IELTS Writing Task 2: How to prepare for task 2.

Look at as many sample questions as you can. Practice underlining the key points and brainstorming the topics, making plans for each one. Gradually reduce the time you allow yourself to do this, so you can do it in less than 5 minutes. See all the practice books and websites for sample questions. Lots of them have sample answers as well.

Look at the language used for making paragraphs and sentences cohesive (linking your ideas within and between sentences and paragraphs). For example: logical links that show addition (as well as, in addition) or contrast (whereas, on the other hand).

Look at the language used for expressing views. For example: ‘I believe that….’ ‘I would argue that….’, for making contrasts and concessions. For example: ‘Despite the fact that….’.

Look at the language for refuting an argument. For example: ‘There is little evidence to support the….’, for giving arguments, for providing support to your main points. For example: ‘In my experiences…’, ‘A good example of this is ….’. And in conclusions. For example: ‘In conclusion…’ or ‘On balance…’.

Think about the topics that could be used for this task. For example:

• Technology
• Crime
• Tourism
• Transport
• Education
• Population
• Media
• Health
• Society.

Brainstorm the topics for possible questions. Write as many timed essay as possible. Do the ones that have sample and model answers in the exercise books.

Before the exam, practice writing answers to the tasks in the time allowed, especially if you haven’t written at speed by hand for a while; keep up to date with current affairs.

During the exam, you should use a pen. It should be easier to write faster with a pen. Make sure you have a checklist in mind for editing your writing at the end. Make one up now with the errors you know you make.

Reference: How to Prepare for IELTS Writing. City University of Hongkong: English Language Center.

IELTS Writing Task 2: One-sided Argument.

Example of task: Children are spending more time at their computers today than playing with their friends.To what extent do you agree or disagree?

 Task 2 will examine your ability to do one or maybe more of the following tasks:

• present justify opinions,
• argue case,
• evaluate and challenge ideas.

Your scope tells your reader the main points you will make. Your thesis statement tells the reader your opinion.

IELTS Writing Task 2: Two-sided Argument.

Example of the task: Some people think that children get a better education if they study away from home at a boarding school. Others believe it is better for them to stay with their families and attend day school.

Discuss both these points of view and give your opinion.

Task 2 will examine your ability to do one or maybe more of the following tasks:

• present justify opinions,
• argue case,
• evaluate and challenge ideas.

IELTS Writing Task 2: Give your argument.

The writing test is a part of IELTS test. You have 60 minutes for this test. For your information, there are two tasks or to do in writing section. One task on each side of the card. You can make notes on the card but it will not be seen/examined by the examiner. You will be given an answer book and you must write your essay in the answer book. Notes are not acceptable and essays under the word limit will be penalized. So, you must read what you have to do carefully.

Task 2 will examine your ability to do one or maybe more of the following tasks:

• present justify opinions,
• argue case,
• evaluate and challenge ideas.

Here some example. In this part of the test, you will be given a discussion topic. The question will either present you with an opinion or argument. You have to discuss the question with two or three main points and supporting detail for each point. The length of paragraph that you must write is consisted of at least 250 words. And the maximum time is 40 minutes on this task.

Remember. Your task response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource and grammatical will be assessed on this test.

Task Response: you must write with logical and well-supported arguments, give some good reasons and experiences. Avoid giving anything irrelevant from the topic.

Coherence and Cohesion: write fluently and clearly, so the examiner can read your arguments.

Lexical Resource: enrich your vocabulary. Spell accurately and use appropriate word formation.

Grammatical: use grammatical structures accurately.
You must know that this part carries more weight in marking than Task 1. Look at this following example:

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:

A  great  many  countries  around  the  world  are losing  their  cultural  identity because of the Internet.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

You should write at least 250 words.

How to do on Task 2:
Read the question carefully.
Underline the key points in the question.
Make sure you read all the question. Include all required.
Quickly brainstorm the topic. Think about your point of view, personal experiences and supporting details.
Write a plan. Decide the main points, and organize!
Don’t forget the introduction, body and conclusion. 

The structure for your essay will depend on the type of question. Good luck!
Reference: How to Prepare for IELTS Writing. City University of Hongkong: English Language Center.

