A few general IELTS speaking tips:

• Show the examiner what you can do and use every opportunity to talk – no monosyllabic answers!
• Part 1 is “easy” in content but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use complex grammar and vocabulary. 
• Ask the examiner to clarify or repeat if you’re not sure. These types of interactions also show your level of English, they don’t have to be a problem. Say something like “Sorry, could you repeat that”, rather than “eh?” or “what?”
• Record yourself on your phone and listen back to improve. You might cringe a little but you’ll get over it!

IELTS speaking tips for Part 1

Keager answered these sample questions:

Let’s talk about your home town or village. 

Let’s move on to talk about accommodation. 

Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in?

IELTS speaking tips for Part 2

Keager and I discussed this sample question:

Describe something you own which is very important to you. 

You should say: 

where you got it from 

how long you have had it 

what you use it for 

and explain why it is important to you

Part 2 is very different to Part 1. Use your one minute wisely (=intelligently) in part 2. You have lots of options:

• Make a spider diagram
• Write down key words
• Write a list or a flow chart of what you’re going to say
• Write one or two key sentences or phrases
• Do nothing, just think!

Read the prompt carefully for part 2, and know in advance how you are going to use the 1 minute of preparation. Do  whatever works for you. 

IELTS speaking tips for Part 3

Keager answered this question

Let’s talk about the role of advertising. Do you think advertising influences what people buy?

Vocabulary

• To get over sth – to recover from something. If you get over an illness then you are well again. You can also get over something emotionally: “I lost my job and I was very upset but, in the end, I got over it”. 

• To cringe – to get very embarrassed when you think about something you’ve done.

• “A two storey, semi-detached house”
• • A storey (with an ‘e’) is another word for a floor – a two-storey house has an upstairs and a downstairs.
  • We divide houses by how they are attached to other houses:
    • A terraced house – lots of houses in a row, all attached to each other.
    • A semi-detached house – attached to a house on one side but not on the other
    • A detached house – not connected to any other houses. 

• To get bogged down – if you get bogged down you get confused and stuck on something. You can’t answer it but you can’t continue either. So, for example., if you have to answer 5 question and you get bogged down on number one, then you leave no time for numbers 2 to 5.

Prepare for your IELTS with us: IELTS preparation course in Dublin

Get more free IELTS resources

Learn more about the exam

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IELTS READING TIPS:

In this week’s podcast Conor and Rob discuss the the IELTS reading test. The give you lots of IELTS reading tips, strategies and techniques. As well as this they look at the trickiest reading question, the dreaded True, False, Not Given.

Enjoy and please let us know on Facebook or Instagram if you are enjoying the podcast 🙂

Skimming & Scanning

Skimming and scanning are skills you have to practice. It’s not a natural way, or a comfortable way to read a text. The IELTS is about very, very quickly processing information and finding answers. There’s no time to consider the text in any detail

Skimming is very quickly looking at a text to get a general idea of what it’s about

Scanning is very quickly looking through a text to find a specific piece of information

Other IELTS reading tips

Underline keys words in questions

Practice more generally by reading academic/scientific/current affairs magazines aimed at a general readership – e.g. New Scientist, National Geographic, The Economist, etc This is the style of reading you’ll get

Do lots of practice under exam conditions – one hour is very short. Time yourself, think about how long you will spend skimming, reading questions, scanning for answers. You have to be very strict with yourself.

Types of questions on the IELTS reading exam

• True / False / Not Given – be very careful with the “not given” answer
• Completing a table or a chart – look at the order information is presented in and work through logically
• Summary completion – be very careful – if it’s words from the text it has to be exact words from the text
• Matching Headings – there are always more headings than paragraphs. You need to quickly eliminate answers. This question involves a more general understanding of the text (it’s more about skimming than scanning) 
• Multiple choice – these can take longer as you have 4 often similar statements. You need to quickly rule out options

IELTS Sample Paper

To finish off, Rob and I took a section from an IELTS sample paper and thought about how we would answer it. This is a sample exam from the IELTS website and there’s a link on the podcast website so you can follow along if you like. 

