IELTS Practise Sheets

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These factsheets are to help you quickly reference the different sections of the test. These factsheets are organized into 5 different sections 1) General Guidance 2) 3) 4) Guide Guide Guide to to to Listening Reading Writing

a. Task 1 practice tips and vocabulary b. Task 2 practice tips and vocabulary

5)

Guide to Speaking
a. Speaking practice tips b. Speaking Topics

General Guidance Rest, eat and exercise well the day before the test Plan your trip to the Test centre in advance, know where to
find it and how long it takes to get there, allow yourself plenty of time to arrive at the test centre

Prepare all the things you need for the test the day
before, including pens, pencils, erasers and possible food or drink

Use a watch or the clock in the test centre to keep track

of the time, its very important to manage your time effectively so that you have enough time to answer every question, or complete the writing sections

Focus on what you know with confidence, the exam is not a

place for experimentation

Answer every question, even if you are not sure, try to

best guess

Remember not to panick, even when you dont know the answer
or have difficulty with writing. Keep the momentum moving as much as you can and review the answers afterwards

Remember to be relaxed, breath normally, try to stay calm,

nerves will only slow you down or create doubt in your mind

Go to the bathroom before the test and if necessary between

the test modules

Pace yourself so that you can have time to check your

answers

Clearly indicate your name and information on the answer

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IELTS Practise Sheets IELTS Listening Practice tips

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30 minutes with 10 minutes to transfer answers to answer sheet Four Sections, 10 questions in each section

Read the questions in advance and try to identify key words

or triggers from the question that may help to identify the answer

Use the question book to write answers and notes Know the format of the response, this could be multiple
choice, true or false, a number or a short answer, usually not than 3 words

Multiple choice questions have one correct answer and but 2

or 3 wrong answers, eliminate the wrong answers if you are unsure

Make notes for the questions you are unsure about then come
back to it later and review your notes

Identify who is speaking in the conversation, so you can

relate the question to the answer

You may need to listen for more than one answer at the same
time

If you are not sure, make some notes next to the question
and come back to it later

If you are confident with your answers, move on to the next

section so you have more time to preview the questions

Keep listening when writing Answer all questions, blank answers will always be wrong,
where any answer can be right

When transferring your answers to the answer sheet, review

any questions that you are unsure about

Be careful with spelling and grammar on the answer sheet Indicate your answers clearly on the answer sheet, do not
suggest alternatives as this may be marked as wrong

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IELTS Practise Sheets IELTS Reading Practice tips

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60 minutes to answer Three Sections, 2,000 2750 words in total, 40 questions in total

Skim each passage quickly underlining important words or

phrases

Read the introduction, as this usually sets the theme of

the passage

Read the question and the possible answers very carefully

to avoid misunderstanding the question

Read instructions carefully, if the answer states no more

than 3 words, then 4 words would not be acceptable

Try to recognize the format of the answer required,

example, multiple choice, true/false/not given, short answers and number

Answer every question, blank answers will always be wrong Dont take too much time on one question, if you are not
sure, come back to it, then try to eliminate answers you know are wrong

Always make time to review your answers and check your

spelling and grammar

If you see words that you dont know, try to understand the
context of the phase, its not always necessary to understand every word

Dont lose time trying to understand the passage, or form

an opinion of what is written, just search to identify the required answer

Try reading ahead, read the questions before you read the
passage, this may help increase your speed

Make your answers legible on the answer sheet No extra time is provided to transfer your answers to the
answer sheet, so you may want to answer directly on the sheet

Make sure that the answer you provide matches the logic of
the question

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IELTS Practise Sheets IELTS Writing Practice tips

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60 minutes to answer (task 1 20 minutes, task 2 40 minutes) Two tasks, Task 1 - 150 words (chart, table, diagram), Task 2 - 250 words (argument, issue, point of of view) Task 1

Analyze the question quickly, identify what is been

measured, in what units, (e.g. if indicates car sales, or car manufacturing, there is a difference)

Note any relevant time indications (e.g. time of day, year,

etc) or source data grouping (e.g. age groups, nations, etc)

Indicate major trends of the data illustrated (e.g. major

peaks or wells, periods of stability or major fluctuations)

If the data compares different groups, make note of major

differences or major similarities

Make notes on the question sheet to save time, use numbers

to indicate order of importance and order you intend to discuss in your essay

Note 2 conclusions, these can be the major results or major

implications of the data shown

Your introduction should include a brief overview of the

chart, (e.g. the chart measures cars being produced by two different manufacturers, in the last ten years,)

