Can I use Phrasal verbs in my IELTS Task 2 writing?
This is a common question and one that we get asked a lot. Basically, it is people being poorly advised by people that know nothing about IELTS. An IELTS writing examiner explains…… Phrasal verbs are part of normal every day speech. Using them in IELTS is fine. So many people think that IELTS is a test of your academic English and should, therefore, be approached as a formal test. This is not true. It is a test of your English, nothing...
How can I get the score I need in IELTS?
This is a very common quesiton and one we get asked a lot by people in our private Facebook group Feel free to join. If you want to succeed in IELTS then you need to know what score you need in each of the skills. Let's say, for example, you need Band 7.0 for immigration points or university acceptance. So, now we know what you need. Now you need to see where you currently are. Do a full IELTS test. You can do...
Where should I get my IELTS writing questions from?
This question comes from a few questions that we have come to us recently from people using our writing service. We see a lot of people use IELTS questions that are not IELTS questions. But what does this mean? Well, it means that the questions are not up to IELTS standard. Let’s look at a couple of examples. This is one that someone who used our IELTS correction service used recently. Now, IELTS avoids issues like sex, religion, abortion etc because they are...
What does Band 9.0 writing look like in IELTS?
This is a good question and one we received from a member of our private Facebook group (Feel free to join and ask your questions about IELTS). Here is an example of a Band 9.0 Task 2. It is 293 words long so a bit long for what most people are able to produce. I don’t recommend writing more than this unless you are a very high user of English. Band 9.0 is just native or native-like level English that fully...
What are memorized phrases in IELTS writing?
This is a something we see a lot and a lot of candidates use memorized phrases. Some examples of what we see are below. Why we recommend you don’t use them is that accuracy drops considerably when you have to write something in your own words and this is very very noticeable for us (the examiners). This is the question we received from a member of our private Facebook group (Feel free to join) What sentences or phrases are considered by...
Can you lie in the IELTS speaking test?
We get some interesting questions from readers and this is a good one! An IELTS examiner uses their experience of examining to answer this one. So, can you lie in the IELTS speaking exam? Yes, no one will ever check whether what you say is the truth or not. However, one reason to not lie is that telling the truth is easier, much much easier. Think about the lies you have told before. You have to keep actively thinking to keep inventing...
What you need to know about the IELTS speaking test.
Here are a few tips for the IELTS speaking test from an IELTS speaking examiner. 1. Make sure you know what you have to do in the exam. It is really awkward when people come in without knowing anything about the exam. You ask them about their job and they just talk and talk and talk. The exam is not a chance for you to just speak. You are being tested by the examiner and talking about whatever you like is not...
How can I improve my lexical resource in writing?
This is a good question that we reveived from a member in our private Facebook group. Feel free to join. This examiner had this to say. Generally, the best way to improve your vocabulary is reading. Read a newspaper online for example, and make a note of the vocabulary that appears that you don’t know. Don’t just copy the word but copy the whole phrase. Why copy the whole phrase? Well, the people that lose Lexical Resource marks are the ones that do one of...