WRITING TASK 2 - FOR BAND 6

WRITING TASK 2 

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. 

Write about the following topic: 

Modern technology now allows rapid and uncontrolled access to and exchange of information. 

Far from being benefical, this is a danger to our societies. 

What are your views? 

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. 

Write at least 250 words.

In last few years, the morden technology has been developed very fast. People getting used to use the rapid and uncontrolled technology instead of (some people believe that) manpower. On the other hand, it brings problems to our societies. I will consider these different points of views in  favor to support the modern technology. 

It has been argued that too much morden technology cause people losing their job. Nowadays,many factories are using automatic technology instead manpower, in order to increase their business. However, It brings a huge problem of unemployment, furthermore, it would increasing on the crimes rate. Similarly, morden technology speeds up our life. people feel stressful about their jobs, families, and societies. 

It is no doubt that modern technology developed our life more convenient than before. For 

example, we could keeping in touch with our friends which live far away from us pass through the  internet. Moreover, companies could contact with their customer by the internet. It’s much cheaper  than calling the long-distance phone. Besides, the technology development could help medicine inventing.

How do you use positive emphasis and you attitude to present your point of view?

Q. If you were at a conference that your boss sent you to and you really did have much information that was good from the meeting except a few, how you you express the positive ememphasis and your attitude to present your point of view?

A. The main idea with creating a sense of positive emphasis is to speak with a great amount of conviction and to show confidence in your words and ideas. If you make entirely sure that you know what you're talking about and present the information in a clear and defined manner, then the rest seemingly works itself out. The only work you have to do is to make sure that you are relaxed and comfortable so that everything comes out at a steady pace, and as well, so that you don't skip over any important details that your audience would find beneficial. Also, it never hurts to maintain an assuring dose of eye contact. It goes a long way to do so, and it will greatly help you in your effort to stamp down the positive emphasis you wish to achieve.

Practicing for IELTS Speaking....!

Practicing for the speaking part of the IELTS English proficiency exam is daunting, to say the least. There are so many elements of a good speech that you have to remember to score the necessary band to get into your English-speaking university of choice. If you are not sure where to start, take a look at these tips:

1.) Don’t worry so much about your speed. More important are your abilities to speak without grammatical mistakes and to have few pauses or hesitancies in your speaking. Pronunciation is also negatively affected by speaking too quickly. So slow down, and concentrate on making yourself understood. 

2.) Choose your higher-level vocabulary carefully. Many students end up sounding like they are living 150 years ago because their vocabularies are so formal. Choose a few (about three or four) words that are higher-level in your interview to use. Don’t overdo it. 

3.) Use transitions. The flow of ideas from one part of the speaking prompt to another is important to the interviewer being able to understand you. Words and phrases like, “in addition, “first,” “moreover,” “next,” and “finally,” will help your listener understand where you are going with your speech. 

4.) Be concise. Address each point of the speaking task, but don’t waste precious seconds giving unnecessary background information. Focus your efforts on giving a solid speech that uses vocabulary specific to each question and that does, in fact, answer each question.

The speaking part of the IELTS takes time and practice to improve. Practice with another English language learner or with a native speaker if you can. Record yourself speaking, and then listen to it to find your own mistakes. Don’t give up, and keep practicing!

Qualifying words

For those of you looking to improve your writing and reading, take note of some of these alternative ways to describe the quality of something.

Time/Rate of occurrence	Never, rarely, seldomly, once in a blue moon, occasionally, sometimes, often, next to always, always, without fail
Conditional	Only, except, if, on the condition that, provided that
Order	Before, after, first, second, third, final, last
People	Women, men, male, female, professional
Negative	Non-, un-, not, no
Quantity	Surpassing, over, under, few, too much, too little, not enough
Supporting/Refuting	Anti-, but, yet, however, on the other hand, with this, in favour of
Possibility	May, might, could, potentially, possibly, probably, must, certainly
Importance	Necessary to, need to, ought to, have to
Comparison	More ... than, bigger, smaller
Additional info	Further, in addition, also, as well

4 Reasons Why It is Better to Review than to Self Study..!

The International English Language Test System is the examination that will open opportunities to you beyond this country. With the IELTS, you can go to any English-communicating nation – Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. Thus, preparing for the examination is quite important. Everybody has their own way of prepping for the IELTS, but one question remains: should you or should you not get in to a review center.

