Also by Steve Price How to Improve your IELTS Test bandscores IELTS Reading: How to improve your IELTS Reading bandscore IELTS Speaking - How to improve your bandscore IELTS Writing Task 2: How to Improve Your IELTS Band Score IELTS Listening: How to improve your IELTS band score IELTS Task 1 Writing (Academic) Test: How to improve your IELTS band score Standalone Proposal Writing - Smart Bids, Tenders and Proposals Also by Adonis Enricuso How to Improve your IELTS Test bandscores IELTS Reading: How to improve your IELTS Reading bandscore IELTS Speaking - How to improve your bandscore IELTS Writing Task 2: How to Improve Your IELTS Band Score IELTS Listening: How to improve your IELTS band score IELTS Task 1 Writing (Academic) Test: How to improve your IELTS band score Contents Copyright How This Book Helps You Understanding Band Score The IELTs Writing Task 1 (Academic) 9 Techniques for Better IELTS Writing Task 1 Band Score Chapter Technique 1: Reading the given data Chapter Technique 2: Identifying and choosing the significant details Chapter Technique 3: Structuring the essay Chapter Technique 4: Paraphrasing the topic question Chapter Technique 5: Stating general trends Chapter Technique 6: Related verbs, nouns, adverbs and adjectives: describing trends; describing proportions and approximations Chapter Technique 7: Stating other significant details Chapter Technique 8: Grammar: conjunctions; verb tenses; voices; sentence structures Chapter Technique 9: Language for comparison and contrast Chapter How to get the band scores you need Chapter IELTS Preparation Checklist Chapter Helpful Resources Copyright © 2013, STMP Associates Ltd First published in 2013 The Copyright of this document is vested in STMP Associates Ltd., the parent company which owns the Pass IELTS Higher brand, the www.passieltshigher.com website, and related products, and the document is sold only for the purpose for which it is supplied All rights reserved This book or any portion thereof may not be disclosed, reproduced, or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review Publisher: STMP Associates Ltd 27, Old Gloucester Street London, England WC1N 3XX www.passieltshigher.com The names of companies and website addresses are provided for information of readers with no intention whatsoever to infringe on copyright or trademarks All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing in this guide are the property of their respective owners The information contained in this book is for information purposes only Users of this book are advised to do their own due diligence when it comes to making learning decisions, and all information, products, and services that have been provided or recommended should be independently verified by your own qualified professionals By reading this book, you agree that the authors and/or the publisher are not responsible for the success or failure of your IELTS Test For more information on the IELTS Test, please visit the official website at www.IELTS.org About the Authors Steve Price is creator and owner of Pass IELTS Higher (a business of STMP Associates Ltd.) He is passionate about delivering high-quality information and coaching products to students of IELTS His vision is to help IELTS candidates help themselves to higher band scores Don Enricuso is a fervent aficionado of the English language A teacher by heart, he holds an AB English degree and a TESOL certificate (School of TEFL, Canada) Currently he is studying for an MA in applied linguistics at a top university in the Philippines He coaches candidates from all over the world in IELTS skills and English proficiency Authors’ Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Andrea Price, Fatimah Imam, Jedi Reston, and James England for their practical support and encouragement during the creation of this book Front cover design by Jedi Reston How This Book Helps You This book gives you, the IELTS Test candidate, detailed guidance on how you can improve your IELTS Writing Task 1 (Academic) Test band score The IELTS Writing Task 1 (Academic) Test is no different from any other exam or test type There are techniques, which can be practised and which will place candidates in a better position to answer each given question type This book teaches you those techniques for the IELTS Writing Task 1 (Academic) Test Both Task and Task are rated based on four criteria: Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy Scores range from 0 to 9, and a 0.5 rate may also be given The four criteria are of equal weight So there must also be an equal amount of preparation During your practice and preparation, don’t miss to keep referring back and forth to this descriptor This will thoroughly guide you as you progress This knowledge is the icing on your IELTS preparation cake In a favourable way, of course The next table shows a comprehensive description of the English language capabilities required in each band score The first question in the IELTS Academic Writing Test asks you to make an essay of at least 150 words In the question you will see an image that is either a table, graph, chart, map, diagram or a combination of any two of them Basically, this task requires you to succinctly report the significant (major and minor) information The advisable amount of time to accomplish this task is 20 minutes 9 Techniques for Better IELTS Writing Task 1 (Academic) Band Score The techniques are listed below, and each links to a chapter in this book which teaches IELTS Test candidates the necessary skills Technique 1: Reading the given data Technique 2: Identifying and choosing the significant details Technique 3: Structuring the essay Technique 4: Paraphrasing the topic question Technique 5: Stating