In IELTS Speaking Part 2, candidates receive a cue card from the examiner and are asked to talk about the topic for 1-2 minutes. There are a huge number of topics and questions, and they are constantly changing. You never know what questions you will have to answer. This is one of the most popular reasons test-takers mention when saying why this part of the speaking test is so difficult. 

There is good news too. The cue cards can be used as prompts. There are several types of cue cards you can get on the day of the exam, and each of them needs different functions of the language.

Most often candidates have to speculate about the following:

• event or events in the past
• habit or habits
• a person
• an object
• a place
• a cultural event or item.

In this blog post, we will look at each of them and decide what language candidates might need to complete the task. 

READ ABOUT: How to organize your response in IELTS Speaking Part 2?

Event or events in the past

Candidates receive such a task quite often. Here are some examples:

• Describe an experience or situation that made you happy.
• Describe an important event in your life.
• Describe a special occasion when you had a really enjoyable meal.
• Describe a memorable journey you have made.
• Describe an exciting experience in your life.
• Describe a journey by car/plane/train/ boat that you remember well.
• Describe a holiday you went on when you were a child.
• Describe an occasion when you spent some time with a child.
• Describe a bad service you received.
• Describe a very difficult task that you succeeded in doing as part of your work or studies. 
• Describe a good decision you made.
• Describe a school which you went to. 
• Describe a day when you thought the weather was perfect.

As you plan your speech, decide what tenses you are going to use. Candidates often make a mistake, and start using present tenses instead of past in this type of questions. Make sure you use narrative tenses: Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect where necessary. 

Another thing you have to remember is to provide context for your story. To make it logical, provide additional information. The examiner, like any other person who sees you for the first time in life, doesn’t know anything about you. Imagine, you are telling this story to your new acquaintance or a friend. This will help you to relax and give more interesting details. 

It is recommended that you cover the items in your cue card, but the examiner will pay more attention to your language rather than bullet points in the card. There is no such criterion as Task Achievement in IELTS Speaking, i.e. your vocabulary, grammar, intonation, examples you provide showcase your English ability. 

Habit or habits

This type of question might look very easy, but it is tricky as well. Take a look at the examples:

• Describe something healthy you enjoy doing.
• Describe a sport or game you enjoy playing. 
• Describe something you do that helps you to relax.
• Describe something you do to help you study or work.
• Describe an activity you enjoy doing on the weekends.
• Describe your favorite way of travel.
• Describe something you usually do at the beginning of the day.

Habits are things that we usually do. Unlike past events or future intentions, there are not so many structures we can use to describe them. Usually, candidates are supposed to talk in Present Simple, but as it often happens, some use Present Progressive. Make sure you use the proper tense. 

It’s also a good idea to talk about the time when you started your habit at the beginning. 

To extend your ideas, provide examples and details: where, when, how, and with whom you usually do the things. If you run out of ideas, it’s always good to talk about 2 or 3 habits you have and speculate about each of them.

READ ABOUT: 6 best ways of getting vocabulary for IELTS

A person

The first thing you might think of when you receive such a task is what adjectives to use. However, it’s not enough to itemize all possible adjectives, but your list is going to be quite long to speak for 120 seconds. Here are some sample tasks:

• Describe a friend that you really like to spend time with. 
• Describe someone in your family who you admire.
• Describe your best friend.
• Describe a child that you know very well.
• Describe someone you know who has started a business.
• Describe a person who has encouraged you recently.
• Describe a writer you would like to meet.
• Describe a film actor from your country who is very popular.
• Describe a teacher who has influenced you in your education.  
• Describe an elderly person in your family you enjoy talking to. 

The main tip for answering this question is not only using a wide range of adjectives but also supporting your ideas with good examples. This means, provide examples from your own life or the life of the person you are talking about every time you use an adjective. For example, you could say ‘My best friend is very shy’. However, saying ‘My best friend is very shy. I remember once we went to a party, and there was a girl he liked a lot. However, he was only sitting and watching us having fun, and never asked her to dance with him that evening’ will take more time. 

Object

Many test-takers find this question particularly hard. The main problem is that they lack the vocabulary for describing different kinds of things such as:

• Describe a piece of electronic equipment that is important to you. 
• Describe your favourite photograph. 
• Describe something you own which is very important to you.
• Describe a gift that you gave to someone recently. 
• Describe a present that you received as a child.
• Describe a present that someone gave to you which you liked a lot. 
• Describe a plant/tree grown in your country.
• Describe a souvenir you bought.
• Describe an item you lost that was found.
• Describe an item you bought but haven’t used much.
• Describe something you have always wanted to buy. 
• Describe one of the things you have which you couldn’t live without.

There are at list two-three things you can do to solve the problem:

• learn specific vocabulary and practise describing different objects during your IELTS preparation;
• personalize, i.e. speculate about the meaning of this object to your or the society rather than describe its physical appearance or other characteristics;
• compare and contrast it with another object.

Place

This task is very similar to the previous one in terms of using a wide range of vocabulary. It might also require you to speculate about some aspects of the past or future. Let’s have a look at examples:

• Describe a place in another part of the world that you would love to visit in the future. 
• Describe a school which you went to. 
• Describe an interesting historic place. 
• Describe your favourite shop. 
• Describe your ideal house.
• Describe a city you visited and consider beautiful.
• Describe a house/apartment that someone you know lives in.
• Describe a place of entertainment (e.g. theatre, cinema, sports centre) that you would like to have where you live.