Here are the top reasons why going to a review center is worth your time and money.

1. The IELTS isn’t just a test of English competency. It is also a test of approach. To succeed in the examination, you should know how to attack the questions properly. In other words, it is as much about techniques as it is about English proficiency. Which leads us to the second reason enrolling to a review center is very helpful.

2. Review centers have exam experts. A quality review center will not let you done. They have people who will not only help you improve your English proficiency, but also to teach you the ins and outs of the examination. The IELTS is tricky; it has unspoken rues that will leave the self-reviewer confounded. IELTS experts and coaches can teach you the correct approach to answering questions.

3. Review center experts give you an excellent assessment of your Writing and Speaking skills. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know your band score for Listening and Reading subtest, but assessing your Writing and Speaking is much more complicated. The IELTS uses a rubric for scoring your written and spoken examination, something that review center experts are familiar with, so you will probably receive near-accurate band scores for your output. What is more important is that they can help you pinpoint the particular aspects you need to improve on. Studying alone would make this part of the process unnecessarily long and difficult, because this means you need to learn the rubrics of the exam as well.

4. Getting into a review program gives you value for your money. Not only do you get instructions on how to attack the examination, you also get a lot of free materials from quality review centers.

Let us do the math:

• Hiring a private tutor will cost you RS1500.00/hour. Say you need to study for 24 hours, then that is RS36,000.00 already.
• One compilation of IELTS material will cost you roughly RS3000.
• That’s 39000.00 already.

A typical review center like B-GHUD would offer you an unlimited prep program for less than half the cost, which would include instructions from your coaches, materials, as well as a schedule that is flexible enough to accommodate even the busiest person.

Over all, investing in a review program as part of your IELTS prep is a good deal. Make sure that you look for a good review center though.

IELTS Exam Bands : Explained...!

The International English Language Test System Band Score – one of the requirements for you to pursue your dreams of studying, working, and living in abroad. Understanding what they mean and how they you actually got the band score is important in your preparation for the IELTS.

In order to get your IELTS band score average, some computation is in order. For the Listening and Reading subtest, the methods are quite straight forward. Your raw score is directly converted to a band score. For Writing and Speaking, it is a bit more complicated.

For Writing, your work is judged through four components:

• Task Achievement or Response
• Coherence and Cohesion
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy
• Lexical Resource

Each component gives you a fourth of your band score.

The same method is employed in computing your Speaking Exam score, except the components here are:

• Fluency and Coherence
• Pronunciation
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy
• Lexical Resource

Here is a trivia: did you know that your IELTS band score has corresponding descriptions, and that these descriptions are related to your language proficiency?

Here are the descriptions:

Band 9. A band 9 is what you get if you have perfected your reading or listening examination. A band 9 is considered to have native-level fluency in English and can completely comprehend the materials presented in the IELTS. Someone who gets a Band 9 is considered an Expert User of the language.

Band 8. A test-take who receives a band 8 in his or her IELTS is considered a Very Good User. He or she has full operational command with only occasional inaccuracies.

Band 7. This is the most common requirement in the most competitive schools, workplaces, and even migration and consultancy agencies. Reaching the band 7 score and being assessed by the IELTS as a Good User of English is equivalent to receiving a score that can get you a lot of opportunities. Band 7 means having operational command of the language with only occasional inaccuracies.

Band 6. Having a band 6 means you are a Competent User of the language. Essentially this means you have an effective command, with inaccuracies. A band 6 is usually asked from migrants and students.

Band 5. Band 5 is, on average, the lowest possible band score required in many countries. A Modest User of the language means having partial command and many mistakes in expression and comprehension.

Band 4. Someone with an IELTS Band 4 is a Limited User of the language, with frequent problems in expression and comprehension.

Band 3. Being an Extremely Limited User of the language means only having a general understanding of what he or she is reading, or listening.

Band 2. This score is equivalent to being an Intermittent User of English. This person only has basic understanding of the language and experiences great difficulty of comprehension.

Band 1. Essentially, this band score means the test-taker is a non-user of the language.

