100

100+ lELTS
mistakes you
aPe going to
And how to avoid them
make
Nadin Miles
Artur Krotkov
100+ IELTS MISTAKES YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE: AND HOW...
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
GENERAL
1. FORGETTING ID
2. LEARNING ALL NIGHT LONG BEFORE THE EXAM
3. LACK OF ORGANIZATION AND CONCENTRATION
4. POOR STAMINA
5. FEAR AND PANIC
6. GETTING DISTRACTED BY THE EXAMINER V S QUERIES
7. ANSWERING OTHER STUDENTS v QUESTIONS
8. INATTENTION TO DETAILS
9. LEARNING WORDS APART FROM THE CONTEXT
10. WRONG ANSWER SHEETS
11. ENDLESS SEARCH FOR TECHNIQUES, TIPS, AND MIRACLES
12. SELF-DOUBT
13. REPEATING THE SAME MISTAKES
14. LEARNING ON BAD SAMPLES
15. SEARCH FOR SECRET
16. NOT PRACTICING EVERY DAY
17. GETTING EXHAUSTED
WRITING AND SPEAKING TESTS

1. WORRY ABOUT THE EXAMINER'S OPINION
2. REPEATING WORDS FROM THE QUESTIONS IN THE WRITING AND SPEAKING TESTS
3. SIMPLE WORDS
4. DIFFICULT WORDS 5.SLANG
6. MEMORIZING
7. WRITING WITHOUT PLANNING IDEAS
8. INTONATION AND PRONUNCIATION
9. LINKING WORDS: NOT USE AND OVERUSE
10. SPEAKING TOO FAST
11. CONTRACTIONS
12. INVENTING STATISTICS
13. SUPERFICIALITY
14. THE LENGTH OF WRITING TASK
15. UNIQUE IDEA CHASE
16. Too MANY "AAAAA...". "MMM..." IN THE SPEAKING TEST
17. PLAN WITHOUT KEYWORDS
3 mins left in book 1%

18. NEGATIVITY
19. POOR TASK ACHIEVEMENT
20. "YES11 OR "NO11 ANSWERS
21. SPEAKING TUST SPEAKING
2 2. NOT USING PHRASAL VERBS
2 3. DIFFICULT LANGUAGE AND COMPLEX STRUCTURES IN PART 1 OF THE SPEAKING TEST. 24.
DISORGANIZED ANSWER 2 5. RELAXING IN PART 3 2 6. CONFUSION ABOUT UNFAMILIAR TOPIC
27. LOOKING AT WALLS, FLOOR, WINDOW - EVERYWHERE EXCEPT THE EXAMINER
2 8. Too LONG INTRODUCTION FOR THE WRITING TEST
29. CONCLUSION FOR ACADEMIC TASK 1
30. DESCRIBING EVERYTHING WITHOUT SELECTING KEY INFORMATION
31. WRITING WITHOUT COMPARING IN ACADEMIC TASK 1
32. "MILLIONS11 OR "MILLION11
3 3. WORRYING TOO MUCH ABOUT GRAMMATICAL RANGE IN TASK 1 34.
WRONG VOCABULARY FOR ACADEMIC TASK 1
3 5. Focus ON LINKING WORDS RATHER THAN INFORMATION 36.
SPENDING MORE THAN 20 MINUTES ON TASK 1 3 7. TAKING THE WORD
"ACADEMIC11 IN WRITING TASK TOO LITERALLY 38. ALWAYS DISCUSS BOTH
VIEWS
3 9. LACK OF REAL EXAMPLES
40. ESSAY STRUCTURE
41. UNFAMILIARITY WITH QUESTION TYPES
42. TOO LONG PARAGRAPHS OR TOO SHORT PARAGRAPHS
4 3. IMPROPER STRUCTURE OF THE LETTER
44. NUMBERS
45. CAPITAL LETTERS
46. CONCLUSION OF THE ESSAY
47. IMPROPER USE OF LINKING WORDS
48. WRONG EXPRESSION OF IDEAS
GRAMMAR
1. WRONG SPELLING
2. VERB WITHOUT -S FOR THIRD PERSON
3. UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE LIST OF IRREGULAR VERBS
4. UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS 4^
WRONG TENSES
6. QUESTION STRUCTURE
7. IRREGULAR NOUNS
8. + ING OR TO + INFINITIVE
9. PREPOSITIONS AFTER ADTECTIVES AND NOUNS
10. WHO OR WHICH
11. WRONG FORM OF VERB
13. ADTECTIVE INSTEAD OF ADVERB
14. AUXILIARY VERBS
15. COMPARATIVES

16. WRONG ORDER OF WORDS

17. NEVERTHELESS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SENTENCE
1 8. TEACH OR LEARN
20. I AGREE / I AM AGREE
21. EXCEPTS / BESIDES
22. DECIDE/SOLVE
2 3. LAST TIME / RECENTLY 24.
INCOMPLETE COMPARISONS
26. "DO A MISTAKE11
27. FEEL OR FEEL ONESELF
28. SOME OR ANY
29. PM ORAM
30. ADVICE AND ADVISE
31. "THE11 WITH NAMES OF CITIES, STATES, AND COUNTRIES
3 2. "CALL ME BY THE PHONE11
33. "THE REASON BECAUSE...11
34. "ALTHOUGH... BUT11
35. "ENTOYFROM...11
36. "I LOOK FORWARD TO HEAR...11
37. "I LIKE VERY MUCH PLAYING... "
38. WHEN...WILL
39. "HAVE A WORK11
40. "THE POLICE is...11
41. "ENOUGH GOOD11
42. "SHOULDTO...11
43. "THERE is PARTS...11
44. "DIP NOT MEET NOBODY...11
45. "I DO NEXT WEEK...11
46. "How LEARN...11
47. "Is READY SOMETHING...?11
48. WHAT OR THAT
49. "To BE SUCCESS...11
50. "WANT THAT HE BE..."
51. "THELIFE...11
52. "HOW MANY... YOU HAVE?"
53. LIKE OR AS
54. MISSING AM/IS/ARE
55. MYSELF
56. INVITE OR INVITATION
57. WHO OR WHOM
58. AFFECT OR EFFECT 59.1.E.
ORE.G.
60. "COME GERMANY11
61. "AN INFORMATION11
62. "THEY DO THEMSELF11

63. THEN OR THAN

64. "ME AND SOMEBODY11
65. "I GO ALWAYS (USUALLY)..."
66. APOSTROPHES
67. YOUR (ITS) OR YOU'RE (IT'S)
68. THERE, THEIR OR THEY'RE
69. HISTORY OR STORY
70. FEWER OR LESS
71. AMOUNT OR NUMBER
72. To. TWO OR TOO
73. PREPOSITIONS OF TIME.
PUNCTUATION
1. LINKING WORDS WITHOUT COMMAS.
2. "DEARMRS/SIR11 WITH ii." AT THE END
READING TEST
1. BEGINNING FROM THE END
2. READING WHOLE TEXTS
3. TIME MANAGEMENT
4. WRONG APPROACH TO MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
5. "OVER-THINKING11 THE QUESTION
6. ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS BASED ON YOUR OWN OPINIONS AND CONCLUSIONS.
8. "YES, NO. NOT GIVEN11 INSTEAD OF "TRUE. FALSE, NOT GIVEN11 AND VICE VERSA.
9. "SKIMMING11 AND "SCANNING11
10. "KEYWORD11 TECHNIQUE
11. LOOKING FOR ANSWERS IN WRONG ORDER.
12. UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE ANSWER SHEET
13. WRITING TWO ANSWERS
14. TRANSFERRING OF PART OF ANSWERS INTO THE ANSWER SHEET
15. TRANSFERRING CARELESSLY AND INCORRECTLY
LISTENING TEST
1. LISTENING TUST PRACTICING
2. LISTENING WITHOUT PATTERNS
3. LISTENING WITHOUT INTEREST
4. CONFUSION ABOUT DIRECTIONS IN MAP QUESTIONS
5. WRONG PREPARATION FOR MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
6. CHECK WHAT IS DONE DURING THE BREAKS
7. GETTING DISORIENTED IN MAP QUESTIONS AND MIXING QUESTION V S ORDER
8. BEING TOO RELAXED IN SECTION 1
9. DATES
10. UNFAMILIARITY WITH DIFFERENT ACCENTS
11. CONFUSION ABOUT LOST ANSWERS.
12. FOCUSING TUST ON ONE QUESTION.
13. COMPOUND WORDS

