-track route to a higher score: Im always watching football on TV. 5. Answering the wrong question This is the most disastrous mistake of all because your score will be marked down for coherence in IELTS Speaking if your answer fails to address the question. Ask yourself before you begin speaking if you are sure you have understood, and do not be afraid to ask the examiner for help. But be sure to avoid 6. Saying I dont understand There are much better ways to check for meaning, so learn them! You can use a straightforward request like Could you say that again, please? or ask a checking question such as Do you mean? that shows you have at least partly understood the question. 7. Saying too much or too little If you say too little, you miss the opportunity to show off your ability. If you say too much, you risk sounding less coherent and making more mistakes. As a general guide, answers of two to four sentences are fine in Part 1. There are clear instructions about the length of speaking time in Part 2. You should aim to say three to six sentences after each question in Part 3. 8. Poor pronunciation Great ideas are worthless if the listener cant make out your words. Theres a good reason pronunciation accounts for 25% of the score in IELTS Speaking and thats because its fundamental to spoken communication. Before taking IELTS, you should find an opportunity to practice with native or

native-level speakers and get an honest appraisal of your pronunciation. If they have trouble hearing your words, its very likely the examiner will too. 9. Flat intonation Even when you pronounce words clearly, flat intonation will make it difficult to follow what you say. We vary intonation, pitch, volume and speaking speed in order to maintain the listeners interest and direct attention to our important ideas. Even IELTS examiners, who are trained to listen carefully to everything a candidate says, will find a flatly-intoned response difficult to follow and your response may be marked down for both pronunciation and coherence as a result. 10. Asking for the examiners opinion You are there to answer the questions, not ask them. The examiner will politely redirect the question back your way if you try to stall for time by saying I dont know, what do you think? If you really dont have any ideas, just say Im afraid I know nothing about this topic and wait for the next question. Related articles For examples of good responses to questions in all three parts of the Speaking module of IELTS, see: IELTS Speaking, Part 1: Practice Questions with Sample Answers IELTS Speaking, Part 2: Practice Questions with Sample Answers IELTS Speaking, Part 3: Practice Questions with Sample Answers

IELTS Speaking: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many questions will I be asked? In Parts 1 and 3, the examiner will have a set of questions but you will not be asked all of them. The number of questions will depend on the length of your answers. The longer your answers, the fewer questions you will be asked. In Part 2, the question is given to you on a card. You will also be asked one or two simple questions at the end of Part 2.

How long should I speak for in Part 1? There is no limit, but the question usually asks for only one piece of information. It is therefore best to give this information and add an extra sentence or two. In Part 2, do I need to keep talking for two minutes? No. It may be better to finish within two minutes for several reasons. First, you do not really want to be interrupted by the examiner. Second, your response will be more coherent if you end with a firm concluding sentence such as So, thats why (restate question topic). Third, you are more likely to make mistakes if you keep talking beyond what you planned to say. A candidate who answers the question fully in 90 seconds can easily receive a higher score than one who speaks for the full two minutes and has to be stopped. What should I do if I dont understand the question? It depends which part you are answering. In Part 1, the examiner is able to repeat the question but will not offer you much help beyond that. In Part 2, you can ask for clarification during your one minute of preparation time if you need to. Its not a good idea to ask questions during the two minutes of speaking time as this will disturb the fluency of your response. In Part 3, the examiner is able to offer much more help and can paraphrase the question for you. You should try to ask checking questions such as Do you mean? rather than simply say Sorry, I dont understand. Why does the examiner ask questions at the end of Part 2? These follow-up questions are just a way for the examiner to show interest in what you have said and to move the discussion on to Part 3. You do not need to give lengthy answers to these questions. Just a few words should be sufficient. How much thinking time do I have in Part 3? None! You should begin speaking immediately. Since you will not be able to come up with ideas right away, its important to be able to use filler expressions such as Thats an interesting question. Well, I suppose. Playing for time is not cheating native speakers do it all the time! How long should I speak for in Part 3? There is no limit, but you should certainly give longer answers than in Part 1. If possible, try to give more than one reason to support your opinion. Even better, compare and contrast different ideas to expand your answer further. However, be careful! The longer you speak, the less coherent your response may become. Thats why its so important to return to your original idea at the end. What should I do if I cant come up with any ideas in Part 3? The important thing to remember is that you are being tested on your ability to communicate ideas, not the quality of those ideas. Even if your ideas sound basic or predictable, you will still get a high score if the language you use to express them is appropriate to academic discussion. Another thing to

