tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32909362503214750712024-03-19T21:33:33.589+02:00Helen's ESLA blog dedicated to ESL, focusing on IELTS, University of Michigan ECCE/ ECPE and more.Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-19725791559928694982017-09-16T16:06:00.000+03:002017-09-16T16:06:15.018+03:00a short speaking post for IELTS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Part two is probably the speaking section that students like the least. On the one hand, they think two minutes is an eternity so they are nervous about speaking uninterrupted for so long and on the other hand, they worry that they will not have time to answer all the questions so they jump into it and finish with all the sub questions long before their two minutes are up!<br />
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So, what can you do? First of all, practice with a timer to get a feel for what two minutes actually is. Some people speak slowly, some fast, so find out what your speed is so that you can make adjustments to ensure you give a fully developed answer in two minutes. <br />
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Most often, I find that my students run out of things to say, so my advice for this is to set up the situation. Before you answer the first question on the card, give a little background information. For example, if you have been asked to describe your best friend, you could first say something like, "I've heard people say that the best friends you can have in your life are the ones that you have from your childhood and while I am sure this is true for many, I suppose I am the exception to this rule because my best friend is someone who I met as an adult." Then, you begin with the follow up questions. My little introduction, with my natural pace took 14 seconds. It's not much but it's 14 seconds LESS that you have to fill at the end of your talk when you have run out of things to say and are probably thinking, "Oh my goodness, how much time do I have left and what else can I possibly say now??"<br />
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So, give it a try and let me know in the comments if it works for you. </div>
Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-61416886772959188702016-08-15T19:27:00.000+03:002016-08-20T18:53:14.460+03:00Model writing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been true to my word! I have started writing a number of model essays, both task one and task two for Academic IELTS. As for task one, I have a number of line graphs, bar and pie charts so far. I will continue with process diagrams and maps. These are available through email only so please contact me for the files. </div>
Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-32772308900455340042016-06-24T17:20:00.002+03:002016-08-20T18:50:32.745+03:00writing models<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been absent from my blog for a long time - too busy with other things. However, I have decided to start writing some model essays to help visitors to this site see how I put some of the elements I write about into practice. Rather than post them here, I ask you to email me and I will send you a copy. If I get ambitious perhaps I will even take requests!! </div>
Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-48850484960187151972015-01-25T10:57:00.000+02:002016-08-20T18:49:10.146+03:00Do you hear what I hear? Recording yourself for speaking practice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Listening to yourself speak is always a little awkward. Believe me, I know. Once you overcome the initial awkwardness and surprise of, "Wow, is that what I really sound like," follows really strict scrutiny. <br />
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That's why I recommend recording yourself when you practice speaking. We are often our own worst critic so if you listen to yourself speaking you can pick up on some problem areas that need improvement. <br />
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Just to show you that I practice what I preach, I signed up to soundcloud.com, which has a voice recording feature, and recorded an old blog post about pronunciation. <br />
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I am still figuring the site out so I don't know if you need to register in order to hear my track (let me know either way) but here is the link: <a href="https://soundcloud.com/helenesl/pronunciation">https://soundcloud.com/helenesl/pronunciation</a> (update 20/8/16: I have since removed the track. Email me for more information).<br />
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I hope you enjoy it!!</div>
Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-89334010315493089622015-01-23T15:47:00.002+02:002016-08-20T18:56:46.206+03:00free advice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A lot of people approach me for free advice, tips or tricks for IELTS. This is so common that I decided to write about it in this post. <br />
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My first piece of advice is: know your level. There are tons of placement tests on the internet so you can see where you are on the CEFR scale. If you get A1 or A2 on these tests and you need a 6.5 or 7 on IELTS then you know you have quite a bit of work ahead of you. You will first need to improve your overall English level before you can really prepare for IELTS.<br />
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Which brings me to my second piece of free advice: don't wait until the last minute to prepare for IELTS. How much time you need depends on many factors but it is best not to wait until a week or two before the exam.<br />
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Piece of advice #3: Find a teacher who specializes in IELTS preparation. This is true even if your English is at a high level. The reason for this is that IELTS is a language test but there are some "speed bumps" that only an experienced IELTS tutor can help you overcome. When you self-prepare, you have no feedback on your performance and even if you do get a tutor to help you, unless the tutor knows the ins and outs of the exam, you may not be prepared accurately or appropriately.<br />
