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IELTS test in the USA – July 2015 (Academic Module)

IELTS test in the USA – July 2015 (Academic Module)

Thanks to F who took the IELTS test in the USA we have these Writing and Speaking questions for you today:

Writing testIELTS test in USA

Writing task 1 (a report)

We were given two maps of a museum, one from 1989 and other from 2008. We had to compare the maps, describe the changes and write about the new features that were added.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Some people believe that countries should invite foreign companies to open their brunches, offices and factories in order to develop their economies. Others think countries should invest in their own companies instead. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Speaking test

Interview

– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– What is your major?
– Was it an easy choice for you? Why?
– What do you want to do in the future?
– Do you watch TV?
– What are your favourite programs? Why?
– What is the situation of women like in your country?
– Can they be independent?

Cue Card

Talk about a family event that you remember from your childhood. Please say

– When and where was it?
– What was the event?
– What did you do?
– Why do you still remember it?

Discussion

– Do you have a big family?
– Does your family remember that event?

Writing Task 1 letter – is the order important?

Have you ever thought about the order of information in your GT Writing Task 1 letter? Have you ever wondered if there’s a specific order in which you should write all the information that the task statement requires? Here is what you need to know:

The GT Writing Task 1 statement usually asks you to write a letter to someone, including the reason why you are writing and some bullet points with information for you to include in your letter.

For example, the task statement can be:

You are travelling next month to stay with a host family you do not know as part of a student exchange program.

Write a letter to the family to introduce yourself. In your letter,
– say when and how you will be arriving
– tell the family a little about yourself
– ask about the weather to pack suitable clothes

A student asked a very good question: what will happen if you write about the bullet points, but NOT in the same order they appear in the task statement? Will your score go down if, for example, you first write about yourself (2nd bullet point), then about when you will be arriving (1st bullet point) and then ask about the weather (3rd bullet point)?

The answer is – your score will not suffer if you write in a different order from the task statement. If your letter is long enough (at least 150 words), has no spelling errors, is grammatically correct and written using the appropriate tone and vocabulary, you don’t have anything to worry about.

One thing to keep in mind though is that often there is logic to the order of bullet points, and following that logic may be easier than re-arranging it. This means that if you write in the same order of bullet points, your letter will turn out coherent and there will be a logical progression. However, if you can write a good logical letter with all the information in a different order from that of bullet points’ – that would be absolutely fine.

You can find more writing tips in our new book, ‘IELTS Success Formula’ – go here to learn more.