Indeed, your score in the IELTS examination reflects your abilities to use the language quite clearly, so always try and aim for that Expert User status.

90% Of People Can't Pronounce This Whole Poem. You Have To Try It.

If you can pronounce correctly every word in this poem, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English speakers in the world.

After trying the verses, a Frenchman said he’d prefer six months of hard labor to reading six lines aloud.

IELTS Reading Test Tips - 2....!

The Reading Examination is said to be one of the more difficult sub-test of the IELTS. The reading materials in the General Training module are different from the Academic module, but the format and the question types are essentially the same. The Reading Exam has three section, and each contains a reading material. For GT, the first two sections have two (2) reading materials which can be a poster, a short how-to article, an announcement, or a directory. The entire examination has 40 questions, with question types varying from multiple choice to comprehension questions.

The main problem of most test takers when it comes to IELTS Reading is being able to complete the examination within the set time. You only have 60 minutes to read all the passages and to answer 40 questions. There are many other reasons while test-takers fail to get their required band score In the Reading Test.

Here are some tips that may help you survive IELTS Reading.

1. Know that ALL of the answers are within the text. Many test takers make the mistake of trying to come up with their own answers when in fact everything they need is in the passages or the reading materials. All you need to do, really, is to look for them.
2. The Reading Exam does not have extra time for transferring of answers. In the Listening Test, you are given 10 minutes to transfer your answer to the answer sheet. In Reading, there is no provision for this. You have 60 minutes or an hour. You must make time to copy the answers from the test booklet to the answer sheet or opt to write directly on the answer sheet.
3. Perfect the first two sections. The Reading Test is arranged in order of difficulty, thus Section 1 is the easiest and Section 3 is the most difficult. This means that if you perfect the first two section, then you would have more room for mistakes in the 3^rdsection, which is really the part of the test where most mistakes are committed.
4. Learn the techniques for speed reading and attacking questions. Since time is of the essence, it is important for you to be able to read fast. Also, certain question types are easier to answer if you know the particular technique for it. Make sure that you familiarize yourself with these techniques and to practice these consistently.
5. Know what you did right and what you did wrong. The only way for you to determine if you answered right or wrong is to rationalize your answer. Since everything you need is in the passages, rationalization can be done by being able to point out which part of the text supports your answer.
6. Comprehension is the name of the game. The most difficult questions in the IELTS Reading Test are comprehension questions. This means that you would need to understand what the writer means. Improve your comprehension skills by reading more and increasing your vocabulary.

The IELTS Reading Exam may seem like a formidable test, but with the right technique and adequate skill, you will be able to ace it.

IELTS Reading Test Tips....!

The Reading examination is the second part of the written aspect of the International English Language Test System (IELTS). It has three (3) sections of increasing difficulty and 40 questions that are of multiple types. Academic and General Training Modules differ when it comes to the Reading Test. GT Reading may look easier, because the reading materials are simply everyday stuff – posters, instructional manuals, and the like. However, Academic and GT Reading have the same question type and you need a higher score in GT Reading to achieve the same band as in Academic Reading.

The Reading Exam is said to be one of the more difficult parts of the IELTS. I believed this once myself, when I took the test. However, having worked in the IELTS exam prep industry for years, I found out something that bears sharing – the Reading Exam is not difficult; it is tricky.

Here are some tips that may help you if you’re stuck in a rut in the Reading Exam.

1. Read the questions first. The Reading Test is essentially answered by looking for answers, but how will you know what to look for? Look at the questions first so you will save time. If you read the article first, you might have already read the answer but not know that it is what you need.
2.  Try and perfect the first two the sections. Sections 1 and 2 in the test are the easiest and would thus more likely yield points for the test taker. Perfecting these sections would mean less pressure in getting points from the last section, which is the most difficult.
3. Invest on quality review materials for the Reading Test. This is especially important because the IELTS Reading Exam is 50% language skills and 50% techniques. A close approximation of the examination is very helpful especially when trying to figure out appropriate techniques for certain question types. However, these materials are quite expensive. Another option would be to enroll in review centers, where these materials are given for free.
4. Practice, practice, practice. Since 50% of the examination is technique-based, practicing these techniques is essential to hitting that high band score. It would also do well to practice skills such as speed reading because in the reading examination, managing time is another problem most test takers encounter.
5. Never assume. The Reading Examination text gives you all you need to answer all 40 questions. The main mistake of many test takers is that they go beyond what is written and give answers based on their own assumptions. This is why they make mistakes. When taking the reading examination, always ask yourself if your answer can be supported by the passage. If not, your answer is most likely wrong.

