IELTS Writing Task 1: Map 4

Describe information in a map

Don't panic if you get a map question for your Writing Task 1! Sometimes the information you are given is in the form of maps or ground plans. Often these are not difficult to understand and they always take place over time.

As you can write on the question paper, so feel free to make notes as you analyse the maps. It is a good idea to circle, underline or highlight the points you want to write about. It can also be helpful to number them according to which you think is most important.

Remember the more you plan what you are going to write about, the easier it is to write about it and also have time to think about your grammar and spelling.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The maps below show the town of Langley in 1910 and 1950.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Quiz created by Veronika Bebekh with GoConqr

IELTS Writing Task 1: Pie Chart 4

IELTS Writing - Pie charts

Using this 5 steps process to plan and write IELTS pie chart essays will help you to achieve high marks in Task 1:

1)  Analyse the question

2)  Identify the main features

3)  Write an introduction

4)  Write an overview

5)  Write the details paragraphs

In this lesson, we’re going to work thorough each step as we answer a practice question and I want to start by highlighting the importance of steps 1 and 2. It is essential that you learn how to do this planning stage properly if you hope to write a high-scoring essay.

Before we begin, here’s a model essay structure that you can use as a guideline for all IELTS Academic Task 1 questions.

Ideally, your essay should have 4 paragraphs:

Paragraph 1 – Introduction

Paragraph 2 – Overview

Paragraph 3 – 1^st main feature

Paragraph 4 – 2^nd main feature

We now have everything we need to begin planning and writing our IELTS pie chart essay.

Top Pie Chart Vocabulary Words

The Task:

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The pie charts show a breakdown of sources of income for the upkeep of Castle Keep, an ancient monument, in 1850and 1950. 

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

IELTS Writing Task 1: Pie Chart 3

IELTS Writing - Pie charts

In Writing Task 1, you may be asked to describe pie charts. 

Pie charts are usually in percentages which add up to 100 per cent. You need to .. know verbs that help you describe proportion, e.g. account for.

 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Top Pie Chart Vocabulary Words

The Task:

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The pie charts show the percentage of students studying different areas of history  at university department in the UK in 2000 and in 2010.
Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.

 

 

Write sentences about the charts using the words below. Compare your sentences with the prompts.

IELTS Writing Task 2: Discuss Both Views Essay 6 - The key to tackling hunger worldwide

Exam information

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people believe that education is the key to tackling hunger worldwide, while others feel, that the answer lies in food aid. 

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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

Write at least 250 words.

IELTS Writing Task 2: Discuss Both Views Essay 5 - Factors in reducing world poverty

 

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Some people think that changing people's attitudes to other countries and cultures is an important factor in reducing world poverty. Others, however,  feel that the most important method is trade. 

Which viewpoint do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task to write at least 250 words. 

Useful expressions

Introduction

• It is often said that…
• However, many are concerned about…
• While it might be true that…
• I believe....

Introduce the first view

• Some people argue/claim/say/believe that…
• There are those who argue/claim/say/believe that…
• It is often claimed that…

Introduce the opposite view

• Nevertheless, other people claim/argue/believe that…
• However, there are those who claim/argue/believe that…
• However, opponents of… claim/argue/believe that…

Introduce your opinion

• I hold the view that…
• In my view,…
• In my opinion,…

IELTS Writing Task 2: Discuss Both Views Essay 4 - Flexible working environment

Exam information

In Writing Task 2, you are required to write at least 250 words on a topic of general academic interest, which does not require specialist knowledge. You are advised to spend about 40 minutes on this task. 

As Task 2 receives double the marks of Task 1, students are tempted to write their answer to Task 2 first. However, it is better to write Task 1 first and stick to the advised time limits for Tasks 1 and 2. 

Note you need to write your answer in paragraphs and answer all parts of the question contained in the rubric. You also need to support your ideas by giving reasons and examples, as stated in the rubric. 

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task to write at least 250 words. 

Quiz created by Veronika Bebekh with GoConqr

Quiz created by Veronika Bebekh with GoConqr

Expand the notes in column A. Create a paragraph relating to statement 1 in exercise 2. Use the items in column B to help you connect the ideas.

