Can you complete these PROVERBS?

1. One man's meat .....................
2. Out of the mouths of..............
3. A stitch in time.................
4. Many true words..............
5. A miss is ....................

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

The plans show the changes to a health center over the last six years. Since 2005, the center has expanded in a number of different ways. Firstly, an extension has been added to accommodate a minor operations room. Also, the interior has been significantly remodeled. In 2005, there was a large entrance area with wide doors and a lot of open space for waiting, with the reception desk in the  middle. There were only three consulting rooms and a physiotherapy room. This room has stayed the same size but the consulting  rooms have been made smaller and increased to four in number. The office has been made smaller and the reception desk put in front of it. A children's play area has been added in the corner near the entrance. Outside there have been changes. The car park has been expanded in size to accommodate 18 more cars. The garden is decreased in size to accommodate the extra parking space.

 

IELTS Speaking: 'band 9' example

IELTS Speaking: 'band 9' example

Improve Your Listening and Speaking Podcast # 58

Describe someone in your family that you like.

I am best friends with my cousin with my cousin. We can really relate to each other. He/She has always been there for me and I have done all I can to help him/her out. We have been playmates ever since we were kids and we went to school together. He was much better in general studies than I was and we had our own little study group. There is a lot of mutual respect between us, and it has been building up over the years. I really like spending time with him/her because he/she has a wonderful sense of humor and that he/she  delivers all he/she promises. I have never caught him/her lying or backbiting. I lay all my trust with him/her. The chemistry we have is anything beyond words. ....

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

TIPS; Dos and Don'ts in IELTS Speaking Part 2

• Read the topic card (cue-card) carefully 
• Make the best use of the minute given to organize your answer, and make brief notes for each key word, such as who, what, when, where, how, or why. A common criticism of some candidates in that they don't plan; you don't impress the examiner if you start immediately without planning, whatever your level is. Candidates who don't make notes tend to describe the general aspect of the question rather than covering the prompts of the card and giving specific information.
• Don't write on the topic card.
• Write notes not sentences.
• It may be easier to read and use your notes if you write them in a vertical list and in order.
• It is important to keep talking, but don't talk about things which aren't related to the topic.
• As you speak, refer to your note to organize your answers. If your talk is not organized, you will lose marks. 
• Remember that the IELTS test is a communication test, not a memory test. If there is something you can't remember, simply use other words and explain about it.

        -- ' I am not really sire when it happened to me, but I am sure I was very young.', is just as good as a date. 

• Don't worry if you decide to change a little of what you have palnned to say. Keeping your talk natural and fluent in much important than sticking rigidly to your note.
• There are some ways to extend your talk. For example, talking about your preferences, comparing or contrasting with other subjects.
• In the IELTS books, you can see a number of topic cards which are thematically the same, but have different prompts. make sure to talk about the question that you are asked to talk about NOT the one that you have prepared.
• Don't miss out any questions.
• Don't hesitate for too  long when it is time to speak. It is better to speak about anything than not to speak at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

I usually get many frequent questions regarding the IELTS speaking test.
Below, I try to answer some of them.

1. What happens if I don't understand a question?
 You should not be worried much about this. If you don't quite get what the question means, you can always ask for clarification. However, if this occurs too much you may leave a negative effect on the examiner.


2. Do I have to answer all of the questions?
Absolutely. You should never pass a question or say t hat you have no idea about it. You must always try to provide an answer that is as relevant as possible to the question.


3. Should I edit myself?
Not too much. It is a positive sign to be able to notice your mistakes and correct them. However, if this is done a lot, it will cause you to be speaking slowly. Fluency should never be sacrificed for any thing else.


4. What of I get a topic that I have no idea about?
It is simple. in the minute that you have to prepare for your talk you can ask the examiner by starting up giving you a few examples that you could speak about. It is good to know that those who have practiced intensively have a greater chance to get a topic that they are familiar with.


5. Is it alright if I ask the examiner how well I did?
Doing so would be pointless. The interviewer is instructed to provide no information about the candidates' performance on the test as this is confidential information until another examiner listens to your performance on the test. Don't even insist on knowing how you generally did on the test.


6. Can I ask the examiner to change my topic on cue-card on part 2?
I wouldn't recommend it. There is a pre-planned cue-card for every test taker and you are required to give a talk about it.


7. What happens if I speak for less that two  minutes on part 2?
It is not such a crime. It all depends of how fast a speaker you are and whether you have completely covered all the points on  the cue-card. Remember that you are instructed to speak for 1 to 2 minutes so the IELTS people must have taken the above two factors into account.