general trends Technique 6: Related verbs, nouns, adverbs and adjectives: describing trends; describing proportions and approximations Technique 7: Stating other significant details Technique 8: Grammar: conjunctions; verb tenses; voices; sentence structures Technique 9: Language for comparison and contrast There was a very small discrepancy between the number of men and women who smoke in 2000 Note: To compare and contrast data found in bar and pie charts, the same techniques can still be used Lexical Resource and Syntax for Comparison and Contrast A common knowledge among IELTS candidates is that the writing output is evaluated using different criteria, and inevitably, grammar and vocabulary ranges are two of them This must be the driving force behind why takers should be equipped with grammatical and lexical foundation Using a range of structures in comparisons is one of the best methods a candidate can use The following tables present in details the language for comparison and contrast Use adversative conjunctions and linkers showing contrast such as ‘however’, ‘on the other hand’, ‘conversely’, ‘although’, ‘in spite of’, ‘despite’, ‘in contrast to’, ‘whereas’, ‘while’, ‘unlike’, ‘different from’, and ‘nevertheless’ Look at the bar chart below and the sample report and see how these words are used This bar chart shows how high school students (boys and girls) spend their free time (hours) Note: The purpose of the presented data is just to show how linkers and conjunctions are used in a report Activity A Using the bar graph below, write sentences (5) that signal comparison and contrast Most Popular Invention in the Last 3 Decades (Thousands) Answer The car was the most popular invention for both genders 30 years ago / in the last thirty years There was a small discrepancy in the number of votes for the car There was a remarkable difference in the votes for Internet: men‘s voting number is just 50% of women’s The mobile phone was the least popular, while the Internet was for men in the past thirty years Computers and mobile phones were equally important for both men and women three decades ago Activity B Using the same figure in Activity A, write a report and use linkers and conjunctions to show comparisons Answer The bar shows the number of votes for the most significant man-made creations in the last thirty years Apparently, both genders cast the highest votes for the car However, there was a slight difference in the counts of votes—above 40,000 men chose the car, while just below the said figure considered the car necessary Further, it is also evident that, men perceived the Internet as the least important In contrast to females, the male’s percentage of votes is just 50% of women’s Activity C Using the line graphs, write sentences (4) comparing and contrasting features Average flu vaccines (thousands), 1997-2006 Answer District had the largest numbers of vaccinations administered to its citizens District 3 received the fewest number of vaccinations The flu vaccines given to District from 2002 to 2004 were identical to District 3 After the decline of vaccine administration, district 3 had the least vaccines, which is exactly 50% lower than that of district 1 Chapter How to get the band scores you need David Beckham and Tiger Woods each possess more talent in their little fingers than most of us have in our whole body Yet they still practise Boy, do they practise! Beckham and Woods never stop practising When Beckham was at Manchester United, Alex Ferguson (team coach) said that he ‘practised with discipline to achieve an accuracy that others wouldn’t care about’ Tiger Woods is the same The day after he won the 2000 PGA championship, he didn’t take a well-deserved break He was back on the range practising! A high band score in the IELTS examination does not come on a silver platter So here is the lesson from David Beckham and Tiger Woods: There are three ways to ensure your IELTS Test success—preparation, preparation, and preparation! Fail to prepare and you will throw your money and time down the drain What a waste! Nobody wants to waste resources in the current economic climate, and there is no magical abracadabra method to ensure success in the IELTS Test Preparation is the only way to make your IELTS Test journey successful Here are some tips to help you prepare for the IELTS Test: Understand the IELTS Test and what the examiners are looking for Having no knowledge of what IELTS is all about puts you at a disadvantage during the test This is one of the reasons why candidates underachieve their target band scores You need to have a strong understanding of each area of the exam and what skills are required to ace them Read available information from IELTS.org and www.passieltshigher.com and talk to your teachers and those who have taken the IELTS Test ahead of you to understand more Each part of the IELTS Test is testing different aspects of your English language capability Get to know what each is assessing—and how Know your weaknesses Why is knowing your strengths and weaknesses important? Once you determine the most difficult and the easiest part of the IELTS test for you, you can make a study plan tailored to suit your learning needs, which will help you budget your time effectively You can maximize your time in areas you are not good at—but beware! This does not mean concentrating on just one aspect As you set time in your IELTS preparation, consider how you will improve your grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation to boost your reading, listening, writing, and speaking skills Why is knowing your strengths and weaknesses important? Once you determine the most difficult and the easiest part of the IELTS test for you, you can