IELTS Eddy Suaib

Kamis, 20 Maret 2014

IELTS writing check list for band 9

Task achievement : 5

How effectively the

candidate has identified,

illustrated and reflected the

key features of the

information in the task

Coherency and Cohesions: 5

How well the information

and ideas are organised,

presented and linked

Vocabulary :5

The range of vocabulary

used, how accurately it is

used and how appropriate it

is for the task

Grammar range and accuracy: 5

The range of structures

used, how accurately they

are used and how

APPROPRIATE they are for the

task

All these criteria are equally weighed so out of 9 band,each criterion can be 2.25 band.So,International students need to focus on the other criteria such as Task response and Coherency+cohesions.Since Grammar and vocabulary overly focused,a testee can only have a full band in both criteria which is 4.25 band.However, Most average to intermediate students can get a 3.0- 3.5 band out of 4.25 band.

There is a common myth I found observed from international students that pedantic way of writing will get them a high band and the reason behind this is precise or concise writing.Ironically,IELTS has no marks for precise/concise writing.To learn precise writing it needs minimum of 6 months to 1 year practice because it needs re-editing while one practices.On the other hand,IELTS writing task 2 is less than 40 minutes task.So it is hard to accomplish it.Albeit,many commercialised language schools are misleading students to write precisely or "precise writing".The hidden idea is to extend their course as a result more tuition fee to teach.

If you look through IELTS.org website,it shows "how its marked".So it is very clear to understand how to achieve high score by understanding the criteria.However,many testees are over confident about the first 2 criteria ( task response and coherency) when they are not very sure about it.

The common mistake they do with IELTS writing task 2 is, no relevancy to the back ground or topic question.Next one is, not explaining well logically.Even though your grammar and vocabulary are accurate and appropriate to the task,it is not enough to score a band of 7.Because the score will be as follows ( 1+1.5+1.5+1.5) which is 5.5 in total.However,it can go up to 6.5 if they try their best.

Every IELTS question task needs "reasoning" ( use your reason: please find the task question under any IELTS question topic ).So if one can logically explain well they can surely achieve a high band score but HOW? Task response and coherency need logical explanation and organization.While increasing these both criteria, one can can get 2 band in each which will result as follows ( 2band in task response, 2 band coherency+coherency,grammar 1.5 and vocabulary 1.5,so in total 4+3 -7 band).

I have personal experience from Brisbane for making many students from 5.5 band to 7 band less than 2 weeks.The method was teaching them how to write logically than focusing overly on grammar or vocabulary.However,there are some stiff necked students who may argue just opposite but I will advice them to go for 6 to one year practice under any language school since they believe vocabulary and grammar are the major points in an ess@y.They don't care about the logical explanation of an Ess@y.If an ess@y is not informative with a logical reasoning ,then the ess@y isn"t purposive but to impress the reader with their ostentatious style.

IELTS ess@y require content and reasoning and if a testee has both criteria it is very likely to get 7.5 band (2.25+2.0+1.5+1.5).7.25 will be rounded to 7.5 band.However,grammar and vocabulary are important to get 8 or higher than 8.In my observation,most average to intermediate testees score in grammar is 1.75 band and vocabulary is 2 band.

So before booking a next exam date, understand these marking criteria level and practice accordingly.Check your ess@ys by using criteria list.

Or if you want me to help with logical writing to get a band of 7 or higher reply to this advert or contact me

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Is IELTS only an English language test or a Logic test as well?

My answer to this question is " it is both".If so how?

gap fill or sentence completion requires:

Identifying, Analysing skills, Grammar and vocabulary skills and Semantic skills.

Match the heading needs:

Identifying the correct words or vocabulary and analysing.No grammar skills required (normally).However, finding the match from the first sentence or last sentence is not a proper methodology.

TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN:

This view point type of questions need "verbal reasoning" in other words, testees need to have logic to judge the answer. This part has requires more logic than vocabulary or grammar skills.

Multiple choice questions or ABCD pattern

Candidates must have a strong reasoning here to find the correct answer because most answers will be matching out of the given options.So comparison skills are mandatory in order to achieve all the answers as correct. If your style is inductive then you may get out of 6 or 7 out of 10 questions.But if you use deductive style, it will be 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10.

