Improve your IELTS Test Score - Experience and Tips

 My students in Kazakhstan, Astana (Nursultan) often ask me how to improve their speaking and writing score in IELTS Test. This question is understandable as English is not the primary language of many of my students. People in Kazakhstan speak Russian primarily, and Kazakh as their secondary language.

My tips has been to read a lot and practice a lot. In my view, you can improve the general understanding of any language by reading a lot in that language. So, the knowledge of English can be improved by reading a lot in English. You can start reading first with simple short texts and go on reading complex thematic books, such as books on arts, literature, science, fiction and non-fiction.

Reading a lot of English text will help you to improve your English language skill, and will eventually help you in getting good IELTS Score (band) in your IELTS test

******

To help expats in Kazakhstan, I regularly post on two sites: expat.com (https://www.expat.com/en/blog/asia/kazakhstan/astana/astana-almaty.blogspot.com). I post with a username Hyderabadgermany on expat.com forum, and on Caravanistan Forum. My user Name is IndianGuy there. You can read my posts, experiences there too. https://caravanistan.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1190

Kazakhstan IELTS Students - Learning continuously

The education sector in Kazakhstan has changed a lot in the last few years. There are very good private universities, and general standard of school education has also improved. English language is spoken by many people now, and the young generation is quite keen to learn and speak English. The university in Almaty - KIMEP and Nazarbayev University in Astana (Nursultan) teach students almost all the courses in English. With internationally educated professors, and international faculty, English has been the only medium of instructions in Nazarbayev University. This I can vouch from my own experience.

Also, the English Education Landscape has changed a lot when it comes to Secondary or English Education. The Schools like NIS (Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools) has contributed a lot in this.

******

To help expats in Kazakhstan, I regularly post on two sites: expat.com (https://www.expat.com/en/blog/asia/kazakhstan/astana/astana-almaty.blogspot.com). I post with a username Hyderabadgermany on expat.com forum, and on Caravanistan Forum. My user Name is IndianGuy there. You can read my posts, experiences there too. https://caravanistan.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1190

My Trip to Kazakhstan-Updated - part-II

 I am going to update this post later with my experience of being in Kazakhstan after 2.5 years. In this post, to start with, I am going to write only few lines about my recent trip.

After I left Kazakhstan in March, 2019, I could not visit Kazakhstan soon. I had a plan to be there in January/February of 2020 but by that time, the COVID-19 corona virus pandemic had almost engulfed the whole world. Then, flights to Delhi was cancelled by Air Astana, and borders were sealed by various governments. So, I had to wait for a very long time to go back to Kazakhstan. Finally, I landed there in late August, 2021 but not without difficulty. I lived in Astana (Nursultan) for a month and returned to my home country in late September, 2021. 

After my this year's visit to Kazakhstan, my passion to write about Kazakhstan and my life there has been reignited. I will update this post slowly, surely and steadily.

Few Things about my recent Kazakhstan trip:

1. I flew to Istanbul, Turkey and thereafter, I was supposed to go to Uzbekistan but Uzbekistan COVID-19 rules did not allow to enter me there or transit via them. That's why I had to change the flight to Almaty from Istanbul. It was a very difficult, expensive affair. Ultimately, I landed in Almaty and then, headed to Astana by Air Astana. I hope this situation would not have to face by anyone ever.

2. My residence permit in Kazakhstan got expired as I had lived more than 181 days outside Kazakhstan. The official process of Residence Card cancellation was undertaken after going to Migration Police Office located in Amangeldi Street. I had taken C-2 (Family Reunion Visa) from Delhi, India before flying to Kazakhstan and there was no issue about Visa.

******

To help expats in Kazakhstan, I regularly post on two sites: expat.com (https://www.expat.com/en/blog/asia/kazakhstan/astana/astana-almaty.blogspot.com). I post with a username Hyderabadgermany on expat.com forum, and on Caravanistan Forum. My user Name is IndianGuy there. You can read my posts, experiences there too. https://caravanistan.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1190

My recent trip in Kazakhstan - in August & September, 2021

 I am going to update this post later with my experience of being in Kazakhstan after 2.5 years. In this post, to start with, I am going to write only few lines about my recent trip.

