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April 15, 2021
IELTS Speaking test in India – April 2021
Thanks to the kindness of J.S., here are some recent IELTS Speaking questions from his exam in India:
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Do you work or study
– What do you dislike about your job?
– Let’s talk about farming.
– How important is farming in your country?
– Do you visit farms often?
– How can we support farmers?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about a time when you got lost in a town or a city. Please say
– Where and when it happened
– Who was there with you
– What you did when you got lost
– And explain how you felt about it.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– What kind of decision making is needed in daily life?
– When do we need decision making skills?
– Is it a good idea to make your own decisions?
– How do people travel from one place to another in large cities?
– What other methods of transportation are there apart from metro trains?
– Is the increase in the number of vehicles responsible for traffic congestion?
– What are some different types of culture in your country?
– Do different cultures affect the development of a country? In what way?
April 14, 2021
IELTS Letter, topic: Complaining about an unsatisfactory rental apartment
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 3
Writing Task 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You and your family have just come back from a holiday staying in a rented apartment overlooking the sea. The apartment was very unsatisfactory.
Write a letter of complaint to the manager of the agency from which you rented the apartment. In your letter,
– give details of the things that were unsatisfactory
– explain the reactions of the members of your family
– ask the manager what he/she is going to do about the situation
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,
My family and I have just recently been a guest at Seaside Resort in a rented apartment. Even though the view overlooking the sea was lovely, several things in the apartment were missing or unsatisfactory and I would like to use this opportunity to explain the problems leading to this complaint.
First of all, the wooden steps leading up to the door of the apartment did not meet official security standards: one step broke when my husband carried our luggage up, leaving him with a bruised leg, and two other steps were also dangerously close to breaking apart in the middle. Additionally, when my children wanted to put away their clothes in the available cupboards, one of the planks broke loose, hitting my younger son and scaring both children. Finally, the kitchen did not have enough cutlery, let alone cups, and the sink in the bathroom only worked after my husband worked on it.
As you can see, the condition of the apartment was unsatisfactory in many ways, and I would therefore like to ask for a discount of thirty per cent of the price we paid for the rent.
I hope this feedback was useful to you and will help to make Seaside Resort a better place for tourists in the future. Please report back to me regarding your plans of how to deal with this situation!
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Angela Driftwood
Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Letters
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April 13, 2021
IELTS test in Thailand – March 2021 (Academic Module)
We are grateful to O.L. who recently took the IELTS test in Thailand and remembered these questions:
Reading test
Passage 1. About hormones.
Passage 2. Redwood logging in the USA.
Passage 3. About the National Gallery of Australia.
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given two maps showing a beachfront area in Australia, in 1950 and now, and asked to compare them.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Some people believe that individuals who earn a lot of money are the most successful. Others say that the individuals who contribute to the society (such as scientists or teachers) are the most successful. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– What may I call you?
– Do you work or study?
– What do you want to do in the future?
– What subject do you find the hardest?
– What distracts you from your study?
– What do you do when you get distracted?
– Is there a lot of furniture in your house?
– Has anyone ever given you a piece of furniture?
– What piece of furniture in your house do you like the most?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about a person you know who often helps others. You should say
– Who this person is
– Why this person likes to help others
– What this person does to help others
– And explain why you have chosen to talk about this person.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Why do some people like to help a stranger?
– Should wealthy nations help the poorer nations?
– There were more questions about helping that I cannot remember.
April 12, 2021
IELTS Report, topic: Pie charts of electricity generation by source (from IELTS High Scorer’s Choice series, Academic Set 1)
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 Academic book, Practice Test 2
Writing Task 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The pie charts below show the amount of electricity generated by energy source in Scotland for 20 years ago and last year.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
You should write at least 150 words.
Sample Band 9 Report
The two pie charts show the amount of electricity generated by energy source in Scotland for twenty years ago and last year.
The various sources of energy used in Scotland and the amount of energy gained from each of them have not significantly changed when comparing the values from last year and twenty years ago. The greatest amount of electricity was generated from coal, with 41.4% being generated twenty years ago and 32.7% being generated last year; however, the sources of the energy generation have spread out more, when looking at last year’s data.
