Spelling rules (Should I use the American or British English spelling?)

We all know that the IELTS test can be challenging to most non-native speakers (like me) due to a lot of factors. We may be excellent in one skill but weak in another. I am particularly unconfident with my Writing skills because of the fact that I find myself having a hard time producing an output within the given ideal time limits for both tasks. I tend to overlook or overthink of my ideas and examples that I simply cannot plan for my essays in a short span of time. However, one particular micro skill in writing has been bothering and sometimes crushing my students' dreams of getting a high band score in Writing - Spelling.

Spelling can be tricky at times. Sometimes, even if we try and study rules and patterns, there will always be exceptions. But for this blog, I'm going to concentrate on one of the most commonly asked questions that have constantly bugged my learners, "Should I use the British or American English spelling in writing my essays?"

Well, to put it simply, both are accepted but with one condition. Some people recommend using the British English spelling format more since the IELTS test is owned by the "British Council" and "IDP". Another plausible reason is that when we take the IELTS Listening test, we can often hear the UK and other European accents as well as the Aussie accent. On the other hand, in the Reading section, we can somehow read articles or passages that focus on Scientific and/or historical events that took place in most European countries. Although this may seem true, there is no recommended spelling format to follow. There is, however, what we call "Consistency".

When writing, the candidate MUST remember to use one pattern ONLY. That means if the candidate used the American way of spelling, he/she MUST be consistent with this and vice versa. If a candidate is more comfortable and more knowledgeable in the American spelling style, he/she is free to use it. The only dilemma of the candidate would be to spell the words correctly, which I believe is a more pressing problem.

Comments

Cambridge 11 Test 3 Writing Task 1

Sample: The data from the line graph illustrates the carbon dioxide emissions of an average individual per metric tonnes in four European countries every decade from 1967-2007.A closer look at the data highlights the fact that among the 4 nations, the UK has the highest rate in carbon dioxide emissions per person in 40 years. In 1967, there was approximately 11 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide released by an average Englishman which was about ten times higher than the emissions made by an individual from Portugal. However, it can be seen that as time went by, the carbon dioxide emitted by Englishmen decreased gradually to over 8 metric tonnes in 2007. On the other hand, a different trend can be noted in the countries Italy and Portugal where the emissions slowly rose from an initial rate of approximately 4 and 1 metric ton to about 7 and 6 metric tonnes in 4 decades. In Sweden, emissions increased to its record highest in 1977 w...

Cambridge 11 Test 4 Writing Task 1

Sample: The given data presents the changes in the number of guests and their levels of satisfaction during the pre- and post-renovation period of Ashdown Museum. An overview of the table shows the notable rise in the overall number of visitors who went to the museum after the year of its renovation. While the two pie charts reveal the decline of guests’ dissatisfaction and the surge of their satisfaction. According to the graphs, there was a higher number of people who seem to be unhappy with their trip to the museum during the year before Ashdown museum’s refurbishment. However, these figures changed significantly after the revamping of the building. The dissatisfaction percentage went down to an average of 50 percent. In contrast, guests’ fulfillment climbed up from 30% to 40% (satisfied) and 15% to 35% (very satisfied). Although the results seem to give a positive output both in total guest number and meeting the guests’ ex...

Cambridge 15: Academic IELTS Writing Test 4: Task 1 (Pie Chart and Table)

The pie chart illustrates the percentage of what Anthropology graduates from one university did after their graduation. The table reveals the earned income they make after 5 years’ work according to three kinds of employment. Overall, in the first graph, most of the graduates worked fulltime after finishing university while the table shows that those who rendered work for 5 years earn a different range in payment in various work sectors. According to the pie chart, among the six destinations provided, a little over half of the alumni went straight on to working fulltime. Part-time workers garnered the second place with 15%. Surprisingly, the rate of unemployed graduates came in third with 12%. Two sections, full-time postgrad study, and unknown, have the same 8% result while only 5% of the responders said that they work part-time while studying postgrad. As for salaries, ten and 35 percent of private employees earn from 25 thousand to almost 75 thousand dollars. In con...

IELTS Aid (Practice Essays)

Search This Blog