After I left Kazakhstan in March, 2019, I could not visit Kazakhstan soon. I had a plan to be there in January/February of 2020 but by that time, the COVID-19 corona virus pandemic had almost engulfed the whole world. Then, flights to Delhi was cancelled by Air Astana, and borders were sealed by various governments. So, I had to wait for a very long time to go back to Kazakhstan. Finally, I landed there in late August, 2021 but not without difficulty. I lived in Astana (Nursultan) for a month and returned to my home country in late September, 2021. 

After my this year's visit to Kazakhstan, my passion to write about Kazakhstan and my life there has been reignited. I will update this post slowly, surely and steadily.

******

To help expats in Kazakhstan, I regularly post on two sites: expat.com (https://www.expat.com/en/blog/asia/kazakhstan/astana/astana-almaty.blogspot.com). I post with a username Hyderabadgermany on expat.com forum, and on Caravanistan Forum. My user Name is IndianGuy there. You can read my posts, experiences there too. https://caravanistan.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1190

IELTS Academic Speaking Test - Sample Questions and Answers

I have seen that many people face difficulties while answering questions in IELTS Speaking Test in Astana, Kazakhstan. In IELTS, speaking is generally the same for both Academic IELTS and General IELTS takers. So, the nature of questions and the expectations of answers from you is the same irrespective of the fact that you are appearing for General or Academic IELTS.

In Astana, Kazakhstan, an attempt has been made by the Government to introduce English as the third language after Russian and Kazakh. So, there is a rise of English speakers especially in the big towns such as in Astana and in Almaty, but, still, there is much to be desired.

Many young people who manage to speak English suffer from being unable to maintain fluency, lack of words & vocabulary and above all, lack of practice. Many people who speak English resort to translation of words from Russian language (their first language) and their speech suffers. You can see it on sentence construction, words placement and order, choice of words etc.

In this background, it's always a challenge to Kazakhstani students to get a good band especially in the Speaking section of IELTS. They simply fumble during the test, making all kinds of mistakes. But, that does not mean they don't try, or should not try. I appreciate their efforts and this blogpost is to help them.

In this post, I have taken few sample Speaking Questions from Past Papers of IELTS Test published as Cambridge IELTS 6 with Answers published by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations. If you search on Google as Cambridge Practice Set 6 Speaking Questions, you should find plenty of them.

So, let us look at Test 1, Speaking Part - I.

1. Do you enjoy Dancing? (Why?/Why not?)

It's an easy question. Anyone can answer it. If you like dancing, you should say, "Yes, I like it" and if you don't, then, No. But, IELTS speaking test is not a test only about saying yes or no. There is where the tricks lie. I mean you are expected to show your speaking ability. This is where I would help you.

So, what should be the ideal good answer? Any answer which uses a lot of English words on the topic of liking or disliking dancing. That's it.

Look at the Sample answer below.

   <<Maybe you should try first, I will come back with an ideal (and one of such examples) answer on this one in my next post>>

Until then, keep on practicing to enhance your ilets speaking practice.

Message to IELTS Students from Kazakhstan

Welcome back everyone in my blog. In fact, Welcome back to myself. This has been after 3.5 (three and half) years I decided to be back in this blog. I hope my information and materials in this blog will be helpful for visitors in Kazakhstan and others who are looking for many different materials on the web. A bit about myself:

I left Kazakhstan in March, 2019 and these days, I am in Nepal. I am bit distanced from teaching at the moment. But, if it may be that I will be back in Astana (Nur-sultan) around 2022 or 2023 AD. I was there in Nursultan, Kazakhstan in August-September, 2021 and things looked preety cool even post COVID-19 Pandemic. I am hoping to be regular in this forum to update this blog and provide, more and more information to all the readers.