Ielts reading,writing and speaking parts need REASONING or constructive logic. for example, In writing part 2, candidates are always being asked for REASONS which you will normally see just below your ess@y topic. If you do not have valid or strong reasons, you may loose 1.5 band.So just focusing on vocabulary or grammar in order to get 7 or higher is not enough.Even if you have advanced grammar and controlled vocabulary range,you will not score more than 7 band.This is because of IELTS writing assessment criteria.Each candidate must read the ielts criteria (refer ---> http://www.ielts.org/PDF/UOBDs_WritingT2.pdf).Candidates can not achieve high band just by vocabulary or grammar skills as writing task criteria are valued equally.

For example:

task response 9

coherency and cohesions 9

vocabulary 9

grammar and punctuations 9

These will be divided by 4 to get an arithmetic mean so 36/4 =9

If you can work out these criteria, even if you score 9 each in grammar and vocabulary,it is unlikely to get a score more than 7 band.

For example:

task response of a candidate 6 out of 9

coherence and cohesions 6 out of 9

vocabulary = 8 out of 9

grammar 8 out of 9

total is 6+6+8+8=26/4 =6.5 or a maximum of 7band ( if they are lucky)

Some candidates believe they are good at cohesions but in reality their usage of cohesions are inappropriate and it seems they can impress examiners just using cohesions without having any accuracy.Coherence or organisation is also a weak point of many students.So it makes their ess@y very difficult to follow as a result unity of a paragraph and "loose paragraphs" ( refer or search these further).A well supported ess@y can score higher than a pedantic or ostentatiously written ess@y because the task given there is mainly to argue,therefore,students need to prove their ideas or points.

The same skills are required in speaking apart from Pronunciation.1

Many students practice IELTS without these above skills and they are unaware of these competencies.So they practice their own and get the same score.

Here is the difference those students can make! I tutor IELTS (all sub-tests both general or academic) in a different style ( almost guaranteed).90% students increased 1.5 band score in 3 weeks as a result.My tutoring style is "known to unknown" or in other words, I do not just look at the answers and say "this is wrong or right".Instead of doing those "ineffective methods",I lead any student into the answer and give more explanations or a possible personification.

For example: I have $55 ( if this statement is true)

the Question is ---> I have $56 ( true/false/not given)

My approach here is ;the second statement is not true because 55 is not 56. but it doesn't contradict each other as well so it is not FALSE. However many students asked me why it is not a FALSE. Reason behind this is,the first statement never says I have just or only $55.If I said only or just or similar,in that case it is FALSE.Therefore, this question's answer is NOT GIVEN as we can not judge it. If you have any further questions either attend my class or email me.

IELTS corrupted! a Must read blog.

How many correct answers do you need to get 7 in IELTS. It varies!

Throughout the Internet there are claims made that if you get a certain number of answers correct in the IELTS test, then you will get a score of 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9.

Well thanks to the Corruption and Crime Commission of Western Australia, we now learn that that is not so. In fact, it is very unlikely for one to get 8 or 9 as they said in the evidence, that on 21/3/11, evidence by M.D. Duncan, before the Corruption and Crime Commission of Western Australia, on page 67:

Question: The band score that’s calculated there, is that simply calculated by reference to the number of correct answers in the reading title?

Answer: It is, but it changed with each test so we would be indicated – for this particular test, a band score of seven is achieved by getting 38 right, or 32 or whatever it happened to be, so there – yes, each test was dealt with on an individual basis.

So, if you expected to get 9 and it was 38 correct answers for that day, you probably would have to get 40 questions right. I think that would be extremely hard as some questions, from 35 to 40, often tend to be very difficult and ambiguous, to even native speakers of English, such as myself. In fact, one ends up guessing the answer.

You would want to do the test on the day when you could get 32 answers right and be rewarded with an IELTS score of 7. But how would you know what day that would be?

Also, does your English language proficiency change from day to day or is it about the same? Of course it does not but this probably explains why candidates get different results on different IELTS tests.

