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For any questions, feel free to contact us: @Cambridge_materials_bot 📩 Official books and audios 👇 @cambridgeielts_robot 🤖
🛍📚Book shopping with Pauline!! - Such a dream come true to see the legendary author Pauline Cullen at the Cambridge booth as she gives us a tour of the latest Cambridge books and shares her honest reviews on some of the best IELTS books in the business. Tips galore for those who want to hear from legitimate sources, given by none other than Pauline Cullen - the "J.K. Rowling" of the IELTSverse.
Recommended books: 📚
☑️Her own IELTS prep materials
✔️English Grammar in Use series
✅Complete IELTS series
❗️Recommended authors: ✍️
Raymond Murphy | Judith Wilson | Vanessa Jakeman | Megan Yucel | Claire McDowel | Amanda French | Sophie Walker
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🤖 @cambridgeielts_robot 🤖 for more materials
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©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
#writing_task_1
👉 Cambridge IELTS 9, Test 2
The chart below shows the total number of minutes (in billions) of telephone calls in the UK, divided into three categories, from 1995-2002.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
⁉️How much do you know about the four assessment criteria that your examiner uses to mark your IELTS Speaking test?
Look at two Part 3 interviews and see the difference between a Band 6 and a Band 7 performance with a focus on Pronunciation 🗣
0:00 ⏯ Introduction
0:13 ⏯ Band 6
1:08 ⏯ Feedback - Band 6
1:18 ⏯ Band 7
2:40 ⏯ Feedback - Band 7
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
✍️IELTS Writing Task 2
Cambridge IELTS 9 Test 4
Model Answer
ln some parts of the world, native languages are being lost as the world develops and evolves. Some believe that this is unimportant and even see it as an advantage. This essay will discuss whether the loss of languages should be cause for concern.
Certain aspects of everyday life are made easier through sharing a common language. First and foremost, business transactions are much simpler when the two parties concerned can understand each other well. Travel problems can also be dealt with much faster when there is mutual understanding Thanks to globalization, these types of communication are increasing and could be seen as largely responsible for the disappearance of languages in more remote areas. If people in those areas want to do business with others, to avoid frustrations, they must adopt the more widely used languages of the world. Thus, with each new generation, their native tongue becomes both less useful and less used. Thus, sadly, the need to make life simpler makes the loss of some languages inevitable.
Nevertheless, language has a multitude of uses that go far beyond tourism and business communication. Firstly, our native tongue is used to express our deepest feelings and emotions. These are much more difficult to convey when using a second language. Language also plays an important part in our culture and identity, uniting us as a community, Thus, when a language is lost, part of the community and culture also disappears. This must be an enormous loss for
the people concerned. Clearly, some people are affected far more than others by the disappearance of a language.
ln conclusion, while it is true that having fewer languages benefits the world of business, and makes transactions easier, I completely disagree with the view that the continued loss of languages is unimportant. The variety of native languages is what makes the world a richer place, and any loss of this kind should not be dismissed lightly.
[321 words]
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#PaulineCullen
The Key to IELTS Writing Task 2
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
🤷♂A lack of ideas leads to repitition 🔄
Common problem: People often tell me they don’t know what to write about in writing task 2 and they find it hard to get ideas.
When candidates don’t know what to write about, the result is often at least one paragraph where the same idea is repeated over and over. This type of writing will keep you stuck at band 6 or 6.5.
Here is an example from an essay I was sent recently. I have corrected the language errors so that you can focus only on the ideas.
📝Picture below:👇
The paragraph begins well but the main idea is not developed. Instead, the same idea is repeated and even presented as though it is an ‘example’. This shows why using a fixed template to create a paragraph is not enough. It also provides a good example of band 6 task response: ”…the conclusions may become …repetitive.”
SOLUTION: Develop good thinking strategies for the test
If you need to score band 7 or above, in the test, you must 🔽
👉 form an opinion about the issue raised in the question
👉 explain your opinion to the examiner and
👉 produce a balanced argument showing that your opinion is justified and well thought-out
Here are some ideas to help you develop these skills:
💡think about the issue from your own perspective – how does it affect your life now or in the future?
🤔 if it does not affect you personally, does it affect a friend or someone in your family? Does it affect your town or businesses nearby?
💁♂ how do you feel about this?
