Simone Braverman's Blog: IELTS-Blog.com, page 120

IELTS test in India – January 2021 (General Training)

Our wonderful friends M.S. and A.S. took their IELTS exams in India and shared the following topics and questions:

Listening test

Part 1. Tour information was given, including on accommodation, fishing, tourist attraction points, wildlife park and a cave.
Questions 1 – 10: fill in the blanks (one word only).

Part 2. Company rules and regulations about time, clothing, how to clock in and clock out.
Questions 11 – 14: multiple choice.
About duties, how to report your leave and inform the manager/officer.
Questions 15 – 20: fill in the blanks.

Part 3. A discussion about agriculture.
Questions 21 – 26: multiple choice.
Questions 27 – 30: select summary options from the box, A to G.

Part 4. A lecture on marine life, spider crab’s eating habits, laying eggs in spring.
Questions 31-34, 39, 40: fill in the blanks.
Questions 35-38: multiple choice.

Reading test

Passage 1. Don’t remember the topic.
Questions: write the correct letter A-E in the box.

Passage 2. About paternity leave.
Questions: short answer questions (3 words).

Passage 3. Hiking on snow in Australia.
Questions: short answer questions (1 word or a number).

Passage 4. About tennis.
Questions: True/False/Not Given, match statements with the correct years.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a letter)

You made a reservation at a hotel for you and your colleagues to stay during a business trip, but you need to make some changes to your booking. Write a letter to the hotel manager. In your letter

– Give details of your booking
– Explain what changes you need to make
– Ask for some special arrangements to be made for your business meetings.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Nowadays people are spending more time watching movies. Why is this happening? Is it a positive or a negative development?

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Where are you living now?
– Is it a house or an apartment?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a time when your computer broke down. You should say:

– When it was
– What you were doing
– What you did to fix it
– And explain how you felt about it.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Don’t remember.

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IELTS Speaking test in the USA – January 2021

Our lovely friend R.S. took an IELTS Speaking test in the USA and remembered the following questions:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Are you working or studying?
– What kind of job do you have?
– Are you satisfied with your job?
– What don’t you like about your job? Why?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Talk about a comedy movie you have seen recently that made you laugh. Please say

– What was it about?
– When did it happen?
– Who watched the movie with you?
– Why did this movie make you laugh?

Part 3 (Discussion)

– What is the effect of jokes on people’s life?
– Can pranks help people in their business?
– Should teachers allow pranks in school?
– Are there situations when it is inappropriate to laugh at a joke?
– The rest of the questions were about pranks, jokes, and funny statements.

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IELTS Speaking test in Iran – January 2021

Our friend E.P. took an IELTS Speaking test in Iran and below are the questions that he remembered and shared:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– Can you tell me your name please?

– Can I see your identification?

– Do you work or study?

– Do you think there will be any changes in your career?

– Do you consider your job to be easy?

– What color do you avoid wearing?

– Do you wear different clothes at weekends?

– When buying clothes do you pay attention to brands? Why?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Talk about a person you know who always helps people. You should say:

– Who he/she is

– Describe his/her personality

– Why this person helps people

– How you feel about him/her.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Do you help people?

– Why do we need to help people?

– Some people ask for something in return when they’re helping others, what about you?

– “A friend in need is friend indeed”, what is your opinion about this saying?

– Some people believe it is a choice to help people, not an obligation. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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Academic IELTS Writing Task 1 – How to Describe Tables

In today’s video lesson Adam (our own ex-IELTS examiner with 10 years of experience) will show you how to approach the Academic Writing Task 1 that many consider the most challenging – a table. The reason test takers have a hard time describing tables is because there is a lot of information, and trying to include all of it would take too long. It would also be the opposite of what the examiner wants you to do!

With a table you need to decide what you will be comparing, and be selective about the data you are mentioning. In this video Adam shows you the things you should pay attention to and gives you a method how to approach a table.

Watch the lesson on YouTube, or below:

One important thing about the table is ‘When?‘. When are you comparing? Is it the past, the present or the future? It is important to think about the time and choose the verb tense according to that, because it will give you a higher score.

