IELTS Advice: review vocabulary

You may have read this week's lessons here on the blog, but did you take notes? Would you really be able to use the vocabulary that I used?

Let's review some good phrases from this week's lessons:

• society is undergoing enormous change(s)
• make significant changes to their lives
• encounter a situation
• (something) presents a challenge / challenges
• acquire knowledge
• add to your/his/her/their skill set
• a break with the past
• share common interests / have something in common with
• spend time with
• honest and trustworthy
• have time to yourself
• take stock and reflect on things

Comments

[Emin]

Hi Simon

My question is not about this topic. 1. I want to ask you that does the examiner can reduce our score in the exam for using same answers like other people? 2. And if I use the text ( it doesn't matter speaking or writing ) as same as in your site can they reduce my score?

[Khanh]

Hi Simon,

I took the IELTS test on 9 Mar, and the results was public yesterday. I was so surprised and happy when looking at the result. I didn't think that I could achieve that score. My score is 6.5 overall, in which: L:6; R:6.5; W:7; S:6.5.

Oh my goodness, I couldn't believe in my eyes, I thought that I would have to retake the test and my score would be below 6.0 because I didn't think I did 4 modules well. I couldn't believe it, I was really very nervous before and during the test time, and that made me make many mistakes such as wrong spelling, wrong grammar... you know what, when I did the test at home, the band scores were really good, especially Listening and Reading, but when I was in the test room, oh my god, I couldn't realize what the speakers said in Listening test. About the Reading, I guessed the answer much more than I knew the answer when reading the passages and I didn't finish Reading in the right time so I just guessed the answers without reading the passages. The most surprising thing is Writing and Speaking.

In Writing, spent a lot of time on Task 1, about 40 minutes, and I didn't realize until I finished Task 1 and looked at the clock. At that time, I thought what was happening to the time, why the time went by so fast. I nearly gave up task 2, because I thought I had no enough time to write it with 250 words, there was 20 minutes left only, but I tried to write down everything that came to my mind without thinking anything else. I tried to apply your techniques of writing Introduction (2 sentences - 5 minutes for this) and conclusion (1 sentence - more than 1 minute for this), and I spent about more than 13 minutes on 2 paragraph body. I didn't think that I could get band 7, but I did.

In Speaking, I didn't do it well in part 2 and 3, I had no idea about neighbor topic so I didn't say anything much. But I got 6.5

Although 6.5 overall is not a high score and I think I can get the higher score if I prepared it more carefully and seriously, it's just enough for me now. And what I learned from this time is that I have to count on myself and learn how to handle time well.

Ah, to be honest, I had only one month for preparation and I didn't know anything about IELTS, except for knowing that it has 4 modules L,R,W and S. Only one month to review old things and learn a lot of new things.

I would like to thank you, Simon, your website is very useful, it helps me a lot in writing and speaking.

[Khanh]

ah, one more thing, I would like to tell you that I studied all by myself, without a teacher but just Cambridge books and your Website. My target was to achieve 6.5 overall and I did it. So happy ^_^. Thanks again, Simon.

[Suman]

Congratulation khanh:-)
I wish you all the best for future career.
I didn't study last 6 years. Now I want to give IELTS exam in august.
I need 6.5. My reading is so week. It would be nice if you can suggest me.
Thank you in advance.
Suman

[Nana]

Hi Simon
This is my first time ,I wrote comment, I have attend with teacher who recommended me to avoid looking at your website . And I was so surprised because I know your website is very useful one.
The first ielts exam I got 2.5 in writing exam ,then in second time I got 5 I believe my english was so bad ,but because I bought your e-book and was very good one. And I had worked too hard for 3 months then I got 5. I strongly believe that your website is brilliant and no body could stop me browsing it thank you a lot simon.
Nono

[Natalia]

Congratulation!!! I take my exam in April and I need only 6.0 overall but I don't know if I score it but you're comment helps me to build my confidence and now I know that I can do it:) thanks Khanh

[Hanasahi]

Hi Khanh,
Good job! Have you study full time in the exam preparation?
Your result is really impressive

[Hai]

Hi Khanh,
I am also struggling with IELTS. Could you help me to check my Writing?
Thanks

[Andy]

Hi Simon

Thank you for your reminder and I think it would help me improve my skills of writing and speaking a lot.

[Khanh]

Dear Suman,
Thank you. I really don't know how to suggest, but keep practicing, the more you practice, the better you are, and follow Simon's advice. Let see this exam as a battle and you're a warrior, keep fighting till the end and don't give up because you have nothing to lose, but exam fee. Good luck! ^_^

Hi Natalia,
Thanks a lot. Be confident and believe in yourself, we can do everything when we believe.

Hi Hanasashi,
Thank you. I was working all day, so I just had about 4 hours per night to study. After a hard working day, it was not really easy to stuff something into my head, but I had to try a lot because I didn't want to retake the test. Sometimes, I felt extremely stressed, and I decided to go to sleep or watch some movies and stop studying few days. I don't think my result is good, other candidates had better results than mine.

Hi Hai,
I don't think I'm good enough to check your writing, but I hope I can help you a little, it's my pleasure ^_^. Are you Vietnamese? Here is my email address: [[email protected]], please contact me via email if you don't mind. We can study together, I want to improve my score as well.

[Suman]

Hi Khanh:)
Thank you so much for reply.
Best of luck with your further career.
Suman

[Hanasahi]

Hi Khanh

Do agree that 6.5 is not very high range, but it is enough good for ensuring that you are on right way, and what need is the time to practice. Right? How can you self evaluate your English level before preparing the exam? And how long have you graduated from the university. Sorry it is a bit detail, but it can help build up the efficient plan for myself, thank for sharing.

[Khanh]

Hi Hanasahi,

You're right, I'm trying to improve my score, especially Speaking and Listening and Reading as well. Honestly, I had never self evaluated my English level before preparing the exam, I took TOEIC exam more than 2 years ago, the result was not good, just 640 for both reading and listening skills. I graduated from university more than 2 years ago. I have studied English since I was 6, and when I was in high school, I was studying a lot of English for 3 years from basic to advance, especially grammar and writing, because my class was specialized in English. When I went to university, I thought English was very easy for me, so I didn't study it as much as I did in high school, I had 4 years in university. At that time, I decided to take some courses in Language Center to practice Speaking and Listening, because I didn't practice 2 skills much in high school. After graduating from university, I barely studied English anymore, because I am really busy and have no time for this, but I have to use English in my job - reading materials and writing emails.

It's nice to share this with you!

[Simon]

Congratulations Khanh! It's good to hear that you got what you needed by using only my website and the Cambridge books!

[Seetharaman Raja]

Season Greetings !!!

I got my IELTS results after a big delay. Overall band - 7, Reading - 7.5, Listening - 8.5, Writing - 6, Speaking - 6.5. I was really confident that I would secure above 7.5 in writing. Is the module being marked randomly? Should I apply for a revaluation?