by Dave | Oct 10, 2017 | IELTS Writing Task 2
Welcome to the complete guide for IELTS writing task 2 – everything you need to know to get a top score!
The IELTS writing exam is a 60 minute test of your English writing ability and there are two parts – Task 1 and Task 2.
You can find all the most recent topics/questions (along with full sample answer essays) for IELTS academic here and general training here
Dave
What is IELTS task 2 writing?
For Task 2 you will be given an essay question and you have around 40 minutes to write at least 250 words.
This format is the same for the general or the academic IELTS exam.
The basic task 2 essay structure is four paragraphs – an introduction, two main (or body) paragraphs) and a conclusion.
You are expected to give your opinion and support it with reasons and examples.
You should avoid using personal examples as you should use a semi-academic style.
What does an IELTS Task 2 question look like?
Let’s look at some example questions:
Example 1
Some people think that governments should spend money on railways. Others believe that there should be more investment into new roads.
Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
Example 2
Nowadays governments are investing more in public transport such as buses and trains rather than in building new roads.
What are the reasons for this?
Is this a positive or negative development?
Example 3
The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2000, there may be as many as 29 million vehicles on the British roads.
Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
By looking at the three examples above, you can see that a Task 2 question is divided into two parts.
1. Statements giving you Information about the essay topic
2. The essay question(s) you have to answer.
There are different kinds of Task 2 questions.
Some give you more or less information about the essay topic.
Some questions require you to discuss both sides, agree or disagree, to explain a problem and suggest solutions.
However, regardless of the topic and the question, the format of the exam remains the same.
You have 40 minutes to write at least 250 words, and you are expected to give your opinion, present main ideas (reasons) and support those with explanation and examples.
And no matter the question, you can use a basic Task 2 essay structure of four paragraphs – an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion.
How is IELTS Task 2 scored?
Your essay is marked by a qualified IELTS examiner.
They will score your writing equally using four criteria:
– TA – Task Achievement (Answering the the question)
– CC – Coherence and Cohesion. (Clear and well organised)
– LR – Lexical Resource. (Vocabulary and spelling)
– GR – Grammatical Range and Accuracy. (Grammar and punctuation)
For each of the criteria you will get a ‘band score’ of 0-9.
For each task, these will be added together and an average overall score will be calculated.
These two figures will then be added together accordingly with Task 2 counting for twice as many marks as Task 1 ie. Task 2 = 66%, Task 1 = 33%).
Finally, this figure is rounded down to the nearest half band score.
For example, Donald Trump gets the following scores:
|
TA
|
CC
|
LR
|
GR
|
Overall scores
|
Final result
(rounded down)
|
Task 1
|
5
|
7
|
7
|
6
|
6.25
|
|
Task 2
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
5
|
5.75
|
|
Combined score (Task 1 = 33%, Task 2 = 66%).
|
5.91
|
5.5
|
KEY TIP: Task 2 is worth double the marks so make sure you don’t spend too long on Task 1. If you are a slow writer, do task 2 first!
Also notice that being marked down in one criteria can wreck your chances of getting the score you need.
Therefore it isn’t enough to be getting close to your target scores when you are practising at home or in class.
In the lead up to your test, you should ideally be achieving higher than your target scores so you can be sure to achieve your goals on test day, especially as some examiners are very strict.
Comment any questions that you have below!
by Dave | Oct 10, 2017 | IELTS Listening
This is the complete guide to IELTS listening organized by real student questions!
If you can’t find your question, please put it in the comments or send us a message.
Dave
The Test
“How many questions are on the listening test?”
There are 40 questions.
“How long does the listening test last?”
It may feel like forever, but it’s only 30 minutes listening and 10 minutes to transfer your answers to answer sheet.
“How many sections are there?”
There are 4 sections.
1. a transaction (2 speakers)
2. a public announcement (1 speaker)
3. an academic discussion (2+ speakers)
4. a lecture (1 speaker).
“How many different types of questions are there?”
There are 14 different question types.
“How long do I have to read the questions?”
You will have 30 seconds to read the questions before listening.
“When should I write on the answer sheet?”
