Question Types in IELTS
The main skills tested on IELTS Listening are:
Anticipating language: predicting word forms & using keywords to listen for synonyms and paraphrases Targeted listening: listening for specific information or points of agreement/disagreement, etc. Noticing transitions: recognizing transition phrases, changes of focus and other ‘signposting’ language Making distinctions: hearing qualifiers and avoiding ‘distractor’ language to choose between multiple options Using pronunciation: being comfortable with some different accents, features of fluent speech, stress, etc. IELTS Listening is a paraphrase & synonym game. The listening skills are more local and linguistic than in TOEFL Tips
Revisit how letters/numbers are pronounced in English The recordings include a range of accents incl. British, Australian, American & Canadian. The questions are always in the same order as the audio. The questions are spaced apart so you have enough time to write an answer before you hear the next answer.
Before listening:
predict word forms/types; Read the instructions! This sounds like basic advice, but it bears repeating, especially because we are all prone to making mistakes under the pressure of time. Don’t panic if you miss an answer. Focus on the next question. Learn ‘discourse markers’ (‘to begin with’ / ‘now we’ll talk about ...’) The answers are usually will be in the stress position of a sentence. Once a section is complete check your answers, or turn to the next section to begin reading the questions / identifying keywords. Never leave an answer blank Don’t focus on every single word While listening:
pay attention on discourse markers After listening: Try listening to an audio recording from a listening section before you even look at the questions. Note down the words that seem to be key. Afterwards, look at the questions and see if your notes help you answer them. After doing a listening section, listen again while following along with the transcript. Notice how the answers are pronounced somewhat more loudly and clearly than other words. After doing a listening section, read through the transcript and look for any useful lexical / grammatical constructions.’ Tips and Strategies
Use the text to answer the questions. The text is a resource for answering the questions – you shouldn’t think of the questions as aids to reading the text.
Skimming. Briefly skim the text (i.e. look quickly at its surface) – it takes about 1 minute. You don’t have to read it fully.
Try to guess the word form or type. If the question is of the gap-fill variety, you can often predict key information about the word, such as its form (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) and even type (profession, day of the week, etc.).
Locating keywords in the questions. Go straight to the questions after skimming. Find keywords:
Nouns and verbs that contain specific information Adjectives and adverbs that contain qualifying information Words that can generate a number of synonyms or be paraphrased in different ways Scan. After finding keywords scan the text (i.e. look quickly but not too deeply for key information). Look for synonyms.
Check your answers.
Other tips:
You can start with the last (=most difficult) passage first Questions of the same type are often (not always) in the same order as the text For paragraph-matching question types, you can often find important information about the paragraph by reading the first & last sentences of it Never leave an answer choice blank – you don’t get negative points for wrong answers You can skip the questions and return to them later Make sure to practice doing full reading tests before your actual exam Make reading in English a habit – it will help your IELTS Reading. 22th of April
Listening
find materials to practice numbers, postal codes, index, address, names etc. practice listening cambridge test listen everything in english, complete immersion Reading
practice reading cambridge test Relax
23rd of April
L
Diagram & flowchart completion R
Matching Paragraph Information Matching Sentence Endings True / False / Not Given (Yes / No / Not Given)
OUTPUT 12. Switch off t9 + autocorrection/highliting everywhere (apps, web, desktop) and learn to catch and check spelling
OUTPUT 13. Just before exam practice full speaking test + last minute feedback with my tutor
Lifestyle choices:
— Sleep 7-8 hours every day! stick to bio rhythm schedule
— Buy food delivery service
— Stop wasting time on social media
— Stop going out + talking w. friends
— 2 time per week go to yoga, daily short brisk walks
— Limit any NL content
— Plan cleaning and care&home routines or delegate
— Pack things plan or delegate
— Exchange money plan or delegate
— Plan masters application or delegate
— Delegate reminding stuff (calendars and circle coach Alex)
6th of May
Finish creating ultimate cheat sheet with all the theory about the exam, including band descriptors, task types, how exam goes etc, and tips/strategies to use, in order to keep up with time and complete tasks with needed scores FUN 8. Learn (theory+pracice) how to wrtite, develop arguments, how english speaker thinks and structures thoughts in written
— to learn articles modal texts/essays, articles from news/media → boosty and other sources on recent task themes and something that I like FUN 9. Learn how to describe visaul data (graph, chart, table etc.) + how to visiualize data FUN 10. How to speak impromptu spontaneously, how to improvise (imporov classes), storytelling, online zoom rapport establishment FUN 11. Gather all info on english-speaking way of thinking, perceiving reality + and how to switch between language personalities in your head more smoothly
— use cultural info as well, book common mistakes of russian-speaking people in oral speech 7th of May
IELTS Progress check test one more time?
8th of May
revise mock tests results THEORY 3. Revise, learn and practice grammar on several topics to fix common mistakes + including deep linguistical historic research w. chatgpt to understand why this grammar exist, how native speakers perceive reality because of this grammar how it differs with my NL perception 9th of May
Practice each section daily, using trial Cambridge 18-16 tests, including each sub tasks types + revise my mistakes + track time and think how i can improve time management
— seek AI feedback for writing and speaking + native feedback for speaking + complete daily/weekly/monthly writing and speaking tasks from boosty subscription to get feedback
— Record oral speech samples and revise mistakes grammar with the help of AI
INPUT 5. Learn (passive+active vocab) — IELTS Academic specific vocabulary/collocations, including vocab/collocations for each task, including coherence phrases aka linking words and writing schemes/structure in Memrise/Magoosh/Quizlet use existing decks + do it daily + abuse daily heavily — monologues audiorecordings, writing texts, practical dialogues
— Speaking related vocab to replace ehmm - word fillers, vocab to explain why I can't answer question
— Memorise vocab/collocations and stories/agruments/facts from personal experience or just good stories from someone else (modal writing+fellow from boosty+news+media) for themes that now are used in Speaking 1,2,3 and Writing task 2
10th of May
result IELTS test progress check revise mock tests results 11th of May
6. Practice hearing and writing down difficult things for Listening
— Numbers — phone numbers, postal codes (numbers + letters)
— Addresses (street names, cities), names
— Alphabet + different accents
— how recognize intronation + stresses in oral speech
12th of May
INPUT 7. Revise critical reading and texts analyzing, academic reading + how to improve comprehension
— practice read daily complex articles from scientific outlets + chatgpt tasks to practice those skills
13th of May
get accommodated after flight 14th of May
get accommodated after flight 15th May
warm up for speaking, have a call with tutor? break, revise? transportation? 18-19th May
Just in case, One skill retake
20th of May
IELTS
Just in case, if OSR ask CDEK to send me the results, fast results? 22-23th of May
Поступление
Отсканировать? или попросить раньше отправить скан Прикрепить в uni-assist и другие порталы где надо Дела
Посидеть на прощание с ребятами где-то 24th of May
Сим-карта мб местная, чтобы раздавать нормально интернет? Будет ли Йотка моя работать нормально на даче? или можно интернет провести?