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Speaking of being prepared accurately & appropriately, I recently wrote about the internet as a learning tool. It is, and a wonderful one at that. However, I have to caution you that all websites are not created equal. While there are many websites on IELTS preparation, some of them with model essays and speaking, the advice you may be getting may not be completely accurate.<br />
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So, in a nutshell, think of your IELTS preparation as an investment for your future. Dedicate the time, resources and patience it deserves. </div>
Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-42384055841422944622014-12-27T12:25:00.003+02:002014-12-27T12:25:28.646+02:00Google - a useful tool for English language learnersI was recently reading an IELTS essay about whether newspapers should publish information regarding the private lives of people. The essay had the word "information" 10 times. When I asked the writer of the essay why she didn't use any other words that carry the same meaning, she replied that she couldn't think of any.<br />
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This is when Google is your friend. While Google Translate is a thorn in the side of most people, the site has other tools that are useful for language learning. I recommended that when stuck for a synonym that she use Google's Define feature. That is, Google: "Information define," and Google will give you both definitions AND synonyms. If the essay writer had known that, she would have been able to use words like details and particulars which fit quite nicely into an essay like the one she wrote. <br />
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So this is a quick and easy way to expand your vocabulary. If you are unsure about whether a word fits a particular sentence, again you can use Google. For example, with the word, particulars, Google: "particulars in a sentence," and you will find links to sites like Yourdictionary.com which provides examples of the word in a sentence. Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-24559999130249056132014-11-06T19:53:00.001+02:002016-08-20T18:57:44.159+03:00IELTS task one - do you always need an overview?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Most IELTS test takers know that you need an overview when describing a line graph, bar chart or pie chart. But what about the dreaded process diagrams and maps? Do you need one there, too? The answer is yes. The public band descriptors for Task 1 do not differentiate, so you need an overview no matter what kind of diagram you get. <br />
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So, how do you write an overview for a process diagram? It needn't be too complicated. You could mention that there are a number of steps/ machines/ people/ stages involved and you could mention what the beginning and the end are. If there are two process diagrams or two maps shown, you could say what the main difference between them is, of course, without going into too much detail because the overview shouldn't be about detail. It should be able to give the reader the main, overall image of the information you have in front of you. </div>
Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-10621435627626805932014-10-14T23:17:00.002+03:002014-10-14T23:17:48.913+03:00Questions, please!!I haven't been posting very much lately so I thought I would ask you, my readers, to pose any questions you might have. Is there an area of IELTS/ ECPE/ CPE/ General English that has you confused? Needing more information? Awake at night? Ask me and who knows, your question may be the subject of my next post. Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-50346745218157177352014-09-03T22:34:00.000+03:002014-09-03T22:34:59.835+03:00writing & speaking - grammar in band 7If I seem to talk a lot about Band 7 it's because it seems to be such a highly sought band. People need 7 for immigration, they need it for some advanced degree programs and even if you don't need a 7, if you need a 6.5 for a university course, for example, your 6.5 will only come if you have at least a couple of 7s or higher. <br />
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I have written quite a bit about fluency, coherence & cohesion, and task response, but I haven't really discussed grammar and vocabulary that much. I hope to correct that in this post. <br />
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In the public descriptors both for writing & speaking, the descriptors for grammar at band 7 requires some complex grammar. This of course, leads some people to then ask, "Well, what is complex grammar?" Typically, a complex <em>sentence </em>is one that has more than one clause. A clause, as you probably know is a part of a sentence that contains<em> at least a subject and a verb. </em> So, if you can make sentences with more than one clause, that is considered complex grammar. For example,<br />
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Relative clauses:<br />
Florence, which I have been to three times, is one of my favorite cities.<br />
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conditionals:<br />
If I could visit any city in the world, I would travel to Florence.<br />
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Inversion:<br />
Not only is Florence a beautiful city, but it is also full of historical importance.<br />
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Time clauses:<br />
I will visit Florence as soon as I finish my studies.<br />
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Having been to Florence three times, I believe I know it fairly well.<br />
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These are just a few examples that came to my head. Of course, there are many more. An advanced grammar book will give explanations as well as how these structures are made, how to use them and any other rules you may need. If you need any recommendations for a good book of advanced grammar, please email me.<br />
Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-44613888387398018202014-08-31T01:43:00.002+03:002014-10-07T09:38:20.872+03:00topic sentences in reading & writingToday I was helping someone who was having a hard time with reading. I suggested to her that she read the first sentence of each paragraph to find out what that paragraph was about. When she was done, she had a good idea about the overall direction of the passage, as well as what each paragraph covered. We then discussed how the first sentence of each paragraph, also known as the topic sentence, is basically an introduction to what follows in the paragraph. It gives you the central idea, so, when you are looking for something, by reading the first sentence you can often tell if you are looking in the right place or not. <br />