You can easily cope with this task if you learn vocabulary for describing such places as towns/ cities/ buildings before you start your exam preparation. 

READ ABOUT: IELTS language for describing maps

Cultural event or item

This task is hard but interesting at the same time. That’s because you often have to talk about the culture of your country or things you’ve done or experiences you’ve had. For example:

• Describe an important tradition in your family.
• Describe a TV programme that has made a strong impression on you.
• Describe a film you have enjoyed so much.  
• Describe a book that you have recently read.
• Describe an important event in the history of your country.
• Describe a meal at a special event.
• Describe a TV advert you have never forgotten.

If you are to talk about things from your own culture, the main problem that you may face is not knowing the English language equivalents for the names of some items. If this happens to you, say the name in your own language, and give a definition in English so that the examiner can understand what you are talking about.

Remember, this task tests your ability to use English vocabulary and grammar in different contexts. The best thing you can do is to master them before you start your IELTS preparation journey and practise a lot.

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If you are preparing for IELTS Speaking, you might have heard that vocabulary range is an important criterion that can influence your IELTS score. The examiner will look at what vocabulary you use and how you do it, i.e. your accuracy matters as well. You can demonstrate the width of your vocabulary by using synonyms, set expressions, idioms, phrasal verbs, etc.

Using phrasal verbs where appropriate makes you sound more fluent. That is because most of the time native speakers of English use these short multiple-word verbs in their sentences. Phrasal verbs will make your speech more lively and natural, as a result, you will be able to increase your score in the Speaking section of the exam. 

It’s also good to use phrasal verbs in your speaking because a lot of them are idiomatic, i.e. their meaning is not the same as the individual words, which is also good for improving your score.

We have collected a list of advanced phrasal verbs that will help you dwell on various topics, and we have also provided you with their definitions and examples.

Remember it’s not recommended to use phrasal verbs in IELTS Academic Writing. We recommend that you replace them with single verb equivalents.

• READ ABOUT:
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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 often implies the candidate has to describe line graphs, bar charts, tables and multiple charts that have a lot in common. These visuals contain numbers and percentages, which makes them different from maps and processes. In order to score high in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, you have t0 give an accurate and strong description as well as analyse the provided charts properly. Writing 150 words is not enough to achieve the desired band. You should avoid repetition, i.e. demonstrate the range of vocabulary. What words and expressions to use to describe and emphasize the changes, similarities and differences in the data is going to be discussed below.

Rise and fall verbs

increase / rise significantly = go up a lot 

• e.g. In the period from September to November, the profits increased significantly reaching a peak of 10 million. 

rocket/soar = go up quickly to a high level

• e.g. In October, the figures rocket / soar to 2,600 copies.

reach a peak = get to a maximum 

• e.g. The sales increased gradually, reaching a peak of approximately 25, 000 copies in April.

increase / rise slightly = go up a little  

• The figures for Pretty Cuo increased slightly in the final year.

decrease significantly = go down a lot

• e.g. In December the sales decreased significantly reaching a low of 1,500 books.

plummet / plunge = go down quickly and suddenly

• e.g. The property values had plummeted / plunged by 2008. 

decrease slightly = go down a little

• e.g. The figures for Pretty Cuo decreased slightly in the final year.

reach a low = go to a minimum

• e.g. The profits of Richmond Blue saw a dramatic fall and reached a low of 2 million in 2010.

fluctuate = change all the time

• e.g. … the profits of the Pretty Cup slightly fluctuated…

remain stable = not change

• e.g. … the indexes of Coffee Day and Short Street Coffee remained stable… 

halve = to reduce by half

• e.g. In the past eight years, the elephant population in Africa has been halved. 

drop/dip / show a downward trend/decline = go down, to gradually become less, worse, or lower

• e.g. Stock prices dropped after the company’s announcement.

grow/surge = to increase suddenly and greatly

• e.g. House prices surged between 2015 and 2021.

recover = to improve after a difficult period or after falling in value

• e.g. Profits are expected to recover in the current financial year.

READ ABOUT: 250+ commonly misspelled words in IELTS Listening

Adjectives and adverbs

sharply / dramatically = quickly

• e.g. The number of bike commuters increased sharply between 2019 and 2021.

gradually / steadily = slowly

• e.g. …  income from this source decreased gradually over the years, falling from 20% to 12%.

considerably / significantly = greatly

• e.g. The number of people cycling to work fluctuated considerably at the beginning of the described period.

slightly / insignificantly / marginally = a little / not much

• e.g. However, their values dropped insignificantly: in 2004 for the former and 2005 for the latter. 

nearly / roughly/ around = approximately

• e.g. The sales declined reaching a low of nearly 50 copies.

sharply, steeply, dramatically, significantly, substantially, considerably, wildly (fluctuate wildly) = very much

• e.g. The profits of  Richmond Blue fluctuated wildly during the first ten years.

upward = going up

• e.g. Overall, the indexes of retail trade and logistics fluctuated during this period with an upward trend.

downward = going down

• e.g. … the satisfactory scores demonstrate the downward trend from just under 40% to a projected quarter of all tests. 

overall = describing changes in trend over the whole period

• e.g. Overall, the indexes of retail trade and logistics fluctuated during this period…

slight/gradual/modest = describing small changes

• e.g. a slight rise, a gradual fall, a modest increase

marginal = describing very small change

•  e.g. a marginal change

consistent/steady/constant = steady

• e.g. steady movement , consistent flow, constant shifting

significant/dramatic/sudden/dramatic/substantial/sharp = describing a degree of change

• e.g.  a sudden rise, a sharp decrease = changes that happened quickly, a dramatic fall, a substantial change.

