Q&A: IELTS IN A NUTSHELL

SEPTEMBER 14, 2017

What are the different types of IELTS?

For a large number of people, IELTS represents a hurdle to move to the next phase of life.
IELTS general is used as a test for immigration. IELTS academic is used as a proficiency test
for university entrance and IELTS is often used as a standard test for particular jobs such as
nurses or doctors. The test has become the most common English proficiency test in the
world with over 3 million test takers annually.

Other proficiency tests include TOEFL, CAE, FCE and CELPIP. The global acceptance of IELTS
has made it so recognised and useful.

Am I prepared to allocate time, energy and resources to improve?

IELTS is a test of English fluency and fluency is a difficult objective. The highest score is 9
and that represents the level of a native speaker. Students sometimes feel that 9 is an
achievable score but in reality it is not for most people. It is necessary to have reasonable
expectations on what can and cannot be achieved. Also, it is important to realise that
language acquisition is variable, and scores and improvement do not always correlate
directly to effort. Consequently, it is important to not underestimate the enormity of the
task and allocate enough time and energy to getting a high score. For most people, it takes
a long time to be good at a second language.

How should I study? What materials are recommended?

There is no easy answer here, but students should avoid improper materials. IELTS is a
popular course so individuals want to profit off it and misinformation is often found on the
web in schools. Not all websites are equal and correct. Not all YouTube teachers are
accurate and correct. It is very important to choose proper materials, proper websites and
a school which uses correct pedagogy. In terms of books, a good starting point is
Cambridge IELTS books since Cambridge is the official publisher for IELTS. In terms of
websites, www.ieltsessentials.com and www.ielts.org are good starting points. Finally, in
terms of YouTube, IELTS Liz is well recognized. Be careful to choose proper materials and
do not waste time and money with shortcuts. Be wary of offers of guaranteed success for a
fee.

Finally, we should consider improving our skills and becoming familiar with the test in the
four skills: speaking, reading and listening. Watch out for part 2 on IELTS next week!

4 SKILLS TO ACE THE IELTS EXAM

SEPTEMBER 21, 2017
Last week, we gave an overview about IELTS. As a second installation to that, we discuss
four skills needed to ace the IELTS exam!

(1) LISTENING

This is supposedly the easiest skill but it is not easy. To be successful, students need a high
knowledge of English and a good knowledge of the specifics of the test. The listening is
divided into four parts and each part follows a specific format. Spelling, grammar and
vocabulary are all important. Continual practice with proper IELTS material is mandatory
for success.

(2) READING

Reading is a particular difficult task and in IELTS academic it is often overwhelming for
beginners. Students often feel that English proficiency tests should focus on English but the
reading portion of the test also tests your speed, deductive thinking, and ability to make
decisions based on context.

There are 3 passages and 40 questions in the academic and up to 5 passages and 40
questions in the general test. The questions are often difficult. Again, it takes knowledge of
the test and knowledge of English to excel. Vocabulary by itself is not a solution. Skimming
and scanning skills by themselves are not a solution. It takes a combination of skimming,
scanning, reading, deductive thinking and speed to get a high score.

(3) WRITING

Writing can be very rigorous. There are two writings in the academic test and two in
general test. In the general test, students must write a letter and an opinion essay. In the
academic test, students must accurately describe a chart, a table, a process, a map or a
graph and do an opinion essay.

These skills are not natural for most students. Specific instruction is required to set
students on the path of success. General knowledge of society and the ability to support
concepts are important in the opinion essay. The use of model answers and having
someone to correct your errors are important. Grammar, vocabulary, punctuation and
sentence structure are huge keys in achieving a good score. It generally takes a lot of work
to be a proficient writer.

(4) SPEAKING

Speaking is the last skill we will impart on you. The speaking portion usually lasts about 15
minutes and is done face to face with an examiner. The first portion is 5 minutes long and
is about familiar topics. It may sound easy to talk about sports or your home, but to
achieve a high score, you must be accurate and use appropriate lexicon. The second
portion takes 3 minutes and you must speak for two minutes. Test takers must describe
something in detail for two minutes. Finally, the third portion varies to some degree but it
tends to be an interactive discussion with the examiner. Abstract questions are common in
this part. Most students need continual practice and error correction to excel in speaking.