Decide which layout you wish to use 3-point (30-30-30-3030) or 2-point (30-40-40-40), the first value is usually the number of words for the introduction and the last value is for the conclusion

Practice to structure your sentences so that they are easy

to count, 10 or 15 words per line, this will help you greatly to monitor your time and word count (15 lines if 10 words/line, 10 lines if 15 words/line)

Try to finish with at least a minute or two to check your

essay for grammar errors, do not try to change what you have written, this will only cost you valuable time, this is only check for grammar and spelling that may cost you valuable marks copyright MBA-Station 2006

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question Task 2

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Make sure your conclusion is relevant to the data and

Analyze the argument quickly, identify what is been asked,

(e.g. opinion, advantages/disadvantages, or proposal)

Do you need to state your opinion? Draw a plan, outline advantages, disadvantages, possible
examples, your opinion, possible conclusions

Be objective when evaluating both sides of the argument Note 2 conclusions, these can be the major implications of
the argument, or your possible solutions and recommendations

Your introduction should include a brief overview of the

argument, (e.g. this argument looks at a hotly topical subject)

Decide which layout you wish to use 3-point (50-50-50-5050) or 2-point (40-75-75-60), the first value is usually the number of words for the introduction and the last value is for the conclusion

Practice to structure your sentences so that they are easy

to count, 10 or 15 words per line, this will help you greatly to monitor your time and word count (25 lines if 10 words/line, 17 lines if 15 words/line)

Try to finish with at least a minute or two to check your

essay for grammar errors, do not try to change what you have written, this will only cost you valuable time, this is only check for grammar and spelling that may cost you valuable marks

Make sure your conclusion is relevant to the argument, and

leaves a strong impression. GENERAL WRITING TIPS

Analyze quickly your essays and create a plan, this will

help structure your essay and help you save time

Practice key phrases that can be used to construct your

essay quickly

Make your writing clearly legible, if you make a mistake,

dont waste time erasing it, or crossing it out copyright MBA-Station 2006

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extensively, just put a single line through it, this will indicate it is wrong, plus its much neater and easier to read

If you get stuck, refer to your plan, and if you cannot

continue, close out the phrase and start on the next point on your plan.

If you have practiced writing a set number of words per

line, put indicators on the answer sheet where you must finish each section and finish the essay

Keep track of the time, if you have overrun time on the

first part, move straight on to the next section without checking your work and try to gain some time at the end to check both essays, remember that task 2 carries more importance

Dont panic, if youre struggling, take a deep breath,

close your eyes and try to imagine the words in your mind, if this doesnt work, review your plan, the question, or what you have already written, try to stimulate your mind. If this doesnt work, start praying and remember itll be over soon

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IELTS Writing Task 1 Vocabulary

Expressing Movement (nouns & verbs) Upward movement rose to / a rise in describes a gradual upward change increased to / an increase in like rose went up to / grew / growth of like rose climbed (up) to / an upward climb of like rose boomed at / a boom (in) of / a trend of of the upward change - describes the top

note: the use adjectives can influence how these expressions are perceived, e.g. a sharp increase in, or a slow rise in performance
Downward Movement fell to / a fall of (in)*1 - describes a sudden downward movement declined to / a decline of (in)*1 - describes a gradual downward movement decreased to / a decrease of (in)*1 - as decline dipped to / a dip of (in)*1 - describes a small downward change, before returning to same or greater value dropped to / a drop of (in)*1 - describes a larger downward change, similar to fall

note *1: Use of for quantity and in for description, e.g. a dip of 4 points, a dip in sales
Stable Movement leveled out (at)*2 / levels out / leveling out describes a movement coming from either an upward or downward movement to a flat base did not change / no change in used when no movement has been experienced remained stable (at)*2 remained steady (at)*2 stayed (at)*2 maintained (at)*2 the same level stood at*2

note *2: as no change, the use of at is to indicate value

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Other Movement

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peaked at describes the highest value arrived at hit a low of (at) describes the lowest value arrived at fluctuated / a fluctuation in describes frequent and random changes alternated / an alternation of describes frequent and regular changes swing of (in) describes a low to high or high to low Describing Movements (adjectives and adverbs) adverbs) dramatic / dramatically sharp / sharply huge / enormous / enormously steep / steeply substantial / substantially considerable / considerably significant / significantly marked / markedly moderate / moderately slight / slightly small / smaller / minimal / minimally Describing the Speed of Changes swift / swiftly rapid / rapidly quick / quickly sudden / suddenly gradual / gradually slow / slowly steady / steadily acute / acutely Connective Words therefore dunque, quindi, con ci whereas poich, siccome, dal momento che thus cos furthermore inoltre whether se throughout da ogni parte copyright MBA-Station 2006