Organization	A Ideas	B Connection
Topic	many employees/ workplace/ evolve rapidly/ people choose place/ want to work/ time
Reason	modern technology/ laptops/ tablets/ latest mobile phones/ enable people/ change working practices/suit themselves/ access workplace wherever	this phenomenon is happening because/ as a result of/ as a result/ this is because
Example 1	trainers/ accountants/ designers/ able to access/ main place of work/ electronically	for example/for instance/take for example/a good example is/ a good example of this
Result	work/ cake place/ at home/ in cafes/ hotels/ in office space rented by the hour/airports	further/ then/ the consequence of this is that

IELTS Writing Task 1: Line Graph 5

Annual cinema admissions: by age (United Kingdom)

Writing Tip

Introduction should describe the purpose of the report and say what the overall trends are. For example, if the graph is climbing up or dropping down, you should mention the change or the changes accurately and meaningfully. You need to remember that you are describing a graph to someone who does not see it, so your words must draw the picture. 

Write what the graph is about, its dates and location as well as the right kind of measurements used. You must write in complete sentences. Notes are not acceptable.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph shows annual cinema admissions by age in the UK. 

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

IELTS Writing Task 1: Line Graph 4

 

Percentage of internet users playing or downloading games, images, films or music

Writing Tip

 How to use your 20 minutes

You have 20 minutes for task 1, so try spending 5 minutes on each paragraph. This might help you to organize your time better.

First 5 minutes

Read the question, make sure you understand the chart, write your introduction by paraphrasing the question.

Second 5 minutes

Look at the chart and try to find 2 general points. Don't look at specific details; look for "the big picture". Write 2 sentences summarising the information.

Final 10 minutes

Describe specific details. Try to break this part into 2 paragraphs because it looks better. You could spend 5 minutes on each paragraph.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph shows the percentage of the internet users in selected European countries playing or downloading games, images, films or music, along with the European Union average.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

IELTS Writing Task 1: Line Graph 3

 

Percentage of the population who have never used the internet

Writing Tip

Look for points of comparison and contrast within the graph. Identify the highest and lowest points, any significant increases or decreases, or any changes in the trend over time. Use comparative language (e.g., "while" and "in contrast to") to effectively convey these comparisons.

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph shows the proportion of the European population in selected countries who have never used the internet, along with the European Union average.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

IELTS Academic Reading 4 - Passage 2

Reading Tip

In the exam, you may be asked to demonstrate that you understand the points of view expressed in a text. You will be given a list of statements which each represents an opinion. You have to read the text to find out if the writer expresses these opinions or not. If the writer shares the opinion in the statement, your answer will be YES. If the writer contradicts the statement, your answer will be NO. If it is impossible to know from the text what the writer's opinion is about that subject, your answer will be NOT GIVEN. The information in the text will be in the same order as the list of statements.

Disappearing Delta

A The fertile land of the Nile delta is being eroded along Egypt's Mediterranean coast at an astounding rate, in some parts estimated at 100 metres per year. In the past, land scoured away from the coastline by the currents of the Mediterranean Sea used to be replaced by sediment brought down to the delta by the River Nile, but this is no longer happening.

B Up to now, people have blamed this loss of delta land on the two large dams at Aswan in the south of Egypt, which hold back virtually all of the sediment that used to flow down the river. Before the dams were built, the Nile flowed freely, carrying huge quantities of sediment north from Africa's interior to be deposited on the Nile delta. This continued for 7,000 years, eventually covering a region of over 22,000 square kilometres with layers of fertile silt. Annual flooding brought in new, nutrient-rich soil to the delta region, replacing what had been washed away by the sea, and dispensing with the need for fertilizers in Egypt's richest food-growing area. But when the Aswan dams were constructed in the 20th century to provide electricity and irrigation, and to protect the huge population centre of Cairo and its surrounding areas from annual flooding and drought, most of the sediment with its natural fertilizer accumulated up above the dam in the southern, upstream half of Lake Nasser, instead of passing down to the delta.

C Now, however, there turns out to be more to the story. It appears that the sediment-free water emerging from the Aswan dams picks up silt and sand as it erodes the river bed and banks on the 800-kilometre trip to Cairo. Daniel Jean Stanley of the Smithsonian Institute noticed that water samples taken in Cairo, just before the river enters the delta, indicated that the river sometimes carries more than 850 grams of sediment per cubic metre of water - almost half of what it carried before the dams were built. ‘I'm ashamed to say that the significance of this didn't strike me until after I had read 50 or 60 studies,’ says Stanley in Marine Geology. ‘There is still a lot of sediment coming into the delta, but virtually no sediment comes out into the Mediterranean to replenish the Coastline. So this sediment must be trapped on the delta itself.’

D Once north of Cairo, most of the Nile water is diverted into more than 10,000 kilometres of irrigation canals and only a small proportion reaches the sea directly through the rivers in the delta. The water in the irrigation canals is still or very slow-moving and thus cannot carry sediment, Stanley explains.

