Simone Braverman's Blog: IELTS-Blog.com, page 87
April 12, 2022
IELTS Speaking test in India – March 2022
When K.S. took the IELTS Speaking test in India, she was asked the following questions:
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Do you work or study?
– Did you study history in school?
– What is your hometown famous for now?
– Do you remember your dreams when you wake up?
– Do you enjoy hearing about other people’s dreams?
– Would you like to study dreams in the future?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about a gift you would like to give to a friend. Please say
– who your friend is
– how you know him/her
– what gift you would like to give him/her
– and explain why you would like to give him/her that gift.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Do you like giving gifts to your friends?
– Do you think parents buy their children a lot of toys nowadays?
– Why do some people like to give a certain amount from their earnings to the society?
– What is more satisfying, giving or receiving?
– Do you think only rich people can help the society?
April 11, 2022
IELTS Results competition winners in March 2022
Nelson Mandela famously said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done”, and if you’re wondering what his words have to do with this blog post, keep reading 
Does Band 9 in any of the IELTS skills seem impossible? It’s not – in fact, six out of eight winners whom we are about to introduce got Band 9 in either Reading or Listening – or both!
Let’s put our hands together for…
IELTS results competition winners of March 2022Academic Module
1st place – Shokhrukhmirzo Jumanyazov from Uzbekistan, Band 8.51st place – Nomathamsanqa Mthombeni from Zimbabve, Band 8.52nd place – Dmitrii Kiselev from the Russian Federation, Band 82nd place – Reza Zaeri from Iran, Band 82nd place – Ahamed Imthikab Ahamed Ilyas from Sri Lanka, Band 83rd place – Nalisha Shrestha from Nepal, Band 7General Training Module
1st place – Sahid Sarkar from India, Band 7.52nd place – Prakash Bhagwan Sharma from India, Band 6.5Congratulations to the winners! To mark this happy occasion we are sending certificates of achievement to the winners’ email addresses. Winning IELTS results will also 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 score so well?We’re always trying to find out from the winners how they did it. It’s great to see our students winning! Reza Zaeri (Band 8) used our writing correction service to find out how to increase his score. Dmitrii Kiselev (Band 8) relied on our book Target Band 7 to learn important IELTS techniques and then used several ‘High Scorer’s Choice’ practice tests to apply those techniques and master the skills he learned. Being able to contribute to their success feels amazing!
As for the other winners – we would love to hear from you, because when you share your stories and tell us how you studied, you are helping thousands of test takers, preparing for their exams right now. Any useful tips will be posted on IELTS-Blog.com, so everyone can use the same technique and get a better score in their own exam this month.
Did you know? IELTS results competition runs every month, and everyone is welcome to participate. Learn how to enroll here.
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April 8, 2022
IELTS Report, topic: Five line graphs showing the annual visitor spend in New Zealand (from IELTS High Scorer’s Choice series, Academic Set 3)
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 3 Academic book, Practice Test 13
Writing Task 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shows the annual visitor spend for visitors to New Zealand from 5 countries for the years 1996 to 2014.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
You should write at least 150 words.
The graph shows the amount of money tourists from five different countries spent while visiting New Zealand between the years 1996 and 2014. The five countries compared are Australia, the USA, the UK, Japan and China.
It is clear that the amount of money spent in New Zealand by tourists from almost all the named countries increased from 1996 to 2014, although there were some fluctuations along the way.
In 1996, Australian citizens spent the most, at NZ$1,000 per person, followed by tourists from the USA, Japan, the UK and, finally, China at NZ$100 per visitor. Most countries experienced growth in visitor spend during the 18-year period that peaked at various points in time for different countries, and then declined. Australia’s spending, for instance, peaked at NZ$2,500 in 2006, whereas the USA reached a top of NZ$1,700 in 2010. China’s peak in 2004 was the lowest of all the countries (NZ$500).
In spite of the decline in spending that the countries experienced, overall, tourists were spending more at the end of the period compared to the beginning. In 2014, Australia’s visitors spent the most at NZ$2,000, followed by tourists from the USA, UK, Japan and China, at NZ$400 per person. The only country whose citizens spent the same amount in 1996 and 2014 was Japan (about NZ$500 per person).
Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Reports
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April 7, 2022
IELTS Speaking test in Taiwan – March 2022
Our lovely friend L.W. took the IELTS test in Taiwan and remembered the following Speaking questions:
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Do you work or study?
– What kind of routine do you have at work (something you do on a regular basis)?
– Who helps you the most at work?
– Let’s talk about your childhood.
– Did you like to draw or paint as a child?
– What did you draw?
– Do you still like painting or drawing now, as an adult?
– What do you like the most about painting or drawing?
– Have you ever visited an art gallery?
– Would you be willing to study Art in the future?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about an item of clothing that someone gave you. Please say
– what it was
– when you got it
– who gave it to you and why
– and explain how you felt about that.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– What influences people’s choice of clothes in your country?
– On what occasions or national holidays do people put on special costumes?
– Do you think the fashion industry affects the choice of clothes of different age groups?
– Do you think people will start dressing in similar clothes in the future?
April 5, 2022
IELTS Speaking test in Canada – March 2022
Our kind friend M.J. 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?
– Do you work or are you a student?
– What kind of job do you have?
– What is your typical day at work like?
– Do you find your job easy or hard?
– What is it about your work that you enjoy the most?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about your favourite toy as a child. Please say
– what the toy was
– who gave it to you
– how often you played with it
– and explain why this toy was your favourite.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Is it important for children’s development to play with toys? Why?