To sum up, IELTS can be rewarding and can be totally frustrating. IELTS can take you from
point A in life to point B but it can also be the obstacle. A high IELTS score is a great
accomplishment but it is important to approach it realistically. If you decide to take the test,
take time to find a quality school like Tamwood and use quality materials.
 

   
 How to Improve IELTS Reading and Listening Skills
By Christopher Pell

Students often ask me ‘How do I improve my reading and listening skills?’

The short answer is ‘Read and listen more.’ However, this is not a very good answer
because you need to know HOW to practice and WHERE to get good sources of reading
and listening material.

This article will help you:

1. Learn HOW to practice

2. WHERE to find the best sources

3. HOW often you should be practicing

How to Practice Listening and Reading

There are two kinds of listening and reading practice- passive and active.

One of them is the most common, but least effective, but the other will increase your
skills dramatically in a much shorter period of time.

Passive listening is when you simply listen to a song, people talking, the news etc. and
don’t do anything else. In other words, you do not actually think about what you are
listening to.

Passive reading means you simply read something, but you do not take any steps to
think about or learn from what you are reading.

Active Listening and Reading

When you actively listen to something, you listen to less information, but you think
about it in a much deeper way. This deeper way of thinking about what you are listening
to means you learn in a much more efficient and effective way.
For example, instead of listening to 30 minutes of the news, you might just listen to 3
minutes of the news but think about any new words or phrases you hear, guess what
these mean and then note them down in a vocabulary notebook.

Active reading could mean that instead of reading a full chapter for 30 minutes, you
simply read one paragraph, but think about the grammar and the function of each
sentence. You would then try to use the same grammar and functions in your own
writing.

Active listening and reading require you to think and do much more than simply sit back
and hope that English will magically be downloaded to your brain, but it will cut your
preparation time and also lead to huge improvements.

Examples of Active Listening

The most important things you can think about when active listening are:

1. Pronunciation

2. Vocabulary

3. Grammar

4. Structure

I don’t recommend doing all four at once. It is just too much to think about. Instead, I
would start by focusing on the area that you are weakest in. This is the best use of your
time. So, if you really struggle with pronunciation, focus on that.

This will also improve your speaking because you will constantly be thinking about how
native speakers talk.

Examples of Active Reading

The most important things you can think about when active reading are:

1. Vocabulary

2. Grammar
 3. Structure

4. Idea development

Again, don’t do all four at once; start with the one you need the most help with.

This will really help you with your writing. Normally, the more someone reads, the better
they are at writing.

Vocabulary
When reading or listening you should do the following things:

1. Underline or note any new words or phrases.

2. Read or listen to that section again and try to guess what that word/phrase

means.

3. Check meaning in dictionary. Don’t skip step 2!

4. Write new word/phrase in a special vocabulary note book.

5. Add meaning, pronunciation, collocations, example sentences, synonyms etc. to

help you remember the word/phrase.

6. Review regularly.

Before too long you will have a large number of new words and phrases to use.

Grammar
When reading or listening you should do the following:

1. Underline or note any sentences you do not fully understand.

2. Think about why the writer used that grammar structure.

 3. Identify the grammar structure.

4. Check structure in book or on website.

5. Try to use this structure when speaking or in your writing.

6. Review regularly.

Pronunciation
1. Pick 1 or 2 sentences that have some interesting pronunciation features in them.

2. Listen to them a few times.

3. Write down the sentence and mark any features, such as:

o Intonation (mark this with arrows up or down)

o Linking words (mark this with linking from one word to another)

o Weak sounds (use a different colour for these)

o Stress (Underline the stressed syllables)

4. Try to copy the features above by mimicking what the speaker said.

Structure
1. Underline or note down any discourse markers (such as Firstly, however,

although, for example etc.)

2. Note the function of the sentences and how the speaker/writer used these words

to structure what they say/write.

