IELTS Preparation

Preparation Guidelines for IELTS Reading
The original IELTS Reading module is designed to access a candidate's ability to understand the
types of texts, reading books, instruction manuals, leaflets, newspapers etc. he/she will find in the
courses during studying in an English speaking country or during staying there to complete work
experience and training programs or for immigration purposes. IELTS reading test lasts for 60
minutes and question types vary depending on whether a candidate is taking Academic IELTS test
or General Training (GT) IELTS test.
The IELTS Reading test is designed to assess a wide range of reading skills of a candidate
including:
Reading & understanding the theme/ general sense of the reading passages
Reading for the main idea/ gist of the passages
Reading for details
Understand implied meaning / inferences of the passages
Following the development of an argument
Recognizing writer's idea, opinion, purpose
Being able to quickly find a point/ idea
The Reading test would last for 60 minutes and you have to transfer your answers to the answer
sheet within this allowed time. No extra time would be provided for transferring answers. Each
reading passage suggest you to spend approximately 20 minutes but there is no hard and fast rule
for that. You can schedule your time and spent more than 20 minutes on a reading passage while
spending less time on another one whatever approach suits you.
The three reading passages usually have 2,150 - 2,750 words in total and you are advised to skim
through the passages rather than reading line by line. Each correct answer would score 1 mark and
there is no negative marking for wrong answers.
Specific and clear instructions are provided in your test and you must follow the instructions
provided in the exam questions. For instance, if a questions asks you to answer using NO MORE
THAN 2 WORDS, you have to write 1 /2 words as an answer. If you write the correct but the word
limit exceeds 2 words in this case, you won't get any mark.
Sometimes technical terms are used and you should not worry about that. The reading passages do
not test your technical skill but your reading capability. If you can read and understand the topic and
theme, you will be able to answer the technical reading passage (let's say a reading passage on
robotics or fine arts) as well.
The two IELTS reading types i.e. Academic and GT are summarised below:
Academic Reading General Training Reading

60 minutes 60 minutes
40 questions 40 questions
3 readings passages 3 readings
Texts from journals, magazines, Texts from advertisements, booklets, leaflets, manuals,
books, newspapers etc. notices, newspapers, magazines etc.
General interest texts written for Texts related to everyday life, work & general interest
non-specialist audience
Usually 650-1200 words Usually shorter than 500 words
Academic Reading:
The academic IELTS Reading module consists of 3 sections (3 reading passages) with
approximately 40 questions. Total number of questions vary from 38- 42 but on an average you can
expect to have 40 questions. The three reading passages are on topics of general interest and usually
these passages are taken from books, newspapers, journals, publications, research papers or
magazines. At least 1 passage contains detailed logical argument. The reading passages are
sometimes illustrated with diagrams, tables, pictures or graphs and each passage has accompanying
questions. Usually each reading passage has 12-14 questions. The passages vary in length (on an
average 650 to 1200 words) and so does the number of questions on each passage. Questions
sometimes come before the reading passage, sometimes after but generally after the whole passage.
There are a variety of question types with each passage, including:
Multiple choice
Fill in gaps
Short questions
Sentence completion
Heading matching
Table/ flow-chart/ summary/ diagram completion
Identification of writer's views/ claims: yes, no, not given or true/ false / not given.
Classification
Matching lists/ phrases
The Academic reading:

The Academic Reading Module consists of 3 sections or 3 reading passages with approximately
40 questions. The three reading passages are on topics of general interest and usually these passages
are taken from books, newspapers, journals, publications or magazines. At least one passage
contains detailed logical argument. The reading passages are sometimes illustrated with diagrams,
tables, pictures or graphs and each passage has accompanying questions. The passages vary in
length (on an average 650 to 1200 words).
To prepare for the IELTS Academic Reading module browse through the following
preparation and lessons:
Academic Reading Preparation (Part1)
In the IELTS Academic Reading module you will be given 3 reading passages with
approximately 40 questions. Each reading passage is approximately 650- 1400
words long and would have 12- 14 accompanying questions. The passages are
usually taken from books, newspapers, journals or magazines. You will have to
answer all the given questions. When you will study in a University where media of
instruction is English, you will not have enough time to read all the books on the
reading lists. So you must be able to read quickly and to find important and
necessary information quickly and accurately from different sources like books,
internet, reference books, lecture sheets etc. The original Academic IELTS modules
assess how well you are do the same thing. IELTS is not designed to assess your
specialized knowledge about a particular topic. So you should be able to
understand and answer all the reading questions accurately if you prepare yourself
properly. To help you prepare for the IELTS Academic Reading module, this section
of the website has been designed in a chronological order. Follow the steps
presented here and make sure you are prepared enough to sit for the original
IELTS exam.
Following is the summary of the IELTS Academic Reading Test:

Exam Length: 60 minutes / 1 hour
Total Reading Passage: 3 (The total text length is 2,150-2,750 words)
Sources: Reading Passages are taken from books, magazines,
newspapers, journals.
Passage Style: Academic Reading Passages comes with variety of styles
and formats including descriptive, narrative and discussion/
argumentative. Some reading passages come with diagrams, pictures,
graphs or other illustrations. Glossary is provided for the technical terms
used in these passages.
Total Questions: 39-41. In each reading passage, there will be
approximately 12-14 questions with 2-3 different questions sets.
Marking: 1 mark for each correct answer. There is no negative marking for
wrong answer.
Following is the chart of estimated score for the total number of correct answer:
Correct Answer Band Score

39-40 9
36-38 8
29-35 7
23-28 6
16-22 5
10-15 4
4-9 3
2-3 2
1 1
Note: Complete the exam within 1 hour. No extra time would be given for
transferring the answer to the answer sheet. Use a pencil to answer the
questions.
Download Academic Reading Answer Sheet
Procedure of the Academic Reading test:

You usually sit for the Listening exam first and then for the reading exam. So
reading is the second part of the exam on the test day. You will be provided with
the question papers and answer sheet. Specific instructions are provides in the
question booklet and you will be instructed when to start the exam. Please note
that, you are given 10 minutes time for your LISTENING exam for transferring your
answer to the answer sheet. But for the reading module NO EXTRA TIME IS GIVEN
for transferring the answer to the answer sheet. So you must write your answers
directly onto the answer sheet using a pencil. You are given 60 minutes/ 1 hour for
the entire reading test. The test instructions indicate how much time you should
spend on each section of the test and it is usually 20 minutes per reading passage.
However, you are free to allocate your time among the three reading passages
and there is no restriction on that. For instance, you can spend 15 minutes on a
comparatively easy reading passage while utilizing 25 minutes for a harder
reading passage.
Academic Reading Test Question types:

1. Multiple Choice
2. Short-answer questions
3. Sentence completion
4. Notes/table/summary flow-chart/diagram completion
5. Yes, No, Not Given or True, False, Not given
6. Classification
7. Matching lists /phrases
8. Choosing headings for paragraphs/ sections of a text
9. Scanning and identifying location of information
10. Labeling a diagram which has numbered parts.
Note: There are 40 questions in total. Each of the three sections has around 11-14
questions and there are at least two types of questions in each section.
Things you should know about the Academic IELTS reading module:
You must identify the requirement to answer the questions. Find the information
as quickly as possible and answer accurately.
You will not have time to read every word of every passage. So don't try to read
the full passage slowly or read the whole passage line by line.
The first thing to do is to quickly skim through the passage to find out what it is
about in a very general sense.
You must understand the whole passage within 7-8 minutes and then look for
the questions. This will help you to understand what to look for and where to look
for.
Do not spend too long on one passage or questions of one reading passage. Be
specific about the timing. If you can't answer a particular question, leave it and go
to the next question and later come back to the unanswered questions.
IELTS reading passages do not test your technical or subject specific skills. It
tests your reading skill. So if you find a reading passage on a very technical or
subject specific topic, do not worry. Even if a reading passage comes from a
technical subject like robotics, genetics, physics, economics or so on, keep in mind
that that has been designed for non-technical readers.
There is no negative marking in IELTS exam so answer all of the questions.
Sometimes wise-guessing or elimination process would help you answer a
question correctly. But do not go for the guessing or elimination process until you
reach at the last moment of the exam.
Things you should remember about the Academic IELTS reading

module:
Remember that you are reading for a purpose not for pleasure. Don't panic if
there are words you do not understand-you may not need to know the words to
answer the questions provided.
Always look at the passage title and headings when you survey the text, as well
as special print like: CAPITAL, Bold, italic, "quotation", underlined words.
Sometimes these special marking texts contain important information that would
be helpful directly or indirectly for answering questions.
Remember there are no penalties for incorrect answer in IELTS. If you are not
certain about an answer to a question, try to omit the wrong answers first and
then make a wise decision to answer the question.
Check that you have understood exactly what the question wants and that you
have followed the instructions carefully.
Some questions expect the opposite answers and you should always be careful
while answering these types of questions. For instance, the reading passage might
contain information regarding the steps taken to improve employee performance
while the questions would ask for the step which is not taken by an organization to
improve employee performance.
Follow the instruction very carefully. Failing to conform to the instructions would
make your answer incorrect. For example, if a question asks you to write "True" if
the statement is true and you write 'Yes', your answer would be treated as a wrong
answer.
Now you know the basic of Academic IELTS reading and should be ready to
start more comprehensive preparation lesson step by step.
Step 1 :
Survey the whole passage
Look at:
The title of the passage
Section headings
Special prints (CAPITAL, Bold, italic , "quotation", underlined words.)
Any diagram/table/picture/table etc.
Sample Reading Passage .....