The question is whether IELTS measures your English language proficiency or how well you do in the test when compared to other candidates, or I suppose, to IELTS computer modelling.

And people actually believe that this is a reliable and valid test. Come on, get real!

http://ieltsinside.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/how-many-correct-answers-do-you-need-to-get-7-in-ielts-it-varies

IELTS Academic writing task 1- data analysis model

The pie charts below show units of electricity production by fuel source in Australia

and France in 1980 and 2000.

Summarise the information [how?--->]by selecting and rep0rting the main features, and make

comparisons where relevant[ only where relevant,not everywhere].

Required Task Responses are:

1,Summarise the info HOW? selecting the MAIN points and rep0rting it.This also means that not to select everything but MAIN POINTS ONLY.

2. Compare ( equivalents, similarities and contrasts) where relevant; do not compare UNNECESSARILY everywhere.

Expected sentence structures: 150 words = 10-12 sentences.So, 3 simple sentences+5 compound + 5 or more complex pattern.

Common mistakes =

1. sentence level:Subject verb agreement, word order, plural/singular,adjective/noun error,articles,prepositions,run-on sentences/comma splices,dangling modifiers and punctuation.

2. paragraph level : unity,accurate use of cohesions,phrases and parallelism.

3.Vocabulary: inaccurate interpretation of Data or lack of Data analysis.

****Please find the uploaded attachment to see this pie chart ******* (taken from IELTS cambridge-7 task 4).

PARA 1.The pie charts show the amount of electricity that was produced from 5 different sources (coal,hydro,oil,natural gas and nuclear) in Australia and France in 1980 and 2000, together with the total production of electricity in those years.

PARA 2/BODY 1[scope - two main sources and rest of them being eliminated ( hyrdo,natural and oil). However, points are generalised here; called general trend]

Overall, there are two key points to note. First, the total production of electricity in both Australia and France increased dramatically between 1980 and 2000, a rise of between 70% and 100% in a 20 year period. Secondly, the source of the electricity was very different in the two countries.

PARA 3/BODY 2 [ just one main point and its contrast; main point is coals so compare 1990/2000 in Australia and then compare that of France]

Looking at the charts in more detail, we can see that in Australia the amount of electricity produced from coal increased rapidly from 50 to 130 units, which was more than 75% of the total production of electricity in 2000. In France, on the other hand, the amount of electricity produced from coal did not increase and remained stable at only 25 units. This means that the percentage produced from coal declined significantly.

PARA 4/BODY 3 [second main point and its contrast - main point = nuclear power. contrasted as same as the previous point]

It is also noteworthy that in France the production of electricity from nuclear power grew enormously from 15 to 126 units, representing just under 75% of the total production in 2000, whereas in Australia no electricity was produced from nuclear

To sum up,generating electricity from natural gas and hydro power had been declined,but the units created from the oil had been increased by 2000 in both countries. <----[This is a summary about the other sources so the phrase "sum up" instead of "conclude up,is better].

This is the full picture of writing task 1 (without any comments)

The pie charts show the amount of electricity that was produced from 5 different sources in Australia and France in 1980 and 2000, together with the total production of electricity in those years.

To sum up,generating electricity from natural gas and hydro power had been declined,but the units created from the oil had been increased by 2000 in both countries.

IELTS Speaking -- why many candidates fail??

Ielts speaking:

There 4 criteria for assessing IELTS such as : 1, Fluency and Coherence 2, Vocabulary 3, Grammar accuracy 4, Pronunciation.

All of these are EQUALLY WEIGHTED but still why many tutors focus just on parts of it? I think this criteria is an overrated one and at the same the most misunderstood or ignored one as well.

I often get enquiries from some 'Ielts students' those believe that SPEAKING TEST is all about the idioms and phrases.It was very hard for me to convince these students that in IELTS idioms and phrases are not only going to help them, but also lose score or attract penalties. WHY?

Please read further if you are curious enough.

Your IELTS speaking test is in less formal ( semi-formal) mode but it doesn't mean any informal idioms of phrases can be used to impress the examiner/s. For example, the phrase 'nitty-gritty' (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/nitty-gritty) which means = nit·ty-grit·ty (nt-grt) n. Informal =The specific or practical details; the heart of a matter.It is very clear that dictionary states that the phrase is informal so using these types of idioms only attract penalties. Also, it is not recommended by many examiners.

