IELTS

PREPARATION
Barron’s Book
When completing a blank, you must use
I. Listening Section – an article ( a, an, the) if the grammar
Quick Study requires it.

1. Listening Tips When referring to something in general,

a. Know the question you can use :
b. Practise! Concentrate!
a. A plural noun without an article
c. Underline the keywords in the
b. A singular noun with a or an
question
c. A non-count noun, don’t use an
d. Mark your answer carefully
article
e. Look out for speaker who correct
When referring to specific people, places,
themselves!
or things, use the with a singular, plural,
f. No simple spelling mistake!
or non-count noun.
g. Incomplete/Shortened answer is
incorrect 4. Gerund, Infinitives, and Base
h. A variety of accent are used! Form Verbs
i. Remember the exceed word a. Gerund (Verb + ing)
limit! i. Can be used as subject
2. Gender and Number ii. Follow certain verbs
iii. Follow preposition
Tips :

a. don’t use a singular verb/noun

when a plural verb/noun is b. Infinitives (to + verb)
required i. Often follow adjectives
b. don’t use a masculine pronoun ot ii. Follow certain verbs
refer to a feminime or neutral c. Base form verbs
antecedent (mendahului) i. Follow modals*
A. Verb Agreement *modals :
a. Singular : is, am, was can, could, may, might, must, wil
b. Plural : are, were l, wou-ld, shall, should, ought
B. Singular/Plural Noun to, had better, have to,need, and
a. Singular : without -s or -es or dare
-ies
b. Plural : with -s or -es or -ies
C. Pronoun Agreement
a. He  his
II. Listening Section –
b. She  her Listening Skill
c. It  its A. Making Assumptions
d. They  theirs
e. We  ours
 Focus on : the speakers and the
topic
3. Articles
  Make some assumptions about Date :
the speakers while you are American : May 15, 2010 or April
listening, ex : 23rd 2009
 Who are they?
 Where are they? International : 15 May 2010 or 23rd Apriil 2009
 What did they do? Season :
 What are their feelings?
 Winter
 Etc
 Autumn/Fall
 Make some assumptions about  Summer
the topic too  Spring
 What are they talking
about?
F. Listening for Similar Meanings
 What happened?
 What might happen? The word that you hear are not always the words
 Scan the question and find the that you see in your test booklet. You will have to
5W+1H. You have 20 seconds to listen for similar meanings. You could hear a
look over these questions. Use synonym or a paraphrase.
that time to make some
assumptions G. Listening for Emotion
B. Understanding Numbers Common words that express emotion
 Pay attention to those questions
Afraid Estatic – sangat Nervous
that ask for specific numbers
Angry gembira Pleased
 Listen carefully for those Annoyed Embarrassed Proud
numbers Ashamed Exhausted Sad
C. Understanding the Alphabet Bored Frustrated Shocked
Confused Happy Surprised
 Listen carefully to the spelling
Disappointed Jealous Unhappy
D. Listening for Descriptions disgusted Mad Upset
 Listen carefully about the Miserable Worried
description and imagine that you
have the image in your head
E. Listening for Time H. Listening for an Explanation
Common words and phrases for time : You will have to listen and remember the steps of
10.00 AM In January 1912 the process.
This week
Noon In 1925 This
I. Listening for Classifications
5.00 PM February 2005 month
Midnight 2007 Next You will have to group similar objects or ideas on
May 3 week the IELTS listening section. You will have to
November Next
determine how to classify objects and ideas.
14 month
At 4.00 March 5 of In the On Classification Words or Phrases
Before 6.30 this year spring weekday
To 3.30 April 12 of mornings Can be divided into Types
After 7.00 next year In the Can be categorized as Kinds
Half-past two summer Any Can fit into this category Ways
Quarter-past afternoon
three In the from 1:00
Quarter to autumn J. Listening for Comparisons and
four Contrast
Sunday On June Yesterday
Monday 3rd Tomorrow Words and Phrases that are often used with
Tuesday On August Day After Tomorrowcomparison and Contrast
10th
Comparisson Contrast
 Almost the same as Although While adulthood, in old age
Also But During Simultaneously, at the
As Differ from Between --- and ---- same time as
At the same time as Different from In (year) Former, latter
Correspondingly Even though On (day) Previous
Either/or However At (time) Previously
In a like manner In contrast to Since Prior to
In the same way Instead Later First, second, third, etc
In common Less than Earlier In the first place, second
Just as More than Formerly place
Like, alike Nevertheless Every (number) (years, To begin with
Neither/nor On the other hand months, day) Next, then, subsequently
Resemble Otherwise At the turn of the century In the next place
Similar to Still (decade) At last
Similarly Unlike In the first half of the In conclusion
than While century finally
yet In the 20s, 1980s,…

K. Listening for Negative Meaning

You may have to determine whether the statement
is positive or negative. Listen carefully to the
statement.

A negative prefix  can contradict the word it

joins.

Before Before Negative Positive

verbs/Clauses nouns/phras prefixes meanings
es from the
negative
prefixes
Not No Un Undone
Isn’t/can’t/won’ Nowhere Im Impossible
t/ shouldn’t/ Nothing Il Illegal
couldn’t/ Non Indefinite
hasn’t/ mustn’t In Nonsense
Unlimited
Rarely/only At no time Unparallele
rarely Not at this d
Hardly time Invaluable
Scarcely In no case Nonrestricti
Seldom By no ve
Never means Nonviolent
Barely
Not since
Not until
And neither

L. Listening for Chronology

You need to listen to what happened first, second,
and so on.

Common words and phrases that indicate

chronological order

Before At birth, in childhood, in

After infancy, as an adult, in