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1) Clip 1: Speaking Fluently

2) Clip 2: Vocabulary Exercise

3) Printable Documents

a) Notes for Study

IELTS Tip

Practise talking on a range of topics in order to build your confidence.

Record yourself speaking and listen for how often you pause or hesitate. Check that you have logically organised your ideas and used appropriate linking words.

Practise speaking at every opportunity. You can’t improve without practice!

SPEAKING FLUENTLY

Fluency is a measure of how easily and smoothly you communicate in English. Do you speak easily and at a natural pace or slowly and have to stop to think of what to say when talking?

Fluency is particularly important in Part Two of the interview – the individual long turn. This is where you will be speaking at length on a given topic, on your own without any prompting, so your ability to speak effectively, smoothly and continuously will be on show.

There are two features to consider when talking about fluency:

• smoothness and continuity of your speech
• rate or speed of your speech

Smoothness and continuity of your speech

How easily you speak without hesitating or pausing too often is how smoothness and continuity is measured in your speech. It is natural to pause or hesitate when speaking but only if it is at a natural pace.

When there are lengthier segments of silence in your talk this may indicate a lack of communicative grammatical structures and/or a limited range of conversational vocabulary. Are you searching for language or ideas?

Communicative grammatical structures

It is important to build a bank of grammatical structures and expressions which help communicate or express how you feel about something. Being emphatic about something or wanting to emphasise a point is one such structure.

Emphatic structures

Drawing attention or importance to a reason, example, opinion or comparison is relevant to all parts of the speaking test.

There is a variety of structures used for emphasising a particular point or idea in an effective manner or signalling something is important. These can include:

• fronting
• inversion
• cleft clauses

Fronting

In spoken English when you want to emphasise a contrast or comparison with something in the previous sentence then that information is placed at the beginning of the sentence and is called fronting.

Fronting information changes the normal word order in a sentence and subsequently changes the emphasis and focus.

Example
Usual word order	There are many yet unexplored places to visit in Australia. The rainforests of Kakadu would be the most exciting.
To emphasise there is something special about Kakadu the superlative structure with that information is placed at the beginning of the sentence.
Fronting	There are many yet unexplored places to visit in Australia. The most exciting would be the rainforests of Kakadu.

 

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Inversion

Another structure used to give more emphasis or create a more dramatic effect is subject-auxiliary inversion. The auxiliary (do, have) is placed before the subject and the rest of the verb phrase follows. There are also other expressions that use this pattern of inversion as well.

Example
Expressions	Inversion
hardly, rarely, little, few, never	Little did he know what the consequences of his actions would be. Never have I seen such an amazing performance.
not only … but also	Not only does she speak English well, but also three other languages.
no sooner … than	No sooner had we started our tour than the coach broke down.
adverbs of time (first, next, all day)	All day I waited for the service man to come to fix my refrigerator.

 

Cleft clauses

Cleft clauses are often used to draw attention to a particular piece of information.

The information is divided into two parts and each has its own verb. Introductory noun phrases are generally used in cleft sentences. These can include wh- clauses and other noun phrases.

Examples
Introductory noun phrases	Cleft sentences
wh- clauses: the person (who); the place (where); the reason (why); the time (when); the thing that	The person who is responsible for the accident is John. The place where you’d want to visit is Egypt because of the pyramids. The thing that worries me is the cost of living.
the thing is; the point is; the fact remains; the trouble is; the problem is	The thing is, I’ve run out of money. The fact remains that we’ve got to sit the test.

 

Conversational vocabulary

In addition to building a bank of communicative grammatical structures, it is also helpful to build up your vocabulary around a topic area. This allows you to more easily express yourself because you would have a bank of relevant and related vocabulary from which to draw on when speaking on that topic.

The kind of vocabulary items to learn would include synonyms and opposites in particular, because they allow you to extend your talk by using words or phrases of similar meaning or they can provide additional information which is opposite in meaning. This can give continuity to your speech and this will help maintain fluency.

The general topic area of health is developed below. Practise using this vocabulary and add new items as you come across relevant vocabulary.

Topic area: Health

Topic vocabulary
health care, health, diet, health food, obesity, nutrition, medicine, exercise, conditions, lifestyles, consume, illness (cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, immune system)
Word forms
adjective	noun		verb		adverb
	thing	person
healthy, healthful	health		x		healthily
obese	obesity		x		x
nutritional	nutrition; nutrient	nutritionist	x		nutritionally
preventative; preventive	prevention		prevent		x
Related words
synonyms
serious	grave; debilitating; severe; major; life-threatening; chronic; painful
nutritious	nourishing; wholesome; beneficial; health-giving; invigorating; strengthening
unhealthy	harmful; unwholesome; damaging; toxic; diseased; deleterious; unfit; out of shape
opposites
healthy	unhealthy
thin	obese
scale	← thin slim heavy fat overweight obese →
idiom	prevention is better than cure; an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure (saying)
Collocations
	(adj.) + noun + (adj.)		verb + noun	(prep.) + noun + (prep.)
diet	balanced ~; sensible ~; healthy ~; poor ~; weightreducing ~; low-calorie ~; high-protein ~		to go on a ~; to follow a ~; to have a ~; to stick to a ~	on a ~; a ~ of; in a ~
health	~ problems; ~ risk; ~ education; ~ benefits; ~ services; good ~; declining ~		to enjoy good ~; to look after your ~	in good/poor ~
illness	stress-related ~; minor ~; chronic ~; debilitating ~; long-term ~; physical ~; mental ~; serious ~		to suffer from ~; to develop an ~; to contract an ~	onset of ~; because of ~; due to ~; associated with ~
Other related collocations
catch a cold; to nurse a cold; come down with the flu; develop high blood pressure; suffer from high blood pressure; suffer from stress; have a splitting headache; have a nasty cold

Rate or speed of your speech

Fluency is not only about your ability to speak smoothly and continuously but your ability to speak at an effective speed as well.

How quickly or slowly you speak is how the rate or speed of your speech is measured. Speaking too slowly or too quickly is unnatural. Aim to speak at a relaxed and natural pace.

There are different ways of achieving fluency but one of the most effective would be experiencing and listening to good varieties of English speech. Being aware of speaking styles and knowing how to listen will help you become a more fluent speaker of English. Record your speech and check whether you’re speaking at a natural and relaxed pace. Practise modelling the pace of your speech on that of a native speaker.

 

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b) Learning Activities

Practise and consolidate your learning about fluency by completing our activities.

The answers for all activities are on the last page.

ACTIVITY 1

Change the order of the information in these sentences to emphasise a particular piece of information. Make any necessary changes by using the word in the bracket or by joining the two sentences. The first one has been done for you.

1. The shop is closed. That’s the problem.

The problem is that the shop is closed.

2. Jane moved from Sydney because of the great job offer in Japan. (why)

_____________________________________________________________

3. It was the plumber who left the message. (person)

______________________________________________________________

4. White water rafting in the mountains was much more exciting.

_____________________________________________________________

5. We didn’t sell the collection of CDs. That’s the only thing.

______________________________________________________________

6. Palm Beach is where you can buy the best chilli prawns. (place)

______________________________________________________________

7. She doesn’t want to study. That’s the trouble.

______________________________________________________________

8. The happiest day was when John completed his MBA. (when)

______________________________________________________________

9. They mixed up the dates. That’s a fact.

______________________________________________________________

10. The smoke from the fire was so intense that I couldn’t breathe.

______________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 2

Match each of the words on the left with a suitable word or phrase on the right. The first one has been done for you.

 

 

ACTIVITY 1 ANSWERS

1. The problem is that the shop is closed.

2. The reason why Jane moved from Sydney was the great job offer in Japan.

3. The person who left the message was the plumber.

4. Much more exciting was white water rafting in the mountains.

5. The only thing (that) we didn’t sell was the collection of CDs.

6. The place where you can buy the best chilli prawns is Palm Beach.

7. The trouble is she doesn’t want to study.

8. The day when John completed his MBA was the happiest.

9. The fact is that they mixed up the dates.

10. So intense was the smoke from the fire that I couldn’t breathe.

ACTIVITY 2 ANSWERS

1.     E      healthy appetite

2.     I       crash diet

3.     A      catch a stomach bug

4.     J       health warning

5.     B      stretching exercises

6.     H      suffer a breakdown

7.     C      splitting headache

8.     F       develop an allergy

9.     D      keeping fit

10.    G      follow-up treatment

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c) Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS Preparation. I’m Margot Politis.

One of the skills that is assessed in the IELTS speaking test is fluency.

Fluency is speaking at a natural pace without hesitating too much.

But fluency doesn’t mean speaking quickly. Sometimes, speaking too fast can make it harder to be understood.

Another aspect of fluency is the smoothness of your speech. This means that you don’t always stop to try to think of the right word.

Listen as the golfer in the next clip talks about her career:

Golf is a very interesting game. Um It can be very frustrating and annoying and um but then, you know, it can be just, it can be really fun and challenging which makes it fun I guess. When I’m not competing um, I try to practise every day for at least 6 hours and if I play 18 holes er I’ll still try and practise for another 3 or 4 hours.

You may have noticed that she used expressions such as ‘um’ , ‘like’ , ‘you know’ and ‘I guess’. These are called fillers. It’s natural to use fillers but be careful not to overuse them. Listen to her again:

On top of that I guess I have err like work outs, and um gym work outs and I try to do that 3 to 4 times a week. So they’re pretty long hours. In January this year I went to the ladies European tour qualifying school and I managed to secure a conditional card for the season so I decided to turn pro. This meant that, you know, I’d give up my amateur status and I’d be playing for money I guess is the main difference.

Fillers are used to tell your listener that you haven’t finished, but you are thinking of what to say next. They don’t carry meaning like words do.

Now let’s listen to a speaking test candidate using fillers:

Mm, ok, well, one of the buildings I really like in Sydney is the Queen Victoria Building. Um, I’ve been here for a year only in Sydney, so I haven’t had the chance to actually visit many public buildings, but I know this one very well. Um, I like it because, um, it’s got a very interesting old style, and, er, it’s very elegant, it’s very spacious. I don’t like the modern type of buildings, you know, with many storeys and er, very modern and contemporary. Um, I like the Queen Victoria Building, um, because it’s elegant.

To begin her talk she uses several fillers:

Mm, ok, well, one of the buildings I really like in Sydney is the Queen Victoria Building.

Saying 'Mm, ok, well', helps her get started on the topic of her favourite building.

She is thinking of what to say and not how to say it.

She uses ‘um and ‘er’ to give her time to think of what to say next at points in her speech, such as at the beginning of a sentence when she’s linking information back to what she’s just said:

…one of the buildings I really like in Sydney is the Queen Victoria Building. Um, I’ve been here for a year only in Sydney…

Next, she uses fillers just after the words ‘because’ and ‘and’ to give her time to think of reasons.

Um, I like it because, um, it’s got a very interesting old style, and, er, it’s very elegant, it’s very spacious.

She also uses the filler ‘you know’ , but this time to show that she is sharing knowledge, in this case that modern buildings have many storeys:

I don’t like the modern type of buildings, you know, with many storeys and very modern and contemporary.

Let’s listen to another clip where she uses ‘you know’ in the same way while answering a question about eating habits in the future:

Well I think they will because, um, you know, the rhythm of life, the pace of life is becoming, you know, more and more, um, stressful and, um, faster, so I think there is less time to eat, then we have to eat, um, in smaller amounts, but with the same quantity of vitamins and nutrients.

She uses expressions with similar meanings - 'the rhythm of life', 'the pace of life' - to help her talk flow.

Using synonyms, opposites and related vocabulary gives continuity to her talk.

It makes it possible to continue talking without repeating the same words.

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Listen again:

Well I think they will because, um, you know, the rhythm of life, the pace of life is becoming, you know, more and more, um, stressful and, um, faster, so I think there is less time to eat, then we have to eat, um, in smaller amounts, but with the same quantity of vitamins and nutrients.

Being able to talk on a variety of subjects confidently will make it easier to maintain fluency.

Listen to this man, who is a concert master in a symphony orchestra, talking about his violin:

Um, this violin, it was made around er, they figure around 1810 in Cremona, in Italy. And Cremona, of course, is er, where all the … kind of the … it’s the best lineage of makers are from Cremona. Stradivarius, of course, which is the most well-known violin maker, originated from Cremona. And so, this kind of is a descendant of the Cremonese line of making. And um, I’ve been lucky enough to own this violin. My parents bought it for me when I was 14, I think. So, very, very lucky to have a very nice, 200, almost 200-year-old Italian instrument.

He was thinking of better ways to say what he meant and was able to easily change what he was saying mid-sentence. Listen again:

Um, this violin, it was made around er, they figure around 1810 in Cremona, in Italy. And Cremona, of course, is where all the … kind of the … it’s the best lineage of makers are from Cremona.

Maybe this is not perfectly correct English, but it is acceptable spoken English because it remains fluent. Hesitating to correct your grammar disrupts your fluency.

Only by practising can you improve your fluency. A teacher or native speaker will help you with your accuracy.

Fluency is not only your ability to speak smoothly and continuously but also your ability to speak at an effective speed.

Speaking too slowly or too quickly is unnatural. Aim to speak at a relaxed and natural pace.

Let’s listen to this student talking about public transport in Sydney. Listen to the speed of her speech. Does she speak too quickly, too slowly or just right?

Er, it should be less expensive. I must say Sydney um Sydney’s transport is really expensive. Er, it should be less expensive but, um, one of the problems is the frequency of transport. Sometimes you have to wait, like, twenty minutes for the bus to come.

Her speech rate is just right. She is neither too quick nor too slow. The pace is reasonable and appropriate, and she sounds natural.

You should practise modelling the pace of your speech on that of a native speaker.

