Positive Image

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Donna Millen (content) Web:http://www.ieltsontrack.comDesign & layout by IELTSBlog.com Web: http://www.ieltsblog.com

IELTS-Blog.compresents:

How

to

get

a

higher

IELTS

score

bybuildingapositiveimageintheexaminersmind

This seriesoflessonswasprepared by Donna Millenespeciallyfor theeaders ofr IELTSBlog.com. The lessons are brilliant and will do amazinghings for your IELTS scoreif you study and implement them.t

Youwilllearn:

Lesson#1: ositive, psychological impression on yourHow to create a p

IELTS assessors.

Lesson#2: How to write a Task 1 reportthat will impress your assessors

(Academic Module).

Lesson#3: rthat will impress your assessorsHow to write a Task 1 lette

(General Training Module)

Lesson#4: l influence your assessorsHow to write a Task 2 essay that wil

positively (Academic and General).

esson#5

L : test score byHow to improve your Speaking

connecting with your assessor.

Lesson#6: How to optimize your performance in the Listening and Reading

tests.

Donna Millen, coauthor of the Centre for English Language in the Universityof South Australias IELTS on Track series of books (ieltsontrack.com) talksabout whatmaycreateapositivepsychologicalimpressiononassessors

who may be scoring the Writing and Speaking (interview) components ofyour IELTS test.
http://www.ielts-blog.com/http://www.ielts-blog.com/http://www.ielts-blog.com/http://www.ielts-blog.com/http://www.ielts-blog.com/http://www.ielts-blog.com/http://www.ieltsontrack.com/http://www.ielts-blog.com/http://www.ieltsontrack.com/http://www.ielts-blog.com/http://www.ieltsontrack.com/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ieltsontrack.com/http://www.ieltsontrack.com/http://www.ieltsontrack.com/http://www.ieltsontrack.com/http://www.ieltsontrack.com/http://www.ieltsontrack.com/http://www.ieltsontrack.com/http://www.ieltsontrack.com/http://www.ieltsontrack.com/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/online-ielts-course-sign-up-here/http://www.ielts-blog.com/http://www.ieltsontrack.com/


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More recommended resources

The following books are a great source of practice material across the four

test skills plus a variety of hints and strategies, and grammar and

vocabulary exercises to help with IELTS Writing.

IELTS On Track Test Practice Academic(with audio CD)

Visit IELTS on Track website to view details

and order:

http://www.ieltsontrack.com/product.php?category=11

IELTS On Track Test Practice General Training

(with audio CD)

Visit IELTS on Track website to view detailsand order:

http://www.ieltsontrack.com/product.php?category=12

To learn more about Donna Millen and her co-author, a former university professor and

IELTS researcher Stephen Slater, visit ieltsontrack.com.


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Lesson#1:Howtocreateapositive,psychologicalimpressiononyourIELTSassessors

Imaginethese

IELTS

test

situations:

Situation1

You are sitting outside the IELTS interviewroom. It is hot, the air conditioning is notorking properly, the IELTS assessor has already interviewed 10 candidates, and

ou are number 11. You are tired of waiting; the interviewer is tired too.

w

y

Situation2

Your IELTS WritingTest paper with your responses on it is at the bottom of a pile ofthers. There are 20 in the pile. The assessor has just had to spend 30 minutes

ooking for a parking space.

o

l

Situation3

An IELTS assessor is giving test scores to a candidate they have just interviewed.The assessor is reading the assessment criteria but is still very undecided and is

aving great difficulty deciding which way to jump on two of the criteria go up to 7

r leave the scores at 6?

h

o

Although the actual IELTS assessment criteriaare confidential, the official IELTS

website does give some indication of what they contain. What the official IELTSebsite doesnt contain, however, is any senseof those aspects of a candidates testw

performance that have some impact on the assessor psychologically.

In other words, what can candidates do to make an assessor feel more positive

towards them. This may be important, because if the assessor is in any seriousoubt about your score, the more positive they feel towards you psychologically, thed

more they may choose the higher score.

ets try to identify one or two possible, general factors.L
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IELTSWRITINGTESTTWOgeneralfactors

Handwritingandlayout

The first thing the assessor sees is your handwriting. If your writing is difficult toread, has many things crossed out, no paragraphs or punctuation to create a sense of

organisation and structure, then immediately the assessor knows that your writing

is going to be more challenging to read, and that you have not shown that you valuethe assessor (your reader), and have not valued the readerwriter relationship.

Maturityofexpressionandvoice

There is a difference between writing simple, clear English and writing English that

s too simple. The IELTS test requires writing that reflects a mature way of thinking,i

so if your writing seems babyish, then the assessor cant view it so positively.

What makes writing babyish? Of course, if you dont know many expressions and

cant control the grammar very well then this may be part of the problem. Anothereature of this babyish writing, however, is writing which is not very precise or with

deas that are not developed enough.

f

i

C

omparethesesentences:

1) P eo p l e sh o u l d d o l ess w o r k a n d sp en d m o r e t i m e w i t h t h ei r f am i l y . I t i sbe t t e r .

2 ) I t w o u l d p er h a p s imp r o v e t h e q u a l i t y o f fam i l y l i f e i f p eo p l e w i t h b u s y ,

em a n d i n g j o b s co u l d f i n d w a y s t o sp en d m o r e of t h ei r n o n -w o r k t i m e w i t h

em b er s of t h e i r f am i l y , esp eci a l l y w i t h ch i l d r en o r el d er l y p a r en t s .

d

m


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Perhaps it is difficult for you to achieve the level of English grammatical complexity

n sentence 2 under the pressure of time in a test, but in IELTS you might try to

ng in that direction in order to make it seem more mature.

i

move your writi

In other words, trytomakeyourwritingcontainmoredetailedandmore

preciseexpression

of

thoughts

and

ideas. This precision and evidence of thought

are communicated in a psychologically positive way to the assessor, not just because

of correct grammar but also becausetheyreflectanadultwayofthinking, a way

hat knows that understanding and discussing life issues in the social world isan simple.

tcomplex rather th

At the same time, ifyoucanbemoredetailedandprecise,thenyoucreateyour

ownwrittenvoice, which means your own unique style of writing. This meansthat the assessor can feel you as a real individual, not just as another IELTS answer.

Thishelpstoconnecttheassessortoyou, and creates a significant relationshipbetween reader and writer, which is usually a positive thing.


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IELTSInterviewTWOgeneralpoints

Everymeetingbetweentwopeoplecreatesarelationship

Imagine you are in a coffee shop and a pleasant person at the next table starts to talkto you. You will probably see yourself as equal to that other person because you

are both in a coffee shop and both drinking something. This helps your confidence

nd helps you to feel in control both of your emotions, and of what you choose to

ay.

a

s

WhenyouentertheIELTSinterviewroomits a good idea if you can create thatsame feeling itisameetingandyouhaveanopportunitytoconnectwiththe

assessorasaperson,atthesametimeasdoingtheinterview. If you connect

with the assessor and present as a pleasant, confident adult, rather than as a schooltudent sitting with a teacher, this helps the assessor both to see you positively as

n equal, and to relate to you more positively.

s

a

YouareanequalnotanIELTSvictim. Your body language needs to be natural

and relaxed, not stiff, you should make eye contact pleasantly and confidently. Youcan choose to talk at a relaxed speed, rather than too fast. You can try to use

ntonation to show how you feel about what you are saying this communicates

our personality, your uniqueness.

i

y

You might try to find the rhythm and timing of each section of the test and reflect it

back to the assessor this shows the assessor you are cooperating in making theirjob of getting through the test sections in 1114 minutes easier, almost like you arethe assessors coworker.Allthesethingscommunicate your personality and

createapositivesocialatmosphere. Thismakestheassessorfeelmorecomfortablepsychologicallytoo.
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HelptheassessortogetastrongersenseofYOUandyour

personality.

