Here's a table showing the keywords that helped us to get the correct answers to last week's Yes, No, Not Given exercise.
Remember: you can only be sure that you have the correct answer when you can point to specific words in the passage that have a similar meaning to the words in the question.
Thank you Simon for sharing with us such helpful hints (or I should say...the only ones that actually make the difference).
I am going to take my IELTS in two weeks and - not uncommon for me - after plenty of good strategies, the small details are giving me even more troubles. I don't want them to hack my final score after studying so hard!
Here's what I mean.
Listening: use of Prepositions in short answers task
Q: when is the project due?_____
Script: "we have only three more weeks"
Correct answer: IN three weeks.
My answer: THREE WEEKS (Without preposition).
I know that including the preposition we have a proper answer, but I didn't write it because I DIDN'T listen it.
Are we requested to "adjust" gramatically our answer REGARDLESS what we hear or my answer is correct anyway?
Thanks for your help and patience!
Daniela
Posted by: daniela | May 28, 2012 at 16:12
Hi Daniela,
Fortunately, the preposition issue isn't very common. Try your best to check that the grammar of your answer is correct, but hopefully you won't encounter too many of those problems in your test.
Best of luck!
Posted by: Simon | May 28, 2012 at 16:44
cheers simon for your immediate reply!
Posted by: daniela | May 28, 2012 at 16:51
Hi Simon,
As you mentioned whether you save or spend= saving money and financial security is also given in paragraph, save(saving money) or spend have huge impact on financial security. all these mentioned in paragraph, than how question 2 is not given? please clarify it. thank you
Posted by: raja | May 28, 2012 at 19:32
Hi Raja,
It says that saving has a huge impact, but that doesn't mean that saving is THE key to financial security. There could be other 'keys' too (e.g. earning a good salary).
The main thing is that "the key" means "the most important thing" but it's not clear that this is true.
Posted by: Simon | May 29, 2012 at 17:52
Thank you Simon
your style of teaching is unique and understandable.
Posted by: raja | May 29, 2012 at 22:30
hi
can you please suggest some reading materials same as ielts reading passages to improve my reading skills.
Posted by: sherin jonh | June 03, 2012 at 17:53
Hello Sherin,
IELTS reading passages are adapted from real-world passages such as news articles and publications. Any formal material written by a native English-speaker is fine for practice. Read any interesting material in books, newspapers, journals or magazines. If you enjoy the material that you are reading, you might learn more!
If you have an Internet connection, you have unlimited reading material. My favourite news website is Google News. Almost anything that appears there is written at a professional level and makes for good reading practice!
Posted by: Jean-Luc | June 04, 2012 at 01:17
Hi Simon,
I have some problems with answering some questions so i was hoping for your help,
In Cambrige 5, test 1, reading passage 1, the first three questions I find difficult, mainly why is the statement D correct, as the text mentions that he used writings or texts from the Elizabethans to his own time. So, how could I know from this in the text that Johnson`s Dictionary is focused MAINLY on language from contemporary texts.
Also in Cambirge 5 in test 3, question 21., the sentence is correct, that is YES --"Stanley found that the levels of sediment in the river water in Cairo were relatively high" but in text states that water samples taken in Cairo, just before the river enters the delta, indicated that the river sometimes carries more thatn 850 grams of sediment per cubic metre of water - almost half of what it carried before the dams were built. So i think that the level of sediments in the water in Cairo is lower than previously, should be NO. So confusing!!! This relatively is confusing, whith what should i compare the levels of sediment?
In Cambridge 6 in test 1, I think the answer to question 13 should be 2%, not 20% as this is never mentioned in the text.
Thanks in advance.
Posted by: Sa | June 05, 2012 at 11:09
Hi Sa,
I'll check those questions and try to help when I've got a bit more time.
Posted by: Simon | June 05, 2012 at 11:31
hi saimon m ur new studnt.I LIKE UR TRICKS ND NEED MORE TIPS ON IMPROVING WRITING TASK ONE TANKS
Posted by: SAJIDA | December 25, 2012 at 18:29