The English teachers voice

The IELTS General Training writing task 1 of the IELTS Writing Test requires you to write either a formal or an informal letter on a given subject. There are usually three bullet points provided in the task rubric for you to address in your letter. You are required to use 150 words to frame your letter in 20 minutes. The purpose of this writing task is to assess your functional writing skills.  It is to check whether you are able to write different types of letters such as to apologise, thank, complain, suggest, give information, or ask for information in an appropriate tone, using the appropriate structure and language. Once you have read the question, identified the type of letter you need to write, make sure you address all the three bullets in your writing, and use an appropriate format and language to address the task. One of the key elements in the assessment is structuring the letter you write. So, make sure you use the  ODAC  formula  to  pla...

  The Format of the IELTS Writing Test Timing – 60 minutes Important facts: The writing test has two parts – Task 1 and Task 2. You must write a minimum of 150 words for Task 1 and a minimum of  250 words for Task 2. Task 1 should take you around 20 minutes and Task 2 around 40 minutes. Task 2 contributes twice as many marks to your overall score as Task 1. Two versions There are two versions of the IELTS writing test – Academic and General Training. Task 2 is the same for both tests, but Task 1 is different. The main difference is in the style of question and the type of language required to answer it. Here are detailed outlines of the two versions of the test. Academic Writing Task 1 – You will be presented with one of the following: Bar chart Line graph Table Pie chart Process diagram Map Combination – charts, graphs, tables You are required to describe, summarise or explain the information in your...

  Learning English takes time, there is no doubt about that, but in this article, I would like to share some helpful tips for making the process quicker and more efficient. I hope that they help 1. Tune In Whether you’re at home doing the housework, on the bus, or driving to work find some radio stations and podcasts on iTunes and listen in. Find music groups and artists and download their music. There are tonnes of podcasts about all topics imaginable including entertainment, politics, news, and science. A good way to find great podcasts is through a TV channel you usually watch. Look up topics that interest you and listen to it. Even if you’re not actively listening you’re still learning subconsciously. Your ear will become accustomed to the sound and flow of the language. Mix up the kinds of things you listen to. Listen to the news, interviews, documentaries, narratives, and of course music! By changing up the format you’ll start to recognize words in context. Music is even more...