In the IELTS interviewthere are many opportunities to talk about your own life and

culture. Even if the assessors questions seem a bit mechanical, you can still try tonswer them as if theyare part of a friendly conversation in whichyouarehelpingheassessortoknowyouandyourcountryalittlebetter.

a

t

Youcanbeasortofteacher,awindowonyourlifeandculture. This shows

confidence and helps you to emerge as a real person, a unique person, not a

tereotypical voice of your own language and culture, repeating just a set ofrdinary answers.

so

Justlikeyou,theassessorishopingtomeetauniqueandmemorableindividual, and hoping to get a sense of your uniqueness, even though they are also

formally assessing your spoken language. YOUcanhelptheassessortoseeyoupositivelyasapersonandcanhelptheassessortofeelcomfortablewithyou.

You have some control over the relationship that is created in that situation and can

hus influence the psychological wellbeing of the assessor. But, it must feel and beatural, not forced.

tn
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Tosummarise

Lifeisessentiallyasocialexperience.Taking IELTS is part of that social life. Even

thoughit may not seem that way, youareinbriefsocialrelationshipswith

assessorswhenyoudotheIELTSWritingandwhenyouareinterviewedfor

theIELTS

Speaking

test.It is important for you to manage those relationships as

ell as you can, in order to influence the assessors psychology positively, even ifhis is not officially a component of the stated assessment criteria.

wt

Influencinganassessorpositivelybutgenuinelyandnaturallymayleadto

betterscoreswhenanassessorisindoubtandisweighingupwhethertogiveyouahigheroralowerscore. If you are viewed by your assessor as a mature,

professional adult with a pleasant , natural and unique personality, and as someone

who can inform the assessor about interesting things in a careful, precise way thenthis may leave a positive impression of you, in contrast to some of the other twenty

or so candidates with whom the assessor may have interacted that day, and who

may have either faded quickly and anonymously away, or worse, left the assessorwith a feeling of frustration or irritation.

NEXTTIME,IlltalkaboutsomeofthespecificthingsthatmayinfluenceIELTS

assessorswhentheyreadandscoreyouranswertotheTask1reportintheIELTSAcademicWritingtest.

2009DonnaMillenandieltsontrack.com

Thisarticleiscopyrighttoieltsontrack.com,andmaynotbereproducedor

copiedwithoutthepermissionofieltsontrack.com

ThedesignandlayoutofthisseriesoflessonsarecopyrighttoIELTS-Blog.com

andmaynotbereproducedorcopiedwithoutthepermissionofIELTS-Blog.com


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Lesson#2:HowtowriteaTask1reportthatwillimpressyourassessors(AcademicModule).

Before beginning Lesson #2, here is a shortsummaryof what we learned last week.

SummaryofLesson#1.

owerto:In the IELTS Writing and Speaking tests youhavesomep

i ession that you make on the assessor

b ychological impression in the assessors mind of the sort of

nfluence the impr

uild a positive, ps

person YOU are.

IntheIELTSWritingtestyoucanimpresstheassessorby:

wellorganised wayturely and with precision

presenting your writing neatly and in awriting sentences that express ideas ma

avoiding babyish simple expressions.

IntheIELTSSpeakingtestyoucanimpresstheassessorby:

behaving as an equal e a friendly and open way

t things about your life and culture

xpressing your personality in

elling the assessor interesting

(when it is relevant to do so).

N

ow lets move on to Lesson #2.


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Importantbackgroundissues

efore looking specifically at this weeks lesson on IELTS Academic Writing Task 1,

ets explore one or two important background issues in the Writing test.

B

l

Dontbecome

aclock

victim

The IELTS Academic Writing testputs every candidate under a great deal

of time pressure.Candidates know that they have to respond to twotasks by writing a 150word, andthen a 250word answer in only one

hour. Under such conditions, it is easy for candidates to see themselvesas powerless clock victims.

WhatisanIELTSclockvictim?

andidates who spend too much time either counting words, clock watching or being over

nxious about time can be described as clock victims.

C

a

Cutdownonwordcounting

Avoid losing time by counting words too frequently. Instead, work out the approximate,average number of words you normally write on a line, count the number of lines you have

ritten and multiply them together. A full IELTS Answer page has about 20 lines. If you

ormally write about 10 words on each line you will write about 200 words on a full page.

w

n

WhattodotopreventfeelingsoanxiousintheIELTSwritingtest

To you need to:

can increase your ability to control this

help to manage feelings of anxiety

see yourself in a more positive way so that you

challenging writing test situation.beco e better at organising your written text. m

OW?H


CreateasuitabletestpersonafortheIELTSwritingtest

It is important for test takers to create a suitable test persona (a sort of test identity) withwhich both to manage their test performance and to build the confidence to connect

positively with and make a positive impression on the assessor. Being a panicky test takeris not a suitable test persona.
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Whatmightbeasuit

magine this context:

abletestpersonafortheIELTSAcademicWritingtest?

I

Youare

working

with

a

senior,

university

lecturer

on

some

social

research.

This

lecturerhasaskedyoutopresentthemwithabriefreportonsomedataandto

givesomeoutlineviewsonasocialissueasbackgroundmaterial tobetakento

atwo-day,academicseminaroverseas.Thelecturerisflyingoverseasforthat

seminaratlunchtime.

Time is important also in this imaginary context, but it is important in this case because of

your colleagues schedule, so you are helping someone. Also an academic context is aprofessional context in which you would be expected to write in a mature, considered,

clear, precise and professional manner.

Thisprofessional

and

academic

test

persona

is

amore

suitable

one

for

you

to

imagineyourselfinthanjustbeingatestcandidate;itestablishesamuchstronger

enseofrelationshipbetweenwriterandreader,and this gives your writing a strongerocial purpose.

ss

ButImtakinganIELTSlanguagetest,notworkingforauniversity.

erhaps this is what you are thinking right now. Perhaps you think this idea of aPprofessional, academic test persona is a little bit crazy.

OK, then think about it this way. Even if you are not trying to do so, or not aware of doing

so, almost everything you write to another person carries an impression of YOU within it.If, for example, your writing is disorganised, looks messy, is off the point, offers inaccurate

information, then all of these features tell the reader something negative about YOU (thewriter) as a person.

ThereaderstartstoimaginewhatYOUarelikefromhowyouwrite,notjustfrom

whatyourlanguageislikegrammatically.Thismeansyourwritinghasthepowertoinfluencetheimpressionyoumakeinmanydifferentways.Soyouneedtotryto

ommunicatepositiveimpressionsofyourselfinyourwriting.c

Howelse

can

anxiety

or

panic

be

managed?


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Planningbeforewriting

Oftencandidatesreceive their IELTS writing test paper and thenbeginwritingtheiranswersalmostimmediately.Why?