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Well, as helpful as topic sentences are in reading, they are also extremely important in writing. In the band descriptors, under Coherence and Cohesion, Band 7 tells us that each paragraph must have a central topic. Assuming you have done all your brainstorming & organizing before writing, a topic sentence is a wonderful frame for making sure your paragraph is staying on track while basically providing an introduction to that paragraph for your reader. If you're not sure what a topic sentence should look like, take a look at various reading passages for IELTS. You'll see that the first sentence of each paragraph outlines for the reader what the paragraph discusses. Read some good sample essays. The topic sentence allows you to understand what you are going to read before you read it. Plus, it shows that the paragraph has a purpose, a "central idea," which you are introducing in the first sentence of the paragraph. Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-285710805704367052014-07-21T19:32:00.001+03:002014-07-21T19:32:42.336+03:00what's your opinion?I hear a lot of people asking, "in task 2 writing, should I save my opinion until my conclusion?" The answer is no. Take a look at the band descriptors for task 2. In Task Response, at band 7 it clearly says, " presents a clear position throughout the response." If you leave your opinion until the end of the essay, then it is not clear throughout. "Throughout the response" means starting from your introduction. Even if you present the opposing point of view in your first body paragraph, it is clear from your introduction what your opinion is.Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-63577957081992733962014-05-17T00:28:00.000+03:002014-05-17T00:28:11.050+03:00pronunciation: "you say toMAYto, I say toMAHto???"There are so many things to think about when you speak for IELTS, aren't there? Does my speech have a good flow or do I hesitate? Do I make sense when I speak? Is my grammar accurate? Am I using a variety of simple and complex structures? Am I using advanced, less common vocabulary and collocations? <br />
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One of the things candidates frequently overlook is pronunciation. Do they assume that pronunciation is something that can't be fixed? That they will never sound British/ American/ Australian so they don't even work on it? Or does pronunciation just seem like a detail?<br />
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Well, it is certainly NOT a detail. Pronunciation accounts for 25% of your overall speaking score. And no, you are not expected to sound British/ American/ Australian in order to get a good band score for pronunciation. <br />
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There are certain elements that make up "good" pronunciation. First, and this is where many IELTS candidates stop, is in the correct pronunciation of words. You should of course know how the words you use are pronounced, but that is not enough. <br />
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Too often, intonation is overlooked. Intonation is the "music" of speech. Every language has its own music, that is, when our voice goes up and down in a sentence. For example, our voice goes down at the end of most sentences but goes up at the end of questions. Also, when we are giving a list, our voice rises for each item in the list, except for the last one, when our voice drops. Try saying this, "My favorite hobbies are reading, running, cycling and shopping." Did your voice go up for the first three & down for the last one? What you don't want is to have speech that is completely flat & monotonous. <br />
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Also, sentence stress is important. Users of English need to know which words to emphasize when they speak in order to add extra meaning. <br />
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Lastly, remember that how and where you pause in your speech is also a part of pronunciation. This is often called chunking - pausing appropriately between phrases or strings of words. American news presenters are great at this. They definitely make their speech much more dramatic this way. Take a look at newscasts from any of the big US networks and listen to how and when they pause. Your goal is to pause at the correct breaks so tune your ear to how English speakers pause in their sentences. For example: "Despite the wide variety of hobbies I have - I'd have to say that- for me- the most enjoyable activity is - studying English." I put dashes where I paused. And, to make this more fun, I will put in bold all the words I stressed as well, just to give an example of sentence stress. Here it is again: "Despite the <strong>wide</strong> <strong>variety</strong> of hobbies I have - <strong>I'd </strong>have to say that- for <strong>me</strong>- the most <strong>enjoyable</strong> activity is - <strong>studying</strong> <strong>English</strong>."<br />
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So play around with it a little. Record yourself. Record yourself focusing on each of these features of pronunciation. Watch a little CNN/ NBC/ CBS/ ABC news in your free time. Here is a link from the British Council you might find helpful: <a href="http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/IELTS%20Speaking%204%20-%20Pronunciation.pdf">http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/IELTS%20Speaking%204%20-%20Pronunciation.pdf</a> <br />
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Enjoy!Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-14038255377456369922014-04-16T14:53:00.001+03:002014-04-16T14:53:30.239+03:00One individual's story: How Victor improved his IELTS scoreI met Victor just a couple of days before his first IELTS test. He needed at least a 7 in all sections of the General test. He had a good level of English but had prepared very little by himself & sought my advice a day or two before the exam. <br />