***** 

I had not updated this blog for a very long time but I think I need to be active again. This blog which has a lot of contents on IELTS Test is to help students and immigrants to enhance their English skills, to help make their skills better in English Language.

I am restarting this blog on a very auspicious day of Laxmi Puja, Tihar of 2078 BS. I hope Mother Laxmi will be blessing me to continue to write blog posts in addition to making me richer. :) It is also a time when we have almost surpassed the threats created by COVID-19 pandemic. With vaccines being rolled out in many people around the world, the world is opening, is trying to be normal, is trying to get back to business as usual. The borders are opening, and many countries have started, albeit slowly, to open their arms to welcome international students.

For any foreign (international) students, the popular destinations are Australia, Canada, America, and many European countries. I think people would answer me that they are keen to fly to the Australia or America if asked about their higher education. And, to be in all your dream destinations, IELTS Score is one of such important criteria.

I saw a recent Post from a popular educational consultancy, and they had informed that classes with in-person attendance is going to start soon. This advertisement was mainly directed to prospective IELTS Students.

My message to all prospective IELTS Candidates is that you need to have good skills in English to have a great score in IELTS Test. Of Course, you can attend courses run by various institutes. However, there are plenty of free resources and materials on the web. Our blog is one of them.

The materials published on our blog can be used free of cost by all IELTS Candidates. These IELTS resources are meant to assist all IELTS candidates to understand the examination pattern, to learn how to score better, and to be able to gain necessary skills to score good IELTS band.

All Kazakhstani IELTS candidates and candidates from around the world, keep on visiting us for more and more free and useful materials and resources.

Regards,

Chief Editor

Some Photos from Astana, Kazakhstan - Clicked in July, 2017

I am not a Professional Photographer. I am just like any other ordinary person who likes to click anything interesting that comes on the way. While walking on the river side (on the river bank of ISIL/ESHIM River in Astana on the right bank), I clicked above photos by using my very old iPhone 4. All the photos were clicked on a single day, I guess in the month of July, 2017. And, I am yet to figure out how to correctly pronounce/write the name of the River. Is it an ESHIL River, or is it ESHIM River?

So far as I remember now, the day must have been warm, not very hot and Sunny, with mild pleasing breeze.

1. The first photo shows three top buildings of Astana which are collectively called "Grand Alatau". They look cool from a far distance. From close distance, I did not like them in terms of modernity, they are little old now.

I usually go around these buildings as it houses a bicycle shop (but not very helpful one as it refused to refill my tyres with its airpump and in another occassions, it overcharged me for some bicycle oil. Therefter, I stopped going there.), the famous O'hara Irish Pub (Where I have never been to), many cafes and restaurants including Rumi-Plov Center (Rumi is highly overrated Plov Center. I have been to there many different branches and they have not been able to impress me.). The area around it is good for walking, bicycling though bicycling on the river bank is not allowed anymore.

In the above photo, you see the pavement along the river, river ISHIL/ESHIM, and in the far distance, Hotel Radisson and the building adjoining it which houses Fitness Center and Gym "World Class Fitness". The Building is also called Business Center Arman on Saryarka Street.

Pedestrian Zone on the right bank of River ISHIL/ESHIM - it's truly a pedestrian area. You can see many people during the summer freely walking here. Many mothers with young children and with their trollies/prams/buggies are easily spotted. You could ride bicycle here until 2015 but from 2016 Summer, it has been off-limit for the bicycle users. During the Summer, you will see few traffic police here to manage the crowds and especially to warn and stop bicycle users.

The area is same as above. It's the other side. You can see the Kazakh Flag which is in Central Park, the new hotel (I think it is call St. Regis) and the bridge which connects Samal Micro-district to Kabanbai Batir Street.

The round structure is for water fountain and light show.

Kazakh's traditional musical instrument is "Dambra/Dombra" but it does not look like it.