make a study plan tailored to suit your learning needs, which will help you budget your time effectively You can maximize your time in areas you are not good at—but beware! This does not mean concentrating on just one aspect As you set time in your IELTS preparation, consider how you will improve your grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation to boost your reading, listening, writing, and speaking skills Stick to your plan (1): Practice in the right place with the right materials Practise makes perfect, but practising in the wrong way has an opposite effect Many dreams have been crushed because candidates were ill-advised So be critical in your choice of coaches and online sites to help you in your preparation You need materials which are prepared thoroughly by people who understand English and the IELTS exam, who feel the pain if you don’t reach your dream just because of single point lapse Stick to your plan (2): Practice in plenty of time Set into your mind that IELTS preparation time is usually lengthy, especially when you are improving your general language proficiency Students who start at IELTS band score and who want to move a point up often study for months or more Even more time is required if you aim for band 6 or higher So you should know your level in English first If you not know how, use English-level assessment tests available online or from an experienced IELTS Test teacher Stick to your plan (3): Track your progress Preparing for the IELTS test can be very stressful Sticking to a study schedule can keep you sane and help you set time aside for preparation Study time should not be used for other things or you will mess up and you lose your focus Spend the allocated time you set in your study plan accordingly, and the activities religiously Self-discipline helps Make a time table that suits you and strictly follow it Human as you are, you want a reward in every endeavor that you do Tracking your progress can give you self-satisfaction and quick gratification and an indication of which aspect you have to spend more effort on Steps you should cover in your IELTS test preparation: Use a notebook to track your performance in every practice test that you take You must work within the time limit for each section After you finish a practice test, make notes of your mistakes and correct them —these are your weaknesses Check your mistakes and make sure you not repeat them You should incorporate a daily revision of your mistakes by retaking the same part of the practice test (This is also applicable to your Listening and Reading section.) Develop a checklist of vocabulary learned and use it every day to improve your speaking and writing Don’t forget to include synonyms and antonyms for each word Work with a friend to practise Also, engage someone who can evaluate your speaking skill through a mock test Have an experienced teacher, tutor, or coach check your writing and speaking Take note of the areas you have to improve and have improved on Make sure the teacher corrects your pronunciation, grammar, and coherence Keep on practising Your performance progress will deteriorate when you stop and grow as you practise Remember! Success is never easy and does not come without effort It needs the right preparation, so you must begin by knowing what you are capable and incapable of That way you can set a plan that will help you overcome your limitations Plans structured with the right materials, people, and persistence are the ingredients to IELTS success Chapter IELTS Preparation Checklist As you enter the world of IELTS there are some key points to remember which will help you to achieve that important pass This checklist details some of the points for you We hope you find them useful The Weeks Leading Up to the IELTS Test Become very familiar with the test as soon as you can The skills being tested in the IELTS take effort on your part to learn and develop It will take some time for you to hone them Some people are able to cram their learning at the last minute and be successful Most people can’t So establish a pattern, or time table, of learning which suits you and your circumstances Use your study time efficiently Tiredness prevents easy learning Study when you are fresh, and make sure that you keep to your time table Set yourself learning goals, and ensure that you have adequate breaks to allow your brain to assimilate and process what it is learning In the IELTS test, each of the four band modules—Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking—carries the same weight Study each skill carefully, and spend more time on the skills in which you feel you are weak Understand the exact procedure for the test Be very clear on the order of each section, its length, and the specific question types Pass IELTS Higher and its resources will be available to help you practice these skills and should be used Work with a study partner or join a study group This helps because all people think differently and other students may raise issues that you may not have considered or may know the answers to questions you have Seek help from teachers, friends, native English speakers, and the Pass IELTS Higher resources Days before the Test This is not a time for intensive study It is a time to review skills and your test technique It is important to exercise, eat, rest, and sleep well during the week in which you will take the test Leave nothing to chance If you do not know how to get to the test centre, try going there at a similar time one or two weeks before the real test The Night before the Test You must have a good dinner and go to bed at your normal time—not too early and not too late, as you do not want to disrupt your sleep pattern if