Etedali's Tips for IELTS
 Speaking
  • Avoid short, 'yes', 'no' answers.
Q: Tell me a little about where you come from?
A: I'm from Nizwah. It's a city in the heart of Oman. It's a very historical city and we have
one of the oldest forts in Oman.
  • Use examples to back up statements.
Q: Do you enjoy studying English?
A: Oh yes! I went to England last year and loved being able to communicate with local
people. And knowing a second language means you have access to a whole new culture
... new authors, English films.
  • Give the examiner a picture of you.
Q: Why are you taking the IELTS exam?
A: I'm taking an IELTS course in Kuwait in order to go to university in the UK. I've been
accepted on a Business course in London but need to get the right IELTS score, so I've
been doing lots of IELTS Speaking practice.
Q: Have you got any interests or hobbies?
A: Not really. I like watching football and read books quite often, but I don't have any
hobbies really. Hopefully one day I'll discover a hidden interest!

  • Make the most of your preparation time and make notes.
  • Structure your talk with an introduction, main body and conclusion.
    Signpost your talk at the end with words or expressions like 'So ...', 'As you
    can see ...', 'To sum up ...'.
  • Add personal details such as short anecdotes to help make your talk
    interesting.
  • Don't speak too fast. Pause between sentences and try to relax.
  • Use personal anecdotes to help yourself make a point or express an
    opinion.
  • Use expressions to allow yourself time to think. For example: 'That's a good
    question.', 'Well, let me think ...'
  • Refer to stories in the news to help make a point .
Reading
  • Read the IELTS Reading instructions carefully.
  • In many cases, the questions follow the order of the information in the
    reading passages.
  • Spelling matters, so take care while writing in the short answers.
  • Grammar counts too, so make sure you pay attention to this aspect as well.
  • In sentence completion tasks, focus on the meaning to select the right
    answer.
  • Do many practice tests to familiarize yourself with the test format, the
    types of questions, the level of difficulty and more.
  • Read widely from a variety of sources to strengthen your general reading
    skills and enrich your vocabulary.
  • Look out for key synonyms used in the text or question, to help you
    identify where to find the answer quickly.
  • Use only the stated number of words in your answer or you will lose the
    mark. Hyphenated words count as one word.
Writing
  • Work with a teacher.
  • Read the questions very carefully.
  • Practice writing tasks within the given time limits.
  • Plan before you write.
  • Write in an organized way.
  • Stay on topic.
  • Divide your writing into paragraphs.
  • Write clearly.
  • Write legibly.
  • Spell correctly.
Listening
  • The accents of the speakers on the tape are primarily British.
  • Get used to the way letters and numbers are pronounced in British (and
    American)English.
  • The expressions used also tend to be taken from British rather than
    American English.
  • Learn to distinguish opinion from fact.
  • Don't worry if your classmates or friends get higher listening scores than
    you.
  • Follow instructions very carefully.
  • The questions follow the oral text.
  • Familiarize yourself with charts, graphs, flow-charts, bar charts and pie
    charts, etc.