The photos and commentaries above are nothing special as you may have noticed by now. They are just normal ramblings of a foreigner who calls this city as his home until he flies again. Feel free to suggest, comment, propose ideas if you have any.

IELTS Academic Writing Task - II - IELTS Writing-Band 7.0 Essay-CEFR C1

IELTS Academic Writing Task - II

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

As most people spend a major part of their adult life at work, job satisfaction is an important element of individual well-being. What factors contribute to job satisfaction? How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for all workers?

Give reasons for your answer and give any relevant example or experience you have to support your answer.

You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer

It is a human tendency that everyone wants to get an excellent employment mostly after completing their university and college and looks for such job which can provide financial security and happiness in life. Therefore, job satisfaction, which can be derived based on person’s likeness and earnings, is an important element of any work.

First of all, if a person is to like any work, the job needs to have several characteristics such as good salary and bonuses, sufficient hours for rest, healthy workplace and environment, job security and involvement of light physical activities. Ideally, the job should have a scope of work where an employee is given freedom of execution. Importantly, such jobs should also commensurate the monthly payouts to give satisfaction to its holders.

With respect to the issue of satisfactory jobs to all employees, it is unlikely that everyone becomes happy with the work he gets. It is important to note that we don’t live and work in an ideal work. The unemployment rate is so high around the world that a well qualified person may have to engage in a work which cannot provide any real satisfaction. However, given the situation, the person may not have any other possibility except to accept such employment. For example, many mine workers are unlikely to enjoy their work in deep, dark and dusty quarry but circumstances are such that they end up working there all their lives. Similar would be the case of many international students working in a café or in a bar to cover their tuition fees.

To sum up, many factors such as good salary and safe work environment contribute to job satisfaction. People would definitely choose a workplace where they enjoy working. However, it is not always possible to provide ideal job to everyone. So, many men and women are compelled to do any work to support their families despite the lack of job satisfaction. 

IELTS Academic Writing Task - II - IELTS Essay-Academic Writing Task-II: CEFR Band C1-Band 7 IELTS Essay

IELTS Academic Writing Task - II

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Some people think that history as a subject at school is not useful and should be replaced with a more practical subject. Why do you think it is important to learn about history? What would be the effect if children were not taught history?

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

You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer:

Across the world, there is no dearth of people who consider that teaching history at educational institution is unproductive and is a waste of resources. The people who advocate such ideas are of the opinion that schools and colleges should impart education on such subjects which have more practical use. Nevertheless, my opinion on the subject is that we must teach history to our children. Therefore, we cannot do away with this subject.

First of all, history helps us to find our roots and connects us with our past which will be very helpful to young learners to shape their views of the modern world. If history is not taught in our schools and universities, people will not get any opportunity to view the contemporary world with the help of past events. In some cases, not teaching history can actually lead to a situation where students fail to fully comprehend the happenings around them. For example, why a country needs a strong army could possibly be best explained on the basis of historical facts and figures. Therefore, study of historical events is very significant from the viewpoint of understanding modern world.

In addition to it, if history subject is replaced with another course, students may be burdened with unnecessary knowledge in another subject. The likely consequences of it could range from lack of interests among students to defective education systems. When students who have not studied history go to work in international forums, they may face several challenges. For example, without learning world history, no one can be expected to be able to work smoothly in the UN.

To sum up, modern schools should not think of removing history subject from their curriculum. Any such move is likely to have unintended consequences such as lack of interests among students in their course of study.

IELTS Academic Writing Task - II - IELTS Essay-Academic Task II-CEFR C1-IELTS Band 7.0

IELTS Academic Writing Task - II

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Some people say children use technology too much these days. Others believe that using technology now will help them in the future. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

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

You should write at least 250 words.

Many people seem to have a common opinion when it comes to use of technology by young people. There are arguments in support of it and against it as there are equally overwhelming number of people on either side of the argument. In my opinion, children should be allowed to make use of technology on daily life as it helps them to be creative in a long run.

