IELTS Advice: memorised language

What do examiners consider to be "memorised language", and how will your score be affected if you use it?

Words
Individual words will not be considered memorised. However, if you have learnt some "big" words, you should make sure that you can use them in a natural and appropriate way, because incorrect use of words will affect your vocabulary score.

Phrases
It's fine to memorise and use "topic vocabulary" phrases (e.g. the opportunity to engage face-to-face) and short organising phrases (e.g. people have different views about...). However, I recommend that you avoid learning long "any essay" phrases (e.g. ... is a controversial and hotly debated issue in today's world). These "phrases for any essay" are very obvious to the examiner, and you'll probably get a lower score if you use them.

Sentences
Again, "topic vocabulary" is fine, but "any essay" sentences are not. So, if the question is about environmental problems, you can use a full sentence from my blog (e.g. Human activity is a major factor in the rise of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming). Having said that, it isn't easy to memorise full sentences for a wide range of topics, so I advise people to learn shorter "topic" phrases instead.

Paragraphs and full essays
If you write a perfect paragraph or full essay from memory and it fits the question, the examiner will not know and you will not be penalised. However, you would need to memorise hundreds of essays, so I don't recommend that you take this approach! Furthermore, if you write a perfect essay but it doesn't match the question, you will score zero!

My final tip
I recommend that you learn words and phrases (and maybe a few full sentences) for common IELTS topics, as well as some simple words and phrases for linking and organising your ideas. Don't learn lists of "phrases for any essay".

Comments

[Nam Anh]

Thank you very much, Teacher Simon!

[Duc Giang Nguyen]

Thank you, Teacher Simon.
I knew this site few days ago.
So today is the first day, I will try to follow daily lession.
I hope you and friends in this site can check anyproblem help me.
thank everyone!

[Oshkow]

Some countries such as Australia are making native speakers take the IELTS test for immigration purposes. It is all too easy for a native speaker to unwittingly come out with an "essay phrase" without realising it. All language is memorized somehow, even by native speakers.

[sjm]

Oshkow

The key here is in Simon's word 'long'. Natives tend to use short essay phrases, because we know that topic vocabulary is far more important to communicate meaning. Non natives in the IELTS test generally use much longer memorised phrases.

There is nothing wrong with some short 'essay phrases'. We need them to create a familiar structure, and this helps the reader to understand what the essay is about.

When an examiner reads an essay, there needs to be a 'balance' between functional, 'memorised' language, and topic vocabulary. As a general guide, I usually find that when memorised phrases (including linkers) begin to exceed 20% to 25% of the essay, it quickly becomes unnatural and begins to lack meaning.

[Nam Anh]

Thank you for your advice, Teacher Sjm!

[Angela]

Hello,Samon!Could you tell me if you have the materials relating to topic words?

[sujit kumar biswas]

Dear Sir

Human activity is a major factor in the rise of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming

why the verb is cause instead of causes

Thank you
Sujit

[Cafer]

Hi Sujit,

I am supposed that the answer for your Q is following:

'cause' refers in this context to 'the greenhouse gases' so this phrase is plural, and he author preferred to use this verb due to plural form of phrase,

I assume that you confuse with 'the rise of...' but it should not.

Thanks

[Harpreet]

Plz add number 9988449353