I. Tips for Identifying Information and the Writer's Views in the IELTS Reading Module

Benefits of IELTS The benefits of writing the IELTS are many. If you like to study in world class universities like The Oxford University, Cambridge University, University of Bridgeport, University of California Berkeley, San Francisco State University, etc you must take IELTS. Once you are graduated from any of these universities, your career begins with a fantastic position heading toward a bright future. Moreover, you get exposed to the best intellectual as well as socio-economic environment that would nurture outstanding personality in you. Thus, you can find a dramatic change in your intellectual, professional and financial spheres.

When you see questions in IELTS reading that require you to determine certain information and the writer's views, keep the following in mind: 1. Skim the reading passage so you would be able to get the general idea of the content.

2. Try to match the statements/questions with the ones contained in the passage. Be careful because the ideas in the statements/questions most probably won't be using the same words in the passage. Your skill of looking for synonyms would be wise here.

3. If the passage doesn't mention the statements/questions, then choose 'NOT GIVEN'.

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4. If the passage happens to mention the exact idea in the statements/questions, then the answer can be a 'YES' or 'TRUE'. It however helps to analyze the meaning of the whole statement/question carefully. These statements/questions could merely be distractors, so pay attention. 5. If the passage either states an idea which is the opposite of the statement/question or gives data which is in conflict with the statement/question, then choose 'NO' or 'FALSE'.

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II. Here's a technique to improve your vocabulary for your IELTS:

The technique involves identifying certain words and determining the various word forms. English words could have different forms, depending on how they are used. Particularly, a word could either be used as a Noun, Verb, Adjective, or Adverb. Take for instance the word "manage." "Manage" is a verb. It however has other word forms. When used as a noun, the word is "management," or "manager." If used as an adjective, it's "manageable." And when used as an adverb, it's "manageably." Thus: manage – verb management/manager – noun manageable – adjective manageably – adverb

Let's take it a step further. Consider this sentence: "Martha managed the family business after her parents retired." In the Listening and Reading modules, words and phrases in the exam booklet questions are expressed in a different way than those in the audio recording or reading passage, respectively. Thus in the recording or passage, you could perhaps encounter the sentence, "Martha was promoted to manager when her parents stepped down." In writing and speaking on the other hand, candidates are not encouraged to copy the words as shown in the questions or tasks. Thus, let's say that you were presented with the following question: "Efficient management is an essential part of successful companies. To what extent do you agree or disagree." In the introduction one could write, "Effective business systems are composed of competent managers..." To sum it up, add your knowledge of word forms to your IELTS skill set. These tips could be very wise for your prediction skills in listening, for your scanning skills in reading, and whenever you need to paraphrase with regard to your writing and speaking tasks. Do remember that lexical resource is a criteria checked by your examiners in writing and speaking. The more words you know and could use to your advantage, the better your chances of having a high score when you take the exam.

III. Pronouns and Reference Words are Important:

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Coherence and Cohesion is a criteria considered by IELTS examiners when they check your writing tasks. Coherence relates to the way your ideas are organized. Cohesion, on the other hand, relates to the way your sentences are connected. With regard to improving your writing skill via cohesion, remember to make use of these 4 word types: -reference words; -linking words; -synonyms; and -transition words. Reference words are those which refer back to previously mentioned words or phrases. Common examples of these are pronouns and their antecedents. To have a good score when it comes to cohesion vis-a-vis reference words, be sure that your pronouns agree with their antecedent. Thus: 1. Make sure that the pronoun agrees with its antecedent in gender (male or female). Example: "I like Christina. Her music is very good." 2. Make sure that the pronoun agrees with its antecedent in person (first person, second person, third person). Example: "The candidates here study and practice often. They really strive hard to increase their chances of achieving a high score in the IELTS exam." ("candidates" and "they" are in the third person) 3. Finally, make sure that the pronoun agrees with its antecedent in number (singular or plural). Example: "The candidates here study and practice often. They really strive hard to increase their chances of achieving a high score in the IELTS exam." ("candidates" and "they" are plural) Well, if you remember to apply these tips, not only would they enable you to show your prowess in grammar, but they would also help your reader easily understand your writing task.

IV. Work through the test quickly: Test candidates commonly complain that they do not have sufficient time to complete the test, particularly in the reading and writing sections. So how do you overcome this problem?

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One suggestion is to carry out for speed reading techniques. There are plenty of brilliant tips discussed. Use these tips, then do some IELTS papers and time yourself. If it is still taking too long, you may need more practice carrying out your speed reading techniques. You may also need to improve on your vocabulary. As a general rule of thumb, read as much and as widely as possible in the days leading up to the test. Increasing your writing pace is not an easy task either. One way of speeding up your writing is to time yourself writing out bulks of paragraphs from a reading material. Try to avoid squeezing the pen. Just relax and use the pen smoothly. For the listening test, listen to spoken English as much and as often as possible to get used to the language. listen to an English radio channel or watch English films without reading the subtitles.