Becausetheyaresoscaredoftime.

A professional person, in contrast, learns how to plan and manage time in the mosteffective way inordertoachievethegoalsthey have established for writing.

Planning is essential to a professional approach in working life. If you go to meet a business

lient you prepare the night before so that you are clear about what you want to achievecand the best way to achieve it. The same is true in IELTS Writing.

One of your prime goals is to get a better IELTS scoreby building a positive impression in

the assessors mind. In IELTS, planningtime(even 23 minutes) is effective because itelpsyoutodevelopasystematicandwellorganisedanswer,andthiscreatesa

rofessionalimpressionof

YOU

in

the

mind

of

the

assessor.

h

p

Imaginethis:

Let sa two people of the sameEng sh

s y you did some research and made a video recording ofriting task 1 BUT:

planning the answer

li level answering the same IELTS W

one person spent about 3 minutes

the other spent no time planning.

My guess is that when you play back the video of the one who didnt plan, it will show that

his candidate stops to think, or stops to cross something out, more often during thethan the candidate with a plan.perhaps even 3 minutes more!ttwenty minutes

In other words, itmaybejusttestanxietywhichcausesyoutothinkthateveryossiblesecondhastobeusedaswritingtime. It may also be a mistake to believe that

he best Task 1 answers are from candidates who have written nonstop for 20 minutes.

p

t

areabo

riting

Someonewhoplansandorganiseswellisshowingthattheyc

being systematic about organising the content of what they are w

ut:


helping the reader of their work to read it as easily as possible.

his act of planning demonstrates an important basic validation of the readerwriterelationship, which is important even in a language test situation.Tr
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5.UseasystematiclayoutHave an introduction to your report on the data and include in it perhaps a very general

statement about the most dominant trend in the data. Createandarrangeotherparagraphslogically.Whydoit?Remember in terms of your test persona, an academic colleague might not

ave very much time to read your report and needs to find and classify report informationasily)

he

6.UseaprofessionalwritingstyleandformaltoneThis is not easy to achieve if your level of English is not very high. Nevertheless it is still

possible to shape your tone (which means your attitude to the content that the reader gets

rom your Task 1 writing and how appropriate that tone is both to the genre (type) of

riting, and to the expectations that the reader has of a report of this type.

f

w

Youcantrytoachieveanappropriateformal,professionalreportstyleby:

avoidinglazy

language

expressions(eg etc, or and so on they are not

professional, are used more in spoken language, and suggest the writer doesnt

care enough to finish a sentence properly)

avoidinginformalexpressions (eg a lot, was OK they are not professional

enough for a report s

tyle)

avoidingrepetition( too boring and makes the writer sound very limited. Use

appropria e synonyms, or referencing language (eg this, it w ossible)t herever p

avoiding(where

possible)over

use

of

general

expressionsthat lackprecision (eg thing, do, is, big, nice)

7. Reducesimplegrammarmistakes

Of course, anyone taking the IELTS test is likely to make numerous grammar mistakes.However,somemistakescreateamorenegativeimpressionthanotherswhenreadbyanativespeaker.If you can reduce the number of these you can help a positive

impression to spread to other parts of your writing.



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4TypesofGrammarMistakesThatAnnoyanAssessortheMost

MistakeType#1- VERBTENSE

a)Talking

about

the

data

Usually IELTS Task 1s use data from particular year dates. You must use the PAST tense

when describing information from the past. Similarly if the information is about the future,

use appropriate FUTURE tense forms.

b)Talkingabouttheactualgraphordiagramyoucanseeinfrontofyouonthetest

paper

You use the PRESENT tense forms to say The graph/chart/table shows/indicates/reportson. because the graph itself is always the same and always in the present.

MistakeType#2- SUBECT/VERBagreement

InEnglish,wesay: The graphshows ; The statisticsshow; The population of the

hree Asian countriest ischanging ; The number of people who sit IELTS isincreasingthe head nouns population and number control the verb agreement);(

MistakeType#3- WORDFORMSAdjective/Noun/Adverb

andidates need to control and manage effectively the English word forms they use.C

Lookatthese4 s:example


e is some Ther oubtfuld about the d oun form d

The the figures is

at ( n ee ed)

accuracy of

a X doubtn

doubt (X a oubtful )djectived needed It is doubtfullythat the figures are accuracy (XXadjectivesdoubtful&

accurateneeded)increased The population rapidduring 2000 (Xadverbrapidlyneeded)

In simple terms, errorsthatrelatetobasicrulesofEnglishgrammarleaveamore

negative

impression

than

other

kinds

of

mistakesbecause the assessor may assumeyou learnt about these basic rules when you were young and have had plenty of time

arn to use them corr

that

to le ectly since that time.

So, ifyoustillmakethesebasicerrorsyougivetheimpressionofbeinglikean

immatureschoolchild,even if your own native language causes you to make the errors


17/65

because its verb system is much simpler than the English verb system, or its translated

word forms are less varied than those in English. The assessor forms an impression of you

from your writing and isnt influenced by such complexities as first language interference.he IELTS test, remember, is based ultimately on comparing performance with a native

nglish speaker equivalent.

T

E

MistakeType#4SentenceBOUNDARIESandOMISSIONSfromsentences

Candidates need to build sentences carefully and respect what a sentence is and what theparts of a sentence are, otherwise the reader has to keep reading and rereading the

them. This leaves a negative impression on the examinersentences to try to understand

because:

a) it is frustrating and boring,b) it damages the relationship between writer and reader.

Lookatthese2examples:

1) The figures show the food preferences of men and women they are in two tables.

.2) The table shows the population. In the Asian countries rose a lot in the tenyear period

fter you read each example above, it is difficult not to reread each of them because theyunicate either clearly or effectively. Now look at these improved versions:

Adont comm

Example 1

o tables. The figures show the food preferences of men and women. They are in tw

OR,

more

simply,

o tables. The figures show the food preferences of men and women in tw

R,evenmoresimply,

ables show the food preferences of men and women.O

The two t

Example 2

The table shows thatthe population in the Asian countries rosesignificantlyin the ten

ar period.


ye

OR

Accordingtothe table, the population in the Asian countries wentup markedlyin the

tenyear period.


18/65


Remember,alltheseexamplesrepresentjustasmallsampleofpossiblegrammaticalorothererrorsinlanguageuse,buttheyareonesthatmaysignificantlyaffectthe

psychologicalimpressionthatyouranswerhasontheexaminer.

Tosummarise

WiththeIELTSAcademicWritingtestTask1itisimportantto:

try to be a confident manager of time not a clock victim. p

c

lan before you write to help your answer to be wellorganised.

reate an IELTS test persona for the Writing test that helps you more easily to see

yourself as writing for a professional purpose to an academic colleague, not as a panickytest candidate.

YoucanhelptocreateapositiveimpressioninWritingTask1if

gories of information

you:

tics or cate

skilfully

are accurate when reporting statis

select and compare key information resist making personal comments

c al style and toner mar mistakes that assessors might think are from your early days of

reate a professioneduce those gram

learning English.

Inthenext,shorterlessonIlllookatcreatingapositiveimpressionwhenwritingyour

response

to

IELTS

General

Training

Task

1.

H

opeyoulljoinmeforLesson#3.


