#IELTS tasks from the internet. Part 2.

There are a lot of IELTS tasks from real exams on the internet -- and I use them extensively in my classes.

One important thing to understand about these tasks though, is that they contain mistakes. They are reported and reconstructed by test takers from memory after all.

Mistakes in tasks with figures are very likely -- IELTS candidates who report the questions might indeed not remember the precise data they saw. Such mistakes might affect Task Achievement, especially the overview, because there might be wrong or unidentifiable trends and patterns. Yes, and we mustn't forget that, but ...

Let's consider the attached task. It does look suspicious: the scales (the horizontal axes) on the four charts are not the same, and the countries seem somewhat random.

Let's not clutch our pearls еhough. Let's brainstorm for useful language and paraphrasing techniques.

🍋 Here is some useful language:

- the most exported fruit
- the main / leading exporter
- slightly less was sold by
- exported half the volume ... did
- showing ... metric tons in sales
- the largest suppliers in terms of total volumes
- the most prevalent type of fruit sold overseas
- lemons, traded internationally by Turkey and Mexico in almost the same volume

So if you get this task in your exam with different input data, you are ready language-wise, not to mention that many of these chunks will be useful for other tasks.

So my opinion is: It's OK to use IELTS tasks from the internet, but be alert -- use your good judgment and don't trust them blindly. I think it's better to learn to separate the wheat from the chaff than to rely on the meager four tests a year we see in the official IELTS books.

🍋 See two great answers for the attached task:

1. By a C2 level student: https://t.me/irinalutsenko/501

2. By me (along with many other answers): https://t.me/irinalutsenko/551

Are all IELTS test centers created equal?

I have now taken IELTS in four different countries: Russia, the US, Uzbekistan, and one county in Europe that will remain undisclosed.

Sometimes I hear people discuss whether one test center is better than the other. In my experience, all test venues are more or less the same. A test center wouldn't get accredited if it didn't meet certain criteria.

Of course, some conditions differ and might matter. To me, what matters is lighting, room temperature, and chairs. (The chairs at the Institute of Irrigation test venue in Tashkent are engraved on my heart forever. 💜)

But these are subjective. And also subject to change over time.

One thing is crucial though. And I realized it only in my latest attempt in Europe, when I looked down at the keyboard in horror.

Some European keyboards are not QWERTY keyboards! Some letters and punctuation marks are on different keys! ❗️

This is really worth looking into.

Other than that, it's worth focusing on skills, not on external conditions.

How long does it take you to decide whether to keep reading a book or to put it down? 📚

Not long, I bet. Just like meeting a person for the first time, we tend to judge stories in the first moments of our encounter, meaning by the end of the opening line, if not the first paragraph.

But how do you write a great opening paragraph?

To find out, join our "Writing Incubator" workshop "Writing an engaging intro to your story by Elizaveta Zanozina" this Sunday! 🦋

“Writing Incubator” is a series of workshops by stellar professionals who love writing. This is our final workshop of the season.

In this workshop, we'll explore what makes an opening paragraph truly engaging. We'll read and dissect examples of memorable story openings, including your own favorites, unpack the craft behind what makes them work, and then try our hand at writing a first paragraph that pulls the reader in and keeps us, as writers, hungry to write what comes next.

📅 17 May, Sunday, 11:00 am Moscow time, in real time, on Zoom

💌 The workshop is free. To join, message me @iraluts with a meaningful ending to this comment, "Wow, I can't miss this one! I'd love to join because ... ."

❗️ Please note that this is a workshop, not a webinar or a lecture. If you join, you have to write. We don't record our workshops, so this is a safe space to participate.

🦋 Writing Incubator - where writing skills hatch 🦋

IELTS Writing Task 1: grammar or meaning? 🍍

People typically view grammar as an isolated thing. And the main goal for a text is often perceived as grammatucal accurately. But what about meaning? You can communicate different meaning with the exact same grammar. 

The sentences below contain the same information and the same grammar (no mistakes). Yet, the meaning is different. 

Which sentence would be more appropriate in an IELTS answer for the attached task? Why?

1️⃣

A
The pineapple tops, typically planted approximately 26 cm apart, are commonly referred to as crowns and are left to grow for seven months. 

B
The pineapple tops, commonly referred to as crowns, are planted approximately 26 cm apart and left to grow for seven months. 

2️⃣

A
The initial stage – the cultivation of the fruit – takes place at temperatures ranging between 23-30 degrees Celsius and lasts for a year.

B
The initial stage – a step that takes place at temperatures ranging between 23-30 degrees Celsius and lasts for a year – is the cultivation of the fruit. 

The bottom line is: think about the meaning you are communicating, not just grammar.  

Key: 
1 B
2 A

Why? Feel free to explain in the comments. 🍍