remember is that it is possible to use other peoples ideas as well as your own. If you dont have any views on a topic, try imagining what other people would say on this issue and talk about that instead. Finally, it is always a good idea to learn a few useful expressions to use when you just cant come up with anything to say. Even if you arent able to give a satisfactory answer to the question, the examiner may still judge that you have spoken fluently and accurately. A good example is: Im afraid Ive never really thought about this issue before. Will the examiner give his or her own opinion in Part 3? No. The examiner wants to hear your opinions, so theres nothing to be gained by asking What do you think?! How are IELTS Speaking scores calculated? The examiner will pay attention to four main areas: (1) How fluent and understandable your answer is; (2) The range and accuracy of vocabulary you use; (3) The range and accuracy of grammatical forms you use; (4) Your pronunciation. What IELTS Speaking score is required for university entry? It varies by university and many do not specify a requirement for each module. However, you should be aiming to achieve a score of at least 6 in IELTS Speaking if you intend to study at an Englishspeaking university. A band score of 5 may be sufficient for some foundation and presessional English courses. How can I raise my IELTS Speaking score? Check out other posts on IELTS Academic for advice on speaking techniques, useful language and understanding the scoring criteria. Any more questions about IELTS Speaking? Leave a comment in the space below.

IELTS Writing: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Posted: 24/11/2011 | Author: DW | Filed under: Frequently Asked Questions, IELTS Writing | Tags: ESL, IELTS | 1 Comment
The questions below are among those most frequently asked about the Writing module of IELTS. If you are looking for basic information about the structure of the Writing module, you should probably read IELTS Writing: Introduction first.

What is the difference between the General Training Writing module and the Academic Writing module? In the General Training version of IELTS, Task 1 requires you write a letter. In the Academic version of IELTS, Task 1 requires you to write a report on a diagram. In both versions of the test, Task 2 is the same: a discursive essay. What should I write in the introduction to Task 1 of IELTS Academic? The introduction should describe the diagram or data overall. This usually means paraphrasing the question, i.e. restating the question in other words. Try to include all important information such as time periods, countries and other important divisions in the data. If there is a clear main feature, you can point this out in the introduction too. Otherwise, save your descriptions of these features for the body paragraphs. Why is it so important to paraphrase the question? If you repeat the question word-for-word in your introduction, these words will not be counted as your own and your word count will be lower as a result. You should always change at least a few words in the questions or rewrite it completely. Should I give my opinion in the introduction of Task 2? Read the question carefully first. If the questions asks you simply to agree or disagree, then you should state your position clearly in the introduction. If the questions asks you to discuss both sides of an argument, you should save your own opinion for the end. If the question includes to an expression such as To what extent or How far, you may decide yourself whether to begin with a strong opinion or take a more balanced approach to begin with and state your final opinion later. How many words and paragraphs should I write? For Task 1, three or four paragraphs totalling 150 words is sufficient, In Task 2, you should write four to six paragraphs (depending on the number of ideas you have) and at least 250 words. Do I need to write a conclusion in Task 1? It is certainly very helpful to add a one- or two-sentence conclusion that restates the overall topic and main features of the data. This is especially important if there is more than one set of data as you will gain extra marks if you make a direct comparison of the two. However, a conclusion is not an absolute requirement and it may be better to skip it and move quickly on to Task 2 if you have already written 150 words. Do I need to write a conclusion in Task 2? Absolutely, yes. Your conclusion should restate the overall topic and your main idea, briefly summarise the main point of each body paragraph, and end with a comment of some kind. Without a conclusion, your essay may lack coherence and this will bring down your score.

