ielts writing cheatsheet

 IELTS WRITING

 

Task 1

 

You have to write a report on a graph or process.

 

1.     20 minutes to complete the task.

2.     Factual in nature, no opinion

3.     There is a standard method

 

You must do the following to score well

 

1.     Write 4 complete-short paragraphs

2.     Favor quality over quantity

3.     Demonstrate command of the language.

 

The Rules

 

·      Total of 8-11 sentences.

·      Create 4 distinct and purposeful paragraphs

·      Must have 150 words

·      Must be completed in 20 minutes or less.

 

Goals

 

·      To be able to describe what the graph is about in your own words

·      Give an overview of the graph, Discuss the highest and lowest points, greatest and least amount(s). describe the common things in a diagram

·      Make real comparisons of the details in two paragraphs. Look at the major difference and similarities to make comparisons. Don’t just tell what we can plainly see on the graph, compare.

 

You got to put this combination of words together

 

·      Nouns

·      Verbs

·      Phrases

·      Adverbs

·      Adjectives

 

Put all this together to make great sentences.

 

To avoid repeating some type of sentence over and over again, you can also add in some sentences using the ABCD method

 

 

 

Line Graph Introduction

 

You can’t copy or repeat the information 

 

Grading of Task 1.

 

 

·      Task development: How well do you answer the question

·      Coherence: organization of ideas and connection between ideas

·      Vocabulary: academic, subject specific vocabulary, adjectives, adverbs, synonym language.

·      Grammar: level of mistakes, levels of grammar

 

Key points to remember:

·      Don’t give an opinion

·      Do not overwrite

·      Use sentence variety

·      Develop a plan & stick to it.

·      Write sentences that do not have grammar or spelling mistakes.

 

Paragraph 1 & 2 Purposes

 

Paragraph 1 (Introduction)

 

·      Tell what the graph is about in your own words( 1 sentence, possibly 2 )

 

Paragraph 2 (Overview)

·      Tell the read the highest and lowest, greatest & least  or the common. (2 sentences, possibly 3)

Paragraph 3(Comparing and contrasting numbers/percent)

·      Break the graph into 2 parts. It allows you to write specific information in a body paragraph which leads to higher score. Always break the graph apart in way that allows for relevant comparisons.

·      Compare at least 2 relevant details in part 1. Minimum is 2 sentences for this body paragraph.

Paragraph 4 (Specific Body Paragraph, 2-3 sentences)

·      Here you should be using ,comparing the numbers/ percent

·      Break the graph into 2 parts. It allows you to write specific information in a body paragraph which leads to higher score. Always break the graph apart in way that allows for relevant comparisons.

 

You have to say it in your own words

 

 

 

 

Common mistakes:

·      Paraphrase: students who copy the question language exactly, get severely punished

·      Separate paragraphs: students who fail to separate their paragraphs get low scores

·      Quantity over Quality: 150 words is only 8 – 11 sentences. Most students write too much

·      Failure to be specific: Student who only discuss the graph in generalities get low scores.

·      Everything approach: Do not try to describe everything on the graph. Find interesting comparison

·      Time management: Students who write more than 20 minutes harm their ability to do task 2.

 

 

Task 2

 

This is a standard essay that you must complete in 40 minutes.

 

1.     4 to 5 paragraphs

2.     Minimum of 250 words

3.     You must directly answer the question

4.     They’re looking at the quality of your writing

 

Task 2 Essay Parts

 

1.     Introduction (paragraph 1)

2.     Body paragraph (paragraph 2)

3.     Body paragraph(paragraph 3)

4.     Conclusion opinion (paragraph 4)

 

Grading Task 2:

1.     Task development: How well do you answer the question. Do you answer all parts of the question? Do you answer the question directly?

2.     Coherence: looks the logical relationship between your sentences in a paragraph.

3.     Lexical resource(vocabulary): 

a.     Academic level

b.     Synonym language

c.     Subject specific

4.     Grammar: Mistake types and levels used.

 

 

Vocabulary: Three areas of excellence

1.     Academic level of word choice

2.     Synonym language

3.     Topic related vocabulary 

 

Keys to doing well

·      Answer the question directly write a variety of sentences. Write mistake free sentences organization.

·      Strong foundation of grammar.

·      Proper introduction and body paragraphs.

·      Extending and connecting details to the answering of the essay question.

·      Spelling, capitalization, punctuation.

·      Academic essays are SPECIFIC in nature not general.

·      Outline the question.

