winn trivette ii 21 keys for general ielts success

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, thepublisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damagesresulting from the use of the informa

21 Keys for General IELTS Success

Winn Trivette II, MA

Published by Winn Trivette II, MA, 2018.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, thepublisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damagesresulting from the use of the information contained herein.

21 KEYS FOR GENERAL IELTS SUCCESS

First edition July 13, 2018.

Copyright © 2018 Winn Trivette II, MA

ISBN: 978-1386611028

Written by Winn Trivette II, MA

Chapter 8: Supplemental Skills

Extra Resources File

7-Day Online IELTS Score BoosterThank you!

Also By Winn Trivette II, MA

to Mom, Melissa, Heather, Alex, and Noel with all my love

Note: IELTS is a registered trademark of University of Cambridge ESOL, the

British Council, and IDP Education Australia This product is not affiliated, approved or endorsed by the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia All other trademarks on this website are the property of their respective owners.

You’re already on the road to IELTS excellence!

21 Keys for General IELTS Success is your resource to tip the scales in your

Plus, don’t forget to download even more tips and other resources in the

Extra Resources File at end of this book.

You get a big list of my own hand-selected resources to boost your IELTSand English skills! These are resources I use in my own classes!

Now, I’ve got two surprise gifts for you on the next page!

Good luck on the IELTS!

Professor Winn Trivette II

https://www.englishlanguagetestprep.com

SURPRISE GIFTS FOR YOU!

First, as a special thanks for purchasing the text, take 30% off my personaleBooks to help you improve your English grammar and vocabulary

Visit my online store and use Promotion Code 30Doff.

Second, sign up for my 7-Day IELTS email course to extend both your

English and test skills Build your skills one lesson at a time

Thank you!

About the Author

Professor Winn is an experienced English professor for more than a decade

He is CELTA certified to teach English He has helped students just like youachieve high score on the TOEFL, IELTS, and TOEIC scores

Prepare with Professor Winn for General IELTS success in personal 1-to-1classes - reserve your course today

So, you are ready to test your English by taking the General IELTS Exam

Do you feel nervous or anxious because you need a top score?

Relax!

You now have 21 Keys for General IELTS Success full of tips, advice, and

secrets that I use with my own students when preparing them for the exam

Be sure to check out the links in each section to extend your learning

For over a decade, I have helped both students and professionals to preparefor IELTS success

I give you my best advice within these pages Take advantage!

Start today to ensure your success on the exam without the fear, frustration,and loneliness that often accompany studying for English proficiency exams.You may want to leave the big books by the major publishing houses behind

You have 21 Keys for General IELTS Success instead to prepare for IELTS

excellence on exam day

You will find the 21 keys for General IELTS excellence divided into themajor exam areas

Chapter 1: The Starting Point

Chapter 7: Vocabulary

Chapter 8: Supplemental Skills

Extra Resource File

7-Day Online IELTS Score Boost

Thank you!

Chapter 1: The Starting Point

Key #1: Frankly assess your English.

When I prepare my students for the IELTS, I take the following approach: 1)50% English and 2) 50% IELTS skills

Yes Your IELTS preparation should be a fine balance between sharpening

your English and test skills.

Ideally, you should focus solely on improving your language skills, but thereality is otherwise

Do you know your strongest and weakest areas of English?

During your IELTS preparation, most candidates focus on their strong points

at the expense of their weak ones

your goals and motivation

You cannot control your native language, but the others factors are well

within your reach

Everyone obtains language skills at different rates

Naturally, if you already possess solid English fluency, you are going to have

an easier time preparing for the exam

Above all, take the frank analysis of your current level of English fluency

Key #2: Focus on English Fluency.

Just like at school or the office, natural English also should be your goal onthe IELTS

Use English effortlessly in your IELTS preparation in particular and languageacquisition in general

You assuredly will feel less stress

Candidly, you are unlikely to significantly boost your level of English

fluency between the registration and presentation of the exam There usually

just is not enough time

However, you can learn key pieces of language, and test tactics to conquerthe exam for a higher score

Speak with other exam candidates only using English.

[Extend your IELTS preparation – enroll in my free 7-Day IELTS email

e-Course!]

Key #3: Develop a study plan.

Every worthwhile endeavor starts with a plan

For an optimal score, I suggest starting your IELTS test prep three (3) monthsbefore the test day

Determine how many hours a day you have to practice each day

In particular, consider study “bites” of 45-minute sessions for each exercise.Focus on both your strengths and weaknesses.