14. IGNORING TRANSCRIPTS

1 5. -s IN THE NAMES OF CENTRES
16. LEAVING QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWERS
17. TAKING NOTES
18. "KEYWORD11
APPENDIX
TECHNIQUE
1 APPENDIX 2
APPENDIX 3
APPENDIX 5
APPENDIX 6
Introduction
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) was created
to check the level of English for different purposes. It was created
especially for those who want to study or work in English- speaking
countries. Also, there is a huge number of international companies
that require their employees to hold an IELTS certificate at a certain
level. Thus, IELTS is a test that opens doors to many opportunities.
IELTS is a very complex and dynamic exam. Every word is carefully

chosen. Every second counts. It requires a range of skills and
personality traits. There are certain components that are necessary for
getting the targeted score:
• An appropriate knowledge of the English language and

writing, speaking, listening and reading skills;
• Proper preparation of the technique;
• Good time management;
• Concentration;
• A positive mindset.

Any deviation from the points listed above can lead to undesirable
consequences: grammar errors, inadequate expression of ideas,
improper completion of the answer sheets, and eventually, dissat-
isfaction, a lower score than expected and a waste of time and money.
Every year millions of students take the IELTS test, but many of them
make the same mistakes repeatedly. There is a huge amount of
information on the Internet - a lot of websites, groups, and pages in
social networks. Itv s quite difficult to distinguish the right from
wrong. Also, it is not always possible to find a good IELTS tutor who
will guide you correctly. With that in mind, we created this book. We
wanted our students to avoid many of the common mistakes at IELTS
which the majority of students make.
In this book you can find examples of all the mistakes made by stu-
dents both during the preparation stage and at the exam: general
mistakes, grammar mistakes, vocabulary, in writing, listening,
reading and speaking tests. It will point out the most effective and the
shortest ways for improvement avoiding common mistakes.
Following these tips, you can significantly enhance your band in a
very short period of time. Good luck!
GENERAL
1. Forgetting ID
As is clearly stated on the British Council's web site: "No ID - no test".It
really is such an obvious thing that each student should think about it
before the exam. However, so many of them leave their ID at home.
You should take the ID that you used for online registration. So, you’d
better put it in your bag the night before the exam. When you arrive
at the place where the exam will take place, the employee of the British
Council checks your ID number, photo, asks you to sign in the list of
participants, then allows you to go to the next room where you are
photographed for the certificate.

2. Learning all night long before the exam

Many students want to learn as much as possible and practice all night
long before the exam. It' s absolutely unnecessary! The best thing you
can do before the exam is getting a little rest: get your thoughts
straight, get a good night's sleep, ensure you are in a good mood, listen
to or read motivational stories.
3. Lack of organization and concentration
IELTS is a very important exam as it opens a wide range of oppor-
tunities to you. Also, it costs quite a lot of money to take the test. If you
donv t do well on the exam you will waste your money and lose
opportunities.
Two of the common mistakes made in this exam are being disor

ganized and unfocused. This test is thought out thoroughly. Every

word, every letter is written with a special purpose. In order to
manage and correctly answer all the questions and tasks in the time
allowed, you need to concentrate and quickly understand the
questions properly. You don ' t have time to read the tasks or texts
many times. You need to grasp the concept of each sentence the first
time you read it.
4. Poor stamina
The IELTS test requires the ability to concentrate for a long time. It
lasts almost 3 hours and there are only short breaks between the 3
tests. You need to answer 80 questions in 1.5 hours and write 400
words in an hour.
Many students don' t do well in the listening test because itv s the
beginning and they are just getting a taste for it. In the reading test,
they try to concentrate as much as possible but they over exert
themselves due to lack of time and huge scale of the material. In the
writing test, they get exhausted and don' t fully express their ideas and
writing abilities.
That is why it' s essential to do full tests during the preparation,

i. e. to do listening, reading, writing with a timer and with short breaks
as during the real test. Undoubtedly, very different things interrupt
the test at home: telephone calls, unexpected guests, different
questions of relatives, hunger, thirst and so on. It goes without saying
that if students want to do the test, nothing will interrupt them. For
instance, a good friend of mine did a full test once a week in a cold
garage in winter. That was really the only place where she could
concentrate on the test and not be interrupted by relatives although
she felt immense cold, hunger, and tiredness after 3 hours. By the way,
after practice in such extreme

conditions she did quite well on the exam.
5. Fear and panic

Free of fear, the human brain operates effectively, especially, in ex-
treme circumstances.
Students often panic if they miss the answers in the listening test. As
a consequence, they miss more and more answers. Whereas they
might only miss one answer if they controlled themselves and the
situation.
In the reading and writing tests students panic when they feel that
they aren' t able to manage their time or don' t understand some words
in the questions. The best thing you can do is to keep calm. In this case,
you will be able to think rationally and to find the best solution. If you
don ' t know a word you can ask the examiner to explain it. If you feel
that you are running out of time, you haven' t written the essay, you
could provide the structure with linking words leaving spaces. Then
you can fill as many of these spaces as you can in the remaining time
available to you.
All in all, train your stress-tolerance. Don't panic if you miss

something! You should realize that even native English speakers don
' t get 9, 9, 9, 9. There are very few people in the world that have got
the highest score! You don ' t need to get the highest score, you need
only achieve the score that will be accepted for your purpose -
education, immigration or job. If you don ' t worry it is more likely
that you ' 11 do your best and not lose your bands.
6. Getting distracted by the examiner' s queries

Many students panic when the examiner asks them to show ID, or they
look at the student' s work when walk by. All these distract many
students and interrupt their thinking process, but they are just doing
their job. Many students even conflict with the examiners and waste
energy and then they are not able to concentrate on their work.

This exam is very strict and no aids are allowed to be used, such as a
dictionary or any notes. So, the examiners get clear instructions to
strictly check everyone and everything. The order and steps are
determined which ensures the proper process of the exam.
Donv t pay attention to the examiner ' s behavior! Keep focused on

your work and perform the tasks!
7. Answering other students ' questions

Donv t answer other students ' questions during the exam! First of all,
you donv t have time for it. Secondly, the examiner can warn you and
if you get two such warnings you can be excluded from the exam
without refund of your money. Only think about your work! Any
other things just distract you and disturb your work. Keep doing the
test.
8. Inattention to details
Lack of attention to the detail in questions, such as requirements to
write one or two or three words as an answer or prepositions "under,
on, beyond, up, etc." is a common mistake students make in the IELTS
test. These little words can change the meaning completely. Also, if
there is a requirement to write only one word and you write two or
three (for example, with adjectives) the answer is considered as
wrong.
Example 1 (Cambridge IELTS 9 Listening test 1)

Task. Write mo more than THREE WORDS/ OR A NUMBER

Type of work 1 ___________________

The right answer can be answer(ing) the phone or answer( ing)
phone.
But if the requirement is to write no more than two words you
do not have to include "the", otherwise the answer will be
considered as wrong. Definitely, you will lose a mark in this case
although you hear the right answer from the recording.
Example 2
Extra pay when you work on 5 __________ .
The right answer is national holidays. But some students write
on national holidays though "on" is written before. In exam
conditions, students often make such errors and lose marks.
9. Learning words apart from the context

Many tutors advise their students to learn new words from a dic-
tionary every day and then check the list. In this case, students cannot
use them properly and naturally. The main problem is that they
cannot make sentences with these words.
There are several ways to learn new words and increase vocabulary.
In collocations and context

In this case, it is much easier to remember the meaning of a new word
and to use it properly as not all combinations of words are correct and
natural in English. Non-native speakers can sometimes use words in
a way that can seem silly or ridiculous. You should know what words
collocate with each other naturally.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any rules in English about collocations.