Have the right attitude. The exam can be infuriating and progress to hitting that you need may be slow. This is normal, especially in the beginning of the training when you are still learning the ropes and trying to understand how to best attack the exam. Be disciplined in your preparation and be patient with yourself. Find yourself a teacher if you feel you really need more help.

4 things to make the most out of IELTS practice....!

You’ve begun your preparations for the International English Language Test System (IELTS). Congratulations. Deciding to take things seriously and really getting into study mode are sometimes the most difficult part of the preps. Now is the time for determination, patience, and discipline, but those three won’t get you anywhere if you’re not practicing. Here’s a little secret: the Internet has so many practice examinations you can download. You’ll be swimming in practice exams in no time. Of course, your review center would probably provide you with some stuff to answer as well.

If you’re planning on doing some extra work outside your prep school, then it’s best to do something well, and that involves simulating the actual exam conditions. Of course, you can’t very well rent Crowne Plaza or Dusit Hotel just so you can have your practice test, right? Let us settle for having a few essentials.

1. Timer. Or a watch will do – anything that will tell you that your time is up. Remember that the IELTS is very strict when it comes to time limits. Managing how long you’ll spend on a section of the examination is important, if you want to finish on time. In the exam, there are no ifs, no buts, if time is up, then pass your papers. Here’s a quick check on how long each exam will be:

Listening: 30 minutes (recording and test) + 10 minutes (transfer time)
Reading: 60 minutes
Writing: 60 minutes
Speaking: 11-14 minutes

Try and finish before the time’s up, but don’t get frustrated if you couldn’t. Remember that as you get better, you also get faster – so more practice!

2. Speakers. If you’re practicing Listening at home, keep away from the headsets. The bad thing with headsets is that it makes it easier for you to concentrate on the recordings since it blocks out external noise. Yes, that’s bad. Exam conditions are different. Not only will you be using the speaker during the test, you would also be exposed to a lot of distraction. Invigilators will be walking around, peaking at your papers and making sure you’re not causing trouble. Your seatmate may be sighing desperately. People may be tapping their pencils on the table, at a loss of what the answer is. Best to get used to how it’s done when you actually sit the test.

3. At least 3 pieces of Mongol #3 pencils (because you’d really be better off using time to answer the question than sharpening your writing tools), eraser, and a sharpener (just in case).

These are the basic things you need to answer the test. It’s practically mortal sin to not have them.

4. An answer sheet. An intermediate pad is the best choice, because you can write 250 on it and it won’t look as if extra paper. You will need to practice with an answer sheet because in the actual IELTS exam whatever isn’t in the answer sheet doesn’t count. You can perfect the exam, but it means absolutely nothing unless you’ve written the answers down on the paper the examiners will check.

Practice exam isn’t about finishing as many as you can. In fact, it’s better to practice smart than practice much. Make everything you do during prep time a learning process.

Good luck with your IELTS!

Three Tips to Improve Your IELTS Speaking Exam

Depending on someone’s skills, the Speaking Exam if the IELTS may be the most difficult of all the subtests. This is because the exam is not just a test of Grammar prowess and range of vocabulary, it is also a test of guts to get the glory.

The Speaking Exam, like any speaking activity people engage in, is a performance. This is why a good dose of the right attitude mixed with command of the English language and a healthy, well-opinionated mind is truly the formula to boost one’s speaking exam score.

Here are some tips to get a good score in your Speaking Test.

Build up your confidence. The premise above is important: the speaking examination is a performance. Like any other performance, the outcome is affected by how anxious you are – and how you can reign in that anxiety and do your job. Confidence in speaking is not easily achieved, but here is one great fact that you might like to keep in mind:

You have been exposed to the English language since forever.