Writing a good description demands not only knowing a wide range of vocabulary and grammar, but also applying certain strategies. Go to our online IELTS preparation course where you will be able to build your IELTS Academic vocabulary,  go through a lot of practice in using the vocabulary, grammar and strategies, analyse sample answers, and write your own reports. Immediate feedback from our IELTS experts will help you build confidence and tackle IELTS Writing Task 1 with flying colours.

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• IELTS language for describing maps
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If you are planning to live, study or work abroad, you might be required to prove a certain level of English proficiency. For this purpose, you will need to take IELTS General or Academic or other international exams. In most cases IELTS  Academic is suitable for international students who come from countries where English is not spoken at all or non-native English-speaking countries. If you are a citizen of a country where the primary language is English, such as the USA, the UK, South Africa, or Canada, you do not have to provide evidence of your English language proficiency. 

The qualifications and grades universities or employers accept vary from one place to another. What are the minimum bands and what level of English do those correspond to? When is the right time to take IELTS Academic? Let’s find out.

What is the minimum level?

It might look obvious that before starting your IELTS preparation journey and reaching your destination (your dream band score) you should be aware of where you are now, at the beginning, i.e. what your level of English currently is. It is necessary to take a diagnostic test that will show you and the course provider what your current bands are in IELTS Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking. It will also reveal your weaknesses and strengths and allow the teacher/tutor or the course provider to customize the preparation and make an effective plan so that you could turn your weaknesses into strengths and cover all aspects of the exam. It will also help to avoid the situations when candidates with a very low level of English come and ask teachers to prepare them for getting band 7 or 8 in a few months, for example, while their current band is 4 or 5. It’s evident that it’s impossible but many people do not realize that. Before starting IELTS preparation which is mostly focused on exam skills and requires a certain level of English, it’s a good idea to find out if your level of English is high enough. Otherwise, you will have to focus on language first, and only then master your exam skills.

Another important thing one should bear in mind is that IELTS is designed to measure your level of English language proficiency and if it is suitable for an academic environment. It reflects aspects of academic language and evaluates whether you’re ready to begin training or studying. This can mean only one thing: you are tested for what you can do in English at this particular moment. Unlike Cambridge exams like FCE or CPE which are taken to prove a certain level of the candidate, IELTS is mostly taken to measure what your level of proficiency in English is. That is why there are so many candidates who do not know what their level is, and that is why the certificate is valid for only 2 years. That is due to the fact that your English can both improve and become worse over that period. That is why you can take the IELTS many times. 

So, what is the minimum level of English that is required for IELTS Academic? There is no pass or fail. IELTS is scored on a nine-band scale, with each band corresponding to a specified competence in English. Let’s have a look at the 4 lower bands and their descriptions:

This table gives you an idea of what type of score you might be able to get with your level of English. The good news is that working towards the B1 (Intermediate) level of English doesn’t take a long time – 1 or 2 years depending on how hard-working you are, i.e. your ability and determination.

READ ABOUT: Opportunities you have with IELTS certificate

When to take IELTS? 

Most universities will require you to have at least band 6.5  overall. As a general rule, the top-ranked universities in the USA, for example,  tend to demand a higher IELTS band (often, it’s 7.0). The majority of universities accept scores between 6-7 as being suitable for undergraduate study in English. However, you can find programs that require lower bands 5 or 5.5 in each component: Listening, Reading, Speaking, and Writing.  That’s because as an international student, you must demonstrate a satisfactory standard of spoken and written English to support your application. Here you can find the Top Global University Ranking by IELTS Requirements. If you are planning to enter a university with English programs, aim at least at band 5, but better 6.5 and higher. 

Let find out what level of English you must have to expect such scores:

According to the table above, if your expected band is higher than your level, you have to spend time and work on your English first. If it is high enough, you may start your IELTS preparation and master exam skills. 

As a rough guide, Cambridge exams estimate that each level is reached with the following guided learning hours: A2, 180–200; B1, 350–400; B2, 500–600; C1, 700–800, and C2, 1,000–1,200. The higher the level the more time you have to spend to jump up, and it can take many years to get to B2, C1 or C2. However, this also means that candidates with upper-intermediate levels of English (B2) are usually ready to study IELTS rather than just work on their language skills.

Remember, IELTS is not a kind of exam where answers can be guessed. It shows your current knowledge and skills, and what you can really do in English. There is no way you can trick the examiner or the testing system. The only thing you have to do is work hard, and enjoy the journey without focusing too much on the finish line because if your level of English is too low it is probably years away! However, nothing is impossible. 