Let us see what some examiners have to say about this.

However, the more formal the vocabulary and the more complex the grammar is, the higher the IELTS score. In the case of vocabulary, for instance, the scoring scheme gives higher scores when “less common” or “uncommon lexical items” (words or phrases) are used - which is what

formal vocabulary is. Visit http://tinyurl.com/4uddkz to see the scoring scheme ( David Park/ British council)

Never use colloquial English or slang. Colloquial English is a type of informal English, and it includes words such as gonna or wanna, and phrases such as ain’t nothin’ and dead as a doornail. Dictionaries usually mark colloquial words and phrases with a label like “colloq.” Because colloquial English and slang are usually spoken rather than written, they’ll make your academic writing sound too conversational and so less

credible.(David Park) http://www1.ccs.k12.in.us/teachers/downloads/cms_block_file/44243/file/36397 IELTS Speaking Part 2: formula phrases

A student asked me whether the following formula is useful for speaking part 2:

I guess I could begin by saying something about (point 1) and I think I would have to choose...

Going on to my next point which is (point 2), I really need to emphasise that (explain point 2).

And now with reference to (point 3), the point I want to make here is that (explain point 3).

And so finally, if I have time, in answer to the question of (point 4), really I should mention that...

So, are these 'formula phrases' a good idea? My answer is no!

As an English speaker and ex-examiner, I find these phrases annoying. It's obvious that they are memorised, and they do not address the question topic. Please don't expect the examiner to be impressed by this kind of thing.

There are a couple of benefits to learning a formula: it gives your answer some structure, and it might make you feel more confident during the test. However, the disadvantages are greater:

Your focus is on the phrases you have memorised, when it should be on answering the question with relevant ideas.

The examiner thinks that you are using memorised phrases because you are unable to produce good language spontaneously. In other words, your use of long formula phrases suggests that your level of English is lower. (http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/ielts-speaking/page/2/ )

The key to a high speaking score isn't your use of 'complex' grammar structures, big words or idiomatic phrases. The key is to speak as naturally as possible, and real examples or stories help you to do this. (http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/ielts-speaking/)

By and large, using any informal idioms such as 'GIVE A SHOT' ( http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/give+it+a+shot )should be avoided at any rate.

Idioms and IELTS

Dominic: What about IELTS and idioms? Would you recommend IELTS candidates use idioms in the test?

Peter; Idioms can be difficult to understand, and even more of a challenge to use correctly. Not surprisingly, the examiner won?t be expecting to see much evidence of idiomatic English until advanced level. A general tip if you?re preparing for the exam is to make every effort to learn topic-based vocabulary on subjects that often come up. And it?s a good idea to sprinkle these with one or two idioms that you?re absolutely confident you can use appropriately.

One of the best ways to prepare for the Writing Paper is to become familiar with the kind of texts you are expected to write. As you read these examples look out for the use of idiomatic language. This will give you an idea of which phrases are less colloquial and more appropriate for semi-formal/formal use. For example, you probably wouldn't find someone complaining that they are cheesed off (angry) in a letter of complaint but possibly might read that they want to get something off their chest? (to tell someone about something that has been a concern for some time) and it wouldn't raise eyebrows (cause surprise or shock) to find the writer claiming that they had been sold something under false pretences? (dishonestly). (http://topfrenchnewspapers.vhssite.info/529/getting-your-head-around-idioms-dominic-coles-ielts-blog/ )

Stick to what you know and, again, don't try so hard: foreign accents and some *mild* interference from your native language are expected and not penalised as long as they don't get in the way (e.g. as long as you don't revert to using your native language instead of English).

Remember this is a test about your ability to communicate in English, not a test about your inner thesaurus or your knowledge of big words. Saying 'I'm particularly fond of enacting nutritional intakes of Neapolitan baked dough with sundry ingredients' does NOT impress the examiner more than 'I like pizza' does.

