Simone Braverman's Blog: IELTS-Blog.com, page 131

IELTS test in Sri Lanka – December 2019 (General Training)

Our friend P. shared the following IELTS test questions after a recent exam in Sri Lanka:

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a letter)

You have participated in a party at your friend’s home last week. You may have forgotten your watch there. Write a letter to your friend and say

– Thank him/her for the party.

– Ask to look for the watch.

– Suggest what he/she should do about it.

Writing Task 2 (an essay)

Some people believe that young people should follow older generation’s example. Others, however, disagree and believe that it’s good to challenge older people’s opinions and thoughts. Discuss both views and give your own 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?

– What do you do?

– Do you like it?

– What do you think about your voice?

– Are there similarities between your voice and your family members’?

– Do you like to listen to your recorded voice?

– Why is that?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a place where you like to read or write, which is not at your house. Please say

– What is the place?

– How frequently do you visit it?

– Why do you like it?

Part 3 (Discussion)

– When did you discover this place?

– Did you tell your friends about it?

– What places are more popular for reading in your country?

– What factors should you consider when selecting such a place?

– Is reading a good habit for children?

– Why do you think so?

– What are the benefits of reading?

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IELTS Speaking test in Vietnam – December 2019

The IELTS Speaking questions below were remembered and shared by B. from Vietnam after a recent test that he took:

Speaking test

Interview

– What is your full name?

– Can I see your ID?

– Where are you from?

– Do you work or study?

– What do you do?

– Describe your home.

– Do you live in a house or an apartment?

– Do you like it there?

– How long did you live there?

– Let’s talk about childhood.

– Do you remember your childhood well?

– What games did you like in your childhood?

– Why is that?

– Do you play indoor or outdoor games?

– Why do you prefer indoor or outdoor games?

Cue Card

Describe an occasion when you invited friends or relatives to your house or a restaurant. Please say

– What was the occasion?

– Whom did you invite?

– How did they feel about it?

Discussion

– Did you like that celebration?

– Would you do it again?

– Do people like to eat at home or at restaurants in your country?

– What are advantages and disadvantages of restaurant food?

– Do you prefer to order food or cook it yourself? Why?

– Do you like to cook?

– Why do you like it?

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Muhammad’s journey to IELTS Band 7.5

Hi everyone, and welcome to 2020! Starting the year off right is incredibly important, and inspiration can help with that – so today we would like you to meet Muhammad, who has an inspiring story to tell.

But it’s not just Muhammad’s IELTS tips that you can grab here. He said something deep that can be considered a principle to live by: “I was not afraid of making mistakes at all because the English language is not my mother language; therefore, it is inevitable that I would make mistakes.”

Don’t let the fear of making mistakes stop you. Make ALL the mistakes you can, but learn from them, and use every single one as an opportunity to improve!

Muhammad was born in Pakistan and his first language is Urdu. Now he lives in Abu Dhabi, in the UAE. His main problem was writing and it took him 2 years of trying many things (one-on-one lessons with English teachers, online IELTS courses, etc) until he finally found a solution that worked. Read his story below – it may save you a lot of time, if you, too, are struggling with the same issues.

Muhammad said:

“I was struggling to obtain 7.5 band in writing for the past two years. After consulting three native English teachers (face-to-face), and one online web portal, still, I was unable to get there.

In June I took an essay correction package on IELTS-Blog.com, which was the right step towards my goal, as IELTS-Blog teachers identified my weak areas and helped me to improve. Although in August I acquired Band 7 in writing, unfortunately, I missed in gaining the required score in listening – Band 8. Therefore, I practised again, and in October I got my desired results: Listening 8, Reading 7, Writing 7.5, Speaking 7.5. I believe the key to success is to practice and expert and reliable source, like IELTS-Blog.com.

I would like to share my study schedule with other students to reach this milestone.

1. I made it my habit to listen to an English podcast every day for at least 1 hour (anyone can do this during a travelling to office etc., all you need is headphones).

