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. 🍍

Today is Joseph Brodsky's birthday! 🥳

Are you celebrating? I am. He is one of my favorite poets. And below is one of my favorite poems -- and my translation!

The translation is one of my proudest achievements because... to say that translating poetry is hard would be an understament. With invaluable support of Timur Khamzin. ❤️

Сначала в бездну свалился стул,
потом - упала кровать,
потом - мой стол. Я его столкнул
сам. Не хочу скрывать.
Потом - учебник "Родная речь",
фото, где вся моя семья.
Потом четыре стены и печь.
Остались пальто и я.
Прощай, дорогая. Сними кольцо,
выпиши вестник мод.
И можешь плюнуть тому в лицо,
кто место мое займет.

***
Иосиф Бродский

The chair was the first to fall in the abyss.
Then tumbled the bed.
The table didn't fall on its own. I won't hide this -
I pushed it myself instead.
Then my favorite alphabet book,
The family photo and the shelf
Then the four walls and the hook
Leaving my coat and myself.
Farewell, my princess. Take off that ring.
Put on a stylish gown.
And you can spit in the face of the king
Who will come to wear my crown.

***
Irina Lutsenko, 2021

I love this poem because it says so much in words that are so simple...

What is your favorite poem by Brodsky?

#IELTS Writing Task 1 process overviews: a common mistake ☀️

This mistake emerged when we were talking about this task in particular.

Look at the overview I wrote on purpose to illustrate the mistake. Do you notice it?

"Overall, the process consists of two stages: obtaining water and filtering it. The water is first pumped up with the help of solar-generated energy. It is then purified and is ready to be consumed."

The mistake is: The overview simply repeats the label on the task. We already know all the same information from the introduction.

The overview is supposed to give a summary of the key features of the process. To choose the key features, I personally try to think of this question: How is this process different from other, similar processes?

Also, if you write your introduction at the beginning of the answer -- which most people do -- your overview should extend and logically continue the introduction, not simply repeat it.

So, write your overview -- together with the introduction -- in the comments. ✏️

And do you want me to repeat my epic workshop on writing IELTS overviews? Let me know in the comments as well. ❓

More about the epic workshop: https://t.me/irinalutsenko/606

IELTS writing: how much time do you really have to write? 💡

IELTS tells you: You should spend 20 minutes on Writing Task 1 and 40 on Writing Task 2.

I tell you: You should spend 15 minutes on Writing Task 1 and 30 minutes on Writing Task 2. ❗️

You absolutely need to factor in extra time for:

1️⃣

Proofreading and editing.

2️⃣

Dealing with some unexpected circumstances, such as:

- You get an ugly Writing Task 1 task you've never seen before and are completely befuddled;

- Approximately 299 words into your essay, you realize you haven't noticed and/or addressed an important component of the topic.

3️⃣

Bathroom break (although reading is a much beter time for this).

What else might you need the extra time for? How much time do you spend on writing?

🐸 Irina Lutsenko

Recent exam. My essay is available here:
https://t.me/irinalutsenko/524

🐸 Irina Lutsenko

#Irina_writes_IELTS