First look – glance at the heading, the opening & closing sections, and skim quickly through paragraphs

Look at the questions – what do we need to find (underline key words)? What format are answers in? Any predictions about answers?

Back to the text – read quickly again while scanning for answers

Make sure your answers are in the format required (A,B,C, one word, two words and/or a number, etc)

We have lots more IELTS resources and IELTS courses in Dublin for you

Here is some more information about the exam

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As I know, most of you are preparing for your IELTS test and not only with us in Everest (IELTS Dublin), also by yourselves.

I’ve tried to find the top 10 free preparation blogs for you. There are quite a few, but my favourite ones are listed below.

• http://www.ielts-blog.com/

This is probably the most popular and oldest one with most tips and exercises.

• http://ieltsielts.com/

This website is owned by Ryan Higgins, who’s offering to correct your writing. Unfortunately the correcting is not for free but you can find many other free tips and hints on the top of the page.

• https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/take-ielts/prepare/free-ielts-practice-tests

British Council is the probably the best source for free online IELTS practice materials, tips, tricks and resources.

• http://www.dcielts.com/

Dominic Cole runs this website. He’s a teacher and offers all his work for free. You can find over 700 lessons for IELTS preparation.

• https://ielts-simon.study/

Simon is an ex-IELTS examiner and has his page full of great exercises. You can find the different topics to your lefthand side.

• http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/IELTS-blog.html

This is a very active page with many updates. You can subscribe to get notified about new posts such as lessons, sample essays, practice tests or vocabulary.

• http://ieltsadvantage.com/

Christopher Pell is the man behind this daily updated website. Check this website for “instant access to hundreds of free articles, band 9 sample answers and lots of free advice and tips.” He also offers a free writing eCourse.

• http://ieltsliz.com/

Liz is providing free lessons and tips for students aiming for band score 6, 7, 8 and 9. All tips, models and advice are examiner approved. She completed the IELTS examiner training in 2008.

• http://www.ielts-mentor.com/

“If you are preparing for the IELTS exam on your own, you are advised to learn about the exam format, commonly asked question, different modules/ sections of the IELTS exam and then browse the IELTS Preparation section.”

• https://www.ielts.org/usa/ielts-practice-test

The official IELTS website is of course the best place to check for official information about the exam. They also have lots of practice resources to help you to prepare for your exam.

I hope they will bring you a little bit closer to achieving your goals in your exam.

Good luck and all the best!!!

Tom Port

The post IELTS Blogs – Top 10 – Updated 2023 appeared first on Everest Language School.

IELTS Task 1 Band 9

Below is a sample IELTS Task 1 question and a model answer. The answer is estimated to get a Band 9 Score. Have a look at the answer first and then we can look at it in more detail.

source: IELTS Buddy

The table below shows the estimated oil capacity of six countries, in millions of barrels per day, from 1990 to 2010.

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

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Write at least 150 Words.

Model Answer

The bar chart illustrates the estimated amount of oil produced in 6 countries between 1990 and 2010, measured in millions of barrels per day.

Overall, oil production capacity tended to increase during this 20-year period. The figures for Saudi Arabia were significantly higher than in the other countries, while production was lowest in Qatar.

From 1990 to 2010, there was a significant increase in oil production in Saudi Arabia. In 1990, just over 8 million barrels per day were produced and this rose steadily, reaching a peak of over 14 million barrels per day in 2010. In contrast, the smallest producer was Qatar. Despite a slight increase in 2000, production in Qatar remained relatively stable at less than 1 million barrels per day.

The other countries saw a slight rise in oil production over the period. The estimated figure for Iran in 1990 was over 3 million barrels per day, compared with around 2 million barrels in the other three countries. Although production did not increase in 2000 in the UAE, the amount of oil produced peaked in 2010 in Iran at over 4 million barrels and at almost 4 million barrels in Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE.