Thisarticleiscopyrighttoieltsontrack.com,andmaynotbereproduced

orcopiedwithoutthepermissionofieltsontrack.com

The

design

and

layout

of

this

series

of

lessons

are

copyright

to

IELTS-

Blog.comandmaynotbereproducedorcopiedwithoutthepermission

ofIELTS-Blog.com


19/65


Lesson#3:HowtowriteaTask1letterthatwillimpressyourassessors(GeneralTrainingModule)

Before beginning Lesson #3, here is a shortsummaryof what we learned last week.

SummaryofLesson#2.

ts important not become a clock victim in the IELTS Writing test.I

Aclockvictim wastestimeby:

too much clock watching

too much word countingbuilding up too much anxiety about time

ly, without thinkin

writing immediate g about how to organise the response

est situation by:This is not helpful. Manageyourtimeand yourself in the t

ofessional test personaconstructing an academic and pr

taking time to plan your answer

hese give you more control of, and more feeling for, the readerwriter relationship.T

InyourAcademicWritingTask1response,apositiveimpressioncanbemadeontheassessorby:

ion,ormat

tion,

taking care with accuracy of inf

a focussing on important inform comparing rather than listing,

avoiding personal comments

presenting a systematic layout

Itsalsoimportantto:

elementary

write in a style and tone that is formal and professional.

reduce those grammar mistakes that assessors may consider

construct sentences that have clear and correct boundaries.

Now lets move on to Lesson #3.

Importantbackgroundissues
http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-academic-test-tips-for-writing-task-1/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-academic-test-tips-for-writing-task-1/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-academic-test-tips-for-writing-task-1/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-academic-test-tips-for-writing-task-1/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-academic-test-tips-for-writing-task-1/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-academic-test-tips-for-writing-task-1/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-academic-test-tips-for-writing-task-1/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-academic-test-tips-for-writing-task-1/


20/65


21/65

CreatingagoodimpressioninyourWRITINGGENERALTRAININGWritingtask1

In some ways a letter is an easycontext in which to write and in which to impress the

assessor since the situation for the content and the relationship of letter writer letterreceiver are clear. Also youhavemorefreedomtochoosewhattosaythanintheAcademicWritingtask1. Even so, there are still numerous ways in which you can create

an even better impression through your writing:

8TipstoWritinganImpressiveLetter

1. Userealexperiencesou may be asked to write a letter to a friend to discuss a holiday or a visit; you may be

plain about some problems in your apartment.

Y

asked to write to a landlord to com

Whatever the nature of the letter, tryto

connect

it

to

some

actual

experience

from

your

ownlife,ifthatispossible. This helps the context of the situation to seem more real and

may make your written communication appear more convincing and realistic to thessessor. It also means that thenyoudontneedtostruggletothinkofsomanynew

deas.

a

i

2.WriteingoodfaithEven though this is a test of English and you are not in fact writing an actual letter to a real

person, trynottoturntheletterintoasortofjokeletterby writing things like, DearMickeyMouse, or ending your letter with something like, Yourssincerely,Mr.Bean. You

may feel like being playful in the letter but itsmuch

better

to

act

in

good

faith

by

writingtheletterinastraightforwardandauthenticway. This is more likely to impress

he assessor.t

3. Choosetheappropriatetone

You will impress the assessor if you are able to chooseastyleofEnglishexpressionthatfitsthetypeofletterandfitstherelationshipbetweenyou,theletterwriterandthereceiver.



22/65

So, for example, ifyouarewritingtoanorganisationand to someone you dont know

there, yourlanguagewillbeformalnot chatty. Conversely,ifyouarewritingtoaclose

friendyou will naturally useinformalstylesofEnglishin order to reflect the closeness ofthe relationship. It would seem strange to write to a friend in cold, formal language (For

xample: Similarly, Conversely, An exception to this trend is, Compared to, This

attern changed from to.)

e

p

4.Usesuitablelanguage. Your assessor will be impressed if you:

Chooselan orforma

Example 1: Iamwritingtoyoutoreportthelossofmysuitcaseon..(formal)

xample 2: Howarethingswithyou?ImwritingtoseeifyouwanttocomeovertomyplaceoradinnerpartyonSaturday. (informal)

guagethatreflectstheappropriatetoneinformal l

Ef

variationinverbtense

en require a skilful mix of verb tense and modal use

Manage

Letters oftExample: IwastravellingonyourbusbutIleftmysuitcaseonit.. Ishouldbevery

ratefulifyouwouldreturnittome.Icanarrangetocollectitfromyouroffice.Ishall

inthecityonMondayPleaseletmeknowifthisisasuitabletime.

g

be

UsevarietyofsuitablelinkinglanguagebetweenthesentencesinyourletterIn letters, it is appropriate occasionally to use expressions that suggest the attitude or

udgment of the writer, especially adverbs like, Obviously,Clearly,Fortunately,

ly,

j

Unfortunate

Examples: Unfortunately,Icantcometoyourparty

Obviously,

I

expect

to

be

reimbursed

for

the

damage

caused

to

my.

Fortunately,Ihavebeenabletochangemytravelplans

5. Trynottobetoorepetitive

A letter is an opportunity to show command of synonym and range of formal orinformal expression. Richness of vocabulary use gives your written style more

personality and this gives a stronger impression of you (the writer) to your

ssessor. Being overrepetitive reduces the colour and texture of your letter.

a



23/65

6.TrytouseinterestingexpressionsandvocabularyEspecia authentic English idiomatic

and ph

lly in informal letters to friends there is scope for some

rasal verb forms. But, its NOT a good idea to: translate idioms from your own language into English

use idioms unless you are really confident that they are currently used, and

hen and how they are usedconfident about precisely w

xample from an informal letter:E

I

cant

come

to

the

office

do

with

you

on

Saturday

as

Ive

runoutofcashandmycars.

nyway,

Im

trying

to

stop

being

such

a

partyanimal.A

7.Giveanyexplanationsinyourlettereconomicallyandclearly

ometimes the letter will ask you to explain something or give reasons. Try not to beoo detailed in case the explanation becomes too long, too confusing and unclear.

St

8. UseanappropriatewayofdrawingthelettertoacloseEvery letter has to be drawn to a close smoothly. There are various expressions that

an work well, but of course it depends not just on tone (formal or informal) but

purpose of the letter

c

also on the

Examples:

Formal Illlookforwardtohearingfromyou

I trust you will give this matter due consideration and respond at your

earliest convenience

I should be grateful if you would reply to my letter with some urgency.

Informal Hopetohearfromyousoon

eendoftheletteryoucanusevarioussuitableoptions

Looking forward to hearing from you

Right atth

xamples:E


Yourfaithfully,/ Yourssincerely, (formal)

Allthebest,/ Bestwishes, (informal)


24/65

5SimpleRulesforaGoodLookingLetter

Even though these days most people write letters on their computers, try to make

our letter look attractive and neat so that it seems a little like the look of a

omputergenerated letter. This care with presentation will impress the assessor.

y

c

How?

1.After starting your letter with Dear.(plus name of person to whom you are

writing Mr/Ms + family name, for formal letters; first name only, for friends)..,eaveanemptylinebefore starting the content of the letter. (Remember, you dont

rite any addresses in the letter)

l

need to w

xample:E

Dear

Mrs

Smith,

Iamwritingtoinformyou

.Use paragraphing clearly so that the letter has sections, preferably one for each

ask part. Leave an empty line after each paragraph.

