Simone Braverman's Blog: IELTS-Blog.com, page 103
September 1, 2021
IELTS Letter, topic: Requesting information about a foreign language course
This is a model response to a Writing Task 1 topic from High Scorer’s Choice IELTS Practice Tests book series (reprinted with permission). This answer is close to IELTS Band 9.
Set 1 General Training book, Practice Test 6
Writing Task 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You have seen an advertisement for an evening course to study a foreign language. Write a letter to the institution offering the course.
In your letter,
– ask for details of the course
– ask if the course teachers are qualified native speakers
– request that the institution sends you their brochure
You should write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Sir / Madam,
Sample Band 9 Letter
Dear Sir / Madam,
I have recently read about the evening course on the French language that your institution is offering and I have a few questions.
As I am an advanced speaker in French and have read that the Course “B1” is offered for this level, I would like to know what this course comprises, so that I will be able to decide whether this matches my abilities or whether I would need to sign up for another course. I would also like to know if the teachers giving the lessons are qualified native speakers, as I believe this is very important in order to get an authentic insight into the cultural context of the language studied. A native teacher has the greatest knowledge and understanding possible of the language he or she is teaching.
Lastly, I would like to ask for you to send me a brochure of the different courses offered at your institution, using the address I have sent this letter from as the recipient address.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Peter Harris
Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Letters
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August 31, 2021
IELTS test in Iran – August 2021 (Academic Module)
Many thanks to the lovely F.D. from Iran who shared the following questions from a recent IELTS test:
Listening test
Part 1. A conversation between an estate agent and a client who needed a two-bedroom, unfurnished apartment.
Part 2. A lady showed some people around a resort that had a beach, a pool, a helipad and other facilities.
Part 3. A conversation between a lecturer and her student on farmers’ attitude to farm implements.
Part 4. A lecture on office spacing.
Reading test
Passage 1. A text about floral scent.
Passage 2. Don’t remember.
Passage 3. A text about some manuscript.
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given a bar chart that showed the average time people spent travelling every day from home to work, in 4 cities, between the years 2006 and 2010.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
An increasing number of people choose to have cosmetic surgery in order to improve their appearance. Why do people want to change the way they look? Is it a positive or negative development?
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August 29, 2021
IELTS Speaking test in India – August 2021
Thanks to our kind friend B.P. we can share these Speaking questions from his recent IELTS test in India:
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 kind of job do you have?
– Why do you like this job?
– What do you do when you go on holidays?
– Are holidays helpful to you? In what way?
– Do outdoors activities help you relax and relieve stress?
– How often do you go on holidays?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about your favorite film. You should say
– When and where you watched it
– What type of film it was
– What the film was about
– And explain why it is your favorite film.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– What kind of films are trending now? Why?
– Does people’s age make any difference to their choice of films?
– Have you ever seen a black and white film?
– Why do you think fewer people go to cinemas to watch films?
– Do you think cinemas will disappear in the future?
August 26, 2021
IELTS test in Canada – August 2021 (General Training)
A big thank-you to our friends who took their computer-based IELTS exams in Canada recently and shared the following questions:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a letter)
You are working in a school. Write a letter to the Principal to recommend your friend for the position of sports teacher in your school. In your letter
– say how long you have known him/her
– describe his/her qualifications
– explain why you think he/she would be suitable for the job.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
There are many wild birds and animals living in the cities, and some people believe that these animals should be killed, while others think that they should be saved and protected. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Where do you live?
– Do you like to keep flowers at home?
– Have you ever seen wildlife up close?
– Where in your country can a person see wildlife?
– Why do you have to go to these places, in particular?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Describe an item you bought for yourself and were pleased with. Please say
– What the item was
– Why you bought it
– Where you bought it
– And explain why you were pleased with it.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Are you interested in history?
– What is the basic purpose of museums?
– In what way can technology help people learn about history?
– How can technology help the younger generation to take interest in history?
August 25, 2021
This is how Oluwaseun increased his IELTS score from Band 6 to 7.5
Everyone, meet Oluwaseun – a young man from Nigeria who won in our IELTS results competition. He took IELTS 3 times and increased his writing score from Band 6 to 7.5. We asked Oluwaseun to share his best preparation tips – and he kindly replied.
“IELTS is a test, not a death sentence”, says Oluwaseun, and goes on to explain how his positive mindset and determination resulted in a substantial increase to his score.
“It’s my third IELTS. In the first attempt, I didn’t do well in Writing. I had just Band 6.0. So I had to retake it.
However, I had 7.5 and 7.0 in Writing in the second and third attempts respectively. The second was General, while the third was Academic.
I specially owe my success story in the last two attempts to the Writing Correction Service, which I stumbled upon while searching online for help. I followed as many of the instructions in the guide as I could. I subscribed to the Writing Correction Service and kept practicing on sample answer sheets, doing Writing Tasks 1 and 2. I’d turn them over to the team and get feedback from them. At times, my results were amazing, other times I got disappointed whenever the results came out otherwise. But I kept practicing more in such cases, and submitted my best response the next time.
I subscribed to IELTS-Blog on YouTube and four others for virtual learning, especially on Writing Task 1. This was very helpful.
My advice
Get your materials from a reputable blog or team like IELTS-Blog.com. Practice hard, don’t be discouraged when your result turns out bad, but do more practice instead!Know your weaknesses and adopt strategies for improving in those areas.Stay hopeful!”
