Common Errors

on the IELTS
that prevent you from
getting higher band scores
Common Misconceptions
IELTS is easier than TOEFL
Im in level 4 (or lower) and I need a 7 on
the IELTS.
IELTS is accepted at every university in the
US
My writing teacher taught us
Calling it I-LETS

General Errors
Not reading instructions
Not practicing with official answer sheets
Freaking out!
Listening
What is the #1 mistake on the Listening
section of the IELTS Exam?

SPELLING
SPELLING QUIZ
government
environment
their
different
believe
percentage
society
until
definitely
which
nowadays

Commonly misspelled words
According to the Cambridge corpus:

government
environment
their
different
believe
percentage
society
until
definitely
which
nowadays
Other Commonly Misspelled
Words
Months of the year
Especially: February, September, October
November, April

Other Listening Errors
Writing too many words
Writing the first word you hear
-sometimes the speaker corrects
-with multiple choice, you will hear
all the choices
Listening back, not forward

Other Listening Errors
Not studying the questions
Choosing an answer because the words
are the same
Not using the 30 seconds at the end to
check grammar, plurals etc.
Leaving blanks

A few tips
Pay attention if:
they are spelling something. It is often an
answer.
they repeat something. It is often the
answer.

Use shorthand to write your answers while
youre listening. Write the whole word on
the answer sheet.
Common Errors in Reading
Not leaving enough time to complete the
answer sheet.
Reading the whole article first.
Spending too much time on one question.
Not reading the instructions.
- yes / no / not given is not the same as
true / false / not given
-writing too many words
Reading Errors continued
Trying to figure out every word in the
reading and wasting time.
Choosing an answer because it has the
same word in the article.
Not reading titles.
Not knowing the question types.
Not checking grammar in answers (usually
plurals).


Some tips for reading
If you cant figure out a sentence:
-Find the subject(s) and verb(s).
-Ignore adjectives.
-Ignore most adverbs.
-Dont ignore frequency words (usually,
sometimes, always).
-Dont ignore negatives or negative-like
words (almost, nearly, seldom, rarely,
hardly ever, neither, nothing)
Some tips for Reading
Most (but not all) answers come in order.
Learn the types of questions and how to
find the answers quickly.
Read the questions first and underline the
word(s) that answer this question: What
am I looking for? Then look just for that.

Try This Tip
Finding the heading for a paragraph.
1. First read the _______________.
2. Then read the first paragraph.
3. Reread all the choices in the question.
4. Choose the best one.
5. If you cant decide, choose more than one.

6. Now read the second paragraph.
7. Do steps 3, 4, and 5.

Do this for all paragraphs. Lets try it.
Read the headings
HEADINGS:
i. Population figures for China
ii. Assessing Chinas farmland
iii. Global population and the future

Now read one paragraph
The population of the world is forecast to
reach 7.5 billion by 2020, and growing
prosperity, especially in China, is fueling a
rising appetite for meat and cereals. Yet it is
becoming harder to find new farmland, water
is increasingly scarce, and crop yield is
slowing. Already, 167 million children are
starving. Are hungry times ahead?
Common Errors in BOTH Writing
Tasks

Not writing enough words
Overuse and misuse of
transitions.
Not using cohesive devices.
Not answering the question or
questions.

Common Errors in BOTH Writing
Tasks

Not using complex structures.
Making errors with complex
structures.
Reusing the same words over
and over.
Thinking longer is better.

Find the error
1. Kids need direction in life, they cant
make decisions without education.

2. Although women dont generally enjoy
sports, but many watch the World Cup.

3. I strongly agree that the government
should have safety laws. Because they
save lives.

Find the error, continued
4. Despite they are young, they should be
allowed to make their own mistakes.

5. There is a lot of devastation in the
Philippines. Many people have no food
or shelter. Moreover, the US is trying to help.

6. The graph shows the rate of men smokers
between 1960 and 2000. The rate of men
smokers went up until 1995. Then, the rate of
men smokers dropped.

#1 Mistake Task 1 Writing
What is the #1 mistake on
Task 1 Writing?
Answer: not writing an
overall trend.
Other Task 1 Errors
Not spending time studying the graphic.
Not understanding the graphic.
Not having language to describe data.
Describing the graph not the data.
No analysis or summary (mechanical
reporting)
No relationship between 2 data sets


The diagrams below show UK students' responses to the question of to
what extent would they describe themselves as financially organised.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main
features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Source: http://www.unite-group.co.uk/binaries/MungoBlobs-1350377092294.pdf



Very
organised %
All students 21

Age up to 22 years 18
Age 23-25 years 26
Age over 26 years 35
Common Errors on Task 2
Writing

Not using paragraphs.
Not expressing your opinion clearly.
Not exploring both views if required.
Giving examples that dont really
add anything. In my country, I had
a friend who got hurt because he
wasnt wearing a hard hat.
Tips for Good Writing
Take time to read your writing at the end.
Know how long 150 / 250 words is on the
page.
Study the graphic / questions.
Organize your writing before you start.
Be aware of time.
Tip for #1 Error


#1 Mistake on Speaking
What is the #1 mistake on the Speaking
section?
Answer: Not talking for 2 minutes in part 2
The Long Turn
Common Errors with Speaking
Not asking for clarification.
Not using the minute to think of words,
ideas.
Not referring to your notes.
Common Errors with Speaking
Hesitating and pausing.
Silence.
Wrong tense (especially simple for past).
Simple structure only.


Some tips for Speaking
Breathe!
Have emergency language

Tips for Speaking
Be ready with an answer to this question:
Do you work or study?
Practice talking to yourself. On the street.
In the shower.


Try This Activity
Partner A: Describe a time you worked
really hard for something and reached
your goal. Talk for two minutes.

Partner B: Describe a time you worked
really hard for something and you did not
reach your goal.

Resources
ielts-exam.net
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/resources/a
cademicwordlist/
http://www.academivocabularyexercises
.com
Action Plan for the IELTS (Cambridge)
New Insights into IELTS (Cambridge)

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