Okay. That may be an exaggeration, but you’ve been exposed to the language at since birth, at least. You can read English (or else you wouldn’t be reading this now), you can understand English movies, and you can speak English. This means you have the very basic of proficiencies. All you have to do is to enhance it. Confidence increases when skill does.

Have an opinion on everything. During the IELTS examination, the examiner can ask you any question under the sun. It may range from your favorite movie to the ethical considerations of kids in advertisements (and yes those are actual IELTS questions). Not having any idea can severely mess up your score – it can cause you to stutter, to not answer spontaneously, or to just remain silent for long, empty seconds. Your fluency goes down and so does 25% of your total score. To be truly prepared for IELTS Speaking, you should not only work on how the words come out of your mouth, but what ideas come out as well.

Speak English as much as possible. The best way to ace the IELTS Speaking Exam is to become a proficient speaker and this is not an overnight process. Proficiency comes from constant practice – from enhancing your fluency to bettering your pronunciation and clarity. This can best be done by application of skills and fine-tuning the said skill in practice. Not only will it help you boost your speaking exam score, it will also make your life abroad easier.

The main thing that you must remember about the speaking test is that even if you are quite proficient in English, how you present yourself is also important.

Good luck!

Common Mistakes in the IELTS Writing Test

The International English Language Test System’s Writing Exam is one seen as one of the most difficult aspects of the IELTS, especially if you want a really good score. There are four things looked into when examiners grade IELTS Writing Exams: Task Achievement (idea development), Coherence and Cohesion (relationship and organization of ideas), Lexical Resource(vocabulary) and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. A small difference in any of these components can make you or break you, especially if your score requirement is high, like a band 7.

Here are some common mistakes done during the IELTS Writing Examination and ways to avoid them.

1. Misinterpreting the question. This can do a lot of damage to your band score, since Task Achievement is a fourth of your total score. This is also the aspect which gives trouble to a lot of test takers who have good grammar and lexical resource. Even if you have mastered the language, if you cannot develop your exposition well, a band 7 will be difficult to get.

       Solution: Read the questions carefully.

2. Errors in the format of the essay. The essay typically has 3 parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. If not followed, the test taker may have problems with Coherence and Cohesion. This is why you are in trouble if you only wrote one paragraph for your entire article. There should be at least three paragraphs, one for each part of the essay.

       Solution: Write three paragraphs at least.

3. Improper Tenses of the Verb. The appropriate use of tenses of verb is very important because it affects the message you want to convey. Should you make a mistake on the tenses you want to convey. This means two aspects of the criteria are affected: Grammatical Range and Accuracy and Task Achievement.

    Solution: Master the tenses of the verb, particularly the Simple Tenses.

4. Using fancy words incorrectly. This is a common mistake done by those wish to impress people than express a message. Remember: it is not the word usage itself, but the clarity of context. If you are going to use a hifalutin word but not be able to use it properly, chances are your Lexical Resource will drop down.

    Solutions: Stick to words you know how to use and improve your vocabulary.

5. The belief that you can improve as a writer without actually writing. Writing is a skill. You can never be a good writer if you refuse to practice the craft. It is not that easy either. To make significant improvement to your writing involves significant improvement in your language skills and even the ability to create logical ideas.

    Solutions: Practice, and get a mentor if you have to.

IELTS Writing is indeed difficult, but with the right kind of practice and training, you may be on your way to becoming a band 7 writer. Make sure that you stay disciplined and patient with progress, and never forget that the smallest step is still an improvement. Let us start by making sure we do not commit these mistakes.

Avoiding Stress in the IELTS Exam...!

Stress is one of the major factors why people sometimes fail in the IELTS. A healthy dose of anxiety is all well and good, but a level of stress that sends you to panic mode can’t be good for your health – and your score.

Here are some tips that would help you manage your anxiety in the IELTS

1. Be in control. You can do this by finding out as much as you can about the IELTS. This is not limited to the test prep stuff you’re already doing. Knowing how to answer questions correctly is important, but so is how to get to the venue of the test. Here are some things you may want to find out.