Speaking IELTS: Practicing Based on Topic Conversation

Practice makes perfect is in line with the last section of IELTS, speaking. In this skill, there are some parts that you can arrange in some ways so that you become the driver of the conversation between you and the examiner. You can drag the conversation to things that you master well. This skill will not be granted just like that. You need to practice to have it. That is why, it is important for you to look at some examples of the conversation topic so that you can train yourself answering the questions smoothly.

IELTS Writing Task 1: Golden Rules of Writing Task 1

Remember that this takes about 20 minutes. You write a report about a graph, table, bar chart or diagram, using a minimum of 150 words. You are marked on task completion and use of range of vocabulary and grammar, organization and development. 

Do Task 1 first. There is a reason why it is Task 1. From the psychological point of view, it gives you a sense of accomplishment when you have finished it. A common feature of the writing process is the concept of getting oneself going. With the shorter task you can get yourself into your stride in writing. By the time you start Task 2, you’ll then be much more alert and perform Task 2 much more efficiently.

IELTS Writing Task 1: How to prepare for Task 1

This article describes how to prepare for Task 1. First, become familiar with the graph types, for example bar, and line graphs. Do lots of practice exercises in describing graphs. Practice identifying key information in graphs and charts. Practices working out what graph axes represent. Become familiar with a variety of ways to:

IELTS Writing Task 1: Objects/How Something Works

This part of the test will test your ability to describe objects or describe how something works. See the example below.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagrams below show how to plumb in a washing machine.

Summarize the information by describing the main features and explaining how a washing machine works.

You should write at least 150 words.

Reading: True/False/Not Given Question Type

The True/False/Not Given question type is maybe one of the question type in IELTS reading that is hard to answer by the test takers. Here are some tips on how to deal with those kind of question type.

IELTS Writing Task 1: Processes or Flow Charts

This part of the test will test your ability to describe something. Here’s the example describing the stages of a process/procedure.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The following flowchart shows the process students at an English language school go through.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

IELTS Writing Task 1: Describe Bar charts, line graphs, pie charts and tables

This part of the test will test your ability to perform one or more of the following functions in English:

• -          Describe graphic data,
• -          Describe the stages of a process/procedure,
• -          Describe an event/sequence of events,
• -          Explain how something works.

Bar charts, line graphs, pie charts and tables are most frequently given for the test. However, you could also be given an object/series of pictures/diagrams/flow chart to describe.

If graphs are used there may be just one, usually a line graph or a bar chart. However, there could also be more than one of the same type of graph or combination of graphs and charts. For example, you could get a bar chart and a pie chart together (see Cambridge IELTS 1, page 31) or a line graph and a table.

Remember that the length time to do this task is 20 minutes and you have to write at least 150 words. Your performance in Task 1 will be assessed on some criteria:

• -          Task Achievement: follow the instruction properly, write a clear, accurate and relevant description of the information. Focus on the important trends presented as graphic information.
• -          Coherence & Cohesion: organize your writing by using a suitable structure. Use connective words to link sentences and paragraph logically.
• -          Lexical: use a wide range of vocabulary naturally, spell accurately and use appropriate words.
• -          Grammatical Accuracy: use a good grammatical structure accurately and use a variety of sentence structures.

Here’s the example…

The chart below shows how primary, secondary and tertiary students in Britain spend their free time. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. How students in Britain spend their free time (5 or more hours a week).

How to do Task 1: -          Spend about 5 minutes reading the graphs or charts, and preparing your answer. -          Understand what the axis on the graphs or the percentages in the pie charts represent. -          There will be too much info to describe every detail, please focus on the key information. -          If there are 2 graphs/charts look for ways to compare the data. -          Think about the time period and the tenses you must be using. -          Varying your vocab but avoiding repetition by using synonyms. -          Organize your information clearly. Use introduction-body-conclusion. -          Don’t copy phrases from the question. Use your own words. -          You’ll receive a higher mark if you use a wide range of structures & vocab. -          An opinion is considered as irrelevant for this task.

Good luck!

Reference: How to Prepare for IELTS Writing. City University of Hongkong: English Language Center.