Make sure to rest between exercises to avoid fatigue Take a whole 10

minutes to do whatever you want to recharge

Key #4: Increase your English exposure.

Take every opportunity to expose yourself to English

Listen to radio broadcasts and TV programs

Read English-language newspapers like usatoday.com or the Economistmagazine

Even more, read an English text throughout your preparation of your choice either non-fiction or fiction

-Speak with English-speaking friends to maintain your fluency and naturalcomfort speaking English on a variety of topics

Do an extra English activity every day apart from your test preparation

Watch a television comedy like Friends or Bing Bang Theory.

Listen to a podcast to test your comprehension and gain familiarity withdifferent accents

Above all, become more familiar with English anyway possible so you use itnaturally on exam day

Key #5: Provide the information requested.

Two golden rules determine whether you achieve a high score or not

One – always answer the question you are asked

Two - give the test authorities the answer they want

For example, here are two instructions for the Listening Section

NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS OR A NUMBER for each answer

NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS OR A NUMBER

Thus, follow the directions precisely to notch a high General IELTS score!

Key #6: If all possible, work with a native English instructor with IELTS prep experience.

Do not think of the expense of hiring a native English instructor

Instead, think of the cost of failing to obtain your optimal score and

registering yet again for another IELTS exam and making the necessarypreparations

Make sure your instructor has IELTS prep experience

Spend about 3 hours a week working with your IELTS prep teacher

Three main benefits come from studying with an IELTS instructor

First, an IELTS prep instructor instantly adds weight to your study initiative

In other words, you gain accountability

Now you have someone to check your study progress and to verify you areimplementing your study plan

Self-study is doable, but only if you have the discipline to set your studygoals and achieve them!

Second, you are able to draw upon the experience of a native English IELTSprep teacher

Get special tips, suggestions, and insights only a veteran IELTS Englishteacher can give

Third, get your English and IELTS exam questions answered instantly!

Surely at some point of your preparation, you may have doubts

Fortunately, you have your own expert who wants to see you succeed

In a bit of self-promotion, let me – Professor Winn - be that experiencedIELTS prep instructor to help you score the optimal mark on the exam!Let me prepare you for General IELTS success in personal 1-to-1 classes -

reserve your course today with me – Professor Winn!

Chapter 2: Listening

Introduction

The IELTS Listening Section is the same for both General and Academiccandidates

You have 30 minutes to respond to questions about four (4) audios

(monologues and conversations) plus 10 minutes to transfer answers to ananswer sheet

The four audio selections are structured accordingly:

Audio 1: using the English language to get by in an English-speaking

country

Audio 2: mostly involves a floor plan or a map which you will need to study

carefully.

Audios 3 and 4: primarily related to academic subjects, with the last one

predominantly harder than the rest.

Use the tip below to help you do well on the Listening Section

Key #7: Mind your spelling.

First, start with the good news

IELTS accepts both British and American English in terms of spelling,

grammar and choice of words

The bad news is that any bad spelling is penalized

Pay special attention when you transfer your answers from the workbook tothe answer sheet! Too many students get lower scores for transposing orotherwise mixing up the spelling between the two

Double check your spelling after you transfer your answers

Reinforce your English spelling by reviewing these flashcards of the Top 50Misspelled English words (http://bit.ly/quizlet50).

Plus, check this resource for common misspelled words on the IELTS exam:http://bit.ly/ielts-misspelling

Another issue on the IELTS Listening test - you may have the answer spelledout for you

Unfortunately, some English letters sound the same like M and N and J andG

Key #8: Follow this basic approach to listening questions.

Quickly read the questions in the time given before the recording begins.Underline the keywords

Stay focused during the audio

Listen for the keywords or synonyms of these words throughout the audio

Be aware which answer is a number, place, name, date, etc

Try to anticipate the vocabulary you will hear

Remember – the answers follow the questions in order

Be sure to write legibly and accurately – only the requested amount of words

or number

Carefully transfer your answers to the provided answer sheet

Check your answers for any grammatical errors

Chapter 3: Reading

Are you a strong English reader? Become one between now and the test day!The IELTS Reading Section is one of the most difficult for either General orAcademic exam candidates

You must read three (3) sections with 40 questions to be completed in a total

of 60 minutes

Reading passages range from magazine and newspaper articles to noticeboards and brochures

However, manage your time wisely and practice under testing time

constraints You cannot maximize your score if you do not complete the

paper

You have only 40 minutes in reality to complete this paper, not 60; so that is

1 minute per question because you are not given time to transfer answers not

to your answer sheet

Questions start off easy and become increasingly difficult You need 34 to 35answers correct to get a 7.0 in the Reading Section Thus, make sure you cananswer the easier questions to get those points!