Try remaining formal: they don't expect a posh RP enunciation but I've seen and trained some people who've, again, tried too hard, and fell into using very informal language (e.g. slang, idioms, acronyms, shortened forms) just to prove they understand English well, but that's not good for this case. An IELTS interview is not a casual talk with your m8s while in the pub watching football and yelling at the ref, d'you Adam it?

"However, IELTS speaking test focus on the formal expression not idioms or slang". (Read more: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-language/review-of-the-ielts-speaking-task-english-language-essay.php#ixzz2TFtAsV5L )

Avoid slang or very informal language. We only use such language with our close friends. (http://www.teacherjoe.us/IELTSSpeakTips.html )

To sum up, Ielts speaking test is not a platform to impress your examiner or using some idioms or phrases for the sake of using it but naturally speak English in a semi-formal tone.Whoever teaches against this misleads students as they are inept to teach IELTS according to the stipulated criteria. It is so pity that many students get into the trap and waste their money. An experienced tutor or service should be able to present BEFORE and AFTER (verifiable) certificates of their students( rather than their verbal claims) in order to prove the quality of teaching. By the bye, how many of these charlatans had Ielts? Perhaps, just some claims.

Refer this one as well:

http://www.idp.co.th/IELT/A_SeekGoodSpeakingTestAdvice.aspx

Hope you will kill these IELTS myths and ghosts!

Make sure you want to use the idioms such as ' hey, you've got ants in your pants' after reading this.

Godspeed!

Who will pass this IELTS academic test

Young people who committed serious crimes such as robbery or violent attacks should be punished as the same as adults.

How far do you agree or disagree?

Key words

1,Young people = under 18

2, adults = 18+

The question doesn't say young people means less than 18 (minors) but when you read the whole question, you will see it is the implicit meaning.

Your paragraph layout (possible):

Body -1 minor criminals vs adult criminals ( show should they be punished equally or not with a cogent reason . YOU should compare both sides, not just one side)

Body 2 Minor criminals vs adult criminals (same as above)

A wrong or failed attempt:

Body 1- adults

Body -2 , young people ( minors)

Result: You will lose task response and coherence. If you do so, I am not surprised when the result is (5.5-6.0) Most likely it will be a 5.5. YOU should get a 7 in task response and coherence.

--->Most intermediate students score 7 in vocab and grammar. If they do not care about the other two criteria, they would end up with ( 5+5+7+7= 24/4=6).

--> Basic/beginners would score 6 in task and coherence. So, ( 5+5+6+6 =22/4=5.5)

If your analysis is totally irrelevant,then it would be a failure. Many students did not understand this question is about ' minors/ under 18 people'. They generally wrote something. Remember, the specific your answer with RELEVANT examples (justifying ones), the higher your score will be.

Do you know that there is no Book or guide for TASK RESPONSE and COHERENCE? You need an experienced tutor and Examiner. If you didn't care about those areas, then it is time to understand your IELTS writing requirements and learn it.

Here are some ways to achieve 7 or higher bands.

TASK+ COHERENCE +VOCAB+GRAMMAR (4 criteria)

Method 1:

5+5+9+9 = 28/4 = 7

This method only or mostly work with native speakers who at least got a higher education or equivalent. ESL students are not going to achieve this as they are going to make more 3 mistakes in Grammar and vocab. One of the keys to get 8+ band is make less than 3 mistakes in grammar and vocab. Find a grammarian then, lol! IELTS exam is a semi formal one so you can use pronouns and all. Do not worry about ' absolute statements' such as ' it is felt that' instead of ' I feel that'. In this case, candidates do not need to worry about task response and coherence. They can miss the question parts but it can not be very tangential.

Method 2:

6+6+8+8 = 7 band. The same as I said above but bit more relaxed in grammar and vocab part. Besides, they need to include all the parts of the question when they respond. THOUGH you do not have relevant examples, you can still achieve 6 in task and coherence.

Method 3:

7+7+7+7 = 7 (aka classical method):

Refer the band descriptor for 7 bands.

Similar methods are also available for 8 bands. This is how it works out.

For me, it is too hard to teach IELTS students as they believe in MYTHS (from online/colleges/tutors/students). IELTS is the most easiest exam but some people made it unachievable for the international students by teaching them wrong or false techniques that have nothing to do with the IELTS scoring.

