IELTS Discussion with Motherland Edu.

Some students still seem confused about certain aspects of the listening test. Let me clarify further.

CAPITAL LETTERS

You can write ALL your answers (40 answers) in capital letters. That means each answer on the sheet is written using capital letters. OR you can choose to write ALL your answers in lower case but remember that special words sometimes have a first letter as a capital at the start. You have two choices as explained above.

INSTRUCTIONS

For instructions, "one word and/or a number" (= one word and a number / one word or a number). You answer could be "24 books" or "2 books". The numbers are not counted as digits. They are counted as whole numbers. For example:

1950 = is counted as one number
around 1950 = one word and one number
2 = one number
54 = one number
1,200,150 = one number
6.40 = one number

However, if the instructions state "one word and/or numbers" (= one word and numbers / one word or numbers) , you can have:

1950 and 2005 = one word and two numbers.

I hope that make's it clearer for you all. Please let me know if you have any other worries.
All the best.

cambridge ielts 11 listening Test 1 Cambridge IELTS 11 contains four authentic IELTS past papers from Cambridge English Language Assessment, providing excellent exam practice. Cambridge IELTS 1...

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singlism noun the stigmatization or marginalisation of single people

SINGLISM: IT’S COMPLICATED

The following IELTS speaking questions with answers are based on part 1 of the test.

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Hometown

Where is your hometown?

My hometown's in Pyongyang, which is the part city of North Korea. It's located in the north of the country, not really that far from the southern Chinese border.

Is there much to do in your hometown?

Oh yes, there's certainly lots to do there as it's a fairly big city. If you like going out in the evening there are a lot of good restaurants and bars. If you prefer cultural activities there are museums and art galleries. But if you like nature there are lots of other things outside of the city which are easy to reach.

What are the people like in your hometown?

They are mostly quite friendly, but as with most big cities everyone is often busy so it may seem as if they are not interested in speaking or having a chat. But if you live there you know that most people are quite happy to have a chat if they have time and will help you if needed.

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Studies

What are you studying at the moment?

I'm studying history at university. It's a four year course, and I started it three years ago, so I have just one year left. I'm enjoying it a lot so it will be sad to finish.

What do you like most about your studies?

We learn about many things from the past such as politics and wars, but I like learning about how people lived in the past the most. It's amazing to see how our lives have changed so much from the past up until now. In some ways our lives have got much easier now, but in other ways the simplicity of life in the past made people much happier. Learning about all that is fascinating.

What do you hope to do in the future when you have finished?

I'm not sure at the moment, but I may go into teaching. This is why I'm doing the IELTS, as I intend to carry on and do a Masters in a specific area of history. I'll probably decide for sure what to do when I have completed that.

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Work

What is your job?

I currently work as an office manager at a large marketing company. I've been in the job for about five years now. I'm usually assigned to work with a specific business in order to improve their sales through various marketing strategies.

Do you have to work with other people?

Oh yes, all the time. It's a big office and we all have to work as a team if we want to achieve results. I have colleagues I need to liaise with such as the graphic designers and I also have administration staff who work under me. And of course I also have to work alongside the companies that we provide marketing for. So yes, I definitely have to work with other people.

Do you think you will change jobs in the future?

Well, that's not something I'm thinking about at the moment as I really enjoy what I do and it's a really good company to work for. The pay is good and they have other good benefits such as flexi-time and end of year bonuses. But that said, change is always a good thing, so I can't see me being there forever. I'm sure I will change one day.

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Leisure time

What do you like to do in your free time?

I do quite a lot of sport actually. I play football mostly - on Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoon with a local team. I also play tennis and squash when I can but I don't really get the time to do them as well every week. I work quite hard at the moment, so I don't get a lot of free time unfortunately.

Have your leisure activities changed since you were a child?

Not a great deal actually. I used to love playing football when I was young as well - I played a lot at school. Though of course I did all the other things kids loved to do such as going out on bike rides after school and things.

Do you prefer to spend your free time alone or with other people?