IELTS Reading Task: Scanning and Identifying Location of Information, Labeling a diagram which has numbered parts

Scanning and Identifying Location of Information

These questions require you to scan the text to find the location of information. You will be given a set of statements and you need to find the paragraph each one comes from.

Look at the example below.

Questions 1-5

The passage has ten paragraphs labelled A-J. Which paragraphs contain the following information? Write the appropriate letters A-J in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet. NB You may use any letter more than once.

1 Concern that recycling is not profitable.

2 Explanation of why fees for dumping waste should be increased.

3 The best way to deal with garbage.

4 The problem of decaying organic waste.

5 Recycling of automobiles.

Questions 1 - 6

Label the booths at the exhibition.Choose your answers from the box and write them next to questions 1-6.

Oriental vases Korean cabinets Indian rugs Chinese furniture Thai silk Malaysian batik Tibetan prayer rugs Balinese woodwork Oriental art

How to do:

-          Read the instructions carefully,

• - Quickly read the statements to get an idea of what the text is about.
• -  Take the statements one by one. Underline the key words.
• -  Search the text to find where the info is mentioned.
• -  Remember to look for synonyms and parallel expressions.

Labeling a diagram which has numbered parts

In this type of the task, you will be given a diagram and asked to label it with words from the text or labels given.

How to do:

• -  Read the instructions carefully,
• -  Study the diagram and the labels if they are given.
• -  See you can guess any of the answers,
• -  The info will be given in the same order as the numbers on the diagram.
• -  Scan the text to find the info. If labels are not provided, make sure you use words from the text.

Reference: How to Prepare for IELTS Writing. City University of Hongkong: English Language Center.

IELTS Reading Task: Choosing Headings

There are two types of headings questions:  Type 1. Choosing headings for paragraphs or sections of a text. This type of question requires you to sum up the meaning of a paragraph in order to match it to a bank of possible headings. You may be asked to match every paragraph or section of the text or just a selection of paragraphs.  

Criteria in Writing IELTS

In Writing IELTS, there are two tasks that you have to complete. Each task is assessed independently. However, it should be noted that task 2 carries more weight in marking compared to task 1. There is a slight difference between scoring criteria of task 1 and task 2. Check the difference as follows.

IELTS Reading Task: Matching

These questions require you to match a list of opinions to sources mentioned in the text. These questions are used with the texts which present a number of different people’s opinions.

The sources are usually numbered and the opinions are given a letter each. In the answer booklet you write the letter(s) beside the numbers.

There could be more opinions than sources. If so, you’ll need to write more than one letter beside the question in the answer booklet. If there are more sources than opinions, then one of more or the opinions will be used more than once.

Look at the example below.

This example has more opinions than sources.

Questions 1-4

Look at the following writers (Questions 1-4) and the list of their opinions below. Match each person with their opinion. Write the appropriate letters A-F in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any of the writers’ names more than once.

1 Anna Blair

2 Dr Ian Sampson

3 Dean Frazer

4 Jane Langton

List of opinions A Life experience is essential for a writer. B Anyone who has a story can write. C Discipline and organization are just as important as creativity. D A writer has to be content to work alone. E The first novel is the easiest to write. F A good working relationship with ones’ editor is essential for a writer.

How to do:

-          Read the instructions carefully,

-          Take the names of the sources one by one and find them in the text and underline them.

-          When you have located a name, read carefully to see what is said about his/her opinions.

-          Look at the list of opinions and see if you can make a match.

-          Remember that the text is not likely to use the same words as the questions, so look for synonyms and parallel expressions.

-          Be aware that the sources may be referred to in more than one place in the text.

-          The opinions in the task are not listed in the same order as they appear in the text.

-          Phrases like ‘he said’ or ‘in his opinion’ should help you locate the arguments.

Reference: How to Prepare for IELTS Writing. City University of Hongkong: English Language Center.

IELTS Reading Task: Classification Question

These questions ask you to classify information given in the reading text. Classifications are often according to the writer’s opinion or according to a period of time or place. You will be asked to identify a letter which represents one of the classifications for each item in a list of statements.

Look at the example below.