2. I was reading at least two pages of the English articles (news, opinion, general topics, The Guardian newspaper is the best one), and I was highlighting articles (a, an, the) as well as new words to enhance my vocabulary. In fact, I have a vocabulary book. I was trying to understanding why the articles (a, an, the) are there or not there. Reading also enabled me to understand the writing structure in general. I was doing it only for half an hour.

3. I was completing a listening test almost every day. It helped me to understand the pace of listening, which is crucial for the actual exam.

4. I was writing an essay every day five days a week, and two days I was taking time off for my family and relaxation. After receiving my corrections from IELTS-Blog.com, I was spending time to understand what mistakes I had made, which is essential to avoid those mistakes. This action is compulsory to boost your writing skill. This is the most important task to reach another level.

5. “1200-commonly-repeated-words-in-ielts-listening-test” is a document available online which has lots of vocabulary words. I have attempted many IELTS mock tests, and it is my personal experience that most of the words in the listening test are there in this document.

The most important thing, I implemented English learning in my daily routine, whether it is email writing or a test message. I always try to write in formal English with all the necessary punctuation, articles and so on. I was not afraid of making mistakes at all because the English language is not my mother language; therefore, it is inevitable that I would make mistakes. The compelling aspect is that we should enjoy learning it, instead of feeling the pressure. Don’t learn English only for the sake of obtaining a good score in IELTS, but learn it as a language, which is essential for your career and future.

All the best for all the students out there!”

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Happy New Year 2020!

Hello everyone!

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

My reason for starting IELTS-Blog.com and writing IELTS prep books was simple: I thought lack of resources and knowledge shouldn’t get in the way of achieving one’s dreams. I was convinced that given the right tools, help and support people can pass IELTS with amazing scores, and you guys have been proving me right every single year, for 14 years!

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 past IELTS faster, so that you can start living your dream life sooner.

Today, on the last day of 2019 I look back and say, “What a year!” So many great things happened in 2019. Where do I begin… We published 6 new practice test books in High Scorer’s Choice series, in digital format and in print, and they received many great reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. We started an interactive Speaking service and released new Speaking videos on YouTube – there will be many more added in 2020!

Listening to your feedback we also worked hard to add the services you asked for – in 2020 we will start offering live Speaking tests and one-on-one lessons. A new IELTS book is also on the cards, and more options for you to practice for the computer-based test. So yes, we have big plans for 2020, and I hope that you do, too! Remember – you are not alone in your quest to pass IELTS in 2020, all of us are behind you. We got your back!

Dear test takers, I wish you to get the IELTS score of your dreams in 2020. Dear teachers and IELTS trainers – I hope that your students do incredibly well, too! You can count on our help in 2020, just like in the past 14 years.

As we’re about to wrap up 2019, I wanted to thank you for your support. Here is to a wonderful, successful, life-changing 2020!

Love,

Simone and the IELTS-Blog.com team.

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IELTS Speaking test in Canada – December 2019

L took the IELTS test in Canada and remembered the following Speaking questions:

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your full name?

– Can I see your ID?

– Where are you from?

– Lets talk about planning.

– Do you make plans every day?

– Are you good at managing your time?

– What is the hardest part about making plans?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a time when you invited someone to have dinner at home or at a restaurant. Please say

– When you invited them

– Where you had the dinner

– Why you invited them

– How you felt about this dinner and

– How they felt about it.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– What are the advantages and disadvantages of eating at restaurants?

– Why do people today like to eat oily and spicy food?

– What type of food do people from your country cook on special occasions?

– Why is it important to have food on special occasions?

– Oily and spicy food makes some people sick, do you think we should rethink this kind of cooking?

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IELTS Speaking test in India – December 2019

Our friend P took his IELTS speaking test in India and below are the questions that he remembered and shared:

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 study?

– Why did you choose this subject?

– Why do you prefer to choose IT courses?

– Do you like to plan your day?

– How do you organise your time?

– Is it hard to make a plan for managing your day?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Talk about a game show or quiz program that you watched on TV or online. Please say

– What was the show?

– How often do you watch it?

– Explain why you like or dislike it.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Who do you watch it with?