From a number of recent studies, it has become clear that blind people can
appreciate the use of outlines and perspectives to describe the arrangement of
objects and other surfaces in space. But pictures are more than literal
representations. This fact was drawn to my attention dramatically when a blind
woman in one of my investigations decided on her own initiative to draw a wheel
as it was spinning. To show this motion, she traced a curve inside the circle (Fig.
1). I was taken aback. Lines of motion, such as the one she used, are a very recent
invention in the history of illustration. Indeed, as art scholar David Kunzle notes,
Wilhelm Busch, a trend-setting nineteenth-century cartoonist, used virtually no
motion lines in his popular figure until about 1877.
Now you can extract the following information from the above paragraph of the
passage:
The title of the passage : Visual Symbols and the blind

Section headings : Not provided.
Special prints : David Kunzle ,Wilhelm Busch,
Any diagram/ table/ picture/ table etc.: Year 1877, and a picture.
Tips # 1: Pay special attention to the Years, date and time. In IELTS reading there
are many questions those simply ask the time or date. And these types of
questions are very easy to answer if you pay attention to the provided year, name,
date and time.
Step 2:
Do not read the whole passage first
It is a mistake to begin reading a passage without first having a reason to read.
There are 3 parts to the Reading Test, and many candidates begin each part in the
same way - by reading the passage. They might read it in detail, or scan it quickly
to find out what the topic of the passage is and to get a general idea of the
contents. However, candidates who do this first have forgotten the need to predict
information. They do not have a good enough reason to read the passage so soon.
Always have a reason to read a passage before you begin to do so. Have a
question in your mind - something you are looking for - otherwise you will not be
managing your time well.
Step 3:
Read The Passage in a Logical Order
The Title of the reading passage should give you a rough idea about the
main topic of the passage. If you do not understand the meaning of the title
or some of the words it contains, it does not matter.
Try and work out the meaning of the title while you continue to read.
The Headings for each section of the passage refer to what is contained in
each section, and where information can be located. They also help you to
predict what the passage is about.
Bold printed words indicate that those words are of some importance. They
can also help you to predict information contained in the passage.
It is said that a Picture is worth a thousand words. Always look at

illustrations, figures, tables, graphs and diagrams that accompany a reading
passage. They often summarise, add important detail, or make information
in the passage more clear.
The Instructions contain important information that you must read. If you do
not read the instructions, you will almost certainly answer some of the
questions in the wrong manner. The instructions may also contain clues
about the information contained in the passage.
What kind of Answers do you need to give? The instructions will tell you. The
kind of answers that are required also tell you more about the information
within the passage. Is the answer a name? a date? a number?
The Example not only provides you with the correct way to answer the
questions, it tells you, in summarized form, more about the passage itself.
You are not wasting time by examining the example and the answer it gives.
Finally, the Questions themselves provide valuable hints about the ideas
contained in the passage as well as specific information to look for on your
first reading.
All of the above should be quickly examined before you read the passage in any
detail. It will make scanning the passage much easier, and will help you to predict
a large amount of information.
Step 4:
Scanning the Reading Passage
Scanning is the method to use when you need to search a page quickly for
information that you require. You may be looking for the general idea of the
information on the page (skim quickly through the information), or you may wish
to scan for specific information. In either case, the method is to sweep your eyes
across the page slowly and smoothly, starting at the top left, and working your
way across and down the page in a wavelike motion as in the illustration below.
Practice scanning by applying the scanning technique to this page and other
pages of writing of your own choice. Did you understand the general idea of the
topics on the page you just scanned? Did you move smoothly and steadily? Do not
read every word and do not rush. You are simply guiding your eyes with your
finger or pen, and picking up information as you go, occasionally stopping for a
moment to read something important that you have found, and continuing slowly
back and forth, across and down the page.
It takes a little practice at first, but it is the best way to move quickly through a
text without getting stuck and wasting time reading a lot of unnecessary
information. You are more likely to find what you are looking for because you will
have covered all parts of the page.
When scanning, guide your eyes across the page by using your first 3 fingers, or
your index finger alone, or even the tip of a pen or pencil. This will prevent your
eyes from wandering about on the page. You can increase your general reading
speed too, by following your finger with your eyes across the page as you read.
Many studies prove how much quicker people read when guiding their eyes across
the page. You might be surprised to discover how much faster you will be reading.
Step 5:
Know where to start looking for an answer
There is usually a logical place to begin looking for the answer to a reading
question. This requires an understanding of the main idea or topic of each
paragraph. You can save yourself a great amount of time if you work out the main
idea or topic of each paragraph in the early stages of your assessment of the
passage.
Finally read around the keywords and phrases.
Now step ahead to learn how to prepare to answer all types of reading
questions.
Question Types: Multiple Choice

There are three types of multiple choice questions in the IELTS reading exam.
1. Where there is one possible answer.
2. Where there are multiple answers for only one mark.
3. Where there are multiple answers and one mark for each.
For these questions you may be given the start of a sentence which you have to
complete with one out of four choices. Or you may be presented with a question
and asked to find two, three or four items in a list of answers.
You could be asked to identify facts or opinions in the texts.
Multiple choice questions can test both your global understanding of the text or
ask you for specific information. This means you will have to make the decision
yourself whether to skim or scan the text.
Type 1 (one possible answer)

Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in boxes 1-3 on your answer
sheet.
1 According to information in the text, asparagine

A is poisonous.
B can cause cancer.
C is harmless unless heated.
D should only be eaten in small amounts.
2 According to information in the text, acrylamide

A has been found in lots of fried food.
B has been found in snacks in Sweden.
C is only found in western cooking.
D is in water.
3 According to information in the text, process foods

A should be avoided.
B are cheaper.
C are full of chemicals.
D are the most tasty foods.
Type 2 (multiple answers for only one mark)

Write TWO letters A-F in box 4 on your answer sheet.
4 Which TWO examples of food is asparagine found in?

A peanuts
B rice
C French fries
D asparagus
E chocolate
F bananas
Type 3 (multiple answers and one mark for each)

The list below gives some of the problems for dieters raised by Dr Jones. Which
THREE of these problems are mentioned by the writer of text?
A Accessible junk food.

B Coffee bars and after-work drinks.
C Partners.
D Stress & emotional situations.
E Saboteurs and false friends.
F Weakened resolve.
Also note that you may be asked to circle ONE, TWO, THREE or FOUR letters.
How to do the multiple choice questions
Read the instructions carefully and check how many letters you need to
circle.
Skim all the questions and the answer choices quickly. As you do this,
Underline the key words (the words that give you the most information).
Try to get an idea of the topic you will be reading about from the vocabulary of
the questions.
Look at any illustrations or diagrams that go with the text.
Go back to the first question. Decide if you are looking for specific
information or whether the question requires you to understand the whole
text. Then either scan or skim the text, as appropriate, to find the answer.
Read the relevant part of the text very carefully.
Dont leave any questions unanswered.
Question Types: Short answer questions

There are 2 types of short answer questions in the IELTS reading exam.
1) Questions
2) Lists
These questions will usually tell you to write your answers in NO MORE THAN
THREE WORDS. So you can answer with one word, two words or three words but
no more. However, this is not always the case, so check the rubric carefully.
For these questions, like the multiple choice questions, you have to apply both
skimming and scanning techniques. Also note that the answers should not require
a hyphenated word (e.g. non-smoker) or a contraction (e.g. Theyve). 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 of a numeral and a word (e.g. 6 million).
Type 1 (Question type)

Answer the following questions using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.
1. How old was Spencer when he did his first degree?

2. Which teacher was instrumental in Spencers success?
Type 2 (List type)

List FOUR reasons for Spencer being a child prodigy.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in
boxes 3-5 on your answer sheet.
3 .................................
4 .................................
5 .................................
Instructions to do the Short Question Answer.
Read the instructions carefully.
Skim all the questions quickly. As you do this:
Underline the key words. Decide what information you need to find in
the text.
Look out for question words like where and who which indicate
You should listen for specific things like places and people.
Go back to the first question and decide what part of the text you need to
read.
Read the part carefully to find the answer.
You may use your own words. You dont have to write a complete sentence
but it does have to be grammatically correct.
Things you should remember:

If you dont know the meaning of any of the words in the questions, look at the
other questions. They might have some associated vocabulary in them to help you
guess the meaning.
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.
Question Types: Sentence completion

There are two types of sentence completion questions in the reading exam.
1) With a selection of possible answers.
2) Without a choice of possible answers.
These questions require you to complete the end of a sentence. The questions
appear in the same order as the information in the text.
Type 2 questions are similar to the short answer questions in that they will always
tell you to write your answers in NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS. So you can
answer with one word, two words or three words but not more. They will also tell
you to use words from the reading passage.
Also note that the answers should not require a hyphenated word (e.g. non-
smoker) or a contraction (e.g. Theyve). Also, 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).
Type 1 (With a selection of possible answers)

Complete each of the following statements (Questions 1-3) with the best ending A-
F from the box below. Write the appropriate letters A-F on our answer sheet.
1 Incorporating organic and inorganic matter

2 Spent mushroom compost
3 Adding potassium regularly
A. makes the soil more alkaline.

B. will help to encourage flowering and fruiting.
C. makes roots stronger.
D. encourages vigorous growth.
E. will help hold moisture in the soil.
F. will improve aeration
Type 2 (Without a selection of possible answers)

Complete the sentences below with words taken from the passage.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 4-6 on your answer sheet.
4. Bulbs should be stored ..........

5. Seeds may deteriorate if exposed to ..........
6. Summer flowering annuals should not be planted until after ..........
How to do sentence completion questions:
Quickly read through all the sentences halves. As you do this
Underline the key words.

Try to work out what information you need.
Think about the grammatical form as well as the vocabulary that should
follow immediately from the stem.
Go back to the first sentence and decide what information you need to
complete it.
Find the place where the information should be in the text and read it
carefully.
Look out for synonyms and parallel expressions because the questions are
not likely to use the same words as those in the text.
Make sure your sentences make sense both logically and grammatically.