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though comunque, tuttavia, per nonetheless non di meno although bench nonstante while durante whilst allo stesso tempo then allora there after dopo di ci

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Notes to help make conclusions with this task The comparisons are usually divided into two groups;

Examples:
1) more magazines were sold to colleges than any other customers 2) it is noticeable that France and Germany have similar profiles 3) A has the largest number and B the smallest 4) in each country, males wearing pants outnumber females except in the case of

IELTS Writing Task 2 Vocabulary

Introduction A much debated issue these days is. Some people are of the opinion that To some people.. Im generally inclined with. These days, many people .. is a serious problem nowadays To start with,. These days, .. is an important issue The argument raises an interesting discussion,.. Reviewing the argument we can see that. Body Firstly,.Secondly,..Finally,.(or lastly) The most important reason is . On the other hand Some people assert that The most striking feature(aspect) is.. copyright MBA-Station 2006

IELTS Practise Sheets

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In the first place,..although The most worrying aspect of , though it is.. As a consequence.. There are two main solutions/points of view/ideas that concern/ are relevant to Another point to consider would be In relation to .., we can also consider.. Its also important to note. There is a lot of opposition to ., because of Many are in favor of .., due to the fact that it is.. In my opinion/experience I believe/have seen that According to certain research/statistics we can state that The advantages of this argument are The disadvantages of this argument are.. The opposing views are. Conclusions In conclusion,. To conclude.. Most people would support To sum up. I strongly believe,. I can agree in part with this line of reasoning, but.. .in general, even though it is preferable to.. I recommend that If we look at both the positive and negative aspects we can see that. A different way to look at this would be. A possible alternative could be. Further clarification in .. would help this argument

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IELTS Practise Sheets IELTS Speaking Practice tips

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11 - 14 minutes to answer Three Sections, section 1 4/5 mins, section 2 3/4 mins, section 3 3/4 minutes Section 1

This section is all about you, so relax, you should know

enough to talk for a few minutes

Dont try to use fancy words to impress the examiner,

theyll recognize this and they may even push you into mistakes

Use words and phrases that you are confident with Dont volunteer information that they dont ask Remember that what you say, must reflect who you are, so if
you say something that seems stupid, they may think that youre also stupid (intelligent people say intelligent things, well mostly) Section 2

Makes keyword notes, (e.g. topic is vacation, keywords,

travel, beaches, exciting destinations, places visited, places like to visit, etc)

The keywords are to help you to stimulate your mind to talk

about the topic provided

Remember to be clear about what you think, feel and

understand about the topic Section 3

Make sure you understand the question, if not ask the

examiner to repeat the question, or repeat the question yourself and ask the examiner if it is correct

If you are struggling for an answer, ask the examiner for a

few moments to think how you could best respond to the question

Remember the rule that stupid people usually say stupid

things, but stupid things can be said by intelligent people, if they have not considered the question enough, so try not to give the wrong impression by rushing copyright MBA-Station 2006

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General Speaking tips

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RELAX, this is very important, the examiner is not going to

bite, or they shouldnt bite, plus theyre more likely to give a better result, if they see you relaxed, even if you make some mistakes

Try hard to avoid repetition of phrases and the same words Try really hard to avoid saying ERM this is very bad,
VERY BAD, try not making any noise if you dont know what to say or are mid-sentence pausing

Have fun, its almost over!

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IELTS Practise Sheets IELTS Speaking Topics

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ARGUMENTS ABOUT CAGLIARI & SARDINIA A) Reasons to visit and to live in Cagliari & Sardinia 1. Traditions and Culture 2. Wonderful countryside, beaches, mountains, etc very natural, low pollution or contamination 3. Excellent Cuisine traditional and genuine/natural ingredients 4. Friendly people with strong values, a proud and traditional heritage 5. Strong history many monuments, churches, temples, nuraghis, etc B) 1. 2. Difficulties encountered in Sardinia Transport to and from Island, via air or sea Limited opportunities for work/career progression
These situations are being resolved through the inclusion of special fares to and from the air by residents of Sardinia and also by an increase in lower cost air companies flying to the island. Region developing strategies and funding towards resolving problem of occupational situation