The sediment sinks to the bottom of the canals and then is added to fields by farmers or pumped with the water into the four large freshwater lagoons that are located near the outer edges of the delta. So very little of it actually reaches the coastline to replace what is being washed away by the Mediterranean currents.

E The farms on the delta plains and fishing and aquaculture in the lagoons account for much of Egypt's food supply. But by the time the sediment has come to rest in the fields and lagoons it is laden with municipal, industrial and agricultural waste from the Cairo region, which is home to more than 40 million people. ‘Pollutants are building up faster and faster’ says Stanley.

Based on his investigations of sediment from the delta lagoons, Frederic Siegel of George Washington University concurs. ‘In Manzalah Lagoon, for example, the increase in mercury, lead, copper and zinc coincided with the building of the High Dam at Aswan, the availability of cheap electricity, and the development of major power-based industries,’ he says. Since that time the concentration of mercury has increased significantly. Lead from engines that use leaded fuels and from other industrial sources has also increased dramatically. These poisons can easily enter the food chain, affecting the productivity of Fishing and Farming. Another problem is that agricultural wastes include fertilizers which stimulate increases in plant growth in the lagoons and upset the ecology of the area, with serious effects on the fishing industry.

F According to Siegel, international environmental organisations are beginning to pay closer attention to the region, partly because of the problems of erosion and pollution of the Nile delta, but principally because they fear the impact this situation could have on the whole Mediterranean coastal ecosystem. But there are no easy solutions. In the immediate Future, Stanley believes that one solution would be to make artificial floods to flush out the delta waterways, in the same way that natural floods did before the construction of the dams. He says, however, that in the long term an alternative process such as desalination may have to be used to increase the amount of water available, ‘In my view, Egypt must devise a way to have more water running through the river and the delta,’ says Stanley. Easier said than done in a desert region with a rapidly growing population.

Quiz created by Veronika Bebekh with GoConqr

IELTS Listening: Practise Test 7

 IELTS Listening Preparation

There are four sections in the listening test. Each section has 10 questions, making a total of 40 questions. The sections become progressively harder. The answers to the questions come in the same order as the information on the recording. The whole test lasts about 30 minutes, including the instructions, your reading and listening time, and the time allowed for transferring your answers from the questions paper to an answer sheet. The instructions are included on the recording.

Section 1

This is a conversation between two speakers on an everyday, social topic. This means that you listen to two people talking to each other about arranging a trip, organising an event, etc. The focus is on listening for specific factual information.

Section 2

This is a talk by one speaker on a general topic. This means that you listen to one person giving information about a public event, a service provided, etc. The focus is on listening for specific factual information.

Section 3

This is a discussion between two to four speakers on a topic related to ‘academic needs’. This means that you listen to up to four people talking to each other about an assignment for a course, an academic subject in a seminar, etc. The focus is on listening for specific factual information, attitudes and speakers’ opinions.

Section 4

This is a lecture or talk by one speaker on an academic or study-related topic. This means that you listen to a person giving a lecture, a talk, etc. The focus is on listening for main ideas, specific factual information, attitude and speakers’ opinions.

You will be allowed approximately 30 seconds to study the questions before the test begins. You can use this time to check what types of answers are needed (for example, dates, times, names, money, etc.), and pay special attention to the first question.

_________________________________________________

IELTS Listening: 

Practice Test 7 - Section 1

IELTS Listening Tip

In one type of question you may have to complete a table with no more than two words or a number. The heading will tell you what kind of information you need to focus on. Before you listen, underline the heading of each column in the table.

IELTS Listening: 

Practice Test 7 - Section 2

Listening Tips

• You will hear a talk by one speaker on a topic of general interest. Section 2 is a little harder than Section 1. You will have to decide what the important details or facts on the recording are, without the help of another speaker's questions to guide you.

IELTS Listening: 

Practice Test 7 - Section 3

IELTS Listening Tips

1) Predict what type of information is missing from each gap. Also predict what the missing word or phrase could actually be.
2) Your first guess might be right or wrong. It doesn't matter. Just thinking about it in that way will help you.
3) Write the missing words exactly as you hear them.
4) Read the sentences/summary again to check that the words you have added make sense and fit grammatically.

IELTS Listening: 

Practice Test 7 - Section 4

IELTS Tip

Remember that although the information on the question paper will paraphrase the information that you hear, it will be in the same order. Make sure you keep to the word limit you are given and be careful to check your spelling at the end. You can write your answers in capital letters or lower case.