For type two, 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.
Question Types: Notes / table / form / summary / flow chart / diagram

completion
These questions ask for specific information.

There are two types of these completion questions in the IELTS reading exam.
1) With a selection of possible answers.

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
For Type 1 questions the words or phrases provided will be different from the
words in the text. There will be more words than gaps.
Type 2 questions are similar to the short answer questions in that they will tell you
to write your answers 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. Theyve). 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).
Type 1
Health Problem --- Food
High blood pressure (1) ...........

& cholesterol
Cancer of the Colon (2) ...........
Heart Disease (3) ...........
Infections (4) ...........
Diabetes (5) ...........
A oats & rice

B honey
C corn & wheat
D spices
E nuts & seeds
F herbs
G oils
Type 2
Complete the notes below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the reading passage for each
answer. Write your answers in boxes 6-8 on your answer sheet.
" Some foods like shellfish, meats and ...6... may cause food poisoning if they
have been infected by ...7.... One of the most common types of food poisoning is
...8... .
How to do these completion questions
Look at the table or form etc carefully:
Examine any headings or subheadings.

Try to get an 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 word(s) to fill the
gap.

If there is a box of answers, there will be at least two you dont 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 notice or complete the explanation or complete the news report.
IELTS Writing Preparation
The original IELTS writing task lasts for 60 minutes and a candidate have to finish
two tasks in that time. It is suggested that a candidate should spend about 20
minutes on task 1 and about 40 minutes on task 2. In IELTS writing task 1, a
candidate is required to write at least 150 words and in task 2 at least 250 words.
The IELTS writing test varies depending on whether a candidate is taking Academic
IELTS test or General Training (GT) IELTS test.
Academic Writing Preparation
There are two task in Academic Writing test. Task 1 and Task 2. In Academic
IELTS writing Task 1, all candidates are asked to describe information presented in
graph, table, chart or diagram etc. and to present the description in their own
words. Candidates are required to write at least 150 words in task 1. Writing Task 2
requires the candidates to formulate and develop a position in relation to a given
prompt in the form of a question or statement. Ideas should be supported by
evidence, and examples may be drawn from the candidates own experience.
Responses must be at least 250 words in length.....
IELTS Writing Preparation: Academic IELTS Writing Task 1 Preparation:
Things you should know about Academic Writing Task 1:
You are asked to describe information presented in graph/ table/ chart/ diagram.
You have 20 minutes to finish the task and you have to write at least 150 words.
If you are asked to use the information presented in the graph you must be
careful not to copy it.
In Academic Writing task 1, candidates are assessed on their ability to:
Organize, present and possibly compare data
Describe the stages of a process or procedure
Describe an object or event or sequence of events
Explain how something works
The general format for writing academic writing task 1 is as follows:

Introduction + Basic/General Trends + Details Description + Conclusion.
The IELTS Academic writing task 1 requires several vocabularies. Each of these
parts has a specific format and therefore being equipped with the necessary
vocabulary will help you to write the task 1 efficiently and will save a great deal of
time. Before you go through the details of how to write Academic Writing task 1,
you must learn the necessary vocabulary and words first to write a better answer.
Well now you know the structure and vocabulary for the Academic Writing Task 1.
Continue ahead.....
Four steps should be followed to write a better Academic writing task 1:
1. What type of presentation it is and what it is asking.

2. Collecting data/information.
3. Essay Planning.
4. Representing in a essay form.
First Step: Analyse

Analyse the question first .Look whether it is a diagram / table /figure / illustration /
graph / figure / chart / flow chart or a picture. Now look what the question is asking
to do. For example, the question might asks to compare, contrast, analyse,
summarize or more than one thing.
Second Step: Collecting data/information
You must collect/ understand the following data and information from the figure.
a) Time: Be sure whether the time presented in the graph/ figure are present/
past/ future or mixture of these three. Your writing has to be in the correct Tense
according to the time presented.
b) Theme: Be sure what the figure/ diagram/ picture is trying to represent.
c) Place and Position: About what place or field the data are all about?
d) Main Point: What's the central idea of the presented graph/ diagram?
e) General Trend: Figure out the General Trend(s).
f) Effects & Result: Find out the effects and results.
g) Conclusion: Plan what you should include in the conclusion.
Example:
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graph below shown the unemployment rates in the US and Japan
between March 1993 and March 1999. Summarize the information by
selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
You should write at least 150 words.
First Step (worked out): Analyse

It is a line graph with 2 lines. The graph is asking to summarize the main features
of unemployment rate.
Second Step (worked out): Collecting data/information

Time: From March 1993 to March 1999.
Theme: Unemployment rates of USA and Japan.
Place and Position: USA and Japan.
Main Point: Unemployment rate has decreased in US and has increased in Japan.
General Trend: Initially unemployment rate was higher in USA than Japan but
over the period USA managed to reduce the rate and in case of Japan the reverse
was true.
Effects & Result: Effects: unknown. Result: as General Trends.
Conclusion: Unemployment rate was higher in USA than Japan but over the
period USA managed to reduce the rate and in case of Japan the reverse was true.
Third Step: Essay Planning

You should make a plan after you are done with the first 2 steps. This step involves
the following orders.
a) Writing a balanced Introduction.

b) Writing a general trend
c) Detailed description of the figure and supporting the description.
d) Describing the results.
e) Writing the conclusion.
How to write a balanced introduction:

The introduction part of a writing is very important hence it reflects your skill of
writing. Readers decide whether to read further or completely avoid the whole
writing after reading the introduction. So in every writing introduction part should
be very organized. In case of IELTS academic writing task 1, you should use the
following structure and vocabularies to write a balanced introduction.
What it is (table/ graph/ chart/ diagram/ picture/ flow chart) + What it does
(presents data/ shows comparison/ summarize / contrast/ give projection or
prediction) + What about (in this case the unemployment rate) + Place (in this
case US and Japan) + Time (in this case 1993 to 1999) + Presentation of X and Y
axis (here X axis represents time and Y axis represent percentage of work force) +
Other relevant information.
Example: The provided line graph provides information on unemployment rates in

USA and Japan from March 1993 to March 1999. Here the bold line represents the
unemployment rate of Japan and the dotted line for USA. In the provided line
graph the X axis shows time with 1 year interval and the Y axis represents
unemployment rate.
How to write a better general trend:

The general trend part should be immediately after the introduction part. It is
recommended to write the general trend parts in the same paragraph with the
introduction. The general trend part should focus the main point of the
presentation and should not be too large with lots of information. However you
should not give the specific figure, time, amount or data presented in the graph,
rather try to use daily life English to make the main reader interested about the
whole writing. You can use phrase like As is presented/ as is observed / in
general / in common etc. to start this part.
Example: As is observed from the graph, initially in 1993 the unemployment rate
of USA was much more higher than that of Japan. But over the 6 years, USA
managed to reduce this rate and the reverse was true in case of Japan where
unemployment rate increased among this 6 years.
How to write an attractive detailed description:

The Detailed description part comes after the introduction and general trend and
should be written in the second paragraph. In this part you should describe the
graph / table / chart / diagram etc. While describing, keep in mind that, you are not
expected to write down all the data provided in the question, rather your ability to
describe the presentation in general English.
The things you should follow in this part :

Use appropriate tense to describe the data.
Use transitional words like: besides, as well as, likewise, in addition, additionally,
again, on the other hand etc. to make your sentences relevant and coherent.
Try to mention the initial, highest, lowest and projection points.
Things you should avoid in this part:

Do not describe all the data and facts presented in the graph.
Don't include your own opinion, imagination or solution.
Don't use contraction (can not=can't, do not =don't etc, will not=won't) in your
writing.
Example: As is presented in the line graph, in March 1993, United States had
about 7% of their workforce unemployed, which might not seem high unless it is
compared to to the unemployment rate of Japan in the same year, where only
2.5% workers were unemployed. However the unemployed rate in USA began to
decrease slowly having a fluctuation till 1996 and reached to around 5%. On the
contrary, the unemployment rate in Japan got an upward trend and doubled in 5
years. The unemployment rate of both countries intersected in the middle of the
year 1998. Afterward the unemployment rate in US remained roughly the same
(about 5%) having a similar ration to that of Japan.
How to describe the results:

If you want to and really need to describe the result of the graph, then write it at
the end of the detailed description. However if writing the results makes
something repeated those has already been described and then you need not to
write the result apparently.
Example: USA managed to decline their unemployment rate from 7% to almost

5% in 6 years but on the other hand the rate has increased in Japan from only
2.5% to approximately 5%.
How to write a good and efficient conclusion:

Conclusion is an important part of the whole writing and that is why you must be
careful to write a better conclusion. The conclusion part of the Academic IELTS
writing 1 is also knows as summarizing. So write down the main point/theme of the
graph in short. You should never include your own point of view, personal opinion
or suggestion to solve a problem in conclusion. In some cases of Academic IELTS
writing task 1, it optional to write the conclusion, hence the data are already
described and summarized before the conclusion. However if you need to write the
conclusion part, use one of the following words to start the sentence:
In conclusion / in short / to conclude / to sum up / in brief / in summery

etc.
Example: It conclusion, the unemployment rate in the USA decreased in 6 years

and the opposite scenario was true for the Japan.
Academic IELTS Writing Task 1 Preparation (Part 2)
IELTS Writing (Academic): Practice 1