Secrets of IELTS 7+ (Academic or General)

What is the difference between IELTS 7 and 8 band in writing ?

Is it just memorizing rare vocabularies and using it forcefully? Nope! If so, it may not collocate well--usually called unnatural. This happens when a testee transliterate ideas directly from their own mother tongue to English. However, to resolves this dilemma, practice writing in English-English mode. In other words, students should create simple draft first in basic English, and then change it into a modified version.

In reality, Ielts 7 band ess@ys should have 3 minimum criteria. Firstly, sentence level --80% of sentences are error-free. Secondly, Ess@y level-- should have an academic ess@y level introduction and conclusion. Thirdly, Body level-- Should have an appropriate topic sentence, supporting sentences (relevant example) and a concluding sentence.

1,Sentence level: Majority of sentences should be error-free, which needs supervision because if you self-analyse your level,then you will compromise it. As long as one has erroneous sentences, 7 band will be quite difficult. Even your article or preposition may be enough to make your sentence error; however, it does not mean those are the only one errors that one needs to focus upon.

---In fact, I have heard many myths of changing the location of exam center or blaming it all on examiners. However, have you ever tried to analyse your own written ess@y instead of blaming a standardized service? Ielts examiners rarely make mistakes except reading your illegible hand writings. Mostly, once the score has been established,it will not change at all. So, your beef is not going to get solved in that way.

What about good or intellectual ideas?

In fact, Ielts writing exam criteria never stipulates the quality ( or qualia) of your ideas,but you need a relevant idea. Therefore, this claim is also nonsensical. Unless one researches the criteria,it is difficult to score in the Ielts tests. However, there may be a few ones achieved due to their natural grammar capacity ( error-free sentences).

Do you think some idioms or phrases will help you in the Ielts exam?

These are all so called "memorized chunks" as it has no relation to the topic, but refers as "padding or fluffing". One should avoid those common pitfalls, and ignore those lessons as it hampers Ielts writing score (strictly formal). If all words are formal and there is no difference in marking, but one should avoid informal words in the ess@ys such as 'get' (use obtain or achieve). Remember, words such as obtain or achieve or any other rare 'high frequency" words have no extra score. The emphasis is upon how accurately the testee used it than simply fitted in a sentence. Hence, do not waste time for memorizing vocabularies, but learn its usages.

Well, I cannot include everything what you need to know for sure. It normally takes 2-3 weeks of study to change a 0.5 to 1 band in writing or reading. However, it only takes 3-7 days for speaking (0.5 to 1.5) regardless of your knowledge. Yes, I have ample of recent evidences for the above mentioned progress.

Ielts 7+ or 8 band needs more sentence structures and accuracy in vocabulary usages. Most of the Ielts 8 band ess@ys do not have 'high frequency' vocabularies as you assumed so far, but accurate usage of vocabularies. For example, 'comprehend' the situation-- here, the accurate verb is understand or analyse the situation instead of 'comprehend'. By and large, IELTS every IELTS (academic or general) students need to learn prescriptive grammar.

IELTS Writing (Sentence combining skills are important)

In order to score 7 or 8 band in Ielts writing sub-test, every aspirant should have variety of sentence structures. If your sentence structures are formulaic(repetitive),you will lose marks in coherence and grammar criteria. Here are some examples that contains simplified and its modified version.So, you can not only see some simple structures, but also its generative forms. However, these exercises should be practised only after the basic grammar practices. Even though you have no grammar mistakes, your whole band score depends on your sentence structures, but it needs perfection, especially comma or punctuation rules.

1,The national speed limit was repealed.
Road accidents have increased sharply.

The national speed limit was repealed, and road accidents have increased sharply.

Every year thousands of salmon swim up the stream near my house. I have scarcely ever seen one.
Every year thousands of salmon swim up the stream near my house, yet I have scarcely ever seen one.

2,My ipod fell apart after a few weeks. My ipod cost over $300.
My ipod player, which cost over $200, fell apart after a few weeks.

3,Their garden is near here. It looks beautiful.
Their garden, which is near here, looks beautiful.