🔰#Official #Pauline_Cullen
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
#sample_answer
IELTS Writing Task 1:
🔸Cambridge IELTS 6, Test 4🔸
The first bar chart shows changes in the number of marriages and divorces in the USA, and the second chart shows figures for the marital status of American adults in 1970 and 2000
It is clear that there was a fall in the number of marriages in the USA between 1970 and 2000. The majority of adult Americans were married in both years, but the proportion of single adults was higher in 2000.
In 1970, there were 2.5 million marriages in the USA and 1 million divorces. The marriage rate remained stable in 1980, but fell to 2 million by the year 2000. In contrast, the divorce rate peaked in 1980, at nearly 1.5 million divorces, before falling back to 1 million at the end of the period
Around 70% of American adults were married in 1970, but this figure dropped to just under 60% by 2000. At the same time, the proportion of unmarried people and divorcees rose by about 10% in total. The proportion of widowed Americans was slightly lower in 2000.
(174 words)
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
There are so many accents of the English language; well, here are nine of them in the audio above.
🎧 Listen to how English is usually spoken in:
🔸 Northern Ireland 🇬🇧
🔸 Japan 🇯🇵
🔸 Switzerland 🇨🇭
🔸 Spain 🇪🇸
🔸 France 🇫🇷
🔸 England 🏴
🔸 Italy 🇮🇹
🔸 Sudan 🇸🇩
🔸 USA 🇺🇸
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
⁉️ But aren't words like 'Firstly, secondly, in addition' just unnecessary fillers or clichés?
When I have suggested ways to connect ideas more clearly, some people have replied, 'Sure, but isn't it a bit of a cliché to use words like 'the latter' or 'Firstly' etc?' Again, this resistance to do what is needed to improve coherence and cohesion may help to explain why this problem is so persistent. The answer is, no, it is not a cliché to clearly show how your ideas are connected. In fact, many of the academics I follow on Twitter, who supervise PhD students and edit journals, often bemoan the fact that so many of the academic papers they see lack the signposting needed to make the connections between ideas clearer, so the problems this causes go beyond the IELTS test.
The belief that words and phrases like this should be avoided may come from following bad advice. I was recently sent an image of a list of words and phrases that a website had declared were 'unnecessary language fillers.' The list is a confusing mix of phrases that should indeed be avoided, because they are either inaccurate or too informal (From my perception: in recent days, I guess), while other phrases on the list are useful cohesive devices: First of all; Nowadays; On the one hand; Some people believe. This is a very good reminder that you must always look for reliable sources of information.
❇️Key idea: The language that you learn forms an essential toolkit for your writing. Deciding that some of these tools should be avoided is like a master builder declaring, 'I'd never use a hammer to hit a nail, everyone does that, it's such a cliché. A master builder would always use the right tool for the job. In IELTS, you must do the same to show that you have mastered the skill of writing.
Pauline Cullen. The Key to IELTS Writing
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
#official
🗣IELTS Speaking advice by the British Council
P.S. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
⚡️#IELTSReading: how should you practise?
Here's a useful question that a student asked me:
Many students complain that they don’t get a high enough score in IELTS reading, and many teachers respond that you need more practice. Dear Simon, could you describe how to practise for reading correctly? I do practise with the Cambridge books and spend time reading newspapers, but with no results.
Here's my answer:
Good question. First, testing yourself is not the best form of practice. You should test yourself from time to time (e.g. once a week), but spend much more time studying rather than testing. 'Studying' means that your aim is to learn something from what you read. For example, when reading newspaper articles, you might learn a new word or phrase, or you might learn how to use a word correctly in a new context. Don't forget to check things in a dictionary or by searching online, and write new language in a notebook.
The Cambridge IELTS books are a great resource for studying (as well as testing). Try doing some reading tests without a time limit. Allow yourself to use a dictionary to check words, and aim to get all of the answers right. Analyse your mistakes carefully, and make
👉 KEYWORD TABLES 👈
❗️Above all, remember that IELTS reading is a vocabulary test. Ask yourself what new vocabulary you have learnt this week. Can you point to a page of your notebook and say "I've learnt these 10 or 20 new words and phrases this week"? If you can, you are improving. SimonC
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
#sample_answer
IELTS Writing Task 1:
🔸Cambridge IELTS 6, Test 2🔸
The chart shows average distances that people in England travelled using different forms of transport in the years 1985 and 2000.
It is clear that the total number of miles travelled by English people using all modes of transport increased significantly between 1985 and 2000. The car was by far the most used form of transport in both years.
In 1985, the average person travelled 3,199 miles by car, and this rose to 4,806 miles in the year 2000. The figures for miles travelled by train, long distance bus, taxi and other modes also increased from 1985 to 2000. Travel by taxi saw the most significant change, with more than a threefold increase from 13 miles per person per year in 1985 to 42 miles in 2000.