2

t

.Try to write lines of about the same, even length, like a computer does.3

.Leave one line space after the end of the letter before writing, Yourssincerelymore formal), or Allthebest(more informal)

4(

5.Leave another line before signing your name. Remember to just use your givename if you are writing to a friend, but use your full name if you are writing to an

rganization or to someone you dont know.

n

o



25/65


Tosummarise

WiththeIELTSGeneralTrainingWritingTask1itisimportantto:

read the task parts carefullythink about the purpose of the letterthink before you write to help your answer to be wellorganised.

YoucanhelptocreateapositiveimpressioninGeneralTraining

WritingTask1,ifyou:

th ideas for your letter use real experiences from your life to help you wi

write in good faith choose the appropriate tone for the type of letter

e which successfully controls varied verb forms needed, uses choose appropriate languag

variety of vocabulary, and occasional adverbial linking expressions

d endings to your letter

try not to be too repetitive

choose appropriate formal or informal beginnings an

set out the letter neatly and in a wellorganised way

InthenextlessonIlllookatcreatingapositiveimpressionwhenwritingyourresponsetothelonger250-wordIELTSAcademicandGeneralWritingTask2.

HopeyoullcomebackandjoinmeforLesson#4.




ThedesignandlayoutofthisseriesoflessonsarecopyrighttoIELTS-

Blog.com

and

may

not

be

reproduced

or

copied

without

the

permission

ofIELTS-Blog.com
http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/more-writing-tips-for-ielts-general-module/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/more-writing-tips-for-ielts-general-module/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/more-writing-tips-for-ielts-general-module/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/more-writing-tips-for-ielts-general-module/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/more-writing-tips-for-ielts-general-module/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/more-writing-tips-for-ielts-general-module/


26/65


Ly

esson

#4:

How

to

write

a

Task

2

essay

that

will

influence

our

assessors

positively

(Academic

and

General)

B

efore beginning Lesson #4, here is a shortsummaryof what we learned last week.

S

ummary

of

Lesson

#3.

In

the

IELTS

Writing

Task

1

General

Training

letter

it

is

important

to

:

read the letterwriting task and the 3 required parts of the letter clearly

ituation

make sure you establish a clear purpose for your letter

write the letter realistically and in good faith as if you are really in the swrite about the same amount of information for each of the three parts

Youcancreateagoodimpressionontheassessorby:

e using actual situations from your own life if they are relevant in order to make th

u ourletter seem more real

se the appropriate level of formality (informal, or formal) consistently in y

writer and letterletters language to reflect the relationship between letterreceiver.

manage the variation of verb use as accurately as you can

try not to be too repetitive; use range of vocabulary to add colour and personality

to your letter u nings and endings for the type of letter and the receiver of it

s parts of your letter neatly and clearly in paragraphs for

se appropriate begin

et out and space thecareful presentation



27/65

Creating

a

good

impression

in

your

WRITING

ACADEMIC

and

GENERAL

TRAINING

Writing

task

2

The second task involves writing about a social issue. Again, you should try to see yourself

in your professional persona as offering a formal and reasoned viewpoint on the issue forresentation to a colleague. Try not to see yourself as just a person who is having to take a

ifficult test.

p

d

3

Steps

when

planning

your

writing

1.StudythewordsintheIELTSWritingTask2

The same issues apply to Task 2as to Task 1. You need to read the task carefully and make

sure you know what the topic isand what precise aspect of the topic you have to give your

view on. This

will

help

your

answer

to

be

relevant.

EXAMPLE

ImaginethisisanIELTSTask2question:

Manypeoplekeeppetsinsmallapartments.Towhatextentdoyouconsiderthatthisis

cruel?

The topic is keepingpets. To stay relevant, youwouldneedtofocusyourdiscussionof

ts

on:pe

typesofpet(The expression pets covers many types of living creature, so you shouldntovergeneralise) and,

wherethepetsarekept (specifically in this essay, in small apartments)

how

cruel

this

is

and

why(You need to offer a clear, precise point of view)


HowcanIdecideo clear ofview?

Imagine a line with Itscruel________ notcruelat the otherend.

na point

__at one end, and________ Its

Whereonthelinewouldyoustandto show your point of view andwhy?
http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/how-to-get-ideas-for-ielts-essay/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/how-to-get-ideas-for-ielts-essay/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/how-to-get-ideas-for-ielts-essay/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/how-to-get-ideas-for-ielts-essay/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/how-to-get-ideas-for-ielts-essay/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/how-to-get-ideas-for-ielts-essay/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/how-to-get-ideas-for-ielts-essay/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/how-to-get-ideas-for-ielts-essay/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/how-to-get-ideas-for-ielts-essay/


28/65

2.Decide uponaclearandprecisepointofview

This can be achieved by offering enough detail to explain why you have that opinion.

In

the

Task

2

essay,

having

a

clear

and

precise

point

of

view

on

the

task

topic

enables

he

assessor

to

feel

more

connected

tothe strength of yourwriting

voice.

t

EXAMPLE

ets use the same Task 2 example about keeping pets:L

a

)Anunclearandnotveryprecisepointofviewmightbe:Itissometimescrueltokeeppetsinapartmentsbutsometimesitisnotcruel.

hispointofviewsounds as though the writer doesnt clearly know what their

oint of view is about cruelty, and so it is less convincing, less powerful.

T

p

b)Aclearandmoreprecisepointofviewmightbe:

m

Itis crueltokeeppetsinsmallapartmentsifthepetsarelargeandneedmorespace,

oreattentionoradifferentenvironmentinordertobehappyandhealthy

This

point

of

viewgives a more precise point of view because it gives the preciseonditions in which the writer thinks it is cruel (that is, the writer says it is cruel, if

ets are large and if they cant be h

c

p ealthy and happy in small apartments)

Aclearandprecisepointofviewgives additional direction to your essays

introduction as you will be developing the supporting reasons for that point of viewin the other paragraphs. It tells

the

assessor

more.

and

so

it

gives

the

assessor

a

more

detailed

impression

of

you

and

of

what

the

essay

might

contain.



29/65

3.Makeaquickplanoftheparagraphsyouwillwriteandthetopicofeachparagraph.

Remember that the first sentence in each paragraph (often called the topic

sentence) tells the reader what the paragraph is about so if

the

topic

sentence

is

clear,

it

gives

a

positive

impression

to

the

assessor,

because

it

means

thessessorcanpredictthecontentoftheparagraphmoreeasily. An important

art of reading someones essay easily is being able to predict what will come next.ap

InyourTask2plan:

show an introduction which contains your viewpoint on the essay tasks statedopinion,

then list 2 or 3 paragraph headings each with a key reason connected to your own

iewpoint, which you will discuss in each paragraph, plus one or two examples tov

support that reason

shown. and show a concluding paragraph that will summarise what your essay has

If you write the plan in the IELTS Answer book, just put a line through it and

nderline it to show that it is not part of your actual answer. Then begin the actualssay.

ue

Remember

What we said about Task 1 Academic in Lesson 2 is also important here.Afew

minutes

spent

planning

your

Task

2

responsewill help you to write moresystematically and more smoothly, and in clearer paragraphs; it is

not

wasted

time.