FAMILY 2 Brothers & one sister I live with my sister and Mother, whilst my older brother lives in Verona and my younger brother in Cagliari We live in Cagliari, but I was born in a village near Cagliari, called Uta My father is an entrepreneur, my mother is an housewife, my older brother is a Policeman and runs his own company, my younger brother is studying law at the University of Cagliari and my Sister is a junior school teacher

STUDY & WORK I completed my degree Business Economy 3 years ago I work for the Region of Sardinia, in Administration of Structural Funds copyright MBA-Station 2006

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My work is a continuing challenge with no time to get bored It provides a great opportunity to meet interesting people Receive recognition and consideration from fellow colleagues Seasonal work such as Care Assistant in Brussels residential home and occasional promotions. Organization problems due to lack of time Modern & comfortable workplace, allowing for personal office, which helps with focus

ACTIVITIES SHARED WITH FRIENDS Movies or go to Cinema Dinner with friends Walks by beach or mountains

HOLIDAYS

I like to travel (visit new cities and their monuments) Shopping (for clothes or for house wares) Walking tours throughout city

SPORTS

Canoe (out at sea) Sea aerobics, (exercises in the water) I dont like to run or spend time in the Gym, since I prefer sports outdoors

WHERE I LIVE

I live in an apartment on the first floor I like to spend time with my family, like eat together or a day in the mountains The neighborhood is near the centre of town, but also close to the beach Good transport links (buses), supermarkets, gyms, swimming pools, hospitals, Post office, a church, different clothes shops and two public recreational areas

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STUDY (good aspects)

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I enjoyed my time in school, both at High School and University The lessons were very useful There were many opportunities to meet friends and classmates Many enjoyable activities such as project presentations, school travel and group parties

STUDY (bad aspects)

The school was old and the classrooms were not very comfortable The Professors were not always available There were not many recreational facilities I didnt join any clubs because they cost too much money my job the Region of Sardinia, Im a consultant in and regional funding. Ive been working for the

Describing I work for structural

Region since 2003, I started to work five months after finishing my degree in economy. How do you feel about your job? At the start I was a little bit insecure but over the years I have improved my competence and now feel more confident in what I do and I would like to do in the future. What tenses can you use to talk about your job? From the start/beginning, I felt very happy with my job and worked hard t o gain the recognition of my boss and my friendly colleagues. I feel fairly comfortable with my working experience, because its a continuing challenge and there is no time to get bored, on the contrary I work hard all day, so that when I leave Im usually very tired Useful Vocabulary: interesting, tiresome Describing my family I have a large family, we are 4 children in total, 2 brothers and 2 sisters. My father is an entrepreneur, he has a small copyright MBA-Station 2006

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hotel in Cagliari and is involved in many small business enterprises and projects, my mother is a housewife. My younger sister is 23 years old and she works as a teacher of young children. My older brother is a policeman in Verona, I am going to visit him tomorrow and the other brother is still at University, hes studying Law. How do you feel about your family? I love my family very much, probably more than everything, because we are a very strong family and we are always there for each other. During my life we have always supported each other in every situation. I spend a lot of time with my family, eating together or just being around each other to talk about what is going on with each of us. What tenses can you use to talk about your family? Best to use the present simple, but you can also use that past simple to reflect on family memories Useful Vocabulary: strong, supporting, profound values Describing my hobbies I find this difficult to talk about my hobbies at the moment, because I dont have very much free time. I work hard all day and for the last few months Ive been spending all my free time studying English. Ev ery evening and weekend have been dedicated to learning English Anyway, the hobbies which I like to do are painting, reading and cooking. I love to paint, I learnt to paint from my fianc. I also like to read, because it helps me relax and also helps me to improve my culture. I like to read biographies and books about different subjects. I really enjoy cooking, especially international dishes (dishis). One of my favorite (fevoreit) dishes to cook is called Tagine. This is a typical Moroccan dish and is very simple to cook. The tagine is made with potatoes, veal meat, (vial mit) olives, parsley and saffron, and its really delicious. (deliscius)

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These hobbies produce the following conditions; I like to relax, develop my creativity, make people happy, learn how to deal in front of lifes difficult situations