There was a fall in the average distances for three forms of transport, namely walking, bicycle and local bus. In 1985, English people walked an average of 255 miles, but this figure fell by 18 miles in 2000. Bicycle use fell from 51 to 41 miles over the period shown, while the biggest downward change was in the use of local buses, with average miles per person falling from 429 to 274 over the 15-year period.
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
How many hours do I need to prepare for my exam?
It takes approximately 200 guided learning hours for a language learner to progress from one level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) to the next.
For example, a candidate who has got a band score of 6.0 in IELTS, at level B2 on the CEFR, might need approximately 200 hours of lessons and supervised study in order to get a band score of 7.0 in IELTS, which is aligned to level C1 on the CEFR.
However, there are a number of factors that can affect how long it will take to increase your level of English, including:
👉 your language learning background
👉 the intensity of your study
👉 your age
👉 the amount of study/exposure outside of lesson times
The table above suggests how many guided learning hours you might need to reach each level of the CEFR. These figures are intended as a guideline only. You may require more or less time and support depending on your own needs
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
#official
✍️IELTS Reading advice by the British Council
P.S. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
CORRECT ANSWERS:
1. H
too dangerous = risky, someone could get hurt
2. B
too boring = it needs to be more active and interesting
3. E
too long = we had to wait up to a fortnight (two weeks)
4. C
too difficult = a bit ambitious for this age group
🔎📌@cambridgematerials👈
#IELTSAcademicWriting
The diagram below shows the process by which bricks are manufactured for the building industry.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
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How do the IELTS examiners assess the Academic Writing Test? And what criteria do you need to meet to achieve IELTS Band 5, 6 and 7 in Writing? Watch this Writing Test samples to find out.👇
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▶️ Band 5 test sample
▶️ Band 7 test sample
▶️ Band 9 test sample
🔎📌@cambridgematerials👈
#sample_answer
IELTS Writing Task 1:
🔸Cambridge IELTS 9, Test 2🔸
The bar chart compares the amount of time spent by people in the UK on three different types of phone call between 1995 and 2002.
It is clear that calls made via local, fixed lines were the most popular type, in terms of overall usage, throughout the period shown. The lowest figures on the chart are for mobile calls, but this category also saw the most dramatic increase in user minutes.
In 1995, people in the UK used fixed lines for a total of just over 70 billion minutes for local calls, and about half of that amount of time for national or international calls. By contrast, mobile phones were only used for around 4 billion minutes. Over the following four years, the figures for all three types of phone call increased steadily.
By 1999, the amount of time spent on local calls using landlines had reached a peak at 90 billion minutes.
Subsequently, the figure for this category fell, but the rise in the other two types of phone call continued. In 2002, the number of minutes of national / international landline calls passed 60 billion, while the figure for mobiles rose to around 45 billion minutes.
(197 words)
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
📈 What These IELTS Statistics Say About You 📉📊
Today we’ll look at IELTS statistics and find out how they can help you prepare for higher scores.
IELTS gathers a lot of data about it’s candidates, and publishes them for the public to see.
So, let’s take a look at the salient points and find out if they can shed some light on who excels on the exam.
Reasons for Taking IELTS
Academic
For people taking the exam for employment purposes, 18% got 6, 21% got 7, and 4.5% got 8.
For candidates using the exam for university, 21.5% got 6, 9% got 7, and 3% got 8.
👩⚕️Nurses scored quite well. They need this exam to work as a nurse in other countries. 16% got 6, 26% got 7, and 5% got 8.
Look at the data for overall 7!
👨🏫For students entering university with these scores, only 9% reached a 7, while 26% of nurses and 21% of other employees hit that golden score.
What does this tell us?
🔹 It says that adults who are already professionals are performing better than students.
It might be the case that workers are using English at work, but that is not the case for many of the nursing students that I have.
My theory is that adults who have more responsibilities, with family and work, are better at managing their time. I know I get more done when I have a lot to do.
⚡️Busy people get more done.
The lesson for students, in this case, is to be a more disciplined English learner.
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
⁉️How much do you know about the four assessment criteria that your examiner uses to mark your IELTS Speaking test?