Listening carefully to a large range of English speakers is one of the most effective ways to help you achieve fluency yourself.

Once you are used to the natural pace of English, you should record your speech and check whether you’re speaking at that pace.

Fluency is most important in part 2 of the speaking test, the long turn. It’s when you have to speak for one to two minutes on your own.

That’s all for today. For more about fluency, go to our website. The address is: australianetwork.com/studyenglish. Good Luck with your studies. Bye for now.

(Nguồn UTS: Insearch and Australia Network)

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1) Clip 1: The Speaking Test

2) Clip 2: Vocabulary Exercise

3) Printable Documents

     a) Notes for Study

IELTS Tip

Listen carefully to the questions being asked so that you respond appropriately. Try to use a wide range of grammatical structures and vocabulary. Speak clearly, evenly and at a natural pace.

Be positive and trust in your ability!

THE SPEAKING TEST

The purpose of the speaking test is to determine your ability to communicate socially and whether you have the kinds of speaking skills needed for work or study. So, you will be required to speak on a variety of topics ranging from the general and personal to the more abstract, using both formal and informal language.

Procedure

At the beginning of the interview an examiner will greet you and invite you into the examination room. You will be seated facing the examiner with a desk between you. The examiner will then begin recording the one-to-one interview. The purpose of the recording is to ensure the test is to standard, and conducted fairly for all candidates around the world. The interview will last between 11 and 14 minutes. The examiner times each section.

The Three Parts of the Interview

There are three parts to the test. Each part has a particular purpose and covers particular question types and communication patterns.

Part One – Introduction

(approximately 4-5 minutes)

 

Procedure

The examiner will introduce him/herself and then check your identification.

In the first part of the test you will be required to answer some general questions about yourself. These will be personal in nature and cover 2-3 familiar topic areas.

Simple questions on familiar topics should be easy to answer, and so will help you to relax into the interview.

Topic areas

The topic areas covered may include:

• hometown

• studies

• work

• travel

• sports

• family

• hobbies/interests/leisure

• food

• entertainment

• shopping

• the Internet

• films

The questions are of a general nature such as:

Travel

1. When was the first time you travelled abroad?

2. Which countries have you visited?

3. Which one was your favourite? Why?

4. Did you like the local food?

5. Where would you like to go next?

Sport

1. What sports are popular in your country?

2. Which do you play?

3. How often do you play?

4. Where do you play?

5. Who do you play with?

These are wh-type questions: who, what, when, why, which, where, how.

In response to these types of questions you would be required to provide simple details. You are not expected to give in-depth answers at this stage of the interview but you should extend your answer with one to two compound/complex sentences with explanations and examples.

Skills

In asking these questions the examiner is assessing a variety of skills or language functions, including:

• describing (eg. your flat, room)

• identifying (eg. music)

• expressing likes, dislikes and preferences (eg. foods)

• comparing or contrasting (eg. city vs. the countryside)

• expressing your opinion (eg. weather)

• speculating (eg. future plans)

• giving a reason (eg. studying a second language)

• explaining changes (eg. clothing)

For example, the set of questions below tests the following skills:

Skills/Language functions	Topic
	Music
identifying	What kinds of music do young people like in your country?
expressing a preference	What kind do you like?
giving a reason	Why do people listen to music?
expressing an opinion	Is it important to know how to play a musical instrument?

 

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Language Structures

A range of verb tenses is tested in Part One. There are certain language structures used for particular skills. It is helpful to practise using a variety of these structures.

Here are some examples:

Skill/ Language functions	Grammatical Structure	Example
describing	simple present tense	It is a small unit overlooking a park.
talking about a habit	present tense	I usually go out with my friends.
speculating about the future	future tense	I will enrol in an MBA. I am planning to study engineering
comparing	comparative	Studying abroad is far better than learning English at home.

 

Tips

Part One is not only the beginning of the test but also the stage where you are creating a first impression. Show that you are confident. It is helpful to maintain eye contact with the examiner. Try to relax.

Here are some strategies to use:

• develop vocabulary around the topic areas

• know how to describe, compare, contrast, give a reason, explain changes

• practise expressing your opinion on a variety of different topics

• practise delivering answers confidently, fluently, clearly and accurately

• use every opportunity to practise

 

Part Two – Individual Long Turn

(3-4 minutes including 1 minute preparation)

Procedure

The examiner will introduce Part Two of the interview by saying that you’ll be given a topic and will need to talk about it for one to two minutes. S/he will give you some paper and a pencil, and one minute to make some notes. After one minute you will be asked to start speaking. The examiner will follow up your short talk with a question.

The Individual Long Turn

In part two of the interview you will be speaking on your own without any prompting.

This part requires you to:

• speak at length on a given topic

• organise your ideas coherently

• use appropriate language

Skills

This part of the interview mainly focuses on your communication skills:

• fluency – speaking without too many pauses

• coherence – linking your ideas logically and using language appropriately

Topics

The topics you may be asked to talk about are of a general nature and should be familiar to you.

Here are some sample topics:

• Describe a subject you enjoyed at school.

• Describe your favourite teacher.

• Talk about an object that is very important to you.

• Describe a celebration you attended.

• Talk about a film you enjoyed.

• Describe your favourite restaurant.

• Talk about a television program you like.

• Describe an interesting building.

• Describe an important festival in your country.

It is important to use the one minute for preparation effectively and plan an answer.

Here is a sample prompt card and some strategies to use in preparing.

Describe a holiday you took in your country. You should say: • where you went • who you travelled with • what you did • and explain why you enjoyed your vacation.

 

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Preparing notes

Read through the prompt card carefully. Make sure you understand the topic and the points you need to talk about.

Think of 2 or 3 things to say about each prompt and write down key words that will help remind you of what to say. Don’t try to write full sentences or worry about grammar. Your notes need to be clear and brief.

On the following page is a plan for the sample verbal prompt. It is detailed. You, of course, will not have time to write such detailed notes in the interview but it is helpful when practising to think of several possible answers. The other choices may be useful for other questions.

Bullet	Describe a holiday you took in your country.
Bullet 1	where you went	Pacific Ocean, countryside, mountains • popular spot • 5 hour drive north of city
Bullet 2	who you travelled with	friends, family • engineering friends from university • celebrating the end of exams • school holiday with parents
Bullet 3	what you did	outdoor activities • water sports: swimming, scuba diving, fishing • volleyball, bush walking, hiking in the mountains
Explain	explain why you enjoyed your vacation	quality time • enjoying each others company • relaxing • beautiful scenery • new experiences

 

You should begin your talk by introducing your topic, for example

• I’m going to talk about my holiday ….

• The person I’m going to talk about is ….

• I’d like to describe my …

Following the order of the prompts will help with the logical organisation of your talk.

There would usually be more to say about the third and fourth prompts so leave enough time to cover those points. Remember to link your ideas.

Tips

• practise talking on a range of topics

• practise timing yourself

• practise organising your ideas logically

• practise linking your ideas

• practise speaking for 2 minutes

Do not memorise an answer. You will loose marks for a memorised answer.

 

Part Three – Two-way Discussion

(approximately 4-5 minutes)

In the final part of the interview you will need to engage in a discussion on more abstract issues that are linked thematically to the topic in Part Two.

The examiner will be assessing your ability to develop and expand on your ideas in some depth. You are also expected to take the initiative in the discussion, so try to develop the topic as far as you possibly can.

Topics

The topics are of general interest and focus on current issues in society, such as:

• challenges facing young people

• problems affecting the environment

• the impact of technology

• issues affecting the family and family relationships

• influence of the media

• transportation issues in the future

• primary, secondary and tertiary education

Skills/Language functions

In the course of the discussion the examiner will ask questions to elicit language structures relating to a variety of skills or language functions, including:

• describing

• explaining

• evaluating

• speculating and predicting

• giving an opinion

• making suggestions

• comparing or contrasting

• identifying

Language functions and questions

Here are some sample questions and the skill or language function tested.

It is helpful to listen out for the question key word so that you respond appropriately and accurately.

Skill/Language function	Question
comparing	What is the benefit of travelling abroad compared with travelling in your home country?
describing	What is the best way to travel?
giving an opinion	Do you think it is important to travel?
speculating	How will people travel in the future?

 

Tips

• acquaint yourself with current issues in society by watching programs on current affairs, listening to talk back radio

• practise discussing topics that are current and of general interest

• practise giving your opinion, offering suggestions, giving explanations

• focus on the key words in the question so that you answer the question accurately and appropriately

• be prepared to develop and expand on your ideas

• record yourself and listen to yourself

• listen for how often you stop and start

Take time to practise!

Remember:

The more you practise, the more confident you will be.

The more confident you are, the better you’ll do in the Speaking Test!

 

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     b) Learning Activities

Practise and consolidate your learning about the IELTS Speaking Test by completing our activities. The answers for all activities are on the last 2 pages.

ACTIVITY 1

Match the language function in the left-hand column with the appropriate question in the right-hand column.

	Language function			Question
1	identifying		A	Should schools be allowed to sell fast foods in their canteens?
2	describing		B	Is it important to conserve water in your country? Why/ Why not?
3	comparing		C	What measures should be taken to reduce traffic jams?
4	evaluating		D	What can we do to educate children about eating healthily?
5	describing changes		E	Why is it important to exercise?
6	giving an opinion		F	What are the benefits of studying abroad?
7	explaining		G	How has the environment changed in the last 20 years in your country?
8	making suggestions		H	What kind of developments will your country undergo in the future?
9	giving reasons		I	How has technology changed your life?
10	speculating		J	What is the difference between the family unit today compared to the past?

 

ACTIVITY 2

Tick (√) the information that is most relevant to the questions

Question 1

What are the benefits of studying English in an English-speaking country?
	• native English speaking teachers
	• learn the language more quickly
	• get a taste of English cuisine
	• forced to communicate in English

 

Question 2

What qualities would be desirable for a teacher?
	• likes giving orders
	• a good speaker
	• creative
	• patient

 

Question 3

What is the importance of playing sports?
	• earn a lot of money
	• builds character
	• good for health
	• reduce stress

 

Question 4

What can be done to reduce traffic jams?
	• restrict the number of cars entering the city
	• government should increase the tax on petrol
	• improve public transport
	• improve the efficiency of cars

 

Question 5

What advice would you give someone learning another language?
	• model your pronunciation on that of native speakers
	• use a monolingual dictionary
	• learn at least five new words every day
	• translate everything you don’t know

 

Question 6

What might the negative effects of the Internet be?
	• exposes children to inappropriate material
	• addictive
	• no censorship of hate literature
	• wealth of information

 

Question 7

Would you agree that dieting is a good thing?
	• no, you may lose weight but then gain all the weight and more once you stop
	• yes, it helps keep your weight under control
	• yes, being overweight is unattractive
	• no, it can be very stressful monitoring your weight

 

Question 8

What effect has tourism had on your country?
	• increase in pollution
	• provide jobs reducing unemployment
	• enhance understanding of the country
	• decrease in global warming

 

Question 9

Should children have to wear school uniforms? Why/Why not?
	• yes, one less expense for parents
	• yes, brings discipline to the classroom
	• yes, helps them focus on their studies
	• yes, children are equal

 

Question 10

What are the advantages of having a part time job while studying?
	• ease the financial burden on parents
	• good experience for the future
	• gives a sense of competition
	• make a lot of money

 

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ACTIVITY 1 ANSWERS

1. D                             6. A

2. I                               7. F

3. J                              8. C

4. B                             9. E

5. G                             10. H

 

ACTIVITY 2 ANSWERS

Tick (√) the information that is most relevant to the questions

Question 1

What are the benefits of studying English in an English-speaking country?
√	• native English speaking teachers
√	• learn the language more quickly
	• get a taste of English cuisine
√	• forced to communicate in English

 

Question 2

What qualities would be desirable for a teacher?
	• likes giving orders
√	• a good speaker
√	• creative
√	• patient

 

Question 3

What is the importance of playing sports?
	• earn a lot of money
√	• builds character
√	• good for health
√	• reduce stress

 

Question 4

What can be done to reduce traffic jams?
√	• restrict the number of cars entering the city
√	• government should increase the tax on petrol
√	• improve public transport
	• improve the efficiency of cars

 

Question 5

What advice would you give someone learning another language?
√	• model your pronunciation on that of native speakers
√	• use a monolingual dictionary
√	• learn at least five new words every day
	• translate everything you don’t know

 

Question 6

What might the negative effects of the Internet be?
√	• exposes children to inappropriate material
√	• addictive
√	• no censorship of hate literature
	• wealth of information

 

Question 7

Would you agree that dieting is a good thing?
√	• no, you may lose weight but then gain all the weight and more once you stop
√	• yes, it helps keep your weight under control
	• yes, being overweight is unattractive
√	• no, it can be very stressful monitoring your weight

 

Question 8

What effect has tourism had on your country?
√	• increase in pollution
√	• provide jobs reducing unemployment
√	• enhance understanding of the country
	• decrease in global warming

 

Question 9

Should children have to wear school uniforms? Why/Why not?
√	• yes, one less expense for parents
	• yes, brings discipline to the classroom
√	• yes, helps them focus on their studies
√	• yes, children are equal

 

Question 10

What are the advantages of having a part time job while studying?
√	• ease the financial burden on parents
√	• good experience for the future
√	• gives a sense of competition
	• make a lot of money

 

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     c) Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS Preparation. I’m Margot Politis.

Today we’ll look at the IELTS Speaking Test.

There are three parts to the test. Each part has a particular purpose.

The examiner will record the interview to ensure the test is to standard and conducted fairly for all candidates.

Let’s watch someone begin their interview. [Part One]

Interviewer:              Good morning, my name is Maria. What’s your name?

Interviewee:             My name’s Sanjay.

