Gateway to IELTS

Tips for a band score of 8

Arundathie Abeysinghe

GATEWAY TO IELTS

Preface

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the world’s most

popular English Language Proficiency Test. The Test is used to assess

candidates for higher education and migration purposes. IELTS is recognized by

Higher Education Institutes including universities, employers and professional

bodies in the world.

Since 1989, IELTS has helped millions of people to study, work and live in

English speaking countries.

IELTS Test Papers are developed by leading language experts and proficiency in

all four skills of language learning Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking are

assessed in the Test.

I have been teaching IELTS for the past 15 years; coaching students in various

institutes and I have helped extra weak students devoting extra time individually

also. They have asked me the same questions “How can I score well in IELTS?”

“How can I succeed and get a band 7?” “Will I be able to get the required band

score at the IELTS exam?” “What is the quickest method to pass the IELTS

exam?” The majority of students I have taught want a simple answer, a “short

and quick path” to succeed at the IELTS exam. But there is no such quick and

easy path to succeed at the IELTS exam.

It is necessary to prepare for IELTS over a long period of time as this is a

language exam. Do a few papers in all four modules and check your score. If you

have a score such as 5 or 5.5 or lower it means you have to practice a lot over a

long period of time.

GATEWAY TO IELTS

Scores in the IELTS Test are marked out of 40 and are converted to IELTS 9

band score.

The Test is designed to reflect the type of language used in daily usage in

English Speaking countries with variations of English Language accents such as

British, Australian and American.

Speaking Test is a type of real-life conversation to communicate effectively with

native English speakers in English Speaking countries.

Before sitting and preparing for the IELTS Test it is necessary to choose the Test

you have to sit. If you are planning to attend a university for undergraduate or

graduate studies it is necessary to sit the Academic Test. If you are planning to

migrate or work in an English Speaking country, you have to sit the General

Training Test.

In the Academic Test language necessary for a university degree, undergraduate

or graduate is the focus of the text whereas for the General Training Test the

language used in a work related environment is the focus.

Listening and Speaking Tests are the same for both Academic and General

Training Tests.

There is no break between each test. You have to answer all three tests one after

the other on the same day.

Speaking Test is held on another day.

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IELTS – Paper based test

If you select the Paper based test, you have to answer Listening, Reading and

Writing test as a paper version.

IELTS – Computer based test

If you select the Computer based test, you have to answer Listening, Reading

and Writing test on a computer.

For both tests, the Speaking Test is conducted as a one-on-one with a certified

examiner.

Listening, Reading and Writing tests, the Paper based test or Computer based

test are conducted on the same day. The Speaking Test will be held either a few

days before or after the Listening, Reading and Writing Test date.

Improving listening, reading, writing and speaking skills are equally important

in the IELTS exam. Fluency and pronunciation are important for the Speaking

Test. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with the test format, seek help from a

qualified instructor (if you are not fluent in English), use Official IELTS

practice materials to prepare for the exam and check your progress weekly

before registering for the exam. Preparing for all four skills listening, reading,

writing and speaking are equally important. Pay special attention to areas you

are weak, for example, if you are weak in the Listening Test practice more

listening materials.

IELTS exam needs thorough preparation. It is not an exam that can be done by

studying or preparing overnight. You have to practice test materials for

sometime before attempting to sit the exam.

At least a period of 6 – 8 weeks is necessary to prepare for the IELTS exam. It

is necessary to focus on test structure, reading speed, basic grammar, writing

skills and speaking skills before attempting the exam. You should also have a

range of vocabulary and you should know how to use them in context.

GATEWAY TO IELTS

It is necessary to prepare for the IELTS exam focusing on the score necessary.

For example, you may need a band score of 7 for migration in the General

Training Test or you may need a band score of 8 in the Academic Test if you are

preparing for higher studies. Hence, it is necessary to prepare for the band score

necessary for your purpose whether it is for migration, working purposes or for

higher studies. .

I have explained in the following pages how to prepare and I have included

examples and tips to get the required score. Do not attempt to sit the IELTS

exam without preparing for it well.

Remember to write your answers in the Reading Test on the answer sheet. There

is no separate time to transfer answers to the answer sheet in the Reading Test.

You will not receive marks for what you have written on the question paper. You

must write answers in the answer sheet in pencil.

GATEWAY TO IELTS

Table of Contents

1.1 IELTS Test modules ........................................................................................ 12

1.2 Tips for preparing ............................................................................................ 12

1.2.1 Prepare for all four modules ............................................................... 12

1.2.2 How to succeed at the IELTS exam ................................................... 13

1.2.3 How to practice effectively ................................................................ 13

1.2.4 Your attitude and attempt ................................................................... 15

1.2.5 Your handwriting is important ........................................................... 17

1.2.6 Spelling and grammar are important .................................................. 17

1.2.7 Understand the test format ................................................................. 18

1.3 How to improve your score ............................................................................. 18

1.3.1 Speaking ............................................................................................. 18

1.3.2 Listening ............................................................................................. 19

1.3.3 Reading ............................................................................................... 20

1.3.4 Writing ............................................................................................... 20

2.1 Speaking Test ................................................................................................... 22

2.2 What is tested in the Speaking Test? ............................................................... 22

2.3 Sections of the test ........................................................................................... 23

2.3.1 Speaking Part One Questions ............................................................. 24

2.3.2 What will be asked? ........................................................................... 25

2.3.3 What will be asked? ........................................................................... 26

GATEWAY TO IELTS

2.4 Tips to score well ............................................................................................. 26

2.5 Tips for answering a sample speaking topic .................................................... 33

Sample answer: .................................................................................................... 33

