Preparation for the IELTS Exam
Free tips, advice and lessons for IELTS writing, speaking, listening and reading.
Model answer for a process diagram on recycling drinks cans.Process diagrams are some of the easiest tasks in IELTS Academic writing task 1 as you are logically explaining a process using sequencers and passive grammar. The data is obviously static so there are no trends to report on, it is pretty straightforward with enough practice.
Read moreWriting task 1: Recycling aluminium process diagram
Model answer for a letter to a friend about exercise.In the general version of IELTS writing task 1, there are 2 types of letters, Informal and formal. Some teachers say there is a third semi-formal style but if the task is a letter to a friend it is informal, while everything else would be formal.
Words and phrases to avoid in IELTS essays.The essay writing section of IELTS is formal, this is the same for academic writing task 1 reports, so you must use the right register. You could lose marks in vocabulary or grammar if you are writing in an informal way, using idioms, or using memorised stock phrases.
In IELTS general writing task 1, you will sometimes get an ‘informal’ letter to write, so obviously in that specific case you will write the letter in an informal register.
You may not lose a band score if you are doing just one of these things below, but if you are making a combination of errors then it could be the cause of being stuck at band 6 or 6.5.
An exercise to test your synonyms and paraphrasing in IELTS reading.A key skill for a high score is your ability to understand paraphrasing in IELTS reading.
Paraphrasing is also a crucial skill for the writing section as you need to change the wording of the task question, it is also very useful in speaking and it shows up in the reading and listening sections. Paraphrasing is when the wording changes but the same meaning is retained. It can be done with synonyms, changing the grammatical structure and the use of set phrases.
IELTS opinion essay: structure, model answer and analysis.There are 5 types of essay in IELTS writing task 2 and a common one is an opinion essay.
So how do you know if it is an opinion essay?.. Well you will need to study the instruction words. These words tell you what you should write about. This should be the first step to take before you even begin to plan. Analyse the task and especially the instruction words so you do not go off topic or write another essay altogether.
Here are 2 essay tasks below, which one do you think is the opinion essay?
In IELTS, using vocabulary precisely is very important for getting a high score in lexical rescource. Affect and effect are often used incorrectly even by native speakers!Lets look at the difference between these and how can they be used in a sentence accurately.
They are not exactly synonyms, they are homophones, which means they sound the same but are spelt differently. There are some exceptions when affect can be used as a verb or effect used as a noun, but generally speaking these are the rules below:
Read moreWhat’s the difference between ‘affect’ and ‘effect’?
How to use prepositions in IELTS writing task 1 academic.It is very important to get prepositions right in this part of the exam. I often see prepositions mistakes when I am marking task 1 reports and this is a particular issue when describing dynamic data.
What is the ideal word count for IELTS writing?This is a common question many IELTS candidates have, but there seems to be misinformation out on the internet about word count in the IELTS writing section.
In fact, you can actually lose marks if the writing is under word count. Here are some examples of what I have heard about the word count in IELTS essays and writing task 1.
TFNG: Changing the statements into questionsTrue False Not Given and Yes No Not Given questions are some of the most challenging for IELTS candidates. However, there is a technique you can use to successfully answer these questions which is to change the statement into a question. Actually, the IELTS reading test is really about how good your vocabulary is, such as your ability to understand synonyms and your paraphrasing skills.
Let’s take a look at grammatical range and accuracy in writing.Many IELTS test takers think that they need to have a wide range of grammar for a high score in grammatical range and accuracy in the writing section. This is only partly true. If you have a wide range of grammar but it is not accurate then it will not score very high.
My advice is to focus on accuracy rather than range. You need to think of the reader when writing. If you are just trying to impress the examiner then you are not considering the overall coherence of the essay. Keep it concise and simple. Of course, if you have a consitently wide range of grammar with good accuracy then you are well on the way to a Band 7 or more.
Read moreWhat’s more important in grammar, range or accuracy?