3. Try using these words yourself to structure your writing/speaking.

Idea Development
1. Underline topic sentences.

2. Note how the writer develops this main idea with explanations and examples.

3. Use the same/similar technique when practicing Task 2 essays.

Where to find the best sources

First of all, do NOT spend all of your time listening to and reading IELTS tests. They are
boring and you will get sick and tired of them very quickly. You should practice doing
IELTS tests, but I think that this should be only around 10-20% of your preparation time
for reading and listening.

The other 90-80% should be spent listening or reading to something you find
interesting or, even better, enjoy. If you like reading Harry Potter, read that. If you like
watching Game of Thrones, listen to that. Prefer cartoons? They’re fine too. Anything in
English that you enjoy is fine.

Google will help you out with finding the things you like, but here are a number of
things I think are extremely useful for language learning:

Podcasts
Podcasts have taken over from radio and I absolutely love them. You can download
them or stream them using lots of apps or websites. My personal favourite app
is Stitcher.

There are millions of podcasts out there, you just have to search and find one you love.
Once you find some podcasts you like, you can listen to them whenever and wherever
you like. They are also perfect for active listening because you can pause and listen to
them again and again.

YouTube
Just like radio has been replaced by podcasts, TV has been replaced by YouTube. Again,
there are millions of channels and shows on YouTube, so all you have to do is search for
something you like.
Ted Talks
These are short lectures about interesting topics. Luckily, they are often on the kind of
topics you will find on the IELTS writing and speaking tests. Very good for idea
development and vocabulary.

Audio Books
There are millions of free audio books available online.

Audible is my favourite app for listening to these.

Amazon Kindle
You don’t have to buy a Kindle device. You can download the Kindle app on any device
and then you will have access to millions of free books. There are also millions of books
you have to pay for, but they are not very expensive.

Your Local Book Shop

Most books stores in the world have an English section. Check out what’s on offer in
your local shop.

How long should I practice for?

The answer to this question is different for every person because we all have different
schedules and commitments.

A student with lots of free time and no family or work commitments is going to have
much more time to practice than a busy person with a job and family.

The short answer to this is practice as much as possible.

Lots of people say that they have no time to practice, but there are many opportunities
throughout the day. For example, you could listen or read when you get up in the
morning before you get up, on your way to work, when you are exercising, during your
lunch break, on your way home from school, before you go to bed and many many
others.
What you should remember is that it is much more effective to practice a little every day
than to leave everything to the last week before your test.

Paraphrasing without synonyms

January 9, 2018 by Ray IELTS Focus
 

Useful paraphrasing technique without using synonyms.

One of the most important skills in IELTS writing is being able to paraphrase. This
means to change the wording or the sentence structure but retain the same
meaning.

It’s a challenge for many students doing IELTS to get used to this skill, you need to
have good vocabulary and know how to use synonyms correctly.

There are 2 main ways to paraphrase, this can be done with synonyms and also by
changing the structure of the sentence while adjusting the word formation. In the
writing section, you need to use this skill when starting the introduction of your
essay. Let’s take a look at an example below.

Example IELTS writing question:

 ‘An increasing number of people are buying what they need online’
Paraphrased version with synonyms:

 ‘ A growing number of people are purchasing what they require on the

internet‘
I didn’t paraphrase every word. ‘People’ is a difficult word to paraphrase so I kept
it. Always remember that you do not need to paraphrase everything, in some cases
you can keep some of the same words from the task question.
Synonyms
 Increasing – growing
 buying – purchasing
 online – the internet
Paraphrased without synonyms:

 ‘The number of people who buy what they need online is on the increase‘
In this second example, I have used the same words but changed the form and also
moved the sentence structure around. This is a very good way to paraphrase if your
range of synonyms is limited.

(gerund) buying – (verb) buy

(gerund) increasing – (noun phrase) on the increase

 An increasing number of people are buying what they need online

 A growing number of people are purchasing what they require on the
internet
 The number of people who buy what they need online is on the increase
All three of these above sentences convey the same meaning. This skill needs to be
developed and is necessary to get to Band 7 or more, especially with writing task 2.