Interviewer:              Thankyou. Can I just check your ID please Sanjay. Thank you, that’s fine. What are you doing at the moment? Are you a student, or do you work?

Interviewee:             I’m currently a student.

Interviewer:              And what are you studying?

Interviewee:             I’m studying a Diploma in Business.

The purpose of Part One is to settle you down and get you used to the test situation. So you will only be required to answer some general questions about yourself on some familiar topics such as: studies … travel … sports … family … food and exercise.

Let’s see how another candidate answers questions about exercise. The first question is designed to test her skills at identifying:

Interviewer:              What kind of exercise do you enjoy?

Interviewee:             I enjoy running, because I think it’s easy, and I think you should need, er, good shoes and you can run and I can run at morning, it’s really good …I think.

The next question is to see how well she expresses an opinion:

Interviewer:              Is it important to exercise regularly?

Interviewee:             Yes, I think it’s really important, because you can, um, keep your body healthy and you can keep fit, especially for girls’ health, keep fit. And it’s good for your health as well.

This question tests comparing:

Interviewer:              Do you think people are exercising more these days, compared to 50 years ago?

Interviewee:             No, I don’t think so. Because, you see, like me, they don’t have enough time. I think it’s, a lot of people don’t have enough time as well, so they don’t have enough regular exercise.

Other skills that are assessed include:

• describing;

• expressing preferences; and

• giving reasons

You are not expected to give in-depth answers at this stage of the interview but you can extend your answer with a longer sentence.

To help prepare for this section you can develop vocabulary around the topic areas and make sure you know the verb tense that is appropriate for answering the question.

For example the question ‘What kind of exercise do you enjoy?’ is in the simple present tense, so she replies with the same tense: I enjoy running. Listen again:

Interviewer:              What kind of exercise do you enjoy?

Interviewee:             I enjoy running.

In Part Two the examiner will give you a topic on a prompt card to talk about for one to two minutes. You will be allowed one minute to make some notes. After your talk, the examiner will ask you a follow up question.

The topics are of a general nature. You could be asked to talk about an object that is important to you or a major festival in your country or to describe an interesting building.

Let’s see how the interviewer introduces the second part of the interview and how the candidate prepares for the talk.

Interviewer:              Now, I’d like you to talk for one to two minutes on a topic that I’ll give you.

Interviewee:             Sure.

Interviewer:              You have one minute to prepare, and make some notes to help you.

                                     Do you understand?

Interviewee:             Yes.

Interviewer:              Okay. Well, here’s a pencil and a paper for making notes, and here is your topic. I’d like you to describe a holiday or vacation you took recently.

Interviewee:             Sure.

This is what was written on the prompt card she gave him:

---

Describe a holiday or a vacation you took recently.

You should say:

• where you went

• who you travelled with

• what you did, and

• explain why you enjoyed your vacation

Think of 2 or 3 things to say about each prompt and write down words that will help remind you of what to say. Let’s look at what he wrote.

Where:           Bangkok last minute short

Who:               Mum, sister, brother

What:              Shopping mall, weekend market, stalls, humungous place

Why:               Wonderful experience; sights

Do the notes help him? Let’s listen to his talk.

Er, the holiday which I went on recently was in Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand. Um, we, we planned this, I guess, two weeks, two weeks in advance, it was kind of a last minute planning with, with my family, we decided to just go for a short holiday down to Bangkok. So, er, we called, we called my travel agent, and, er, we got, we got tickets booked for me, my Mum, my brother and my sister.

It is important to begin your talk by introducing the topic.

He is following the notes he made. For 'who' he tells us “we got tickets booked for me, my Mum, my brother and my sister”.

For 'what' he talks about shopping:

We went to two shopping malls. It was, one of the malls called Big C, Big C, yeah, that was the mall. So, er, the mall was very clean and, er, I was surprised, it was very clean, very big, very, very big, very clean and all. So that was just a normal shopping centre. Then over the weekend we decided to go and visit this big weekend market in, Bangkok itself. So it’s called a big, a weekend market, er, it had like thousand over stalls, it was this big, humungous place. So what we did, we spent our whole time there, shopping.

For 'why' he tells us what a wonderful experience it was:

But it was a wonderful experience, going to Bangkok, and, er, visiting the sights.

Your talk will be well organised if you follow the same order as the prompts on the card.

The interviewer ends this section with a follow up question. Let’s listen to what the interviewer asks him.

Interviewer:              Do you think you’ll go back there again?

Interviewee:             Er, yeah, definitely, I mean, for shopping is one thing, prices are really cheap and all but, er, it’s just the place. The people, they’re all friendly and down to earth, and, um, it was a memorable experience.

He responds appropriately with two sentences. That’s all that is required.

To help you prepare for this part, practise talking about a range of topics.

The final part of the interview is a discussion on issues related to the topic in Part Two.

The examiner will be assessing your ability to develop ideas in some depth.

Let’s see what kind of questions he was asked and how the discussion is introduced.

Interviewer:              Okay then. Well, you’ve described a holiday you’ve been on, and I’d like to ask you a few more questions related to this.

Interviewee:             Sure.

Interviewer:              Is it important to travel and take holidays in different places?

Interviewee:             Yeah, I feel, I feel it is important, er, reason being you, you’re exposed to different cultures, you’re exposed to different kind of people, how, how do they behave, and, er, you get to see a lot of things. If you just take a holiday in your own country, or somewhere nearby, er, you won’t really get to see, er, the world I guess, see how people behave and all.

By asking him "Is it important to travel?" she is testing whether he can express an opinion. Next, she sees if he can speculate:

Interviewer:              Are people travelling more these days, do you think?

Interviewee:             Er, yes, definitely. Er, as you can see nowadays there’s budget airlines where airline prices all become so cheap so that they can visit more places and go to other countries.

Then she asks a question designed to see how well he can compare:

Interviewer:              Is it better to travel alone, or in a group?

Interviewee:             I believe it’s better to travel in a group, where you have a companion. Maybe not, not in such a big group, but, I guess, maybe two to three people … where it’s nice to have someone along to share your experiences with and, you know, to visit places and, you know, have someone there for companionship and all.

And finally she tests how well he can identify:

Interviewer:              What kind of problems is travel and tourism causing?

Interviewee:             Um, sometimes people don’t know other people’s culture, and they might offend them in a rude way, they might not know its offensive, but, you know, not knowing the culture, and not reading up about it, sometimes when you go to a foreign land, and you might do something to maybe insult the host or insult someone there.

To answer questions well in this section you should watch programs on current affairs and practise discussing topics and using a variety of language functions such as comparing, explaining and describing.

That’s all for today

Good Luck with your studies.

 

(Nguồn UTS: Insearch and Australia Network)

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1) Clip 1: Question Tasks and Topics 

2) Clip 2: Vocabulary Exercise

3) Printable Documents

     a) Notes for Study

IELTS Tip

Reading newspapers regularly and watching programs on current affairs and stories of general interest can help you build a bank of ideas.

Think about whether you agree or disagree with topics discussed or look out for any causes or consequences of problems and solutions to these problems.

Remember, you will need to state your opinion and take a position on the IELTS topic in the Writing module.

QUESTION TASKS AND TOPICS IN WRITING

IELTS Writing Task 2 assesses your ability to present a clear argument supported with reasons and examples based on your own experience or knowledge. So, it is important to understand what the question is asking you to do and then support your answer with ideas that are relevant to the question.

An IELTS question consists of two parts:

Question Topic

Question Task

 

Question Topic

The topics around which writing tasks are designed are of general interest and do not require you to have specialist knowledge. It is important though that you do have an opinion on and interest in general issues in society.

The range of topics and subtopics discussed in the episode as well as other examples is listed in the table below.

Topic	Subtopic
Media	privacy issues; censorship; influence of advertising
Education	testing and assessments; public and private education; home-schooling
Environment	eco-tourism; global warming; pollution
Health and Nutrition	obesity; alternative medicine; diet; exercise; health care
Communication	the internet; mobile phones; text messaging
Society and Culture	communities; traditions, habits and customs; arts and music; traditional versus popular culture
Family	parents and children; responsibilities in a family; generation gap; relationships – marriage and divorce
Employment	unemployment; workplace conditions; job training; apprenticeships
Transport	infrastructure; vehicle safety; road tolls; choice of transport
Technology	dependence on technology; computers and mobile phones; trends and changes
Sciences	marine biology, archaeology, architecture; geography

 

Reading the newspaper and watching programs on current affairs in particular, will help you keep up-to-date with social and community issues and therefore will help you develop a bank of ideas.

 

Question Task

The Question Task provides the focus of an IELTS question or the requirements of the task. Its purpose is to test a range of skills which would produce different types of writing.

Question tasks are designed around the following skills and assess your ability to:

• present a solution to a problem

• present two sides of an issue

• evaluate and challenge an issue

• compare and contrast an opinion or evidence

• justify an opinion and use appropriate examples

There are many different ways question tasks can be worded to assess the different types of writing. Here are some examples.

• What are the causes and effects of …

• Provide a solution or suggestion to the problem of ….

• What is a possible solution to the problem of …

• To what extent do you agree or disagree …

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of

• Is this a positive or negative development …

• Discuss both these views.

• What are your views?

• What is your opinion?

The question task not only determines the type of writing or “essay type” but the kind of language structures you will need to use. For example, if the task asks for ‘causes’ and/or ‘effects’, then the language of cause, effect and result will need to be used.

 

Cause, effect and result language structures

The relationship between cause and effect can be summarised as follows

active voice
cause	markers	effect
Obesity	causes leads to results in can lead to	many chronic diseases. high blood pressure. heart disease. premature death.
The number of children in the obese category has doubled.	Consequently, As a result, Because of this,	the rate of disease is higher.
markers	result	cause
The cause of The reason for	obesity	is a sedentary lifestyle.
marker	result	Effect
The effect of One consequence of	obesity is	diabetes. premature death.
passive voice
effect	markers	Cause
Obesity	is caused by is the result of	excess body fat. a sedentary lifestyle.

 

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Sample Question Topics and Tasks

Here are some sample IELTS questions to practise identifying:

• The topic area

• the skill tested

• the main topic of the question

• task requirements

• topic ideas

• topic vocabulary

 

Sample Question 1

_____________________________________________________

WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic.

While the number of smokers in the industrialised world has been steadily decreasing, the same cannot be said for developing nations. Despite the warnings by health care workers about the dangers of smoking, the advice has gone unheeded.

What are some of the effects of smoking and how can governments address this problem?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

______________________________________________________________

 

Topic Area:                           Health

Skill:                                       Present a solution to a problem

Main topic:                            Dangers of smoking

Task requirements:           Name some of the negative effects of smoking.

Suggest ways that governments could deal with the problem that people are not taking advice of the warnings about the dangers of smoking.

Topic Ideas

Effects of smoking	Suggestions
• increases the likelihood of developing a serious illness, eg lung cancer, bronchitis, heart disease • places the lives of non-smokers at risk, especially children • addictive • can be dangerous i.e. cause a fire	• authorise advertisements showing the effects of the various diseases caused by smoking • prohibit smoking at work and in public places • restrict and prohibit the sale of tobacco products • conduct educational campaigns in schools teaching children about the dangers of smoking

 

Topic Vocabulary

target item	vocabulary choices
illness	chronic illness, stomach cancer, bladder cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases
dangers	dangerous substance, cancer-causing, endanger, risk, harm, injure, damage
addictive	causes addition, nicotine, bad habit, dependence, controlled by
advertisements	visually explicit advertisements
prohibit	ban, prevent, legally prohibit, legally enforce, restrict, remove, limit
campaign	advertising campaign, conduct a campaign, tobacco prevention campaign

 

Sample Question 2

____________________________________________________________

WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic.

Mass media is greatly contributing to the development of youth the world over because of its easy accessibility. Some say that the influence of media on the day-to-day lives of these adolescents is more harmful than advantageous.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

 

Topic Area:                          Media

Skill:                                       Evaluate and challenge an issue

Main topic:                            Influence of the media on adolescents is harmful

Task requirements:           Decide to what extent you agree (fully, partially) or disagree (not at all) that the media’s influence is harmful and state your where you stand on the issue. If you believe this to be true, then give reasons why you think there are benefits and state under what circumstances you think the media could be seen as harmful.

 

Topic ideas

Mass media harmful (agree)	Mass media advantageous (disagree)
• exposure to violent and unsuitable images • can affect children’s behaviour • children are immature so cannot discern right from wrong • interest in inappropriate products being advertised	• many good educational programs • the saying “the world is your oyster” is appropriate because the opportunities of learning form the different media about issues worldwide are limitless
Position: despite the harmful effects, adolescents could be supervised and guided to benefit from the advantages of mass media

 

Topic vocabulary

target item	vocabulary choices
mass media	television and radio programs, internet and mobile telephone advertisements, commercials, advertisements, films, newspapers, magazines; important source of information
unsuitable	inappropriate materials
children	adolescents, youth, young people, immature, those under 18
harmful	negative effects, disadvantages, drawbacks, detrimental effect, damaging
benefits	advantageous, advantages, beneficial, good, positive
accessibility	gain access to, availability, possibility

 

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     b) Learning Activities

Practise and consolidate your learning about by completing our activities. The answers for all activities are on the last 2 pages.

 

ACTIVITY 1

Tick (√) the ideas that are relevant to the topic.

 Topic 1:         Home-schooling is better for a child.

	Advantages		Disadvantages
	• emotional bond with child		• no interaction with peers
	• control what the child learns		• not taught by a professional teacher
	• it’s expensive		• don’t know how the child is progressing in relation to other students
	• protect the child from negative influences		• inexpensive

 

Topic 2: Living in the city is more beneficial than life in the countryside.