At the end of the test you have 10 extra minutes to transfer your answers.
“Can I write in all capitals?”
Yes, if you want.
“Is capitilisation important?”
No, you will still receive full marks for ‘london’ or ‘London.’
“Is spelling important?”
Yes, you will be marked down for mispelling words.
“Do my answers have to be grammatically correct?”
Yes, pay close attention to the gap-fills to be sure the grammar is accurate.
“What counts as a word for the ‘no more than ____ words’ questions?”
Dates, times and numbers all count as 1 word. 200 is one word, 3,000,000 is one word, 11am is one word, 22% is one word and so on. Words with hyphens like mother-in-law are one word. For dates, 18th September is one word and a number.
“I don’t understand the test. Do you have a guide?”
Yes! Funny you should ask, I have it right here:
“Do wrong answers hurt my score more than blank ones?”
No, fill in all answers even if you are guessing. Do not leave any answers blank.
“How is the listening test made?”
It takes 1 – 2 years for a listening test to be made and every question must be approved and adjusted by dozens of people. The test is very reliable.
“How is the listening test marked?”
Usually the local staff in your country will mark them by hand before recording your scores.
“Do the sections get harder as the test goes on?”
Yes, section 4 is usually the hardest and section 1 is the easiest.
“Should I take the computer based IELTS listening?”
There are some key differences to the computer based test (you don’t get 10 minutes at the end to check/transfer answers, you wear headphones, and you must type your answers) but otherwise it is exactly the same. You can still take notes.
Test Day
“How many times can I listen?”
Just once.
“Can I write on the test?”
Yes, go ahead!
“Will I get headphones?”
Yes.
“What if there’s a problem?”
Tell one of the staff working at the center. They will help you.
“Should I write in pen or pencil?”
Pencil for both listening and reading.
“Can I go to the toilet during the test?”
No, you cannot stand up during the listening test.
“Can I bring a drink?”
Yes, as long as the bottle is transparent. (But be careful because in many countries there are no bathroom breaks allowed!)
Improving your Listening
“How can I improve my listening?”
In general, follow the tips here:
For specific tips for IELTS listening, check out this one:
“What else is the listening test testing?”
It tests listening, reading and writing. So practicing listening alone isn’t enough to do well on the test.
“Can you recommend some good listening websites?”
Our favourite one in general is www.ed.ted.com
“How long should I practice everyday?”
It depends on your level of English and the score you want. The important thing is that you do it everyday – that’s more important than how long you practice!
by Dave | Oct 10, 2017 | IELTS Listening
There are 6 basic IELTS listening tips that you’ll learn in every overpriced course around the world.
You can save some money by reading this post – I’ll tell you what they are right now!
Dave
Tip #1: Predict the type of answer.
Look at the question below:
Some possible predictions:
1. Noun or adjective + noun
2. Animal/Transport
3. Noun/Place
4. Noun or adjective + noun
Don’t write your predictions down! Just read the question and make a quick prediction.
Tip #2: Predict the answer itself.
Here’s the same question with some predictions:
Some possible predictions:
1. Flowers, houses, scenery, mountains, rivers
2. Tractor, pony, horse
3. Barn, garden, petting zoo, fields
4. Lunch, a tour, a petting zoo, refreshments, ____ class
Don’t write your predictions down! Only some answers are possible to predict and it’s unlikely you will make the right prediction – but you can get close…
Tip #3: Underline the keywords.
This tip is mainly just to jog your memory if you hear the keywords mentioned.
Tip #4: Watch out for paraphrases!
Be careful! Most keywords and questions will be paraphrased. This means there will be synonyms, different grammar and different ways of saying the same thing.
These become more common and more difficult in sections 2, 3, and 4.
Here are some possible paraphrases for the keywords:
Take photos: take pictures, get a picture of, use their cameras, snap some shots
Surround: around, next to, you can see from the lake, beside,
Children: kids
Help feed: give food to, help the farmers to feed, take part in feeding
Ride: trek, tour the farm, go around the farm on a
Walk: stroll, get some air
Lake: (no synonyms for this one!)
