IELTS Study Guide for Beginners
IELTS Study Guide for Beginners
IELTS AT GLANCE
Type: Paper Based Test / CD IELTS
Score validity: 2 years
Total Bands: 9
Skills tested: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking
MODULES of IELTS
Academic
For University and Higher Education
General
For Secondary Education or for Immigration
FORMAT
Test Number of Questions Timing
Listening 4 sections 30 minutes+10 minutes
40 questions [transfer time]
Total Time: 40 minutes
Reading 3 passages 60 minutes
40 questions (No extra time to transfer
(passage of 500 to 900 words) the answer)
Type of Questions: multiple choices, short answers, sentence completion, notes, form, table, summary,
flow chart completion, classification, diagram labeling & matching etc.
Type of Questions:
Multiple choice, completing a summary, identifying items in flow chart or diagram, heading selection, yes-no-
not given, true-false-not given, short answer questions, identifying author’s view, matching and fill in the
blanks etc.
TIPS: Skim the passage.
The sentences around these words are most likely to contain the answers.
The first section has two or three short texts, related by topic, such as advertisements for holiday inns. The topics
are of general interest.
The second section has two factual texts relating to work-related issues.
The last section will have only one long text which will be on any general topic.
Type of Questions:
Multiple choice, completing a summary, heading selection, yes-no-not given, true-false-not given, short
answer questions, matching and fill in the blanks etc.
TIPS: Skim and Scan the text for specific information.
Locate key words in the questions
The sentences around these words are most likely to contain the answers.
In task 1 you have to describe information In task 1 you have to write a letter requesting
presented in the form of a diagram, map or information or explaining a situation.
graph. In task 2 you would be presented with a point of
In task 2 you would be presented with a point of view or an argument or problem.
view or an argument or problem. You shall be assessed on your ability to provide
You shall be assessed on your ability to provide information, justify an opinion and evaluate ideas
information, justify an opinion and evaluate ideas or arguments.
or arguments. It is suggested that you take 20 minutes for task 1
It is suggested that you take 20 minutes for task 1 and 40 minutes for task 2.
and 40 minutes for task 2.
FORMAT FOR TASK-1:
FORMAT FOR TASK-1:
Salutation line
Introduction Introduction
Body paragraph Main points
Conclusion / overview Endings
Closing lines
FORMAT FOR TASK-2:
FORMAT FOR TASK-2:
(ARGUMENTIVE)
(ARGUMENTIVE)
Introduction
Introduction Body paragraph 1
Body paragraph 1 (70% Of your opinion)
(70% Of your opinion) Body paragraph 2
Body paragraph 2 (30% Of Contra Opinion)
(30% Of Contra Opinion) Conclusion
Conclusion (SUBJECTIVE)
(SUBJECTIVE)
Introduction
Introduction Body paragraph 1(50%)
Body paragraph 1(50%) Body paragraph 2(50%)
Body paragraph 2(50%) Conclusion
Conclusion
SPEAKING
PARTS TIMING
Part 1( INTRODUCTION)
PART-1
Let’s talk about what you do. Do you work or are you student?
Work Study
Why did you choose your job? Why did you choose your subject(s)?
What are your working hours? When do you prefer to study on your own? [Why?]
Tell me something about the people who Tell me something about the other students on your
work with you. course.
What don’t you like about your job? What don’t you like about your
Let’s go on to talk about sport.
o What sports are popular in your country?
o Did you learn any sports at school?[why?/why not?]
o How often do you watch sport? [why not?]
o Do you participate in any sports at the moment? [which ones?]
Part 2
Describe a special event [e.g. a festival, carnival or other celebration) that takes place in your country.
You should say:
When the event takes place
Why it takes place
What people do
And explain why the event is special.
PART-3
Celebrations for families and friends
What sort of occasions do families and friends like to celebrate?
How important are celebrations in people’s lives? [why / why not?]
Should people have time off work for important celebrations? [why? / why not?]
National celebrations
Why do many people enjoy participating in national celebrations?
Have national celebrations become more or less important over time? [why?]
What sort of things do you think countries will celebrate in the future?
APPROACHING AN ESSAY
General statement(s) about the topic followed by the other statements (what you are going to write about or what
stand you intend to take on the question)
Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence (main idea) followed by examples/evidence for support.