First of all, many parents are worried that children are not focusing on their study but are busy in browsing internet or in games on mobiles and tablets. It cannot be denied that excessive use of technology can affect their studies. For example, a child who plays a lot on his mobile or on tablet is likely to miss deadline for his homework and assignments. If such situations continue, it is a matter to worry as it can have negative consequences.

On the other hand, there are many guardians who give their children the liberty to make use of modern technology. Such parents encourage children to utilize technology not only for play and fun but also in studies. Sometimes, parents take their time out and assist their sons and daughters to find out new educational programs and websites. Such parents hold the view that the technology is very important to succeed in the future and their children need to have necessary skill and experience for their prosperous future. My parents, for example, always allow and encourage my brother to search for new mobile applications, which help him to write better English composition.

To sum up, though there are parents with different approach to technological advances, it is my view that technology is going to be an integral part of our life and of future generation. Therefore, it is recommended that parents guide their children to make effective use of modern technologies in their daily activities.

IELTS Academic Writing Task - II - IELTS Essay Band 6.5-CEFR Level B2

IELTS Academic Writing Task - II

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Crime rates tend to be higher in cities than in smaller towns. Explain some possible reasons for this problem and suggest some solutions.

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

You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer

Our cities are overcrowded with people from different backgrounds and provide an opportunity for people with all intentions. One of the impacts of high population in cities can be seen in the rates of crimes. In my view, we can safely state that the high costs of living and the lack of proper law and order in the cities are the main causes of crimes in the big towns.

First of all, villages are small and very few people live there these days. The daily requirement of material things in the countryside is also very low. The costs of living such as rent, costs of transportation are much less in village than in cities. I think this explains why fewer crimes are committed in the villages.

On the other hand, people settle down in cities with a lot of hopes and ambitions. They have to struggle daily to meet the basic needs of their families. This means that there will be high financial burden on the people. To meet such challenges, people resort to financial crimes, for instance, corruption, bribery, theft, and robbery in villages. To solve such problems, government needs to enhance the police administration, install cameras on the streets and with the offices. Such measures are likely to help to reduce these crimes to certain extent.

Another reason of people mainly youth committing crime is lack of moral principle due to the reason that they are far from their parents and families. Many youths come to city and live alone. They are likely to meet some anti-social elements such as drug dealers, and smugglers. Young minds are likely to be attracted to such crimes to quickly be rich and powerful. This problem can be solved by constant moral counseling.

To sum up, the pressure of cost of living, and tendency to be affluent in short time induces people to commit crimes in cities and the solutions to tackle them could be the strengthening of law and order situation.

IELTS Academic Writing Task - II - IELTS Essay Band 7.0 - CEFR B2-C1

IELTS Academic Writing Task - II

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

In some countries, governments are encouraging people to use their cars less and to take public transport instead. Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

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

You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer

There are many government initiatives across the world to control the environmental pollution and one of such initiatives is promotion of public transportation. In my opinion, such efforts do not have many advantages and in fact, its shortcomings are much more than few benefits that we may have.

First of all, the advantages of encouraging the use of public transportation are less consumption of fossil fuels and congestion on the road. However, these positives consequences are negligible if a comparison is made between merits and demerits of public transportation. If people stop using their cars and taxis, then, there will be enormous pressure on the government to provide public transportations such as buses, metros and trams. This will certainly put a financial pressure on the government. There is a possibility that the government may be compelled to allocate fewer budgets on health and education, and more on transportation segment. Such scenario will have serious and deleterious consequences.

Another serious outcome of not using cars is that workers have to get up early, and leave home much early in the morning to catch the suitable means of transport to reach the office on time. This will disturb the normal day of every human resources. Since public vehicles will stop at multiple locations before reaching one’s destination, a lot of man hours are wasted while commuting from home and from work. Similar would be the case when an employee returns from work in the evening. Since the travelling with many large crowds creates fatigue, the quality of works also gets affected due to it.

