Các câu hỏi thường gặp của thí sinh IELTS – IELTS Simon

Các câu hỏi và câu trả lời của thầy Simon được tổng hợp và sắp xếp lại bởi Quang Thắng. Ngoài ra, một số câu trả lời được bổ sung thêm giải thích/ví dụ minh họa để bạn đọc dễ hiểu hơn.

Các câu hỏi được chia thành 6 phần:
1. Listening
2. Reading
3. Writing Task 1
4. Writing Task 2
5. Speaking
6. General questions

I. Listening

1. In the listening test, if the question asks “where can you buy a ticket?”, do we need to write “at the post office” or just “post office”?

The short answer “post office” will be fine. They just want the key words.

2. Is “15th November” two words or three?

It’s two words, or one word and a number.

II. Reading

1. In the reading test, is it a good idea to skim all of the questions before looking for the answers?

No, I think you’ll waste time if you do that, and you will probably forget most of the questions that you skimmed. My advice is to start straight away with question 1 (unless it’s a ‘paragraphs’ question – do those last). (Mình có viết một bài về trình tự các bước trả lời câu hỏi Reading, các bạn có thể xem tại đây.

2. In the reading test, is it a good idea to read the first line of each paragraph before starting the questions?

No, I would have a quick look at the title and maybe the first few lines of the whole passage (to see what the topic is), then go straight to the questions.

III.Writing Task 1

1. Can I suggest reasons for changes shown on graphs or charts?

No, you shouldn’t try to explain reasons for the data in writing task 1. Just describe what you can see. (Trong Task 1 bạn chỉ mô tả những dữ liệu trên biểu đồ, đừng đưa ra giải thích hay ý kiến cá nhân nào cả).

2. Can I use the phrases “bottom out” and “level off” in writing task 1?

Personally I never use those phrases, but you could try Googling them if you want to see some examples.

3. Can I use the words plunge, plummet, rocket and soar in writing task 1?

Personally, I wouldn’t use those words because they usually seem too exaggerated, and make it look like you have simply learnt a list of synonyms. Have a look through my essays to see how I describe numbers.

(Bạn không cần thiết phải dùng những từ quá lạ trong task 1, chỉ cần dùng những từ đơn giản và thông dụng, mình cũng từng post một bài về vấn đề này, bạn có thể xem thêm tại đây.

4. When describing a map (writing task 1), can we use north, south, east, west even if no compass is shown?

Yes, I often do. I think it’s fine to assume that the top of a map is north.

5. Do I need to mention all of the numbers in writing task 1?

No, you don’t need to mention all of the numbers; just select the key information. On the other hand, if you don’t mention any numbers, you’ll get a lower score.

6. Can I write both a summary and a conclusion for writing task 1?

You can, but it’s really a waste of time because you will probably repeat yourself. Forget the idea of a ‘conclusion’ for task 1, and simply write an overall summary. Put your summary either straight after the introduction or at the end of the essay; I prefer to put it after the introduction, but it makes no difference to your score.

7. Are you sure we don’t need a conclusion in writing task 1?

Completely sure. A conclusion is really a ‘final judgment’, so I prefer to use the word ‘summary’. You can put the summary either after the introduction or at the end.

8. In writing task 1, can we join the introduction and overview together?

Yes, it’s fine to put the introduction and overview together as one paragraph. Just make sure that your overview is good because it’s an important part of your essay.

9. How many bands will I lose if I only write 130 words for task 1?

I can’t give an exact answer to this. The examiner will give you a lower score for ‘task achievement’, but you might also lose marks for vocabulary – a shorter essay probably contains fewer examples of good language use.

10. For the writing task 1 introduction, can I copy words from the chart?

Yes, try not to use too many words from the question, but it’s a good idea to take a few words from the graph/chart itself. The labels on the chart can help you to paraphrase the question statement.

11. Can I use “illustrates”, “indicates” or “mentions” instead of “shows”?

I tell my students to use “shows”, “illustrates”, “compares” or “gives information about”. You don’t need to learn any more ways. I wouldn’t use “indicates” or “mentions” because they’re not quite right for the context.

IV. Writing Task 2

1. Is it ok to use the words “I”, “my” and “we” in writing task 2?

Yes, it’s perfectly ok to use those words. You might be told to avoid them in university assignments, but the advice for IELTS is different. If the question asks for your opinion, you will probably need to write “I agree”, “I believe” or “in my opinion”.

2. Can we use “you” to talk about people in general?

In the speaking test, it’s fine to say something like “when you go on holiday, you have the chance to relax”. But in a written essay, I would prefer to change this e.g. “when people go on holiday…”.

3. Can we invent facts or figures in writing task 2?

I don’t recommend inventing statistics or news stories. I always think that doing this makes writing seem ‘false’. Just explain your own ideas and opinions, and give reasons and examples. (Không nên cho số liệu vào, kể cả khi những số liệu đó là đúng. VD: Đừng nói: 80% trẻ em hiện nay chơi điện tử, mà chỉ nói: Phần lớn trẻ em hiện nay chơi điện từ).

4. Is it ok to use quotations by famous people in my task 2 essay?

I wouldn’t recommend using quotations. Unless you have thousands of them in your head, it’s unlikely that you’ll remember a relevant one. The examiner is likely to judge a quotation as ‘memorised language’.

5. Is it ok to use “firstly” and “secondly” without a “finally” idea?

Yes, that’s fine.

6. Will I lose marks if I don’t give both views in writing task 2?

It depends on the question. If the question asks you to discuss both views, you must do this. However, if the question asks whether you agree or disagree, you definitely don’t need to mention both sides of the argument.