 

Question types:

 

Two basic types:

1.     Talk about each side of the argument.

2.     Make a choice and support/defend it. 

 

Agree or Disagree

 

This question requires you to make a choice and then to strongly defend the choice.

 

Format

·      Introduction

·      Body 1: Agree (1 reason)

·      Body 2: Agree (1 reason)

·      Conclusion

 

Pick a side, argue that side, support that side

 

Discuss both sides and give opinion

 

This question requires you to address both sides of the argument. Most of the time you also must give your opinion.

 

Format

·      Introduction

·      Body 1: side A

·      Body 2: side B

·      Short opinion

·      Conclusion

 

Advantages, Disadvantages

 

Format

·      Introduction

·      Body 1: advantage

·      Body2: disadvantage

·      Conclusion

 

Problem (Factor) and Solutions

 

This is another of the both sides question. It is not complicated.

 

Format:

·      Introduction

·      Body1: factors

·      Body2: solution(s)

·      conclusion

 

Two-part question

 

This type will normally have two questions embedded. You must make sure you address both questions.

 

Format:

·      introduction

·      body1: question part 1

·      body2: question part2

·      conclusion

 

Opinion question

 

This is a choice question that you must support your opinion very well.

 

Format:

·      Introduction

·      Body1: One reason you have opinion

·      Body2: Second reason you have opinion

·      Conclusion.

 

Writing Formula

 

Key point

 

An essay is basically treated like an inverted pyramid. The introduction, body paragraphs and entire essay are collectively and separately an inverted pyramid

 

Inverted pyramids of ideas

 

Step 1:

Understand the question: Read a lot of the essay questions. Must understand the specific question, not the general idea of the question. (1 minute)

 

Step 2:

Think of two details for each controlling idea.

·      The controlling ideas are given for the following questions: advantage-disadvantage, problem solution, discuss both sides, two-part question.

·      You must come up with the controlling ideas for the following questions: opinion, agree-disagree.

 

 

WHY OUTLINE?

 

It is critical that you do an outline for the Essay question because an outline will do the following:

·      Make you write faster

·      Make you write more organized

·      Make you more directly answer the question

·      Make you write with quality

·      Allow you to focus on your writing and not do ‘thinking’ while you’re writing

 

How to do outline? (3-4 minutes)

 

1.     Think of the idea that each body paragraph will be about (controlling ideas)

2.     Think of two details for each controlling idea. The controlling ideas are given for the following questions: advantage/disadvantage, problem solution, discuss both sides, 2-part question.

3.     You must come up with the own controlling ideas for the following questions: Opinion, Agree-Disagree.

 

Basic outline format

 

1.     Controlling idea #1

2.     Specific detail #1

3.     Specific detail #2

4.     Controlling idea #2

5.     Specific detail #1

6.     Specific detail #2

 

Example: Discuss both sides and give opinion question

 

In many countries’ governments spend a lot of money on internet infrastructure. Some say it is reasonable to allocate those funds, but others disagree and say that many more important programs need this money. Discuss both views, give your opinion and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Outlining:

1.     Controlling idea #1 - Spend internet infrastructure

2.     Specific detail #1 – business

3.     Specific detail #2 – handle social networks

4.     Controlling idea #2 – more important programs for money

5.     Specific detail #1 – education

6.     Specific detail #2 – solving poverty etc.,

 

 

Introductions

 

Step3. How to do introduction (3 sentences)

 

Sentence 1: Tell me what the essay is generally about, what is the essay is mainly about. General idea of the essay.

 

Sentence 2: Paraphrase the question. Say what the question is about in your own words. Tell me what the specific questions wants you to do. Explain the debate/argument in the question.

 

Sentence 3: Give a thesis statement. Tell me your opinion and the controlling ideas of your body paragraphs.

 

Introductions part 2

 

Ask yourself these questions:

 

What is my job for the first sentence of introduction?  (Discuss the main idea of essay.)

 

What is my job for the second sentence of introduction? (What is the question asking me to do?)

 

What is my job for the third sentence of introduction? (What is your opinion)

 

Sentence 1: General

Sentence 2: Specific

Sentence 3: Opinion

 

BODY PARAGRAPH METHOD 1

 

Step 4. Body paragraphs (5 sentences)

 

Sentence 1: Topic sentence…  Introduce the controlling idea and position

 

Sentence 2: Tell the two specific details that will be used to support.

