Before the test
TIPS
• Practice writing within time limits. You can use the tasks in the More Writing Practice section of the Appendix for practice. Give yourself 20 minutes to complete a Task 1 response and 40 minutes to complete a Task 2 response.
• Become familiar with word count. On the IELTS, you will write your essays by hand.
You will have to write a minimum of 150 words for Task 1 and 250 words for Task 2, but you won't be able to take the time to count your words. As you practice writing essaysathome,countyourwords. Youwillbecomefamiliarwithwhat150words and 250 words look like in your handwriting.
• To prepare for Academic Task 1, take some time to study a variety of graphs, charts, and tables. You can find many on the Internet. Practice reading them and interpret ing the information.
During the test
• Read the task carefully and make sure you understand exactly what it asks you to do.
• Do not copy complete sentences from the task. Paraphrase and use synonyms.
• Write in complete sentences. You can make notes in abbreviated form when you plan, but your finished essay must have complete sentences and paragraphs.
• Vary your sentences. Use sentence structures that you know you can use correctly, but do not write the same type of sentence over and over. In Chapter 4, you will get practice with different sentence types.
• Learn and use the three-step model presented in this book-plan, write, revise. It will help you write a complete and organized response to both tasks. Following a model will give you confidence.
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