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While he did ok, he didn't get the 7 he needed in all four sections. So, before his second test we talked a lot more about writing & speaking. He got 7.5s and a 7.0<br />
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So, what changed, you asked? Well, I asked him, too. What did he think really made the difference to improve his score?<br />
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Here is what he told me:<br />
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"The improved score was because I had the chance to understand how speaking works. For the first exam even if I spoke a lot it was probably too much and bad! This time I followed some simple rules: <br />
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1. For part one speaking, do not give long or short answers, answer exactly what you are asked, nothing more, nothing less</div>
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2. Try not to be too friendly with the examiner (he is not your friend nor your enemy) - the examiners seem to be very friendly to put you at ease so I was too the first time and I forgot that I was taking an exam. The second time I focused more on why I was there for and I ignored the examiner's friendliness.</div>
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3. For part 2 speaking, focus on what the bullets are asking you and elaborate for each one. Also, try to answer when, where, how and why if they are not already mentioned in the bullets.</div>
4. For writing, I also focused on what was being asked of me. I tried to answer based on the language of the task and not get off topic. Remembering to have a central idea in each paragraph helped, as did supporting and developing each of my main ideas with examples.<br />
5. For listening, I understood everything. I probably should have had a higher score but I must have made a lot of spelling mistakes, so spelling correctly is really important, too."<br />
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So, there you have it. One man's story of two IELTS attempts. I hope his advice can help you, too.Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-61561228670661828752014-03-09T23:39:00.002+02:002014-03-09T23:39:31.783+02:00Cohesive devices: when too much is just too muchI know I have just finished with suggestions on improving lexical resources with collocations but I would like to point out in this post the virtues of a little restraint, especially in the speaking portion of all ESL exams. By the time you take your Cambridge CPE, Michigan ECPE or IELTS exam, you know furthermore, additionally, what is more and moreover like the back of your hand. <br />
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I am going to share a little secret with you: native speakers never use those words. Really. Well, maybe I am exaggerating a little. Furthermore and additionally certainly have their place in academic writing but I can assure you that unless you are a member of Parliament or the Queen, the word moreover has no place in your arsenal of spoken language. It's just too much. And it certainly doesn't sound natural. For some reason however, this is the word that has come to haunt me over the years. <br />
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My advice: just try to replace it with something more authentic sounding. "Also," works wonders. "Besides" and "on top of that" would also do nicely. Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-44105226205825645532014-03-09T23:20:00.001+02:002014-03-09T23:20:10.753+02:00when a little extra work is..... colossal In my last post I mentioned lexical resources and I used synonyms for big as an example of how to use a wider range of vocabulary. After I wrote the post, I kept thinking about the word, "colossal." Yeah, that would have been a good one to suggest. Then I started thinking about collocations with colossal because it is one thing to know a good word but it is quite another to know how to use it correctly. So, I basically did something I think every ESL student should do, if he or she doesn't do it already: I googled colossal definition. One thing that dictionaries are good for apart from definitions, is telling you how the word is used. So Merriam Webster gives us "colossal failure," Oxford tells us about "colossal mistakes," and The Free Dictionary gives us "a colossal increase in price."<br />
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<a href="http://www.yourdictionary.com/">www.yourdictionary.com</a> is another great site to see how words are used in sentences. So, for all the words you learn, or all the "good words" you know, work with them, see how they are used and jot them down somewhere. Experiment a little. If you are not sure if something you've written is a collocation, google that, too. Who knows, it might just make the difference between a 6 and a 7. And I think we all know that that is colossal. :) Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-81714279195816881192014-03-07T19:03:00.001+02:002014-03-07T19:03:15.626+02:00IELTS Writing: What does it all mean?Lots of people approach me saying they need a 7 in IELTS. My advice is always the same: know what that means. It's easy to see what a 7 translates to in Reading and Listening but sometimes people don't know what a 7 means for speaking and writing. Google this: IELTS speaking band descriptors as well as IELTS writing band descriptors. The descriptors are available on PDF all over the Internet. Familiarize yourself with them and what they mean. <br />
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A 7 in writing means you will need to do lots of things. In terms of task response, first, you'll need to address all parts of the task. So, if there are two questions, you will answer those two questions. Advantages/ Disadvantages? Talk about them both. Your position will need to be clear throughout, so yes, say what your position is in your introduction. Lastly, back up your main ideas with support, support, support. An 8 tells us that you have to develop your response with EXTENDED support, so after every sentence you write ask yourself, "how, why, what, who?" If you can give an answer, then perhaps that answer should go in your essay. <br />