In my conclusion, I would like to state that any benefit that may accrue from the use of public transportation is likely to be insignificant as the disadvantages are too many to neglect. 

IELTS Academic Writing Task - II - IELTS Band 6 Essay-CEFR Level B1-B2

IELTS Academic Writing Task - II

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Many children these days have an unhealthy lifestyle. Both schools and parents are equally responsible for solving this problem.

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

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

You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Answer

We cannot deny the fact that many school going children these days eat unhygienic food. In my opinion, the problem is caused mainly by lack of attendance at home and in school. Therefore, I agree that the family as well as the school administration should share the blame and do to improve the situation.

First of all, it is the responsibility of our family to teach the importance of healthy and hygienic food to their sons and daughters from their childhood. Every child should be made aware of the positive and negative consequences of eating good and bad food. In addition to it, parents should find time to prepare and provide nutritious food to their kin and kith. At present, the parents do not have enough time to spend with their children. Because of the heavy workload or being out of the home most of the time, parents are unable to cook and feed healthy dishes to their children. This has created havoc in the health of child.

On the other hand, school administration should step in such situations to avoid the problem. Since many young boys and girls spend a lot of time at school, health education should be made part of their curriculum. The teachers can closely observe the students and will be able to identify the children at risks due to unhealthy eating habits. Schools, for instance, can create a concept of mid-day meals, and provide healthy and nutritious diet to their students. In my opinion, by doing so, schools will help to resolve the problem to certain extent.

To sum up, I would like to restate my opinion by emphasizing the fact that both family and learning centers should play its part to mitigate the damage caused by unhealthy food consumption.  

Essay topics: WRITING TASK 1 – General Writing IELTS-CEFR Band C1-IELTS Band 7

Essay topics: WRITING TASK 1 – General Writing IELTS

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. A friend has agreed to look after your house and pet while you are on holiday. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter

• give contact details for when you are away

• give instructions about how to care for your pet

• describe other household duties

Write at least 150 words.

*********************

Dear …………………,

I appreciate that you’ve agreed to take care of my home and my cat when I’m away on my vacation. I’m really thankful to you for this gesture.

As discussed in our call today, I will be in London for a week and will be staying at Hilton Palace Hotel. You can call me through hotel reception if there is anything that you need to pass on to me during this time. I’ve texted you the hotel’s telephone no. in your Whatsapp.

About my cat, please give it food only three times a day. I’ve clearly marked the time and quantity of food that should be fed on the cover of each packet. You can easily locate them on the shelf near main door.

One thing that I want to remind you is to water my flowers inside my house. They are to be watered daily in the evening.

Finally, please don’t forget to clear my mailbox every day. Once again, thank you so much for your assistance.

Best wishes,

A

Tips for the Writing test - Task 2 - General & Academic Writing Task - 2-IELTS Writing

Tips for the Writing test - Task 2 - General & Academic Writing Task - 2-IELTS Writing

In Task 2 you will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. You can use a fairly personal (informal) style. The question may ask you to say why you agree or disagree with the statement in the question or ask you to outline the advantages or disadvantages to a general statement.

It’s best to approach this task with a method to ensure you answer the question correctly, structure it appropriately and have enough time to write well.

Here are some tips to approach the task:

Planning and Organising

Read the question carefully and underline the key words

Decide what structure to use. Most Task 2 questions will ask you to discuss or analyse an issue in terms of advantages/disadvantages and/or take a position by agreeing or disagreeing. This means you can almost always use a four paragraph structure, for example:

Advantages/disadvantages question 

- Introduction: paraphrase the question and give a general answer
that will summarise your opinion
- Main paragraph 1: what are the advantages
- Main paragraph 2: what are the disadvantages
- Conclusion: paraphrase your argument and highlight or restate your personal opinion or position on the issue.