• When and where your Speaking Exam is. Remember that the Speaking test is not usually taken with the other four subtests so the date and venue may be different.
• When and where the IELTS exam is. These are important so you can plan your travel. What time do you have to be there? Would you need to leave home early? What form of transportation can you take? The administrators of the test are quite strict with time so make sure you’re not late. Be on time, not just in time. If you have never been to place where the test is, it may be a good idea to visit it before the test, just to get a feel of how to get there.
• What things you can bring. Exam administrators will only allow certain things inside the testing hall. Everything else would be deposited in a baggage counter. Make sure that you don’t bring anything unnecessary.

2.  Give yourself time to breath. If you’ve been preparing for the exam for ages, then maybe it’s time to take a break. A day for the exam, drop the books and relax. Eat well, do something fun (but not so taxing), and go to bed early to prepare for the next day. This would do more for your psyche that cramming.

3. Simulate the test. Your test prep should include simulating actual test environment – from how the house rules are laid out to how the exams are administered. This means putting your phone on silence and generally declaring yourself a hermit for three hours while you answer Listening, Reading, and Writing exams without breaks. This also means having to deal with a really cold room (the IELTS are held in hotels and those who have cold intolerance would probably be in trouble – wear a jacket!).The more to get used to the environment and the manner the exam is done, the easier it is for you to adapt.

Remember: Your examination is a performance indicator of your language skills, and in every performance, stress is an ever-existing factor. Too much stress, though, can spell tragedy for your test results. So: know the ins and outs of the test, prepare well, and breath.

Good luck!

Top 10 Mistakes Every IELTS Test Taker Make....!

Have you ever had that weird feeling after an exam? That feeling where you know that you did really badly on the test? Well, every student knows this feeling. There are times that no matter how hard we prepare for the test, we still get these minor mistakes that make us feel disappointed with our exam. For people taking the IELTS or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, committing a mistake should and always be avoided. Getting target scores are very stressful since the IELTS is a requirement in working and studying abroad. The pressure of getting that score is high. Thus, all candidates make sure they are ready to take the test.

Getting a mistake is normal but can be avoided. People do different strategies to avoid getting one, most especially on the IELTS test. Now, what could be the common mistakes IELTS test takers do in the test? Here is a list of mistakes IELTS test takers carelessly do in the exam.

1. Misspelling. There are a lot of commonly misspelled words in the English vocabulary and making this type of mistake in the exam is really unacceptable. Do not use words if you are unsure of its spelling. Instead, think of its synonym or a phrase that could mean the same. Check the following slide to be aware of the 20 words that are often misspelled.

2. Writing below the minimum number of words. To make sure that you reach the minimum number of words in the IELTS writing section, provide the introduction, two body paragraphs and a good conclusion. Check some useful IELTS essay writing at this post.

3. Banking on the content not on the length. Writings are evaluated on how the task has been answered. Trying to make the writing long but with no valuable content gets a low score. Candidates should focus on developing ideas not making unnecessary sentences.

4. Giving responses immediately without brainstorming. Some candidates often commit this mistake. When they think that they are familiar with the topic, they do not read the whole task and just give a response. Take time to understand, brainstorm and respond.

5. Lack of transitions. Transition words make the response smooth and have a good flow. In this case, you can relate or present the data and opinion properly to the examiner.

6. Not following instructions. Most of the time, candidates neglect this and just focus on answering. There are specific tasks on these instructions that must be completed. Ignoring such can cause a huge penalty on the candidates’ scores.

7. Mispronunciation. Pronunciation matters… a lot! You do not need to have a perfect American accent in speaking. Your pronunciation should be clear. Words have to come out clearly to be understood.

8. Poor vocabulary. You need to have a wide range of vocabulary to understand and use English well. Start building a strong vocabulary bank by reading a lot and writing down new words.

9. Not familiar with question types. In review classes and even review manuals, question types are described. Knowing what type of questions to be asked is important to know which skill to use on that particular type. Being familiar with the format of the IELTS test can save time.

10. Not managing the time very well. The test has a time limit. Manage your time by skipping questions that are hard, brainstorming in a matter of seconds and even applying skills like skimming and scanning. Thus, time is gold in the IELTS.

Knowing the common mistakes above can help future candidates in avoiding them. Always aim for a high score in the IELTS. Do not just settle with the target score. Candidates can always do better than just hitting the target score. Good luck.