First Step: Analyse

There are two column graph given in the question. These graphs should be
described by comparing / contrasting main features and should be presented as a
report to a University Lecturer.
Second Step: Collecting data/information

a) Time : First graph for 1975 and second one for the year 1995.
b) Theme : Comparison of men and women workers in 6 Employment sectors.
c) Place and Position : Freedonia.
d) Main Point : Comparison of men and women employees in respect to the job
sectors.
e) General Trend : Initially in 1975, Men employees occupied most of the jobs in
all sectors.
f) Effects & Result : The number of women employees increased specially in
communication sectors over the 20 years period.
g) Conclusion : conclusion should be a summary of theme, general trend, and
result.
a) Writing Introduction
The provided graphs represent information about the male and female workers of
Freedonia in six different sectors in 1975 and 1995.
b) Writing General Trend

As is observed from the two given graphs, the number of male employees was
larger in all sectors of employment than women but after 20 years this
discrimination had plummeted , specially in banking & finance sector and
surprisingly more women were employed in communication sector in 1995 than
their counterpart.
c) Writing Detailed Description

According to the illustration, almost 600 thousand male were employed in
manufacturing jobs in 1975 and that was almost twice than the number of women
employed in the same sector. After 20 years in 1995, the number of male workers
at the same sector increased to around 700 thousand but the number of women
workers remained almost same as it was in 1975. Again, male workers in banking,
whole-sale & retail trade, defence, public sectors were significantly larger in
number than female workers in 1975. The highest number of workers, both men
and women, worked in public sectors in 1975. In this year in public sector, almost
850,000 were men and 650,000 were female, which is larger in number than any
other sectors. Job sectors like defence, were mostly occupied by men whereas
women were very small in number. In the year 1975, the smallest gap between the
number of male and female workers can be observed in communication sector.
After 20 years, in 1995 the scenario changed remarkably. In this year female went
ahead of male in communication and trade (wholesale & trade) sectors. Also the
different in banking and finance became ignorable. On the other hand the number
of male employees had declined in defence and the opposite is true for women.
The job condition in manufacturing sectors remained almost the same as it was 20
years earlier.
d) Describing the results

Not necessary as it has already been described in Detailed description.
e) Writing the conclusion

In conclusion, it can be clearly observed from the given graphs that, female-
participation in different job sectors had significantly improved and in some
sectors they went ahead of men. You should use as many transitional words as
possible to make the writing coherent. Do not copy the sentences from the given
question. You are expected to write a summary, so you should never write down all
the facts and figures presented in the graph. Never write less than 150 words.
IELTS Writing (Academic): Practice 2

The graph below shows the area of land from which grin was harvested.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main feature and make
comparison where relevant.
First Step: Analise

The given presentation is a line graph. Here X axis represent the time and Y axis
represent the area in Million oh hectors where grain were harvested. The question
is asking to summarize the main features and to make comparison where
relevant.
Second Step: Collecting data/ information
a) Time: Past (1950 to 1996).

b) Theme: Total land in million of hectors where grain were harvested.
c) Place and Position: All around the world.
d) Main Point: World grain harvested area.
e) General Trend: Amount of land increased frfrom1950 to 1980 and then this
amount decreased.
f) Effects & Result: Virgin land program; Doubling the price of grain;
Retrenchment.
g) Conclusion: Not necessary.

a) Writing Introduction
The given line-graph shows the total grain harvested area around the world in
million of hectors from 1950 to 1996 and the reasons why the amount changed.
Here the X axis represent time and the Y axis shows the land area in million of
hectors.
b) Writing General Trend

As is observed from the graphs, total grain harvested area increased until 1980, at
which point there was a reduction due to retrenchment.
c) Writing Detailed Description

According to the illustration,
d) Describing the results

Not necessary as it has already been described in Detailed description.
e) Writing the conclusion

In conclusion, it can be clearly observed from the given graphs that, female-
participation in different job sectors had significantly improved and in some
sectors they went ahead of men.
You should use as many transitional words as possible to make the writing
coherent. Do not copy the sentences from the given question. You are expected to
write a summary, so you should never write down all the facts and figures
presented in the graph. Never write less than 150 words.
Familiarity with these words would be useful in all IELTS Writing test modules.
Common connective words are:
Addition: in addition, and, similarly, likewise, as well as, besides, furthermore,

also, moreover, and, then, too, not only ... but, even besides, this, that etc.
Sequence: first(ly), initially, second(ly), to begin with, then, next, earlier/later,
after this/that, following this/that, after wards etc.
Consequence: as a result, thus, so, therefore, consequently, it follows that,
thereby, eventually, then, in that case, admittedly etc.
Certainty: obviously, certainly, plainly, of course, undoubtedly etc.
Condition: if, unless, whether, provided that, for, so that, depending on, only if,
providing that etc.
Definition: is refers to, means, that is, consists of etc.
Summary: in conclusion, in summary, lastly, finally, to sum up, to conclude, to
recapitulate, in short etc.
Example: for instance, one example, for example, just as, in particular, such as,
namely, to illustrate etc.
Reason: since, as, so, because (of), due to, owing to, the reason, why, in other
words, leads to cause etc.
Time: before, since, as, until, meanwhile, at the moment, when, whenever, as
soon as, just as etc.
IELTS Writing Task 2:
There are different ways of organising an answer depending on the question type.
First paragraph: Introduction

Key technique: Dont begin with your thesis statement.
Never begin an essay with I believe, I agree, or In my opinion in IELTS Writing Task
2. These indicate your thesis statement and should go at the END of your
introduction, after you have introduced the topic and problem to be discussed. As
a rule, start generally and take several sentences to build to your main idea. Note
that the style of thesis statement will vary depending on the question type. Study
the question carefully first to determine if you should give your opinion in the
introduction or in the conclusion.
Introductory sentence: What topic is to be discussed? Recently, there

have been
Narrow the focus: What issue concerning the topic is to be

resolved? However, some people argue that
Thesis statement (opinion essay): What is your opinion on this

issue? This essay will argue that
Thesis statement (argument essay): What will happen in this

essay? This essay will look at both sides of the argument before stating my
own opinion.
Thesis statement (problem/solution essay): What are you going to

write about? The main problems are X and Y and I will propose solutions to
both in this essay.
Hint: You can choose either to write in the first person (I believe...) or third person
(This essay will). The third person sounds more objective and academic.
Hint: Dont include your main reasons or arguments in the introduction, these
should go in each of the body paragraphs.
Body paragraphs
Key technique: Make a paragraph plan
In IELTS Writing Task 2, you will need to write between two and four body
paragraphs. Each paragraph should express one main idea in relation to the thesis
statement (see above) and how you order these paragraphs is also important for
the overall coherence of the essay.
In an opinion essay, if you express a strong opinion (I firmly believe), then all
body paragraphs should support it. However, if your opinion is weak (I agree to
some extent), consider writing one paragraph against followed by two
paragraphs in favour (see hint below).
In an argument essay, it is best to give equal space to both sides of the argument,
which means writing either two or four body paragraphs. If you write three body
paragraphs, i.e. there is clearly a bias towards one side of the argument, make
sure your final opinion is in favour of that side!
In a problem/solution essay, make sure you give equal treatment to all parts of the
question. Two problems and two solutions are enough. It is best not to write about
problems you cant offer solutions to. There are many ways to organise such an
essay. You can write about a problem and its solution in one paragraph or you can
deal with all the problems first and the solutions later.
Once you have decided on a paragraph plan, make sure each paragraph is
organised as follows:
Link to the previous paragraph: First, Furthermore, On the other hand,

etc.
Topic sentence: Describe the main idea of the paragraph in general terms.
Supporting sentences: Use examples or further explanation to support the

claim made in the topic sentence.
Qualifying sentence: Sometimes it is clear that an idea isnt perfect or

there may be exceptions. You can point this out as long as you dont destroy
your main idea completely.
Summarising sentence: If you have included a qualifying sentence, or if

you have written several supporting sentences, consider returning to your
main point by paraphrasing your topic sentence at the end.
Hint: If one of your body paragraphs goes against your main idea, put this
paragraph first so that the remaining body paragraphs flow logically to your
conclusion. The same is true in an argument essay. Discuss the side you dont
agree with first, so that the opinion expressed in your conclusion follows naturally
from what has come before.
Final paragraph: Conclusion

Key technique: Give your reader something to consider.
One habit of IELTS test-takers is to end with a simple summary of their opinion and
main ideas. This is absolutely fine and can add essential extra coherence, but try
also adding some kind of concluding comment. This will leave the examiner with a
powerful final impression of your essay when he or she comes to score it. A full
conclusion should contain:
Concluding signal: In conclusion, In summary, Overall, etc.
(Re)state opinion: In an opinion essay, you can simply paraphrase your

original thesis statement. In an argument essay, this is where you state your
opinion, often using a phrase such as Having considered both sides of the
argument, I believe
Summary: Paraphrase the main idea of each body paragraph in very brief
terms. Never include examples or explanations. These go in the body of the
essay.
Concluding comment: Give the reader something to think about. Highlight