What will happen if I dont write 150 or 250 words? You will be given a penalty for this and your overall score in IELTS Writing will be at least half a band lower as a result. Should I try to write more than 150 or 250 words? In IELTS Writing, there is no maximum number of words. However, you will not get a higher score if you write more words than required. For that reason, you should stop writing when you have reached the limit AND written a satisfactory conclusion. Should I count the number of words I have written? No. This is not your responsibility and would be a waste of your time. Before taking the test, you should practice the Writing module enough times to be able to know when you have written a long enough answer without actually counting the words. In Task 1, this would be a short introduction plus two substantial body paragraphs and perhaps a short conclusion. In Task 2, you should aim to write an introduction of several sentences, two to four substantial body paragraphs, and a conclusion of several sentences. How are IELTS Writing scores calculated? The examiner will pay attention to four main areas: (1) How fully you answer the question overall; (2) How well you link ideas within the text; (3) The range and accuracy of vocabulary you use; (4) The range and accuracy of grammatical forms you use. What IELTS Writing score is required for university entry? It varies by university and many do not specify a requirement for each module. However, you should be aiming to achieve a score of at least 6 in IELTS Writing if you intend to study at an Englishspeaking university. A band score of 5 may be sufficient for some foundation and presessional English courses. How can I raise my IELTS Writing score? Check out other posts on IELTS Academic for advice on writing techniques, useful language and understanding the scoring criteria. Any more questions about IELTS Writing? Leave a comment in the space below.

IELTS Reading: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Posted: 24/11/2011 | Author: DW | Filed under: Frequently Asked Questions, IELTS Reading | Tags: ESL, IELTS | Leave a comment

The questions below are among those most frequently asked about the Reading module of IELTS. If you are looking for basic information about the structure of the Reading module, you should probably read IELTS Reading: Introduction first. What is the difference between the General Training Reading module and the Academic Reading module? The reading passages and questions are easier in the General Training module of IELTS. However, you need to get a higher number of correct answers to achieve the same band score as someone taking the Academic module. What are the reading passages about? In the General Training IELTS module, they will usually be informational: the kind of text you would expect to find in a leaflet, newspaper or magazine. In the Academic IELTS module, the passages will cover three diverse academic topics. You do not need any knowledge of these topics before taking the test. Which should I read first: the passage or the questions? Generally speaking, it is better to read the passage first to give yourself an idea of the overall topic and organisation of the text. It then becomes much easier to interpret the questions and know where to look for the answers. However, it may be a good idea to look briefly at the question types before you read. If there is a headings matching task, for example, you may be able to do this as you skimread. How much time should I spend skim-reading each passage? You do not want to spend more than five minutes reading a single passage. At this stage, it is not important to understand all the details. You should only be reading for the main idea of each paragraph. If you find you have spent more than five minutes reading a single passage, stop reading and start working on the questions. What question types are there in IELTS Reading? Unlike TOEFL, IELTS includes more than just multiple-choice questions. You may have to add match headings to paragraphs, complete sentences or a summary, or match opinions to people mentioned in the text. There are also True/False/Not Given questions which require a detailed understanding of the passage. Each passage will be followed by an average of 13 questions and these will generally be of three to five different types. How much time should I spend on each question? Given that you will need up to fifteen minutes of reading time, that leaves you with 45 minutes to answer a total of 40 questions. It is advisable to spend no more than one minute answering each individual question. You can always come back to more difficult questions later.

Can I use a dictionary in IELTS Reading? I think you already know that the answer to this question is no. You will therefore need a good vocabulary and a range of strategies for guessing the meaning of an unfamiliar word. How many words do I need to know in order to get a high score in IELTS Reading? There is no easy answer to this question because regardless of the size of your vocabulary you will almost certainly encounter unfamiliar words in the test. While learning vocabulary will definitely improve your reading speed and your IELTS Reading score, it is also important to be able to look for and recognise definitions, or guess the likely meaning of a word you dont know. How are IELTS Reading scores calculated? You will be given a score out of 40 and this will be converted into an IELTS band score of 0 to 9 according to the IELTS band score calculator. The conversions are different in the Academic and General Training modules. What IELTS Reading score is required for university entry? It varies by university and many do not specify a requirement for each module. However, you should be aiming to achieve a score of at least 6 in IELTS Reading (23-29 correct answers) if you intend to study at an English-speaking university. A band score of 5 (16-22 correct answers) may be sufficient for some foundation and presessional English courses. How can I raise my IELTS Reading score? Check out other posts on IELTS Academic for advice on reading techniques, vocabulary practice exercises and explanations of the different question types. Any more questions about IELTS Reading? Leave a comment in the space below.

