All About IELTS: Step by Step Practical Guide to Crack IELTS

All About IELTS

Step by Step Practical Guide to Crack IELTS

Joshin Cherian

Smashwords Edition

All About IELTS: Step by Step Practical Guide to Crack IELTS by Joshin Cherian

Copyright © 2018 Joshin Cherian. All rights reserved. 

No portion of this eBook may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for educators, academies, and/or non-commercial or non-profit entities that have purchased the eBook, without the prior written permission of the author.

eISBN: 978-93-5279-448-5

"Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent.

Perfect practice makes perfect."

Michael Ammar, World Renowned Magician

Table of Contents

All About IELTS

International English Language Testing System

How to use this book

Listening

Overview

Steps to Find Answers

Demo - Test Instructions

Listening Test - Raw Score Conversion

Important Notes

Things To Follow

Things To Avoid

Things To Improve

Listening Vocabulary List

Places in UK, USA & Australia

Counties & Cities in UK

States & Cities in USA

Cities & Towns in Australia

Reading

Overview

Steps to Find Answers

Reading Test - Raw Score Conversion

Important Notes

Things To Follow

Things To Avoid

Things To Improve

Traps in Reading

Word-roots

Reading Vocabulary List

Writing

Overview

Criteria of Assessment

Writing Task 1 (Academic)

Report Writing - Structure

Questions & Structures

Table

Bar Graph

Pie Chart

Line Graph

Map

Process/ Diagram

Labelled Diagram

Report Writing Tips

Comparison Methods

Usages - Connector

Usages - Time

Usages - Change

Usages - Value

Usages - Maps

Usages - Process

More Usages

Sentences

Grammar Structures

Tenses

Writing Task 1 (General)

Letter Writing Tips

Letter Writing - Structure

Formal Letters

Semiformal Letters

Informal Letters

Formal, Semi-formal, Informal Words

Formal vs Informal

Formal vs Semi-formal

Formal & Semi-formal - Useful Words & Expressions

Informal - Useful Words & Expressions

Writing Task 2 (Academic & General)

Essay Writing - Structure

Questions & Structures

Essay Writing Tips

Introduction Tips

Body Paragraph Tips

Example Tips

Conclusion Tips

Key Words & Expressions

Synonyms for writing

Speaking

Overview

Speaking Tips

Speaking Topics List

Part 1 (Interview)

Part 2 (Presentation)

Part 3 (Discussion)

Complete Speaking Tests

Questions

Linking Words for Speaking

Speaking Vocabulary

Phrasal Verbs

Brain Training

How to Increase Reading Speed

How to Boost Executive Memory

Building Vocabulary

Grammar

Overview

Spellings

Spelling Rules

Confused Words

Homophones

British vs. American Spelling

Main spelling differences

List of British vs. American English Words

Hyphenated Words

Words With A Space In Between

Non-Hyphenated Words

Capitalisation Rules

Word Count or Number Count

Nouns

Singular & Plural Nouns

Countable & Uncountable nouns

Pronouns

Tenses

Passive Voice

Relative Clauses

Sentences

Cleft Sentences

Subject-Verb Agreement

Singular Verb

Plural Verb

Singular or Plural Verb

Determiners

Articles

Indefinite Articles - A & An

Definite Article - The

No Articles

Prepositions

Place & Direction

Time & Date

1. The preposition in

2. The preposition at

3. The preposition on

4. Other prepositions

5. No preposition

Punctuation

The Order of Adjectives In A Sentence

Common Mistakes

Glossary

International English Language Testing System

Purpose: to test English language proficiency

IELTS Academic: for higher education/ register within a professional body (professional associations in disciplines such as medicine, nursing, law or engineering) in an English-speaking country.

IELTS General Training: for Immigration/  work permit/ attend a secondary school (United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom)

IELTS Life Skills (only speaking & listening) : for UK Visas and Immigration, test assesses english skills at levels A1(to apply for a UK Visas and Immigration family, spouse or partner visa) or B1(to obtain citizenship or the right to permanent residence) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Co-owners:

British Council

IDP Education (International Development Program)

Cambridge English Language Assessment.

Exam Overview

2 Modules: Academic & General

4 Parts: Listening (4 Sections), Reading (3 Sections), Writing (2 Sections) and Speaking (3 Sections)

Duration: 2 hours, 55 minutes (no break in-between)

Listening: 40 minutes (30 minutes Test + 10  minutes for transferring answers)

Reading: 60 minutes

Writing: 60 minutes

Speaking: 11–14 minutes

Band Score: 0 to 9, in 0.5 band increments.

Over all Score = (Listening+Reading+Writing+Speaking) ÷ 4 

.25 ⇒ .5

.75 ⇒ 1)

Eg: (7+7+7+8)/4 = 7.25 ⇒ 7.5

Band Score Descriptives: 

9 - Expert User

8 - Very Good User

7 - Good User

6 - Competent User

5 - Modest User

4 - Limited User

3 - Extremely Limited User

2 - Intermittent User

1 - Non User

0 - Did not Attempt The test

Exam Offered: Up to 4+ times a month

Result Publishing: 13 days after the test (7+ days to receive the report)

Report validity: 2 years

Official Website: www.ielts.org 

Documents needed: valid original passport (+ colour photocopy of the passport)

How to use this book

This book focuses on three groups:

New to IELTS

Step 1: Do a sample Test.