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Most candidates think of IELTS Writing when they hear this word combination.  Spelling mistakes influence your score in this section. However, it is often a surprise for test-takers that spelling really matters for the IELTS Listening section as well. To tell the truth, spelling mistakes can ruin your score in this section. While you are still preparing for the IELTS exam, it is a good idea to learn the most common mistakes made by candidates and avoid them.

Where can you make spelling mistakes? In IELTS Listening there are various types of questions such as multiple choice, note completion, matching, labeling a plan or a map, etc. In IELTS Listening,  you are given one mark for each correct answer, i.e. the correct spelling matters. You have to be all ears in all parts of the Listening section but spelling mistakes are often made when candidates write their answers to labeling and note completion questions. You might have to write down such things as key words/phrases, lists, headings/subheadings, numbers/bullet points, names/surnames, places/times/prices, addresses, telephone numbers, stages, etc. We have grouped spelling mistakes by different types.

Single or double letters

Candidates are often confused under pressure and they might make this mistake when they are not sure how many letters to write: one or two. This group of words is the largest. Here are some examples: 

• embarrassment, accommodation, annual, current, account, classroom, attendance, assessment, commencement, dissertation, questionnaire, pepper, blackcurrant, pizza, waterfall, cliff, village, hurricane, mammals, the Philippines, terraced house, employee, attraction, immense, pessimistic, discuss, arrange, immigrate, pottery, collection, billiards, soccer, bungee jumping, football, basketball, volleyball, jet-skiing, balloon, narrow, passenger, paddle steamer, cottage, swimming pool, copper, rubber, cotton, millennium, midday, address, attendant, assistant, curriculum, fulfillment, attitude, passport, commerce, umbrella, traffic jams, opportunity, illiteracy, sufficient, farewell, welfare, satellite, shopping, reference, assumption, affordable, cassette, antenna, business, unnecessary, tomorrow, recommend, process, apparel, parallel, success, possess, different, pepper, misspell etc.

Silent letters

In English there are many letters that are not pronounced in words. However, you have to write them: 

• Wednesday, June, science, discipline, conscious, knowledge, foreign, catalogue, environment, government, autumn, column, drought, reliable, renewable, Switzerland, palace, sculpture, insurance, lane, kitchen, colleague, dangerous, luxurious, castle, whistle, knowledgeable, climbing, comb, lamb, breeze, glue, psychologist, fortnight, memorable, confidence, Europe, catastrophe, exciting, plumber, etc.

“ei” or “ie”

When it comes to the combination of these two letters, even advanced learners often make spelling mistakes. However, you can easily remember how to write the words properly with the help of the following mnemonic: ‘I before E except after C’. For example:

• believe, die, friend, brief, field, hygiene, niece, priest, relieve, thief, experience, etc.
• receive, perceive,  ceiling, conceive, receipt, etc.

Of course, there are exceptions to every rule in English:

• ancient, caffeine, friend, height, leisure, seize, species, weird.

“or” vs “er” in nouns

Watch out when you write the following words:

• decorator, professor, doctor, mediator, collector, commentator, actor, sculptor, author, advisor, conductor, tutor, dictator, contributor, investigator, director, educator, narrator, survivor, editor, translator, inventor, counsellor, visitor, operator, spectator, governor, protector, generator, protector, radiator, separator, supervisor, refrigerator, bachelor, senior, junior, etc.
• lecturer, driver, runner, prisoner, builder, jeweller, commander, traveller, fertilizer, computer, register etc.

READ ABOUT: 8 strategies to achieve a perfect score in IELTS Listening

Homophones

These are the words that sound the same. However, their spelling is different. Here are the most common pairs of words:

accept – except

plain – plane

peace – piece

scene – seen

stationary – stationery

steal – steel

sauce – source

sore – soar

for – four – fore

their – there – they’re

hour – our

band – banned

capital – capitol

chili – chilly

choral – coral

cite – site – sight

council – counsel

die -dye

discreet – discrete

daft – daught

flue – flew -flu

genes – jeans

hole – whole

marshal – martial

weather – whether

whose – who’s

you’re – your

loose – lose

affect – effect

principle – principal, and many others.

READ ABOUT: How to organize your responses on the IELTS speaking exam?

Words that change their spelling when they change form

Many English words are spelled differently when they become another part of speech or when verbs are used in different tenses. For example:

benefit – beneficial

influence – influential

circumstance – circumstantial

pronunciation – pronounce

argue – argument

decide – decision

refer – referring

frolic – frolicking

occur – occurred

unity – unify

justice – justify

significant – signify

maintain – maintenance

violent – violence, etc.

While preparing for IELTS, you can still learn how to avoid making spelling mistakes.  Here are some tips to help you:

Tip #1. Watch out for words with double letters. If you are not sure about the spelling, double check.

Tip #2. Always make sure you use the correct form of the verb.

Tip #3. Know which word you want to use. Check the meaning in the dictionary.

Tip #4. Watch where you place the apostrophe. 

Tip #5. Don’t write what you hear. Check the spelling if you are not sure.

RECOMMENDED READING:

• Key facts you need to know about the IELTS Listening test
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• Common mistakes to avoid in IELTS Listening

Describing maps is one of the least common types of questions you may have to answer in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1. Does the approach to this type of question differ from, for example, describing graphs, tables, or answering process questions? Of course, yes, because each type of visual in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 has different features. Today, we will look closer at map questions and give you tips on how to tackle maps in IELTS Writing Task 1 effortlessly.