The only thing that you can do is practice. You should read a lot, listen
a lot, write a lot, and speak a lot. The more you use different
collocations the more naturally you will sound in English.
Examples

Right collocations Wrong collocations

Strong tea/coffee Powerful tea/coffee
Tall tree High tree
Heavy rain Weighty rain
Rich taste Deep taste
Big mistake Large mistake
Great fun Big fun
Sweet dreams Nice dreams
Fast train Quick train
Fast food Quick food
A quick shower A fast shower
A quick meal A fast meal
■9
in synonym groups
For example, extend, expand, accelerate, reinforce, intensify, increase.
in groups of different forms of the word

Noun Verb Adjective Adverb
■9
Beauty Beautify Beautiful Beautifully
in groups with the same suffix/ prefix

ject - reject, subject, inject, object, eject

by topic
This is one of the main methods in the IELTS exam - to accumulate
new words and vocabulary by topic. One of the criteria used for
assessment in the writing and speaking tests is the use of topic- related
vocabulary. So, keep a notebook in which to write new words by topic
that you will be able to use both in the writing and speaking tests.
with pictures
Many tutors or English learners try to make a picture in their mind
that accords with the word or sentence. The more memorable and
brighter the picture is, the easier it is to memorize the word.
Many neuroscientists affirm that people need to repeat and use any
information (new words and collocations in this case) at least 16 times
in order to remember it for sure and accept it completely. Otherwise,
it is possible that they will forget it.
10. Wrong answer sheets

Students often use the wrong answer sheets for tests. The answer
sheets for writing tasks 1 and 2 look similar as well as for reading and
listening tests. Often students write the essay on the answer sheet for
task 1 and vice versa.

MM*## MTERNATKMAL
BRITISH
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OENEWHTIMMMENGLISH
[ EUMhW
WWTINÛ OuseLANGUAGE
owtr
Mnm
QANSWER ]
llOMumn* TESTING
\numt <LAMMIIK.I.
I SYSTEM ki> A.SHEET
TMK••COUNCIL rîT^AiLL (MXI
LUMMEA2NUNK»
CNOCMTt HUMBt*
Also, they can write and transfer the answers in the listening test into
answer sheet for the reading test. The answers are considered as
wrong in this case.
11. Endless search for techniques, tips, and miracles

To succeed in the IELTS test, you need to practice as much as possible:
listen a lot, write a lot, read a lot, and speak a lot. There are not any
special secrets! Don't waste your time browsing the Internet! It will be
much better to write one additional essay or to listen to an additional
podcast than to browse for new methods, tips, recommendations, or
any other “secrets”. There is plenty of information on the Internet
currently but most of it is useless or just repetition. There are systems
of learning on Youtube, social networks, and many websites that
encourage people to make new videos and write new articles without
worrying about the true value of the information. Choose the method
that is the most effective for you and keep training!

12. Self-doubt
This is one of the most common problems for students taking the
IELTS exam. If you doubt yourself, you will have less chance of
success. You hesitate too much, miss answers, waste time, and stop
thinking effectively.
Some students worry that they are not prepared well enough. Be sure
- preparation is an endless process. There is always something that
you havenv t learnt yet. You haven' t done all the tests. You haven' t
learnt all the words. You haven' t written and spoken about all the
topics. There will always be something that you don' t know or that
donv t manage to use. Accept it! Don' t worry about it!
But if you are confident, the test appears to be less difficult. You find
answers easily. You spend your time effectively. You are much more
likely to express yourself well and to perform a higher standard in the
exam. Be confident, do your best and you will move mountains!
13. Repeating the same mistakes

Many students take many practice tests but repeat the same errors
every the time. In this endless pursuit, they donv t have enough time
to realize their mistakes and correct them. It would be better to work
out each test - to improve as much as possible then go to the next test.
In the listening test, you should listen, then work with transcripts, note
down unfamiliar words, learn them, then listen again. These are steps
for effective improvement! In the reading test - do the test, check your
answers, and analyze your mistakes thoroughly. In the writing test -
write an essay, work it

out again with the tutorv s correction. In the speaking test - answer
questions, record yourself, then improve as much as possible. The
principle is to eliminate all mistakes then to move to other tests and
topics.
Please, first fully understand each of your mistakes and not repeat
them.
14. Learning on bad samples

Many students use whatever material they find on the internet. There
is a huge amount of information and it is quite difficult to separate the
good from the bad. At the start of your preparation, you could ask
someone knowledgeable to help you find good samples and then to
base your work only on them. Try to use speech of native speakers.
They sound more natural and coherent.
In our opinion, excellent websites for IELTS preparation are:
ielts-simon.com
ieltsliz.com
ieltsbuddy.com
engvid.com
ieltsadvantage. com
These websites have many band 8, and 9 model answers as well as

correct advice for preparation for and taking the exam.
15. Search for secret

Most students seek a fantastic “secret” that will bring them a high
score. But they don ' t realize that no such secrets exist. They just need
to work hard for a long period of time and practice, practice, practice.
16. Not practicing every day
It ' s essential in preparation for the IELTS exam to make small steps,
and improvements every day rather than do a lot once a week. Many

students don ' t do anything for several days and then work hard for
long hours on the weekends to make up for lost time. It is not an
efficient way to prepare for the exam! For example, it would be better
to practice 30 minutes every day instead of practicing 6 hours on
Sunday.
17. Getting exhausted

Many students work hard for a long period of time. They need high a
score, therefore they do lots of tests, learn many new words, read a
huge amount of articles, books, listen to thousands of podcasts. They
work too hard! But there is a limit for human ' s power and energy!
Everyone needs a rest - to recover energy, and to order thoughts.
Moreover, after rest, the brain works better and accepts new
information more efficiently. So, if you feel that you are no longer able
to continue learning, take a little time off and then start again with
fresh force.
WRITING AND SPEAKING TESTS

The most of the mistakes in the writing test are the same as those for
the speaking test.
1. Worry about the examiner's opinion
The examiner estimates your ability to express ideas in English but
not your ideas.
Don't worry about the examiner's opinion! Maybe it seems to you that
they don't accept your ideas. You should know that it is not true. You
just need to speak and answer the questions.

2. Repeating words from the questions in the writ-

ing and speaking tests
Example 1.
The examiner asks "Do you think that it's important for people
to go on holiday?"
If you answer "Yes, I think that its s important for people to go
on holiday" your score will be no more than 4.0-5.0.
The much better answer is "My firm belief is that each person needs
to escape from the daily routine for a while and have a rest". It can be a
vacation to a picturesque place or passive sunbathing on the beach.
Whatever it is, everyone should have a time for recreation - both phys-
ical and mental.
The second answer with proper pronunciation and fluency could give
at least score 7.0.
Example 2. Task 2.
Trade and travel would be a lot easier with a single, global cur

rency that we all use.Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Would a single currency cause any problems?
Some specialists argue that trade and travel would be a lot easier
with a global currency. I agree with this statement. However, I
think that a single currency can cause some problems.
It is an example of very simple introduction. It can bring no more than

5.0 band.
3. Simple words
Donv t use simple words. In the writing and speaking tests, 25% of
your score is vocabulary. Therefore, it is important to use a wide
vocabulary. Words "like, very, I think, and others" are considered to
be simple in the IELTS test. It is preferable to use "I am a great fan of..,
I am keen on.., I am passionate about.., extremely, I guess, I believe",
and so on" instead.
4. Difficult words
On the other hand, some students inappropriately use too many
advanced words, which makes the sentence heavy and unnatural. One
of the assessment criteria used is how naturally the student writes or
speaks. Consequently, improper and inappropriate use of advanced
words leads to a lower score.
5. Slang
Use of slang is unacceptable in the IELTS test. That is why it would be
better not to use American films and podcasts in preparation which
are full of slang. Students can use slang without understanding their
meaning.