4,A mouse darted. It darted across the salad bar. This happened during the luncheon.
During the luncheon, a mouse darted across the salad bar.

5,Monroe and I strolled through the graveyard. The graveyard is the most peaceful spot in town.
Monroe and I strolled through the graveyard, the most peaceful spot in town.

6, Ed and the little man climbed the stairs together. Each was lost in his own strange world.

Ed and the little man climbed the stairs together, each lost in his own strange world.

7, I took small sips from a can of Coke. I was sitting on the ground in a shady corner.
I was sitting with my back against the wall.
Sitting on the ground in a shady corner with my back against the wall, I took small sips from a can of Coke.

8, What does the American value? The American does not value the possession of money as such. The American values his power to make money as a proof of his manhood.

What an American values is not the possession of money as such, but his power to make it as a proof of his manhood.

9, I like to go paining. I have not had the time to go lately. I have not found anyone to go with.
Although I like to go camping, I haven't had the time to go lately, and I haven't found anyone to go with.

These above mentioned 9 sentences are just a part of sentence combining skill introduction.

Will I fail in the recent IELTS exam? (why?)

Recent Academic Essay question. Many students will not achieve a 7 band in this attempt because most of them will lose the task response --> 'waste of time or not'. Many ended up saying ' it is not important'. These students lose score because they addressed part of this question and when they receive the result, they would presume ' oh, it is because of my grammar and vocabularies'. Remember, without the Task response, one can not achieve a good score in coherence and topic specific vocabulary as off-topic vocabularies and organizational skills will not be scored. Have you developed and explained the background of your two reasons? If not, 6 to 6.5 is guaranteed.

Many students do not even know the format of ' discuss both sides and your opinion' and they think they have to write why some people think this way and others do negate it. This is not the question because 'discuss' means WHAT is it,and you need two reasons to support your answer. Your answer is what ' your own opinion' so you need to support your opinion with two reasons. Below is the example of the above mentioned question ( not a proofread one though and it may contain some errors; however, it will help you to understand what is Task response and Coherence+ some complex grammar structures+ no idioms used because this is academia).

Some people think secondary school students should study international news as one of their subjects. Other people.Some people think secondary school students should study international news as one of their subjects. Other people say this is a waste of valuable school time. Discuss both views and give your opinion. say this is a waste of valuable school time. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Many individuals believe it is a beneficial if foreign affairs included in the post-elementary curriculum where as rest of them say that it is a really worthless. In this essay, I will describe both sides of this topic and explain my perspective before reaching at a conclusion.

OR either side of this topic will be outlined and my viewpoint will be explained before reaching at a conclusion.

On the one hand, proponents of the former side of this topic advocate that pre-higher-secondary school goers often needs to understand and learn global issues,for example,In some schools, apart from science,maths and languages, students should update their knowledge in events or issues that is related to other countries. On the other hand, the opposite group argue that it is merely a time-waste as they need to read and spend time for updating it. For instance, students have to spend an extra period for this subject -- global crisis or major events which is popular in other nations.

While we analyse this topic in detail,learning international issues are unnecessary because it is only a burden upon them. In particular, the purpose of school is the basic preparation, and they would have to prepare additionally as they need to fulfill the criteria. However, if they had not studied this subject, then they would not have to spend time for this. In contrast, it may be a wastage if they had to pursue this new syllabus. Therefore, pursuing an extra subject apart from the mainstream subjects is not worthy and schools should not allow this subject.

In addition to that, this new approach will divert students' attention from the main subjects.For instance, pre- university students are not that matured and they can get distracted very easily. If board allows this new subjects, students will sacrifice their most chunk of study time as this subject is so vast ;as a result, they would concentrate on the deeper aspects of this subject and forget to achieve the fundamental lessons from the main subjects. Once their interest is stirred up into international level, it will be very difficult to bring them back onto the other subjects. Moreover, many students may fail in their other exams because of they will not finish their lessons.If they fail in their test, they may required to study in the same year or grade again in many schools.Hence, in order to keep them focused on the essential subjects,secondary school syllabus should not have this new subject. As long as students will fail due to this, it is unnecessary.