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Coherence and cohesion tell us that your essay needs to have a logical order & progression. Cohesive devices are necessary but they are more than just Firstly, Secondly, thirdly. Even pronouns and words like this and that can link your ideas together. So, use a variety. Another warning would be not to OVERUSE cohesive devices. So, sentences should be linked together but more seamlessly. <br />
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As for lexical resource, why use "big" when you can say enormous, monumental, substantial or vast??? You want to be as precise as possible. You could say, "air pollution is a big problem in our society," or you could say, "air pollution is a problem of monumental proportions in our society." And I know that spelling in English is no easy task but it counts, so do be careful. <br />
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Grammatical range means use more grammar than just Subject + Verb + Object. Use subordinate clauses. Use advanced grammar like inversion, subjunctive, participle clauses, conditionals, relative clauses. If you are not sure what these things are, open an advanced grammar book or Google them.<br />
In an 8 essay, the majority of sentences are error-free. That is your goal. <br />
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If you keep in mind what an 8 is and have that as a goal, then you are more likely to get the 7 you actually need. Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-12930697965104624242014-03-02T22:04:00.000+02:002014-03-02T22:04:32.368+02:00For mini-posts, links I like, etc........ you may want to check out my page on Facebook. I try to post things that I find from sites I like that I think ESL students, especially those studying for IELTS, ECPE and Cambridge ESOL, might find helpful. I also occasionally post something original that doesn't really warrant a whole blog post. If interested, check it out: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/helensesl">www.facebook.com/helensesl</a> Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-73578252579309997202014-02-12T00:11:00.000+02:002015-02-04T14:43:26.073+02:00IELTS writing task 2 - let's stick to the topicOne of the things that always causes stress for my IELTS students is the time limit. Many people feel overwhelmed with the idea of writing a full essay in 40 minutes. So what do many IELTS candidates do? They rush. They rush to start writing & that of course can be disastrous. I know that I have mentioned in previous posts how important it is to take some time to brainstorm but before you get to that, you must be very certain that you have understood the task!<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;">One of my students was recently given a task 2 question about the environment. The question was something like, "Preserving the environment is an important issue today. How can individuals protect the environment? Why don't people play a more active role in environmental protection?</span></div>
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What I see some students do is, in their mad rush to start writing, they see that the topic has something to do with the environment, so they start writing what some of the threats to the environment are. Or maybe they spend their essays discussing what can be done in general to protect the environment. Both approaches, of course, are wrong. The first sentence of the prompt is just an introduction to the topic. What you are supposed to write on is very clearly laid out for you in two questions: <em><strong>How can individuals protect the environment? Why don't people play a more active role in environmental protection?</strong></em> If you spend a paragraph answering each question, you are well on you way to getting a good band score for Task Response. Remember, how appropriately and completely you answer the question accounts for 25% of your Task 2 mark. </div>
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So what do I suggest? Spend a couple of minutes looking at the question. Pinpoint key words or phrases. Sometimes it helps to rephrase the prompt, although this might be a little risky. Take a look at this task 2 question: It is generally believed that some people are born with certain talent, for instance for sport or music, and others are not. However, it is sometimes claimed that any child can be taught to become a good sports person or musician. Discuss both these views. Hmm, a lot to take in. So, let's see what they want us to do: <strong><em>Discuss both these views. </em></strong>Which views? <em><strong>some people are born with certain talent </strong></em>and <em><strong>any child can be taught to become a good sports person or musician.</strong></em></div>
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All your brainstorming & subsequent writing will be centered on these two main ideas. Anything off-topic runs the risk of falling into the "<em>answer is tangential</em>," territory of Band 4 for Task Response. </div>
Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-45138595288618422682013-11-08T10:22:00.000+02:002013-11-08T10:22:31.763+02:00IELTS - let's clear any misunderstandingsA lot of people approach me for IELTS lessons saying, "Helen, I need to pass IELTS, can you help me?" The answer to this is a little tricky. First of all, there is no such thing as a "pass" in IELTS. IELTS is not a certificate in the way that Cambridge Proficiency or Michigan ECCE is. That is, you don't learn a particular level of English in order to get a certificate. Instead, what IELTS does is it certifies your current level of English. So if you if your level of English is, for example, intermediate, this will most likely be reflected in your IELTS score. No teacher can teach you to "pass" IELTS if your English is not at a level that it needs to be. <br />
<br />
For postgraduate studies in English-speaking universities, the IELTS scores required vary. Typically, most universities want at least a 6.5. Some will require an overall score of 7 with at least 6 in each area or some will specify 7 in all areas. Check with the universities you are interested in to be sure. <br />
<br />
So what is a 6.5 or 7? the IELTS website provides <a href="http://www.ielts.org/researchers/common_european_framework.aspx">this guideline</a> . For those of you who are familiar with Cambridge ESOL exams, a B2 is a First Certificate and a C1 is an Advanced. Could you pass these tests with at least a 60%? If so, you are well on your way to getting a 6.5 or 7. If not, then what you and your teacher need to do is improve your English to get it to this level. This will take some time and effort and is also one of the reasons I advise most people not to self-prepare. <br />