Available: if you’d like, can, there is the option to
Extra cost: isn’t included in the original price, costs extra, for a bit extra, you’ll have to pay extra for
Tip # 5: Watch out for distractors!
The listening exam will try to trick you into choosing or writing the wrong answer.
For example you will hear:
“After you’re done riding the elephant you might want to take a little walk. The barn is a good place to walk around. Closer to the lake you’ll find the gardens. But the barn is way better.”
The answer is: gardens
Distractors can come before or after the correct answer (or both!).
So the tip is to be careful when you think you hear the answer – it might be a distractor, so keep listening to the end of that idea.
Tip #6: Look ahead at the end of each section.
At the end of each section the lovely voice on the tape will say ‘This is the end of section 1/2/3. You now have half a minute to check your answers.’
Ignore her the same way you ignore your parents advice.
Look ahead to the next section and begin reading the questions. This way you will get an extra 30 seconds.
Don’t worry about checking your answers – you can check at the end when you have 10 minutes to transfer your answers.
Now it’s your turn! Put your answers in the comments
Take a look at the question below. Can you predict any of the answers?
by Dave | Oct 9, 2017 | IELTS Listening
Dave
The Situation
At the beginning of each IELTS listening section, the mysterious, beautiful voice on the tape will describe the situation or context for you. For example:
Section 1: You will hear a customer buying a bus ticket.
Section 2: You will hear an announcement about a new museum opening.
Section 3: You will hear two students discussing the topic of their research project.
Section 4: You will hear a lecture on the subject of dinosaur archaeology.
Most students have already started reading the questions so they don’t even hear this part.
But…it’s important to read the questions.
But…it’s also very important to listen to the situation or context.
Why?
Because if you know the situation you are much more likely to be able to understand the listening.
Imagine turning on the TV but closing your eyes. You won’t be able to understand what’s happening.
Open your eyes and it becomes crystal clear.
If you picture the situation in your head before you start reading the questions the listening will become clearer.
For example, if section 1 begins:
“You will hear a customer buying a bus ticket.”
So you already know some of the content that will come up – the cost, the destination, the length, where it leaves from, seating options, the number of stops, etc.
There’s also a second reason it is important to picture the situation.
Picturing the situation (and reading the questions) will start to activate vocabulary related to the topic in your brain automatically.
If the topic is ‘Monkeys’ your brain will immediately and unconsciously activate related vocabulary: bananas, forests, fur, and so on.
Share this post if you want to help a friend with their listening. Here are some other basic tips as well!
Now it’s your turn! Put your answers in the comments.
At the beginning of section 1 you hear:
“You will hear a man applying for a job at a restaurant.”
What questions might you hear in the listening?
by Dave | Oct 9, 2017 | IELTS Listening
A Hard Question
Many of my students find labelling a map to be one of the most difficult questions on the listening test.
This is because you have to pay very careful attention to directions on the map and if you get lost, you might do really badly on a whole section of the IELTS listening test!
Don’t worry – I’m going to show you how to improve your score on this section and the skills you need to practice to make sure you don’t mess it up.
Four Tips to Make it Easier
Here’s an example map question:
Before you listen you will have 30 seconds to study the map. This time is really valuable.
Tip#1:
Before you listen, you should underline the key locations on the map and circle all the letters.
If you have time read the names of the places you will have to label as well.
Tip #2:
While listening you should trace your route with your pencil.
Pay careful attention to the names of places and turns.
Tip #3:
To improve listening and labelling a map you should practice this as much as you can!
These ones aren’t hard because of difficult vocabulary. They just require some practice until you get used to them.
Tip #4:
Learn some basic vocabulary related to directions.
Turn: go towards the, take the first/second right/left, turn onto _____ street
Go straight: go straight on, continue past, walk past, walk by, pass the ______, walk along ______ street until you reach _______, follow the road until, go beyond
Next to: west of/east of, near, adjacent to, beside
Across from: cross the street/square, diagonal from the _____ is the _______,
Links
Here are some links to our 3 favourite YouTube videos for this:
Now it’s your turn! Put your answers in the comments.
Do you also find labelling a map difficult?
What other kinds of listening tasks do you find most difficult?