6. Memorizing
Mechanical use of phrases and answers leads to lower scores in both
the writing and speaking tests. Some people make the effort to learn
essays or answers by heart for the speaking part. I believe this is really
an excellent way for quick improvement as you take good model
answers and make them yours. However, if the examiner suspects this
during the exam then it could result in a reduced score. Even if you
learn phrases or whole texts during your preparation, they should be
used very naturally. The student should convince the examiner that it
is as easy for him to use English as his native language.
7. Writing without planning ideas

It is worth spending 5 minutes on planning your work before starting
to write your essay, letter, or Academic task 1. By doing this, you
protect yourself from loss of ideas in rush. Just by expressing thoughts
in a beneficial way instills self-confidence.
Example Task 2 "Some people think that instead of preventing climate

change, we need to find a way to live with it. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?"
Plan example
Introduction - paraphrase, partly agree
Main paragraph 1 - AGREE

reason 1 - irreversible consequences, which we cannot prevent
reason 2 - nothing remains the same in this world.
Main paragraph 2 - DISAGREE

reason 1 - itv s up to us to save our environment and to make better
conditions for living, reason 2 - we can at least slow down this process
and save many lives.

Conclusion - paraphrase introduction in one sentence
8. Intonation and pronunciation

This is one of the criteria used for the assessment of the speaking test.
Non-native speakers often bring the intonation and pronunciation of
their native language into English. It is important to practice speaking
with English native speakers (preferably, British or Australian) during
your preparation. One useful piece of advice is to listen to podcasts
and copy their style of speaking. You could also record them to listen
to again to help you analyze and improve your intonation and
pronunciation.
9. Linking words: not use and overuse

Linking words can be overused or not used at all. Both these extremes
are undesirable. There are linking words for each part of the essay and
for different cases. For example, when we want to note different
reasons we can use "The first reason is..." or "because", "as", "due to",
etc. However, itv s essential to be careful to use them appropriately
and not to over use them. Here is a list of linking words for different
parts of essay:
Linking words for opinions:

In my opinion.., I strongly opine that.., I strongly agree with the idea
that.., I strongly disagree with the given topic.., I think.., My opinion
is that.., In my view.., I believe.., Apparently.., Personally speaking..,
According to me.., From my point of view.., From my perspective.., I
realize.., To my way of thinking.., It seems to me that.., To me.., It
appears that.., I feel that.., I understand.., I suppose...
Linking words for main paragraph 1:

It is true that.., First.., First of all.., Firstly.., Second(ly)...
Third, thirdly.., Initially.., To begin with.., To start with..., In the first
place.., Though it is true that.., some people believe that.., Many
people think that.., According to many.., Some people believe that...,

Many support the view that.., On the one hand...
Linking words for main paragraph 2:

Then.., Next.., After that.., And.., Again.., Also.., Besides.., Likewise..,
In addition..Consequently..ghat's more.., Furthermore.., Moreover..,
Other people think that.., Other people believe that.., On the other
hand.., Apart from that.., Finally...
Linking words for comparisons:

In the same way.., Likewise.., Similarly.., Like the previous point..,
Similar to.., Also.., At the same time.., Just as...

Linking words for contrast:

On the other hand.., On the contrary.., However.., But.., Neverthe-
less.., Oppositely.., Alternatively.., Unlike.., While.., Whilst.., Even
though.., Alternatively.., In contrast to this.., Then again.., On the other
hand...
Linking words for examples:
As an Example., For instance.., For Example., Like.., As.., Such as..,
Particularly.., In particular.., Namely.., To show an Example., As an
evidence.., To illustrate.., To paraphrase...
Linking words for effects and results:

As a result.., Consequently.., As an effect.., Thus.., So.., The reason
why.., Therefore.., Hence.., Eventually.., For this reason.., Thereby...
Linking words for conclusion:

To sum up.., In short.., In a word.., To put it simply.., That is to say..,
In conclusion.., In summary.., To conclude.., To conclude with.., To
sum up.., In general.., To summarize.., In short.., all in all..., Overall..,
On the whole...
Linking words to make the point strong:

Although.., Thought.., Nonetheless.., Nevertheless.., Still.., Yet..,
Must.., After all.., Even if.., Therefore.., Thus....
Other linking words:

Then.., Else.., Otherwise.., Besides.., As soon as.., As much as...
10. Speaking too fast

Donv t speak too fast. Students sometimes speak very quickly during
the speaking test due to nervousness or excitement. Take control and
speak at natural speed.
11. Contractions
Use of contractions (donv t, haven' t, etc) in the writing test is ac-
ceptable only in an informal letter. In Task 2, Academic task 1 and
formal letters you should use the complete forms, such as do not, have

not, and so on.
12. Inventing statistics

Don' t invent statistics. If you know some examples you can include
them in your essay. However, if you can only remember the
approximate data, it would be better to avoid using them because it
will be considered as a fake and will affect your score.
13. Superficiality
Some students give several ideas and fail to develop any of them.
Whereas it would be more beneficial to express one or two ideas and
give good reasons and examples. That is considered as a deep answer
and is valued much higher. There is a RED rule for answering the
questions: Reason, Example, Detail.
Example
Do you think it is better for children to grow up in the city or in the
country?
I am convinced that growing in rural area is more beneficial for children

than in urban area. First of all, they need fresh air less polluted by cars
and traffic. Secondly, there they spend more time with their families.
There is no fashion and consumerism as in big cities.
However, big cities provide wide opportunities for development,

good education and then career growth. Also, different entertainment

and health are more varied in urban areas. Services are of good quality.
I guess that each parent decides whether it would be better to raise
children in cities or villages depending on their goals concerning their
future.
14. The length of writing task

The requirement for task 1 is to write 150 words, and for task 2 it is 250
words. If your write less than this your mark will be reduced.
Otherwise, if you write more than it is required you will be in a hurry
due to restricted period of time and may cause you to make more
mistakes. 40 minutes is a perfect period of time to write 250 words
with correct grammar, planning ideas and their expression.
15. Unique idea chase

Students are often concerned that they don' t have any brilliant ideas
for the writing and speaking tests. This affects their speed of thinking,
fluency, and confidence.
There is no need to worry! The examiners donv t expect to know your

creative ideas. They just want to check your language skills. That' s it!
16. Too many "aaaaa...", "mmm..." in the speaking

test
Fluency is the main keypoint in the speaking test. You need to keep
going without troubling about your grammar and brilliant ideas.
Don ' t think too much! Be confident!
17. Plan without keywords

Donv t write phrases when preparing for part 2 in the speaking test.

You have just 1 minute for this. You just need to note down some
keywords which express your ideas and which will remind you the
direction of your monologue. Writing sentences, in this case, is an
extremely ineffective use of your time.
18. Negativity
Donv t be negative in the writing and speaking tests. Even if the
question is about drawbacks or a negative influence, you should try to
provide the answer in a positive way. IELTS is a very positive test and
a negative attitude doesn' t benefit you in any way.
19. Poor task achievement

Address the question correctly in the writing and speaking tests. Many
students lose marks because they answer the wrong question. Task
achievement is one of the criteria use in assessment. You will not get
a high mark if you deviate from the topic. If you don' t understand a
word you can ask for it to be explained or for it to be paraphrased.
20. "Yes" or "No" answers

Donv t give short "Yes" or "No" answers. Always develop your an-
swers, give details and your reasons using complex structures. You
should convince the examiner that you have a rich vocabulary with
perfect grammar.
Example
- Do you have pets? -No.
Actually, the examiner doesnv t need to know if you have any pets or
not. They just want to check your pet related vocabulary.
A much better answer is:
- No, currently I donv t have any dogs or cats. However, I had 2
dogs when I was a child and the time spent with them is my
brightest memories from childhood.

