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IELTS Writing Task 2: correct the mistakes

Students shared some good essays about the animal experiments topic that we looked at last week. Can you improve the sentences below?

1. This essay examines both sides of views.
2. The first reason, the lives of animals should be respected.
3. Most people think animal testing is necessary but others are upset of these activities.
4. On other hand for those who are opposed this type of research would stand on ethical issues.
5. Thanks to the researches on mice, scientists have known how to treat diseases.
6. To sum up, it is highly true that we rely on animals’ research to help us to develop medicines.

I'll share my full essay next week.

IELTS Listening Advice: listen to 'real' things

Of course, yesterday's advice about reading is also true for listening. When I was learning languages (French and German) at school, the only listening practice I got was when the teacher spoke or when she played short recordings on a tape recorder!

The current generation of language learners don't know how lucky they are! They have the Internet at their disposal, with access to millions of videos, podcasts, audiobooks etc. They have the chance to immerse themselves in the language for hours every day. Are you taking advantage of this?

IELTS Reading Advice: read 'real' things!

It's frustrating to see students who rely on textbooks to teach them everything about the English language. Why read an article in an 'upper intermediate' textbook (that was probably written 10 years ago) when you could be reading 'real' articles in newspapers or on the Internet?

Read articles because you find them interesting, not because they have been written to demonstrate a particular grammar point.

A suggestion: if you've read anything really interesting recently, put a link to it (and maybe a quick summary if you have time) in the comments area below this lesson. As an example, click here to see an article that I read the other day.

IELTS Advice: small words can also impress

In Thursday's lesson I wrote that examiners would be impressed by the words huts, dock and tip. This would probably surprise most students, so I'll explain.

The three words would impress the examiner because they fit the description perfectly. As one person pointed out in a comment below that lesson, most students would probably use the word 'hotel' to describe the accommodation for tourists shown on the map. Only a native speaker or an advanced learner of English would know that small buildings to accommodate tourists on an island would probably be called huts. Click here to see a real example.

It's the same with 'dock' and 'tip'. Not everyone would know that the perfect verb to describe the parking of a boat is 'to dock'. And not everyone would know that tip is the perfect word for the end point of a landmass.

Students' questions

1. Is it ok to use rhetorical questions in writing task 2?

No, don't put any type of question in your essays. It isn't considered appropriate academic style.

2. What is the difference between IDP and the British Council?

The IELTS exam is the same wherever you take it. IDP, the British Council and Cambridge University work together to make the test.

3. When describing a map (writing task 1), can we use north, south, east, west even if no compass is shown?

Yes, I often do. I think it's fine to assume that the top of a map is north.

4. The speaking examiner stopped me before I had spoken for 2 minutes. Is that a bad sign?

First, I don't recommend that you time yourself in the exam, so you shouldn't really know how long you spoke for. Examiners sometimes stop candidates when it is clear that the person has nothing left to say. If you spoke for at least one minute and said some good things, don't worry.

5. Is it possible to get band 7 if my essays are unfinished or under length?

It's possible, but not easy. You'll need to get really high scores for vocabulary, grammar and organisation.

IELTS Speaking Part 2: 'street market' topic

The following question comes from Cambridge IELTS book 9.

Describe an open-air or street market which you enjoyed visiting. You should say:

- where the market is
- what the market sells
- how big the market is
- and explain why you enjoyed visiting it.

Task:
Let's imagine that you have visited the Christmas market in Manchester. Write your answer to the question above using information from the websites linked below. Try to 'steal' some good vocabulary from the sites. I'll share my answer next week.

1. Official visitor website for Manchester Christmas market
2. Newspaper article about the market
3. Some reviews on a tourism website

IELTS Writing Task 1: did you analyse?

Did you analyse the map essay I wrote last week, or did you just read it quickly? Here are some things that you might have noticed if you analysed it carefully:

Range of verb tenses, and use of both active and passive:

- has been developed, have been built
- has changed
- can be seen
- is, are, include
- was

Phrases and collocations that would impress the examiner:

- with the introduction of tourism
- new features
- main developments
- the island is accessible
- small huts*
- to accommodate visitors
- physical structures
- in the middle of, to the north of
- completely bare apart from
- where boats can dock*
- a designated swimming area
- the western tip* of the island

*huts, dock and tip might be the words that most impress the examiner in this essay. Can you think why? Does this surprise you?