	Agree		Disagree
	• more employment opportunities		• more pollution
	• overcrowded		• stressful
	• more entertainment		• limited health facilities and services
	• people are more friendly		• too expensive

 

Topic 3: People are losing their identity, culture and traditions because of globalisation.

	Effects		Solutions
	• introduction of fast foods to the detriment of traditional foods		• reduce the greenhouse gases
	• English becoming the main language in day-to-day transactions		• impose heavier taxes on imported goods
	• preference for Western music among youth		• make the native language a mandatory subject at school
	• increase in global warming		• promote the country’s traditional cuisine

 

Topic 4: Industrialised countries should assist poorer nations financially.

	Agree		Disagree
	• addresses poverty, illiteracy and disease		• corruption is rife
	• helps national security		• may lead to dependency
	• it’s a humane thing to do		• they have their own poor and homeless people to help
	• increase the standard of living		• too costly

 

Topic 5: Living abroad for an extended period of time can be problematic.

	Problems		Solutions
	• homesickness		• chance to achieve success
	• language barrier		• take some language courses
	• lifestyle change		• join a club to meet new people
	• adjusting to a different diet		• learn to be independent

 

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ACTIVITY 2

Choose the appropriate cause/effect word or phrase to complete the sentences.

caused by      because                     cause of         a result of      due to leads to          consequence of       caused           effects of        cause

 

1. The country road was blocked _____________ the landslide.

2. John’s promotion came ____________ he worked hard.

3. An increase in interest rates ______________ a decrease in property sales.

4. The landslide was ____________ heavy rain.

5. It is well documented that the increase in diabetes is ____________ poor dietary habits.

6. Bad economic policies were the __________ negative growth and serious shortages.

7. Being obese may ___________ serious health problems.

8. Poor sleeping habits can be the _______________ stress and workload.

9. The explosion _____________ massive damage to the factory.

10. The task asked for the _____________ global warming.

ACTIVITY 1 ANSWERS

Tick (√) the ideas that are relevant to the topic.

Topic 1: Home-schooling is better for a child.

	Advantages		Disadvantages
√	• emotional bond with child	√	• no interaction with peers
√	• control what the child learns	√	• not taught by a professional teacher
	• it’s expensive	√	• don’t know how the child is progressing in relation to other students
√	• protect the child from negative influences		• inexpensive

 

Topic 2: Living in the city is more beneficial than life in the countryside.

	Agree		Disagree
√	• more employment opportunities	√	• more pollution
	• overcrowded	√	• stressful
√	• more entertainment		• limited health facilities and services
	• people are more friendly	√	• too expensive

 

Topic 3: People are losing their identity, culture and traditions because of globalisation.

	Effects		Solutions
√	• introduction of fast foods to the detriment of traditional foods		• reduce the greenhouse gases
√	• English becoming the main language in day-to-day transactions	√	• impose heavier taxes on imported goods
√	• preference for Western music among youth	√	• make the native language a mandatory subject at school
	• increase in global warming	√	• promote the country’s traditional cuisine

 

Topic 4: Industrialised countries should assist poorer nations financially.

	Agree		Disagree
√	• addresses poverty, illiteracy and disease	√	• corruption is rife
√	• helps national security	√	• may lead to dependency
√	• it’s a humane thing to do	√	• they have their own poor and homeless people to help
√	• increase the standard of living		• too costly

 

Topic 5: Living abroad for an extended period of time can be problematic.

	Problems		Solutions
√	• homesickness		• chance to achieve success
√	• language barrier	√	• take some language courses
√	• lifestyle change	√	• join a club to meet new people
√	• adjusting to a different diet	√	• learn to be independent

 

ACTIVITY 2 ANSWERS

1. due to                                 6. cause of

2. because                            7. cause

3. leads to                              8. consequence of

4. caused by                         9. caused

5. a result of                          10. effects of

 

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     c) Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS Preparation. I’m Margot Politis.

Today we’ll look at question tasks and topics in the essay section of the IELTS test.

Both IELTS tests - the academic and the general - require you to write a short essay.

What are the questions likely to be about?

Media:                        censorship; privacy; or the influence of advertising.

Education:                testing; computers; public and private education.

Environment:           eco-tourism; global warming; pollution.

Health:                       obesity; alternative medicine; exercise; diet.

Communication:     the internet; mobile phones.

Society:                     youth issues; juvenile delinquency; ageing populations.

There are two parts to an essay question.

First, there is the question topic, a statement like this:

Internet access should be under government control to avoid any potential harm to children.

And second, there is the question task, which will be something like:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

OR

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of government controlling Internet access.

OR

What are the reasons for government control? What other measures could be taken to deal with this problem?

The purpose of the different question tasks is to test a range of writing skills.

They can test your ability to identify causes and effects. You could be asked "What are the causes …" or "What are the effects …"

Or they are designed to see how well you can present a solution to a problem. For example:

What measures could be taken to deal with this problem?

Here you would need to say what can be done to stop children being harmed by material on the internet, such as using software that prevents children accessing harmful sites or keeping computers out of children’s bedrooms where they are not supervised by a parent. Often the question task tests whether you can present two sides of an issue, compare opinions and justify your view, such as these:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

OR

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of government control.

OR

What is your opinion?

Here’s the question topic again:

Internet access should be under government control to avoid any potential harm to children.

Let’s look more closely at some question tasks for it. First:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Here you would need to decide how much you agree or disagree with the issue of governments controlling Internet access and give your opinion.

Your ideas would need to be supported with reasons and appropriate examples.

Why should the government control the internet? Try to think of situations that support what you think.

A very similar style of essay would be required if you were asked:

What is your opinion?

With this question task you must still consider other points of view. And remember the instruction to give reasons and provide examples still applies.

What about this question task?

---

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of government control.

Here you’re not required to directly give your opinion, but to present and explain both sides of the issue. But by saying what you think is good and bad; your view of the issue should be obvious.

The question task can be more direct, like this:

What are the reasons for government control? What other measures could be taken to deal with this problem?

You should give reasons why governments need to control the Internet and then suggest what else could be done to protect children. This task tests how well you can identify causes and suggest solutions.

Let’s look at some more sample questions.

In some countries there are fewer doctors and teachers taking up jobs in rural areas. As a result, communities in these remote areas are being poorly served.

What are the effects of this and what measures could be taken to improve it?

The main topic is teachers and doctors not working in remote areas. Here you would need to write about the negative effects that a community experiences when there aren’t enough teachers and doctors.

For the second part of the task - what measures could be taken – you should suggest some ways of improving the situation. This question tests your ability to write about the effects of something and provide some solutions.

Let’s look at another question.

Children’s eating habits and lifestyles today are more likely to be harmful than beneficial.

Discuss both these views.

The main topic is what children eat and how they spend their time.

The task asks you to discuss two views - both these views.

What are the 2 views?

The question topic says "more likely to be harmful than beneficial", so the 2 views are:

The more likely, according to the statement, that children’s eating habits are causing harm.

And the opposite, that "children’s eating habits" are beneficial.

The task requires you to compare the negative effects of what children eat these days with the positive effects. So it’s the sort of question task that tests if you can compare 2 sides of an issue. And it gives you the opportunity to challenge the question topic.

You could argue that children these days eat very well and exercise a lot and that the idea that they don’t is exaggerated. Remember though that you can’t do this without giving good reasons and providing examples.

Computers have changed the way children are taught. Some believe this means that children are missing out on a well-rounded education.

What is your opinion?

Here the main topic is the use of computers in children’s education.

You need to decide what you think about computers in classrooms and whether they might stop children getting a well-rounded education. In forming your opinion, you should also write about what other people might think.

So we’ve looked at questions in the general areas of education, technology, society and health.

The essay question consists of a statement called the question topic, which can be about any topic of general interest and a question task, which determines the style of essay you need to write. Remember that the same topic can be looked at from different perspectives. Include not only causes, effects and solutions but also advantages and disadvantages when building a bank of ideas for a topic.

That’s all for now.

Go to our website if you want to watch any episode of Study English again. You’ll also find plenty of extra material there to keep you busy. The address is: australianetwork.com/studyenglish

I’ll see you next time on Study English.

 

(Nguồn UTS: Insearch and Australia Network)

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1) Clip 1: Vocabulary Range

2) Clip 2: Vocabulary Exercise

3) Printable Documents

     a) Notes for Study

IELTS Tip

Build your vocabulary on a range of topics. Remember that your topic vocabulary should include word forms (adjective, noun, verb and adverb), related vocabulary (synonyms, opposites) and collocations (adjective + noun or verb + adverb).

Try to learn some idiomatic expressions as well.

Watch your spelling. It counts too!

VOCABULARY

Expanding on information and extending topic vocabulary in your IELTS Writing tasks allow you to convey meaning more precisely. This also allows you to demonstrate your use of a wider range of vocabulary, and command of word forms and word order. These features, word forms and word order, describe Vocabulary, one of the criteria used to assess your writing.

Nominal Groups

In formal academic writing, one of the means by which information can be expanded on is through the use of nominal groups. A nominal group structure consists of a main noun which is surrounded by other words or phrases that serve to describe or characterise the noun.

Here is the structure of a nominal group:

premodifiers	+	head noun	+	postmodifiers
determiners* + adjectives				prepositional phrases

 

*Examples of Determiners
articles	a, an, the
possessives	my, your, his/her, its, their, one’s, whose
demonstratives	this, these, that, those
quantifiers	each, every, some, many, most, fewer, several

 

Types of Nominal Groups

There are four types of nominal groups:

i			head noun only – this is the main noun within the group or clause
			awareness
ii	premodifiers	+	head noun
	greater community		awareness
iii			head noun	+	postmodifier
			awareness		of environmental issues
iv	premodifiers	+	head noun	+	postmodifier
	greater community		awareness		of environmental issues
greater community awareness of environmental issues

 

Deconstruction of nominal groups

Nominal groups are important because they provide the subject matter or content of your essay.

Here is a topic sentence from a sample IELTS Writing Task 2 essay addressing the topic of recycling.

Community response to the importance of disposing of waste materials responsibly is reflected in its participation in various recycling programs.

The nominal groups in this topic sentence are deconstructed to see how information is expanded on and contextualised.

There are five nominal groups in this sentence. Here is a breakdown of those groups.

Nominal Group 1
Premodifier adjective	+	head noun
community		response
An adjective is used to describe whose response, adding additional meaning.
community response

 

Nominal Group 2
head noun	+	Postmodifier prepositional phrase
response		to the importance of disposing of waste materials (responsibly)
A prepositional phrase is used to add more information, in particular what the response is aimed at, namely the importance.
response to the importance of disposing of waste materials (responsibly)

 

Nominal Group 3
head noun	+	postmodifier prepositional phrase	+	adverb - the manner in which waste should be disposed of
the importance		of disposing of waste materials		responsibly
Importance is now the head noun to which more information is added using a prepositional phrase to specify what is important – of disposing of waste materials. The adverb responsibly modifies disposing.
the importance of disposing of waste materials responsibly
The information conveyed in the postmodifier can be expressed in the following simple sentence. The (responsible) disposal of waste materials is important.
Using nominal groups allows you to include more complex structures in your writing.

 

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Nominal Group 4
premodifier determiner	+	head noun
its		participation
The premodifier its specifies whose, i.e. the community’s.
its participation

 

Nominal Group 5
head noun	+	postmodifier prepositional phrase
participation		in various recycling programs
The postmodifier is used to expand on information, specifying what the participation will be in.
participation in various recycling programs

 

Using nominal groups allows you to communicate more meaning in a simple sentence. It is also an effective way of extending your topic vocabulary because you are using a greater number of words. This also gives you the opportunity to use more elaborate structures and convey meaning more precisely.

Nominalisation

Instead of verbs or verb phrases, it is possible to use nouns or noun phrases in written English. This also helps express ideas more precisely and concisely. Making verbs into nouns is called nominalisation.

Here are some examples of noun forms of verbs.

Nominalisation
verb	noun forms
	thing	person
to consume	consumption	consumer
to apply	application	applicant
to conserve	conservation	conservationist
to investigate	investigation	investigator
to advertise	advertisement, advertising	advertiser
to find	finding(s)	finder
to develop	development	developer
to be aware	awareness

 

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Using nominalisation

Nominalised language is commonly used in formal academic writing. Ideas can be expressed more precisely and concisely.

verb phrase	Waste materials need to be disposed of properly.
noun phrase	The proper disposal of waste materials is necessary.
To be able to change the verb phrase into a noun phrase requires a command of word forms and word order. verb to be → is adverbs in a verb phrase change to an adjective: properly → proper

 

Nominalisation is also useful for Academic Writing Task 1. It provides another way of expressing changes in graphs, charts, processes or any other pictorial information.

verb phrase	The number of Internet users increased significantly.
noun phrase	There was a significant increase in the number of Internet users.
verb phrase	It is evident that interest in the product grew steadily.
noun phrase	The steady growth of interest in the product is evident.

  

To be able to change the verb phrase into a noun phrase requires a command of word forms and word order. verb + adverb → adjective + noun increased significantly → significant increase grew steadily → steady growth

 

Nominalisation is a technique used in paraphrasing. This is particularly helpful when paraphrasing information from a question topic in an IELTS Writing Task 2 for an introductory paragraph. Here is the first sentence of a question topic.

question topic	Over the last decade, many large capital cites are being rapidly restructured and redeveloped.
introduction	In recent times there has been a rapid restructuring and redevelopment of many cosmopolitan cities.

 

Apposition

Another way of expanding on information in your writing is using apposition. Here are two examples.

My friend, a teacher by profession, will be joining us for lunch.

His other film, quickly gaining in popularity, is a documentary.

Appositions are noun phrases which refer to the same grammatical structure. They are placed next to the structure they are defining or modifying.