7. My teacher told me to avoid using “Firstly, Secondly, Finally” because too many other students will use the same words. What do you think?

I disagree. Examiners are not comparing you with other students, and they care much more about the content between the linking words than the linking words themselves. Read this lesson.

8. What linkers can I use to improve my “lexical resource” score?

Linkers don’t help your lexical resource (vocabulary) score! They only help you to organise your essay. If you want to improve your vocabulary score, you need to use good words and phrases that relate to the question topic (e.g. ‘global warming’ is vocabulary for the environment topic).

9. Is the phrase “First and foremost” better than “Firstly”?

The answer is NO.

Using simple organising language like “Firstly, Secondly” makes you focus on the REAL CONTENT of what you are writing – topic vocabulary, collocations, examples. This is what the examiner wants to see.

Spend your time preparing ideas, opinions and examples for IELTS topics, not learning alternative ways to write “Firstly”.

10. Is it ok to use rhetorical questions in writing task 2?

No, don’t put any type of question in your essays. It isn’t considered appropriate academic style.

11. Is it possible to get band 7 if my essays are unfinished or under length?

It’s possible, but not easy. You’ll need to get really high scores for vocabulary, grammar and organisation.

12. Is there a difference between “Do you agree or disagree?” and “To what extent do you agree or disagree?”

Not really. I would just answer both questions in the same way.

13. How many ideas should I include in each main paragraph (for task 2)?

I include between one and three ideas. If you only have one main idea, just explain it in more detail.

14. If the question asks us to explain “problems (or causes) and solutions”, how many problems and solutions should we mention?

I’d go for two or three problems (or causes) and two or three suggested solutions.

15. 1 Is it better to use ‘he’ or ‘she’ when writing about a person in general?

I would try to avoid choosing between ‘he’ and ‘she’ by using plurals (e.g. they) and alternative words (e.g. individuals, employees). For example, instead of writing “when a child starts school, he learns…”, you could write “when children start school, they learn…” or “school pupils learn…”.

16. Is it a good idea to write “It is disagreed that” or “It is believed that” to make task 2 essays seem more academic?

Be careful. If you write “it is believed”, you are saying “people generally believe”. Therefore, it does not tell the examiner what your opinion is. If the question asks for your opinion, do not use these phrases to express it. You need to write “I disagree” or “I believe”.

17. I explained both sides for an “agree or disagree” questi Is that ok?

Yes, but I hope you made it clear in your introduction that you ‘partly agree’. Have a look through my writing lessons until you find something about ‘strong opinions’ and ‘balanced opinions’.

V. Speaking

1. In the speaking test, what should I do if I understand the question but I have no idea what to say in my answer?

You could use this formula: “Well, I don’t really know much about… because…, but I suppose…” In other words, you admit that you don’t really know what to say, you explain why, then you invent an answer anyway. (Mình cũng đã từng viết một bài học nói về vấn đề này, các bạn có thể xem thêm tại  http://ielts-quangthang.com/ielts- speaking-lam-gi-khi-khong-biet-tra-loi-nhu-nao/ )

2. Is it ok if my pronunciation is a mix of British and American English?

Yes, that’s fine. Just focus on speaking clearly.

3. Can we be less formal in the speaking test g. can I say “kids”?

Yes, you could say “kids” in the speaking test, but use “children” in the writing test. Of course, it’s also fine to say “children” in the speaking test. Just be careful not to be too informal i.e. avoid slang.

4. Can I ask for an explanation if I don’t understand a question in the speaking test?

In part 1, you can ask the examiner to repeat a question, but he/she is not allowed to explain what the question means. In part 2, the examiner will not help you. In part 3, you can ask him/her to explain the question in a different way.

5. In speaking part 2, can I ask for a different cue card?

No, I’m afraid you can’t.

6. Can I ask the examiner about difficult vocabulary in the speaking test?

The examiner cannot help you in part 1 or 2, but you can ask him/her to clarify a question in part 3.

7. Is it ok to say things like “you know” in the speaking test?

Yes, it’s fine. Try not to say “you know” too many times, but it’s nothing to worry about if you say it a few times. The important thing is the real content of your answers.

8. Will it affect my score if I say too much (e. a long example in part 3)?

Don’t worry about saying too much in parts 2 and 3 of the speaking test; the examiner will stop you if he/she wants to. Just try to give short, direct answers in part 1.

9. Can I use slang (e. ‘rank’ meaning ‘disgusting’) in the speaking test?

No, it’s not really appropriate to use slang.

VI. General questions about IELTS

1. Is it a problem if I mixed British and American spellings?

Not really. This isn’t something that is likely to change your score. (Ví dụ: center và centre đều dùng được)

2. Can I use American English in the IELTS test?

Yes. Examiners just want to hear good, clear English, wherever it’s from. (Bạn hoàn toàn có thể dùng những từ như elevator hay soccer trong bài thi IELTS).

3. Are “the” and “a” counted as words?

Yes! They are counted as words in the writing, listening and reading tests.

4. What is the difference between IDP and the British Council?

The IELTS exam is the same wherever you take it. IDP, the British Council and Cambridge University work together to make the test.

5. Can I improve from 5.5 to 7 in one month?

Probably not. Click here to read my advice.

6. I’ve finished all of the Cambridge books. What should I do next?

My advice is to do them again! This time, don’t use the books for testing. Study and analyse the questions and answers carefully, use a dictionary to look up new vocabulary, try writing essays without a time limit, and record yourself answering the speaking questions. There is so much that you can learn from past exam papers.

Nguồn: Facebook – Hội luyện thi IELTS trên scholarship ieltsplanet