Another important thing about the table is its Totals. If you draw a line showing whether the numbers went up or down, visualising this will help you write your report. In the video you can see how Adam did it, and you can do the same in your test.

Giving a score to the categories (cars, buses & coaches, pedal cycles, etc.) to show which had the highest numbers will also help you. You can then group categories with the highest and the lowest scores together, to avoid describing each of them separately. Watch Adam do it in the video and do the same on your table.

Marking the categories that went up over the years with an arrow pointing up, and categories that went down with an arrow pointing down can also be a helpful visual tool. It is important to include that information in your report.

And this is just a taste of what’s in the video – so make sure to watch it in full, because an IELTS examiner is the best person to show you how to write high-scoring IELTS reports!

Adam doesn’t give you a model response in this lesson, because he would like you to have a go and write your own. But if you’d like to see a Band 9 sample, check out our High Scorer’s Choice IELTS practice tests. This particular topic can be found in Package 2 and we also provide a model response for it, as well as all the other writing tasks.

Enjoy the lesson!

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IELTS essay, topic: Is using physical force to discipline children acceptable (opinion)?

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 16

Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people today believe that it is acceptable to use physical force to discipline children, but others feel it is completely unacceptable.

Discuss this view 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

Punishing children with physical force, or corporal punishment as it is also called, is something that was accepted not so long ago and people over the age of forty may well remember it. Nowadays, however, corporal punishment is against the law in most countries and adults who practise it can be taken to court. Children are always a vulnerable group and they depend on adults for protection and education. Of course, part of the growing up process is testing and breaking boundaries and it is nearly always necessary to instill discipline on a child. Whether or not it is necessary to use physical force to do so can be a very emotive subject.

Supporters of corporal punishment often defend their standpoint by explaining that the corporal punishment is not, or should not be, excessive. They do not argue that a child should be beaten severely until he or she is bruised or cut. They argue that just the infliction of mild pain causes effective discipline and also the fear that it might be applied. People who grew up experiencing it might offer this point of view.

Those who oppose using physical force on a child would say that the vulnerability and innocence of a child means that force should never be used. Children need to trust adults and believe that no harm will come to them. Additionally, children learn from adults and it is argued that corporal punishment will only teach children that force is an answer to various problems. It is also claimed that corporal punishment has no added benefits over other forms of discipline that do not require physical force. Using it can cause psychological harm to children and should be classed as child abuse.

Personally, I do not believe that limited use of forms of corporal punishment can cause harm, and a parent who administers a mild form of it to his or her child should not be subject to criminal proceedings. Nevertheless, I would not use it myself. I can also recognise the possibilities of adults who are not a child’s parents misusing corporal punishment. Therefore, I believe that on balance physical force to discipline children should not be permitted.

Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Essays

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Happy New Year 2021!

Hello everyone!

This is Simone – I created IELTS-Blog.com way back in 2005 and have been running it ever since.

How did I know that IELTS-Blog.com was needed? Because so many people have big dreams and ambitious goals, and IELTS is one obstacle that stands in their way. If only I could help them pass, they would reach their goals faster and start making the world a better place for all of us.

2020 showed us what isolation is like, and how hard it is to achieve anything in isolation. Winning takes a team, and IELTS-Blog.com is exactly that – it’s your team, that exists to give you the tools and support to win the battle with IELTS. And in the last 15 years the number of winners with amazing IELTS scores exceeded my wildest dreams!

2020 was tough, but it wasn’t all bad. It was the year we celebrated 5,000 subscribers on YouTube and 26,000 subscribers on Twitter, got active on Instagram and we are finishing the year with over 425,000 followers on Facebook. It feels great to be in touch with so many of you!

Everyone has a purpose in life. Mine is to help you. I’m here to show you how to tackle IELTS and get your target score. How to prepare and take the exam without stress and with confidence. How to get through IELTS faster, so that you can start living your dream life sooner.

On this day exactly one year ago, I wished for a life-changing year… and it was, just not the way I intended

IELTS Report Samples of Band 9

Here you can find IELTS Report samples of Band 9, written by a native English speaker and a former IELTS examiner. Robert Nicholson is the co-author of ‘High Scorer’s Choice’ IELTS Practice Tests book series, created in collaboration with Simone Braverman, the founder of this website.