In conclusion, it is felt that this subject should be avoided so that students will not be diverted their mind from main studies and overburdened;therefore, it is better to avoid it.

Top 10 Myths about taking the IELTS exam

IELTS Myths:

As a teacher, I hear many strange things about IELTS. Here is my top 10 list of IELTS myths. These myths are all false, so don’t let these ideas or stories about IELTS disrupt your practice and preparation for the test!

Non-native speakers can’t get a band 9 on IELTS:

Many students have said this to me - that it’s impossible for a non-native speaker to get a band 9. Of course, this just isn’t true. The test is based on how good your English is, not where you come from. The band 9 rating is described by IELTS as ‘expert user’. It’s perfectly possible for people who are non-native speakers and who are excellent speakers of English to get a band 9. Not only that, but the opposite is true too. Not all native speakers can get a band 9, even on speaking!

I have to keep practising tests to improve my score:

This is a big myth but a very common one. IELTS is a test of English, not a test to test how well you know the test! The only way to improve your score, once you are familiar with the test, is to improve your English in all 4 macro-skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Doing more and more tests doesn’t really help you to improve. It just fills your head with answers. I know students who know all the answers to certain listening tests and can get 39 out of 40 but this doesn’t help their listening and on the real test they may only score 24 or 25 out of 40. Listening intensively to a variety of things - conversations, radio, news or even songs is the answer to improving your listening. Practise your listening micro-skills by going to the free practice exercise links on this page .

I need to learn long lists of vocabulary to be successful:

Of course vocabulary is important for IELTS to get a good score but you don’t need to learn long lists. You need to be familiar with words in all their forms and be able to use them accurately and appropriately. This is far more important than knowing a long list. Knowing a good variety of words and using them well and correctly will be enough for most people to get the score they need. Common topics in IELTS include education, environment and culture. Look at IELTS course books which will give you a good idea of what kind of words you need.

They make the IELTS test too hard so overseas students can’t get into university:

The IELTS test is an independent test of English used by governments and educational institutions to get information about a person’s English level. The governments and colleges or universities set the level themselves independently so that is why different universities have different IELTS test score requirements. IELTS is not connected with them in any way and has no influence on what band scores are required for different tasks or institutions.

If I don’t understand the examiner in the speaking test, I will get a low band:

The speaking test is only about your speaking proficiency and listening is tested in the listening test. If you don’t understand what the examiner says, ask them to repeat or ask the meaning of a word. The speaking test only measures speaking proficiency, not listening.

Grammar is not important in the IELTS:

It is true that grammar does not have a separate test in IELTS but of course it is still very important. You will need grammar for all the skills and it is specifically part of the assessment in both writing and speaking (25%). In reading and listening your knowledge of grammar can help you write in the correct word form in an answer so it is necessary throughout the test.

If I take the test in my country, I will get a better score:

You may get a better score in your country if you take the IELTS test there, but this will more likely be due to the fact that you may feel more comfortable in familiar surroundings in your home town, rather than the test itself. All tests on the same day are the same everywhere in the world so the test itself is not any easier and is the same one you would have taken if you had taken the test overseas. IELTS examiners are highly trained to be reliable markers, so your score should be the same. If you are feeling a little more relaxed in your home town, you could get a better score, but this is a factor which affects you and your performance in the test. The test is not easier.

The examiner is looking at the clock in the speaking test so I must be very boring:

This cannot possibly be true! The examiner has to keep to strict times so is looking at the clock to make sure he or she is within those times. Please don’t worry about those things.

There will be certain question types at certain times of the year for the writing:

I heard this myth recently, where students were saying that a certain task comes up in May or June! IELTS would not be so predictable as to have certain task types on a given month of the year. Just prepare all your task types for the writing as normal.

Examiners at some centres are stricter than others in another centre:

All examiners go through careful training and retraining throughout their examiner life. If they are too strict someone will notice! It’s not the examiner, but more likely your performance on the day just wasn’t as good as on a previous occasion or in class, due to nerves or illness or something similar. It is hard, I’m sure you’ll agree, to tell how well you did in an exam! Sometimes you think you did a good job, but in fact it wasn’t so good.

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