Grammatical structure
noun phrase	apposition noun phrase
My friend	a teacher by profession	gives more information about the friend
His other	film quickly gaining in popularity	gives more information about the film

  

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     b) Learning Activities

Practise and consolidate your learning about vocabulary and word forms by completing our activities. The answers for all activities are on the last 2 pages.

ACTIVITY 1

Identify the nominal groups and apposition in the following paragraph.

Local communities are actively participating in various recycling programs to dispose of waste materials responsibly. The most common is household or domestic recycling. Many councils provide kerbside collection services for newspapers, glass, aluminium cans and plastic. These recyclables can significantly reduce the volume of rubbish which ends up in landfill sites. Another initiative, rapidly developing into a popular industry, is the recycling of green waste. This consists of shredding leaves, branches, trees and other materials to produce landscaping mulch, which serves to enrich soils in gardens and parks.

 

ACTIVITY 2

Complete the sentences with the correct noun form of the verbs or adjectives in brackets.

1. The ____________ (amend) to the bill was seen as a step in the right direction.

2. A vegetarian diet can lead to a ____________ (reduce) in the chances of developing chronic diseases.

3. The ___________ (decide) of the local council to suspend the burn off of bushland was welcomed by all.

4. There is no doubt that strict __________ (censor) of the internet is necessary for the sake of children.

5. The higher ___________ (consume) of fatty foods was a worrying trend.

6. All graduating students had to rate the _________ (deep) of their learning in the exit survey.

7. The statistics showed that the ___________ (produce) of iron ore dropped by 50% in 2009.

8. The line graph shows a slight ____________ (different) between then number of cinema goers and theatre attendees.

9. A thorough ____________ (re-evaluate) of the health care system was long overdue.

10. The findings from the research on childhood obesity will have ____________ (implicate) for future generations.

 

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ACTIVITY 1 ANSWERS

Nominal groups

Local communities are actively participating in various recycling programs to dispose of waste materials responsibly.

Nominal Groups
premodifier + head noun	Local communities

 

The most common is household or domestic recycling.

Nominal Groups
premodifier + head noun	The most common
premodifier + head noun	household or domestic recycling

 

Many councils provide kerbside collection services for newspapers, glass, aluminium cans and plastic.

Nominal Groups
premodifier + head noun	Many councils
premodifier + head noun	kerbside collection services
head noun + prepositional phrase	services for newspapers, glass, aluminium cans and plastic

 

These recyclables can significantly reduce the volume of rubbish which ends up in landfill sites.

Nominal Groups
premodifier + head noun	These recyclables
head noun + prepositional phrase	the volume of rubbish

 

Another initiative, rapidly developing into a popular industry, is the recycling of green waste.

Nominal Groups
premodifier + head noun	Another initiative
noun phrase + apposition	Another initiative rapidly developing into a popular industry
premodifier + head noun	the recycling
head noun + prepositional phrase	recycling of green waste

 

This consists of shredding leaves, branches, trees and other materials to produce landscaping mulch, which serves to enrich soils in gardens and parks.

Nominal Groups
head noun	This
head noun + prepositional phrase	soils in gardens and parks

 

ACTIVITY 2 ANSWERS

1. amendment                      6. depth

2. reduction                           7. production

3. decision                             8. difference

4. censorship                       9. re-evaluation

5. consumption                    10. implications

 

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     c) Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS Preparation. I’m Margot Politis.

Today we’ll look at some strategies for meeting the requirements of vocabulary, one of the criteria used to assess IELTS candidates.

When writing, you can expand what you want to say by adding words that give more detail, or are more specific and descriptive.

This is a good way of showing the extent of your vocabulary.

Take this sentence for example:

Collection services can reduce rubbish.

What can you say to make this sentence more specific and descriptive?

First, look at ‘collection services’. Ask yourself who, what, why and where?

What sort of collection services reduce rubbish?

They could be 'weekly collection services' or 'better collection services'. You could also say 'more frequent collection services':

More frequent collection services can reduce rubbish.

You can do more than just use words in front of ‘collection services’. You can also add a phrase after it.

Ask yourself the same sort of questions: ‘what is collected, who is collecting it’?

So you can add:

More frequent collection services for recyclables can reduce rubbish.

You don’t have to stop at just one phrase. You might also want to say who does the collecting. So:

More frequent collection services for recyclables by councils can reduce rubbish.

You can also add words to the verb in the sentence. We know more collection can reduce rubbish – but by how much?

It can substantially reduce rubbish.

So:

More frequent collection services for recyclables by councils can substantially reduce rubbish.

Substantially is an adverb. It’s one of the forms of the word substantial.

Adverbs often end with ‘-ly’

Other words that mean a large amount are vast, considerable and great.

Their adverbs are vastly, considerably and greatly.

Any of these words could be used instead of ‘substantially’.

A good vocabulary is not simply the number of words you know. It’s being able to use all the forms of a word correctly.

For instance 'reduce' means to become smaller or to lessen. Listen to how it’s used in this clip from a story about sealing roads:

In Asia the cost of re-doing roads is very high. We can address that issue and give them a tightly bound surface, which will reduce the costs for the regional councils.

Will reduce the costs. Reduce - that’s the base form of the verb. Reduce is a regular verb with the forms reducing and reduced. He uses one of these here:

Here you have a car that is travelling along an untreated section of road and then hitting a treated section of the road. You can see that the dust is reduced by a significant amount.

Is reduced by a significant amount. That’s a verb form. But what form of reduce would you use as an adjective?

Our product very effectively binds the soils and particles that make up the materials for the roads. This means you can have a reduced cost in terms of the number of times that road authorities have to maintain and repair that road over a long period of time.

A reduced cost. The –ed form can also be used as an adjective like this.

reduced price

reduced pressure

Reduce has a noun form. Listen:

One of the problems of driving on an unsealed road is the amount of dust that comes off the surface. With our treatment, we find there’s a dramatic reduction in that dust problem.

The noun is reduction. You’ll find that –ion endings for nouns, -ly for adverbs and – ed for adjectives are very common.

When you learn new words it is important that you know all their forms and practise using them. It’s a good strategy for building your vocabulary.

So learn word forms.

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Another good strategy is to know which prepositions are normally used with particular words.

Let’s look at the word ‘reason’, a word you’re likely to use in an IELTS essay.

What preposition is reason used with?

Listen to this woman talking about a famous road in Australia:

The Great Ocean road is probably the most spectacular coastal drive in the world. I think the reason for that is that it’s got such a variety of scenery from cool temperate rainforests to the cliffs and rock stacks around the Twelve Apostles.

She says, “the reason for that is…”. Reason can be followed by the preposition ‘for’.

You can say, reason for leaving … or reason for arguing …

Look at ‘know’ for instance. With the verb form ‘know’ we use the preposition ‘about’, know about, like this woman when explaining why she makes a scrapbook of her life:

I’m creating something that gives me a chance to put something about who I am onto that page. I often think when I’m working on a project, “What would my kids like to know about me in 20 or 40 years time?

Know about me. But with the noun form ‘knowledge’, we use ‘of’, ‘knowledge of’.

Listen to this man use ‘knowledge of’ to talk about an art collection that students are studying:

We have students from overseas in the course. They get to get this first-hand knowledge of this terrific collection, but also they can take that back with them to the countries they come from.

So let’s recap.

You can add detail about who, what and where to sentences like this.

The dragon is paraded.

The colourful dragon is paraded.

The colourful dragon is noisily paraded.

The colourful dragon with people inside it is noisily paraded.

The colourful dragon with people inside it is noisily paraded down the street.

To do this you need to know that the adjective of the word colour is colourful and the adverb of noise is noisily.

And you need to correctly use phrases such as ‘with people inside it’ and ‘down the street’.

This is the kind of vocabulary the examiners are looking for.

You also need to be aware of the prepositions that go with certain words.

You say that you know about something:

I’m creating something that gives me a chance to put something about who I am onto that page. I often think when I’m working on a project, “What would my kids like to know about me in 20 or 40 years time?

But have knowledge of something:

We have students from overseas in the course. They get to get this first-hand knowledge of this terrific collection, but also they can take that back with them to the countries they come from.

And you say that you have a reason for doing something:

The Great Ocean road is probably the most spectacular coastal drive in the world. I think the reason for that is that it’s got such a variety of scenery from cool temperate rainforests to the cliffs and rock stacks around the Twelve Apostles.

That’s all for now.

To find more information about vocabulary visit our Study English website at: australianetwork.com/studyenglish.

Good luck with your studies.

 

(Nguồn UTS: Insearch and Australia Network)

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1) Clip 1: Sentence Types

2) Clip 2: Vocabulary Exercise

3) Printable Documents

     a) Notes for Study

IELTS Tip

Use a variety of sentence types and structures in your writing.

Include a range of simple, compound and complex sentences as well as concession, modals, cause and effect and other grammatical structures.

These features make your writing effective, formal and more interesting.

SENTENCE TYPES

In your writing you will be giving reasons, stating the results of a situation, linking statements which contrast with one another and showing other relationships between statements in a sentence. Using different structures and sentence types to express these kinds of ideas adds variety to your writing and also demonstrates the grammatical range of your language, a criterion by which your writing is assessed.

 

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

There are four types of sentence structures in English:

• simple

• compound

• complex

• compound-complex

A simple sentence is also called an independent clause.

Simple sentence
Pollution is a serious problem in cosmopolitan areas.
subject	verb
pollution	is

 

A compound sentence consists of 2 or more simple sentences and a conjunction.

Compound sentence
2 simple sentences	Pollution is a serious problem in cosmopolitan areas. The government is addressing the issue.
Compound sentence	Pollution is a serious problem in cosmopolitan areas but the government is addressing the issue.
but – coordinating conjunction expressing contrast

 

A complex sentence consists of an independent and a subordinate clause.

Complex sentence

Although the government is addressing the issue of pollution, it is still a serious problem in cosmopolitan areas.

Although – subordinating conjunction expressing concession

 

A compound-complex sentence consists of 2 or more independent clauses and 1 or more subordinate clauses.

Compound-complex sentence
Although the government is addressing the issue of pollution, it is still a serious problem in cosmopolitan areas and affects people’s health.
although – subordinating conjunction expressing concession
and – conjunction which joins two independent clauses
it is still a serious problem in cosmopolitan areas	and	it …. affects people’s health.

 

Connecting your ideas within sentences shows how the meanings of the clauses are related. For example, they may be contrasting ideas, providing a reason, adding another example or cause.

Using a variety of sentence structures to express these kinds of meanings provides an indication of the grammatical range of your language skills and is a criterion by which your writing is assessed.

Here is a Writing Task 2 question and a sample body paragraph which respond in part to the question.

_________________________________________________________________

Write about the following topic.

Society’s responsibility towards the environment today is reflected in the measures taken in disposing of waste through recycling.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

_________________________________________________________________

The body paragraph below presents opposing arguments to the topic that society’s responsibility towards the environment is reflected in the measures taken in disposing of waste through recycling.

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Body Paragraph

(1) On the other hand, some manufacturers continue to ignore the impact that the tonnes of waste generated by their goods has on the environment. (2) Two of the most obvious sources are discarded computers and electronic devices. (3)The component parts of these kinds of products cannot be reused nor recycled and do not breakdown in landfill tips where they are dumped. (4) Another major waste problem is packaging. (5) The shelves of supermarkets are full of items which are excessively packaged. (6) Though the contents of these products need to be preserved, protected and secured, triple wrapping is unjustifiable and wasteful.

 

There are 6 sentences in the above paragraph. There is also a range of structures which are used to express and connect ideas. Each of these sentences is considered separately.

Sentence 1	topic sentence of the paragraph (TS)
On the other hand, some manufacturers continue to ignore the impact that the tonnes of waste generated by their goods has on the environment.
complex sentence	independent clause                        +          subordinate clause
Independent clause	subject	verb + to-infinitive	object
	some manufacturers	continue to ignore	the impact
Subordinate clause	providing additional information using the relative pronoun that
	that the tonnes of waste generated by their goods has on the environment
relative pronoun that	connects further information to the noun in the main (independent) clause, namely the impact to which it is referring

 

Sentence 2	first supporting sentence (SS1) – providing the sources of the goods
Two of the most obvious sources are discarded computers and electronic devices.
simple sentence	complement	verb (one verb)	subject
	Two of the most obvious sources	are	discarded computers and electronic devices.
Explanation	The complement, two of the most obvious sources, is in front position because it relates directly to the information in the previous sentence, namely garbage generated by their goods; discarded computers and electronic devices are the sources and the goods. Discarded computers and electronic devices is new information and new information, which is the subject, comes after the verb in this type of structure. The old information, which is two of the most obvious sources, comes first.

 

Sentence 3	developing sentence (DS)
The component parts of these kinds of products cannot be reused nor recycled and do not breakdown in landfill tips where they are dumped.
compound-complex sentence
compound sentence	one subject	two verbs
	The component parts of these kinds of products	cannot be reused nor recycled and do not breakdown …
Coordinating conjunction and	joins two pieces of information which relate to the same subject, namely component parts
verbs
cannot be reused nor recycled	passive structure (+ be + participle) using a negative modal to express ‘impossibility’ cannot
do not breakdown	negative auxiliary verb do not + phrasal verb breakdown
Passive structures are used for a more formal and more impersonal style of writing.
complex part of the sentence – subordinate clause
… where they are dumped.
Subordinating clause	The subordinating clause is expressed using a relative adverb where to indicate ‘place’. It refers to landfill.

 

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Sentence 4	second supporting sentence (SS2) – providing another source
Another major waste problem is packaging.
simple sentence	complement	verb (one verb)	subject
	Another major waste problem	is	packaging.
Explanation	The use of this structure is the same as in sentence 2. The complement, Another major waste problem, is in front position because it refers back to information in the topic sentence, namely waste generated by their goods. So, the problem is stated first and then identified in the sentence, i.e. ordering the information; packaging is the subject – it is new information which comes after the verb in this type of structure.