Step 2: Refer this book.

Step 3: Read the instruction parts.

Step 4: Cross-check the test results.

Step 5: Find out your weak point.

Step 6: Check at the TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Step 7: Open the page & Study.

Step 8: Redo the sample test.

IELTS Improvement

Step 1: Refer this book.

Step 2: Do a sample Test.

Step 3: Find out your weak point.

Step 4: Check at the TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Step 5: Open the page & Study.

Step 6: Redo the sample test.

English Improvement

Step 1: Open the page TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Step 2: Click on the Modules (Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking) or Brain Training or Grammar.

Step 3: Skip the instructions related to IELTS

Step 4: Study the rules.

Step 5: Observe the use of these rules in Talk Shows, Articles (Magazines & Newspapers) or Email/ Reports.

Step 6: Apply - Imitate speakers, create transcripts of their speech, write essays/ summaries based on a passage.

Overview

Sections: 4 Sections

Number of Questions: 40 questions (10 questions in each section)

Time: 40 minutes (30 - for test + 10 for transferring the answers to an answer sheet)

Type of Questions

Multiple Choice

Short-answer Questions

Sentence Completion

Notes/ Table/ Summary/ Flowchart/ Diagram Completion

Labelling a Diagram Which Has Numbered Parts

Classification

QUESTIONS ARE ALWAYS IN THE ORDER

Structure

Section 1: General Conversation (Telephone Conversation)

Section 2: General Monologue (Map Description/ Orientation-Instruction)

Section 3: Academic Conversation (College Conversation between Students or Student/s with Faculty)

Section 4: Academic Monologue (Lecture/ Class)

Sequence

Introduction & Instructions

Section 1 (General Conversation)

Time to look at the Questions - 30sec

Example

Audio

Time to look at the Questions - 30sec

Audio

Time to check the answers - 30sec

Section 2 (General Monologue)

Time to look at the Questions

Audio

Time to look at the Questions

Audio

Time to check the answers - 30sec

Section 3 (Academic Conversation)

Time to look at the Questions - 30sec

Audio

Time to look at the Questions - 30sec

Audio

Time to check the answers - 30sec

Section 4 (Academic Monologue)

Time to look at the Questions - 30sec 

Audio

Time to check the answers - 30sec

Transferring the answers to an answer sheet - 10min

Steps to Find Answers

Multiple Choice

Understand the context

Look for keywords (place, name or subject)

Eliminate the options one by one

Short-answer Questions

Check the word count, listen for a word with that limit

Guess the word (date, amount, person, place or subject)

Sentence Completion/ Notes/ Table/ Summary

Check the word count

Guess the word 

Avoid repeated words

Flowchart/ Diagram Completion

Check the word count

Remember already marked location/ parts

Understand the starting point - You are Here

Labelling a Diagram/ Flowchart Which Has Numbered Parts

Remember the list order

Locate the A to H letters

First write the name on the diagram

At the end write the Letter next to name

Classification

Remember the list

Listen for synonyms related to the listed options

Demo - Test Instructions

Check the headphone & volume

Answer all the questions

While you are listening, write your answers on the question paper.

Read all the instructions

This is what you will hear at the start of the test:

Cambridge IELTS Listening Test. 

Turn to Section 1 of Listening Test.

»You will hear a number of different recordings and you have to answer questions on what you hear. There will be time for you to read the instructions and questions and you have a chance to check your work.

»All the recordings will be played once only. The test is in 4 Sections. At the end of the test you will be given 10 minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet.

»Section One 

»You will hear a part of a conversation between......

»First you have some time to look at Questions 1 to 5

»You will see that there is an example which has been done for you. The conversation relating to this will be played first.

»Audio-Example»

»..........(sample answer), so that has been written on the form. Now we shall begin.

»You should answer the questions as you listen because you will not hear the recording a second time. Now listen carefully and answer questions 1 to 5.

»Look at questions 6 to 10.

»That is the end of Section 1. You now have some time to check your answers.

»Now turn to Section 2.

»Section Two

»You are going to hear a recording of instructions...

»First, look at questions 10 to 15

»As you listen to the first part of the talk, answer questions 10 to 15

»Now look at questions 16 to 20

»That is the end of Section 2. You will now have some time to check your answers.

»Now turn to Section 3.

»Section 3. In this section vou will hear a discussion between a ..... and .....

»First look at questions 25 to 29

»This is the end of Section 3. You will now have some time to check your answers. 

»Now turn to Section 4.

»Now answer questions 39 to 41

»That is the end of Section 4. You now have some time to check your answers. 

Now you have 10 min to transfer your answers to an answer sheet.

That is the end of Listening Test.

Listening Test - Raw Score Conversion