30/65

3

tips

for

organising

your

writing

1. Try to develop each paragraph by developing each point that supports the topic

entence. (Dont just state one point and then move on to an entirely new point as this

eems mechanical and prevents you from developing a point in more detail)

s

s

2. Try to use a variety of linking words between sentences, rather than just the simpler

shopping list style links such as: firstly,secondly,thirdly,finally

. Make sure you leave a line between each of your paragraph when you write your essay,

o that the assessor can see the way your essay is organised

3

s

EXAMPLE

R

eadthisminiparagraph:

Keepingpetssuchaslargedogsinsmallapartmentscaneasilyleadtounintended

cruelty.Anobviousexampleofthisisthatlimitedspacemakeslargeanimals

frustratedbecausetheycantuseenoughoftheirphysicalenergy. Thismayresultin

possibleaggression.Linkedtothislackofexerciseistheissueofhealth.Adogthathas

insufficientspaceandlacksexercisecaneasilybecomeobesewhich,inturn,may

shortenadogslife.

The linking words in bold type show how writers direct their thoughts and express

relationships between the content as they move from sentence to sentence. This also helps

the assessor to connect with a point of view that is developing, which builds a positiveimpression of sophisticated thought. Test candidates who just list one point after another

without any development, and without any subtle linking expressions may seem lessnatural and less mature in the mind of the assessor.



31/65

8

rules

for

appropriate

language

1.Avoidgeneralisationsthataretoosimplisticsimplistic generalisations seem too unsubtle, and too strong; they dont reflect a mature

pproach to the topic )

(

a

EXAMPLE

mpare the generalisations below, which are written in pairs:C

o

1)Alldogslikepeople.

2)Mostdogsaresociableandseemtoenjoyhumancompanionship,iftheyarelookedafter

withcareandkindness.

1))Thosewholivealoneinapartments,particularlytheelderly,maybenefitfromasuitableetwhichisabletooffercompanionshipandagreatersenseofsecurity.

2

p

Itis

good

to

have

pets

in

an

apartment

and

they

stop

loneliness.

W dhichviewpointineachpairislesssimplistican moreconsidered?Theansweris:theSECONDsentenceineachpair.

ably needs to be expressed in a sentence that is:So, a more considered view prob

longer

more grammatically complex. more detailed and therefore more precise

written with cautious language forms (e.g. may, possibly, perhaps, seem)

.Avoidusingidiomsorsayingswhich either state the obvious or seem out of place in anre a formal viewpoint is being systematically developed.

2essay whe

xamples: Everycoinhastwosides. Everycloudhasasilverlining.E


3.Avoid

xample: Withmostpets,whatyouseeiswhatyouget.

usingclichs,astheycancommunicatetoomuchinformality.

E

4.Avoidusinginformalexpressionsinthisformaltypeofwriting.


32/65

Examples:

Less formal More formalKeepingpetsisaveryhottopic Keepingpetsisasignificantissue

P

etrol-drivencarsarepasttheirsellbydate arefastbecomingobsolete

.Avoidusinglazyexpressionstocompletesentences,especially ones that belongoken conversation.

5more to sp

xamples: etc; andsoon; andthingslikethat; thatsortofthingE

6.Avoidimprecisegeneralexpressionsthatm

Example: Compare these expressions in a) and b)

akeviewssoundtoosimple.

a)Walking

adog

is

a

good

thing

and

b)Walkingadogisanecessarydailyactivityand.

ining what the walking dogs?Which one is more precise in expla writer thinks about

Example b) offers more precision (necessary,daily) than example a) (good)

7.Cometosomeconclusionaboutyourpointofviewinaconcludingparagrap

t helps to round off your answer if you can offer a short conclusion, with sentenceeginnings like:

h

Ib

Itcanbeconcludedfromthepointofviewpresentedinthisresponsethat.

Or,

more

simply:

Overallthen,thepointofviewdevelopedinthisresponseisthat..

Or,foradifferenttypeofessayquestion,Tosumup,thesolutiontothisproblemmightbestinvolve.

(Therearemanyotherwaysofstartingaconclusionsorememberthatthesearejustafewsuggestions)



33/65

8.

Make

a

quick

check

of

your

grammar

The last minute or two will be well spent if you read your essay quickly and try toess

assesuld be Pets are);

find

those

elementary

grammar

mistakes

which

do

not

impr sors

(For example: Pet are (should be Pets are...) or, Pets is(sho

Keep pets in small apartments is sometime cruelty. (should be Keepingpets insmall apartments is sometimescruel)

To

summarise

TG

obuildagoodimpressionintheassessorsmindinbothAcademicandeneralTrainingWritingtask2:

Before

writing

read the task carefully and establish your own clear point of view (to make sure

your writing is relevant)

2 or 3 paragraphd viewpoint

plan before writing by writing a clear overall point of view andheadings each with a different, main reason to support your state

(to make your writing more relevant, organised and systematic)

InyourwrittenresponsetoTask2:

develop ideas in separate paragraphs which support and link to reasons for the

main point of view in your introduction

tences to show.

build your paragraphs with connecting expressions between senhow your viewpoint is being supported and developed; dont just list your points

write a short, concluding paragraph to round off your responseprecise show maturity of thought; dont just make lists of separate points or im

ions

oversimplified opinions.

write in a formal tone and avoid clichs, idioms, and lazy express

avoid overgeneral vocabulary expressions search your essay at the end for any elementary grammar errors

http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-writing-2-task-explained/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-writing-2-task-explained/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-writing-2-task-explained/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-writing-2-task-explained/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-writing-2-task-explained/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/spelling-in-ielts-british-or-american/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/spelling-in-ielts-british-or-american/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/spelling-in-ielts-british-or-american/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/spelling-in-ielts-british-or-american/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-writing-2-task-explained/


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Hope

youll

come

back

and

join

me

for

Lesson

#5.

WelltakealookathowyoucansinganddancetothemusicoftheSpeakingtestand

how

you

can

become

a

good

dance

partner

who

impresses

the

assessor

and

akesagoodcooperativeconnectionasyoubothmovethrougheachsectionofthat

est.

m

t




ThedesignandlayoutofthisseriesoflessonsarecopyrighttoIELTS-

Blog.comandmaynotbereproducedorcopiedwithoutthepermission

ofIELTS-Blog.com


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Lesson#5:HowtoimproveyourSpeakingtestscorebyconnectingwithyourassessor

B

efore beginning Lesson #5, here is a shortsummaryof what we learned last week.

S

ummaryofLesson#4.

TobuildagoodimpressionintheassessorsmindinbothAcademicandeneralTrainingG Writingtask2,itsimportantto:

Beforewriting

elevant read the task carefully and establish your own, clear opinion, one which is r

b

to what the question asks you to do

rting itefore writing, make a plan stating your overall opinion clearly, and 2 or 3

paragraph headings, each with a reason for your opinion + examples suppo

this makes your task response more relevant, organised and systematic.