 

Sentence 5	first developing sentence (DS2.1)
The shelves of supermarkets are full of items which are excessively packaged.
complex sentence	independent clause                        +          subordinate clause
independent clause	subject	verb	object
	The shelves of supermarkets	are	full of items
subordinate clause	relative pronoun which refers back to the noun (object) items
	… which are excessively packaged.

 

Sentence 6	second developing sentence (DS2.2)
Though the contents of these products need to be preserved, protected and secured, triple wrapping is unjustifiable and wasteful.
complex sentence	subordinate clause              +          independent clause
subordinate clause	subordinating conjunction though used to express a concession
	Though the contents of these products need to be preserved, protected and secured …
independent clause	subject	verb	object
	triple wrapping	is	unjustifiable and wasteful.

 

The grammatical range of sentence types and structures used in this body paragraph is varied. Short simple sentences were used to emphasise the main ideas, while the complex and compound sentences incorporated more information allowing the writer to expand and develop the ideas more fully. Together this made the writing effective, formal and interesting.

In addition to grammatical range, the number of errors in grammar and punctuation is also measured. This provides an indication of your proficiency or grammatical accuracy. It is also a criterion by which your writing is assessed.

Use a variety of sentence types to make your writing more interesting. The same idea can be expressed in different sentences. For example:

simple sentence	Happiness is difficult to define.
Compound sentence	Happiness is difficult to define but it’s not impossible.
Complex sentence	Happiness is difficult to define because it can mean different things.
Complex sentence	Happiness is difficult to define because it means different things to different people.
Complex sentence	Though difficult to define, I think happiness lies in personal success.
Complex sentence	Because happiness can be interpreted in different ways, it is difficult to give a definition.

 

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     b) Learning Activities

Practise and consolidate your learning about conjunctions and sentence types by completing our activities. The answers for all activities are on the last page.

ACTIVITY 1

Choose an appropriate conjunction or linking word from the box below to connect the two sentences. Make any necessary changes so that the sentence is grammatically correct.

especially      and                but                  where             so that while              or                     which                         because         yet

1. Global warming is a serious problem. The government is addressing the issue.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

2. Some strategies are firmly in place for minimising waste. The business world has not yet heeded the serious consequences of their inaction.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

3. Public transportation is a good solution. It can reduce the amount of air pollution.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

4. Every person can be an environmentalist in his/her own way. People can help reduce the effects of global warming.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

5. Cooperation between government and health care agencies is important.

Proposed policies are accepted.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

6. The benefits that robots provide cannot be disputed. This is evident in the technological and industrial fields of study.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

7. Young graduates prefer travelling overseas. It gives them the opportunity to learn and absorb another language and culture.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

8. One of the options was to merge with the parent company. The other option was to face bankruptcy.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

9. The Environmental Action Group lost its case. It emerged with more community support and donations.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

10. Parents need to be aware of their children’s activities in online chat rooms.

Predators may also be operating.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

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ACTIVITY 2

Choose the best endings for the following sentences.

1. People may join environmental groups or

a. affect the rate of pollution.

b. disseminate information about pollution.

2. Developing countries are having difficulty providing clean water and food much less

a. basic needs and shelter.

b. health care and social welfare.

3. Global warming is an international concern because

a. it affects the climate and nature worldwide.

b. of a decrease in pollution.

4. There has been more information in the media about food additives recently whereas

a. before people weren’t aware of the dangers.

b. before it has been widely publicised.

5. Not only is the use of alcohol and tobacco on the rise, but

a. teenagers have stopped attending school.

b. teenagers are experimenting with designer drugs.

6. Vegetarians risk developing dietary deficiencies if

a. animal protein is consumed.

b. nutritional requirements aren’t maintained.

7. One way of relaxing when on holidays is to enjoy the beach. Alternatively,

a. one could take in a show or the local night life.

b. one could join in a game of beach volleyball.

8. Some argue that capital punishment is appropriate for crimes such as

a. premeditated murder and drug trafficking.

b. an effective deterrent against violence.

9. Industries should be required to establish waste management programs so that

a. older generations can start recycling.

b. future generations can enjoy a cleaner environment.

10. I was well-prepared for my final test. Consequently,

a. I was confident of success.

b. I wasn’t sure of my chances.

ACTIVITY 1 ANSWERS

1. Global warming is a serious problem but the government is addressing the issue.

2. While some strategies are firmly in place for minimising waste, the business world has not yet heeded the serious consequences of their inaction.

3. Public transportation is a good solution because it can reduce the amount of air pollution.

4. Every person can be an environmentalist in his/her own way and help reduce the effects of global warming.

5. Cooperation between government and health care agencies is important so that proposed policies are accepted.

6. The benefits that robots provide cannot be disputed, especially in the technological and industrial fields of study.

7. Young graduates prefer travelling overseas which gives them the opportunity to learn and absorb another language and culture.

8. One of the options was to merge with the parent company or face bankruptcy.

9. The Environmental Action Group lost its case yet it emerged with more community support and donations.

10. Parents need to be aware of their children’s activities in online chat rooms where predators may also be operating.

 

ACTIVITY 2 ANSWERS

1. b                              6. b

2. b                              7. a

3. a                              8. a

4. a                              9. b

5. b                              10. a

 

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     c) Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS Preparation. I’m Margot Politis.

One of the criteria used to assess your writing in the IELTS test is called grammatical range and accuracy. The examiners will look at the number of mistakes you make, and also at the range of sentence types you use.

What is the range of sentence types? There is a simple sentence, like this:

Pollution is a problem.

This example shows you the basic structure. A subject – pollution, a verb – is, and the object – a problem. A simple sentence can have more words than this. You can add adjectives:

Pollution is a serious problem.

Air pollution is a serious problem.

And you can add information with a preposition like ‘in’

Air pollution is a serious problem in the city.

Or ‘from’

Air pollution from cars is a serious problem in the city.

So a simple sentence doesn’t have to be short or simple.

Most of the time the thing that’s simple about simple sentences is the idea they express. Listen to some typical simple sentences in this piece about an old theatre:

It is a lovely theatre. It has excellent acoustics. It's a classic 3 tiered, horse-shoe shaped auditorium.

You tend to use simple sentences for straightforward information.

It is a lovely theatre to work in.

It has excellent acoustics.

You can add detail, but the idea is not complicated. Listen again:

It's a classic 3 tiered, horse-shoe shaped auditorium.

But it’s best to use a variety of sentence types and not just a list of simple sentences.

Listen to this:

The foundation stone was laid in 1834 and the theatre opened in 1837.

You can join two simple sentences together with ‘and’.

The two sentences are:

The foundation stone was laid in 1834.

The theatre opened in 1837.

Joining them with 'and' gives you a compound sentence.

Listen again:

The foundation stone was laid in 1834 and the theatre opened in 1837.

But what type of sentence do you use if you want to say something a little more complicated? Listen:

Although the Theatre Royal has some of the disadvantages of this sort of theatre, such as the columns which people don't like sitting behind, it still has atmosphere.

This sort of sentence is called a complex sentence. A complex sentence isn’t just 2 sentences joined together. Some parts of a complex sentence might not be a complete idea. For instance, the first part of this sentence is quite long with a subject, verb and object, but it isn’t complete:

Although the Theatre Royal has some of the disadvantages such as the columns which people don't like sitting behind …

That doesn’t express a complete thought. It needs a simple sentence to finish it:

it still has atmosphere.

If you take the detail out, you have a structure like this:

Although the theatre has disadvantages, it has atmosphere.

‘Although the theatre has disadvantages’ is what is called a dependent clause.

It depends on a simple sentence - it has atmosphere – to become complete and form a complex sentence.

Here is another complex sentence.

When you stand in the middle of the stage, you can talk to everybody.

When you stand in the middle of the stage – that’s a dependent clause. It needs another simple sentence or independent clause to make sense:

When you stand in the middle of the stage, you can talk to everybody.

You can even change the order of the clauses and say:

You can talk to everybody when you stand in the middle of the stage.

Apart from although and when, some of the words used to create dependent clauses like this are: which, that, because, after, and where.

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Knowing how to use them is important. It’s something you should practise.

There is one other type of sentence, which is a combination of compound and complex sentences like this:

When the theatre was first built, it was said to look like a 2 storey house and on the outside of the building you can see the stone window sills.

Normally people use a range of sentence types as we’ve seen with the man talking about the theatre. It’s your ability to use these various sentence types that the examiners notice.

Listen as he finishes with a complex sentence, a simple sentence and a complex/compound sentence:

If I could sum up this theatre in a few words, I suppose I could call it an international theatre star! This is the oldest theatre in Australia. It’s been operating for a hundred and 59 years and, who knows, it might still be here in another one hundred and fifty nine years.

His first sentence was complex. Sentences with ‘if’ are mostly complex because an ‘if’ clause depends on another sentence to make sense. Listen:

If I could sum up this theatre in a few words, I suppose I could call it an international theatre star!

Remember that a simple sentence can consist of a subject – this, a verb – is, and an object – the oldest theatre in Australia. Listen:

This is the oldest theatre in Australia.

A compound sentence is two sentences joined by ‘but’ or, as here ‘and’:

It's been operating for one hundred and fifty nine years and who knows, it might still be here in another one hundred and fifty nine years.

There are 2 sentences here joined by ‘and’. The second part is complex with the dependent clause ‘who knows’.

who knows, it might still be here in another hundred and fifty nine years.

So we’ve seen what can go right. What can go wrong?

A simple sentence must have a verb. Is this a sentence?

The house in the country.

No. It looks like a sentence but there is no verb. Let’s add a verb.

The house is in the country.

That’s a simple sentence.

The main problem people have with compound sentences is a mistake called a runon sentence. It’s when 2 simple sentences are run together without using a conjunction such as ‘and’ or ‘but’:

Look at this:

The theatre is small it is beautiful.

That’s a run-on sentence. It’s either 2 simple sentences:

The theatre is small. It is beautiful.

Or it’s a compound sentence:

The theatre is small, but it is beautiful.

So let’s recap. A simple sentence is basically a subject – Pollution – a verb – is – and an object – a problem. It’s also called an independent clause.

A compound sentence is two independent clauses joined by a conjunction such as and, but or so.

A complex sentence is a combination of a dependent clause or clauses with an independent clause. It’s a good way to express some of your ideas in an essay.

Be careful. Using too many simple sentences can make your writing choppy and dull and too many long sentences can make it difficult to follow your ideas. So use both.

That’s all for now. To find more information about sentence types visit our Study

English website at: australianetwork.com/studyenglish.

Good luck with your studies.

 

(Nguồn UTS: Insearch and Australia Network)

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Trong bài học này chúng ta sẽ tìm hiểu về tính thống nhất – tức là sự hợp lý về mặt ý tưởng trong từng đoạn, từng câu xét trong tổng thể chung của toàn bài; và tính mạch lạc - tức là việc vận dụng ngôn ngữ một cách có tổ chức, giúp các câu nối tiếp nhau một cách hợp lí, trôi chảy. Đây chính là những tiêu chuẩn để đánh giá bài thi Viết.

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1) Clip 1: Coherence and Cohesion in Writing 

2) Clip 2: Vocabulary Exercise

3) Printable Documents

     a) Notes for Study

IELTS Tip

Organise your ideas into paragraphs and remember to connect each paragraph with the previous one.

Each paragraph should have a topic sentence, and supporting and developing sentences.

Use transition words or phrases to connect your ideas. 

COHERENCE AND COHESION IN WRITING

Coherence refers to the logical organisation of your ideas through paragraphing and the logical sequencing of ideas within paragraphs.

Cohesion refers to the organisation of your language, which shows how your sentences are connected and related. These are criteria by which your writing tasks are assessed.

 

Coherence

A number of features make an essay coherent and thus flow smoothly. These features include the following:

          • essay structure – paragraphing

          • paragraph structure

          • transition words and phrases 

 

Essay Structure – Paragraphing

Your ideas need to be logically organised into paragraphs and structured, for example in the following manner:

Introductory Paragraph             • Topic             • Thesis Statement or Statement of Purpose

 

Body Paragraph 1             • Development of Main Idea presented in the Thesis Statement

 

Body Paragraph 2             • Development of Main Idea presented in the Thesis Statement

 

Concluding Paragraph             • Summary             • Recommendation

 

Paragraph Structure

Topic Sentence (TS)

Each paragraph should have one idea which is clearly expressed in a topic sentence. This idea is in support of the thesis statement of the essay presented in your introductory paragraph.

Supporting Sentences (SS)

These sentences support the topic sentence or the main idea of the paragraph.

Developing sentences (DS)

Developing sentences further develop the idea in the supporting sentence by providing an example, a reason or an explanation.

Here is a Writing Task 2 question topic and task.

IELTS Writing Task 2

_________________________________________________________________

The ageing populations of more developed countries are going to cause social and economic problems for society in the future, especially for the younger generation.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement.

_________________________________________________________________

Here is a sample introduction addressing the question.

Introduction

In the modern world today, people are expected to live longer because of better health care resources, the availability of better quality foods and the higher standards of living. While the changing age structure of society might be problematic, it should not always be viewed as something threatening.

The second sentence in the introductory paragraph gives the thesis statement. The two main arguments are as follows.

BP1	BP2
Agree	Disagree
the changing age structure of society might be problematic	it (the changing age structure of society) should not always be viewed as something threatening

 

These two arguments are developed in body paragraphs in the essay below.

Each main idea is developed in a separate paragraph. The argument is developed logically and the ideas follow a sequence.

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Body Paragraph 1

There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates. The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation. Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone. They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.