Questions 1 -4

Classify the following statements as referring to

US the United States

J Japan

G Germany

or UK the United Kingdom

Write the appropriate letters in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any answer more than once.

1 The biggest spenders on personal travel.

2 Had the greatest number of international travellers in 2002.

3 Take the majority of their holidays in Western Europe.

4 Employ the most people in the tourist industry.

How to do:

-          Read the instructions carefully,

-          Make sure you know how many classifications there are and what letters you have to use. (e.g. US, J, G & UK in the exercise above),

-          Read the classifications carefully. Make sure you don’t confuse the letters which represent each one.

-          Read the statements/phrases or words beside the question numbers and underline the key words.

-          Start with the first statement and work your way through them one by one, searching the text to find where the info is mentioned.

-          The questions will not necessarily be in the same order as the text and the wording will probably be different in the text so look out for synonyms and parallel expressions.

-          When you’ve located the reference in the text, read it carefully and select your answer.

-          Don’t leave any statements without a letter.

Reference: How to Prepare for IELTS Writing. City University of Hongkong: English Language Center.

IELTS Reading Task: Yes, No, Not Given or True, False, Not Given

These tasks either ask you to identify the writer’s views or claims in the text or identify information in the text.

You will be given a list of statements which are either opinions or facts and you have to decide for:

Type 1: if they are opinions, whether they are the opinions of the writer or not or not given in the text.

Type 2: if they are facts, whether they are true, false or not given in the text.

For the type 1, writer views may not be directly stated, so you may have to work out what is implied.

Try this example below.

How to do:

• -  Read the instructions carefully,
• -  Quickly read through all the statements to get an idea about the topic.
• -  Read the first statement more carefully. Understand the main topic.
• -  Search for the section of the text which deals with the idea or fact.
• -  Once you have found the relevant section, read it carefully. For type 1, if the statement disagrees with the ‘s writers’ opinion, then select ‘no’ and if the author doesn’t give an opinion, then select ‘not given’. Fot the type 2. If the statement is the opposite to the information in the text, then select ‘false’ and there’s no mention of it, select ‘not given’.
• -  Continue with the rest of the statements.

Reference: How to Prepare for IELTS Writing. City University of Hongkong: English Language Center.

IELTS Reading Task: Notes/table/form/summary/flow chart/diagram completion question

There are two types of these completion questions in the IELTS reading:

Type 1. Selection of possible answers.

Type 2. Without a choice of possible answers.

• These questions require you to:
• Insert a word or phrase in the middle of a sentence,
• Insert a word in the middle and another word at the end of a sentence,
• Write words or phrases that are not in sentences,
• Write a letter that represents a word or phrase.

Type 1: The words or phrases provided will be different from the words in the text. There will be more words than gaps.

Type 2: Similar to the short answer questions in that they will tell you to write your answer in NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS. So you can answer with one word, two words or three words but no more.

As with short answer questions: also note that the answers should not require a hyphenated word (e.g. non-smoker) or a contraction (e.g. They’ve).

If the answer requires a number, you can write it as a numeral (e.g. 6) or a word (e.g. six) or a combination (e.g. 6 million).

Try this examples below.

Type 1:

Type 2:

How to do:

-          Read the instructions carefully,

-          Look at the table or form etc carefully:

Examine any headings or subheadings,

Try to get an any idea of the topic,

Decide what section of the passage the exercise covers,

Anticipate grammatical form as well as vocabulary,

If a box of answers is given, see if you can guess any of the

matches & eliminate unlikely answers,

If the question is in the form of a table, work out which way it

is best to read it – horizontally or vertically.

 If the question is in the form of a summary, read through it

first and see if you can guess any of the missing words.

- Take each gap one by one and search the text for the best words to fill the gap.

Remember:

If there is a box of answers, there will be at least two you don’t need.

If there is no box, the answer could be one word, two words or three words but not four or more.

If you think you need more than three words your answer is probably incorrect,

There may be alternative rubrics for these completion questions e.g. ‘complete the noise’ or ‘complete the explanation’ or ‘complete the news report’.

Reference: How to Prepare for IELTS Writing. City University of Hongkong: English Language Center.