possible Prepare so that you have everything ready that you need for the test so you can simply pick it up in the morning Collect together the test registration form, passport, test number, pens, pencils, erasers, etc A pen that runs dry or a pencil that breaks can take several minutes to replace Check before the exam exactly what articles you need Set your alarm clock the night before or arrange to be woken On the Morning of the Test Eat a good breakfast You will have several hours of concentration ahead of you, and you will need food and drink in the morning You may even want to bring more food or a snack with you, especially if your speaking test is at a later time that day Nuts are especially good as they are packed with calories which release slowly You cannot, however, take food or drink into the exam room Wear a watch in case you cannot see the clock in the exam room Time keeping during the test is a key technique to master Give yourself plenty of time to travel to the test centre You will be required to complete a registration form and prove your identity before you enter the examination room, so you must arrive at the time specified by your test centre If you are early, you could go for a walk If you are late, you will not be allowed to enter Avoid the added tension of having to rush Most students at the test will feel nervous This is quite normal and is the body’s way of preparing It can actually be quite helpful in terms of motivation It may make you alert and help you to focus The aim is for you to try to perform at your best In contrast, high levels of anxiety can affect a student’s performance The best way to overcome this anxiety is to make sure you have prepared well and have familiarity with test details and a positive attitude The examination room should be suitable for testing—that is, the lighting, ventilation, and temperature should be appropriate If you find that you are uncomfortable because of any of these factors or if there is some other problem, such as not being able to hear the recording of the Listening Module, make sure you raise it with the person in charge for them to do something about it General Examination Techniques This book teaches specific techniques for the IELTS Listening Test However, using good general examination techniques could help improve your overall score for the IELTS test Remember that every section is marked independently Do not jeopardise your performance in one section just because you believe that you have done badly in another Do not underestimate or try to predict your outcome You may, in fact, have done better than you imagined Focus on what you know rather than on what you don’t know while you are doing the test Ensure that you adhere to the times suggested as they usually correspond to the number of marks given for a particular question In the Listening and Reading Modules, it is a good idea to write down an answer, even if you are not sure of it, before moving on to the next question Many students intend to return to the answers they have omitted at the end of the test but do not have enough time to do so Furthermore, by writing your best answer at the actual time of reading the question, you save the time you need to spend again on rereading the question and reacquainting yourself with the subject matter If you are not confident about your answer, mark it in some way and return to it at the end Do not leave any answers blank You are not penalised for incorrect answers, so ‘guess’ wisely Here is a list of possible IELTS topics: Environment IT Health Education Science The natural world Sport Nature or nurture Advertising Cultural differences Social issues Language and communication The arts The ideas and vocabulary for each topic will be recycled in all the exam skills of Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking You will feel much more confident in the exam if you have prepared yourself as much as you can You can do this if, for two months leading up to your exam date, every morning for 30 minutes you think about one topic, read an article or watch a programme about the topic, and extract useful vocabulary and expressions and write them down Spend minutes at the end of your day reviewing and remembering these new expressions Remember, IELTS Test success lies in thorough preparation The more you practise, the luckier you will get! Chapter Helpful Resources We thought it would be helpful to create a resource page that you can always come to for all of your IELTS needs It will be added to as new resources emerge that we like and recommend We reference this page quite often both in our published books and also on our website It provides links to free and premium (paid for) resources, which help with all aspects of preparation for the IELTS Test: IELTS Listening IELTS Reading IELTS Writing Task 1 IELTS Writing Task 2 IELTS Speaking Here is the link/address to the resource web page: www.passieltshigher.com/IELTS-Resources We recommend bookmarking it for your reference and convenience To your IELTS Success! ...Also by Steve Price How to Improve your IELTS Test bandscores IELTS Reading: How to improve your IELTS Reading bandscore IELTS Speaking - How to improve your bandscore IELTS Writing Task 2: How to Improve Your IELTS Band Score... How to Improve your IELTS Test bandscores IELTS Reading: How to improve your IELTS Reading bandscore IELTS Speaking - How to improve your bandscore IELTS Writing Task 2: How to Improve Your IELTS Band Score... IELTS Writing Task 2: How to Improve Your IELTS Band Score IELTS Listening: How to improve your IELTS band score IELTS Task 1 Writing (Academic) Test: How to improve your IELTS band score Standalone Proposal Writing - Smart Bids, Tenders and Proposals