(198 words)

IELTS Task 1 Band Score 9

Task Achievement: 9

Coherence & Cohesion: 9

Lexical resources: 9

Grammar: 9

Overall Score: Band 9

Analysis

Paragraph 1

The opening paragraph has all the key information about the graph but it paraphrases the question. This is very important. Make sure you use synonyms and rephrase your answer. For example, in this case:

“shows” to “illustrates”

“oil capacity” to “amount of oil”

“from 1990 to 2010” to “between 1990 and 2010”

Paragraph 2

This paragraph gives a clear overview of the chart. The overall trend is that the capacity increased, but there is a big difference between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. This paragraph demonstrates an excellent knowledge of the required grammar and vocabulary. “Tended to increase”; “20-year period” (and not 20-years period); “significantly higher than”.

Paragraph 3

This paragraph goes into detail about the two most significant countries: Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It follows clearly from the previous paragraph which has highlighted these two countries. All the key vocabulary to describe movement in a graph is used correctly (“significant increase”; “rose steadily”; “reaching a peak”; “remained relatively stable”). There are two sentences about Saudi Arabia and then two about Qatar, correctly using the linking phrase “in contrast”. The paragraph is very well structured and cohesive, with no grammar mistakes and an excellent range of vocabulary.

Paragraph 4

Paragraph 4 gives details about the four remaining countries. Again, all the language for describing a graph is accurate – “saw a slight rise”, “peaked in 2010”. The prepositions are also used correctly (something students often mix up) – “a rise in production”, “in 1990”, “compared with”, “peaked in 2010 in Iran at over 4 million barrels”  

Overall

This answer displays everything needed for a Band 9 answer on IELTS Task 1. The answer is clear and well-structured with a skilful use of paragraphs and links. There is a wide range of very natural vocabulary needed to describe a graph and there are no spelling mistakes. There are no grammar mistakes in the answer and there is an excellent range of complex structures.

IELTS task one marking scheme:

IELTS task 1 Writing band descriptors PDF

This post is by Everest Language School teacher and literary podcaster Conor Reid

You can prepare for the IELTS exam in Dublin in one of our IELTS preparation courses.

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Which IELTS do I need (Academic or General)?

If you are doing the IELTS for the Irish Medical Council you will need to do the Academic IELTS. The Academic IELTS is needed for most courses in colleges and university. The General Training exam is used for visa purposes in some countries but will not be accepted by the Irish Medical Council.

Where can you take the IELTS in Dublin?

There are a number of places in Dublin where you can take the IELTS. You can see all the available IELTS exam dates here. If you are studying with us in Everest we can help you with booking your exam.

How often is the IELTS exam held in Dublin?

We have written a guide to applying for the exam here. As the IELTS exam is now very popular for those needing accreditation by the Irish Medical Council, it is now being held very frequently in Dublin. In most weeks throughout the year the exam is held multiple times in multiple locations around the city.

What is “effective communication skills”?

According to the Medical Council they will accept one of these as evidence of your level of English:

1. Academic IELTS Certificate with an overall band score of 7.0 and a minimum score of 6.5 in each module (Valid for 2 years). We will explain more about this in a minute.
2. An equivalent English language test (7 in IELTS is equivalent to an advanced level) approved by the Medical Council.
3. Proof that you got you Higher Qualification from a postgraduate training body in a country where English is the language spoken by the majority of the population
4. Proof that your basic medical degree and internship training were completed through English in a country where English is the language spoken by a large majority. These countries include: Australia, New Zealand or USA where over 90% of the population speak English.
5. Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) – With a level of C1 (Advanced)
6. USMLE will also be accepted (if all of part 1 and part 2 have been completed). This is a medical exam from the United States.

What IELTS Score do you need for the Irish Medical Council?

The most important thing is that your IELTS certificate is in date. An IELTS certificate is only valid for 2 years, so if it is too old you will need to take the IELTS exam again. If your exam is in date the next thing is the mark. The IELTS is marked by band scores. The Irish Medical Council asks that you have 6.5 in all parts of the exam. 6.5 is equivalent to a B2 level which is a high upper-intermediate level. You must get 7 (advanced in at least 2 papers to get a 7 overall).

How is the IELTS marked?

In the IELTS there is no pass or fail. You will be marked on a scale from 1 to 9.