Academic IELTS Test

Tips and Mistakes to Avoid

Many students, some with very good English skills, take the academic IELTS test (International English Language Testing System) and fail to achieve the score they had expected or hoped for. In order to avoid this and to do the best you can, it is important to: Have an understanding of what you need to do in each part of the exam Have some basic strategies Know what you must avoid doing

You will be tested on your writing, speaking, reading, and listening. In this article, I will provide you with some basic preparation for each part of the test. This article focuses on the academic module of IELTS for those intending to study abroad.

Academic Writing
The academic writing test is one hour, and there are two parts: 1. Task 1: Describe a graph, table, process, diagram or map 2. Task 2: Write an essay

Task 1 Strategies
Timing Spend no more than 20 minutes on this part. This accounts for fewer marks than the essay, so more of your time should be spent on task 2.

Planning Spend 3-5 minutes making sure you understand the graph or diagram and planning your answer. You have time to do this as you only need to write 10-15 sentences to achieve 150 words. Identify key trends and patterns in this time. Organization Use paragraphs to good effect. Introduce the graph and give an overview of the main points in the first paragraph. Then use the remaining paragraphs to discuss these main points in more detail. Language and grammar There are various types of language you may need to use in this part, depending on what you are asked to describe. For example, if you are asked to describe a graph over time, you will need to use language of change, whereas if no time is involved, the focus will be on language of comparison and contrast. If you write about a process, you will need to be able to use the passive voice. Also, a graph can be in the past, present or future, so you need to use the appropriate tense. So make sure that if you are not having IELTS preparation classes, you check a good IELTS website so you are aware of the differences in language that may be required.

Checking Leave 3-5 minutes at the end to read through your answer and check for any mistakes.

Task 2 Strategies
Timing Spend 40 minutes on your essay as this is worth more marks than task 1. Planning Spend about 10 minutes at the beginning on the following:

A. Making sure you understand the question and what you need to write about B. Brainstorming ideas and support C. Grouping these ideas into paragraphs Organization You need to show you can write a coherent and cohesive paragraph, so make sure you have an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. Your introduction should have a thesis statement and each paragraph should focus on one main idea or topic.

Make your essay and paragraphs easy to read by using appropriate transitions and linking words. Language and grammar In order to achieve a higher score, you will need to show the examiner that you can use a mix of sentence types, so before the test, make sure you know how to write simple, compound, and complex sentences correctly. Most of the time you will find you are using the simple present when you write your essay as you are likely to be writing about a current issue in society. However, you will have to make use of other tenses as well, so make sure you review other common tenses such as the simple past, present perfect and future. Checking Leave 5 minutes at the end to read through your answer and check for any mistakes.

Click here for more information on IELTS writing.

Speaking
The speaking test lasts 11-14 minutes and is divided into 3 sections: Part 1: One way general questions (4-5 minutes) Part 2: The long turn (3-4 Minutes) Part 3: Two way discussion (4-5 minutes)

Part 1
In this first section of the test, the examiner will ask you questions around general topics related to your life. For example, you may be asked about your hobbies, family, work, studies, movies, holidays, pets etc. This is the easiest part of the test. Here are some example questions: What are you studying at the moment? What do you usually like to do in your free time? What kind of movies do you like to go and see?

Part 2
In part two of the test, the examiner will give you a card with a topic on it and you will need to talk about it for two minutes. You will also be given one minute to prepare what you are going to say.

You will always be asked to describe something, usually a person, place or thing e.g. a possession of yours, a family friend, a holiday you went on, a sports event you attended etc. You will have some "sub-points" on the card that you can also cover. Here is an example: Describe your best friend. You should say: Who he/she is How you met him/her What you usually do together

And explain why he/she is your best friend

Part 3
In part 3 of the test, you will have a two-way discussion with the examiner. This will be on more difficult and abstract topics than the questions you had in part 1. The topic will be related to the card you were given in part 2. So, for example, you could have questions like these that are related to the long-turn: Do you think it's important to have good friends? How has the internet changed the way people make friends? How do you think friendships will change in the future?