<br />
If you are unsure of your English level, there are some English placement tests available on the Internet. Or, contact me for some. Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-72005695255462194472013-10-16T09:43:00.001+03:002013-10-16T09:43:04.141+03:00The fruits of my brainstorming - you can say it, but can you support it?In my last post, I talked about brainstorming. The topic I looked at was: <strong>Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair.<br />Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.</strong><br />
<br />
Here are some of the ideas I came up with :<br />
<br />
fair & justified:<br />
-sports figures who earn $$$$ are the minority of all professional athletes<br />
-there is a lot of money in sports - huge industry<br />
-entertainment<br />
<br />
unfair:<br />
-many professionals dedicate years, money and their lives to studying and pursuing a career just to earn a small percentage of what sports stars make<br />
-different professionals make a great impact on our lives and make much less money<br />
<br />
So, these are my main ideas. I may use all of them or only some of them. What happens next is supporting your main ideas. I cannot stress enough how important it is to support your ideas. You simply cannot assume that your reader knows what you mean unless you say it clearly. Take a look at this main idea: <strong> different professionals make a great impact on our lives and make much less</strong> <br />
<strong>money.</strong> If I read that in an essay and it was not supported by examples or an explanation, I may think <br />
anything from street cleaners to government officials, but that is not the point. What I want to know is what the writer is thinking, so tell me who you have in mind: <strong>Doctors, teachers and scientists.</strong><br />
You need to do this for ALL of your main ideas.<strong> </strong>Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds. Your essay should have about four main ideas so you need to think of supporting ideas for each of them. So, why don't you think about how we can support these main ideas. You can even post some in the comments I'll do the same & we'll meet back here in my next post. :)Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-68453636826924375002013-10-13T00:41:00.005+03:002016-08-20T19:11:30.442+03:00Ideas, anyone? Let's brainstorm!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One complaint I hear both in IELTS and ECPE prep is regarding lack of ideas. I know that it can be overwhelming to write an academic essay on an issue you more than likely do not really care about, especially in a foreign language. Especially when you only have about 40 minutes (30 in the ECPE). Well, I am here to simplify this task. The first thing I want to remind you of is that the IELTS is developed for people exactly like you: English Language Learners who seek employment or education at the university level. So, you don't need any specialist knowledge about a particular topic. Let's assume that your vocabulary is good and you have a good grasp of grammar. What you then need is ideas. <br />
<br />
Take a look at this task borrowed from our friends at <a href="http://www.ielts-exams.net/">www.ielts-exams.net</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair.<br />Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.</strong><br />
<br />
The key words here are sports professionals, important professions, more money, justified and unfair. Jot them down on some paper. You are now about to do the most underrated but important task of writing: brainstorming. I know, I know, you think it's a waste of time. After all, you only have 40 minutes, so why use it writing down little notes that you may not use in the end? <br />
<br />
Allow me to speak from personal experience that if you spend 5 minutes jotting down notes you will thank me. Many, many (many, many) years ago when I was a university student, I took a class where there was a mandatory 3-5 page writing assignment every week. In the beginning of the semester, I would begin my assignment with a few ideas in my head and just start writing. While I was writing, invariably other ideas would come to my head & I remember thinking to myself, "okay, I will write that idea when I get to my next paragraph." Can you imagine what happened when I got to my next paragraph? I forgot my idea. What a waste of a good idea! I finally learned my lesson and starting brainstorming for these writing assignments and spending a little time writing down my ideas before getting down to the business of writing.<br />
<br />
So, back to our sports professionals: I am sure that you have some opinions about this issue. Think about them. Is it fair for a basketball or football star to earn millions of dollars for playing a game when people who save lives, like nurses or doctors for example, earn a lot less? Should sports stars make so much money? Are there any reasons why this is justified? You'll have to answer both these questions because the task has asked you to discuss both views. What you then have to do is write down some key words or a sentence to answer these questions. You should try to come up with at least 2-3 points for each question. In my next post, we'll work on turning our ideas into paragraphs. </div>
Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-85392476571430260072013-10-13T00:41:00.004+03:002016-08-20T19:10:41.163+03:00Ideas, anyone? Let's brainstorm!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One complaint I hear both in IELTS and ECPE prep is regarding lack of ideas. I know that it can be overwhelming to write an academic essay on an issue you more than likely do not really care about, especially in a foreign language. Especially when you only have about 40 minutes (30 in the ECPE). Well, I am here to simplify this task. The first thing I want to remind you of is that the IELTS is developed for people exactly like you: English Language Learners who seek employment or education at the university level. So, you don't need any specialist knowledge about a particular topic. Let's assume that your vocabulary is good and you have a good grasp of grammar. What you then need is ideas. <br />
