IELTS Aid (Practice Essays)

More and more people believe that smart individuals are more likely to be successful. In contrast, some people say that a person’s achievements cannot be the only factor to consider to see his or her intellect. This essay will explain that intelligence can be objective and subjective therefore there are many ways on how it can be gauged. It has been long believed that intelligence is the ability of a person to attain high grades in school. This makes intelligence objective. In many educational institutions, educators and students often think highly of exceptional individuals who perform well academically. They often put these special students on a pedestal and give them pressure by saying their expectations to them. Many teachers even provide their recommendations for these students to certain companies to help them land a job easily. A good job means a successful life. This may sound unfair to many but this is still practiced in schools all over the world. But are all of them succes...

Writing can be intimidating and demotivating. Most people try to shy away from doing writing tasks. However, this should not be the case. Here's a list of common mistakes seen in writing task outputs. 1. Using the same words from the task topic Writing an introduction usually takes much time for IELTS test-takers. This is because they are told to paraphrase the topic as their introduction. Many candidates probably have a list of common words used in both the writing task 1 and 2 and the synonyms for each of these words. Due to the overload of vocabulary, or lack thereof, IELTS takers contemplate too much on how they would start. As time passes though panic will overcome their feelings. As a result, they had no other choice but to use the same words from the task topic. Solution: Change the word forms if you have not enough synonyms. Learn to make use of the other forms of words -noun, adjective, adverb, etc.- you have shortlisted in your vocabulary study. Just remember tha...

When sitting for an English speaking test, candidates often expect to respond to general questions or questions that are commonly asked in every day situation such as hobbies, job, education, and so on. However, almost all of them still find it hard to organise their thoughts properly because of many factors. Luckily, there are some patterns that I can suggest to help you express yourself in a coherent way. One of them is the "KISS" pattern. It stands for "Keep It Short and Simple" . This pattern can help you mention your idea directly. The only downside for this pattern is that it only provides a brief and somewhat vague explanation of what you really think. For those who are still beginning to improve on their grammar and vocabulary, this pattern is a useful guide for you. Another is the PREP pattern that stands for "Point, Reason, Example/Experience, Point" . This guide helps you provide a more-detailed explanation of your viewpoint. This can be ...

Writing an essay is a challenge for both experienced and inexperienced writers. One reason is paragraphing. Most test takers know the basics of the task and they know what to expect. What they usually don't know how to figure out is how to start the essay. In my experience, I have often recommended my students to understand the different words and/phrases often used in the test. Furthermore, I ask them to broaden their knowledge on myriads of topics by reading a lot, watching news, and even by discussing them with other people. Well, that's just the "input" process.  Next, they are tasked to write down their ideas on the topic within a time limit to help them develop their critical thinking and decision-making skills. The catch is to ask them to write as honestly as possible and to stick with what they already now. That is easier said than done because most of my students concentrate too much on making an "impact". That is, they want to write somethi...

It has been a long time since I posted here. I was busy doing other stuff that I did not have enough time to do some practices. However, now I can concentrate on practicing again. Anyway, here's the third installation of the 13th Cambridge IELTS textbook. Maybe some of you already have a copy of this since I have been seeing a lot of pdf copies of this new book on the internet lately. But for those of you who do not have access to this pdf, here it is. You can check my other posts for some of the other test questions from this book, too. Well, if you look at the questions well, the first part is already a bit challenging to answer since it is considered somewhat a "taboo" to talk about money. On the other hand, we must also consider that the questions do not entirely ask about how you manage your money. Anyway, good luck! Again, I do recommend that you practice every day as much as possible and do try to ask someone's assistance. You need another person to tel...

I have become so obsessed with trying to improve my writing skill by reading as much as I can. I’ve been reading all sorts of things from grammar books to self-help books, news articles and blog posts, but I never really tried “applying” whatever techniques I have learned (or observed) from all those reading. Lately, I couldn’t find time to actually write or when I’m in the mood to write, I can’t seem to find a good topic, supporting ideas or whatnot. This sucks. Such poor time management skill. I have let myself believe that acquiring more knowledge could actually help me improve my writing skill. I have forgotten that writing needs to be practiced. 