21. Speaking just speaking

The speaking test assesses your speech using four criteria - Vo-
cabulary, grammar, fluency and coherence, and pronunciation. Each
of these criteria contributes 25 % of your score.
In order to succeed in the speaking test, you should know how you
are assessed. Each question in the speaking test is given with a definite
purpose to check use of some grammar structures.
Example
What would you do with a million dollars?
This question checks your use of conditional structure.
You should answer: "If I had a million of dollars I would travel a
lot around the world".
22. Not using phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs make the speech more natural by filling it with idiomatic
language that native speakers use. Use of such verbs will considerably
increase your score.
Example
"Pick up" instead of "collect",
"Put up with" instead of "adapt",
"Put on" instead of "wear", etc.
A list of some common phrasal verbs is given in Appendix 1.
23. Difficult language and complex structures in

part 1 of the speaking test.
In part 1 you should show your fluency, that is why the use of very
difficult, complex language will not benefit you. It' s more appropriate
to speak simply and quickly. It' s like a warm-up. Enjoy it! Don' t make

it complicated!
Example
- Do you like music?
Student ' s answer: Yes, I am passionate about music as it helps
to encourage my thoughts and ideas. Also, it ' s an excellent
remedy for my mind when I feel deeply stressed.
n:?
More beneficial answer: Yes, I love music. It helps to keep me in

a better mood. When I am sad it helps to have a positive state of
mind.
24. Disorganized answer

Many students don't organize their answer logically. They say
different phrases without linking them together. Be organized and

express your ideas coherently. Linking words will help you to do this.
Practice patterns for different types of questions in order not to get
confused and hesitate too much on the exam.
25. Relaxing in part 3

After many questions in part 1 and the effort in part 2, some students
want to finish part 3 as soon as possible and go home. Don v t relax!
Stay concentrated and do your best in part 3 as well. There are deeper
questions that allow you to show your abilities in a beneficial way.
26. Confusion about unfamiliar topic

The IELTS test introduces new topics and it's possible that the topic on
the exam will not be familiar to you. Donv t be confused! You can adapt
the learnt topics or make up the answer! Turn on your imagination
and creativeness! Donv t give up!
27. Looking at walls, floor, window - everywhere

except the examiner
Many students worry too much and donv t look at the examiner.
Though this point is not defined in the conditions and requirements
of the exam, it affects your score negatively. Behave naturally! Talk to
the examiner as if you would talk to your friend!
28. Too long introduction for the writing test

The introduction aims just at introducing the topic. You need to write
only 2-3 sentences in this part and you can do it by rewriting the task.
It' s quite simple!
Example
Task 2 "Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal
more money than people in other important professions. Some
people think that is fully justified while others think it is unfair.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion."

Introduction - "It is true that nowadays a huge number of

sportsmen earn enormous remunerations unlike specialists in
other necessary vocations. I agree with those people who reckon
this phenomenon as discriminatory although the opposite view
has its reasonable arguments as well."
29. Conclusion for Academic task 1

You don't need to write a conclusion for Academic task 1. It should
consist of 4 paragraphs - Introduction, Overview, Main paragraph 1,
Main paragraph 2.
Example
The graphs represent data with regard to the visitors to and from
the UK, and the top nations that attract visitors from the UK.
As it is revealed in the line graph, during the period between

1979 to 1999 the dynamics of the number of tourists to the UK
was much lower than from the UK. Regarding to most visited
countries by the UK citizens, France is the most attractive place
in 1999.
According to the line graph, in 19 79, there are approximately 13

million of UK inhabitants visiting overseas and the number of
overseas tourists was slightly lesser. After that, the
29. Conclusion for Academic task 1
You don't need to write a conclusion for Academic task 1. It should
consist of 4 paragraphs - Introduction, Overview, Main paragraph 1,
Main paragraph 2.
Example
The graphs represent data with regard to the visitors to and from
the UK, and the top nations that attract visitors from the UK.
As it is revealed in the line graph, during the period between

1979 to 1999 the dynamics of the number of tourists to the UK

was much lower than from the UK. Regarding to most visited
countries by the UK citizens, France is the most attractive place
in 1999.
According to the line graph, in 19 79, there are approximately 13

million of UK inhabitants visiting overseas and the number of
overseas tourists was slightly lesser. After that, the figure of UK
visitors ascended dramatically, peaking at almost 53 million in
1999. Meanwhile, the amount of overseas residents who visited
the UK remained (27 million) smaller, while the margin between
them was great.
Concerning to the bar chart, there were about 11 million of UK

people visited France in 1999, followed by Spain which has
around 9 million UK tourists. The number of people who went
to the USA for traveling was slightly larger than those who chose
Greece (3 million). The number of visitors who visited Turkey
took the last place, standing at close to 2 million.
30. Describing everything without selecting key
information
Try to choose the main points, not just describing everything that is
shown on the charts, graphs, and diagrams. This is a task for the
Academic module, which is necessary for studying abroad. Therefore,
the aim of this task is to check your ability to notice trends and to
differentiate the main points from the secondary ones as you will have
to attend many lectures and to note down key information.
31. Writing without comparing in Academic task 1

This task aims to assess your ability to compare different trends and
their interrelations. Hence, you need to practice writing good
comparing sentences, not just describing.
Actually, this task should be written accurately, with the precise

definition of trends and data, without additional chatter.

32. ’’Millions" or "Million"

One of the common mistakes students make is writing millions,
thousands, hundreds instead of million, thousand, hundred.
Example
Correct answer - "8 million pupils"
Wrong answer - "8 millions pupils"
But "Millions of pupils".
33. Worrying too much about grammatical range

in task 1
Many students waste effort making complex and different gram-
matical structures for Academic task 1. It' s really not necessary! It' s
better to spend 20 minutes to describe and compare the given data
clearly and logically. Passive, conditional and other structures may
not be relevant to the topic. You have to provide a high level of
coherence, task response, and accuracy. That' s the requirement for
this task.
34. Wrong vocabulary for Academic task 1

Example
WRONG □5
RIGHT
The bar chart displays the per- shows, compares, illustrates
centage of...
Looking at the pie chart, it is it is noticeable that
noticed that...
As can be seen, the figures we can see that.., the chart
show that... shows...
A glance at the bar chart pro- It is clear that it is noticeable

vided reveals... that

35. Focus on linking words rather than information

Many students think that the use of difficult, complex linking words
is the key to a high band. It isnv t true! Let me point out once again, the
key to a high band is the right choice of key information and its
description and comparison.
36. Spending more than 20 minutes on task 1

Don't spend too much time on this task. Practice spending 5 minutes
for each paragraph during the preparation. In this case, youv 11 feel
the time and be organized and confident.
3 7. Taking the word "academic" in writing task too

literally
Many students make their essay too academic based on the name of
the task. You should remember that this is not a university as-
signment. By the way, such assignments donv t ask for your opinion.
They just require a work based on research whereas the IELTS writing
test asks for your opinions and ideas. Thus, just ignore the word
"academic".
38. Always discuss both views

Many students pay insufficient attention to the detail in the task that
requires you just to give your opinion. They discuss different sides of
the question and donv t give their own opinion. This is considered as
poor task achievement. Task response is one of the criteria used for
assessment - 25% of your score. Be careful with this!
3 9. Lack of real examples