Watch this YouTube video for more IELTS Reading tactics:

http://bit.ly/ireading1

If you do not know an answer – guess! There are no penalties for incorrect

answers.

Be careful of spelling your responses correctly

You have to write the answer exactly as it is in the book – anything else willlose you the point

Practice the reading section with the official Answer Sheet - transferring

answers is a source of errors You are not allotted any extra time to

transfer answer either.

Above all, check your answers.

Key #9: Only answer with the requested number of words.

Like the Listening Section, some questions designate the number of wordsfor an answer

For example, if you are asked to complete a sentence using no more than

two words, if the correct answer is ‘cotton skirt’, the answer ‘skirt made of

cotton’ would be incorrect

Key #10: Increase your reading speed by chunking words.

The faster you can read – the more questions you can cover in the readingsection!

Increase your reading speed by chunking!

How do you read in chunks or groups of words?

Group your words to increase your speed and comprehension.

Train your eyes to concentrate and see a group of 3 to 4 words at a glance.This is not natural for the eyes, however

Practice about 15 minutes a day reading a newspaper using this method Try

to read 3 to 4 words or a whole sentence at a time

A newspaper usually has about 4 to 5 words across each line Read an articleline by line but be sure to group the words You will soon get used to readingphrases, not words

Ex: Reading in clusters is a faster and easier way to understand and read a

text [15 words]

Suggested grouping:

(Reading in clusters)(is a faster) (and easier way )(to understand) (and read atext.) [only 5 phrases!]

It is easier to read 5 phrases than 15 words!

Practice grouping words that you read into logical units to speed up yourreading ability and to process more information faster for the exam!

You have 20 minutes to write about 170 words to complete the task.

Depending on the question, you are tested on your ability to:

compose personal correspondence request and give general factual information communicate needs, wants, likes and dislikes give your opinion (views, complaints etc.)

Formal style Task 1 example question:

You have seen an advertisement in an English newspaper for a job working part-time in the Landow History Museum shop during the holidays You decide to apply for the job Write a letter to the director of the Museum.

In your letter:

introduce yourself explain what experience and special skills you have explain why you are interested in the job

I give you more details below in the writing example

Semi-formal style Task 1 example question:

You are studying a short language course in another country Your

accommodation was arranged by the course provider There is a major problem with the accommodation.

Write a letter to the course provider In your letter:

Say what the problem is.

Describe the accommodation you thought you were getting.

Ask the provider to solve the problem.

[Extend your IELTS preparation – enroll in my free 7-Day IELTS email

e-Course!]

Informal style Task 1 example question:

You are going to another country to study You would like to do a part-timejob while you are studying, so you want to ask a friend who lives there forsome help

Write a letter to this friend In your letter:

give details of your study plans explain why you want to get a part-time job suggest how your friend could help you find a job

Task 2 is a formal essay and counts more than Task 1 in your final score.

You have 40 minutes to write about 270 words to respond to the essay

question

For example:

Richer nations should take care of the health care and environmental

problems facing poor nations Discuss the main arguments for this statement and give your own opinion.

However, please take Task 1 seriously I have had students who focus toomuch on the essay and it hurt their score

Task 2 requires you to:

organize a response by giving and justifying a thesis

summarize details identify possible solutions to problems, and support your thesis with reasons, arguments and relevant examples from your

own knowledge or experience.

Both Tasks 1 and 2 adhere to established criteria to judge your responses

Key #11: Know the Writing Criteria.

The IELTS writing criteria is divided into four main categories:

Task Achievement – Do you answer the question?

Coherence and Cohesion – Is your writing understandable?

(See more: http://bit.ly/bcoherence1)

Lexical Resource – Do you use a rich vocabulary? Do you use idioms,

collocations, and phrasal verbs? (read Supplemental Skills below)

Grammatical Range and Accuracy – Do you use good grammar and

punctuation? (see Supplemental Skills below)

Your mission in the IELTS Writing Section is to include these elements in

your responses to Tasks 1 and 2

The degree to which you achieve your mission will determine your final