 

This body paragraph is agreeing with the topic. The first sentence in the paragraph – the topic sentence (TS) – states the topic and what the paragraph will be saying about the topic. The supporting (SS) and developing sentences (DS) explain the main idea.

The main idea is developed as follows:

	Sequencing of ideas	Development of main idea
TS	main or controlling idea - reasons	There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates.
SS1	explanation	The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation.
DS1.1	statement (opinion)	Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone.
DS1.2	Justification (reason)	They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.

 

Transition Words and Phrases

Transition words and phrases are used to link ideas between paragraphs and sentences.

Here are some of the more common transition words and phrases.

Type	Transition Words or Phrases
Addition	in addition, furthermore, moreover, also
Listing	first, first and foremost, firstly, second, secondly, the most important, the most obvious
Similarity	similarly, in the same way, likewise
Contrast	however, in contrast, on the other hand, on the contrary
Example	for example, for instance
Result	therefore, as a result, consequently, hence, thus, accordingly
Emphasis	indeed, in fact, above all
Conclusion	in conclusion, to conclude, in summary, to summarise, in short

 

The second body paragraph (BP2) presents arguments which support the opposite view. The relationship between the two paragraphs is shown using the contrasting transition phrase on the other hand.

Body Paragraph 2

On the other hand, the kinds of valuable contribution which healthy, mobile and enthusiastic retirees can make should not be underestimated. First and foremost, they carry a wealth of skills and work experience. Employers should look to take advantage of this and recruit or even retain mature age workers. Their expertise would be invaluable. Second, seniors being upwardly mobile tend to travel extensively, usually to discover their own country. This can only stimulate the economy. The revenue that would be generated for the hospitality industry by these “grey nomads”, as they are affectionately known, would be significant.

 

The ideas between sentences within the paragraph are connected using the following transition words and phrases.

	Type	Sentence
TS	contrast	On the other hand, the kinds of valuable contribution which healthy, mobile and enthusiastic retirees can make should not be underestimated.
SS1	listing	First and foremost, they carry a wealth of skills and work experience.
DS1.1		Employers should look to take advantage of this and recruit or even retain mature age workers.
DS1.2		Their expertise would be invaluable.
SS2	listing	Second, seniors being upwardly mobile tend to travel extensively, usually to discover their own country.
DS2.1		This can only stimulate the economy.
DS2.2		The revenue that would be generated for the hospitality industry by these “grey nomads”, as they are affectionately known, would be significant.

 

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Cohesion

In addition to the use of transition words and phrases, cohesion can be achieved using the following language devices:

          • reference words and agreement

          • linking

          • synonyms

Reference words point back or refer to words or phrases in previous sentences. They need to agree in number and person with the word or phrase they are replacing.

Here are some of the more common referents.

Language devices	Examples
pronouns
personal, possessive	it, she, his, them, their
demonstrative	this, that, these, those
relative	who, which, that
definite article	the

 

Body paragraph 2 uses a variety of referents which are illustrated below.

Body Paragraph 2
First reference	Later reference
On the other hand, the kinds of valuable contribution which healthy, mobile and enthusiastic retirees can make should not be underestimated.	First and foremost, they carry a wealth of skills and work experience.
agreement: 3rd person plural
First and foremost, they carry a wealth of skills and work experience.	Employers should look to take advantage of this and recruit or even retain mature age workers.
Employers should look to take advantage of this and recruit or even retain mature age workers.	Their expertise would be invaluable.
agreement: possessive plural
Second, seniors being upwardly mobile tend to travel extensively, usually to discover their own country.	This can only stimulate the economy.
Second, seniors being upwardly mobile tend to travel extensively, usually to discover their own country.	The revenue that would be generated for the hospitality industry by these “grey nomads”, as they are affectionately known, would be significant.

 

Linking

Coordinating and subordinating conjunctions and other parts of speech link ideas within and between sentences.

Some of the more common conjunctions are on the following page:

linking ideas	conjunctions		other parts of speech
	coordinating	subordinating
equal ideas	and, both … and		another, as well as
alternative ideas	or, either … or
contrasting ideas	but, yet	although, even though, though, while	despite, in spite of
reasons	for, so	because, as, since	as a result of, because of, due to
condition		if, provided that
subordinating words
referring to humans			who, whom
referring to nonhumans and things			which, that

 

Examples of coordinating and subordinating conjunctions in body paragraph 2 include:

          • linking equal ideas

Employers should look to take advantage of this and recruit or even retain mature age workers.

          • linking alternative ideas

Employers should look to take advantage of this and recruit or even retain mature age workers.

An example using subordination is:

On the other hand, the kinds of valuable contribution which healthy, mobile and enthusiastic retirees can make should not be underestimated.

Synonyms

Using synonyms avoids the repetition of key words and helps the reader to see how the sentences in a paragraph are linked.

In body paragraph 2, the following synonyms are used for aged individuals.

On the other hand, the kinds of valuable contribution which healthy, mobile and enthusiastic retirees can make should not be underestimated. First and foremost, they carry a wealth of skills and work experience. Employers should look to take advantage of this and recruit or even retain mature age workers. Their expertise would be invaluable. Second, seniors being upwardly mobile tend to travel extensively, usually to discover their own country. This can only stimulate the economy. The revenue that would be generated for the hospitality industry by these “grey nomads”, as they are affectionately known, would be significant.

 

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     b) Learning Activities

Practise and consolidate your learning about coherence and cohesion by completing our activities. The answers for all activities are on the last page.

ACTIVITY 1

Complete the blank spaces with one of the transition words or phrases from the box below.

First                Similarly         Overall           For example              In spite of this In my opinion            Consequently           On the contrary        In addition     In fact

1. Vegetarians can get good sources of protein from plants. __________, there are legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains which all supply high levels of protein.

2. John was not discouraged that he didn’t get the overseas posting.

 ___________, he was determined to work much harder to be successful in the next round.

3. Applying for a job requires some preparation. _________, it is important to update your resume.

4. Bad investments caused the downfall of the company. ____________, there were many job loses.

5. The victims of the tsunami were in desperate need of fresh water.

_________, they urgently needed basic medical supplies.

6. The plane hit some turbulent weather crossing the Atlantic. ___________, we managed to land safely.

7. Did you know there is another Study English series being produced?

__________, it’ll be launched in January.

8. There has been a lot of discussion about his behaviour. ___________, he has been treated unfairly.

9. The renovations to the staff room were quite extensive. ___________, the teachers were satisfied with the results.

10. The monsoon season can bring about disastrous floods because of the heavy rainfall. ___________, the dry phase can also devastate crops.

 

ACTIVITY 2

Join the two halves to form a complete sentence.

	Part 1			Part 2
1	There is a risk of developing dietary deficiencies		A	the reduction in its demand would be a far better solution.
2	I’ll send a text message		B	it is important that all nutritional requirements are met.
3	While reducing the consumption of energy would slow global warming,		C	but by declining birth rates as well.
4	The biggest cost increase for city dwellers is housing		D	when we arrive in Singapore.
5	Though sky diving can be a lot of fun,		E	but on younger generations as well.
6	Modern societies will not only be affected by ageing populations		F	and therefore slow the effects of global warming.
7	Reducing fossil fuel consumption will help reduce greenhouse gases		G	these do not outweigh the fun.
8	While a vegetarian diet can provide many health benefits,		H	if nutritional requirements aren’t met.
9	Although there are risks involved in sky diving,		I	there are risks involved as well.
10	Ageing populations are going to be a financial burden not only on governments		J	which now consumes 15% of peoples’ wages.

 

ACTIVITY 1 ANSWERS

1. For example                                  6. In spite of this

2. On the contrary                            7. In fact

3. First                                                8. In my opinion

4. Consequently                              9. Overall

5. In addition                                     10. Similarly

  

ACTIVITY 2 ANSWERS

1. H                             6. C

2. D                             7. F

3. A                             8. B

4. J                              9. G

5. I                               10. E

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     c) Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS preparation. I’m Margot Politis.

Today we’ll look at writing an essay on ageing populations and how to organise ideas about it in a paragraph.

Let’s begin by listening to a young woman talking about her grandmother:

She does mainly the cooking and looking after us, you know, making sure that we turn out right, being strict with us. But I think part of her being here, like, allowed us to have respect for like, you know, older people. Yeah, I think from her, I’ve learned a lot – like, the Buddhist belief, how to be a good person, how to be honest and respectable person to everyone around you.

She talked about the valuable contributions an elderly person can make. The grandmother has positively influenced the children, teaching them respect and honesty, and cooking. Let’s see how this sort of positive view about older people is developed in a paragraph as part of an essay.

The paragraph starts with a sentence that establishes the main point:

The valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked.

This is called the topic sentence. The main idea is valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make.

The writer then goes on with two sentences that support the main idea that old people make valuable contributions by saying what the contributions are.

Firstly, these retired people could take on the role of carers for their grandchildren, allowing both parents to work longer hours and save on day care expenses.

Notice the linking word ‘firstly’. It means there will be more than one supporting sentence.

What linking word should follow ‘firstly”?

Secondly, the retirees could volunteer their services as drivers for the very old and sick.

To further develop the supporting ideas, the writer provides an example.

For example, they could deliver meals directly to their homes or assist with transportation to and from specialist appointments or hospital.

The sentence is logically related to what has just been said and linked by ‘for example’. This sentence is called a developing sentence.

How you refer back to things you have just written is an important way of creating a natural flow to your language. The examiners call it cohesion.

You do this with words called referents which help make links within and between sentences and paragraphs:

For instance, look at these sentences:

‘These retired individuals’. ‘These’ refers back to ‘aged individuals’ in the preceding sentence. And ‘their’ grandchildren are the grandchildren of the same ‘aged individuals.

Referents are used all the time and not just in essays. Listen to the way the man in the next clip uses ‘the’ and ‘those’ to refer back:

The car's driven by four inhub motors. And the inhub motors directly drive the four wheels. The power source is the batteries. Those batteries are sort of charged by literally plugging it in at home or by the solar cells.

He doesn’t just repeat himself. He says the car is driven by inhub motors. To say what the motors do, he refers to them again, but as the inhub motors:

The car's driven by four inhub motors. And the inhub motors directly drive the four wheels.

Next he says that the power source is the batteries. He’s already said ‘the’ batteries so he refers to them again as ‘those batteries’:

The power source is the batteries. Those batteries are sort of charged by literally plugging it in at home or by the solar cells.

Using referents helps you avoid using exactly the same words too often.

You can also use synonyms - words that have similar meanings - in much the same way.

Let’s look at our paragraph about aged people again.

'Aged individuals is not repeated in the same form in the paragraph, but as Retired individuals, retirees and in specific roles as carers and drivers.

Using referents and synonyms skilfully is not just for essays. Let’s look at the way synonyms and referents create cohesion and meaning in the next clip on an entirely different topic, the ruined city of Angkor Wat:

Right now we're at Angkor, which is a collection of temples in the north of Cambodia, which, about a thousand years ago, was the centre of a huge empire which stretched across most of South-East Asia. The true significance of the place is that it's probably the world's most amazing collection of religious monuments. What you see here is a scale of engineering and aesthetic beauty and a complexity that isn't really seen at any other collection of monument sites around the world.

First he calls Angkor by its name:

Right now we're at Angkor…

He then refers to it and says what it is:

…which is a collection of temples in the north of Cambodia

Refers again and explains its function:

…which, about a thousand years ago, was the centre of a huge empire which stretched across most of South-East Asia.

He goes on to refer to Angkor again as ‘the place’ and ‘it’, and finds another way of saying ‘collection of temples’: collection of religious monuments:

The true significance of the place is that it's probably the world's most amazing collection of religious monuments.

Now let’s look at coherence. What is coherence?

When writing an essay you need to organise and develop your argument logically using paragraphs, starting with an introduction, 2 or 3 body paragraphs and finishing with a conclusion. There should be a clear transition from one paragraph to the next, linking the ideas between paragraphs. The paragraph we looked at earlier was the first body paragraph of an essay answering this question:

The increasing number of older people will cause economic problems for the young.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

For this sort of essay you have to write about different things in each body paragraph. The first paragraph disagreed - it said what positive things older people contribute. So the next body paragraph has to look at the negative effects of an ageing population. Let’s look at what its opening sentence or topic sentence should be like:

However, the increasing proportion of older people no longer contributing as much tax as younger people will put a strain on the nation’s budget.

Notice that the sentence begins with the word ‘however’. However is a linking word that is used for contrasting. It shows the writer is moving on to develop the other side of the argument.

To recap, you should know how to structure an essay. Using paragraphs correctly in your essay is important. You need an introduction, which gives some background information about the topic, followed by what you are going to write about.

You start the first body paragraph with a topic sentence that establishes the main idea you will write about. You follow this with some supporting sentences that give reasons and provide examples that develop your ideas further.

You do something similar with the next body paragraph, but from the opposite point of view and finish with a conclusion that summarises the main points and makes it clear what you think.

And you should link sentences with transition words.

This gives your essay coherence.

Using referents and synonyms as we’ve seen will help you achieve cohesion.

That’s all for today.

You’ll find more detail about today’s program at our website at: australianetwork.com/studyenglish.

Good luck with your studies.

  

(Nguồn UTS: Insearch and Australia Network)

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Trong phần này, chúng ta sẽ xem xét phần thi Viết của cả hai hạng mục: IELTS học thuật và IELTS phổ cập. Những đề tài cho bài thi viết thường là các chủ đề được đông đảo công chúng quan tâm hoặc những vấn đề liên quan trực tiếp đến hiện trạng xã hội đương thời.

