Simone Braverman's Blog: IELTS-Blog.com, page 101
September 28, 2021
IELTS test in Canada – September 2021 (Academic Module)
Our generous friend M.S. recently took her IELTS exam in Canada. She said, “I would like to thank you for your great website, since my speaking test was exactly what you sent it to me a few days ago about last movie and so on! Now I would like to share my questions with you.”
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given 4 pie charts showing the proportions of postgraduate and undergraduate students’ opinions about a range of books and non-print material.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
The first man to walk on the moon said space exploration was going to change mankind’s life. Some people argue that it made only a little change to our lives. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Are you studying or working?
– Do you use technology in your work?
– What would you invent to make your job easier?
– When was the last time you wore special clothes?
– Did you have any clothes in your childhood that were special to you?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about the last movie/film you saw. Please say
– When you saw it
– Where you saw it and with whom
– What it was about
– And explain why you liked or disliked it.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Why do people like black and white movies?
– How can movies inform us about history?
– What is the role of a filmmaker?
– Different generations have different tastes in movies. Why do you think it is so?
IELTS test in Iran – September 2021 (Academic Module)
Our wonderful friend K.S. remembered the following questions from her recent IELTS exam in Iran:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given a bar chart showing the numbers of graduates in different countries in the last two years. We had to compare the number of people who left their countries and started working in other nations to those who stayed in their own country.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Personal information of many individuals is held by large internet companies and organisations. Do you think the advantages of this situation outweigh the disadvantages?
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Do you study or work?
– What do you study?
– Where was your first school?
– What did you like/dislike about it?
– How did you go to school?
– Did anyone accompany you on your way to school?
– Do you live in an apartment or a house?
– Do you like it? Why?
– Can you describe your house/apartment?
– How many bedrooms does your house/apartment have?
– Describe the view from your house/apartment.
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Describe a tall building in your city that you like or dislike. You should say:
– Where it is
– What it is used for
– What it looks like
– And explain why you like or dislike it.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in tall buildings?
– Do you think there will be more tall buildings in the future?
– Why aren’t there many tall buildings in the countryside?
– Why do some people like to live in tall buildings nowadays?
September 26, 2021
IELTS test in Jamaica – September 2021 (General Training)
A big thank-you to our friend D.L. who took the IELTS test in Jamaica recently and remembered the following details:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a letter)
A very important piece of equipment at work broke down. Write a letter to the company’s technician. In your letter
– Describe the problem
– Explain how is it affecting your work
– Say what you want them to do about it.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Computer games are becoming very popular among children of all ages and nationalities. Parents say they are concerned because these games have little educational value and many harmful effects. Do you agree or disagree?
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Where did you grow up?
– Do you work or study?
– Do you like wearing special clothes?
– When was the last time you wore special clothes?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Describe a leisure activity that you enjoy doing near the sea. Please say
– what the activity is
– when you do it
– with whom you do it
– and explain why you enjoy doing this activity.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Let’s talk about global warming.
– Do you believe that global warming is a real problem?
– What are the reasons for global warming?
– What is being done to reduce the effects of global warming?
– Should there be penalties for companies that contribute to global warming?
September 24, 2021
‘I skyrocketed my score from 6.0 in writing to 7.0 in less than eight weeks’
We at IELTS-Blog.com absolutely love celebrating YOUR achievements, and today’s success story belongs to Prabu Sivakumar, a software engineer from India, currently living in Singapore.
Prabu won the 1st place in our IELTS Results competition, scoring IELTS Band 8 in the test, and here is the journey that took him there, in his own words:
“When I decided to submit my application to migrate to Australia, the first thing that came to my mind was scoring IELTS Band seven in every section. Most of my friends could not get through 7.0 in Writing. They were stuck at either 6.0 or 6.5.
As software engineers by profession, we write dozens of emails every week. We presume that we don’t make silly mistakes while writing or speaking in English. Besides, we work in a multi-national company, where we interact with native English speakers every day.
I attempted my first IELTS test in May 2021. I’ve managed to score 7.0 and 7.5 in Reading, Speaking and Listening, however, the writing band score didn’t move beyond 6.0. The exam fee is $365 SGD. I do not want to make another attempt without evaluating myself before the exam.
I made a decision to use the Writing Correction services offered by IELTS-Blog.com. Interestingly, they provide an Express correction service where you get your feedback instantly. The feedback is shared with you in less than 24 hours. Initially, I scored 6.5 during the evaluation. When I started scoring 7.5 and 8.0 consistently, I decided to book my exam.