August 23, 2021
IELTS test in Bangladesh – August 2021 (Academic Module)
We heard from two IELTS test takers from Bangladesh who remembered the following questions from their recent IELTS exam:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We had a chart describing the percentages of adults participating in 4 free activities in urban and rural areas in one country in 1990 and 2010.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
These days people are using the Internet for shopping, work and to communicate with others without the need for face to face meetings. Do the advantages of this development outweigh its disadvantages?
Speaking test
Interview
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– Which types of devices do you use mostly to perform your daily tasks?
– How do you spend your weekends?
– Do you think vacations are a good option for passing your time?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Describe a time when you felt bored. You should say
– When it was
– Who you were with
– What you were doing
– And explain why you felt bored.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– What can people do when they feel bored?
– Do people get bored with their daily routines?
– Do younger people get bored more easily than older people?
August 22, 2021
IELTS Speaking test in Taiwan – August 2021
Thanks to the great memory of J.C. we can share these Speaking questions from her recent IELTS test in Taiwan:
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you live in a house or an apartment?
– What makes your apartment different from the others?
– What can you see from your window?
– Where would you recommend people to live in Taiwan?
– Do you see yourself living in Taiwan in the future?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about a time when you saw a wild animal. Please say
– what animal it was
– where you saw it
– how the animal reacted
– and explain why this was a memorable experience.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– What do you think about overpopulation affecting wild animals?
– What is the effect of deforestation on wild animals?
– Are there any zoos in your country?
– What is the difference between the zoos in Taiwan and other countries?
August 20, 2021
IELTS Speaking test in India – August 2021
Thanks to the kind contribution by M.G. we can share these Speaking questions from a recent IELTS test in India:
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Do you live in a house or an apartment?
– Describe your apartment.
– What kind of house would you like to live in, in the future?
– Describe your first school.
– How did you travel to school?
– What did you enjoy the most at school?
– Would you say it was a good school?
– Let’s talk about wildlife.
– Where in your country should one go to see wildlife?
– What other country would you like to visit, to see wildlife?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Describe an artwork or a craft activity you did at school. Please say
– What it was
– When you did it
– What it looked like
– And explain how you felt about it.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– What kind of handmade items can we see in your country?
– What kind of handmade gifts do people make in your country?
– Why do you think people like handmade gifts?
– Where would you find hand crafts or handmade articles?
– Why do you think tourism is important for handicraft businesses?
– Why do tourists buy local handicraft items?
– Should the government do more to promote these arts?
August 19, 2021
IELTS test in Sri Lanka – August 2021 (Academic Module)
Many thanks to the lovely K.R. from Sri Lanka who shared the following questions from a recent IELTS test:
Listening test
Part 1. A discussion between two people about an event taking place in a city.
Questions: fill in the blanks in a table with missing information related to times, venues and remarks.
Part 2. About a museum established on a Missouri River steam boat, dating back to the 16th century.
Questions: multiple choice questions.
Part 3. A lecturer and two students were discussing music.
Questions: multiple choice questions.
Part 4. A lecture on outdoor advertising.
Questions: fill in the blanks.
Reading test
Passage 1. Research into behaviours of butterflies.
Questions: True/False/Not Given, fill in the blanks.
Passage 2. How humidity works and the application of this process to greenhouses.
Questions: True/False/Not Given, labelling a diagram of a greenhouse in a dessert described in the paragraph.
Passage 3. Corporate social responsibility.
Questions: matching headings to paragraphs, multiple choice questions.
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given a table describing the advertising expenditure of 4 main car manufacturers in the UK. It showed advertising costs percentages by different types of advertising e.g., press, TV, outdoor, newspaper and radio.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Some people say that to benefit the development of a child, the mother and father should take parenting classes. To what extent you agree or disagree with this statement?
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August 17, 2021
IELTS essay, topic: The number of advertisements for charities is increasing, what is causing this?
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 21
Writing Task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
The number of advertisements for charities on television and the Internet seems to be increasing. What is causing this? 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 indeed appears true that the frequency with which advertisements for charities appear both on television and the Internet seems to be increasing. There can be various explanations for this and it can be seen in both a positive and negative light.
One explanation for the increase in the number of charity advertisements is that the charities themselves are becoming more aggressive in their marketing. This can also be seen in the common strategy nowadays to encourage a monthly donation, rather than a one-off donation. The increased marketing is apparent too in the increased numbers of ‘street salespeople’, who stop passersby and try to get them to commit to this monthly payment.
A second reason for the increase could also be that there have been more charities started and the number of advertisements would therefore increase and become more noticeable. If these charities are all legitimate, this would mean that more help will be getting to causes that need it. The increase in charities could also be explained by a possible increase of humanitarian awareness. People might be now adopting different ideologies that take into account people in less advantageous positions.
If the number of advertisements for charities has risen due to the fact that there has been a positive shift in people’s compassionate principles, this surely has to be seen as an optimistic development. If it is due to the fact that governments have been cutting back, it could be seen as a pessimistic development. In addition, if there are more charities asking for more money, this will inevitably mean that the amount of money donated will have to be more thinly spread, which would be a negative development.
There could be several reasons for why there are more charity advertisements today. Whatever the reasons, as long as any money is helping people in disadvantageous positions, it must be seen as a positive development.
Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Essays
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