What are the four parts of the IELTS (needed for Irish Medical Council)?

Reading: 3 Long academic texts. These usually deal with themes of science, the environment and technology. There are a variety of question types and gapfill exercise which test your comprehension and ability to recognise the same data presented in various types of language.

Writing: 2 Writing tasks. In this section you are give 2 questions and you need to write 2 essays. In the first task you are given a table, chart, graph, map or flow chart and your job is simply to describe what you see. The second writing is a discursive essay (similar to a university essay). In this section, you are required to look at 2 sides of a argument and are usually asked to give your opinion.

Listening: 4 Listening sections. In these 4 parts you will hear the audio once and need to complete the answers as you listen. These parts get progressively more difficult as the exam goes on.

Speaking: 3 parts. In the first part you will need to introduce yourself and talk about basic topics. In the second section you will be given a question card and will need to answer in a mini-presentation style. The final section is where the examiner will test your level by asking more challenging questions.

Where can I prepare for the IELTS for Irish Medical Council in Dublin?

There are a number of IELTS preparation centres in Dublin and it is up to you to find a school with a good reputation, good reviews and a timetable that suits you. In Everest, we have IELTS intensive and part-time IELTS courses.

Learn more about the IELTS for Irish Medical Council requirements on their website: Irish Medical Council

If you want to prepare for the IELTS exam in your free time check out our podcast where we did a whole series on preparing for the IELTS exam.

The post 8 Most Common Questions about IELTS for Irish Medical Council (2023) appeared first on Everest Language School.

IELTS Writing

IELTS Task 2 Discuss Both Sides

and Give Your Opinion

Paragraph 1 Structure

In Task 2, you are asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. The issues raised are of general interest to, suitable for and easily understood by test takers entering university or seeking employment. Responses to IELTS writing Task 2 should be written in an academic, semi-formal style (similar to how you would write in university).

Example IELTS writing task 2 question:

Paragraph 1:

• A) Paraphrase/ restructure the question
• B) Overview: state how the essay will be structured

A) In all IELTS writings the first sentence(s) should attempt to express the question in another way. This can be done by using synonyms (paraphrasing) or by restructuring the grammar of the sentences.

Paraphrasing

“Some people believe that taking the IELTS is a fair way to decide who can attend a university course.”

Example of paraphrasing: Many people think that sitting the IELTS exam is a reasonable way to determine who is able to take a third-level course in Dublin.

“Others believe it is not fair to stop people from attending a university course based on their level of English.”

Example of paraphrasing: Other people are of the opinion that it is unfair to block people taking part in a university course because of their English level.

OR

Restructuring

“Some people believe that taking the IELTS is a fair way to decide who can attend a university course. Others believe it is not fair to stop people from attending a university course based on their level of English.” “Others believe it is not fair to stop people from attending a university course based on their level of English.”

Example of restructuring: It is commonly believed that taking an English exam should be used when assessing who can be accepted to university in Dublin. However, it is believed by others that it is unfair for someone to be stopped from attending university based on their level of English.

B) Example of an overview

In the following essay both sides of this argument will be examined and in the conclusion I will offer my opinion on the topic.

——-

In all writing tasks, you can structure your introduction paragraph in the same way. In the next lesson, we will move on to looking at the main body of the essay.

IELTS Main Body 1

Lesson 2: Main body One (featured on A Blog on IELTS)

Thank you to Khuu Hoang Nhat Minh for posting part 2 of this post.

Prepare for the IELTS Dublin

Book an IELTS exam in Dublin (Examination dates)

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Task 1 Pie Chart

Sample Answer

by Bianca and Laura (students of IELTS Dublin)

The graph compares the different percentages of the main sources of energy between Germany and France in 2009. Some of the main sources included conventional thermal, nuclear and renewables. The various sources of energy are divided into “all types” and “renewables:. Renewables are broken down into biomass, hydroelectric and wind.

