04 IELTS Writing

[dieeeeeeeeeeego]

I always wonder what words should i use to start Task 2 GT, and what would happen if I do not have a personal experience on the topic but I do have a knowledge about different side of view or maybe others experience.

[IanCarterTheCaller]

@dieeeeeeeeeeego - It doesn't really matter what your view is. What's really important is that you can express your view in good English that will not be difficult to understand. Don't forget the use of connectives, so that the reader won't get lost in your argument.

When you mention Task 2 GT, did you have a specific topic in mind?

[dieeeeeeeeeeego]

@IanCarterTheCaller Hi Ian. Thanks for your help, i am looking at your pages right now. I am doing the test this saturday :S with 1 month training, if i get better than 6 then I would be satisfied.

By GT, I mean General Training.

What I had in mind was, if there really are semantic differences between "suggestion", "personal experience", "give reasons", "own knowledge", "include examples", "own opinion", etc

Or is it just a topic to basically write everything i can in an ordered fashion.

[IanCarterTheCaller]

@dieeeeeeeeeeego - I think you hit the nail on the head with your last sentence there. Remember that, for your opinion to be considered worthwhile, you must support it with reasoned argument/reasons - otherwise people will dismiss it out of hand.

Good luck tomorrow!

[Dondavidex]

thank you very much, it helps a lot to get an idea of the procedure of the test

[IanCarterTheCaller]

@Dondavidex My pleasure. Good luck when you take the test!

[Dondavidex]

@IanCarterTheCaller tommorow morning :) ty

[IanCarterTheCaller]

@Dondavidex Let me know how you get on.

[Dondavidex]

@IanCarterTheCaller Hi just finished the test with a good feeling. was pretty easy in my opinion (glad)



[IanCarterTheCaller]

@Dondavidex That sounds great! Fingers crossed you get the best result you deserve!

[jackie9199]

THANKS

[IanCarterTheCaller]

@jackie9199 You're very welcome. Any questions or anything, just give me a shout.

[abadlopez09]

Thank you very much. I will do my IELTS test August 21st.

[IanCarterTheCaller]

@abadlopez09 Good luck. Stay cool, don't panic, and remember ... you CAN do it.

If you miss something in the Listening section, forget it and move on to the next question and listen out for that answer. If you get hopelessly lost, scan ahead for the next two or three questions and see if you can pick it up from there. Above all, be CONFIDENT.

[tigermancall]

the key to get good scores in ielts is your overall english conversation. so don't expect any short cuts, you have to read the whole passage otherwise you can't answer question like headings, yes or no. try to increase your reading speed and try to retain information.

[IanCarterTheCaller]

Thanks for your comment, tigermancall. However, I'm not sure it's exactly "conversation" that's the key. More like one's overall command of grammar and vocabulary. Passive vocabulary really does need to be huge, to cover any eventuality.

You're right to say that there are no real shortcuts, but I'm not sure how much a non-native speaker can speed up their reading.

If anyone has any first-hand experience to share on that matter, I'd love to hear it.

[tigermancall]

thanks for your reply, i worked hard on my english but not on tips and strategies to get good scores. vocabulary is the key, if you know more words then you can describe anything easily. like an artist you need words to paint your expressions. i am not a native speaker of english but my comprehension is good and all credit goes to my tenacious attitude towards learning english, i have improved a lot and still my voyage is on going.

[IanCarterTheCaller]

Please allow me to congratulate you on your excellent command of English. Your hard work is obviously paying off - and the voyage never ends, even for a native speaker.

Quick question - how difficult did you find the issue of register? I mean, did you have sufficient information to be able to distinguish between academic, formal, casual, informal, etc.?

[hoshmack]

In my opinion 20-40 minutes is not a good balance. Beacuse in Part I you have to think more about the chart. Part II is more flexible so you can continue thinking what to write in the next paragraph as you keep writing.

Calculating words 150/250 makes 22,5/37,5 already. Adding 2,5 minutes to Part I would be useful. So that makes 25-35 minutes. What do you think Sir?

[IanCarterTheCaller]

Ultimately, how you break down your 60 minutes is up to you. But you have to bear in mind that Task 2 carries a lot more weight than Task 1, so it really is worth spending as much time as you can doing Task 2. I always recommend starting with Task 2, doing it as well as you can, and then do Task 1 quite quickly, because it doesn't count for as many "marks" as Task 2, does (and hence the different time recommendations).

Does that help?

[hoshmack]

Yes. Sure. I'm taking this test 3 weeks later. Think i'll go with your advice and take second one first. Thanks..

[IanCarterTheCaller]

You're very welcome. Good luck with the test. I'd love to know how you get on - and if you have any suggestions for future test-takers they would be very much appreciated.