Being in the ESL world, I have probably discussed everything under the sun. In my experience, questions can seem too easy but quite difficult to provide plausible and comprehensible answers to. At times, one person can be knowledgeable in one topic whilst the other has completely no idea about it.  When preparing for the IELTS test, students are burdened to provide an answer that can be good enough for the target band score they need. Students may have a hard time learning too many things all at the same time. They are asked to respond to questions with fluency and coherence, wide lexical resource and grammar range, with a neutral accent. More often than not, I meet students who are good at one skill and terrible at the others. Does this sound like you? If so, fear not for you are not alone. Learning a language is a lifelong commitment.  Here are some ways you can do to help you study for your IELTS. 1. Be sure to have a strong English language foundation.  ...

Some questions here are tough to answer as it requires you to look back on your childhood. Also, part 3 questions are about issues we tackle every day. Practice your speaking skills by recording your responses. Have fun speaking English!

Here's a simple practice you can do to help improve how you organise your ideas and opinions. Video link

Answers: 31. Crow 32. Cliffs 33. Speed 34. Brain 35. Food 36. Behaviour 37. New 38. Stress 39. Tails 40. Permanent

Answers: 21. A 22. C 23. B 24. C 25. B 26. G 27. C 28. H 29. A 30. E

Answers: 11. B 12. C 13. B 14. E 15. D 16. B 17. G 18. C 19. H 20. I

Sample essay: Education is, without question, one of the highly sought after rights we have. Since time immemorial, we have given it such value that questions whether it should start at home or at school became one of the most controversial. This essay will discuss the benefits of children learning at home and at school and some of my opinions regarding this matter. In the earlier times and until now, many of us believe that learning starts at home and the children’s first teachers are always their parents. Being the sole authorities at home, parents can provide focused learning to their children. This kind of strict environment is something that cannot be attained when studying at school wherein attention of the teacher is divided to almost all students. Moreover, most children can learn different life values that they can bring to use until they grow up. Such values include trust, loyalty, and kindness to name a few. Although learning at home provides a lot of reward...

Many English learners are well-versed when it comes to expressing their opinions verbally. Others are more into writing. For those who are more confident with their speaking skills, their one true challenge can probably be writing. I have met many learners who are impeccably great when it comes talking but lack the skills when it comes to writing. One of their dilemmas would be their use of "punctuation." Learning the "rules" of punctuation can be highly daunting and demotivating; however, it should not be that hard. Try checking this website that allows you to learn the basic rules of punctuation by playing a game. Here's the link:    BBC Bite-size (Punctuation game)

SECTION 4:     QUESTIONS 31 - 40 Questions 31 - 32  Complete the following sentences. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. 31    The speaker identifies the following two differences between being a high school student and a university student: • the academic expectations of tutors and lecturers are.............................................. • students must take responsibility for their own learning. 32.    The speaker aims to get students to recognise exam stress and the way it can affect …………………………………………………………………………………………….. Questions 33-36  Complete the table below USE NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each  answer.  QUESTIONS 37-40  Complete the following notes. USE NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.  37     Time needed to study effectively will ........................................... according to individuals.  38     Time Management i...

SECTION 3:    QUESTIONS 21-30 Questions 21-22  Choose the correct letter from A - C.  21    Rose's plan for the tutorial is to research and present A the differences between male and female children. B the different ways that male and female children are raised. C the differences between male and female parenting. 22    The British experiments that Rose refers to in the conversation A were carried out in 100 families. B observed girls and boys who were raised identically. C noted the different treatments males and females received. Questions 23 - 26  Choose TWO letters from A - E for each answer. 23 & 24   This tutorial will A require Marie and Rose to carry out research.                  B interest the tutor and their classmates. C be tested. D help Marie to catch up on her research work.              E benefit other assessment ...

SECTION 2:    QUESTIONS 11-20 Questions 11-16  Complete the table below. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Questions 17-20 Match the names of the buildings with the letters on the map below. 17    The Library ................            18    Administration Building        ................ 19    Bookshop                     ………… 20    International Student Advisor ………….

PRACTICE TEST 1 - LISTENING SECTION 1: QUESTIONS 1 - 10 Listen to two students, Louise and Kerry, talking about their vacation.  Questions 1 - 4  Answer the questions below. USE NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS OR A NUMBER for each answer. Where did Louise spend her summer holidays?     ......................Europe…………………… 1. How much was a Eurailpass Youth Ticket? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2. How many European countries did Louise's ticket allow her to travel to? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3. Did the Eurailpass Youth Ticket include the train from London to Paris?………………………………………………………………………………………. 4. How old must you be if you want to purchase a Eurailpass Youth ticket? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Questions 5- 10  Complete the notes below. Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Points that Louise makes about Eurail: easy to travel to small towns easy to meet (5)……………………………………………… (6) ……………...