IELTS Writing Task 2: discuss both views

Last week I asked you to share your "discuss both views" questions. I've chosen a question shared by JK:

Nowadays animal experiments are widely used to develop new medicines and to test the safety of other products. Some people argue that these experiments should be banned because it is morally wrong to cause animals to suffer, while others are in favour of them because of their benefits to humanity.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Here are the steps I would take to answer this question:

• First we need ideas. I would start by writing down some arguments for and against animal testing. I covered this topic in my ebook (chapter 2), so I already have some good ideas in my head.
• Next we can decide on our own view. Looking at the ideas you wrote down, you need to make a decision. A good 'middle point' might be that animal experiments should only be used for the most important medical research.
• Now we need to organise our ideas. Always stick to the 4-paragraph structure; you don't need an extra paragraph for your own view because you agree with elements of the two views stated in the question.
• Finally we're ready to write the essay. Keep your introduction and conclusion short. Spend most of your time on the main body paragraphs.

IELTS Listening Advice: transcribing

A good way to work on your listening is by transcribing what you hear. Transcribing means writing down the full text of a recording. You might find it difficult and laborious, but this is the kind of hard work that pays off in the end.

Try transcribing last week's recording or a section of a real test in one of the Cambridge books. Imagine how quickly your listening would improve if you did a short transcription every day!

IELTS Reading: keywords (book 9, test 2)

Here's my first keyword table for Cambridge book 9:

Even if you don't have a copy of the book, I think you can still learn something from this table. Look at the use of synonyms and similar words (e.g. worldwide / international, regulations / standards, current / modern).

Also, did you know the meanings of words like vulnerable, auditory and impairment? Look these words up in a dictionary, and see if you can use them in your own sentences.

IELTS Advice: before you retake the exam

Some students retake the exam too often. The normal result is that they get similar scores each time, and they waste a lot of money.

Before you retake the exam, ask yourself some questions:

• What specific areas have I worked to improve since my last exam?
• How do I know that I have improved?
• Can I get higher scores when I'm practising than the scores I need?

Here's an example of an ideal response to these questions:

Since my last exam, I've been doing a lot of work to improve my 'main body' paragraphs for writing task 2. I now spend more time planning and organising my ideas before I start writing, so my paragraphs are a lot better. My teacher noticed this improvement and gave my most recent essay a band 7. I only need a 6.5.

IELTS Advice: using memorised phrases

Is it acceptable to use memorised phrases in the writing and speaking tests? Well, it depends. Take the sentence below as an example. A student asked me whether it can be used at the beginning of a letter (general writing task 1).

I hope this letter finds you well. Sorry I didn't write to you earlier, but I’ve been working flat out since the moment I arrived home.

Good use:
If the question tells you to begin by explaining to your friend why you haven't contacted him/her for a while, then this sentence would be perfect.

Bad use:
However, if the question does not tell you to explain why you didn't write earlier, the sentence is irrelevant. It will be clear to the examiner that you have used that phrase because it looks good, and not because it fits the question.

Can you see the difference? The examiner will only be impressed if your memorised phrases fit the question perfectly.

IELTS Speaking: complex structures?

Students often worry that they need to use "complex structures" in the speaking test. But what is a complex structure?

This website explains the difference between simple sentences, compound sentences and complex sentences. You'll notice that compound and complex sentences are much easier than they sound! I'm sure you use them all the time without realising it.

Here's my advice: stop worrying about the need for "complex" grammar. Instead, focus on expressing your ideas well. As you explain your ideas in detail, you will naturally produce longer sentences which contain a variety of grammatical features.

IELTS Writing Task 1: maps essay

Here's my full essay for this map question:

The diagrams illustrate some changes to a small island which has been developed for tourism.

It is clear that the island has changed considerably with the introduction of tourism, and six new features can be seen in the second diagram. The main developments are that the island is accessible and visitors have somewhere to stay.

Looking at the maps in more detail, we can see that small huts have been built to accommodate visitors to the island. The other physical structures that have been added are a reception building, in the middle of the island, and a restaurant to the north of the reception. Before these developments, the island was completely bare apart from a few trees.

As well as the buildings mentioned above, the new facilities on the island include a pier, where boats can dock. There is also a short road linking the pier with the reception and restaurant, and footpaths connect the huts. Finally, there is a designated swimming area for tourists off a beach on the western tip of the island.

(175 words, band 9)

IELTS Writing Task 2: discuss both views

Task 2 questions often ask you to Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Here's how I structure a 4-paragraph essay for this kind of question:

1. Introduction (2 sentences):

• First introduce the topic. I often begin with the phrase "People have different views about...".
• In the second sentence, mention both views and your own opinion. I often use the word "although" in this sentence e.g. Although there are good arguments in favour of..., I personally believe that...