What are map questions about?

When map questions appear on the exam, there will always be two maps. Sometimes, both maps illustrate what used to be in a particular area in the past; sometimes, one map shows what there was in the past while the other one is about the present; also, you might see the maps one of which demonstrates the proposed changes for the future. Regardless of what date you see on the map, your task is always the same: 

• Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

This means that you will have to describe what changes have / will have occurred and use the proper tenses to describe them. 

What’s on the maps? They usually depict several images of cities, towns, countryside or other areas at different stages of their development, and you have to describe changes which happen to these places. For example, some new/old objects may appear or disappear, others may be relocated to a different place or increase/decrease in size.

Here is how the task is usually worded on the exam:

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The diagram shows Rampart street today and the plan for changes to the street in 2035. 

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

READ ABOUT: IELTS language for describing maps

How to build the description?

Step 1. Analyzing the task and maps.

The first thing to do is reading the task carefully and finding the key information. You should look at WHAT changes happened as well as WHEN:

• The diagram shows Rampart street today and the plan for changes to the street in 2035. 

There can be three possible options:

• past and now
• past and future
• now and future

In our sample task, the maps show Rampart street now and in the future. This can also be understood from the visual because there we can see “now” and “in 2035”.

Now, it’s time to look at the maps and identify the main changes: what objects have appeared, been demolished, constructed, relocated, expanded, etc. Then, decide which changes were mainly made. You have to decide on the general character of changes and what happens to the objects and in different parts of the maps: objects appear or disappear or change.

Step 2. Planning.

After you have identified the main changes on the maps, group them by type or by the part of the place. For example, the objects have appeared/disappeared/changed or the changes took place in the north/ south/ north-east/ south-east of the town/city, etc.

As you group the changes by type or place, choose the details on the map to illustrate these changes. 

As you can see on the maps above, many new objects have been added, and some of the old objects have disappeared. Can you spot them by looking at the maps?

Step 3. Writing the description.

Basically, the structure of the description will be the same as for process questions or other visuals. However, the content will depend on what changes there are to describe:

Both models have all the necessary components of a good description. Both ways of organizing your Writing Task 1 are appropriate, as they address the task and meet its requirements in terms of Task Achievement:

There are also other things to keep in mind while writing your response:

• Organize your ideas logically. Make sure you use small paragraphs to show the introduction and overview, key features (2 body paragraphs), and conclusion. 
• An overview is a must regardless of what you are writing about in the task. 
• Describe all changes. This is a specific point to write about in map questions, so don’t miss anything. 
• Be careful with tenses. Make sure you are using past, present, and future tenses correctly where necessary.
• Use complex sentences, linking words to show connections between maps, make references and extend your ideas.

READ ABOUT: IELTS Pronunciation guide

Step 4. Checking your writing.

After you write your description, don’t forget to make sure:

• you have used proper grammar;
• you have spelled the words correctly;
• you haven’t made any of your typical mistakes;
• you have avoided repetition of vocabulary and linkers.

Go to our online IELTS Academic self-study course to see sample answers, and to practice writing your own response. You will also get access to IELTS Knowledge Bank with strategies and language for IELTS Writing. You will familiarise yourself with other types of maps, and we will guide you through the process of writing your own response – from task overview to writing practice. Finally, you will write your description under exam-like conditions, our AI will check your writing, and you will receive immediate feedback on your writing as well as have an opportunity to analyze the model answer and compare it with yours.

READ ABOUT:

• How to answer process questions in IELTS Writing Task 1?
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In IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 candidates are required to describe different visuals: maps, line graphs, bar or pie charts, tables, etc. Flow-charts or processes are also on the list. Although they do not often appear on the exam, you have to know how to answer process questions. Each type of visual has its own main features, i.e. the strategies for describing them differ. What do you need to look at in flow-charts? How many steps are there to complete the task? These and other questions are to be answered today.

What are process questions about?

The good news is that process questions are easier to answer. Here is why. Unlike the other types of questions in Task 1, where you often have to deal with one or two visuals, be able to select and describe the main trends as well as compare them, in process questions you have to describe all stages of the process step by step, showing the connection between them. However, this doesn’t mean that no preparation is needed. 

In IELTS Writing Task 1, you can come across two types of processes: natural or artificial (also called ‘man-made’). Examples of natural processes can be the movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth, the life cycle of a hummingbird, photosynthesis, etc. The artificial processes might include recycling plastic bottles, building energy-efficient houses, manufacturing bricks, producing Christmas toys using 3D printing, etc.

Natural process sample task:

The illustrations show the lifecycle of hummingbirds. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Artificial process sample task:

The flow-chart shows how a Christmas toy is produced using 3D printing on an FDM (fused deposition modelling) machine. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Regardless of the type of process, you will get in your Writing Task 1 on the day of the exam, you should follow a certain combination of steps to successfully complete it. For both, the structure of your response is the same as well as the strategy. 

READ ABOUT: 10 typical mistakes in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

How to answer process questions

Step 1.Analysing the task and the diagram.