<br />
Take a look at this task borrowed from our friends at <a href="http://www.ielts-exams.net/">www.ielts-exams.net</a><br />
<br />
<strong>Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair.<br />Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.</strong><br />
<br />
The key words here are sports professionals, important professions, more money, justified and unfair. Jot them down on some paper. You are now about to do the most underrated but important task of writing: brainstorming. I know, I know, you think it's a waste of time. After all, you only have 40 minutes, so why use it writing down little notes that you may not use in the end? <br />
<br />
Allow me to speak from personal experience that if you spend 5 minutes jotting down notes you will thank me. Many, many (many, many) years ago when I was a university student, I took a class where there was a mandatory 3-5 page writing assignment every week. In the beginning of the semester, I would begin my assignment with a few ideas in my head and just start writing. While I was writing, invariably other ideas would come to my head & I remember thinking to myself, "okay, I will write that idea when I get to my next paragraph." Can you imagine what happened when I got to my next paragraph? I forgot my idea. What a waste of a good idea! I finally learned my lesson and starting brainstorming for these writing assignments and spending a little time writing down my ideas before getting down to the business of writing.<br />
<br />
So, back to our sports professionals: I am sure that you have some opinions about this issue. Think about them. Is it fair for a basketball or football star to earn millions of dollars for playing a game when people who save lives, like nurses or doctors for example, earn a lot less? Should sports stars make so much money? Are there any reasons why this is justified? You'll have to answer both these questions because the task has asked you to discuss both views. What you then have to do is write down some key words or a sentence to answer these questions. You should try to come up with at least 2-3 points for each question. In my next post, we'll work on turning our ideas into paragraphs. </div>
Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-36342934532239656992013-09-29T23:31:00.001+03:002016-08-20T19:08:20.937+03:00IELTS Writing Task 1 - Continued<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you have your introduction done and a sentence or two which more or less highlights the most important trend of the diagram, what comes next is an analysis of the details. Let's refer back to our population pie charts. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10hVBS0bKmfyhhx5YXOiqcyNRKtydUdkUurE8plsiFJ9MAl2pPHGOuTZNF3v2S9YQoANwr5rJi5FcVUzu5-dDn3pXaPOetDahWmI7v3EGB7Bzv6YxC-cGNmB5hPfs4WcaZrc7YqC7GpEo/s1600/IELTS_Writing_Task_1_139.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10hVBS0bKmfyhhx5YXOiqcyNRKtydUdkUurE8plsiFJ9MAl2pPHGOuTZNF3v2S9YQoANwr5rJi5FcVUzu5-dDn3pXaPOetDahWmI7v3EGB7Bzv6YxC-cGNmB5hPfs4WcaZrc7YqC7GpEo/s1600/IELTS_Writing_Task_1_139.png" width="320" /></a><br />
source: www.ielts-exams.net<br />
<br />
<br />
We mentioned Asia already, but we may want to give a little additional information here. <br />
<br />
<i>In 2000, Asia accounted for 54% of the world population. This is a 6% decrease from the 1900 figure.</i><br />
<br />
The next obvious area to cover is Europe.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The second largest percentage of the world population was recorded in Europe, at 14%</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> in 2000</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.5pt;">However</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.5pt;">this is</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> 11%</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> less than</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> the percentage recorded in 1900.</span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><br />
<br />
Another useful tip in IELTS task 1 is knowing how to group information. You can't and shouldn't write a sentence for every single piece of data so try to group similar features together.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>While the population percentages of areas, like North America, remained the same in 2000 and 1900, other areas, like Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean, more than doubled their figures.</i><br />
<br />
Some data cannot be grouped anywhere, but it may be important for other reasons.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>The year
2000 found the Middle East and <st1:place w:st="on">North Africa</st1:place>
with 6% of the world population, whereas no data is available in the pie chart
for this region in 1900. </i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">We've covered it all, so round out your answer with a conclusion. It's optional, really, provided you have summarized the key trend or feature in your second sentence, but it does round off the answer nicely. A summary of the most important data will do. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>Between
1900 and 2000 the world population increased by 4.4 billion. The areas of Asia and <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>
saw their percentages decrease while the remaining major areas either increased
or remained constant. </i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">178 words</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-68973300513269285202013-09-29T23:31:00.000+03:002016-08-20T19:07:15.948+03:00IELTS Writing Task 1 - Continued<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If you have your introduction done and a sentence or two which more or less highlights the most important trend of the diagram, what comes next is an analysis of the details. Let's refer back to our population pie charts. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10hVBS0bKmfyhhx5YXOiqcyNRKtydUdkUurE8plsiFJ9MAl2pPHGOuTZNF3v2S9YQoANwr5rJi5FcVUzu5-dDn3pXaPOetDahWmI7v3EGB7Bzv6YxC-cGNmB5hPfs4WcaZrc7YqC7GpEo/s1600/IELTS_Writing_Task_1_139.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10hVBS0bKmfyhhx5YXOiqcyNRKtydUdkUurE8plsiFJ9MAl2pPHGOuTZNF3v2S9YQoANwr5rJi5FcVUzu5-dDn3pXaPOetDahWmI7v3EGB7Bzv6YxC-cGNmB5hPfs4WcaZrc7YqC7GpEo/s1600/IELTS_Writing_Task_1_139.png" width="320" /></a><br />
