IELTS Advice: your comments

You might have noticed that I no longer reply to most comments. I'm afraid it has become impossible for me to keep up with the questions that people ask me.

However, I do still read every comment, and your questions influence the lessons that I write. Please feel free to keep commenting, and please don't be offended if I don't answer you individually.

PS. Congratulations to those of you who wrote to say that you got the scores you needed last week! It's great to hear that my lessons have helped.

Comments

[borno]

Hi Simon,

Your valuable advise and lessons inspired me to take the IELTS test again which I was gave up a year before.

I've took the exam again on 22nd September and got same score (L7.5 R 7 W 6.5 and S 7) like before yesterday. Failed again to make four 7. Writing is my weak part in IELTS and haven't made more than 6.5 ever.

I'd like to ask for remark this time. Also got the same score before but never asked for remarking. Could you please advice me something or do you think it will be worth to ask for remarking?

Thanks again on advance for your suggestion.

[Srish]

Hi,
i too repeatedly getting 6.5 in writing(7 times)I never ask for remarking,because very very rarely your score will be change in remarking.At the same time,they charge too much for remarking. Anyway wish you all the best.

[life is hard]

Dear Freindss,

This is trend nowdays.They give 6.5 unless your essay is extra ordinary then you can get 7 or above.
Marking criteria are very vague.Wit that criteria they can give you anyband still if they want to give 6 band that can give you.there not much difference 6and7 criteria.

[manisha]

Hello Simon,
In a bar chart if it is given 'time off and help with fees' can we paraphrase it with 'help in terms of day off and monetary aids'

[Abbas]

Dear friends,

Regarding your comments here and also your style of writing and grammatical structure, I should point out some issues here.
Given the fact that obtaining the band 7 in IELTS test is so demanding, lets not forget the fact that in your comments above, there had been some obvious and careless grammatical mistakes which make your essay far from band 7.
Students who are leaping to acquire this band should be flawless of theses mistakes.

Hope you get your desired band score anytime soon.

[life is Hard]

To Abbas,

We are not in writing exam at the moment,and you dont give exam on computer.I am not good with computer so I dont bother to correct my mistakes here,eventhough I know where my mistakes are,because its time counsuming.
In IELTS we do proofreading to find out any mistakes,here we dont.
ONe more thing three 8 and one 6.5,mean youare damm good.you dont get three eight with poor english.
Writing exam is subjective.what does it mean.Why dont they allow you to look at your mistakes.

Hope thats clear for you.

[Abbas]

Thanks you for accepting your weak points and problems!
wish u all the best

[Abbas]

Thank you for accepting your weak points and problems!

wish u all the best

[life is Hard]

Hi Abbas
If you write 'u' instead of 'you' then you wont get 7 bands,doesnt matter how good you are.

And read your second last comment.
Thanks you or thank you.I know you have corrected but I dont bother if I do same mistake.
I have already acheived required score which was overall 7.5 with no less than 7 in any module.8,8,7.5,7.5

Wish you luck as well.

[Abbas]

Dear life is hard,

its so interesting that still U have held grudge against me :-)))
come on i just said what was in my thoughts and didn't want to offend anyone. your comments are turning into a standing joke from now on if you dont stop it ;-)

thx for wishing me luck :)

[Andrea]

Hi, Simon,
I just got my score. Only 0.5 less in the listening. What a pity! I have a question about how to write the words. Can I write all the answers in capital letter in listening part? Is that OK?

[Simon]

Yes, that's fine Andrea. I hope you get the score you need next time.

...

Hi Abbas and Life is hard,

I think you are both in agreement, and I wish you both luck!

[life is Hard]

Hello Abbas,

It seems you are native english speaker from your comments.I dont understand what are you doing here?

To Andrea,
You can write your answers in capital letter for listeing and reading.It wont affect your score.

[Abbas]

Hello my friend "life is hard":

No im not native;-)

[Lyn]

Hi Simon,
I've just done with a test in Cam 5 but have some difficulty knowing the reasons for my mistakes. Could you please explain me with the number 24 and 26 page 93/ Cam 5. I can't find the answers in the text.
I know that you cannot answer all the questions individually but i don't know where to ask this. If anyone here could help me with this, i will really appreciate.

[Abbas]

Dear Lyn

Regarding your first question (no. 24) as you can see on page 89 paragraph 3 is explaining that they have seen "hundreds of cases and it is just the tip of the iceberg", which means "little doubt" .
And about your second question (no. 26) on page 90 one paragraph left to the end of the passage you can see " Data showing the scale of the nickel sulphide problem is almost impossible to find" which is, False.

Hope it could help

Good luck

[Eric]

Hi Simon,

About this question, "Modern lifestyles mean that many parents have little time for their children. Many children suffer because they do not get as much attention from their parents as children did in the past.

Do you agree or disagree?"

Do I need to write one paragraph about the first sentence and the another paragraph about the other sentence or simply talk about this situation in general by giving two ideas in two paragraph?

[mavlon]

hi simon
i have got confusio with writing opinion essays clearly i am wondering how i can write introduction for the opinio essay that include 2 arguments for agree ad 1 for disagree could you please explain it and give a sample for that type essay
profuse thanks beforehand

[Saeed Ahmed]

Hi Simon. I have question for you about distration happend during the listening exam.During the listening exam when the Tape reached in question 21-24, the Azan( prayer)from outside the examination hall. It start distraction during the question 21-24.so i totly missed the listening conversation during that particular time..The head of the exam " Paused" the listning tape after question 24. she did not rewind it. I made compalint and then further apply EOR for listening. The british council offered me full free IELTS Test again , as they said that no benfit for EOR because computer will check the listening result.but my concern is that awarded me 4 marks as compensation rather giving the full Ielts exam again.because i got the 7, 6.5,6.0 in other module. i got 5.5 in listening due to that distration.So please can you answer me that what is the exactly criteria if distration caused during liesning exam about compensation because retaking all 4 module of ielts, i do not understand any sense.please reply me.

[Shirin]

I am getting too edgy and its getting impossible for me towait for two more for my exams.....

[Shirin]

days* ooops missed it in hurry

[Kusuma]

Greetings Simon,

I would like to express my gratitude towards you for giving the best and most important tips on how to prepare for the IELTS exam. I only went through your blog and tried couple of listening and reading examples. I am a working woman and I hardly get free time to prepare for the exam. I spent lunch and tea breaks going through your blog for around 3 weeks. I am glad that I got over all 7 in the first attempt in IELTS General, L-6.5, R-6.5, W-7, S-7.

Once again thank you tons for creating and spending time on this blog and helping out millions of students like me to crack IELTS easily.

Thanks and Regards,
Kusuma

[Simon]

That's great to hear Kusuma. I'm glad my lessons helped you!