Understanding the task is crucial. Otherwise, you won’t be able to answer the question successfully. Read the task carefully and underline the key information. You should find:

• what the diagram describes, e.g. the lifecycle of hummingbirds, how a Christmas toy is produced using 3D printing on an FDM.

Next, look at the images or the flow-chart and identify where the process begins and ends. You will also need to count the number of main steps or stages in the process, and look at what happens at each stage: 

• for example, in the first natural process, there are  5 main stages: mating, building a nest, incubation, babies, and leaving the nest;
• in the artificial process, there are 5 steps as well: designing a 3D model, building by layers, removing support, curing, painting and polishing.

After you have decided on how many stages there are, think about what happens at each stage.

Step 2. Planning the response.

As you have found out what each stage of the process does, you have to group the facts from the diagram logically into several parts. Next, analyse details from the diagram to illustrate each stage. After that, decide on the link between the last and the first stages in the process for the conclusion. For example:

Step 3. Writing a description.

Now, you will have to write a 150-word response. In addition to the planning you did at the previous stage, also think of the following:

• how you will paraphrase the task
• how you will give an overview of stages
• how you will paraphrase the details about each stage in the diagram.

We suggest that you use the following structure:

 READ ABOUT: 25 phrasal verbs to avoid in IELTS Academic Writing

Step 4. Checking. 

After you finish writing, check your description for:

• verb forms (usually present tenses, mostly active, but passive where appropriate)
• spelling
• your typical mistakes
• repetition of vocabulary and linkers.

This is a very important step in completing IELTS Writing tasks. It is also one of the most effective ways to improve your band score. Read our checklist for efficiently editing your IELTS writing.

In order to see the sample answers for the two IELTS questions we have discussed in this article, go to our online IELTS Academic self-study course with an extensive Writing practice. Remember that you do not need to be an expert in the field you are going to write about. Every process question follows the same format. If you can define if the process is natural or artificial, how many stages there are, what is done and what materials are needed at every stage, what you get in the end, you will definitely write a good overview. Don’t forget to mention how the stages are related and DO NOT write your personal opinion.  

RECOMMENDED READING:

• IELTS Pronunciation Guide
• IELTS language for describing maps 
• How to organise your responses on the IELTS Speaking exam? 

How important is pronunciation in IELTS? Can I get a high score if I have a strong accent? Which accent is good for IELTS? These and many other questions often worry IELTS test-takers. Today, we will explore this marking criterion and, hopefully, find the answers to all your questions regarding pronunciation.

We have already written about IELTS Speaking marking criteria such as fluency and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range, and accuracy which make up 75% of the score. However, many candidates do not often pay attention to the last but equally important item – pronunciation, which makes ¼ of the score. In this short guide, you are going to familiarize yourself with pronunciation features and learn some tips for practicing pronunciation at home. 

Marking criteria

There are different pronunciation features the examiner will pay attention to while you will be speaking on the day of the exam such as individual sounds, strong and weak forms of words, pronunciation of words, word and sentence stress, intonation, linking, connected speech.
Another thing the examiner focuses on is how clear your pronunciation is, i.e. how well they can understand what you say.

Let’s have a closer look at IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors. What you have to do to get a band higher than 6 is:

• use a range of pronunciation features
• be effortless to understand.

Is there anything about accents? Yes, there is, “ L1 accent has minimal effect on intelligibility ”, which means that you can speak with any accent and still get a high score unless your accent creates difficulties for understanding.
Is there any particular accent that is perfect for IELTS? No, there isn’t. Your accent does not have to be British or American or any other accent of English, but for a score higher than 7, your mother tongue does not have to affect clarity.
Here are the outlines of the Pronunciation Band Scores as mentioned by the official IELTS Speaking Band Descriptors:

Pronunciation features

You have to be able to use different features of pronunciation to succeed in IELTS Speaking. We will explore the main features below. 

Individual sounds

Use the pronunciation chart which contains vowel and consonant sounds of English. They are arranged according to how you shape your mouth (left to right, lips wide / round – top to bottom, jaw closed / open).

Each word in English is made up of these sounds. Learning how to pronounce individual sounds correctly is important because this will help you identify the sounds which are difficult for you to pronounce or you have problems with. You can start with using the pronunciation app to help you.  Pay attention to similar sounds (/p/ and /b/, /r/ and /l/, /t/ and /d/, etc.), consonant clusters (sht, cht, etc.), long and short vowels ( book, look, boot, food etc.), silent letters (knight, comb, lamb, etc.)

Word stress

It is critical to stress the right syllables in words, Otherwise, the person listening to you might feel confused. Each word has a certain number of syllables. One or two of them have to be pronounced more strongly than others. For example, cerTIficate, sucCESS, eXAM, etc. Be careful with words that have the same root. Very often the word stress changes together with the part of speech. For example, as in: PHOtograph (n), phoTOgrapher (n), photoGRAphic (adj.), ADdict (n), adDICtion (n), Attribute (n), aTTRIbute (v), etc. Very often the word stress in verbs in on the second syllable if there is a choice which syllable to stress.