Describing my last holiday My last holiday was a trip to England and Scotland at the end of the last year. We spent a few days in Bradford, where my fianc comes from and where his family still lives. We then traveled to Scotland to celebrate New Years in Edinburgh, the Scottish capital. We booked (bukd) a bed & breakfast near the centre of the city, so we could visit the city by foot. We visited (visitd) the Castle (cassel) and celebrated New Years Eve on the main street of Edinburgh with thousands of people from all over the World. We made the journey to Edinburgh by rental car, and we saw (soo) many interesting and famous places and monuments on the way to and from Edinburgh. Useful Vocabulary: Pleasant, great time, journey Describing my Ambitions During my life, I have always tried to set goals and worked hard to realize them. My current ambition is to pass this IELTS test so that I can be accepted at Business School, for a Masters degree. I have already been conditionally accepted on my chosen Masters degree in Managing of Marketing, at a Business School in Nice, France, with the condition that I pass the IELTS test with an acceptable grade. I decided to do this Masters to grow in confidence, both professionally and personally. I hope that I will succeed so that I can help realize my dream, which is to work for a multinational company in France. What are your qualifications qualifications? I have a degree in Economy that I took almost four years ago at the faculty of Economy in Cagliari. I studied economy for about five years, The main topics covered from my degree were economy, law, marketing, maths and statistics.

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Are there any other qualifications you would like to gain? Yes, this is the reason why I am here for the IELTS test, I would like to study for a Masters degree in Marketing and I have already been accepted conditionally at the Business School in Nice, an acceptable grade in the IELTS test as the condition to be definitely accepted. Describe a celebration you remember? remember? What event was being celebrated: I remember it as if it happened yesterday, this was the day when I graduated with my degree in Economy, it was the 26 November 2002. The form the celebration took: I felt a bit emotional at the beginning because I needed to talk in front of two hundred people and twelve professors that all knew about my subject and they were there to examine me. The celebration started after the discussion of my thesis. I invited all my family, my fianc and my colleagues that were there, to a restaurant near the beach were I spent all day with them. I received a lot of congratulations and presents. I was very happy and more than everything else, I felt proud of myself for having overcome a such difficult goal. So far I remember this day as one of the most important days in my life. What events in a persons life are most celebrated in your country? Sardinia is a island of festivals and events, the people do not lose occasion to celebrate, because they enjoy to stay together, as they are friendly people. The list of events can be very long, but the most celebrated events are weddings, religious days, birthdays and anniversaries. I would like to talk about religious events, because they are very frequent and different from one village to another, normally every village is famous for its religious event. For example, Uta the village where I was born, celebrates the festival of Santa Maria in September, which is the name of the famous 12th century church in the village. The people start to prepare for this event in August. The village comes alive in preparation, lights, flags and plants decorate the streets. It is really great to see. copyright MBA-Station 2006

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Are there particular presents that are given in particular occasion? occasio n? As far as it comes to mind, no, there are no particular presents that we buy for friends either for marriages or for birthdays. Celebrations such as weddings are often times when families gather together, what effect does this have on family relationships? relationships? Well, the effects in family relationships are obviously positive. Personally I believe that weddings give the opportunity to build a stronger relationships with family members, in my experience, I try to share with my family and friends as much time as I can, because personal relations are important in everybodys lives. How is the way religious days Events such as we celebrate events such as birthdays and changing? these are becoming more commercial and less

significance is put on the actual meaning of the event. Which celebrations do you think will change the most in the the next few years? How and why? I think that most of the important festivals, like Christmas and Easter have adopted a more commercial aspect. There is more time spent on buying gifts than really thinking about the meaning of these festivals. I think this is due to companies wanting to profit from these special occasions. Describe a traditional meal in your country There are many traditional meals eaten in Sardinia, but the one Im going to describe is called Maialetto, which is roasted piglet. It is roasted in the fire using only Sardinian wood. When it is ready and still warm, the piglet is covered with branches of myrtle and left for about an hour, before it can be eaten. This typical meal is often eaten at Christmas, religious events, or simply on Sunday. Normally it comes with vegetables like tomatoes and celery. copyright MBA-Station 2006

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This meal is important because the maialetto is breed in Sardinia using only natural products. Traditional Sardinia cuisine is very genuine, almost everything we eat it is produced by regional factories or farms, the cuisine is typically Mediterranean. I enjoy eating this type of cuisine for this reason and also if Im open to try international dishes, I still prefer my cuisine, because it is healthy and delicious. What kind of things do people eat that are bad for them? The list, is unfortunately, very long: junk food in general, burgers, chips, takeaway meals, as well as lots of sweets and sugary drinks and biscuits. Why do you think they eat such things? People generally know what foods are best to avoid, but they don t really care or even they do not have enough time to prepare a meal because of work or they are in a hurry. I feel that it is fine to eat fast food and snacks, as long as you also have properly balanced meals

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