2.6 Tips to score well in Part 3 .............................................................................. 41

2.6.1 Types of questions .............................................................................. 41

2.6.2 Structuring the speech ........................................................................ 44

3.1.1 What does it assess? ........................................................................... 57

3.1.2 Time duration ..................................................................................... 58

3.1.3 Academic Reading Test ..................................................................... 58

3.1.4 General Training Reading Test .......................................................... 58

3.2 IELTS Reading strategies ................................................................................ 59

3.3 Key reading skills ............................................................................................ 60

3.3.1 Three reading skills ............................................................................ 60

3.3.2 How to use these skills ....................................................................... 63

3.3.3 How to answer True, False and Not Given Questions ....................... 67

3.4 Difference between IELTS Academic Reading and General Training Reading

............................................................................................................................... 73

3.5 Advice for the Reading and Listening Tests .................................................... 73

4.2 Tested areas...................................................................................................... 78

4.2.1 Task Achievement .............................................................................. 78

4.2.2 Coherence and Cohesion .................................................................... 78

4.2.3 Lexical resource ................................................................................. 78

4.2.4 Grammatical range and accuracy ....................................................... 79

4.3 Task One of Academic Test............................................................................. 80

GATEWAY TO IELTS

4.3.1 Charts in Writing Task One ............................................................... 81

4.3.2 Types of Charts in Writing Task One ................................................ 81

4.3.3 Overall structure of the writing task ................................................... 82

4.4 Task two of the writing task ............................................................................ 82

4.4.1 How to plan the time and content ....................................................... 84

4.4.2 Structure of the essay ......................................................................... 86

4.5 Tips for Academic and General Training writing tasks ................................... 87

4.6 Tips for improving writing skills ..................................................................... 89

4.7 Tips for IELTS General Training - Writing Task 1 ......................................... 90

4.8 How to achieve a higher score in IELTS Writing Tasks? ............................... 92

4.8.1 What is an overview? ......................................................................... 92

4.8.2 How to select the most important points? .......................................... 92

4.8.3 Structure of the writing task ............................................................... 93

5.2 Importance of Signposting Language for IELTS Listening .......................... 102

5.3 Labeling a map............................................................................................... 103

5.4 How to answer Multiple Choice Questions ................................................... 107

5.5 How to answer sentence completion questions ............................................. 110

Answers – Listening Tasks .................................................................................. 113

Answers – Reading Task ..................................................................................... 114

Bibliography ........................................................................................................ 115

GATEWAY TO IELTS

Acknowledgement

I dedicate this book to my late parents. I wouldn’t have been what I am today if

not for their guidance from childhood up to now. My mother (although not a

teacher by profession) taught me the ABCs of the English Language from the

age of three onwards. My father taught me to wield my pen articulately as a

journalist and reach millions of readers in Sri Lanka and worldwide. Until his

death, he guided me even when I wrote my dissertation for my postgraduate

degree. Hence, I am indebted to them for their guidance from childhood.

I am grateful to my son Aditya who was my critic from his childhood up to now.

When I wrote my first book on English Language (he was only 10 years old at

that time), he added his ideas and I was able to make my book a success. In this

book too, he guided me on different aspects. He designed the book well, adding

illustrations and doing the layout.

I am grateful to my husband Lionel for encouraging me to burn midnight oil and

write this book till wee hours.

I must mention about my students too as I got the inspiration to write this book

from them. Many of them encouraged me to write this book. By teaching them

for many years I saw their knowledge, dedication, hard work and struggles to get

the necessary score at the IELTS exam.

Hence, I thought I would write this book to serve millions of students worldwide.

GATEWAY TO IELTS

To my parents who showed me the light of

life

To my students who prompted me to write

this book

GATEWAY TO IELTS

Chapter 1 - Introduction

In this chapter you will learn about:

• IELTS Test Modules

• How to prepare for all four modules

• How to succeed at the IELTS exam

• How to practice effectively

• How to alter your attitude and attempt to succeed

• How to improve the score

IELTS TEST MODULES

12

1.1 IELTS Test modules

IELTS Test consists of four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing and

Speaking. Proficiency in all these sections is tested at the IELTS exam.

Listening, Reading and Writing are paper based (or computer based) sections of

the test. Speaking test is conducted face to face with a trained IELTS examiner.

Speaking test is considered as the most effective way to assess a candidate’s

speaking skills.