the importance of the issue you have just discussed. Ask the reader to
consider the future consequences if the issue is not resolved. Recommend a
course of action that the reader or society should follow.
Hint: Dont include anything in the introduction that is completely new or requires
detailed explanation. This is also true for the concluding comment. Keep it
obvious. Dont write an idea that you then need to explain.
Useful phrases for IELTS writing task 2.
Listening Preparation
IELTS Listening test takes 30 minutes.You will get approximately 20 minutes to listen to the tape
and answer the questions, and 10 minutes allocated for you to transfer your answers from the
question booklet to the answer sheet......
All candidates taking the IELTS Test do the same type of Listening test, but the version
differs according to the test date.
IELTS Listening test consists of 4 sections, and you will hear the tape only once. No part of
the tape will be repeated. Generally there are 40 questions in the listening module but this
number can vary from 38 to 42.
The listening test becomes more difficult as you progress through the test. Each section is
more difficult than the one before.
IELTS listening section 1 is based on social or real-life situations. For example, everyday
events, such as conversations about accommodation or shopping, or short talks giving
practical information for daily living, travel arrangements, visiting a new city, visiting a new
university campus or making arrangements to go out. This is usually a conversation between
at least two speakers.
IELTS listening section 2 is also based on social or real-life situations where you might
expect to listen in the news broadcast, weather forecast, or a description of college facilities.
This is usually one person speaking.
IELTS listening section 3 and 4 are usually based on education and training situations. For
example, typical situations students face in their courses of study, discussions with tutors or
administrators, introductory, course lectures, a group of students planning a project, or a
tutor and a student discussing career options. This is often a conversation with up to four
speakers.
Your answers need to be legible, i.e., they must be clear and readable. This applies to all the
types of answers you give: letters, numbers and phrases.
You write your answers on the question paper as you do the Listening sub-test, and when it
is completed, you have 10 minutes to transfer them carefully onto the Answer Sheet. Make
sure that each answer is transferred accurately and is legible.
IELTS Listening Preparation Tips:
The voice on the cassette tape reads the instructions on the front of the question booklet.
Read the instructions as you listen to the tape to become accustomed to the speed and accent
of the speech.
Ask the administrator of the IELTS examination to adjust the volume in a suitable level, if
necessary.
You should not open your booklet until you are told to do so.
You must answer the questions provided while you are listening. The questions mostly
follow the same sequence as the information contained in the Listening cassette.
Write your answers directly into the question booklet. Do not write at answer sheet at this
time. You are allocated 10 minutes to transfer your answers at the end of the exam.
Read the question and guess about the upcoming question. That will give you a advantage to
answer correctly.
Use Pencils to write down the answers as you might need to change the answer or correct a
spelling.
Pay special attention to the date, time & spelling of a person's name.
Become familiar with the instructions before you do the test.

Practice listening as much as possible before you do the test.
Listen carefully to the introduction to the test.
Listen carefully to any instructions on the cassette.
Write as much as you want in the question booklet.
Write notes and answers directly into the question booklet as you
When you go to university you will have to interact with many different people in a number of
situations. The IELTS Listening test is designed to reflect some of these real-world listening
situations. The level of difficulty increases through the paper and there is a range of topics and tasks
which test your comprehension skills, e.g. listening for specific information, such as dates and place
names, listening for detail, understanding gist and understanding speaker attitude/opinion. As you
work your way through the Listening units of this website, you will be introduced to a wide range
of IELTS question types and additional exercises to help improve your overall listening strategies.
Listening Test Format

Section 1: A conversation between two speakers in a social or semi-official context.
Section 2: A talk by a single speaker based on a non-academic situation.
Section 3: A conversation with up to four speakers based on academic topics or course-related
situations.
Section 4: A university-style lecture or talk.
The IELTS listening question types vary and focus on a variety of different listening skills. For
instance, some questions involve completing a form, chart or diagram, others require you to select
pictures which represent what you have heard. In addition there are note-taking exercises and
multiple-choice questions. All aspects of the Listening test, as well as additional skills, are covered
in this section. So read each part of this section to be prepared for each type of questions you will
face in the real IELTS listening test.
Necessary skills to succeed the Listening tasks
Orienting yourself to the text.

In order to understand what people are saying, it helps to know what their relationship is to each
other and to you as the listener. The language we choose to use will depend on our relationship to
the other speakers, e.g. we use different language to talk to a family member as opposed to a teacher
or a salesperson. Knowing the context of a conversation also helps us to understand the language
because it helps us to anticipate what the speakers are going to talk about.
Focus on :
Who are the speakers?
Where are they?
Why are they speaking?
Follow-up: Spoken and written language

Make a list of the types of language you hear spoken every day both in your own language and in
English. Divide the list into two columns showing language which is spontaneous or unprepared
and language which was probably written to be read out loud. Then discuss the questions below
with a partner.
What are the main differences between spoken language and language which was
written to be read out loud? Is it harder to understand one than the other?
Why is it more difficult to understand people when they speak on the telephone?
How is this similar to listening to a recorded conversation?
Listening for specific information.

Sometimes when we listen, we are only interested in finding out very specific information such as
dates and times, names or key words. It helps us to understand, if we can work out what kind of
words we are listening for.
Focus on :
What are the key words?
What type of words are they?
Identifying detail.
UNIT3 If someone is describing an object like an umbrella; it is the detail in the description, such as
the colour or a reference to the shape, which allows us to differentiate it from another umbrella. So
we need to listen carefully for the words which describe the detail.
Focus on :
When do we need to listen for detail?
Why is detail important?
Identifying the main ideas.

When we take part in a conversation or listen to other people, we subconsciously separate the
information that we need or that interests us from the rest of what we hear. In other words, we
separate the main ideas from the supporting detail. Sometimes people use an introductory phrase to
attract our attention and to give some clue to the topic.
Focus on:
What are the speakers talking about?
What are the main ideas and how are they developed?
Looking for the original meaning.

People do not always say exactly what they mean. As listeners we must learn to interpret the words
people use as well as their intonation patterns. In this unit, we will investigate some ways of seeing
beyond the surface meaning of spoken language while following a conversation.
Focus on:
What does the speaker mean exactly?
How can we interpret intonation?
Being aware of stress, rhythm and intonation.

Public speakers and lecturers make use of stress, rhythm and intonation patterns, along with
signpost words, to divide their information into 'chunks' of meaning. Learning to recognise these
speech patterns will help you to understand formal spoken English whether you are listening to a
live or a recorded talk.
Focus on:
How do intonation and word stress help us to understand?
The Question Types and how deal with each
1. Multiple Choice
There are three types of multiple choice questions in the IELTS listening exam.
1. Where there is one possible answer. ( Sometimes picture multiple choice)

2. Where there are multiple answers for only one mark.
3. Where there are multiple answers and one mark for each.
For these questions you may be given the start of a sentence which you have to complete with one
out of four or more choices. Or you may be presented with a question and asked to find two, three
or four items in a list of answers.
Look at the examples below.
(Type 1)
Questions 1 and 2
Circle the correct letters A-C.
1 When did John finish the book?
A. on the way to Japan
B. in Japan
C. on his way back from Japan.
2 What did John think about the book?
A. He thought it was funny.
B. He couldnt understand it.
C. He didnt enjoy it.
(Type 2)
Questions 3 and 4
Choose TWO letters A-E.
3 John likes to read novels
A. on his way to work.
B. during his lunch break.
C. on his way home from work.
D. after dinner.
E. when he goes to bed.
4 John would like the library
A. to open on Sundays.
B. to have more magazines and journals.

C. to employ more staff.
D. to have exhibitions.
E. to do some renovations.
(Type 3)
Questions 5-7
Circle THREE letters A-F.
What types of books does John like to read?
A. Science fiction
B. Thrillers
C. Adventure
D. Romance
E. War
F. Biographies
Also note that you may be asked to circle ONE, TWO, THREE or FOUR letters.
How to do the multiple choice questions
Read the instructions carefully and check how many letters you need to circle.
Skim the questions and the answer choices quickly before the recording starts and during the 30
seconds given. As you do this,
Underline the key words the words that give you the most information, such as the wh-
words and nouns.
Try to work out what you are going to hear from the vocabulary of the questions and/or
pictures.
Translate any pictures into words and look for details that are different in the options.
Decide what kind of information you need to listen out for.
Listen to the introduction given carefully.
Answer the questions as you listen. Circle the letters. The information will be given in the same order as
the questions, although it might be expressed differently. Be prepared not to hear the first or even second
answer choices mentioned.
Remember to make notes beside the question if you are not sure of the answer, so you can go back later.
Dont leave any questions unanswered.

Remember:
-- To listen for people correcting themselves when speaking. They may discuss one of the answer
choices and then reject it.
-- To eliminate unlikely answers.
2- Short Answer Question

These questions require general information or specific details which you will find by listening to
the text. There are two types of short answer questions in the IELTS listening exam.
Type 1. Questions
Type 2. Lists
These questions will always tell you to write your answers in NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.
So you can answer with one word, two words or three words but no more. Also note that the
answers should not require a hyphenated word (e.g. non-smoker) or a contraction (e.g. Theyve). If
the answer requires a number, you can write it as a numeral (e.g. 6) or a word (e.g. six) or a
Look at the examples below.
(Type 1)
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS or A NUMBER for each answer.
1 On which day of the week is the museum closed?
2 How old is the museum?

.
(Type 2)
List THREE things which the museum has recently bought.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
3 .
4 .
5 ..
How to do short answer questions
Skim the questions quickly before the recording starts and during the 30 seconds given. As you do this,
Try to work out what you are going to hear.
Decide what you need to listen out for.
Look out for question words like where and who which indicate you should listen for
specific things like places and people.
Answer the questions as you listen. The answers will be given in the same order as the questions
although they may be expressed differently.
You may use your own words.
Make notes beside the question if you are not sure of the answer.
3. Sentence completion
These questions require you to complete the end of a sentence or insert a word or phrase in the
middle of a sentence or one sentence may require a word in the middle and a word at the end. The
sentences may be in a table.
They are similar to the short answer questions in that they will always tell you to write your answers
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-smoking) or a contraction (e.g. Theyve).
If the answer requires a number, you can write it as a numeral (e.g. 6) or a word (e.g. six) or a
Look at the example below.
Complete the sentences below.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
1 Both Hong Kong and Japan have .

2 There are more . .. visiting Japan.
3 Tourists are interested in . and . .
How to do sentence completion questions
Read the sentences carefully before the recording starts and during the 30 seconds given. As you do this,
If the sentences are part of a table, check whether they are horizontal or vertical.
Answer the questions as you listen. The information will be given in the same order as the questions,
although it may be expressed differently. You may use your own words.
Make sure your sentences are grammatically correct.