Let’s try another 2 examples without using synonyms.

Example 1:
 ‘Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and
avoiding change. Others, however, think that change is always a good
thing.’
Paraphrased without synonyms:

 ‘Some people find it preferable to avoid change and always do the same
things in their lives, others think that it is good to go through changes.’
In this case, I have added collocations such as ‘find it preferable’ and ‘go through
changes’. These are not synonyms, I have kept the same word but changed the
form and used collocation. I have slightly changed the sentence structure too.
Example 2:
 ‘Doctors should be responsible for educating their patients about how to
improve their health.’
Paraphrased without synonyms:

 ‘Educating patients about improving their health should be the

responsibility of Doctors.’
I have changed the structure of the sentences and reversed it around and made
subtle changes to the word forms as below.
(verb) Improve – (gerund) Improving , (adjective) Responsible – (noun phrase) The
responsibility of.

What would this look like in the introduction of an essay?

Task question:

‘Doctors should be responsible for educating their patients about how to improve their
health. To what extent do you agree or disagree?’
Introduction:

Some people would argue that educating patients about improving their health
should be the responsibility of Doctors. I completely agree with this because many
people need advice from a medical expert about healthy eating and exercise, which
is crucial for preventing disease.
Blue= Paraphrased the task question
Purple= Thesis statement with my specific opinion.
Another way of writing this is by adding synonyms (in red) , this introduction below
would be much better:

Task Question:

‘Doctors should be responsible for educating their patients about how to improve
their health. To what extent do you agree or disagree?’

Full Introduction:

Some people would argue that it ought to be the responsibility of Doctors

to instruct patients about improving their well-being. I completely agree because many
people need advice from a medical expert about healthy eating and exercise, which is
crucial for preventing disease.

Paraphrasing also shows up in the reading and listening parts of the test. Also, if
you can paraphrase with your speaking then you can get a good score in
vocabulary.
 

   
5 Common Words on the IELTS & Their Synonyms
By Madison Oster June 5th, 2018

When preparing for the IELTS, it is important to keep in mind not only the
vocabulary that you will be using, but the vocabulary that will be used in the
questions on the exam. Today, we are going to review five common words that
you will see time and time again on the IELTS, as well as synonyms that are
commonly used for these words. Knowing these words is crucial to achieving a
high score on the test, as if you don’t properly understand the question, how will
you be able to answer it? Study the following synonyms to read and understand
the test questions with confidence and ease.

#1. SHOW

An example of a question using the word “show” is:

“Please review the two graphs, and show the differences between them.”

On the IELTS, common replacement words for “show” are: DISPLAY, EXHIBIT,
INDICATE, REVEAL, DEMONSTRATE.

Instead of the word show, the question may read:

“Please review the two graphs, and reveal the differences between them.”

#2. TELL

“Tell me about the kind of accommodation you have lived in.”

Synonyms for tell include: DISCLOSE, REVEAL, EXPOSE, NARRATE,

INFORM, DIVULGE.
As I mentioned in Paraphrasing Part 1 and Part 2, not all of these synonyms can
be used interchangeably, but know that these have the same meaning. For
example, when giving your response for this speaking task question, you may
say:

“While informing you of my living quarters…..” swapping “tell” for “inform” in

the correct manner. This shows your knowledge of educational vocabulary.

#3. USE

“Use your background knowledge to describe the difference between high school
and university.”

This may be an example of a question you see on the IELTS. Common

synonyms for “use” that you may see, or good options to use for paraphrasing
include: EMPLOY, UTILISE.

#4. WRONG

While we all know what the meaning of “wrong” is, you may be unfamiliar with
synonyms of the word, which include: INCORRECT, INACCURATE, MISTAKEN,
ERRONEOUS, IMPROPER, UNSUITABLE.

A common phrase in the English language is:

“I’m I’m not mistaken…” which is the same as “If I’m not wrong…”

Native speakers usually use this phrase when they are sure of something. It
shows confidence in their statement.

#5. EXTENT

“To what extent do you agree with the following statement?”