A great number of students dons t use even one real example in their
essay. Please, donv t forget about including at least one example in
your

essay. It ' s one of the requirements of the task.
40. Essay structure

In the IELTS literature, there are many suggestions about essay
structure. Try to find one with which you feel comfortable to use in
writing and expressing your ideas in logical and coherent way.
Example
Excellent essay structure is suggested by Simon 13-sentence
structure.
Introduction: 2-3 sentences;
Main paragraph: 1-5 sentences;
Main paragraph: 2-5 sentences;
Conclusion: 1 sentence.
Use the one that fits you best and practice it all the time. In this way,
you will feel confidently about this task at the exam.
41. Unfamiliarity with question types

The IELTS essay questions can be classified into 4 groups:
1. Problem - solution essay - requires to point out main

problems in the issue and suggest solutions for it; Example
Nowadays many people have access to computers on a wide
basis and a large number of children play computer games. What
are the negative impacts of playing computer games and what
can be done to minimize the bad effects?
1. Discuss both views - requires to discuss the issue from
different points of view. In this case, you donv t have to give
your own opinion;
Example
Some people think that all university students should study

whatever they like. Others believe that they should only be

allowed to study subjects that will be useful in the future, such
as those related to science and technology. Discuss both these
views.
2. Give your opinion - requires to give your own opinion

about the issue. In this case, you don' t need to discuss the
other side;
Example
Some people who have been in prison become good citizens
later, and it is often argued that these are the best people to talk
to teenagers about the dangers of committing a crime.To what
extent do you agree or disagree?
3. Two-part questions - it's the most complex type of essay

questions. You just have to answer each question in a
separate paragraph here.
Example
Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has
changed because of technology. In what ways has technology
affected the types of personal relationships? Has
this become a positive or negative development?
If you know these types of questions and how to deal with each of
them youv 11 do better at the exam. Nevertheless, the given 13-sen-
tence structure fits almost all cases of essay questions.
42. Too long paragraphs or too short paragraphs
Paragraphs should be written approximately in the same proportions.
It' s not beneficial to write one paragraph 7 sentences, other - 3
sentences. Very often students write 5-6 paragraphs for different
points - reasons, causes or solutions. In this case, the mark is not higher
than 6-6,5. An example of excellent essay main paragraphs is given
below.
Example
Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money
than people in other important professions. Some people think

that is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both

these views and give your own opinion.
In this essay, it' s appropriate to write approximately 5 sentences

for both views expressing your own opinion. It would be better
to write the view which you agree with first.
So, the paragraphs could be written in the following way:
To begin with, people in such crucial professions as doctors, firefighters

or policemen, do much more for benefits of humanity than sports
players do. Undoubtedly, they devote whole their life to their jobs. They
themselves out every day without skimping their time and energy,
working mostly overtime, sometimes sacrificing their private life, for
saving someone' s life. Another reason, that sportsmen's salaries are
not justified, is that a great amount of these celebrities take care only
about their wellbeing not worrying about other people' s interests and
needs.
On the other hand, the majority of outstanding players do great jobs

which have significant social, political and economical value.
Obviously, they do something global improving the reputation of a
particular country and the international attitude to a certain nation.
As a consequence, the political and economic

relationships strengthen, scales of trade and tourism rise enormously

bringing tangible profits to the locals. Another direction of sportsmen'
s work is charities. For instance, due to their fame, it is much more
possible for them than for ordinary people to bring to the attention of
the public any event or condition in poor countries, quickly and
effectively gathering huge donations for treatment, support for poverty-
stricken nations as well as for hospitals and schools construction.
This is an example of balanced main paragraphs.

43. Improper structure of the letter
In English, letters should be written in a certain manner. Many
students don' t comply with the rules for letters. For instance, the last
phrase "Sincerely" or "Faithfully" or "Best regards" they can place in
the middle or on the right side while it should be written on the left
side.
Example
Dear Mary,
I hope you're well. I am so delighted with your offer to open a cafe
together, as it means that you fairly trust me.
First of all, I should mention that the idea is great and I am

convinced that it will be successful. It definitely makes sense to
open a cafe in that part of Green Avenue, as there will be no rivals
and the locals will attend it with great pleasure.
Nevertheless, I'm going to have to turn your offer down. I've

thought hard and long about this decision. I've pondered all pros
and cons and I've come to a conclusion that I'm not ready for such
a big project.
To be honest, there would be serious difficulties in finding the

necessary amount of money to cover my share of the initial in-
vestment costs. It would demand from me to borrow from the bank
so I would have to pay unbearable sums regularly. Another reason
is that I am doing good career growth at my job. Thus, it would be
a pity to lose it.

I wish you best of luck with the cafe. I'm sure you'll make a suc-
cess of it without me.
Speak soon.
Ann.
44. Numbers
Numbers are unacceptable in writing. You will lose marks if you write
them. They should be written in words.
Example
I participated in the content 10 years ago.
WRONG
I participated in the content ten years ago.
□5
RIGHT
45. Capital letters

All names, such as cities, countries, entertainment facilities, should be
written with capital letters.
Example
European business centre WRONG
1 minute left in book 50%

European Business Centre

□5
RIGHT
46. Conclusion of the essay

In many sample essays on the Internet, you can see "To put it in a
nutshell" or "In a nutshell". Please, don ' t write this. It ' s a very simple
phrase and should not be used in an academic writing. It would be
better to write "To conclude", "In conclusion", "To sum up", etc.
47. Improper use of linking words

Example
A? □5
WRONG RIGHT
The last but not least Last but not least

The second place In the second place, secondly
In my point of view From my point of view
It is hopeful Hopefully
In reasons of Because of
In some extent To some extent
MM

48. Wrong expression of ideas

WRONG □5
RIGHT
Our life Our lives
The most of all children The majority of children
They have not any time for They do not have much time
their children for their children
This reality influences on the This reality influences badly
whole family the whole family
To feel love, attention from To receive love, attention from
their parents their parents
They work as more as men They work as much as men do
To have something unrepeat- To have something original

able and unique
I played some masterpieces I used to play masterpieces
We can answer all questions of We can answer each other's

each other questions
Another people like changes in Others like changes in their
their life and do not afraid risks lives and are not afraid of tak-
ing risks
People's working at the same If people work at the same
organization whole their pro- organization for their whole
fessional life professional lives
He cannot adapt to any midst He cannot put up with any job
environment
I would like to express a hope Hopefully

Increasing of air traffic has The significant increase of air

several disadvantages traffic brings several
disadvantages
With absolutely readiness With great willingness
Their including in educational Their involvement (partici-

program pation) in an educational
program
I hope you provide this issue's I hope you will be able to solve
decision this issue
I recently bought a computer in I have recently bought a com-
your shop puter from your shop
She organizes loud parties at She has noisy parties at home
home
I am waiting for a child I am expecting a baby
You can come and stay You can come and stay with
me
In order to create unforgettable In order to provide unforget-
memories table memories
They turn 3 years They turn their three years
It is extremely unfairly It is very unfair
I would like to state I would like to mention
GRAMMAR
1. Wrong spelling
Spelling is very important in the writing, reading, and listening tests.
A small spelling error in one word results in one lost point. Often,
students listen and find right answers but they lose marks due to

regrettable mistakes of one letter. To avoid them it will be useful to

practice such letters as "h”, “g”, and “j" or "s” and “c", as well as to
write words in which spelling mistakes were made in a special
notebook.
Example
"cite" or "site" - different spelling = different meaning "Danjer"
instead of "danger"
"Cimon" instead of "Simon"
"Mashroom" instead of "Mushroom"
The list of some common spelling mistakes is provided in the Ap-

pendix 2.
2. Verb without -s for third person

One of common mistake in the IELTS test is the use of a verb for the
third person without -s or -es. Even some advanced learners can make
this error mechanically.
Example
"He have a hobby" instead of "He has a hobby".
3. Unfamiliarity with the list of irregular verbs

Each person who uses English should know the list of irregular verbs.
Example
A WRONG answer -1 bringed my favourite book to school.
RIGHT answer -1 brought my favourite book to school.
□5
The list of irregular verbs is given in Appendix 3.
4. Uncountable nouns
There is a list of nouns which are uncountable and which can be used
only in a singular form. With them, you have to use a singular verb.
You can find this list on the Internet.