Speaking strategies
Don't give very short answers Don't just answer 'yes' or 'no' to questions. The examiner needs to hear you speak, so always give extra information. For example, for part 1: Q: Do you have a big family? A: Yes I do. I have my parents, and I also have 3 brothers and 2 sisters. My aunt lives with us as well. So I would say that is quite a large family. It can get quite noisy in our house, but it's still a lot of fun! Keep to the Topic It is important to extend your answers, but at the same time you must be answering

the question or talking about things related to the topic. You won't gain extra marks for talking for the sake of it if it has nothing to do with what you have been asked! Listen carefully Always listen carefully to what the examiner asks you. Again, you don't want to be talking about something different to what you were asked. Ask if you don't understand If you don't understand a question or you don't hear it, then ask the examiner to repeat it. There is nothing wrong with needing to do this a few times during the test. Talk for 2 minutes It will be difficult to talk for 2 minutes in the long-turn if you just follow exactly what is on the card. It is ok to give extra information, so feel free to tell the examiner everything you can about the topic. But remember you need to keep your talk coherent and organized, so plan what you can say in the 1 minute preparation time and think of what extra information you can give. Click here for more information on IELTS speaking.

Reading
The reading test takes 60 minutes and there are 3 reading passages. The passages are genuine readings taken from journal, books, newspapers and magazines. Each one is around 700-900 words. There are a total of 40 questions in the exam. There is no time to transfer the answer to the answer sheet at the end so you need to do it during the test.

Reading Test Strategies

Know all the different question types There are many different types of question you can get in the reading test, such as multiple choice, sentence completion, matching headings to paragraphs, identifying a writers views, and several more. Find a good website or book and make sure you practice the different kinds that you may encounter and the different skills required for each type. Watch your timing Only spend 20 minutes on each section. If you have not finished, then still move on to the next section. You can return to any

parts that you have not finished if you have time at the end. And don't spend too much time on one question. If you cannot get the answer then make a guess and move on remember you won't lose marks for guessing even if the answer is wrong! Read the instructions Always read the instructions carefully! These will tell you exactly what you need to do for each question and the maximum number of words you can use to answer the question. Practice The only way to get really good at reading is to keep doing it! Make sure you practice reading as much as you can to improve your general reading skills and vocabulary knowledge.

Click here for more information on IELTS reading.

Listening
The Listening Test
The listening test lasts 30 minutes and you then have 10 minutes at the end to transfer your answers to an answer sheet. It is divided into four sections, and each section is harder than the one before. Section Section Section Section 1: 2: 3: 4: A A A A conversation between two speakers speech by one speaker speech between up to four people speech by one speaker

Listening Strategies
Read through the questions Before each section you are given 30 seconds to look through the questions. Make sure you do this, and do the following to help you follow the listening and fully understand it:

A. Underline any key words B. Think about the context i.e. who is speaking and why? C. Guess what some of the answers may be i.e. is it likely to be the name of a person, a number, a date? Keep two questions ahead When you are following the listening, don't just look at the next question. Look at the next two questions. This way, if you miss the one, you will still catch the next and it will stop you getting lost.

Be aware of the different questions types As with the reading, there are lots of different question types you may encounter multiple choice, gap fills, completing diagrams etc. If you are not having IELTS lessons, then make sure you refer to a good book or website to practice.

Take care with your answers Remember, if you are completing a gap fill (as will be the case with section 1 of the test), your answers must fit correctly into the gap, logically and grammatically. The spelling must also be correct, as must be capitalization. For example, if the answer to a question is 'Monday' and you write 'monday,' your answer will be wrong.

Read the instructions As with all the IELTS test, read the instructions carefully! This will tell you how many words you can use in your answer. If you use more than you are allowed, then it will be wrong. Practice Practice makes perfect! Make sure you practice your listening skills whenever you can. Use IELTS practice tests, watch English TV, listen to English radio and speak to people in English when you can

1.Don't spend so long on a single question as that will lose you time for answering questions that could be easier for you.Read the Question First then go to the Passage so that you can find out the location easily..

