IELTS Advice: the other 75%

Remember that 'grammar' is only 25% of your writing and speaking scores. I think you'll improve your scores faster if you focus on the other 75%.

In the writing test, the other 75% comes from your ideas, vocabulary and essay organisation. In the speaking test, the 75% comes from your fluency and coherence, vocabulary and pronunciation. Why not spend more time on those things instead of worrying so much about grammar?

Comments

[Farha]

Hi simon,
Can i use mean instead average in writing task 1?

[Khan]

Hi Simon,

I read a lot about your blog and interested in to buy an e-book. The reason is, I have been in Canada since 2014. IELTS, being one of the prerequisites to get admission in Canadian Universities, I also gave it and scored well in all the sections of the academic IELTS. After successfully completing my master’s degree from Canada I have been employed as an Electrical engineer in Canada since past 1 year. After becoming eligible to apply for Canadian immigration under the skilled worker program, I have given IELTS four times to get a minimum score of 6.0 bands in IELTS writing (minimum 6.0 is a prerequisite in each section to apply for Canadian immigration).
I have worked really hard to achieve this goal. I took IELTS tuitions from trained professionals. They always gave me a score of 6.5-7.0 bands in writing but for some reason, official IELTS exam results don’t reflect the same.
My recent IELTS exam result is as follows writing 5.5, reading 6.0, speaking 7.0 and listening 7.5. Unfortunately, I expected to score a minimum 6.0 in writing as well but could not achieve it.
Due to above-presented fact and figures, I would request you or anyone in this blog to please advise me what can I do?
Thank You

[Gireesh]

[10:11 AM, 3/25/2017] Gireesh USA: Hi Guys, I felt this is a challenging question for IELTS reading TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

14 There is now more wildlife in UK cities than in the countryside.
[10:11 AM, 3/25/2017] Gireesh USA: The past half century has seen an interesting reversal in the fortunes of much of Britain's wildlife. Whilst the rural countryside has become poorer and poorer, wildlife habitat in towns has burgeoned. Now, if you want to hear a deafening dawn chorus of birds or familiarise yourself with foxes, you can head for the urban forest.

Kindly try this answering

There are fifteen million domestic gardens in the UK. and whilst some are still managed as lifeless chemical war zones, most benefit the local wildlife, either through benign neglect or positive encouragement. Those that do best tend to be woodland species, and the garden lawns and flower borders, climber-covered fences, shrubberies and fruit trees are a plausible alternative. Indeed, in some respects gardens are rather better than the real thing, especially with exotic  flowers extending the nectar season. Birdfeeders can also supplement the natural seed supply, and only the millions of domestic cats may spoil the scene

Q: What type of garden plants can benefit birds and insects?

Here is one more, try this answer this

TRUE            if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE          if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

Public parks and gardens are being expanded to encourage wildlife.

There are fifteen million domestic gardens in the UK. and whilst some are still managed as lifeless chemical war zones, most benefit the local wildlife, either through benign neglect or positive encouragement. Those that do best tend to be woodland species, and the garden lawns and flower borders, climber-covered fences, shrubberies and fruit trees are a plausible alternative. Indeed, in some respects gardens are rather better than the real thing, especially with exotic  flowers extending the nectar season. Birdfeeders can also supplement the natural seed supply, and only the millions of domestic cats may spoil the scene.

[Gireesh]