 

Sentence 3: Explain detail #1, tell how this detail supports the position

 

Sentence 4: Explain detail #2, tell how this detail supports the position

 

Sentence 5: concluding/ transition sentence

 

 

BODY PARAGRAPHS METHOD 2

 

Opinion paragraph

 

Sometimes you’ll have to do a question that will require an opinion (discuss both sides & give your opinion type question). 3 sentences maximum are necessary.

 

Step 5. Conclusion

 

Conclusion can include the following:

·      Summarize the main point of essay … restate the thesis statement.

·      Make a recommendation or suggestion.

ielts reading cheatsheet

 IELTS Reading

 

1.     Finding 

You need to be able to fine the right part of the text quickly. Decide which words in the question, the keywords we need to search for. After you must locate the 
keywords by keeping in mind that you have to locate synonym language.

 

2.     Understanding

When you find the matching sentence, you must be able to understand the sentence. Keep in mind that it is an intelligence test. They asking you to compare language and understand language.

 

IELTS Reading Basics Part 1

 

Reading Comprehension

3 sections/passage

 

Total time 60 minutes 20 minutes each section.

 

13-14 question for each passage.

 

Keys to doing well.

 

1. Vocabulary, especially synonyms.

2. IELTS scan

3. Time management (1.5 minutes to do one question)

4. Questions strategy. You need to understand how to do the different questions.

 

IELTS Reading is really a test of 2 things:

1.     Find the information

2.     Understand the information

 

Alternative study technique.

 

Try this study technique: 

1.     Select an approved reading passage.

2.     Get the correct answers to the reading passage from the back of the book.

3.     Now, go to the reading passage and prove these answers correct.

4.     This will help you to recognize how answers are found.

 

Reading Basics 2.

In-Order questions

 

1.     Underline or circle the keywords in the question (Noun, Verbs). Basically ask yourself what’s this question asking about? That is what the keywords is/are

2.     Scan the passage & find those keywords. (Remember you may need to search for synonyms)

3.     Apply the specific question strategy.

 

Question types that always go in order.

1.     Fill the blank

2.     Short answer questions

3.     Yes, No, Not Given

4.     Multiple choice

5.     Flow charts

 

Question types that not go in order

1.     Paragraph Location (hardest question - do last)

2.     Matching question (Easy to do)

3.     Classification questions (Easy)

4.     Sentence completion

5.     Table (mostly goes in order)

6.     Summary Question (sometimes difficult)

7.     Diagram (sometimes not goes in order)

8.     Pick 2 or 4 from list(difficult)

 

Save for last question types

Never do these questions first

1.     Headings.

2.     Paragraph location question

3.     Pick from a list question

4.     Summary question.

 

Special Note:

            Normally certain questions appear in particular reading passages. Tis is because reading comprehension as in listening, generally gets more difficult as you progress. This means that certain question types are viewed as more difficult than others.

 

Summary questions: normally found in passage 3, sometimes in passage 2.

Matching questions: normally found in passage 2, sometimes passage 3, rarely in 1.

Yes, No, Not Given: Found in all passages as it is the most popular question.

Pick 2 or 3 from list: Reading passage 3 normally.

 

Paragraph location (not in order)

Summary question (sometimes in order)

Pick 2 or 3 from list (not in order)

 

 

Fill the Blank question Strategy tactics and analysis

 

Fill the Blank questions require you to write the word(s) from the sentence in the passage that goes on the blank line. This word will normally connect to the word(s) right before or after the blank line in the question.

 

The focus is on 2 things:

1.     Scanning

2.     Synonym recognition

 

Basic strategy

 

·      Goes in order

·      The answer will come from the sentence in the passage that matches the keywords in the question. Just from this sentence 95% of the time.

·      Another big mistake is forgetting it is an English test.

 

Question strategy

 

·      Examine the questions & quickly decide which ones are the easiest to locate in the passage. These will be the first question to do in the set because questions go in order & the others will be easy to code.

·      Look at the question and choose the keywords from the question. These will be usually be the primary subject, object, verb. Pay particular attention to names, dates and other proper nouns as these are easy to locate in the passage.

·      Take the easiest question in the set and scan for the question keywords in the passage.

·      Quickly look at the question and in particular word(s) before(sometimes after) the blank line.

·      Search the passage keyword sentence and locate this language before the blank line because your answer will directly connect to this language.

 

Key-point

 

Fill-In the blank questions are some of the easiest questions to do and you should definitely do these first in your set for a particular reading question set

 

Find keywords and find the word(s) that directly connect to the word after or before the blank line.