4. Notes/ table/ form/ summary/ flow chart/ diagram completion questions

These questions ask for specific information. There are two types of these completion questions
in the IELTS exam.
Type 1. With a 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 2 questions are similar to the short answer questions in that they will tell you to write your
answers 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. Theyve). 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). Look at the examples
below.
Complete the table below using the words from the box. Write the appropriate letters A-G against
Questions
(Type 1)
Breed Facts
Pug (1) ..
Scottish Terrier (2) ..
Shih Tzu (3) ..
Great Dane (4) ..
Greyhound (5) ..
A watchdog in Chinese imperial courts

B bred to chase foxes
C status symbol
D police dog
E bred to guard sheep
F appealed to Victorians
G came from the Middle East
(Type 2)
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS or A NUMBER for each
answer.
SOUTH DOWNS DOG SHOW
Date: (6) .
Time: (7) to
Place: (8)
How to do these completion questions

Look at the table or form etc carefully before the recording starts and during the 30 seconds given. As
you do this,
Examine any headings or subheadings.
If a box of answers is given, see if you can guess any of the matches & eliminate unlikely
answers.
Answer the questions as you listen.
Remember:
-- If there is a box of answers, there will be at least two you dont 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 notice or
complete the explanation or complete the news report.
5. Labeling a diagram which has numbered parts

You will be given a diagram and asked to label it with labels given in the listening text. You will
usually be given a box of words or phrases from which to select the labels.
IELTS Preparation
Reading Preparation
o Academic Reading
o GT Reading
Writing Preparation
o Academic Writing
Writing Task 1
Writing Task 2
o GT Writing
Listening Preparation
Speaking Preparation
o Find a Speaking Partner
IELTS Mock Test
IELTS Sample Questions
Reading Sample
o Academic Reading
o GT Reading
Writing Sample
o Academic Writing Task 1
o GT Writing Task 1
o Writing Task 2
Listening Sample
Speaking Sample
Cue Card Sample
Sponsored links
IELTS Speaking Preparation

IELTS Speaking Test: Issues You should know
The Speaking Sub-test takes between 11 and 14 minutes. The Sub-test consists of an interview with
a trained examiner, and is recorded on a tape recorder. However, this recording is made to assess the
examiner and not the candidate.
There are 3 parts to the Speaking Sub-test.

Part 1: you answer questions about your home life or family life, work or study, your interests and
other familiar topics of a general nature to reveal your background. (4-5 minutes).
Part 2: you are given exactly 1 minute to prepare yourself to talk about a particular topic. The
instructions to guide your talk are written on a card given to you by the examiner. Your talk should
last for 1 -2 minutes. The examiner will ask one or two questions at the end. (3-4 minutes -
including preparation time of 1 minute).
Part 3: you have a discussion with the examiner based on themes connected to the topic given in
Part 2. This part of the test requires discussion of more abstract ideas. (4-5 minutes) The interview
is then closed and the Speaking Sub-test is completed. Most of the questions asked in the Sub-test
are scripted; they come from a bank of questions prepared by the test authorities. These questions
are being continually added to and updated.
The Speaking Sub-test Band Score is calculated from a comprehensive checklist of speaking skills
in 4 distinct areas of ability:
Fluency and Coherence Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range and Accuracy Pronunciation
IELTS speaking Topics...
1. Introduce yourself.
2. Describe your hometown. What is special about it?
3. Compare your hometown with another town.
4. Describe your countrys education system. What is your attitude toward this system? Do you
think its effective?
5. Describe the organization you work for. Where is it? What does it do? What is your job function?
6. Describe the process of taking a job in your country.
7. Compare the role of men and women in your country.
8. What is Brain drain? What are the causes and effects of it?
9. Discuss why you would like to visit a particular country. When are you going to visit it and why?
10. Discuss the factors affecting people to have more or less children in your country.
11. Describe a traditional dish in your country. What are the ingredients?
12. Describe the traditional Architecture of your country. Is there something special about it?
13. Compare traditional houses with modern houses in your country.
14. Discuss why you like a special kind of book, music, sports, or film.
15. Give reasons why the divorce rate has or has not increased in your country.
16. Describe a traditional instrument in your country.
17. Describe an important festival in your country. When is it? What do people do then?
18. Describe the ethnic mix in your country.
19. Describe a traditional garment in your country.
20. What is your favourite colour? Why? What is the relationship between the colour of clothes and
the personality of people? What is the relationship with mood?
21. Describe a historical place in your country. Where is it? What is special about it?
22. Talk about mass media, newspapers and their attractions for you.
23. Describe a traditional /childrens/international/card game.
24. Why do people play games?
25. What is your greatest wish/ one of your wishes?
26. What dont you know about your future?
27. Why do people collect things? Do you collect anything?
28. Describe an invention before or after computer. Should the governments support inventors?
Why do inventors invent?
29. What is fashion? Do you follow fashion? Why do people follow fashion? How do people in
your country follow fashion?
30. What is the process of obtaining a driving license/passport/etc. in your country?
31. Describe one of your photos. Where, when and with whom did you take it?
32. Describe the present situation of Tourism in your country. What is the future of Tourism there?
33. Name a book, film, or a piece of music that you like most and say why.
34. Describe IT or a data-bank system.
35. Why always women cook and men do not in your country? Which is a better cook, a man or a
woman? 36. Compare your time with your parents. What is the same and what has changed since
then?
37. How has traveling changed since 100 years ago?
38. Describe your best holiday, party, event in your life. When was it, where and why?
39. Talk about the best present you have ever had in your life. When, why and who gave it to you?
40. In what occasions do people give presents in your country?
41. How do you choose a gift for your friends?
42. What do people do in different seasons in your country?
43. What do governments do in case of disasters? What should they do?
44. Talk about the most populated area in your country. Where is it? What is its population? Why is
it so populated?
45. Describe a competition you have entered. What was your stand?
46. What is the role of public artworks?
47. Describe a city you have visited and impressed you so much. Why was it so impressive?
48. Compare eating habit of people in your country with other countries.
49. Compare a person who has been in a foreign country with someone who hasnt.
50. What is capital punishment? Is it necessary to control crime?
51. What do you think will be the worlds greatest problem in 100 years time?
52. What do you think pastime and hobbies will be in 100 years time?
53. What do you know about the wildlife in your country? Who is responsible for its preservation?
54. What do you know about Global Warming? What is Greenhouse Effect?
55. Shopping: who does the shopping in your home? Do you go shopping? What have you found
difficult in shopping?
56. Describe a child that you know. Who is he/she? Your relation, what does he/she like, and how
has he/she influenced you?
57. School pressure on children. Is there any in your country? What can be done if there is?
58. What was the most interesting (impressing) period of time in your life? Describe it.
59. What do you think about children's school age? Advantages or disadvantages?
60. What time are children considered to be adults in your country?
IELTS Speaking Preparation (Part 2)

Last Updated: Monday, 27 January 2014 12:39
Written by IELTS Mentor
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Part 1: Introduction and Interview on Familiar Topics:
Good morning/afternoon. My name is ................ Can you tell me your full name? Thank you.
Can I see your identification, please?
Thank you, thats fine
Now Id like to ask you some questions about yourself.
Lets talk about your home town or village.
-- What kind of place is it?
-- Whats the most interesting part of your home area?
Lets talk about what you do. Do you work or are you a student?
-- Whats your job? Why did you choose that kind of work?
-- How long have you been doing it?

--Are there things your dont like about it? What are they?
--What subjects are you studying?
-- Why did you choose those subjects? How long have you been studying them?
Family
Do you have a small or large family? How much time do you spend with them? What things do you
do together?
Language
How long have you been learning English? Where did you learn? What is easy/ difficult? What
opportunities do you have to speak? Is it important?
Accommodation
Where do you live? How long have you lived there? What kind of accommodation would you like?
Leisure Activities
What do you do at your leisure time? Do you have a special hobby?why do you think people should
have hobbies?
Daily Routine
Id like to talk about your daily routine. Are all your days the same? Typical day? Typical weekend?
What would you like to change? What is the balance of work/study?
Food
Moving on to talk about food What kind of food do you like? What are typical foods in your
country? Is cooking a mans or womans job? How do you like foreign food?
Part 2: Individual Long Turn
Now Im going to give you a topic and Id like you to talk about it for one or two minutes. Before
you talk, you will have one minute to think about what you will say. You can make some notes.
Here is a paper and pencil for you to make some notes if you wish, and here is your topic.
Describe a teacher who has influenced you. Say where you met them, what subjects they taught,
why they were special and how they influenced you.
Describe a family member who has influenced you. Say how long you have known them, why
they were special, how they differ from the other family members, and how they influenced you.
Describe a story, book, or movie that had a big impact on you. Describe what it was about, what
effect it had and why it was so powerful.
Describe a place you visited that had a big impact on you. Say when you went and how long you
stayed. Describe the impact the place had on you and why.
Describe an event in your life that had a big impact on you. Say when it happened and what the
circumstances were. Describe how it affected you and why.
Describe a friend in your life that had a big impact on you. Say how long you have known him or
her and how he or she affected you.
Describe a person you would most like to meet. Describe this person and state why you would
most like to meet him or her. What effect would the meeting have on you? What would you say.
Describe a time in your life that was difficult. What was the problem? What were some of the
things that helped you to overcome this problem? What did you learn from this experience, and
what advice would you give others.
Describe a time in your life when you helped someone else with a problem. What was the
problem? How did you help the other person? What did you learn from this experience and what
advice would you give others? Would you help in the same way?