The definition of extent is “amount to something is or believed to be the case.”
You may hear or read the synonyms DEGREE, SCALE, LEVEL, MAGNITUDE.
The question above can be paraphrased to “Do you agree or disagree with the
following statement?”

When answering a question like this, you DO NOT want to say “My extent
is…” or anything along those lines. Grammatically, that does not make sense.
With these you can just start off by saying something along the lines of “I
agree…” or “I disagree…” and give the reasons why.

Now that we’ve reviewed some of the vocabulary of the IELTS questions, it is a
great time to hop back over to Best MY Test (LINK) and look at some of the
practice questions and tasks. Do you find them easier to understand and answer
now that you have this knowledge? I bet so!

List of 50 common synonyms for

Improving Your IELTS Score
Posted29 June 2017

Synonyms for IELTS are of great help to get good IELTS score. There is a list of some
common words which can help in a great deal to do get a good score. This also helps to
improve English vocabulary.
 

English Synonyms for IELTS

Amazing Incredible, Fantastic, Fabulous, Astonishing, Extraordinary
Answer Respond
Awful Terrible, Abominable, Dreadful
Bad Evil, Spoiled, Imperfect, Infamous, Dismal
Beautiful Gorgeous, Ravishing, Dazzling, Exquisite, Stunning
Begin Initiate, Commence, Inaugurate
Big Huge, Enormous, Gigantic, Humongous, Substantial, Mammoth
Break Rupture, Fracture, Shatter
Calm Serene, Peace, Tranquil
Come Approach, Arrive
Cool Chilly, Frosty, Icy
Cut Chop, Slash, Slit
Dangerous Hazardous, Risky, Precarious
Decide Determine, Settle
Definite Certain, Positive, Obvious
Delicious Savoury, Titbit, Delectable
Describe Portray, Characterise
Destroy Demolish, Slay, Ruin, Raze
Difference Disagreement, Inequity, Dissimilarity
Dull Boring, Uninteresting, Monotonous, Humdrum, Dreary
End Terminate, Conclude, Cessation
Explain Elaborate, Interpret
Fall Drop, Descend, Topple
Famous Well-known, Renowned, Eminent, Illustrious
Fast Quick, Rapid, Hasty, Snappy
Fat Stout, Corpulent, Chubby, Bulky
Funny Amusing, Humorous, Droll
Get Acquire, Obtain, Secure, Procure, Gather
Excellent, Fine, Wonderful, Superior, Gracious, Superb, Splendid,
Good Genuine, Sterling, Top-notch
Great Worthy, Distinguished, Grand, Considerable, Mighty
Happy Pleased, Delighted, Elated, Joyful, Ecstatic, Jubilant, Jaunty
Hate Despise, Loathe, Abhor, Abominate
Have Possess, Own, Acquire,
Help Aid, Assist, Support, Encourage, Relieve
Hide Conceal, Cover, Mask, Veil
Idea Thought, Concept, Notion
Necessary, Vital, Critical, Indispensable, Valuable, Essential, Famous,
Important Notable
Fascinating, Engaging, Spirited, Intriguing, Gripping, Enthralling,
Interesting Captivating
Little Tiny, Diminutive, Exiguous, Dinky, Cramped
Look Gaze, Glance, Peek, Glimpse, Stare, Leer
Love Like, Admire, Fancy, Care for, Adore
Make Create, Originate, Invent, Construct, Manufacture, Produce, Compose
Move Plod, Creep, Crawl, Drag, Toddle, shuffle, Trot, Lumber, Meander
Neat Orderly, Tidy, Trim, Natty, Smart, Elegant
New Unique, Modern, Current, Recent
Old Feeble, Ancient, Aged, Veteran, Mature, Primitive, Stale
Place Draw, Map, Diagram, Procedure, Method, Blueprint
Show Display, Exhibit, Indicate, Reveal, Demonstrate
 Tell Disclose, Reveal, Expose, Narrate, Inform, Divulge
Use Employ, Utilise, Exhaust, Spend
Wrong Incorrect, Inaccurate, Mistaken, Erroneous, Improper, Unsuitable