{rokaccess guest} Đăng ký thành viên để xem nội dung chi tiết {/rokaccess} {rokaccess !guest}

1) Clip 1: Writing Task Response

2) Clip 2: Vocabulary Exercise

3) Printable Documents

     a) Notes for Study

IELTS Tips

It is good practice to spend approximately 3-4 minutes analysing and brainstorming the topic before you start writing your essay.

Remember to state your position on the topic in the introduction or conclusion.

Practise writing 150 and 250 words within the times allotted, so you become familiar with the time constraints for Task1 and Task 2.

 

WRITING TASK RESPONSE

It is important when answering an IELTS Writing Task 2 to address all parts of the question and write at least 250 words.

Your ideas must be relevant to the topic and appropriately developed and supported in the body of your essay. You will need to state your own position or view on the topic. The introduction and conclusion need to be clear and relevant to the topic. These are the features that will be assessed under the criterion Task Response.

 

Analysing the Task

Analysing the writing task will help you understand what the requirements are so that you focus on all parts of the task.

IELTS Writing Task 2 questions are presented in the following format.

IELTS WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic.

Question Topic: 

The ageing populations of more developed countries are going to cause social and economic problems for society in the future, especially for the younger generation.

Question Task:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

This is one of the questions analysed in the Study English, Series 3, Episode Two. Follow the strategies below when analysing Writing Task 2 IELTS questions.

Strategies for Analysing Writing Task 2
i	Read the question topic and question task carefully.
ii	Identify the key words in the question topic. Think of synonyms and other word forms of these key words. This begins the process of paraphrasing and helps you get started with the writing, especially the introductory paragraph.
iii	Identify viewpoints expressed in the question topic. These can be paraphrased as follows: The younger generation will experience social and economic difficulties because people are living longer.
iv	Identify the stakeholders, i.e. the people, group or organisation who or which are directly relevant to, or affected by the issue or topic you will be writing about.
v	Identify the question task key words, i.e. what you will need to write about and how many parts.

 

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Introduction

The purpose of the introductory paragraph is to provide some background information on the topic and state the purpose of the essay, i.e. what you will be writing about.

Here is a sample introduction answering the above task.

In the modern world today, people are expected to live longer because of better health care resources, the availability of better quality foods and the higher standards of living. While the changing age structure of society might be problematic, it should not always be viewed as something threatening.

 The first sentence provides background information, leading into the subject of the essay and referring back to the main stakeholder – the ageing populations – which is paraphrased as ‘people are expected to live longer’.

The second sentence provides the purpose of the essay and refers back to the two parts in the question task: agree and disagree.

Agree:            While the changing age structure of society might be problematic …

Disagree:       …it should not always be viewed as something threatening.

Guidelines for Writing the Introduction

          • The background information must be relevant to the topic.

          • The statement of purpose should relate to the question task.

          • Main ideas should not be previewed in the introduction.

          • It is sufficient to write 2-3 sentences for an introduction.

Presenting two sides of an issue

The question task requires you to present two sides of an issue: agree and disagree.

You will need to consider ideas on both sides and present a balanced argument.

Issue The younger generation will experience social and economic difficulties because people are living longer.
Agree	Disagree

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Brainstorming

You should spend about 2-3 minutes brainstorming the main points. They will form the body of your essay. There are two sides to this issue, so your essay will consist of two body paragraphs:

BP1	Body Paragraph 1: reasons why you agree and include supporting examples
BP2	Body Paragraph 2: reasons why you disagree and include supporting examples

 

Here are two body paragraphs answering the task.

BP1 There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates. The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation. Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone. They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.   BP2 However, the valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked. Firstly, these retired individuals could take on the role of carers for their grandchildren, allowing both parents to work longer hours and save on day care expenses. The extra earnings and savings could be used to improve the family’s living standards. Secondly, the retirees could volunteer their services as drivers for the very old and sick. For example, they could deliver meals directly to those who are very elderly and infirm or assist with transportation to and from specialist appointments or hospital.

 

Body Paragraph 1 presents arguments agreeing with the topic. This is clearly indicated in the topic sentence of the paragraph.

There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates.

Body Paragraph 2 presents arguments disagreeing with the topic. This is clearly stated in the topic sentence of the paragraph.

However, the valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked.

 

Conclusion

The purpose of the concluding paragraph is to provide a summary of the main points made in the body of the essay and to state what your position or view on the topic is.

The conclusion should give the reader a clear understanding of what the essay was about.

You can also state your position as part of your introduction, but be careful that your view doesn’t change later in your essay and contradict what you have said.

Here is a sample conclusion answering the question.

In conclusion, there are both positive and negative issues associated with ageing populations. It is best to take a balanced approach. People need to work together and recognise that all members of society contribute in many diverse ways to the well-being of the whole community.

 

Position

You need to take a position and state it clearly. This writer’s position is to take a balanced approach, i.e. recognising the contributions that both ageing populations and the younger generations make. The last sentence states this in the form of a recommendation.

People need to work together and recognise that all members of society contribute in many diverse ways to the well-being of the whole community.

Remember: The concluding paragraph should never introduce new information.

Use the sample Writing Answer Sheets at:

http://www.cambridgeesol.org/teach/ielts/academic_writing/data/Pages%20from%20ielts_specimats_80_83_test.pdf to practise your writing.

 

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     b) Learning Activities

Practise and consolidate your learning about how to respond to the Writing Task by completing our activities. The answers for all activities are on the last page. 

ACTIVITY 1

In the two body paragraphs below identify the stakeholders used to write about the topic of ageing populations. The first one has been highlighted for you.

BP1

There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates. The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation. Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone. They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.

BP2

However, the valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked. Firstly, these retired individuals could take on the role of carers for their grandchildren, allowing both parents to work longer hours and save on day care expenses. The extra earnings and savings could be used to improve the family’s living standards. Secondly, the retirees could volunteer their services as drivers for the very old and sick. For example, they could deliver meals directly to those who are very elderly and infirm or assist with transportation to and from specialist appointments or hospital.

 

ACTIVITY 2

In the two body paragraphs below there are 4 words or phrases which are synonymous with the main stakeholder ageing populations. Write them in the spaces below.

1. ________________________

2. ________________________

3. ________________________

4. ________________________

BP1

There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates. The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation. Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone. They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.

BP2

However, the valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked. Firstly, these retired individuals could take on the role of carers for their grandchildren, allowing both parents to work longer hours and save on day care expenses. The extra earnings and savings could be used to improve the family’s living standards. Secondly, the retirees could volunteer their services as drivers for the very old and sick. For example, they could deliver meals directly to those who are very elderly and infirm or assist with transportation to and from specialist appointments or hospital.

 

ACTIVITY 3

Complete the table by identifying the key points (KP) for each side of the issue on ageing populations, the supporting (SI) and developing ideas (DI) in the two body paragraphs given below. The first point and supporting idea are listed.

Issue: The younger generation will experience social and economic difficulties because people are living longer.
Agree	Disagree
KP constraints of time, money and space	KP
SI costs associated with caring	SI1
DI1.1	DI1.1
DI1.2	SI2
	DI2.1

 

BP1

There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates. The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation. Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone. They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.

BP2

However, the valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked. Firstly, these retired individuals could take on the role of carers for their grandchildren, allowing both parents to work longer hours and save on day care expenses. The extra earnings and savings could be used to improve the family’s living standards. Secondly, the retirees could volunteer their services as drivers for the very old and sick. For example, they could deliver meals directly to those who are very elderly and infirm or assist with transportation to and from specialist appointments or hospital.

 

ACTIVITY 1 ANSWERS

BP1

There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates. The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation. Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone. They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.

BP2

However, the valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked. Firstly, these retired individuals could take on the role of carers for their grandchildren, allowing both parents to work longer hours and save on day care expenses. The extra earnings and savings could be used to improve the family’s living standards. Secondly, the retirees could volunteer their services as drivers for the very old and sick. For example, they could deliver meals directly to those who are very elderly and infirm or assist with transportation to and from specialist appointments or hospital.

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ACTIVITY 2 ANSWERS

1. aged populations

2. the elderly

3. retired individuals

4. the retirees

BP1

There is no denying that constraints of time, money and space are placed on modern industrial societies with growing aged populations and declining birth rates. The most obvious would be the costs associated with caring for the elderly, funding their retirement pensions and providing residential care accommodation. Governments cannot be expected to carry this burden alone. They would need to impose additional taxes on the younger population and shift some of the caring responsibilities onto the extended families.

BP2

However, the valuable contributions that active and healthy aged individuals can make should not be overlooked. Firstly, these retired individuals could take on the role of carers for their grandchildren, allowing both parents to work longer hours and save on day care expenses. The extra earnings and savings could be used to improve the family’s living standards. Secondly, the retirees could volunteer their services as drivers for the very old and sick. For example, they could deliver meals directly to those who are very elderly and infirm or assist with transportation to and from specialist appointments or hospital.

 

ACTIVITY 3 ANSWERS

Issue: The younger generation will experience social and economic difficulties because people are living longer.
Agree	Disagree
KP constraints of time, money and space	KP valuable contributions of active and healthy aged individuals
SI costs associated with caring	SI1 role of carers
DI1.1 governments can’t carry burden	DI1.1 extra earnings and savings
DI1.2 impose taxes and shift caring responsibilities	SI2 volunteer services
	DI2.1 deliver meals or assist with transportation

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     c) Transcript

Hello, and welcome to Study English, IELTS preparation. I’m Margot Politis.

Today we’ll look at the Writing Task in the essay section of both the general and academic IELTS tests.

IELTS essay topics are of general interest and relate to current issues in society.

You can expect to be asked about:

The Media… Education… Environment… Health… Communication… Technology… and Society.

Being familiar with issues in these general areas is important.

Listening to English language media will help you develop a bank of ideas on topics like this.

An issue in health could be about children eating too much and not exercising enough. You could be asked to discuss a statement such as:

Children’s eating habits and lifestyles today are more likely to be harmful than beneficial.

You should know the essay instructions. These tell you how much time you have and how much you need to write.

You are instructed to spend about 40 minutes writing the essay, which has to be at least 250 words.

With practice you’ll know without counting what your 250 words look like.

You will also be asked to give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

This is one of the instructions, so you need to follow it.

Reasons are saying why you think something is true or not. You could write:

An increasing number of children are becoming obese because they are eating too much junk food.

Reasons are supported by examples, like this:

For example, aggressive marketing of such foods towards children is one of the contributing factors.

Relevant examples are examples like this that are clearly connected to the question.

Now let’s look at an essay question, and how to analyse it before you write your answer. How well you do this will help with your task response, which is one of the criteria used to assess the essay.

Let’s look at a question topic. Here’s a typical statement:

The ageing populations of more developed countries are going to cause social and economic problems for society in the future, especially for the younger generation.

With this is something called the question task:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

The essay question is always presented in this way as a statement followed by the question task.

First, let’s look at the statement. Read it carefully.

The ageing populations of more developed countries are going to cause social and economic problems for society in the future, especially for the younger generation.

You should ask yourself ‘who or what must I write about?’ Here, you have to say something about ageing populations, developed countries, society in the future and the younger generation.

Highlight these and any other key phrases, such as ‘cause social and economic problems’.

Think about what these phrases mean. Thinking of synonyms or words that mean something similar can help you do this. And you will need these synonyms later in your essay.

Synonyms for ageing populations are: the elderly, retired people, the aged and pensioners. They’re the people living longer or ageing.

Developed countries - refers to modern industrial societies that have to financially support retired people. Synonyms are: western countries, first world countries and advanced economies.

Social and economic problems are two kinds of problems. Social problems are problems that affect people, perhaps in areas such as health and education.

Economic problems are problems to do with the economy of a country and its ability to pay for the services it provides.

Society in the future means the country or nation or state in the future.

And the younger generation are younger people or people who work. They’re the people who are not yet part of the ageing population. So you can rephrase or paraphrase the question like this:

The younger generation will experience social and economic difficulties because people are living longer.

The next thing to look at is the question task:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

‘To what extent’ means by how much.

Here you’re being asked to give your opinion about the statement. You might agree with it or you might think it is wrong.

It’s a good idea to reword this type of question into a ‘yes/no’ question like this:

Do you agree that the younger generation will experience social and economic difficulties because people are living longer?

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Yes or no?

You could think, yes, I agree completely or perhaps yes, I agree with some of this, but disagree with other parts of it.

But keep in mind that asking how much you agree or disagree tests your ability to look at 2 sides of an issue and present a balanced argument. Even if you say yes and agree completely, you still have to look at the other side of the argument and think about why someone would disagree.

You would need to write two body paragraphs in an essay of this type, one saying what you agree with and one saying what you disagree with.

In the conclusion of your essay you would state your position on the topic.

Let’s look at another question.

Internet access should be under government control to avoid any potential harm to children.

Who or what must you write about? The internet, government and children. Now highlight other key phrases – under government control, avoid any potential harm.

Let’s think of synonyms.

We know what the internet is, but what other words can we use? – The net, the web, online, cyberspace.

Under government control means controlled by the government. Other words for government are the state or the administration.

Potential harm means bad things that might happen. Synonyms for potential are possible or likely. And other words for harm are: damage and hurt.

So we could paraphrase this statement as:

The state should control access to the web to avoid possible damage to children.

The same question task we looked at earlier can be used:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

You are being asked for your opinion. What you need to do here is say what you think.

The state should control access to the web to avoid possible damage to children. Yes or no?

Now you should think about reasons for your point of view and why you don’t agree with the opposite view.

So, to recap.

The way you respond to the question and the instructions is part of what you are being marked on. The examiners call it task response.

Make sure you follow the instructions and write the correct number of words.

That’s all for now.

Don’t forget to visit our website at: australianetwork.com/studyenglish for more.

I’ll see you next time on Study English.

 

(Nguồn UTS: Insearch and Australia Network)

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