– Who is usually watching these kinds of programs? Why?

– Why do people like to watch TV shows?

– What kind of TV programs are popular in your country?

– What is the difference between games people play now compared to the past?

– Do you think it’s good for children to play at home?

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IELTS test in India – December 2019 (Academic Module)

Our friend V took an Academic IELTS test in India and remembered the following topics and questions:

Listening test

Section 1. An article about ideas on what to do on weekends.

Questions: filling in blanks.

Section 2. A lecture for new employees at a supermarket.

Questions: filling in blanks, multiple choice.

Section 3. About marketing assignments.

Questions: multiple choice.

Section 4. About penguins near African shores.

Questions: filling in blanks, short-answer questions (no more than 2 words), multiple choice.

Reading test

Passage 1. About four different sources of light: candles, fuel lamp, gas, electricity.

Passage 2. About microbes and enzymes and their effect on food production.

Passage 3. A study conducted on male and female leadership skills (visionary skills).

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

We were given a bar graph comparing the numbers of overweight men and women in Australia between 1980 and 2010.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Many people these days change careers throughout their working life. What are the main reasons for it? Is it a positive or negative development for them personally and for the society as a whole?

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

Dear readers and friends,

This isn’t your usual daily post – today we would like to wish you Happy Holidays!

We know that some of you celebrate Christmas, others don’t, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter – IELTS-Blog.com is one big international family, and we would like on this occasion to wish everyone Peace, Love, Health and Happiness.

In this festive season we hope you enjoy the break and 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 2019, and 1 January 2020).

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IELTS Band 9 essay, topic: Some people believe that everyone has a right to access to the Internet and governments should provide it free (agree/disagree)

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 likely to score IELTS Band 9.

Set 1 Academic book, Practice Test 5

Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people believe today that everyone has a right to access to the Internet and that governments should provide this access for free. Other people believe that access to the internet is not a right and should be paid for like other services.

Discuss both these views 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.

Answer

Nowadays most information is transmitted over the Internet. A strong dependency on this medium has been created, as personal, political and economic news and information are shared through it. As the Internet is so widely needed, many people believe that governments should provide this access for free. Others believe that Internet access should be paid for.

Before the creation of the Internet, people had phones, newspapers and televisions; nowadays the Internet can replace all of these. Society is now built on a system that relies on everyone having access to the Internet, whether this be in school or in work life. However, while it is seen as a basic necessity in western cultures, the costs for accessing it are still too high for some people. When this point of view is taken into account, it can be concluded that governments should provide access, or a division of inequality will be created in society.

However, when one takes into account the things that the Internet has replaced, it becomes apparent that most of these are not free as well. It is necessary to pay for phone calls, for television and for newspapers. Storing all the information and passing it to consumers through the World Wide Web also entails costs. This raises the question whether the Internet should be handled differently. Providing Internet access to everyone would mean a significant cost for the governments, especially at times of economic crisis. Therefore, this is not a plausible solution to integrate each individual into the society.

In my opinion, while the Internet has become as necessary as a phone, governments should not provide it for free, as the money needed for this would put too much strain on public resources. This finance could be used for even more urgent topics, such as poverty and starvation.

Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Essays

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IELTS Speaking test in India – December 2019

Below are the Speaking questions that our friend remembered and shared, after his recent IELTS Speaking 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 do you do?

– Where do you live now?

– What you do like or dislike about it?

– Why do you live there?

– Let us talk about music.

– What type of music do you like?

– When do you usually listen to music?

– Do you listen to it alone or with friends?

– Why is it so?

– Can music change your mood?

– How is it possible, in your opinion?

– Do you use this trick often?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe a day that is special to you. Please say

– What is it?

– Why is it special to you?

– Who do you celebrate or spend it with?

Part 3 (Discussion)

– What do you usually do on this day?

– Let’s talk about money.

– Could it be the main reason for happiness?

– Why do you think so?

– What does ‘main goal in life’ mean?

– Do you have a goal?

– Why do people work hard to achieve their goals?

– Is failing to achieve a goal a serious matter?

– Why do you think so?

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