It depends on my mood really. I think most people need some time on their own. Sometimes my work is quite stressful and I spend a lot of time there with others, so it's good to just get home and relax and read a book or something. But I get bored if I am alone too much so I like to go out and meet friends in the evening or play football.

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Trains

Do you like to travel by train?

Yes, I quite like them. If you are on a train you can relax and look out the window, read, use your lap top - it's all quite comfortable. On the bus it's more difficult to do those things because there is less space and the movement can make you travel sick too. The only problem with trains in my country is that they are often delayed or late. That can ruin your journey.

Where do you usually go by train?

It's usually on long trips across the country if I want to visit friends or I have an appointment somewhere. For short journeys around where I live or to work it's much easier to drive or take the bus. As I said before, you can do things such as read on the train so it's good for long journeys.

When was the last time you travelled by train?

Er....I'm not quite sure, let me think. It was a while ago now. I think the last time was last year when I went up to see some friends I had not seen for a while in the north of the country. Yes, that was it. It was a journey of about 3 hours and I had to change trains once during the journey. The first train was a bit crowded and noisy as I think there were people on there going to a football match, but it was an ok trip most of the way..



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Time

Are you good at managing your time?

Actually I'd say I'm not too good! I don't really have a system in place to organize things. I know some people have an electronic organizer or use some device to plan what they are doing but I don't do that. But I always make sure I am on time for appointments and things like that, and I meet deadlines and get things done.

How do you manage your time?

As I said, I don't have any specific system in place to manage my time. For example, if I am at work and I have a lot of cases, I just go through them each day and decide which I need to tackle first. At work we do have an online diary which I guess I use, so in that sense I do manage my time to an extent.

When is it most important for you to manage your time?

I think it is probably when you are at work. When out of work, it's not really going to affect things too much, or at least only yourself, if you are late to meet friends or for an appointment, or if you are getting things done in your house. But at work, it will cause problems if you don't manage your time effectively because you could miss deadlines or miss appointments. You could lose your job. So at work is when it is most important to manage your time.

Comment on this essay or write your own response to the Question.

Question
Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for students. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.

Response
Some people believe that going to classes should be optional for university students, but I disagree with this point of view. Students learn a lot more in classes than they can from books alone. In class, they have the advantage of learning from the teacher, of interacting with their classmates, and of developing the responsibility it takes to be a good student.
When students attend class, they receive the benefit of the teacher’s knowledge. The best teachers do more than just go over the material in the class textbook. They present their own interpretations and opinions of the material. They draw their students into discussions so that the students can develop and present their own interpretations, too. Teachers also provide supplementary information by inviting guest speakers or showing films. None of these experiences are available by reading alone.
Going to class also teaches students how to work with other people. In class, students have to present their ideas to their classmates. They have to defend their ideas if their classmates disagree with them but still remain friendly when the discussion is over. In addition, they may have to work in groups to complete class projects, so they have the opportunity to learn to work with others in order to reach a goal.
Attending classes teaches students responsibility. They have to be in class on time and ready to participate. They have to hand in their assignments by the due date. These are all skills they will need if they want to be successful in their future careers.
Anyone can get information from books, but students get a great many more advantages when they attend class. They get the benefit of the teacher’s knowledge and experience, and even more than that, they learn how to work with others and to develop a sense of responsibility. These are not optional skills in life, so attending classes should not be optional at a university.

Comment on this essay or write your own response to the Question.

Question
Neighbors are the people who live near us. In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good neighbor? Use specific details and examples in your answer.