Agree / disagree question

- Introduction: paraphrase the question and give a general answer
that will summarise your opinion
- Main paragraph 1: I agree/disagree because … + supporting reasons
- Main paragraph 2: Another reason I agree / disagree is …
- Conclusion: paraphrase your argument and sum up.

Make sure you note down examples and supporting details for each paragraph. Your arguments should also clearly link back to the position you stated in the introduction.

Spend some time thinking of good vocabulary related to your topic. Note it down.
Writing

Start each paragraph with a topic sentence i.e. the general topic of the paragraph.

Develop your ideas in each paragraph by giving reasons for your answer and include examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Keep your examples fairly short. Don’t go into too much detail; make sure you stay on topic.

Try using linking words like ‘firstly, secondly, finally’ to connect your ideas within each of your main paragraphs. This will help your writing to flow.

© British Council

Essay topics: Essay topics: IELTS General Writing - Writing Task I -CEFR Band B2-IELTS Band 6.0

Essay topics: Essay topics: IELTS General Writing - Writing Task I

You have a new job and can no longer attend your regular English class.

Write a letter to the English school. In your letter:

- describe the situation

- explain the problem

- say what you would like to happen now that you cannot attend the lesson.

Write at least 150 words.

***********************

Dear Director,

St. Trinity School of English Language

Dublin

My name is John Smith and I am a student of English language in department of foreign languages in your school. I have been learning English with you for the past several months. However, at this point, I can no longer continue the course because of my new employment.

I would like to inform you further that I have been accepted as a trainee software analyst by Intel Company and will be joining it by the end of next week. I need to work in my employer’s head office located in London. This is a reason why, I will soon move from Dublin to London.

Pursuant to these developments, I request you to grant me permission to attend the remaining classes in your school based in London. I hope you will agree to such arrangements.

I sincerely thank you for all the assistance extended by you and your school in the past. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours Sincerely,

John Smith

*************************

Tips for the Writing test - Task 1 in General Writing

• ·         In Part 1 of the General Training Writing test you are presented with a situation and you have to write a letter asking for information or explaining the situation.
•  ·         Make sure you answer the question completely.
• ·         In the question there will be keywords like ‘explain’, ‘suggest’, ‘say’ ‘describe’. Make sure you do everything the question asks you to do.
• ·         Look at the keywords in this question.
• ·         In Task 1 you will be asked to write a letter. Depending on who you are writing to, you need to decide whether to write in a more formal or a more informal style.
• ·         Most everyday written communication in English uses a semi-formal style, where the tone is quite friendly, but some more formal expressions are used. However, we use a more formal style when we’re writing for professional reasons or to people we don’t know. We use an informal style with people we know well, for example, family members, relatives, friends or colleagues.
• ·         There are a number of differences between formal and informal English. For example, sentences are generally longer and more complex in formal writing. Language is often more impersonal, sometimes using passive voice. Vocabulary is often different too, with more words of Latin or French origin and fewer phrasal verbs. We don’t use contractions in formal writing, whereas in informal writing, we use them all the time.
• Read these tips to help you answer question 1.
• © British Council

IELTS General Task I-General Training (GT) - CEFR C1-IELTS Band 8

IELTS General Task I-General Training (GT) - CEFR C1-IELTS Band 8

 

You have seen an advertisement for an evening course to study a foreign language. Write a letter to the institution offering the course. In your letter ask for details of the course, ask if the course teachers are qualified native speakers, request that the institute sends you their brochure.

Write at least 150 words.

Dear Sir,

I came across an advertisement in the morning newspaper about your language center and the courses offered. From the adverts, I could see that your language school is going to start an evening class for English language learners. Being a working professional, your course seems to fit my requirements. Therefore, I am writing you to get additional information about the course.

As mentioned, I am very keen to improve my English language skills as I intent to go abroad for higher education. You may see from this letter that I have some sort of knowledge of English language but I need to get a good score in IELTS exam. Therefore, I would like to improve my language with a native speaker.