2. The first view
3. The second view (I make it clear that I agree with this view)
4. Conclusion: summarise both views and your own opinion

Please share any 'discuss both views' questions that you find difficult in the comments area below. I'll choose one question to look at next week.

IELTS Listening: 'biometrics' gap-fill

Watch the video and fill the gaps in the sentences below.

1. In today’s society we rely on _____ and _____ to access information.

2. We have to trust that a passport or driver’s license has not been _____ with.

3. Fingerprint, facial, iris and _____ patterns are sources of biometric data.

4. We’re identifying people at _____ with facial recognition software.

5. As the technology _____, our identities will be better _____.

If you can't see the video, here's the recording:

Click here to listen

IELTS Reading: true, false, not given

Read the following passage and answer the questions below.

‘Biometrics’ refers to the identification of humans by their characteristics or traits. Biometric identifiers are often categorised as physiological versus behavioural characteristics. Physiological characteristics are related to the shape of the body. Examples include fingerprint, face recognition, DNA, Palm print, hand geometry and iris recognition. Behavioural characteristics are related to the behaviour of a person, including typing rhythm, gait, and voice.

More traditional means of identification include token-based systems, such as a driver's license or passport, and knowledge-based systems, such as a password or personal identification number. Since biometric identifiers are unique to individuals, they are more reliable in verifying identity than token and knowledge-based methods; however, the collection of biometric identifiers raises privacy concerns about the ultimate use of this information.

Are the following statements true, false or not given?

1. There are two main types of biometric identifier.
2. Fingerprinting is the best known biometric identification system.
3. The use of a password is another example of biometric identification.
4. Some people may worry about how biometric data is used.

Students' questions

1. Can I ask for an explanation if I don't understand a question in the speaking test?

In part 1, you can ask the examiner to repeat a question, but he/she is not allowed to explain what the question means. In part 2, the examiner will not help you. In part 3, you can ask him/her to explain the question in a different way.

2. How can I get band 7 in all four parts?

This is a big problem for many people, and I'm afraid there is no easy solution. You just need to keep practising. Click here for some more advice.

3. Do I need to mention all of the numbers in writing task 1?

No, you don't need to mention all of the numbers; just select the key information. On the other hand, if you don't mention any numbers, you'll get a lower score.

4. Are you sure we don't need a conclusion in writing task 1?

Completely sure. A conclusion is really a 'final judgment', so I prefer to use the word 'summary'. You can put the summary either after the introduction or at the end.

5. Can I improve from 5.5 to 7 in one month?

Probably not. Click here to read my advice.

IELTS Writing Advice: getting an extra half band

Many students need to improve by only half a band to get the score they need. For example, they have a 6.5 and they need a band 7.

Here's some advice if you're in that situation: try to improve in one small area.

Instead of worrying about everything (grammar, vocabulary, organisation etc.), just choose one area to focus on. For example, a small improvement in the quality of your ideas (vocabulary) could lift your score from 6.5 to 7.

IELTS Speaking Part 3: make it personal

In part 3 of IELTS speaking, it really helps if you give personal examples:

1. Do you think it's important for people to have hobbies? Why?

Yes, I think people need to have hobbies because we all need to do things we enjoy in our spare time. In my case, I find that playing football once a week with some friends helps me to relax, keep fit and forget about work. I think it's the same for everyone.

2. Can hobbies have any negative effects?

Yes, if you spend too much time on your hobby, it can affect other parts of your life. I remember that one of my friends spent most of his time at university playing computer games instead of studying. In the end, he failed most of his exams.

IELTS Writing Task 1: maps of an island

Last week I linked to this webpage which shows an interesting task 1 question. Now let's write our essay step by step. I'll write the first 2 paragraphs today, and the rest next week.

1. Introduction: As usual, we can start the essay by paraphrasing the question (rewrite the question in your own words).

Question
The two maps below show an island, before and after the construction of some tourist facilities.

My introduction
The diagrams illustrate some changes to a small island which has been developed for tourism.

2. Overview: For our second paragraph we need to summarise the information in a couple of sentences. When comparing diagrams, we can count the number of changes and look for the main types of changes.

My overview
It is clear that the island has changed considerably with the introduction of tourism, and six new features can be seen in the second diagram. The main developments are that the island is accessible and visitors have somewhere to stay.