V. Read test instructions thoroughly: The importance of reading the test instructions has been sorely underrated. In an attempt to complete the test on time, most candidates choose to skip reading this part of the test and immediately attempt to answer the questions once the timer starts. They fail to realize that the instructions may include clues that are crucial to how they answer the questions. For example, the instructions of the listening test may provide an important detail about the 'conversation', such as its location. Skipping through the instructions is not a time saving technique. In fact, it might hurt your test scores.

VI. Do not fall behind in the listening test: For the listening test, candidates do not have control over time. Bearing that in mind, try your best to keep up, but do not panic if other candidates start writing their answers without you. When you hear the sound of other candidates flipping over the page, do likewise. This may help you return to the right pace.

VII. Answer all questions without exceptions: For both the listening and reading tests, there is a variety of questions ranging from multiple choice, short answers, gap fills and so on. If you are running out of time and you do not know the answer to a question, guess. Use logic to figure out the answer and write it in the style instructed. If you are wrong, no marks will be deducted. If you happen to guess right, you will earn some lucky points.

VIII. Don't just give one-word answers in the speaking test:

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Take control of the speaking test. You can very easily determine your own success by being communicative and having a positive attitude. First impressions count, so do not simply answer the questions with 'yes' or 'no' answers. Elaborate on your answers and be eager as you talk. Keep in mind that you should be talking about 7080% of the time. Show your tester that you are eloquent with your grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. Sit comfortably but do not slouch. It is also a good idea to sit while holding your hands on your lap to control your body movements. The examiner may come from a different cultural background so you should be aware of your body language.

IX. Speak naturally when giving an introduction: Do not become a robot when you are asked to introduce yourself. Be friendly and speak naturally. If you are struggling with the speaking test, try writing a "2 minute me" on a piece of paper. Remember to include interesting information about yourself that will set you apart from the other candidates. Then practice speaking it in front of your friends and family before testing it on people you do not know. From this exercise, you will be able to discern how people react to your introduction. You will find out if it's too boring, too unnatural and so on. When you are done, edit the content accordingly and try again.

X. Make adequate preparations before the test: Don't brush this suggestion off as being too obvious. There have been far too many candidates showing up for the IELTS test with almost no preparation. One particular candidate, who had lived and studied in the United States for over four years, assumed he would score at least an 8.0, since he considered his level of English to be on par with the native speaker. However, he could only manage a 6.5 because he failed to understand what the test requires from him. Enroll in our online course to help you understand how the test works.

Reasons for Getting Low Scores at IELTS

1. Not having a study plan. Some people feel overly confident about their IELTS exam and don't bother studying. Others think it is all about luck. To succeed at IELTS is all about discipline and you have got to have a plan. It takes constant and consistent practice to reach a high band score and, even if you are busy, you should carefully plan your studies. Devote at least one hour every day to preparing.

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2. Not following instructions How can you hope to do well if you don't do what is needed? Many IELTS candidates fail to get their desired band score not because their English is poor, but because they don't read the instructions properly. The NUMBER ONE rule in IELTS is to FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS carefully. The most common mistake made is in the Yes/No/Not given type questions. People tend to answer True/False instead. Another frequent mistake is that people give complete word answers when only a letter is needed. So, don't forget to read the instructions!

3. Poor time management. In many exams, especially IELTS, time is never on your side. Many IELTS candidates fail to finish the four modules and how can you hope to score highly if you don't even finish the exam? Completing each task is essential if you want to get a high band score and succeed at IELTS. This means it's important to plan your time well. Quick thinking is an essential skill to develop. You have to be able to listen, read, write and speak quickly to get the marks you want.

4. Panicking. Many people panic when they go in to their IELTS test, especially in the Speaking component. When faced with a difficult question their mind tends to go blank. How can you solve this? Good preparation is a start. When you are well prepared you will find it easier to focus and your confidence will grow. Have a selection of expressions prepared for every questions you might be asked!

5. Not reading enough. If little goes in then little will come out. Like feeding your body, you also have to feed your mind. Take time to read in English - magazines, newspapers, journals or on the Internet. The type of materials you will encounter in IELTS reading texts can be found in magazines like Time and Newsweek or the editorial sections of newspapers. Not only will reading increase your vocabulary but it will also improve your argumentation skills you can use in speaking and writing.

6. Making the same mistakes again & again. It's OK to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. If you keep making the same mistakes again and again then there is little point in practicing. This is especially true in writing with spelling and grammatical errors. The most common mistakes people make are with subject-verb agreement, tense consistency and prepositions. Look at the mistakes you make and constantly review them.

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7. Thinking negative thoughts. DON'T! If you think you will not get a high score in the IELTS exam then you probably won't. Worrying about the test is not productive and gets you nowhere. The IELTS exam is not difficult if you know how to approach it. So be confident and always think positively!

LAST TIP:

Use the language around you. If you are in an English speaking country then this is easy. If not then use the internet. Do one English activity every day – listen to the radio, watch a film, read a magazine or newspaper article, have a conversation in English. Make it something that you are interested in and then ENJOY it! Practise little and often. Choose one activity at a time- for example reading, and really concentrate on that during your daily practice. Make sure you understand why things are wrong, go over any mistakes and learn from them. If you have a lot of mistakes then do the exercise again.

---------ALL THE BEST--------

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