Whenyouwrite

develop ideas in separate paragraphs which support and link to reasons for your

opinion; leave a line space between each paragraph.

build your paragraphs with connecting expressions between sentences to showhow your opinion is being supported and developed; dont just list your points.

w ith your stated opinion to round off your responseprecise

rite a short, conclusion w show maturity of thought; dont just make lists of separate points or im

ions

oversimplified opinions.

write in a formal tone and avoid clichs, idioms, and lazy express

avoid overgeneral vocabulary expressions search your essay at the end for any elementary grammar errors

http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-writing-2-task-explained/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-writing-2-task-explained/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-writing-2-task-explained/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-writing-2-task-explained/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-writing-2-task-explained/http://www.ielts-blog.com/ielts-preparation-tips/writing-tips/ielts-writing-2-task-explained/


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Backgroundissues

HowdoestheassessorviewtheSpeakingtest?

The IELTS Speaking testlasts for 1114 minutes and is in three, clear sections. The

assessor has to manage the test sections by asking set questions, giving the

followup discussion. All this has to becandidate a topic to talk about, and steering adone inside a strict sequence of timing:

4 5 minutes for section 1 (set questions),

3 4 minutes for section 2 (talk on a topic)

4 5 minutes for section 3. (discussion of issues)

Imaginethis:

Lets imagine your assessor has only 6 months experience as an IELTS assessor, butn that six months has already interviewed over 100 candidates before you come

nto e

i

i

th room. How does that assessor probably feel?

) the assessor probably feels part of a pattern of timed, programmed1

interaction, and expects you, the next candidate, to follow this pattern.

2) the assessor feels a little bit mechanical because each test has to be done ina standard way and the assessor doesnt have much room for personal

comment or reaction or for normal interaction.

3)

The assessor has to be a clockwatcher because each interview has to followkept to.strict timing. So the assessor can get anxious if the test rhythm is not

4)

If the assessor is assessing 10 candidates, tiredness is bound to occur

towards the end of the assessors candidate list.

5) he assessor feels keen to make it a pleasant enough time for you to do yourest she or he is on your side!

Tb
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Howdoesth theSpeakingtest?etest-takerview

here are twobasictypesof IELTS testtaker:T

1) Firsttimers

Firsttime test takers are usually more nervous because everything feels unknown.Nervousness is a personal feeling but it makes it more difficult for the speaking test

xperience to feel relaxed and shared. The assessor can usually sense both

ervousness and, occasionally, its opposite overconfidence!

e

n

2) Oldtimers

Test takers who have taken the test several times are less nervous about the generalsituation but are often caught up in anxiety about particular aspects of their

performance and their wish to improve on known weaknesses from their previous

tests, or to improve previous scores. They can become a little distant orpreoccupied as a result.

Thebasicsocialtask

The main social task in the IELTS speaking testis to bring both the assessor and

candidate closer together, in a sense of cooperativeconnection. This means that

each should try to help the other to make the situation a comfortable, friendly,shared experience, where the candidate can feel all right and can therefore do their

est , and the assessor can manage the speaking test sections correctly, without anydditional stress being caused by the candidate.ba

So,theSpeakingtestisalittlelikeasonganddanceroutine.o help to describe this process of cooperative connection a little more, lets use

he analogy of singing and dancing.

T

t
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ThesongoftheSpeakingtestsingingthesamesong

he assessor is going to feel more comfortable, the more you are able to make yourlanguagethat native speakers are used to

Tspoken English like the musicofthe

unds good stress on the right so

low not too fast, not too s

appropriate pausing

rrection very little hesitation or self co

neither too loud nor too soft

good rhythm and flow of sound

clear and accurate, individual sounds

good grouping of chunks of meaning. trying to mirror the music of the assessors speech a little ( by using a similar

speaking speed, similar volume and similar feeling of friendliness in the notes)

SilenceisNOTgolden!

lish that says, Silence is golden. In the IELTS Speaking testhere is a saying in EngT

Silence is NOT golden. Why?

Silence causes strain for the assessor and breaks flow and connection.

I understandt is a sign of either: trouble finding the right word, or trouble trying to

what is required, or trouble trying to explain something successfully.

I ced as more threatening than it is inn western cultures, silence is often experien

some cultures Asian cultures, for example.

Silence takes up a lot of time so it may put pressure on the assessor to try to fit too

many questions into a small amount of remaining time, especially in the first part

of the Speaking test.

In the Speaking test, you cant get a good score for what you dont say!


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ThedanceoftheSpeakingtestIttakestwototango!

he interviewer knows the 3section dance of the Speaking test better than you dout

Tb

you can help your assessor by being a good dance partner. How?

ime,moving through each section of the test and each question in appropriate t

being responsive to your assessor, while being taken through the dances

sections or when receiving instructions

showing yourself in a positive light, thus

making your assessor happy that you are their 1114 minute dance partner.

Asadancepartneryouneedtoberesponsive, which means not trying toominate your partner but being a cooperative equal; it means not changing the

ance or the music, but keeping in step and staying in time.

d

d

FindinganappropriateandactivewayofrelatingtotheassessorAnother important aspect of cooperative connection in this short Speaking test isto feed the brief relationship between yourself and the assessor, so that it is friendly,

balanced, productive, mutually appropriate and mutually respectful. You can play a

arge part in this you dont have to be passive in this relational aspect of the

ncounter.

l

e

Forthe11-14minuteswiththeassessor,youshouldactlikean

equalwhois:

offering yourself as a memorable, unique and interesting person

informing about your life and culture with a real interest in doing so

u ontact to communicate interest and connection butsing body language and eye c

not frustration or aggression

charm, pride, respect and friendliness treating the relationship with sensitivity,

trying to make the assessors task easier

u oo informal)sing language that is not too distant (too formal) nor too familiar (t

so your aim is to use language that is polite but friendly at all times.

listening carefully and politely to everything the assessor tells you or asks you.

reacting and responding with good energy, and a sense of motivated involvement


40/65

HowtoconnectwiththeassessorateachstageoftheSpeakingTest

Connectingduring

the

Introduction

to

the

Speaking

test

When the assessor invites you into the room, mak e sure you put your passport or

test ID on the table so that it is ready.

nd Donttrytosaymuchwhileyougettingseated, just smile and look pleasant arespond to anything the assessor asks or says

(Sometimes test candidates try to chat to the assessor by saying things like, How

the assessor just wants to get on with theare you today? at this point but reallyinterview efficiently).

The assessor isnt a police officer, so whenyousayyourname,sayitinaIf your name is really difficult for repeatfriendlyway. assessors to identify or

properly, give them a short or simple first name to call you during the interview. While seated,lookinterestedandconnected, not nervous or tired. Makeeye

contactand be polite when asked for your passport, and when it is returned to you.

ConnectinginPART1oftheSpeakingtest:DosandDonts

Part 1of the Speaking test consists of three general topics from everyday life. Eachopic has about 4 or 5 questions each of which the assessor reads out from a sort of

nterview script. You have to answer each question.

t

i

1.Keep

in

step;

keep

in

time

n average about 15 seconds is an appropriate length for each of your answers inOorder to keep in step with the rhythm of this section.

If you take a long time answering (either because of hesitation or going into too

memuch detail) then the assessor feels the pressure because there is not enough ti

to ask all the questions.

Similarly, if your answers are too short, the assessor will get to the end of theuestions before the minimum time is up for the 3 topics (4 minutes).

q

Bykeepinginstepwiththetimeboundariesofthissectionyouwillmaketheassessormorecomfortable

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2.Dontusememorisedmaterialatanystage.

answers and try to use them in this part of the testSometimes candidates memoriseThis is not a good idea. Why not?