Sentence stress

Like there are more emphasized syllables in words, there are words in sentences that carry most of the stress, thus the most meaning. But which words to stress? English is a stress-timed language, which means that the stress occurs in sentences at regular intervals, some of the words are emphasized while others are pronounced quicker and more silently. They are content and function words. Content words are important because they carry meaning: nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs. Function words are there for grammar purposes and do not carry any meaning: pronouns, prepositions, articles.  Have a look at this sentence, and try to guess which words are going to be stressed:

• I’d like to go to the night market to buy some presents for my family. 

All the underlined words are content words. Try to emphasize them, and you will see there is a certain rhythm in the sentence.
Which words are you going to stress the most? Those will be sentence stresses. If you stress another word, the meaning of the sentence might change. Try reading the following sentences and stress the words in capital letters. What have you noticed? 

• I’d like to go to the night market to buy some presents for my FAMILY. 
• I’d like to go to the NIGHT market to buy some presents for my family.
• I’d like to go to the night market to buy some PRESENTS for my family. 

It’s a good idea to record yourself. This will eliminate the pressure you may feel at being asked to speak spontaneously and will enable you to give your best version of your speech. 

READ ABOUT: IELTS language for describing maps

Strong and weak forms

When the words in sentences are not stressed they become weak, and their sounds also change. For example, vowels turn into schwa, the last consonants are not pronounced at all, etc:

• Tell him to go – strong forms /hɪm/ /tu:/- weak form: /tel əm tə gəʊ/
• I would like some fish and chips – strong forms /aɪ wʊd laɪk sʌm fɪʃ ænd tʃɪps/ – weak form: /ɑ wəd laɪk səm fɪʃ ən tʃɪps/

The problem is that students learning English use the strong form most of the time. That is why they often sound very unnatural. English speakers always use weak forms, every single sentence is full of them, and students find it difficult to understand because they are not used to them, and very often they don’t even know they exist. But now you know how to pronounce them correctly. 

Linking

If you think it’s difficult to understand native speakers, that is because they link words. Very often the last sounds and the first sounds of some words change: consonants link to vowels, vowels link to vowels, sometimes sound double up, etc. This is done to make the language easier to say, and faster, for example:

• ‘I don’t know’ /I duno/
• In ‘I am not happy’ there is an intrusive /j/ sound between ‘I’ and ‘am’ which makes it easier to say the phrase quickly.
• In ‘pick it up’ – you will hear something like “pi ki tup”.
• ‘I want to/ w/eat’ and  ‘Please do/ w/it’.

Intonation

When our voice rises and falls when we speak – this is intonation. In English, there are three main patterns of intonation:

• falling intonation is very common in wh-questions, statements, commands, questions tags, and exclamations:

How many books have you ↘bought?

Dad wants to change his ↘car.

Show me what you’ve ↘written. 

He thinks he’s so clever, doesn’t ↘he?

What an interesting ↘ film!

• rising intonation  is normally used with yes/no questions:

Do you like this new ➚movie?

• fall-rise intonation is used at the end of statements when we want to say that we are not sure, or when we may have more to add, and with questions, especially when we request information or invite somebody to do or to have something:

I ↘ don’t support any football team at the ↘mo↗ment. (but I may change my mind in the future).

Would you like another co↘ff↗ee?

The best way to improve your pronunciation is to listen and copy. You have to speak, read aloud, record yourself, and practice, practice, practice.

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Academic writing requires you to refer to the original source when you have used someone else’s ideas or concepts in your writing. One of the most common ways to incorporate these citations into your writing is to use reporting verbs to present the information. In IELTS Writing Task 2, candidates often have to express more than one point of view, especially when writing introductions and statements for their essays.

There is a wide variety of reporting verbs in the English language, which can be used in your essays. Let’s have a look at them and study some examples.

Why use reporting verbs? 

Reporting verbs can be tentative, neutral, or emphatic. They tell us that someone said something. In writing, these verbs demonstrate our opinion of someone’s ideas:

• whether we agree that the opinion is correct
• whether we have a neutral attitude towards what was said
• whether we think that the opinion is wrong.

Let’s have a look at some examples of the reporting verbs and choose the stronger ones:

• Many people insist that there is one ‘best’ variety of English.
• Many people argue that there is one ‘best’ variety of English.
• Some people doubt the value of bilingual education.
• Some people deny the value of bilingual education.

Each reporting verb has a slightly different meaning, so you have to be aware of and try to use a range of reporting verbs, depending on the statement you are making.

There are lots of different verbs that we can use to describe the action of speaking. The most common reporting verbs are ‘say’, ‘tell’, and ‘state’. However, it is not a good idea to use the same verb over and over as this will not give your writing much variation. There are many other verbs you can use in your IELTS writing.

Possible reporting verbs

READ ABOUT: How to identify the type of essay in IELTS Writing Task 2?

Tentative verbs are used when the author isn’t sure of their idea. Neutral verbs are used in an essay in place of ‘say’ or ‘tell’. Strong verbs are used when the author is very sure of their opinion. All of the verbs above can be used in IELTS essays.  