I am stressed with this passage, Kindly answer and discuss

Running on empty
A revolutionary new theory in sports physiology.
A For almost a century, scientists have presumed, not unreasonably, that fatigue - or exhaustion in athletes originates in the muscles. Precise explanations have varied but all have been based on the ‘limitations theory’. In other words, muscles tire because they hit a physical limit: they either run out of fuel or oxygen or they drown in toxic by-products.
B In the past few years, however, Timothy Noakes and Alan St Clair Gibson from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, have examined this standard theory. The deeper they dig, the more convinced they have become that physical fatigue simply isn't the same as a car running out  of petrol. Fatigue, they argue, is caused not by distress signals springing from overtaxed muscles, but is an emotional response which begins in the brain. The essence of their new theory is that the brain, using a mix of physiological, subconscious and conscious cues, paces the muscles to keep them well back from the brink of exhaustion. When the brain decides its time to quit, it creates the distressing sensations we interpret as unbearable muscle fatigue. This ‘central governor* theory remains controversial, but it does explain many puzzling aspects of athletic performance.
C A recent discovery that Noakes calls the ‘lactic acid paradox' made him start researching this area seriously. Lactic acid is a by-product of exercise, and its accumulation is often cited as a cause of fatigue. But when research subjects exercise in conditions simulating high altitude, they become fatigued even though lactic acid levels remain low. Nor has the oxygen content of their blood fallen too low for them to keep going. Obviously, Noakes deduced, something else was making them tire before they hit either of these physiological limits.
D Probing further, Noakes conducted an experiment with seven cyclists who had sensors taped to their legs to measure the nerve impulses travelling through their muscles. It has long been known that during exercise, the body never uses 100% of the available muscle fibres in a single contraction. The amount used varies, but in endurance tasks such as this cycling test the body calls on about 30%.
E Noakes reasoned that if the limitations theory was correct and fatigue was due to muscle fibres hitting some limit, the number of fibres used for each pedal stroke should increase as the fibres tired and the cyclist’s body attempted to compensate by recruiting an ever-larger proportion of the total. But his team found exactly the opposite. As fatigue set in, the electrical activity in the cyclists' legs declined - even during sprinting, when they were striving to cycle as fast as they could.
F To Noakes, this was strong evidence that the old theory was wrong. ‘The cyclists may have felt completely exhausted,’ he says, ‘but their bodies actually had considerable reserves that they could theoretically tap by using a greater proportion of the resting fibres.’ This, he believes, is proof that the brain is regulating the pace of the workout to hold the cyclists well back from the point of catastrophic exhaustion.
G  More evidence comes from the fact that fatigued muscles don’t actually run out of anything critical. Levels of glycogen, which is the muscles’ primary fuel, and ATP. the chemical they use for temporary energy storage, decline with exercise but never bottom out. Even at the end of a marathon, ATP levels are 80-90% of the resting norm, and glycogen levels never get to zero.
H  Further support for the central regulator comes from the fact that top athletes usually manage to go their fastest at the end of a race, even though, theoretically, that's when their muscles should be closest to exhaustion. But Noakes believes the end spurt makes no sense if fatigue is caused by muscles poisoning themselves with lactic acid as this would cause racers to slow down rather than enable them to sprint for the finish line. In the new theory, the explanation is obvious. Knowing the end is near, the brain slightly relaxes its vigil, allowing the athlete to tap some of the body’s carefully hoarded reserves.
I But the central governor theory does not mean that what's happening in the muscles is irrelevant. The governor constantly monitors physiological signals from the muscles, along with other information, to set the level of fatigue. A large number of signals are probably involved but, unlike the limitations theory, the central governor theory suggests that these physiological factors are not the direct determinants of fatigue, but simply information to take into account.
J  Conscious factors can also intervene. Noakes believes that the central regulator evaluates the planned workout, and sets a pacing strategy accordingly. Experienced runners know that if they set out on a 10-kilometre run. the first kilometre feels easier than the first kilometre of a 5-kilometre run, even though there should be no difference. That, Noakes says, is because the central governor knows you have farther to go in the longer run and has programmed itself to dole out fatigue symptoms accordingly.
K St Clair Gibson believes there is a good reason why our bodies arc designed to keep something back. That way, there's always something left in the tank for an emergency. In ancient times, and still today, life would be too dangerous if our bodies allowed us to become so tired that we couldn't move quickly when faced with an unexpected need

List of headings
i         Avoiding tiredness in athletes
ii        Puzzling evidence raises a question
iii       Traditional explanations
iv       Interpreting the findings
v         Developing muscle fibres
vi        A new hypothesis
vii       Description of a new test
viii      Surprising results in an endurance test

28  Paragraph A
29  Paragraph B
30  Paragraph C
31  Paragraph D
32 Paragraph E
33  Paragraph F

A the Limitations Theory
B the Central Governor Theory
C both the Limitations Theory and the Central Governor Theory
 
Write the correct letter A, B or C in boxes 34-40 on your answer sheet.
NB: You may use any letter more than once.
34   Lactic acid is produced in muscles during exercise.
35     Athletes can keep going until they use up all their available resources.
36     Mental processes control the symptoms of tiredness.
37     The physiological signals from an athlete's muscles are linked to fatigue.
38     The brain plans and regulates muscle performance in advance of a run.
39     Athletes' performance during a race may be affected by lactic acid build-up.
40    Humans are genetically programmed to keep some energy reserves.

[Gireesh]

Hi,
Khan, I am also preparing for IELTS and giving my test on Apr 8th, you can join me for combined studies and discussion.

[Khan]

Gireesh,
That would be great! currently, I am only focusing on writing task 2.

[jacinda]

I notice 25% of score comes from "coherence and cohesion". What is the difference and how do I get it?

[Khan]

'Coherence and Cohesion': how much your essay related to the topic based on your examples and own experience.

[sjm]

Khan

I always worry when I hear 'trained professionals'. Unfortunately IELTS is a test where you can be heavily penalised, especially in Academic writing Task 1, so you really need someone who understands the marking criteria fully.

If you get a writing score like 5.5 when your English is reasonable, the main problem is often found in Task 1, and usually around missing a key feature, having an inadequate overview, or focusing on details instead of highlights. If you don't understand these expressions, then you have probably received some bad advice.

For Task 2, a common problem is not having a clear and consistent opinion 'throughout' the essay.

I strongly suggest you have your writing analysed by someone following the marking criteria in details to identify where your main problem areas are.

[sjm]

Khan

Actually 'coherence and cohesion' does not relate to whether your essay is related to the topic (that is more 'task response'). It refers to how your writing is organised and includes paragraphing, organisational language such as linking expressions, and referencing and substitution.

[Khan]

sjm,
Thanks for your input.
Coherence and Cohesion – sequences and logical flow of information.