In the listening test it's important to use the breaks well. There are breaks between the four sections of the test, and there are breaks in the middle of sections 1, 2 and 3 (there is no break in the middle of section 4). You will hear instructions like this:
- First you have some time to read questions 1 to 5.
- That is the end of section 1. You now have half a minute to check your answers.
1. 'Some time' means about 20 seconds, or up to 40 seconds before section 4. It's important to use this time to read the questions, make sure you understand them, underline key words, and think about what kind of answer is needed (e.g. number, name, noun, verb, singular, plural).
2. Ignore this instruction - don't check a section that you have just finished. It's much more important to be ready for the next section. If you're not ready when the recording starts, you will find it very difficult to read the questions and listen to the answers at the same time. So use this time to read ahead.
Hi Simon!
As I know, in IELTS Listening task, we should refer their answers to the answer sheet in the last 10 minutes; but in the Reading task, we should write their answers throughout the reading process, shouldn't we?
Thank you!
Posted by: Vinh H. Nguyen | March 20, 2019 at 05:34
Dear Simon,
Can we use less instead of fewer? I mean for uncountable nouns.
Less carbon dioxide (U) and less cars (C).
Their relationship lasted less than 9 months.
Posted by: Syd | March 20, 2019 at 13:18
Syd
'Fewer' is only used for plural nouns.
Traditional grammar would use 'less carbon dioxide and fewer cars', although, as the graph below shows, 'less cars' is also in use, so presumably also acceptable.
https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=less+cars%2Cfewer+cars&year_start=1960&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cless%20cars%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cfewer%20cars%3B%2Cc0
Posted by: Oleg | March 20, 2019 at 18:46
Hi Simon,
Someone advised that we should read the most difficult part - section 4 questions in the first break, then section 3 and 2, as section 1 is the easiest one. I feel confused about the sequence. Do you recommend this way?
Thank you very much!
Posted by: kelly | March 21, 2019 at 11:31
Hi Simon
would you please tell me about the lenghth of breaks befor each section ad also the e middle of each section?
how i can mange it at all?
thanks in advance
Posted by: bahar | August 23, 2019 at 18:24