Look at two Part 3 interviews and see the difference between a Band 6 and a Band 7 performance with a focus on Lexical Resource 🔡
0:00 ⏯ Introduction
0:13 ⏯ Band 6
0:53 ⏯ Feedback - Band 6
1:04 ⏯ Band 7
2:26 ⏯ Feedback - Band 7
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
✍Cambridge IELTS 9
Test 4, Writing Task 2
Every year several languages die out. Some people think that this is not important because life will be easier if there fewer languages in the world.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
#long_awaited_bot
☑️ Official Cambridge IELTS materials that help you to be better prepared for your exam!
🔷 Official Cambridge IELTS 👇
📚 Books
🎧 Audios
🔑 Answers
✍️ Explanations
🎬 Media
🧩 Software
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🤖 @CAMBRIDGEIELTS_ROBOT 👈
#writing_task_1
👉 Cambridge IELTS 6, Test 4
The charts below give information about USA marriage and divorce rates between 1970 and 2000, and the marital status of adult Americans in two of the years.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
🎧IELTS LISTENING: UNDERSTANDING THE ACCENT
❌ The problem
IELTS is an international test, so you might hear a range of different accents, including Australian, British, New Zealand and North American. Remember that you only hear the audio once in the Listening test so you need to be absolutely confident that you can pick out every detail first time. An unfamiliar accent can get in the way of that. While there will not be any extreme accents, you should at least be familiar with a range of ‘standard’ accents.
✅ The solution
Start by reading this extract from a report from the US Library of Medicine:
‘It is well known that there is a processing cost when listening to speech in an accent other than one’s own, but recent work has suggested that this cost is reduced when listening to a familiar accent widely represented in the media, and/or when short amounts of exposure to an accent are provided.’
This means that ‘short amounts of exposure’ to an unfamiliar accent really can help you to understand it. So it’s sensible to spend some time listening to the most common dialects when you are preparing for the test. It’s not difficult to find 📻 radio stations online that enable you to do this.
Here are some examples:👇
ABC Radio from Australia 🇦🇺
CBC Radio from Canada 🇨🇦
BBC Radio 4 from the UK 🇬🇧
It’s easy to find others, and you may even find it interesting to listen to some more unusual accents such as Louisiana or Caribbean. In fact, you can have lots of fun finding radio stations worldwide on tunein.com!
👉 Another approach is to listen to some TED talks. TED speakers come from many different countries, and often the talks have transcripts, so you can check the accuracy of your listening. Here are three examples from the Top 20 TED talks:
Ken Robinson: How schools kill creativity 🇬🇧British accent
Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are 🇺🇸 North American accent
Pranav Mistry: The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology 🇮🇳 Indian accent
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
#official
✍️IELTS Writing Key Facts by the British Council
P.S. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
#official
🗣IELTS Speaking Key Facts by the British Council
P.S. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
✍️How is the writing test assessed?
The writing test consists of two separate tasks. Your writing task 2 answer is more important than your writing task 1 answer, in fact it is worth double the marks. To understand how this works, double your writing task 2 score, add it to your writing task 1 score and then divide the total by 3. So, if your task 1 answer is band 7.5 and your task 2 answer is band 6, your score would be 6.5 (7.5 + 6 + 6 = 19.5/3 = 6.5).
Pauline Cullen - The Key to IELTS Success
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
#writing_task_1
👉 Cambridge IELTS 6, Test 2
The table below gives information about changes in modes of travel in England between 1985 and 2000.
Average distance in miles travelled per person per year, by mode of travel
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
Introduction to the Cambridge English Scale 📊
🔰 CEFR
🔰 Cambridge English First
🔰 Cambridge English Advanced
🔰 Cambridge English Proficiency
🔰 IELTS
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
#official
🎧IELTS Listening advice by the British Council
P.S. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.
©️ @cambridgematerials 👈
🎧 IELTS Listening: synonyms and opposites
Often you don't hear the exact words given in the question. Instead, you hear a synonym, a similar word, or an opposite. For example, if the question contains the word difficult, you might hear too hard or not easy.
Try the following exercise (from Cambridge IELTS 4, page 85). The speaker explains the problems involved with 4 different school science experiments.
👉 Listen and choose the correct problem for the 4 experiments (🎼Audio below)
A) too messy
B) too boring
C) too difficult
D) too much equipment
E) too long
F) too easy
G) too noisy
H) too dangerous
Experiment 1:
Experiment 2:
Experiment 3:
Experiment 4:
Credits to Simon C
Leave your answers in the comments below! 👇
🔎📌@cambridgematerials👈
✍ IELTS Academic Writing
Test Sample (Task 1) Band 9⃣
🔎📌@cambridgematerials👈