source: www.ielts-exams.net<br />
<br />
<br />
We mentioned Asia already, but we may want to give a little additional information here. <br />
<br />
<i>In 2000, Asia accounted for 54% of the world population. This is a 6% decrease from the 1900 figure.</i><br />
<br />
The next obvious area to cover is Europe.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The second largest percentage of the world population was recorded in Europe, at 14%</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> in 2000</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.5pt;">However</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.5pt;">this is</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> 11%</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> less than</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> the percentage recorded in 1900.</span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><br />
<br />
Another useful tip in IELTS task 1 is knowing how to group information. You can't and shouldn't write a sentence for every single piece of data so try to group similar features together.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>While the population percentages of areas, like North America, remained the same in 2000 and 1900, other areas, like Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean, more than doubled their figures.</i><br />
<br />
Some data cannot be grouped anywhere, but it may be important for other reasons.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>The year
2000 found the Middle East and <st1:place w:st="on">North Africa</st1:place>
with 6% of the world population, whereas no data is available in the pie chart
for this region in 1900. </i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">We've covered it all,so round out your answer with a conclusion. It's optional, really, provided you have summarized the key trend or feature in your second sentence, but it does round off the answer nicely. A summary of the most important data will do. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>Between
1900 and 2000 the world population increased by 4.4 billion. The areas of Asia and <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>
saw their percentages decrease while the remaining major areas either increased
or remained constant. </i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">178 words</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3290936250321475071.post-83434965112400620962013-09-22T21:00:00.000+03:002013-09-22T21:00:58.873+03:00IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - How do I start?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In my IELTS
lessons, I always start with Writing Task 1.
The reason behind that is that is unlike anything any English student
has ever written before. Also, it’s
short, at 150-200 words and very formulaic.
So, if you know how to tackle it from early on, when you get to practice
tests it will be smooth sailing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Task 1
typically features one or two diagrams.
The diagrams can be tables, bar charts, pie charts, line graphs or a
combination of two. If there are two
diagrams there will be some relation between them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Most
students have no idea where to start.
Where to start is simply an issue of paraphrasing. That is, you explain what the diagram shows
in your own words. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="essay" style="background: #B2AEB5;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">The pie charts below give information about
world population in 1900 and 2000.</span></strong><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<br />
<strong>Summarise the information by selecting
and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.</strong></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="essay" style="background: #B2AEB5;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Write at least 150 words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10hVBS0bKmfyhhx5YXOiqcyNRKtydUdkUurE8plsiFJ9MAl2pPHGOuTZNF3v2S9YQoANwr5rJi5FcVUzu5-dDn3pXaPOetDahWmI7v3EGB7Bzv6YxC-cGNmB5hPfs4WcaZrc7YqC7GpEo/s1600/IELTS_Writing_Task_1_139.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10hVBS0bKmfyhhx5YXOiqcyNRKtydUdkUurE8plsiFJ9MAl2pPHGOuTZNF3v2S9YQoANwr5rJi5FcVUzu5-dDn3pXaPOetDahWmI7v3EGB7Bzv6YxC-cGNmB5hPfs4WcaZrc7YqC7GpEo/s1600/IELTS_Writing_Task_1_139.png" height="260" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" style="background: #B2AEB5; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> <span lang="EN-US">Source: www.ielts-exam.net</span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The first
sentence, or introduction is just a restatement of what the diagrams show. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="EN-US">Information is provided regarding the the
change in the world population by region in the years 1900 and 2000.</span></i><span lang="EN-US">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">What I’ve
done is I have mentioned 1. world population 2. by region 3. the years in
question. What you don’t want to do is
copy the prompt word for word. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> The next sentence describes the most obvious
feature or the biggest trend. For me,
two things really stick out in these diagrams: 1. that the population went from 1.6 to 6
billion in 100 years and 2. the greatest percentage was found in <st1:place w:st="on">Asia</st1:place> for both years.
So, how should we write this in
one to two sentences? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"> <i>While
the world population nearly quadrupled between 1900 and 2000, Asia consistently
accounted for over 50% of the world population.
<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">If you can
get these two sentences done, the rest of task one just becomes analyzing the details
more specifically. That is where editing
comes in. As I like to say, in task one
what you DON’T write is almost as important as what you DO write. You can’t and shouldn’t describe EVERY single
detail of the diagram. I’ll discuss more
of that in my next post. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Helen ESLhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02422265610872314765noreply@blogger.com0