Summarize, but do not repeat, the main ideas. Include recommendation if necessary or (re)state your position, to
bring essay to a close
Continuity and Flow Have you built and organized your paragraphs into a short essay so
that overall meaning is easy to track? Are your ideas connected
effectively between paragraphs from sentence to sentence?
Grammatical Precision Are your sentences grammatically accurate, with a variety of complex
as well as simple sentences?
Suggestions: Here are the most common problems found in writing tests, along with suggestions for
improvement.
Problems Suggestions
1. Timing: Stop working on Task 1 after 20 minutes. Task 2 is
Task 2 answers remains unfinished if too worth more marks, so give yourself the full 40
much time is spent on Task 1 minutes to complete your task 2 answer.
2. Too short: Practice regularly. Once you learn the essay patterns
If you write less than the minimum number of you will be able to write the required number of
words for either task, you will loose marks. words without time counting.
3. Off Topic: Keep going back to the task statement while
An essay or letter that does not address the planning and writing to make sure you relate your
topic will loose marks, even if it is well response to the task as it is written.
written.
4. Repetition: This is usually a problem of planning. Think of as
Saying the same thing in slightly different many ideas as you can before you start to write.
ways shows you do not have enough ideas. Decide on a topic for each paragraph and which
examples to include.
5. Irrelevant information: Check back to the wordings of the task. Are the idea
Filling out an essay or letter with information / example relevant to the topic? Does it answer the
unrelated to the question will not get marks. question as given? If not, leave it out.
6. Mixed up: Stick to one main idea per paragraph, stated clearly
Same essay have too many ideas and too little in the topic sentence. Use the rest of the paragraph
organization. They are difficult to follow. to develop and support the idea with examples.
TYPES OF ESSAY
1. ARGUEMENTIVE
Agree or Disagree, Discuss both points and give opinion, Discuss, Positive or Negative development.
Take one side, decide your opinion write in second paragraph also include contra opinion in 3rd paragraph
and then conclude again mentioning your opinion.
Eg. Some people say that advanced technology can prevent most of the crimes. Do you agree or disagree?
Eg. In many countries children are engaged in different kinds of paid work. Some people regard this as completely
wrong, while others consider it a valuable work experience, important for learning and taking responsibility.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Eg. Marriages are bigger and more expensive nowadays than in the past. Why is this case? Is it a positive or
negative development?
2. SUBJECTIVE/DESCRIPTIVE
Eg. In companies promotions to high positions should be given to employees inside the company not to someone
from outside or new hiring. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both.
Eg. The best way to prepare for the future is to invest in young people. How true do you think is this? What are the
ways to spend resources on these young people?
Eg. In many countries, children are getting fatter and less fit day by day. Why is it so and suggest solutions.
Eg. Nowadays, people always throw the old things away when they buy new things, some people claim that the
broken things should be repaired and used again. What factors cause this phenomenon? What effects this
phenomenon leads to?
WORDS TO KEEP THE FLOW
To Introduce
in today’s era, at present, in the present time / scenario, nowadays....
To list
to begin with, first of all (firstly), second of all (secondly), thirdly, next, then, finally,
To support further
moreover, furthermore, in addition, also, besides, on top of that...
To give an example
for example, for instance, in this instance, to give specific example, to illustrate, in particular, such as, namely,
i.e.
To contrast
Although, however, in contrast, on the contrary, on the other hand, on the flip side of it, while / whereas,
instead, in fact, in spite of, despite, each coin has two sides.
To express opinion
according to me, from my point of view, in my view, to my view, in my opinion, as per my opinion, I opine, I
think, I strongly believe/feel, I personally believe, personally, I feel that, unarguably.. I support the stand that...I
advocate (the view etc.)...I second (the thought, the opinion etc.), I favour / I am in favour of...
To conclude
in conclusion, conclusively, to conclude, in closing, in summary, to sum up, to recapitulate, to concede, in
the end
SAMPLE ESSAY
5 BAND ESSAY
There are no longer enough natural resources to sustain current levels of economic growth. To what extent
do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Recently, the demands of(demand for) natural resources have(has) risen dramatically across the world due to
population growth. Some people state that we have not (do not have) enough resources. However, there are some
individuals who disagree with this opinion. In this essay, the issues behind this phinomenan(phenomenon
) will be examined.