Example
researches, furnitures, advices - WRONG
A piece of research, two pieces of furniture, a piece of advice -

RIGHT
4. Wrong tenses
Often students begin to speak or write in past tense, then use present
perfect, and so forth. Itv s essential in the IELTS test, and in English
generally, to use tenses properly.
Example
I have visited Niagara Falls last weekend. WRONG
n:?
I visited Niagara Falls last weekend. RIGHT
□5
It is snowing for two hours. WRONG
It has been snowing for two hours. RIGHT
□5
Be careful that you will not make any mistakes in this respon-
sible task. WRONG
Be careful that you do not make any mistakes in this respon-

sible task. RIGHT
□5
If it will rain we will not go for a picnic next weekend.
WRONG

If it rains we will not go for a picnic next weekend. RIGHT

□5
The table with tenses is given in Appendix 2.
6. Question structure
Often, students fail to make questions grammatically correct.
Example
Where you go? WRONG Where do you go?
Have you a dog? WRONG Do you have a dog?

You need to know how questions should be formulated so that they
are grammatically correct.
7. Irregular nouns
Another list which you need to learn by heart is the list of irregular
nouns.
Example
child - children (not childs),
tooth - teeth (not toothes), foot - feet (not foots), etc.
The list of irregular nouns is given in appendix 5.
8. +ing or to + infinitive
To + infinitive verb after: learn how, would like, want, seem, refuse,
promise, prepare, offer, learn, hope, help, deserve, decide, afford, and
ask.

Example
I would like to learn how to prepare annual reports.
I would like to learn the French language.
Tike' can be followed by -ing or to + infinitive.
Verb -ing after: suggest, recommend, practice, mind, keep, in-
volve, imagine, give up, finish, enjoy, deny, consider, carry on,
and avoid.

Example
I recommend learning at least 30 new words a day.
We should avoid going to bed after 1 am.
9. Prepositions after adjectives and nouns

Students are often confused about this.
Example
She is married with a military servant. WRONG
n:?
She is married to a military servant. CORRECT

□5
Here are some useful phrases with prepositions:
afraid of angry with bad at
interested in married to frightened of crowded with
good at successful in polite to short of pleased with
brilliant at similar to tired of
disappointed with
10. Who or which
Confusion between the use of "who" and "which" is a very common

mistake in the IELTS test.
Example
The man which is a manager of sales department is a very so-
phisticated specialist in economics. WRONG
The man who is a manager of sales department is a very so-

phisticated specialist in economics. RIGHT

□5
11. Wrong form of verb
Very often students choose the right tense but use the wrong form of
the verb.
Example
John was boring at the lecture. WRONG
John was bored at the lecture. RIGHT
□5
12. Use of "to" where it is not necessary
Example
They must to inform us about any changes in terms and con-
ditions immediately. WRONG

He must inform us about any changes in terms and conditions

immediately. CORRECT
□5
13. Adjective instead of adverb
Example
They play volleyball quite good. WRONG
n:?
They play volleyball quite well. CORRECT

□5
14. Auxiliary verbs
Example
How to reach this goal...? WRONG
n:?
How do you reach this goal...? CORRECT

□5
He doing his homework at this moment. WRONG He is doing
his homework at this moments. CORRECT
□5
I already completed my assignment. WRONG
I have already completed my assignment. CORRECT

□5
15. Comparatives
Example
This test is more easy than the previous one. WRONG
n:?
This test is easier than the previous one. CORRECT

□5
16. Wrong order of words
Example
What time it is? WRONG
n:?
What time is it? CORRECT

□5
17. Nevertheless in the middle of the sentence
Many students often make this mistake. "Nevertheless" is normally

used in the beginning of the sentence.
Example
The dangers of fast food are well known, nevertheless, people
continue to eat it. WRONG
The dangers of fast food are well known. Nevertheless, people

continue to eat it. CORRECT

□5
18. Teach or learn
Beginners very often confuse whether they should use learn or teach.
"Teach" - giving knowledge, "learn" is acquiring knowledge.
Example
The tutor teaches us how to write a good essay.
Students learn how to write a good essay.
19. Must or have to

Many students use must when they want to advise something or to
point a necessity or a responsibility.
"Must" points your conviction that something is necessary, "have to"

points a necessity caused by external circumstances.
Example
You are my daughter and you must do what I say.
I have to be on time for the lecture.
20.1 agree /1 am agree

Don' t say: I am agree with you
Say: I agree with you

21. Excepts / Besides

"Except" means "not including" while "besides" means "in addition to"
Example
What other types of films do you like besides family comedies?
I like all meals except (for) meat.
22. Decide/Solve
The Oxford Dictionary defines "decide" as "come or bring to a reso-

lution in the mind as a result of consideration."
"Solve" is "Find an answer to, explanation for, or means of effectively

dealing with (a problem or mystery)"
Example
I' ve decided to become a translator.
The government could solve the problem related to the economic
crisis in the country.
23. Last time / recently

Example
I was in Paris recently. WRONG
n:?
I have been in Paris recently CORRECT

□5
When I have been in Paris last time I went to Louvre. WRONG
When I was in Paris last time, I went to Louvre. CORRECT

□5
24. Incomplete comparisons
Example
My house is bigger. WRONG
My house is bigger than his house. CORRECT

□5
25. Improper sentence structure
The sentence should have a subject and a verb. Otherwise, it doesnv
t make sense and is considered as grammatically incorrect.
Example
Jane being a big fan of adventures and new experience. WRONG
Jane travels a lot as she is a big fan of adventures. CORRECT

□5

26. "Do a mistake"

Example
He did a mistake of overestimating his abilities. WRONG
n:?
He made a mistake of overestimating his abilities. CORRECT

□5
27. Feel or Feel oneself

Never say: "I feel myself bad/good".
Say: "I feel bad/good".
28. Some or any

We write "some" in Positive clauses. In Negative clauses and ques-
tions, we use "any"
Example
I have some spare time before the lecture.
I don ' t have any spare time before the lecture.
Do you have any spare time before the lecture?
29. pm or am
When you write time, point pm or am correctly,
pm - after midday until midnight,

am - after midnight until midday.
Example
Our meeting is arranged at 10 am in the office of our company. -
in the morning
I will be back from the meeting by 9 pm - in the evening.

30. Advice and Advise

Many students are confused about the correct use of these two words.
"Advice" is a noun while "advise" is a verb.
Example
Our tutor advised us to make an arrangement for our meeting
beforehand.
Our tutor gave us a piece of advice related to the topic of our
coursework.
31. "the" with names of cities, states, and countries
Example
I live in the Germany. WRONG
n:?
I live in Germany. CORRECT

□5
32. "Call me by the phone"
Don' t say: "Call me by the phone"

Say: Call me on the phone OR Phone me.
33. "The reason because..."
Don' t say: The reason because I want to become a teacher is my
passion about children and teaching.
Say: The reason why I want to become a teacher is my passion about

children and teaching.
34. "Although... but"

Don't say: Although it was raining but the competition took place.

Say: Although it was raining the competition took place.
35. "Enjoy from..."

Don' t say: We really enjoyed from Jane' s birthday party.
Say: We really enjoyed Jane' s birthday party.
36. "I look forward to hear..."
We use this phrase in letters very often.
Don' t write: I look forward to hear from you soon.

Write: I look forward to hearing from you soon.
3 7. "I like very much playing..."

Don' t write: I like very much playing chess.
Write: I like playing chess very much.
38. When...will

Don't write: When I will arrive in Paris I will go to see Eiffel Tower.
Write: When I arrive in Paris I will go to see Eiffel Tower.
39. "Have a work"
I have a new work in a reputable international company. WRONG I
have a new job in a reputable international company. CORRECT
□5
40. "The police is..."
The police is coming to the place of the accident. WRONG The police
are coming to the place of the accident. CORRECT
□5
41. "enough good"
Your writing isn' t enough good. WRONG
n:?
Your writing isn' t good enough. CORRECT

□5
42. "Should to..."
He should to send an application to the University of Toronto.