Last Updated: Sunday, 22 September 2013 05:46
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Part 3: Two-Way Discussion
Weve been talking about a teacher who influenced you and Id like to discuss with you one or two
more general questions related to this Development in Education
Describe developments in education in your country
Compare the experience of your parents
What changes are coming? National Education
What are your countries aims for education
What is the importance of extra-curricular activities Styles of Teaching
Describe different styles of teaching
What is your preferred method of learning?
Should learners be grouped by ability?
[The topic in Part 3 is related to the topic in Part 2. So if, for example, Part 2 was about a teacher,
then Part 3 might be about Education]
Sample IELTS Speaking Topics
YOU
Describe yourself.
FAMILY
o Describe your family?
o Do you have a large or small family?
o How much time do you spend with your family?
o What do you like to do together as a family?
o Do you get along well with your family?
o Are people in your country generally close to their families?
WORK
o What do you do?
o What are your responsibilities?
o How many hours do you work each day?
o Do you enjoy your work?
o Is there some other kind of work you would rather do?
o If you could change your job or profession, what would you do?
o Describe the process of getting a job in your country.
o Describe the company or organization you work for.
o What is your position?
o What do you like about your job?
o What do you dislike about your job?
EDUCATION
o Describe your education.
o What kind of school did you go to as a child?
o Did you go to a co-educational school?
o What was your favourite subject as a child?
o Who was your favourite teacher?
o What is the education system like in your country?
o Do you think your country has an effective education system?
STUDIES
o What are you studying now?
o What is your area of specialization?
HOMETOWN
o Describe your hometown.
o Whats special about it?
o Where is your hometown located?
o Is it easy to travel around your hometown?
o What is it known for?
o What do people in your town do?
o What are the main industries in your hometown?
o What problems face your hometown?
o What languages are spoken in your hometown?
o What are the advantages of living in your hometown?
o What are some problems faced by your hometown?
o Compare your hometown with another city.
o What are some environmental problems faced by your hometown?
WEATHER
o Whats the weather like in your country?
o Does the weather affect your mood?
o How do rainy days make you feel?
o Whats your favourite season of the year?
o What do you like to do when its hot?
o What do you usually do in the winter?
o How many seasons does your country have?
HOME
o Describe your home.
o What kind of building do you live in?
o How long have you lived there?
WEDDING
o Have you ever been to a wedding?
o Whose wedding was it?
o Where was it held?
o What clothes do people wear?
o Describe the wedding ceremony.
o What sort if gifts do people buy for the bridal couple?
o What kind of clothes did the bride and groom wear?
TRAVEL
o Do you like to travel?
o What kind of places have you visited in your life?
o Which place would you really like to visit? Why?
o Whats the best place youve ever visited?
COMPUTERS
o Do you think computers help society?
o Do you think computers are bad for health?
o How do you think computers have changed the world?
INTERNET
o Do you use the Internet much during the day?
o What do you usually do on the Internet?
o What are some advantages of the Internet?
o What are some disadvantages?
o Do people in your country use the Internet a lot?
o Do you do any shopping on the Internet?
EMAIL
o Do you send and receive email regularly?
o Who do you usually communicate with?
o How often do you check your email?
o Do you think writing email has strengthened or weakened peoples writing skills?
o What are some disadvantages of email?
FRIEND
o Describe a friend.
o How long have you known each other?
o What do usually do together?
o What do you like the most about him / her?
o How often do you see each other?
PLACE
o Describe a place you like to go.
o Why is this place special to you?
o When did you first visit this place?
o Where is this place located?
o What language is spoken here? Do you speak this language?
SMOKING
o What do you feel about smoking in public places?
o Do you think smoking should be banned in peoples homes?
MARRIAGE
o What is the attitude toward marriage in your country?
o Do most young people plan on getting married in your country?
o What are some of the advantages of marriage?
o What are some of the disadvantages?
o Is the divorce rate high in your country?
o Do you think people should be allowed to get divorced?
HOBBIES
o Do you have any hobby?
o What are some of your hobbies?
o When did you first develop this hobby?
o What are some of the advantages of having a hobby?
o How much time do you spend on your hobby?
FILMS
o Do you enjoy watching movies?
o Whats your favourite film?
o Who are your favourite actors?
o How often do you watch films?

Last Updated: Monday, 27 January 2014 12:39
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Preparation for the part 1:
Task description
Section One of the interview is an introduction in which the interviewer will ask you some general
questions about yourself. The questions are often, but not always, based on the CV that you filled
out before the test. This section of the interview aims to be like a friendly conversation in which the
interviewer asks questions that are not too difficult, to try to get to know you and relax you.
Sample questions
Prior to the test, you will be asked to fill in a CV (Curriculum Vitae) which will ask for
general information about topics such as the following:
Your country of origin
Where you learned English
How long you have been learning English
Level of education achieved
Interests and future plans
The first section of the test will go something like this:
The interviewer greets the candidate and introduces himself or herself.
The interviewer asks the candidate to state his or her name clearly for the cassette.
The interviewer asks to see the candidates passport and CV form.
Typical questions for this stage of the test might be:
It says on your CV that you are interested in
Could you tell me why do you like it?
How often do you ?

With whom? Where?
Why are you taking the IELTS test?
Is this your hometown?
If not:
Tell me about the place you come from.
Would you rather live here or there?
Tell me how the public transport system in your hometown compares with here.
If yes:
What do you like about living here?
Are there any bad points about this place?
Strategies for approaching the task
Firstly, you should be very careful what you write on your CV as this could be the basis for the
discussion in this part of the test and may influence the interviewers choice of topics for the second
part of the test as well. Remember that one of the aims of this section is to get you talking freely so
that the interviewer can assess your level of English. The interviewer wants you to talk about
something you are interested in so that you will perform your best. It is for this reason that you are
asked to write down some information about yourself that the interviewer can use as a basis for the
questions.
One question on the CV asks you to write down your interests. Make sure that you are prepared to
talk about the interests you write down here. For example, if one of your interests is scuba diving,
make sure that you learn the vocabulary you need to discuss this topic in English before the test.
And check the pronunciation with a native speaker of English if possible. One candidate wrote
down that she was interested in the environment, though in fact, she knew nothing about
environmental issues. The interviewer, thinking that this would be a good topic to get the candidate
talking freely, began to ask question after questions about the candidates views on various issues
related to the environment. The candidate didnt have the language to cope with the questions and
also didnt have any ideas to express about the issues. So instead of the candidate feeling relaxed
from the beginning of the interview talking about a familiar topic, she felt very uncomfortable and
may not have performed as well as she could as a result.
So choose carefully what you write down on the CV and prepare the language you will need to
discuss these topics before the test. This does not mean that you should memorise a speech as the
interviewer will immediately change the topic if s/he thinks that what you are saying is rehearsed. It
would be more useful to find people with whom you can practice speaking about the topics.
You should also be prepared to use the past, present and present perfect tenses to describe your
current situation. For example, I have been studying English for two years since I moved to the
city.
Task description
In this section the interviewer will move onto one or more topics of general interest. You may need
to speak longer (take longer turns) than in the first section and you may need to describe or explain.
Sample questions
It is not possible to predict what topics may be discussed at this point in the interview;
however, some standard topics are:
Traditional or modern buildings in your country
Tourism and tourist sites
Celebrations and cultural activities
Family and family relationships
Schooling and the education system in your country
City and country living
Modern and traditional lifestyles
If the interview does not take place in your country of origin, you may be asked to compare your
countrys architecture, level of tourism, culture etc with those of the country you are living in.
What is being tested is your ability to:
Take longer turns in a conversation
Give information involving description and explanation
Carefully consider what you know about each of the topics above. Try to think of all the questions
that someone who was trying to get to know you might ask, and make sure that you have all the
vocabulary you need to discuss the topics in depth. Check and practice the pronunciation of any
new vocabulary. Where there are contentious issues, try to develop an opinion.
You will perform better in the IELTS interview if your speech is fluent. And youre likely to be
more fluent if you have already thought about the topic and have some ideas to express. This
doesnt mean memorizing or rehearsing a speech because you can never be sure exactly what the
questions will be, and also the examiner will immediately ask a different question if s/he suspects
that your answer is memorized.

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Task description
Section three is like a role play. The examiner will explain a situation to you and then instruct you
to ask questions to find out more information. The examiner will give you a card with around six
question prompts to help you make the questions. You should use the question prompts to ask all the
questions on the card. Be ready to ask additional questions if the examiner invites you to, or if the
examiner looks expectantly at you after you have asked all the prompted ones.
Use a question form correctly
Use a variety of question words
Ask questions politely
Sample questions
The examiner says:
I have just enrolled in a new course. You want to find out about the course. Look at this card
carefully and when youre ready begin to ask your questions.
Interview card
The interviewer has just enrolled in a course. Ask the interviewer some questions to
find out about the course.
Title of course?
How long?
Location?
Purpose?
Cost?

Before the test, you need to practise making correct questions using a variety of question words
appropriate to the situation. You also need to practise making your questions polite. There are two
main ways to do this.
1. Use an introductory sentence politely, asking the interviewer to give you the information. For
example:
Marianne, Id like to ask you some questions about your course, if thats all right.
(Interviewer responds by nodding agreement or saying Certainly. Whats the name of the course?)
2. Use embedded questions. For example:

Could you tell me the name of the course, please?
Notice that with embedded questions we use the statement word order, not:
Could you tell me what is the name of the course?
You will be given a cue card/topic to speak 2-3 minutes about it.
IELTS Speaking... Cue Card
Describe a book that has had a major influence
on you.
What is the name of that book and who is the author?
How you first heard of it?
What is that book about?
Why it played such an important role in your life?
Try to speak spontaneously and give as much information possible about the topic.
Task description
Using your CV as a starting point, the interviewer will ask you about your future plans. The
interviewer will aim to involve you in a discussion exploring possible problems, your concerns,
your expectations, your hopes and possible steps to achieving your goals.
Sample questions
It is not possible to predict what questions will come up at this point in the test except that you
know that the topic will be your future. The questions will be drawn from your CV, or from what
the examiner has learned about you in the earlier sections of the interview, and most will arise
naturally from the discussion and the information you are giving as this section progresses.
Give in-depth answers to questions about your future
Use the language of speculation
Explain and defend your actions, plans, assumptions, predictions, reasons etc.