Compared to twenty years ago, Scotland has made slight changes to its reliance on certain sources for the generation of electricity. Although the major generator remains as coal (followed again by gas), there has been an increase in the use of oil (from 2.1% to 4.0%), nuclear energy (from 19.6% to 26.4%) and other renewable sources (from 2.8% to 5.1%). The most significant changes would be to the use of oil and other renewable sources, as the use of these two sources last year was almost double the percentage of electricity that was being generated from them twenty years ago.
Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Reports
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April 11, 2021
IELTS Speaking test in India – March 2021
Our friend J.M. took the IELTS Speaking test in India and remembered the following questions:
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– What kind of house/accommodation do you live in?
– What can you tell me about it?
– What scenery can you see from the window of your room?
– Do you like to watch the scenery from your window?
– What kind of trees do people usually plant in your country?
– Have you ever planted trees?
– What kind of trees did you plant?
– Do you like planting trees and why?
– What type of trees do people plant in your hometown?
– Have you ever been to a farm?
– What kind of farms do you like?
– Do you think farming is important?
– Did you do farm work when you were young?
– Do you have any information about growing and harvesting crops on a farm?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Describe a time when you had to wait in a long queue/line. Please say
– When it was
– How long the queue/line was
– Why you had to wait
– And explain how you felt about waiting in this long queue/line.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– What do people like to do while waiting in a line?
– Do people in your country often wait in a queue?
– Do you think the development of technology has reduced the time people have to wait in queues?
– How can companies improve their customer service?
– There were more questions about customer service that I don’t remember.
April 9, 2021
You can go from IELTS Band 6 to Band 8 by focusing on the right thing (details inside)
Achieving Band 8 in IELTS is anything but easy, and even confident English users consider Band 8 a great score. Anyone who got Band 6 in their first IELTS attempt would think of Band 8 as a very ambitious goal. Well, that didn’t scare Shokhrukh! He started at Band 6 and gradually improved until he scored Band 8 in his fifth test.
To give you a little bit of background, Shokhrukh lives in Uzbekistan, he is a native Uzbek speaker who took the Academic IELTS test and got an Overall Band Score of 8. His Listening score was 9, and Reading 8.5. Shokhrukh enrolled in our monthly IELTS results competition and (not surprisingly!) won. We never miss a chance to interview our high achievers, so here is some advice from Shokhrukh that can help you improve your English and raise your IELTS score:
“First of all, I would like to thank you for arranging such an opportunity for learners all over the world to get together on one platform and share their experience.
My first and foremost advice is to improve the general English before commencing the long journey of IELTS.
I have seen many students stressing out as they are stuck in a particular band score without further improvement. However, they fail to see the truth and instead keep doing tons of practice tests. I personally increased my score from 6.0 in my very first attempt to 8.0 in my fifth try. What helped me here was not doing listening and reading tests everyday, but focusing on my general English.
At first, one needs to feel that his/her grammar and vocabulary are good enough to comprehend the daily topics. I used to name items every time I was in a new environment and it somehow urged me to start the habit of thinking in English. Listening to podcasts and reading novels are also critical to improve the general level, as grammar and vocabulary are more effectively learned from context than textbooks. It is important though to choose the material that suits your current level, otherwise you could be discouraged from learning by some rather tough materials.
Once you feel you don’t have many problems with grammar and vocabulary, you can start learning tips and techniques for IELTS. From my experience, it won’t take long for a person with good general English skills to master the techniques of IELTS.”
We would like to congratulate Shokhrukh on his wonderful achievement and wish him lots of success in everything he does!
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April 7, 2021
IELTS test in India – March 2021 (General Training)
Our friend S.G. recently took IELTS in India and remembered the following questions:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a letter)
Your company sent you to complete a course in another country. You have lost the certificate received at the end of the course. Write a letter to the principal of the college where you took the course. In your letter
– Tell them how you lost the certificate
– Explain why you need it now
– Say what action you would like them to take.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Some people believe that nowadays too much money is being spent on weddings and birthdays. Why do you think it is happening? What can be done to improve the situation?
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where do you live, in a house or an apartment?
– Do you like it?
– Do you recycle?
– Were you recycling in your childhood?
– Do you make a list before going shopping?
– Do you think it is a good idea to use lists at home or at work?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about a friend you got in touch with after a long time without contact. Please say
– Who he/she is
– How you got in touch with him/her
– How you lost contact
– And explain how you feel about him/her.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Is it really necessary to meet with friends in person? Why?