Itis

very

easy

for

the

assessor

to

ch timethey often take up too murecognise

memorised

answers.

Also:

frustrate the assessor

create a bad impression.t the same time you are not interacting in a real way, you are being false.

A

3.Dontbefrightenedtoaskforaquestiontoberepeated

The assessor has to read the questions from a printed page so if you dontnderstand the question the assessor cant explain it to you. You can ask for the

e repeated, however. This is much better than remaining silent.

u

question to b

ou can say:YSorry,Ididntquitecatchthat.Couldyourepeatthequestion,please?

If you still dont understand the question after it is read to you again, just be politeand say:

ImsorrybutIstilldontquitefollowthequestion.

he assessor will simply move on to the next question.T

4.Trytoextendyouranswersalittleuntilyouhaveusedabout15seconds.

Why? This makes you seem more interesting, more friendly, less robotic, less like a

testtaking machine. Beforethetest,practicewithawatchto gain a sense of what

15second time interval feels like, and of the rhythm of a question + a 15seconda

response.

Remember, though, 15secondsisjustanaveragelengthforaresponseinPart

1,andgivesyouasenseofasafeQuestion/Answertimeintervalrelative to thetotal number of questions and overall time available for this section of the test you

dont have to practice until you are a precise, 15second robot! Study this example:



42/65

Example:

Assessors : Wereyouagoodstudentatschool?question

AnswerA: YesIwasagoodstudent.atschoolyes

Comment: This answer is too brief, repeats the question words, and has an unusual

pattern of minipauses

Answer B: MostofthetimeIwas,yes,especiallyatprimaryschool,..butathigh

schoolIhadaperiodwhenIwasabitrebelliousandoccasionallyIgotintotrouble

fornotdoingmyhomeworkandarrivinglate.

Comment:This answer is much better as it sounds natural, is extended fluently, is

personalised, is in chunks (that is blocks of meaning each with a tiny pause beforehe next block), is in polite, conversational style and is about 15 seconds long t

5.Sing

the

same

song

As native speakers, assessors will probably sing the song of English by using risingand falling intonation to add interest and show a positive attitude.

- Remembertotrytomirrororechothisbyusingrisingandfallingintonationin a natural and appropriate way to show how you feel about the answers you are

ffering. If you are talking about something exciting or interesting let your

ntonation show this. If you are surpris

o

i ed, show this.

Addpersonalitytoyourlanguage. Flatness of spoken English suggests to the

ssessor that you are not interested, and m

-

a aybe not interesting!

- Dontspeaktooquietly,nortooloudly. Try to mirror the assessor when you

speak, in terms both of the volume of your voice (not too quiet, not too loud) and of

the use of gentle eye contact (to maintain relationship and connection) these helptheir attention and interest in what you areassessors to feel comfortable, and keep

saying.


6.Beyourself

The interview is testing your ability at spoken English but that English is spoken byYOU, so

dont

forget

to

be

yourself

and

not

be

too

frightened

or

too

hidden.


43/65


7tipsforconnectinginPART2oftheSpeakingtest

As part 1 finishes, your assessor will give you a topic card and you have one minuteto plan your short 12 minute talkon that topic.

During

the

one

-minute

planning/note

-making

t

1.When you receive the topic card, make sure you gothroughALLthepoints

listed. Usethelistedpointstostructureyournotes(orthoughts).

ime

2.Ifyouwanttostartbeforetheoneminutehasfinishedjustpolitelysay,

IthinkImreadytostartnow

Duringthetalk

3.When you give your talk tryto

talk

about

each

of

the

points

on

the

topic

card

many talks lack structure and are not organised and the candidate just ends up

trying to fill the time often becoming repetitive or going off the point. If you planystematically you can usually avoid this. Being systematic connects with the

s essors expectations.

s

a s

4.Trytomakeyourtalkfluent,personalandvaried

Again, your talk is a chance for connection, not just using English. Connection is

mproved by adding variety and by Trytocommunicateandconnectwiththessessor, by using your voice to add interest.

ia

5.Use

eye

contact

to

connect

he little talk is a great opportunity to connect with your eyes and to build the

t seems a bit rude or shy.

T

relationship with the assessor. Dont stare at your notes i

6.If you have finished before the two minute period is up, signalthattothessessorwithasimplephraselike, Ithinkthatsall or Thatstheendofmytalk.

oubt.

a

Dont let silence create d

7.The assessor will ask aroundingoffquestionconnectedtoyourtalk,justanswerthisfairlybrieflyas the assessor will want to move into the final part of

the interview. Dont go on for too long or the assessor may get a little impatient
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9ideasforconnectinginPART3oftheSpeakingtest

he assessor will move the test into theT final stageby starting to discuss generaluestions connected broadly to the topic of your talk.q

1.Youshould

see

this

part

as

amore

naturaltype

of

interaction

because the

assessor may react to your responses and share the discussion a little, not just movefrom one question to the next like in part 1 of the Speaking test; however, the

ssessor will be careful not to take up too much time talking as the aim is to assess

our spoken abilities in this part.

a

y

2.Seeyourselfasanequal.Try to imagine that you are having a discussion in a coffee shop with a colleague

who is interested in your detailed views on certain things.

3.Trytodevelopyouranswersusingvariedsentenceconnectorstobuildflow;

trynottotalkinshort,staccatosentencesas this gives the impression that youont want to build a relationship or enjoy a discussion, but just want to finish the

est as quickly as you can.

d

t

EXAMPLE

Assessorsquestion: Do you think weddings are really necessary in the modern

world?

AnswerA:

(too short, not fluent) Weddings

are

necessary.

Weddings

are

atradition;

theymakeparentshappy.

AnswerB(longer, but still too staccato); Yes. Theyarenecessary. Yourfamily

needstofollowtraditions. Itisabadthingnottogetmarried. Itbringsshame. It

showsyouarenotseriousaboutyourlife.Youneedtopleaseyourparents. Weddings

helpyoudothis.


AnswerC(longer andmore fluent): Theyseemtobeimportanteventhoughtheymaynotbecompletelynecessarythesedays,because,forastart,theyenablea

coupletoshowapubliccommitmenttoeachotherinfrontoftheirfamilyandfriends,

whichhelps

them

to

feel

supported

when

making

such

abig

decision,

and

furthermore,thecouplecanfeeltheyarepartofalongandhonourabletraditionin

theirsociety,whileatthesametime,ofcourse,pleasingtheirparents.
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.If you cant quickly think of a response to a question, therearevariousorethinkingtime:

4

strategiesyoucanusetogiveyourselfm

you can use holding expressions like, Mmthatsaninterestingquestionbutnotasytoanswerquickly or Therearedifferentwaysofrespondingtothate

questionand

it

depends

very

much

on

your

.

you can ask the assessor to paraphrase the question by seeking clarification, as

n; Doyoumean,areweddingslegallynecessaryorjustsociallynecessary?Imnotureexactlywhatthatquestionisgettingat.

is


5occasiona

Example

.Itcanbeusefulandaddsvarietytogiveexamplesfromyourownlifellyifthatmakesiteasierforyoutocommunicateyourviewpoint.

Ill

give

you

an

example

from

my

own

experience.

One

of

my

close

friends

and

his

partnerarenotmarriedandhaveneverhadawedding,andbecause

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