Carefully consider your future plans before the test. If you havent definitely decided what career
path you will follow, then choose one plan to talk about in the interview. For example, if you
havent decided whether you want to be an astronaut or a business man, choose one whichever
you think is the easier to talk about and dont bother to mention the other at the interview.
Prepare all the vocabulary you will need to discuss that career path, especially the steps you will
need to take to reach your desired position and how you would overcome any possible problems. Be
prepared to use conditional sentences to discuss, for example, what you will do if you achieve your
goal or you cannot achieve your goal; for example:
If I cant go to an Australian university to study, I will have to work in my parents business.
Be prepared to use perfect tenses to explain how you got to the situation you are in now. For
example:
Interviewer: How did you decide to become an engineer? Candidate: Well, Id (or Ive) always
been very good at math, so after finishing high school I
Be prepared to speculate about the future:

I hope to
Im hoping to
Id like to
If possible Id like to
I plan to
Ive always dreamed of
I assume that
Im assuming that
I expect that

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Prepare for the Following Frequently Asked Questions in the IELTS Speaking Test....
Part 1
- Please come in. Why don't you take a seat?
- First, let me have. a look at your passport. It is for security purposes.
- Good. What's your full name?
- And you are (nationality of the candidate).
- Which part of your country do you come from?
- Describe your home town to me.
- When choosing a place to live, what do you consider most important?
- What do you like or dislike about living in your town or city?
- What changes would make your home town more appealing to people of your age?
- Would you prefer to live in a traditional house or in a modern apartment?
- Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which one do you
prefer?
- Some people are always in a hurry to go to places and get things done. Other people prefer to take
their time and live life at a lower pace. What do you prefer? Do you work at the moment?
- What are the best things about where you work?
- What do you dislike most about your work?
- Where do you come from? Tell me about your country.
- What is your general opinion about your home town?
- What are the things of interest in that place?
- Do you live with your family?
- What do your parents do?
- Would you like to do the same job as your parents?
- Do you have a large or small family?
- Who does most of the shopping in your family?
- Do you enjoy shopping?
- Do you work at the moment?
- Have you ever had any other jobs?
- How will IELTS help you in the future?
- What are your main interests?
- What other indoor activities do you enjoy?
- How would you describe your life style?
- What is life like for you in your home town?
- Are you married?
- Are you happy with your marital life?
Part 2
Discuss points about life in your country. You should mention:
- What you like or dislike about it?

- What the biggest social problem of your country is?
- What you would regard as the most significant events in your country's recent history?
Try to discuss points about marriage ceremony. You should include:
- What happens at a typical wedding ceremony in your country?

- How is it different from a typical wedding in Britain?
- Do you have any memories of .your / your friend's wedding ceremony?
Part 3
- Do you think that people and situation have changed since you were born?
- How and in what respects?
- What are some of the main industries in your country?
- How serious is unemployment in your country?
- What do you consider as the main cause?
- What role does religion have in everyday life in your country?
- Compare the media now with how it was a generation ago.
- What kind of effects do the media have on children and young people?
- Can you tell me about your childhood?
- Can you remember a toy you were given when you were a child?
- Who gave it to you? And what was the occasion?
- What did you do with the toy?
- What do you think you can learn from your toy?
- Do you think there is a difference between toys chosen by females and males?
- This is the end of your interview. Thank you and good bye.
- What roles do men / women typically play in families in your country?
- How different is your life from the lives of your parents / grandparents?
- How have these roles changed recently?
- Entertainment is a very important part of our lives. Most people listen to the radio or watch
television. How did people entertain themselves before these things came into existence?
- Do you think radio and television have had a positive effect on the world?
- Has television stopped family members from communicating with each other?
- Is there too much violence on television these days?
- Does violence on television or on video contribute to violence in society?
Thank you and good luck.
Sample IELTS Speaking Topics
SHOPPING
o Do you enjoy shopping?
o How do you feel about shopping?
o Do you like shopping on the Internet?
o Do you have any favourite stores?
o What dont you like about shopping?
o Which is the most popular place to shop in your hometown?
SPORTS
o Do you like sports?
o Do you enjoy watching sports?
o Do you enjoy participating in any sports?
o Which sports are most popular in your country?
o Whats your favourite sport/
o When did you first become interested in sports?
o How often do you participate in sports?
o What equipment do you need for your favourite sport?
FOOD
o What are some of your favourite foods?
o What foods are popular in your country?
o What are some of the famous dishes of your country?
o Do you enjoy cooking?
FESTIVAL
o Whats the most important festival in your country?
o How do people celebrate this festival?
o What special food is associated with this festival?
o What special activities are associated with this festival?
o What do you enjoy most about this festival?
o Do you think festivals are important for a society?
TELEVISION
o Do you watch television a lot?
o What do you usually watch on television?
o How many hours of television do you usually watch?
o What are the most popular shows in your country?
o What kind of shows do you like to watch?
o What are some advantages of television?
o What are some of the disadvantages of television?
o What did you last watch on television?
o Why do you think certain TV shows are so popular?
TOURISM
o Which places would you recommend to a visitor to your country?
o Do a lot of tourists visit your country?
o What do they usually do there?
o How has tourism changed your country?
o Is your country expensive for most tourists?
o What are some famous landmarks in your country?
DAILY ROUTINE
o Describe your daily routine.
o What do you usually do?
o What do you do on the weekend?
o What is your typical weekday like?
o Does your life change much from week to week?
o Do you have any free time during the week?
YOUR COUNTRY
o Describe your daily routine.
o What do you usually do?
o What do you do on the weekend?
o What is you typical weekday like?
o Does your life change much from week to week?
o Do you have any free time during the week?
CLOTHES
o What type of clothes do you like to wear?
o What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear?
o How important is fashion to you?
o What kind of clothes do you dislike?
o Do you think people behave differently in different kinds of clothes?
o What kind of clothes do people wear to work in your country?
o Are clothes expensive in your country?
GOING OUT
o Do you like going out or staying at home?
o What do you like to do when you go out?
o How often do you go out?
o Do people in your country go out a lot?
o How and where do people in your country usually socialize?
o What kind of entertainment is popular in your country?
GAMES
o Do you enjoy playing any games?
o What kind of games do you play?
o Do you think adults should play games?
o What do children learn from games?
o What kind of games did you play when you were a child?
o What games are popular in your country today?
o What kind of games were popular when you were young?
o Do you think mental games like chess are good for you?
COLOURS
o Do you have a favourite colour?
o What are your countrys colours?
o Do you think colours affect our moods?
o Can you learn anything about a person from the colours he / she likes?
o Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were a child?
MUSIC
o Do you like music?
o What kind of music do you like?
o When do you usually listen to music?
o What kind of music did you like when you were younger?
o What kind of music is popular in your country?
o Do you play any musical instruments?
o Do you wish you could play any musical instruments?
o Which is your favourite instrument?
Try to speak in English as much as possible with friends, family members and Teachers. Without
making the habit of speaking, it's really impossible to get a good score in the Speaking part of the
IELTS.

IELTS Preparation

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IELTS Preparation

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Preparation Guidelines for IELTS Reading

Reading for the main idea/ gist of the passages

Reading for details

Understand implied meaning / inferences of the passages

Following the development of an argument

Recognizing writer's idea, opinion, purpose

Being able to quickly find a point/ idea

Academic Reading General Training Reading

3 readings passages 3 readings

Usually 650-1200 words Usually shorter than 500 words

There are a variety of question types with each passage, including:

Table/ flow-chart/ summary/ diagram completion

Matching lists/ phrases

The Academic reading:

Academic Reading Preparation (Part1)

Following is the summary of the IELTS Academic Reading Test:

Correct Answer Band Score

Download Academic Reading Answer Sheet

Procedure of the Academic Reading test:

Academic Reading Test Question types:

Things you should remember about the Academic IELTS reading

Sample Reading Passage .....

The title of the passage : Visual Symbols and the blind

It is said that a Picture is worth a thousand words. Always look at

Academic Reading Preparation (Part2)

Finally read around the keywords and phrases.

Question Types: Multiple Choice

You could be asked to identify facts or opinions in the texts.

Type 1 (one possible answer)

1 According to information in the text, asparagine

2 According to information in the text, acrylamide

3 According to information in the text, process foods

Type 2 (multiple answers for only one mark)

4 Which TWO examples of food is asparagine found in?

Type 3 (multiple answers and one mark for each)

A Accessible junk food.

How to do the multiple choice questions

Read the relevant part of the text very carefully.

Dont leave any questions unanswered.

Question Types: Short answer questions

Type 1 (Question type)

1. How old was Spencer when he did his first degree?

Type 2 (List type)

Instructions to do the Short Question Answer.

Read the instructions carefully.

Skim all the questions quickly. As you do this:

Read the part carefully to find the answer.

Things you should remember:

Question Types: Sentence completion

Type 1 (With a selection of possible answers)

1 Incorporating organic and inorganic matter

A. makes the soil more alkaline.

Type 2 (Without a selection of possible answers)

4. Bulbs should be stored ..........

How to do sentence completion questions:

Read the instructions carefully.

Quickly read through all the sentences halves. As you do this

Underline the key words.

Things you should remember:

Academic Reading Preparation (Part3)

Question Types: Notes / table / form / summary / flow chart / diagram

These questions ask for specific information.

1) With a selection of possible answers.