While using the Writing Correction service, you are allowed to choose from a range of topics. I decided on the most challenging academic essays instead of picking the easy ones. I simulated the exam-like environment to write the essay in 40 minutes, without referring to the website or using auto-correction tools. I randomly picked the topic within 40 minutes. I generated ideas and penned them down within the same time.
The feedback you receive is quite exhaustive, and corrections are made in the same document with track changes enabled. Some examiners might provide you with their version of essay, if yours doesn’t serve the purpose. You also get an indicative band score that closely resembles your IELTS score.
The feedback helped me to incorporate the changes and minimise the grammatical errors that I was making earlier. It is quite evident from the evaluations that I have made good progress. I scored 7.0, 7.5, 7.5 and 8.0, respectively, in four assessments. Within four reviews, I skyrocketed my score from 6.0 in writing to 7.0 in less than eight weeks.”
Congratulations, Prabu, on this wonderful outcome!
September 23, 2021
IELTS Speaking test in Pakistan – September 2021
Thanks to our kind friend A.B. we can share these Speaking questions from his recent IELTS test in Pakistan:
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your identification?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Are you living in a house or an apartment?
– What type of home would you prefer in the future, and why?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about an activity that you do after work/study. Please say
– what the activity is
– where you do it
– how long it takes
– and explain how you feel about this activity.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– How do you prefer to relax?
– Is it better to relax outdoors or indoors?
– Did people have different ways to relax in the past?
– Can technology help children relax?
– Does technology have any negative effect on children?
September 22, 2021
IELTS test in India – September 2021 (Academic Module)
Thanks to the lovely A.D. we can share the following questions from a recent IELTS exam in India:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given a table comparing data for the world’s large-scale and small-scale sea fishing industries.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Young people are often influenced in their behaviours and attitudes by others in the same age group, this phenomenon is called “peer pressure”. Do the disadvantages of peer pressure outweigh its advantages?
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Where do you live?
– Do you like the place where you live? Why?
– Have you ever gotten lost somewhere?
– Do you help others when they are lost?
– What were you feeling when you were lost?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Describe an activity that you do regularly that is a waste of time. Please say
– what activity it is
– when you do it
– why you do it
– and explain why you think this activity is a waste of time.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– What are the activities that people do regularly, whether they like or dislike them?
– What should people do to make regular activities like vacuuming or washing clothes interesting?
– Why do people feel so much stress? Is it a good thing?
– When do people feel stressed?
– There are people who believe that some stress is good for you. What is your opinion?
September 21, 2021
IELTS test in Thailand – September 2021 (Academic Module)
Our kind friend N.S. remembered the following questions from her recent IELTS exam in Thailand:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given a table with a number of cinema development projects in one country in two years, 2004 and 2009.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Students leave high school without learning about how to manage their money. What are the reasons for this? What can be improved in students’ understanding of how to manage their finances?
Note: we posted a Band 9 essay on a similar topic – click here to view.
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Where do you live?
– Do you live in an apartment or a house?
– Do you like watching the sky?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about a person who is much older than you, that you admire. Please say
– Who he/she is
– How you know him/her
– What activities you do together
– And explain why you admire him/her.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Let’s talk about different generations.
– Do you think there are many problems because of a generation gap?
– How do you contact your family?
– Do you think young children respect old people? Why?
– What kind of activities do old people love to do?
September 16, 2021
IELTS Results competition winners in August 2021
For most of the world, 2021 has been a rollercoaster, with countries entering and exiting lockdowns and so many of us feeling unsure of tomorrow. Yet, there are many inspiring stories of people quietly working towards and achieving their target IELTS scores. These stories need to be amplified – and that’s where our monthly IELTS results competition comes in!
Proudly presenting the winners of IELTS results competition in August 2021:
Academic Module – 1st place
Academic Module – 2nd place
Chiemenam Samuel Anekwe from Nigeria, Band 7.5General Training Module – 1st place
Prabu Varadharajalu Sivakumar from India, Band 8Chiemenam Samuel Anekwe from Nigeria, Band 8General Training Module – 2nd place
Sukhmani Basran from India, Band 7.5Congratulations on your success! To celebrate your achievements we are sending your special certificates to your emails. Winning IELTS results will be displayed in the IELTS-Blog hall of fame – so if you won, please feel free to show them off to your friends!
How did they prepare for IELTS?