1.2 Tips for preparing

1.2.1 Prepare for all four modules

When preparing for IELTS, prepare for all four modules. Certain students

prepare for one or two modules. But all four modules are equally important in

the IELTS exam. For example, certain students like the Speaking and Listening

modules only. Hence, they prepare only for these modules. But it should not be

so as all modules are equally important and you have to score equally in all four

modules.

Prerequisites

There are no tricks or shortcuts to pass the IELTS exam. Before

attempting to prepare for IELTS, you must have a good knowledge

of the English Language; knowledge of grammar, a good

vocabulary, writing skills and speaking skills. You should practice

at least two tasks daily for a certain period, focusing on your weak

areas more. For example, if you are weak in speaking or listening

you must devote more time to practice these modules than other

modules.

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1.2.2 How to succeed at the IELTS exam

IELTS is a specific language exam and to get a band 8 in IELTS you should be

able to score well in all four skills of language learning: Speaking, reading,

writing and listening. Although, there are no quick and easy methods, you can

practice for a certain period to score well. You have to work hard to improve

your score. You should know your current level in all four sections of the

IELTS exam before starting to practice. For example, if your score is 5, you

cannot expect to get a band 7 within one month. Instead, you have to devote

75% of your time to practice. This means at least 30 – 45 minutes a day has to

be devoted to practice more effectively.

1.2.3 How to practice effectively

Devote your time each day for a specific task. For example, you can do

speaking and writing one day and listening and reading on the next day. Get a

speaking partner or ask a friend or family member to act as an examiner.

Making mistakes is fine at the beginning, it is necessary to build up confidence

and fluency. Record your speaking task and check your pronunciation. Get help

from a qualified instructor who can correct your mistakes and guide you well.

Listen to podcasts, English songs and radio news. Watch English movies

without subtitles. There are students who watch news and watch movies daily.

Their listening skills are very good. Try to speak with your colleagues in

What is being tested?

IELTS exam tests your English Language ability. If you can

speak, read and write English Language well, you can practice

the IELTS techniques and score well. But the majority of students

are not competent in the English Language. Hence, they need to

practice for a long time before sitting the exam. But practicing

IELTS only, becomes monotonous. For example, writing essays

or describing graphs (tasks in IELTS Academic Writing Module)

become monotonous for many students.

IELTS TEST MODULES

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English. If you have the opportunity to interact with foreigners talk to them in

English. You can communicate with friends through email or social media such

as Facebook, Instragram or Twitter. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.

Sometimes, your friends might correct you or help you with language learning.

Read newspapers, magazines and books in English. Borrow an interesting

book from a library. Devote a few minutes, at least 30 minutes every day to read

your favorite book or magazine. In certain areas there are societies where

people speak in English. Join such a society and speak with those people.

Use a dictionary to refer to words you do not know the meaning of. When

reading an article or book, don’t refer to each and every word you don’t know,

instead try to understand the meaning in context. This will help you to

understand the basic meaning of the text. If you cannot understand the meaning

by reading once, try to read several times to understand well.

Maintain a vocabulary book. Write the meaning of words you don’t know in

the book. A short note book is ideal for this purpose as you can use it while

travelling also. Look at the spellings of those words. Try to construct a sentence

and compare it with the sentence in your original text. I have some students who

still maintain such books although they have scored well at the IELTS exam.

You can search for sentences on Google and compare your sentence with those

sentences. You can see different contexts where the same word is used.

You can write blog posts or short articles in English. Your studies will not

become monotonous if you practice with a different task every day. For

example, devote one hour on Saturday to practice listening and speaking and

one hour on Sunday to practice reading and writing.

Although, you can study alone it is better to seek help and guidance from a

qualified instructor. There may be classes or individual tuition available in your

area. It is better to start practicing in a structured manner from the inception. For

speaking and writing tasks of the IELTS exam it is necessary to seek the

services of a qualified instructor as he/she can guide you well to get the required

band score.

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1.2.4 Your attitude and attempt

You must have a positive attitude and you must work hard by practicing tasks

well to succeed at the exam. You may have the best book, best instructors but if

you have a negative attitude and you do not work hard it is difficult to get the

required band score.

You must have a passion for learning the language also. If you have this

passion, you can easily learn. You will create opportunities to practice it by

looking for friends who can speak in English, watch English movies or listen to

podcasts or songs and find newspapers, magazines or books. I know many

students who have travelled 30 – 40 kilometers in search of good libraries to

read and borrow books. They have scored a band score of 7 in the IELTS exam

than those who could speak, read and write well in English.

IELTS is not an exam to study and pass!

Remember IELTS is not an exam to study and pass. It is an exam

for practicing the English Language, especially practicing the

language for a certain period of time by devoting at least 30

minutes a day. Many students consider IELTS is an exam which

they can study for a few days or weeks and get through. This is a

wrong misconception. You may be doing the exam to migrate,

work or enter your “dream university”. You must have a focus

when practicing for the exam.

Practice and Start

Remember to practice English for sometime before attempting

IELTS tasks. This can be listening to a song or podcast, watching a

movie, writing a short article or blog or reading a newspaper, book

or magazine. Reading for a long period of time will help you to

acquire the necessary vocabulary, grammar, know spelling as well

as understand the sentence structure.