Here are some examples of how the reporting verbs can be used in sentences:

• It is claimed that graffiti is a modern art that should be accepted by society. Yet, others maintain the idea that this phenomenon is a crime and should be punished accordingly.
• Although many people think that technological development is unstoppable, it is not true. 
• It is claimed that robots should receive legal status, but there are those who strongly disagree with this idea.
• In various nations around the world, many people advocate taking a gap year in order to work or travel before beginning one’s tertiary education. 
• It is argued by some that the death penalty benefits a nation. I completely agree with this opinion and in this essay, I will state the reasons for my view. 
• Critics argue that such frivolity is a misuse of precious funds. However, I personally believe the opposite.
• Some people suspect that within a century, there will be only two or three languages spoken in the world.

The grammar of reporting verbs

Different reporting verbs are followed by different structures. Here are the most common structures with examples:

For example:

• It is claimed that graffiti is a modern art that should be accepted by society. 
• Others question whether the authorities should do something about it. 
• I object to the policy of government subsidies.
• Many people advocate taking a gap year.
• I would urge the government to subsidise...

As you can see there are many cases when reporting verbs can be used in your essay, and they can really help you demonstrate the range of your vocabulary to the examiner as well as express your ideas and thoughts effectively. Find more useful grammar and vocabulary issues in our blog:

• 30 common words to avoid in IELTS Writing
• Signpost expressions in IELTS Listening
• Linking words for IELTS Speaking

Although they do not appear quite often in IELTS Writing Task 1, you can get such a task, and you definitely need to know and learn how to describe maps. Depending on the question you will need to describe where the objects are/were / will be on the map and what changes they went through/will go through. We are going to look at some useful vocabulary you can use to describe those changes and other common language for describing maps.

Basic vocabulary

Describing a map for IELTS aims to check whether you are able to describe physical locations. You do not have to be a genius geographer, but you have to give a reasonable description of a place.
As you receive the task, you will have to describe where the objects are located on the map. There may already be the compass points on the map. So, use those cardinal directions and adjectives when describing locations: north, south, east, west, north-west, north-east, south-west, south-east, north-western, north-eastern, south-western, south-eastern, etc.

For example: 

• Another expansion can be observed in the south-eastern part, where a third residential area has been constructed.
• Regarding the new features, there has been a noticeable change in the south-western part of Salata, next to the factories.
• The park, which was previously situated there, has been relocated to the north of the district to cover the area around the church.

You will also have t0 use prepositions of place and other prepositional phrases to describe where the objects are. For example: 

• The park has been relocated to the north of the district. 
• The church has remained where it was, behind the residential area and the supermarket.
• A new building was constructed to the right/left of the supermarket.
• There has been a noticeable change in the southern part of Salata, next to the factories.

READ ABOUT: 10 typical mistakes in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

What grammar to use

It’s important to read the task carefully and spend some time planning your answer. Besides using a wider vocabulary, you will also need to demonstrate your knowledge of grammar. When planning your report, think about the tenses and structures you are going to use. 

To describe things that are true now — use present simple passive:

• One more expansion is observed in the residential area.

To write about changes which happened by now — use present perfect active/passive:

• To conclude, Slovang has expanded providing more infrastructure and housing for its residents. 
• A highway has been constructed along the seashore.

For things that were in the past, but are no longer true — use ‘used to’:

• A street with new houses has appeared where half a century ago there used to be only a few separate houses.

Add some  details using ‘with’ structure:

• The market has been relocated to a place behind the farm, with a new path leading to it.

READ ABOUT: Punctuation for IELTS Academic Writing

How to describe the change

You might get different kinds of maps with various objects on them. Here is the language you can use to describe them.
demolish – to completely destroy a building, especially in order to use the land for something else: 

• The old school was demolished to build a new one.

flatten – to become level or to cause something to become level:

• The whole area was flattened – not a building left standing.

replace with – to take a place of something, to put something in the place of something else:

• The old warehouses were replaced with new blocks of flats.

renovate – to repair and improve something, especially a building:

• The existing buildings are being renovated. 

build/construct – put together different parts to make something whole:

• A new factory was constructed south of the residential area.
• A local history museum is planned to be built instead of the ruined military base.

reconstruct – to build again something that has been damaged or destroyed:

• The city was reconstructed in the post-war period. 

develop – grow or change into something more advanced:

• The maps illustrate how the Danish village of Slovang has developed from 1967 to the present moment.

develop into – to build houses, factories, etc. on the piece of land:

• The whole site will be developed into a shopping complex.

extend – to add to something in order to make it bigger or longer:

• The school was extended to add a new gym and a canteen. 

expand – to increase in size, number, or to make something increase in this way: 

• The number of stores expanded significantly in the 1990s.

relocate – to move something from one place to another: 

• There are plans to relocate the main runway at the airport. 

convert into – to change in form, appearance, operation of something: 

• At the end of the 1990s, old industrial buildings were converted into art spaces. 

modernize – to make something more modern:

• The park was modernized by converting the dirt paths into new cycling lanes and concrete footpaths.

open – start, begin:

• A new hospital was opened next to the school.

set up – to arrange or establish something: 

• A new beach was set up on the bank of the river.

remain – to stay in the same place or in the same condition:

• The church has remained where it was,  behind the residential area and the supermarket, making it easily accessible to the congregation. 

To have a more detailed task overview with sample answers, to learn how to build your report, to practice using the vocabulary, and receive the teacher’s comments, join our online IELTS preparation course. We also look at different types of maps and provide you with lots of writing practice. Our AI automatically checks your reports and you get instant feedback from IELTS experts. 

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