The main source of electricity in Germany came from conventional thermal, while in France power originated from Nuclear sources. On the other hand, in terms of renewables, there were not substantial differences between the two countries, indeed in both countries the percentage of this type of electricity was less than a fifth. In addition the pie shows that the main source of renewables in Germany originated from biomass, whereas in France it came from hydroelectric. Lastly, in both the countries the percentage of the geothermal was non-existent.

 To sum up, the methods of electricity generation was very different when we compare the sources in the two countries.

Writing by Laura and Bianca, who are students at Everest Language School.

This example would get between 6 and 7 in the IELTS:

Some more useful language for IELTS task 1 Pie Charts:

Vary your language

As with any task 1, this is important.  You should not keep repeating the same structures.  The key language when you write about pie charts is proportions and percentages.

Common phrases to see are “the proportion of…” or “the percentage of…”

However, you can also use other words and fractions. These are some examples from the model answer:

A large number of people

over a quarter of people

a small minority

A significant number of people

less than a fifth

This table presents some examples of how you can change percentages to fractions or ratios:

If the percentages are not exact as above, then you can use qualifiers to make sure your description remains accurate. Here are some examples:

This table presents some examples of how you can change percentages to other phrases:

The words above are interchangeable, though number is for countable nouns and amount is for uncountable nouns.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”24631″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://everestlanguageschool.com/ielts-writing-correction”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Prepare for the IELTS in Dublin

In Everest our teachers have years of experience preparing students for the IELTS exam. We offer very small classes, where the teachers are focused on getting you the highest marks possible in the exam.
In class your teacher will help you to perfect your grammar and expand your vocabulary, but the main focus will be on the exam. In a typical class you can expect to focus on speaking, reading, writing and listening.

Speaking:

You will discuss topics with your teacher and classmates in the IELTS format. Your teacher will constantly monitor these speaking activities and will provide you with feedback (correcting grammar and expanding your vocabulary).

Part 1

You will answer questions about yourself and your family.

Part 2

You will speak about a topic.

Part 3

You will have a longer discussion about the topic introduced in Part 2.

Listening:

You practise full IELTS listening tests in class. You will practise these in IELTS exam conditions. As well as this your teacher will go through the script with you and help you to identify key words and develop listening strategies.

Section 1 is a conversation between two people set in an everyday context (eg. a conversation in an accommodation agency).

Section 2 is a monologue set in an everyday social context (eg. a speech about local families).

Section 3 is a conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context (eg. a university tutor and student discussing an assignment).

Section 4 is a monologue on an academic subject (eg. a university lecture).

Reading:

In class you will learn strategies for the reading test. We will focus on improving your ability to skim, scan and speed read. We will train you to recognise question types and learn the skills necessary to locate information in a test. As well as developing skills you get the opportunity to practice reading tests in real exam conditions.

The reading section is divided into three texts. You will be given 40 minutes to read these three texts and answer the questions.

Writing:

In your class you will study the format of the various IELTS writing assignments. You will learn how to properly understand the questions and write answers that will get you the highest marks. Your teacher will show you how to structure the text and link ideas. You will learn how to use vocabulary and grammatical structures that will ensure you achieve a higher mark.

Writing task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on task 1

write in a formal style
write at least 150 words
Writing task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on task 2

write in a formal style
write at least 250 words

Book Your IELTS Course Now

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IELTS Task 1: Describing a Process / Flow Chart

IELTS task 1 is a more technical piece of writing than task 2. You will be allowed 1 hour to complete the two tasks in the IELTS Academic Writing test. The total time allowed for the IELTS Academic Writing test is 60 minutes. Time yourself and allow just one hour to complete both parts of the test. Task 2 contributes twice as much as task 1 to the Writing score, but it is important to practise both.

The example below is an example of writing task 1. You should spend about 20 minutes on task 1 and remember to write above 150 words in a formal style.

Remember you can prepare for IELTS with us in Dublin – IELTS Dublin

Remember if you want to try to do an IELTS task 1 writing, try it in the comments and we will give you some feedback. If you are interested in preparing for the IELTS, book an IELTS preparation course with Everest. And if you want to keep getting advice on the IELTS and other English tips, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”24631″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://everestlanguageschool.com/ielts-writing-correction”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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