I therefore, request you to provide me further details about the course. I would appreciate if you could write me in my email the duration of the course, applicable fees and the date of commencement of the course. Could you please also send me an electronic copy of information booklet in my email? 

I look forward to receiving information at the earliest.

Regards,

A

Essay topics: IELTS General Writing - Writing Task I - CEFR C1-IELTS Band 7.5

Essay topics: IELTS General Writing - Writing Task I
You saw an advert asking for volunteers to run a charity event:

1. Explain why you are interested in helping
2. give details suitable past experience
3. suggest ways you might help with the event

Write at least 150 words.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I came across your advertisement regarding the fund raising event to support environment protection. I am keen in charity events and always try to participate and provide my help where needed. I have a can do attitude and a passion for protecting the environment. Therefore, I would like to apply for the post.

I am a student of Science University and I am studying ecology. I believe I have the right skills and expertise to qualify for the role. I have a profound understanding of environmental challenges as well as relevant experience in conducting the charity events. I have been engaged as a volunteer in a number of fund raising activities arranged by both international and local NGOs.

My experience entails analysis of the requirements, planning of events, estimating the budget, and promoting events. I’m keen to offer my help with any of these work streams and beyond. I would be happy to meet and discuss the support I can provide to you with the event.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,
A

Essay topics: Letter of Advice - IELTS Writing Task - I, General Test - CEFR C1-IELTS Band 7.5

 Essay topics: Letter of Advice - IELTS Writing Task - I, General Test - CEFR C1-IELTS Band 7.5

A friend has written to you asking for advice about a problem at work. You have had a similar problem in the past. Write a reply to your friend. In your letter: tell your friend you understand the problem, explain what happened to you in the past, suggest possible solutions to the problem. Write at least 150 words.

Dear R,

I fully appreciate the challenges of working in a corporate world. Unfortunately, hard work and discipline do not always help to get a promotion. Instead, one should be really smart in building and expanding internal and external networks.

Few years ago, I had the same issue with self-promotion and visibility. In other words, irrespective of the hard labour and efforts to meet work deadline, my contributions remained unnoticed. On the contrary, colleagues and employees who were more vocal, visible and well-connected scored excellent performance ratings and received the laurels. Clearly, I had to change my behaviour and working style in order to promote my contributions in the firm. I had a few coaching sessions with senior leadership team member who shared some tips to succeed in workplace. A couple of months later, my natural modesty were replaced by assertive and confident behaviour.

So, let me give you some advice.

First of all, you should not shy away from sending an email to your supervisor and leadership team stating your achievements in a particular task or project. Secondly, it is likely that people notice you easily when you start writing articles in internal and external journals. Finally, I would suggest you not to miss any opportunity to make presentations at town-hall and meetings.

I hope you will find these suggestions helpful and wish all the very best in your life.

Regards,
A

IELTS General Training-Writing Task I- For band 7, CEFR C1

Essay topic for IELTS General Test Writing Task - I

You are planning to take leave from office because of study reasons. Write a leave application to your manager asking to grant one month leave. In your letter, tell the reason of leave, who will replace you and how you are planning to keep up to date while away.

Write at least 150 words.

Sample Essay:

Dear J,

I am writing to request one month leave, which is required for me to better prepare for my IELTS exam. The exam is scheduled for March 2017 and I am conscious that I am not yet at the level I aspire to. I find it challenging to balance between the work and study. Therefore, I need a break from office.

To keep abreast of the developments at work, I will check my office emails on a weekly basis. In addition, I would be available for our bi-weekly team meetings.

As for my temporary replacement, I think Jane has the required level of experience and knowledge of my project. I am confident that she is the right person to keep the momentum and make the project a success.

We have been working together for a number of years and you know that I always did my best to meet the business requirements. I would appreciate your understanding of my personal situation. I am happy to discuss what support I can give to ensure we keep the ball rolling while I am away.

Regards,
A