2.Sometimes leaving the question and coming back later can help you answer it too. Leave any questions that you have spent too long on, and come back at the end of the test if you have time. 3.Sometimes, if the question has a yes/no/not given answer, the answer which you are looking for does not exist as it could be a not given. Try to Be aware so you don't waste time looking for something that isn't there. 4.Read the questions and instructions so you don't make a silly mistake. n answer instead of true or false. Strictly speaking you are wrong although you have understood the question . 5.When the question asks for one answer then give one answer. 6.When the question asks for no more than 3 words, use no more than 3 words. To write 4 words or more is wrong. You won't be asked to do it in 3 words or less unless it is possible so don't worry; it can always be

done. 7.One area that students don't like is that, in the reading test, good grammar skill and spelling are important. The grammar part is not as important as you can't make many grammar errors in 3 words (the maximum you use in the reading test) but, if you spell something wrong, it will be marked as wrong. P

8.If the question type is difficult and asking something which is hard to answer then reading the text first can help. Just a quick read through using a technique called skimming can give you the knowledge of the text that will help you find the answer more easily. 9.If you are a good, fast reader, then you can read the text quickly, getting good knowledge of the contents without using up so much precious time. This can help you answer the questions better. 10.If time is short then it doesn't matter how complex or long the texts are. You need to get some answers on the answer sheet as quickly as possible.Remember there is no negagtive marking. You have to be aware of Time management which is an important thing .A number of texts that you have to read and 40 questions to answer in 1 hour. If you spend too long on one part, you may find that you have not enough time to finish all the questions and some of those questions could be ones that you could answer quite easily. As I said above, don't spend too long on a difficult answer but also keep an eye on the clock. It's a good idea to take your watch or a small clock on your desk so you know exactly how long you have left in the test at any given time. In addition to this, keep control on how long you spend on every section. Remember the test gets more difficult as it goes on so you will probably need more time for the questions at the end than for those at start. Maybe a guideline could be: 18 minutes on section 1. 19 minutes on section 2. 23 minutes on section 3. With experience and practice you will soon know how long things take you, and be able to manage your time well. After finishing the ansering, DON'T just sit there!! Check what you have done. If you have time after the check, check again. And so on.... Techniques -

Skimming and Scanning Skimming and scanning are the two main techniques that people use to read and answer IELTS reading tests.Let's have a look at the two techniques in turn. Skimming is reading fast to get the "gist" or the general idea of the text. There are different techniques of doing skimming. You can run your eyes over the text getting the general meaning, not stopping at words that you don't understand as this will make you slow down. The important thing with skimming is speed. Another way to skim is to just read the first and last paragraphs of a text and summaries as well. You could also just read the title and illustrations if there are any. I prefer for IELTS the first way - reading it all quickly to get the general meaning, but of course it depends on your reading skill. If you are a slow reader in English you really need to practice to improve. You don't need IELTS specific texts for this. A good English newspaper is enough. Get one every day and read the articles as quickly as you can. Do this with as many articles as possible every day and your speed will quickly improve. Scanning This is another very important method for the IELTS Reading Tests. This is the technique that you use when you are reading a telephone book or a dictionary. You are not starting at the top and reading every line back and forth as you would read a novel. You are moving around the text, back and across and up and down. You are searching for some specific information: a word or name. This is an important technique in IELTS reading like you are often searching for some specific information. You read the question and then you search for key words or ideas associated with the question. This is a bit so difficult to practice than skimming. You get long texts (from newspapers, magazines or other sources) and get a friend to read it and then ask you to search key ideas or words as quickly as possible. Again, if you do this frequently, your speed will quickly improve. If you want to improve, there's no secret. Practice. Practice. You won't get better sitting and doing nothing. Even good English users need practice for the IELTS exam. It could make all the difference between your getting the band that you need, and getting half a band less than you need and having to wait 3 months to do the exam more. Finally, I want to say again that PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE............................. Good luck! I hope that this tutorial has helped you. Below are the questions I collected from different sites to help u a lot.