New reports are being added weekly. Last updated: December 29, 2020

IELTS Band 9 sample report 1

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IELTS Report, topic: Bar chart of average rainfall by month (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 1

Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The bar chart below shows the average rainfall for Australia by month for last year. The line shows the average rainfall for Australia by month for the last 40 years.

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

This report will describe a bar chart showing the average rainfall for Australia last year by month and the average rainfall in Australia for the past forty years.

In a general trend for both last year and the average of the last forty years, the rainfall in Australia decreased from a peak at the beginning of the year to lows in the months in the middle of the year. Rainfall again rose towards the end of the year. Rainfall for last year therefore generally followed the trend for the last forty years.

Although the general pattern of the two sets of data is similar, there are some differences. The line representing the accumulation of the average rainfall from the past forty years begins at around eighty millimetres in January and then drops sharply to around thirty millimetres in April. Rainfall then drops slowly to around thirteen millimetres in September and then again rises steadily to just under sixty millimetres in December. Average rainfall for the last forty years was a little lower than average for most months, excepting March, May, June and November when the rainfall was a little heavier. August and October were particularly dry when compared with the forty-year average, at around five millimetres each compared with about fifteen and twenty millimetres each respectively for the forty-year average.

In conclusion, average rainfall for Australia last year was a little lower than average rainfall in Australia for the past forty years, but generally followed the same pattern.

Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Reports

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Happy Holidays from Simone and the IELTS-Blog.com team!

Dear readers and friends,

Can you believe we’re at the end of the year? So many challenges to look back at, so much has happened.

We are very grateful to all of you for sticking with us in 2020. Thank you for making IELTS-Blog.com YOUR partner for exam preparation.

Some of you celebrate Christmas, others don’t, it makes no difference – IELTS-Blog.com is one big international family, and we would like on this occasion to wish everyone Health, Peace, Love, and Happiness.

If you are taking a break, enjoy it! Take some time to relax before returning to your studies.

Since many of you are using this time of the year to study for IELTS, we will continue supporting your exam preparation by posting more IELTS materials on IELTS-Blog over the holiday period (except for 25 and 31 December 2020, and 1 January 2021).

Happy holidays!

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Anne and Prashika explain how they got Band 8 in IELTS

IELTS Band 8 isn’t an easy goal, but it is not impossible – and when you see people who did it and hear their stories, it helps to make that Band 8 real and achievable.

So, what can YOU do to get a Band 8 in IELTS?

Two of our recent IELTS results competition winners, Anne Padmarani and Prashika Pettagam, got Band 8 in their IELTS exams and are sharing their best advice to help others achieve the same level of success.

Prashika Pettagam from Sri Lanka said:

“My best advice to other IELTS candidates is to identify and review their own mistakes. I have done several practice tests and when I checked the answers I always used to find out the reason for incorrect answers. It works well for listening and reading tests and I improved a lot especially in True/False/Not Given questions. Once you check the correct answer and compare with your own, ultimately you will be able to logically find the correct answer very easily.”

Anne Padmarani from India said:

“Read a lot of books in English, watch Hollywood movies and listen to Western music. This will help you improve your overall performance. Practise makes perfect. I wrote 12 tests in total. I set a timer to time my answers. This gave me an idea of what to expect on the day of the test.

I used two books to prepare for the test: The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS Student’s Book with Answers (Cambridge English) & IELTS 5 Practice Tests, Academic Set 6: Tests No. 26-30 (High Scorer’s Choice).

I also used the website IELTSLiz to get tips for the speaking test.

I asked my husband to score my essays and speaking test (he was my questioner) and worked on the feedback that he gave me. Choose someone who is fluent in the English language to help you with the tests.

Get in touch with the test center well in advance, if you have any special requests. I asked for extra time because I am disabled.

Be calm and relaxed on the day of the test. Sleep well the night before. If you miss out on an answer during the listening test, don’t panic, just concentrate on the rest of the conversation.

Have fun talking to the examiner on the day of the test. My speaking test was easy because I felt pretty confident on the test day.”

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