On the one hand, some people state that if the number of natural resource(natural resources) will continue
to degrease (deplete) we cannot have a comfortable life because natural resources are limited. According to
a government research in the USA shows that(research conducted by the US government) if this situation will
continue, the petrol will lose in 2050. Moreover, it is widly (Widely) said that the number of population in the
world(world population) will increase. This will make the amount of natural resource decrease(resources
insufficient).
On the other hand, there are some individuals who disagree with above-mentioned perception. The demands of
(demand for)natural resources will be lessen owning to improving the(reduce owing to the improvement of)
technology. For example, the developments(development) of technology such as electronic (electric)
cars gave(has) a positive impact in(on) the society. By using this, we can decline(reduce) the consumption of
natural resources. Eventually, we will not need natural fuel. In my opinion, decreasing (depletion) of
natural resource(resources) is quit(Quite) crisis (a serious problem), I think the loss of it give (will have)a
negative impact in (on) the society because even we (we) won’t have a comfortable life any more.
In conclusion, I agree with the idea that there are no longer enough natural resources to sustain this situation. In
order to defense (sustain) our life, the governments every (of all) countries should takel(tackle) this issue.
This essay needs work, in particular in the areas of grammar, sentence structure and word choice (red
letter shows correction and words in brackets shows the corrected words).
The arguments could have been more convincing.
There are spellings mistakes which are underlined and words in brackets represent correct spelling.
The essay is under length, whereas at least 250 words are required to avoid being penalized.
7 BAND ESSAY
There are no longer enough natural resources to sustain current levels of economic growth. To what extent
do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Nowadays, natural resources like water, coal, fuel and natural gases are declining because of population and their
needs. It is a much debated issue these days. Some may hold the notion that there are not adequate natural
resources to preserve our economy, but others have a negative attitude. In this essay, I am going to examine this
question from both points of view and then give my own opinion on the matter.
Those who endorse the view, have the following view points. To begin with, large numbers of vehicles have been
raised according to the people’s requirements, and they consume a lot of natural resources like petrol, diesel,
kerosene and so more. If this trend is not changed, one day the natural resources will be in dearth, and it will cause
more to human being. What is more, it might affect the economy of the country as people cannot hold their life
without staple resources like water, food, natural gases and so on. Secondly, owing to lack of all the resources,
people may not live comfortably. Furthermore, as per the today’s proportion of the population growth, the
essential resources will be shrunk. Ergo, to survive in today’s world and to keep it position higher, each country
must take actions to save natural resources due to its versatility of consequences.
On the other side of the coin, others argue that to maintain economic level in global, it is not indispensable to
preserve natural resources. To illustrate this point, lots of technologies are developed which will wipe out the usage
of these resources. Electronic cars, for example, run on solar heat. However, they might forget that these
technologies could not allure people for use due to its some technical defects.
Finally, I pen down after analyzing all the reasons mentioned above. A propos of this statement, I am in
consummate accord with it and believe that government should take actions to save the natural resources not only
for its economic growth, but for its population.
This essay have proper arguments, proper detailing, good range of vocabulary, and organization.
Introduction clearly state about the topic and how writer will give the opinion.
Grammar wise there is proper sentence formation and ideas are clearly understood by the readers.
The arguments are convincing and detailing is proper as it clears the reason behind the argument stated.
The organizations of arguments are done properly with linking words. (Bold letters are linking words)
Conclusion represents the summary in proper way.
Task 1 Academic
Bar graph
Line graph
Number of people
Number of people ('00)
70
80 60
40 50 Girls
0 40 Boys
et
s es gs gs gs te 30
all tch dba r ba yba To 20
u de rr
W Cl Ha
n
ul Ca 10
o
Sh 0
January February March April May June
Types of purses
Month
s
Pie Chart
3%
3% Going to cinemas Clubbing
9% 18% Listening to music Reading
Watching T.V. Playing Sport
10%
10% Socialising Fitness Work Out
9% Gardening Cooking
14%
18%
6%
Table chart- shows information regarding the types of clothes that people preferred wearing in three
different years. Recapitulate the information and make comparisons wherever needed. Write at least 150
words.