 

 

 

 

 

SHORT Answer Question Strategy

 

Basics

            The short answer question is very straight-forward in what the question is asking you to do.

 

·      Read the question

·      Understand the requested answer

·      Provide the answer within the word limit

·      Note this question goes in order

 

Question strategy

1.     Examine the questions and quickly decide which ones are the easiest to locate in the passage. These will be the first questions to do in the set because questions go in order & the others will be easy to locate

2.     Look at the question & choose the key word(s) from the question. These usually be the primary subject, object, verb. Pay particular attention to names, dates and the other proper nouns as these are easy to locate in the passage.

3.     Take the easiest question in the set and scan for the question keywords in the passage. Keep in mind that you maybe have to recognize synonym language in the passage.

4.     Answering the question is very straightforward for this particular question

a.     Go back & quickly read the question.

b.     Recognize the specific answer they are asking for

c.     Quickly locate this answer in the sentence. The answer is in this sentence or in some instances the connected sentence(this, that, these, those, transition word)

 

 

YES, NO, NOT GIVEN Question Strategy 

 

Questions goes in order

 

Locate easiest ones

Choose keywords

Scan for keywords (Synonym language)

 

Compare the 2 sentences

Compare the question and the matching passage sentence.

 

Question answering strategy.

 

1.     Compare two sentences by examining the subject, object, and limiting languages (adj, adverb, verbs, extreme language). One of those sentences is the question and of course the other is the matching language sentence in the passage.

 

* If the Subject, Object and Limiting Languages are the same : TRUE (will use synonym language)

*    If the Subject, Object and Limiting Languages are DIFFERENT, CHANGED, OPPOSITE : FALSE

 

·      If the Subject, Object, LL are missing : NOT GIVEN

 

Key-Points

 

Read initial test : The first test is can you find the matching sentence quickly.

Real Second Part : Compare both sentences, checking the Subject,Object, Limiting Languages to determine YES, NO, NOT Given.

 

 

You must compare if the S/O/LL are the SAME, DIFFERENT or MISSING.     

 

If Maybe that is not given. Maybe is never true. Changed/Different/Opposite is FALSE.

 

 

Multiple Choice

 

3 types question strategy

 

There are 3 different types of multiple questions that fall under the title of “Multiple Choice” You’ll either have to :

 

1.     Choose one answer out of four options (standard)

2.     Choose 2or 3 answer out of 5 questions.

3.     Sentence completion (choose from list)

 

1 is the most common. 80% of the time it will be this type of question.

Standard multiple-choice question always goes in order. Sentence completion types goes in order most of the time. Pick 2 or 3 from a list question types does not go in order and this type is normally only found in reading passage 3.

 

 

            Basic Standard Strategy

 

·      Questions goes in order.

·      The answer will come from the sentence in the passage that matches the keywords in the question. Just from this sentence 95% of the time.

·      Another big mistake is forgetting it is an English test.

 

 

Specific “Standard” Question Strategy

 

·      Examine the questions and quickly decide which ones are the easiest to locate in the passage. Do it first and because questions go in order, others will be easy to locate.

·      Look at the question and choose the keyword from the questions. These will usually be the primary Subject, Object, Verb. Pay particular attention to names, dates and other proper nouns as these are easy to locate in the passage.

·      Quickly go through the answer choices for the question and underline the keywords.

·      Take the easiest question in the set and scan for the question keywords in the passage to locate the matching sentence.

 

 

Answering Strategy

·      Read the matching passage sentence.

·      Search for the keywords that match from the answer choices.

·      Keep in mind that most likely synonym language will be used for the correct answer

 

Standard Multiple-Choice Example and Analysis

 

You have to interpret meaning of sentences, because they use synonym language a lot of times for the correct answer.

 

 

You really have to interpret what is really being said.

 

They give you a first half of the sentence. Then you have to find the matching sentence in the reading passage. Read that full sentence then you look at the answer choices A, B, C, D, E, F, G and be able to see which of those answer choices gives you the information in that sentence that is missing.

 

Answering Strategy

 

·      Quickly re-read question

·      Quickly read the matching passage sentence.

·      Locate the answer choice that has the missing keywords from the passage sentence.

·      Please note that you will need to likely match synonym language.

 

 

Secret doing well on IELTS examt it is your ability to handle synonym language. 

Two main steps doing all these questions:

·      Can you find specific sentences where the questions is coming from

·      Can you understand that sentence and look at answer choices that has the same meaning and pick it!