Some of the winners relied on our services and materials: Mihir and Prabu used our writing correction service, Maria learnt techniques and strategies from Target Band 7 book, and Samuel used our practice tests.
In addition, Mihir was subscribed to our daily emails with IELTS questions – and it helped! He said,
“All of the questions that were asked to me were exactly same as the ones mailed by you guys earlier. I had practiced all of the questions over the past 2 months and I cannot stress this enough, Thank You for everything! I got a band score 8, all because of you guys!”
Samuel, too, credited our website with helping him get his target scores. He said,
“I just want to thank you guys at IELTS-Blog.com for the great work that you do. Your materials and advice was really helpful to me in achieving the scores I needed in both the general and academic modules. You are all wonderful and much appreciated.”
The winners of this competition are fighting the good fight – against inertia, hopelessness and negativity. They found the gift of motivation within themselves and are giving it to us all, at a time when we really need it.
We would love to hear from our winners, because anything that helped them achieve success in IELTS, can help YOU, too! Their advice, as soon as we get it, will be posted on IELTS-Blog without delay, so everyone can use the same technique and get a better score in their own exam.
P.S. IELTS results competition runs every month, and everyone is welcome to participate. Learn how to enroll here.
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September 15, 2021
IELTS test in Malaysia – September 2021 (Academic Module)
Our lovely friend F.M. shared the questions she remembered from a recent IELTS exam in Malaysia:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given a table showing the number of people from five European countries living in each other’s countries in 2011. It was a complex (six rows by six columns) table showing the number of expats received by each individual country as well as the number of its own citizens living as foreigners in other countries.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
In many countries, people do not recycle waste materials, such as paper, glass and cans. What are the reasons for this? What could be done to solve this problem?
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– What do you do for work?
– Do you use any technology for your work?
– Is there a way you use technology to improve your work?
– Did you have barbeques when you were a child?
– What kind of barbeque food do you like to eat?
– Do you like to have a barbeque with your family or friends?
– Where can you go for a barbeque in your city?
– Why do you go for a barbeque?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about your favorite movie. Please say
– What is it?
– When and where did you see it?
– What is it about?
– And explain why this movie is your favourite.
Follow-up question: Do you usually watch movies in a cinema?
Part 3 (Discussion)
– What movies are popular in your country?
– What genres of movies do people like to watch the most?
– Do different age groups like the same kind of movies?
– Do young and old people like to watch the same types of movies?
– Why do some people like to watch black and white movies?
– Do you believe that every country should have its own film industry? Why?
– Do you think in the future computer graphics and robots will be used instead of people in movies?
IELTS essay, topic: Schoolchildren today take part in short work experience sessions instead of school (positive/negative)
This is a model response to a Writing Task 2 topic from High Scorer’s Choice IELTS Practice Tests book series (reprinted with permission). This answer is close to IELTS Band 9.
Set 5 General Training book, Practice Test 22
Writing Task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Many schoolchildren today take part in work experience sessions for short periods of time instead of attending school. Is this a positive or a negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Sample Band 9 Essay
It has been a popular trend for some time now to put children into what can be called ‘work experience placements’. The children are taken out of school and take part in various types of work, usually for around a week. Some people criticise this trend, but I can’t see how it can be a negative experience.
One of the criticisms is that children lose a week of schoolwork. With the pressure to do well at school increasing, children need every bit of help to maximise their potential. Taking them out of the school, it is therefore argued, stops them from getting access to needed education for a whole week. As the students won’t really be of much help to a workplace for just one week, it would therefore be better for them to remain at school.
While this is a valid point, taking a child’s entire experience of school into account, a single week away does not make a significant difference. Indeed, if the timing of the week’s work placements is done correctly, the week can also serve as a kind of ‘holiday’ away from school, something that is regularly needed in order to allow students to remain fresh and enthusiastic. In many work placements, children also get to see some of things they learn at school put into a realistic context, allowing them to understand the relevance of what they learn and thereby creating a way to reinforce the learning.
In addition to this, schoolchildren can be quite nervous about the world of work that they will have to join at some point in their lives. By getting this short taste of what it is like, they can see that it is nothing to be scared about. As well as this, children will often have some ideas of what they want to do for a living, but are not sure. By allowing them to see a type of work they are considering, they are better able to decide whether that career could be suitable for them.
I feel, therefore, that work placements can be seen as a positive development. Missing a short amount of school is not serious and the benefits that can be gained from the placements are significant.
Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Essays
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