Response
A good neighbor is always appreciated, but it takes certain qualities to be one. If you have a good neighbor, you are a lucky person. You live near someone who is respectful of your property, who is helpful when those little everyday problems arise, and who is supportive in times of crisis.
A good neighbor is someone who respects your property. That means she thinks about how her actions might affect you. She doesn’t plant a huge tree between your houses, for instance, without first asking you how you feel about it. Or, if she wants to put up a fence that abuts your yard, she talks it over with you before finalizing her plans. In other words, when she wants to make changes to her property, she takes her neighbors’ feelings into consideration.
A good neighbor is someone who is willing to lend a hand when you need a little help. She gladly lends you some butter if you run out in the middle of cooking dinner. She doesn’t mind giving you a ride if your car breaks down. She watches your children for you if you have to stay late at work. She pitches in when you need a little help, and you do the same for her. Both of you help make each other’s lives easier.
A good neighbor is someone who offers her support when you are going through a crisis. If there is a death or illness in your family, for example, your neighbor might offer to cook some meals for your or to clean your house. She might stay by your side during the sadness of a funeral. She looks for ways, big or small, to help you get through the challenging times of life.
A neighbor might be a close friend or a more distant acquaintance. Either way, she is someone who respects you and supports you when she can. We should all be lucky enough to have good neighbors.

RAISE YOUR IELTS SCORE
Prepare IELTS with Motherland .

Time yourself and develop your exam technique

The practice tests offer you the opportunity to:
• Get to know the test format
• Experience the types of tasks you will be asked to undertake
• Test yourself under timed conditions
• Review your answers and compare them with model answers.
Remember, you will take the Listening, Reading and Writing tests all on one day with no breaks in between, so it is important to do the practice tests under similar conditions.

IELTS is not designed to assess your specialized knowledge and you are unlikely to get question from your own particular field. You should not worry about this. What IELTS tests is your English.

Found on Facebook, hope it could assist our prospecitive candidates who are going to face the exam smile emoticon:)

Tips of IELTS TASK ONE.
There are several different graphs you could see in a Writing Task 1:
• Single line graph –
• Double line graph –
• Bar graph (Single, Double or Triple bar graph) –
• Pie chart –
• Table –
• Process

No matter what graph, diagram or table you are describing, you shouldn’t break these rules:
• Your report must be of at least 150 words written in 20 minutes.
• You shouldn’t write your opinion or copy words from the task prompt – rephrase and use synonyms instead.
• Never use bullets, write as if you were writing an essay or a letter.
When your Academic Writing Task 1 is graded by IELTS examiners, they look for this structure:
Introduction
Body
Conclusion

The Introduction should describe the purpose of your report and say what overall trends you see.
For example, if the graph is climbing up or dropping down, you should mention that. You need to remember that you are describing a graph to someone who doesn’t see it. Write what the graph is about, its dates and location.

The Body should describe the most important trends, while all information is summarized to avoid unnecessary details. For example, if there is a graph that has 2 peaks, you should mention them; tell when those peaks appeared and what the peak values are. Notice how many distinctive features the diagram has and divide information into paragraphs, one paragraph per feature. You should link the paragraphs by sentences that logically connect them to one another.

Important! You need to write about all the periods of time and all the subjects of graph. If it shows several years (1992, 1993, 1994) – write about all of them, if it is about men and women – write about both. Remember, summarizing doesn’t mean throwing away information. The secret here is to select what’s important, organize it, compare and contrast.

The Conclusion should sum up the global trends shown on the graph and compare them if possible.

Introducing the topic
• The graph shows… / The table reveals…
• The chart displays… / The diagram illustrates…
• Some interesting facts concerning… are revealed in the diagram.
• Several key trends are revealed by the graph showing…

Introducing the first set of data
• Beginning with the…
• To begin with the…
• Let me begin by describing the…

Introducing the second set of data
• Meanwhile, the… shows that…
• As for the… , it shows that…
• Turning to the… , it can be seen that…

Introducing the first major trend
• First of all, it is clear that…
• Most noticeably of all, it can be seen that…
• The first result worth pointing out is that…

Introducing lesser trends
• Another trend that can be observed is that…
• It is also worth pointing out that…
• Also worth noting is that…

Exceptions to the main trend
• However, this was not always the case.
• However, it should be pointed out that…
• There was one noticeable exception, however.

Comparing and contrasting
• Similarly, … / By contrast, …
• A similar trend can be observed in…
• The results for… , however, reveal a markedly different trend.