– What type of toys is the best for children?
– Nowadays, are toys different from the toys of the past?
– How has the toy industry changed compared to the past?
– Is there now more diversity in children’s toys?
– Why is diversity in toys important?
April 4, 2022
IELTS test in India – March 2022 (Academic Module)
Our kind friend K.M. took IELTS in India and remembered the following questions:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We had four pie charts describing the proportions of men and women who spent their working hours in a particular region.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
When new towns are planned, it is important to build more public parks and sports facilities rather than shopping centers for people to spend their time in. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
I did my Speaking test on a video call.
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Tell me about your hometown.
– Are there public parks or gardens in your hometown?
– Do you like going to a park or a garden?
– What do you do there?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about a creative person whom you admire. Please say
– who the person is
– how you know him/her
– why you think he/she is creative
– and explain why you admire him/her.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Are you a creative person?
– What kind of jobs require people to be creative?
– Should children learn about creativity?
– Can creativity be taught?
– Is new technology helping to boost people’s creativity? In what way?
April 1, 2022
IELTS Letter, topic: Letting a friend know about your change of plans
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 3 General Training book, Practice Test 13
Writing Task 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
A friend is expecting you to stay with him in two weeks’ time, but unfortunately you forgot that you have a business trip at the same time. Write a letter to your friend.
In your letter,
– apologise and say that you cannot come to visit
– explain why you will not be able to visit
– suggest another time that you could visit
You should write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows:
Dear Tom,
Sample Band 9 Letter
Dear Tom,
I have rather upsetting news for you, for which I am very sorry. Although my stay with you in two weeks has been planned for a while, I will have to cancel.
Yesterday during work, I had another meeting with a colleague regarding the town hall project, which I told you about the past few months. During the conversation, a business trip, which had been planned and booked since last year, came up. I will need to speak to several representatives of other town halls in the area. I had completely forgotten about this, and unfortunately it is at the exact same time as my planned stay at your house. I hope you won’t be too angry with me and allow me to make it up to you in some other way.
Why don’t I come and visit you at the end of your vacation, when you have returned from Europe? I remember you saying that you have three weeks left before going to New York. If that works for you, please get back to me, as I would love to see you before Christmas.
Hope to see you soon!
Best wishes,
Johnny
Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Letters
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March 31, 2022
IELTS test in Uzbekistan – March 2022 (Academic Module)
Our friend K.P. from Uzbekistan shared the following IELTS questions from her recent exam:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given line graphs describing the amount of time it took four US-based car manufacturers to build a car between 1998 and 2008.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Some people think that everyone should look after their health as a duty to the society they live in, rather than their own personal benefit. Do you agree or disagree?
Speaking test
Part 1 (Interview)
– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Tell me about your hometown.
– Do you like taking photos?
– What do you like to photograph, people or nature?
– Do you have dreams often?
– Do you usually remember your dreams when you wake up?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about a time when you visited a new place. Please say
– what the place was
– when you went there
– why you went there
– and explain how you felt when you were there.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– Do you go to new places often?
– How do young children react when they go to school for the first time?
– What about employees, how do they feel on their first day at work?
– Do you think that before traveling people should find out some information about a place they are going to visit?
– What kind of problems can they encounter in the new place?
March 29, 2022
IELTS test in Kuwait – March 2022 (Academic Module)
Thanks to S.J. from Kuwait we can share the following IELTS questions from a recent exam:
Writing test
Writing task 1 (a report)
We were given a line graph showing the weather conditions in Glasgow, Scotland from January to December, including the maximum and minimum temperatures in degrees Celsius.
Writing task 2 (an essay)
Some people say that popular TV entertainment programs should aim to educate viewers about some social issues. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
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?
– How do you manage your time?
– Do you find it difficult to manage time?
Part 2 (Cue Card)
Talk about a new language that you learnt. Please say
– when you did it
– how you did it
– who helped you with it
– and explain how you feel about it now.
Part 3 (Discussion)
– What are the benefits of learning a new language?
– How can you learn a new language easily?
– Can children learn it faster than adults?
– What do you think is the reason?
IELTS Speaking: why a little confidence goes a long way
When people discuss ways to do well in IELTS, you often hear about techniques that may help, exercises that develop certain skills, etc. However, when when we asked Shiva, a native Nepali speaker who got an Overall Band 7.5 in IELTS with an amazing 8.5 in Speaking, he said there was one other, simple but very important, ingredient to his success. Can you guess what it is?
Let’s hear it from Shiva:
“First of all, I’d like to wholeheartedly thank you for giving me an opportunity to share my thoughts on your valuable platform. Needless to say, IELTS-Blog.com was a must-go site for me to improve and accelerate my language skills. On top of that, I used to practise the questions from across the world you put on the website. Writing essays and getting them corrected by your experts was a really helpful tool for improving my grammar.
I feel it is important to advise all the test takers to have faith in themselves and believe that they definitely know the language. Remember that the way you present it might make it look different. In your speaking test, just think of the leaders of non-English speaking nations who have to speak in International Assemblies, even if they don’t know English well. I used to think in my speaking test of the Prime Minister of Nepal whose English is poorer than mine, but who still delivered speeches in front of global leaders and media because he knows he has to speak! So, if your prime minister doesn’t lose confidence despite not knowing English well, why should you? Don’t worry about your accents and mistakes, but speak confidently on the speaking test.”
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