– Do you agree that we should meet with friends frequently?
– Are you optimistic about the way social media platforms will impact friendship in the future?
April 6, 2021
IELTS essay, topic: Is it acceptable that enormous sums are paid for pieces of art when many people around the world live in poverty?
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 4 Academic book, Practice Test 18
Writing Task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
The fact that enormous sums are paid for pieces of art is not acceptable at a time when many people around the world live in poverty. Discuss this statement and give your opinion.
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 is true that pieces of art in today’s world can change hands for enormous sums. Works by artists such as Picasso, da Vinci and Rembrandt have been sold for millions of dollars. Recently, a Modigliani was sold to a billionaire for one hundred and seventy million dollars. It certainly seems obscene that such figures are spent when many people around the world live in poverty.
The work of many charities would be transformed by the money generated by just one of these art sales and in turn, the lives of ordinary people in need would be transformed. Medicines, food and shelter amongst other things could easily be provided, saving lots of lives, many of which would be children. When the issue is looked at from this point of view, the art sales world certainly seems obscene.
However, in my opinion, things are unlikely to change. Human greed is endemic and people who have the drive to earn that amount of money and who actually have access to these sums in cash are not often people who will part with their wealth. Lots of prosperous people support many charities, but it is unlikely that they would completely relinquish their access to the luxuries that accompany their lives. The works of art are also often seen as investments in themselves, to be held on to for a period of time and then resold at a profit.
In conclusion, in an ideal world, the vast sums of money that are spent on fine and rare works of art would be better spent on helping those in need. In reality, however, this is unlikely to take place.
Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Essays
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April 5, 2021
IELTS test in Iran – March 2021 (Academic Module)
The questions below are from a recent IELTS exam in Iran (thank-you to N.S. for remembering and sharing):
Listening test
Part 1. A conversation about home repairs.
Questions: fill in the blanks (one word only).
Part 2. A tour guide was talking about accommodation.
Questions: multiple choice, matching information.
Part 3. A tutor talked with a student about his project.
Questions: multiple choice, matching information.
Part 4. A lecture about the Earth.
Questions: fill in the blanks (one word only).
Reading test
Passage 1. About a cave and walking shoes to wear in it.
Questions: fill in the blanks, True/False/Not Given.
Passage 2. About an asteroid.
Questions: fill in the blanks, matching headings to paragraphs.
Passage 3. About language change.
Questions: True/False/Not Given, matching information.
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given a bar chart describing students’ spending in 3 different countries in 2007, it included the average and total expenditure.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Due to advances in science and technology, the lifestyle of people everywhere in the world has become similar. Is this a positive or a negative development?
Speaking test
– Do you work or study?
– What is your major?
– Do you find your studies easy?
– Some questions about text messages.
– Some questions about sport.
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about a place in another country where you would like to work for a short time. Please say
– What place it would be
– What kind of work you would like to do
– When you would like to go there
– And explain why you would like to work there.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– What are the benefits of working abroad for young people?
– What jobs are available for young people abroad?
– What are the advantages and disadvantages of working for an international company?
April 4, 2021
IELTS test in Canada – March 2021 (General Training)
These questions were shared by A.K. who took the computer-delivered IELTS in Canada. He said, “I was following your blog for the last 3 weeks and recently took my exam in Canada. The questions I remember are below:”
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a letter)
The news company is going to start a new program on TV about a particular place. Write a letter to offer your suggestions on what the program should be like. Include the following in your letter:
– how you know about that place
– what suggestions you would like to make
– why you are offering these suggestions
Writing task 2 (an essay)
In many countries, the legal driving age is 18 years old. Some people believe it is the right age to learn how to drive a car, whereas others say that the minimum age should be 25. 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?
– Do you work or study?
– Where do you work?
– Why did you choose that profession?
– What don’t you like about your profession?
– Are you a happy person?
– Why is happiness important?
– What makes you happy?
– Was there anything you have done recently that made your family happy?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about a recent promise you made. Please say
– What you promised
– To whom you made that promise
– Why you made that promise
– And explain how you feel about that promise.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Why do people make promises?
– Is it OK to break promises? Why/why not?
– Why can’t people understand sometimes that the other person can’t keep his/her promise?
– Do you prefer a written contract or a verbal agreement?
– Why are written contracts more important than verbal agreements?
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