Flow chart:
Cloth is prepared
Dyeing fabrics
Finishing
Final inspection
The diagrams below show the stages and equipment used in
the cement-making process, and how cement is used to
produce concrete for building purpose.
Types of letter
1. Formal letter (to whom you don’t know by name):
Dear Sir, Dear Madam, Dear Sir/Madam,
Yours faithfully,
2. Semiformal letter (to whom whose last name you are aware of, but may not know personally):
Dear Mr. Shah, Dear Ms. Smith,
Yours sincerely,
3. Informal letter (to friends or family or whom you know well by first name):
Dear Monika,
Yours truly,....(Best) Regards,....Warm wishes,....Best wishes,....(With)
For complaint:
I expect to hear from you soon.
Please give this matter your immediate attention.
I look forward to your immediate attention in this matter.
- Identify and communicate the main purpose for writing the letter.
- Deal with all three listed aspects of the situation or problem effectively, using clear paragraphs.
- Write clearly and accurately in the appropriate register, style and tone.
Concept Clarity Have you tackled all three elements of the letter using an appropriate
and consistent style and tone?
Continuity and Flow Have you built and organized your letter so that its purpose is clear,
the contents are easy to track and the layout includes appropriate
paragraphs? Is your information connected effectively from sentence
to sentence?
Grammatical Precision Are your sentences grammatically accurate, with a variety of complex
as well as simple sentences?
HOW TO APPROACH
Introduction:
Remember that you do not need to include any addresses, date or subject.
Explain your purpose in introduction if it is a formal letter, perhaps offer a friendly greeting or
remark first, if writing to a friend.
Main points:
Use your plan to develop clearly the three aspects listed in the task.
Be sure to use clear paragraphs and topic sentences, if appropriate.
Remember the main and the overall purpose of writing your letter at all times.
Monitor your vocabulary choices for accuracy and overuse.
Avoid too much repetition and write fluently to help the reader.
Ending:
Try to end politely and in a style / tone appropriate to the rest of the letter eg: ‘I hope you will
reply to this letter at your earliest convenience’ (more formal), ‘I’m really looking forward to
hearing from you soon’ (more personal).
Choose an appropriate exit expression, eg: ‘Yours faithfully / sincerely (formal), ‘Best Wishes’,
‘All the best (personal) use your first name for friends, full name for strangers.
SAMPLE LETTERS
1. You are going for a holiday for 17 days to Paris. You do not want to stay in a hotel and thus you are
seeking a house on rent.
I received the itinerary that you had attached with your last letter. I am writing this letter for a request I
would like to make while our stay in Paris, France.
The itinerary you sent is exactly how we want our 17 days stay in Paris. We have selected this city to visit,
as this city is known as the most romantic city and it is a fashion hub too. We are around 6 persons and I
saw that you have planned our stay in a hotel called “Le Arch” in Boulogne. However, it was a joint
suggestion of our group to stay in a domicile so that we can enjoy the essence of the city aloof. Also, we
want our privacy to be maintained and as we are in group, it would be bit chaotic to stay around with many
other people.
Hence, we want to foresee some rental places that could be reserved pre-hand. Accordingly, please get us
some options for cozy places from which we can finalize our stay at.
Yours sincerely,
Satyajit Payne.
2. Your friend wanted to know about the Indian culture and so she had asked you to explain about the
upcoming festival in your country.
Dear Fiona,
Hi, I received your letter requesting me to make you understand what the Indian culture is. I am glad to hear
that and would be happy to let you know.
The most ancient culture in this world is this imperial culture with the traditions being followed for ages.
You can experience the hospitality and warmth of the people. One such feeling a visitor can get is in one of
the forthcoming festivals called “Diwali”. Diwali is celebrated as on this day Lord Rama had returned from
the 14 long years of exile. In this festival, you will find every nook and corner of the country decorated
with lanterns and lamps. We celebrate this festival for five days performing all the rituals with Hindu New
Year on the next day of Diwali. Wishing people and bursting firecrackers are the jollifying activities. I am
planning to celebrate it with my family at my native with lots of joy and cheer.
If possible, turn up this Diwali approaching in two months, as it would be a pleasure for me to introduce
you to my rich culture.
DON'Ts