Adding figures
• The figures were X and Y respectively.
• …, at X. / …, with Y. (Usage note: use ‘at’ when you mean ‘the figure was’; use ‘with’ when you mean ‘something had’)
• …, at/with X and Y respectively.
Concluding and summarising
• To sum up, … / In summary, … / In short, …
• Overall, … / On the whole, …
• The main thing that can be observed here is that…

Vocabulary to show the changes:
Trends Verb form Noun Form
Increase rise / increase / go up / uplift / rocketed / climb / upsurge / soar. a rise / an increase / an upward trend / a growth
Decrease fall / decrease / decline / plummet / plunge / drop / reduce a fall / a decrease / a reduction / a downward trends /a downward tendency / a decline/ a drop
Steadiness unchanged / level out / remain constant / remain steady / plateau / remain the same / remain stable / remain static a steadiness/ a plateau / a stability/ a static
Gradual Increase
------ an upward trend / an upward tendency / a ceiling trend
Gradual decrease
------ a downward trend / a downward tendency / a descending trend
Standability leveled off / remained constant / remained unchanged / remained stable / prevailed consistency / plateaued / reached a plateau / stayed uniform /immutable / leveled out
--------
Vocabulary to represent changes in graphs:

Type of Change Adverb form Adjective form
Rapid change dramatically / rapidly / sharply / quickly / hurriedly / speedily / swiftly dramatic / rapid / sharp / quick / hurried / speedy / swift
Moderate change moderately / gradually / progressively / sequentially moderate / gradual / progressive / sequential
Slight change slightly / slowly / mildly / tediously slight / slow / mild / tedious

Type of Change
Verb form
Noun form
Rapid ups and downs
wave / fluctuate / oscillate / vacillate / palpitate
waves / fluctuations / oscillations / vacillations / palpitations

IELTS WRITING TASK 2:

Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair.Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

As a result of constant media attention, sports professionals in my country have become stars and celebrities, and those at the top are paid huge salaries. Just like movie stars, they live extravagant
lifestyles with huge houses and cars.

Many people find their rewards unfair, especially when comparing these super salaries with those of top surgeons or research scientists, or even leading politicians who have the responsibility of
governing the country. However, sports salaries are not determined by considering the contribution to society a person makes, or the level of responsibility he or she holds. Instead, they reflect the
public popularity of sport in general and the level of public support that successful stars can generate. So the notion of ‘fairness’ is not the issue.

Those who feel that sports stars’ salaries are justified might argue that the number of professionals
with real talent are very few, and the money is a recognition of the skills and dedication a personneeds to be successful. Competition is constant and a player is tested every time they perform in
their relatively short career. The pressure from the media is intense and there is little privacy out of the spotlight. So all of these factors may justify the huge earnings.

Personally, I think that the amount of money such sports stars make is more justified than the huge earnings of movie stars, but at the same time, it indicates that our society places more value on
sport than on more essential professions and achievements.

(Try to write better than this one.... Good Luck!)

1. English may not be the most spoken language in the world, but it is the official language in a large number of countries. It is estimated that the number of people in the world that use in English to communicate on a regular basis is 2 billion!

2. English is the dominant business language and it has become almost a necessity for people to speak English if they are to enter a global workforce, research from all over the world shows that cross-border business communication is most often conducted in English. Its importance in the global market place therefore cannot be understated, learning English really can change your life.

2 girls learning English in class3. Many of the world’s top films, books and music are published and produced in English. Therefore by learning English you will have access to a great wealth of entertainment and will be able to have a greater cultural understanding.

4. Most of the content produced on the internet (50%) is in English. So knowing English will allow you access to an incredible amount of information which may not be otherwise available!

Although learning English can be challenging and time consuming, we can see that it is also very valuable to learn and can create many opportunities!

Eastbourne school of English is a not-for-profit school, this means that all our profits are re-invested in the school, our purpose is to provide the highest possible quality in English language teaching.