WRONG
He should send an application to the University of Toronto. COR-

RECT
43. "There is parts..."
There is 3 parts in this coursework. WRONG There are 3 parts in this
coursework. CORRECT
□5
44. "Did not meet nobody..."
I didn' t meet nobody of my friends at the birthday party yesterday.
WRONG
I didn' t meet anybody of my friends at the birthday party yesterday.

CORRECT
□5
45. "I do next week..."
I am convinced that I finish my coursework next week. WRONG
n:?
I am convinced that I will finish my coursework next week. COR-
RECT

□5
46. "How learn..."

Could you explain me how improve my listening for the IELTS test in
a short period of time? WRONG
n:?
Could you explain me how to improve my listening for the IELTS test
in a short period of time. CORRECT
□5
47. "Is ready something...?"
Is ready my student ticket? WRONG Is my student ticket ready?
CORRECT
□5
48. What or that
Ann, you cannot take all what you like in the supermarket. WRONG
Ann, you cannot take all that you like in the supermarket. CORRECT

□5
49. "To be success..."
My brother is success in his career. WRONG
n:?
My brother is successful in his career. CORRECT

□5
50. "Want that he be..."
I want that my son be a musician. WRONG
I want my son to be a musician. CORRECT
□5
51. "The life..."
The life in a rural area is too boring. WRONG
n:?
Life in rural a area is too boring. CORRECT
□5
52. "How many... you have?"
How many cousins you have? WRONG

How many cousins do you have? CORRECT

□5
53. Like or as
You are a tall man as your father. WRONG
You are a tall man like your father. CORRECT
□5
54. Missing am/is/are
I am teacher. WRONG
n:?
I am a teacher. CORRECT
□5
55. Myself
Many students replace "I" or "me" with "myself"
We can use "myself" only if we have already used "I"
Example
Myself and my husband live in London. WRONG
My husband and I live in London. CORRECT

□5
I do all my coursework myself. CORRECT
□5
56. Invite or invitation
This mistake has been made so frequently that it is often accepted.
Nevertheless, it is not right to say "invite" instead of "invitation".
"Invite" is a verb and indicates an action while "invitation" is a noun.
Example
We have received an invite to Jane's birthday party. WRONG
We have received an invitation to Jane's birthday party. COR-

RECT
□5
We have been invited to Jane's birthday party. CORRECT
□5
5 7. Who or whom
We say “Who” about the subject of a sentence and “whom” - about the
object.
Example
Who are invited to the party?
Whom have you invited to the party?
58. Affect or effect
This mistake is made due to the similarity of these words.
"To affect" is a verb - to influence, to have an impact on something.
Effect is a noun -a result of being affected by something.

Example
I wait for the vitamins to have an affect. WRONG These areas
were directly effected by the typhoon. WRONG I wait for the
vitamins to have an effect. CORRECT
□5
These areas were directly affected by the typhoon. CORRECT
□5
59.1.e. or e.g.
These two abbreviations have very different meaning.
I.e. - “that is” or “in other words”. From the Latin words “id est”.
E.g. - "for example". From the Latin words “exempli gratia”.
These abbreviations should be used in informal writing. It would be

better to write "for example" and "that is" in essays.
60. "Come Germany"
I came Germany to study German. WRONG I
came to Germany to study German. CORRECT

□5
61. "An information"
Please, give me an information about that company. WRONG
Please, give me some information about that company. CORRECT
□5
62. "They do themself"
My children do their homework themself. WRONG
?
n:
My children do their homework themselves. CORRECT

□5
63. Then or than
Many students confuse these two words, probably because they sound
and look similar.
"Then" indicates a sequence - something after something.

"Than" is used for comparisons.
Example

We will go to the shopping mall and than to the cafe. WRONG
My current job is more interesting then the previous one.

WRONG
We will go to the shopping mall and then to the cafe. CORRECT

□5
My current job is more interesting than the previous one.
CORRECT
□5
64. "Me and somebody"
Me and my husband live in Toronto. WRONG
?
n:
My husband and I live in Toronto. CORRECT

□5
65. "I go always (usually)..."
I go always (usually) to the university by bicycle. WRONG
I always (usually) go to the university by bicycle. CORRECT
□5
66. Apostrophes
Students sometime use apostrophes to make nouns plural. That is a
mistake. Here are the cases when we have to use apostrophes:
When we want to point something belonging to one person, we should

place the apostrophe before the ‘s’.
Example
Jane's car.
If we want to point something belonging to more than one person,

then we put the apostrophe after the ‘s’.
Example
Smiths’ car
We use apostrophes in contractions: don't, haven't, can't, I'll, etc.
67. Your (its) or you're (it's)

"Your" ("its") indicates something belonging to "you" ("it").
"You're" ("it's")is a contraction of "you are" ("it is").
Example
Your very nice. WRONG
?
n:
You are very nice. CORRECT
□5
You're house is quite large. WRONG Your house is quite large.
CORRECT
□5
68. There, their or they're

"There" indicates a place.
"Their" indicates something belonging to "them".

"They're" is the contraction of "they are".
Example
There is a supermarket.
Their cars are near the supermarket.
They're in the supermarket at the moment.
69. History or story

History is based on facts, events of the past. It doesn't include any
legends or rumors.
A story need not be based on the truth. It can be a result of imagination
and creation of authors.
Example
Everyone should learn the history of his country.
My grandfather told us different stories about his childhood.
70. Fewer or less

We say "fewer" about nouns that we can count.

We say "less" about uncountable nouns.

Example
Fewer milk, less pens WRONG
Less milk, fewer pens CORRECT

□5
71. Amount or number

As is case with "less" and "fewer", we use "amount" and "number" for
uncountable and countable nouns respectively.
Example
Such a number of rain is very dangerous for this area. WRONG
A great amount of students make this common mistake.

WRONG
Such an amount of rain is very dangerous for this area. COR-

RECT
□5
A great number of students make this common mistake.
CORRECT
□5
72. To, two or too
"To" is used for infinitive and to indicate the direction "toward".
"Two" is a number.
"Too" means "also" or "very".

Example
I want to become a teacher.
I go to the supermarket.
I will finish my coursework after in two weeks.
My friend goes to Paris. I will go there too.
This assignment is too hard for a first-year student.
73. Prepositions of time.
Students often make mistakes with prepositions when they are
writing about time.
We use prepositions in such way:
• AT for a precise time;
• IN for months, centuries and long periods;
• ON for days and dates.
Precise time Months, centuries, Days and dates

long periods
At 10 o'clock In September On Friday
At 11:15 pm In spring On Mondays
At midnight In 2000-s On 17 September
At sunrise In the last century On 17 September
2016
■9

At sunset In the past On Christmas Day

At the moment In the future On my birthday
We use AT, IN and ON in following standard expressions:
AT IN ON
At night In the morning On Tuesday morn-
ing(s)
At the weekend In the mornings On Saturday morn-
ing(s)
At Christmas/ In the after- On Monday after-
Easter noon(s) noon^)
At the same time In the evening(s) On Monday even-
ing(s)
At present
We do not use any prepositions if we use last, every, next or this.
Example
We're going to Paris next month.
But not: We are going to Paris in next month.
PUNCTUATION
1. Linking words without commas.

Linking words should be separated with commas.
Example
First and foremost, one of the most common causes of problems in
relationship between people is inability to understand other' s point
of view.

2. "Dear Mrs/Sir" w i t h a t t h e e n d
There should be comma:

"Dear Ms/Sir,".
READING TEST
1. Beginning from the end

Some tutors advise students to start to do the reading test from section
3. From my point of view, it's a very foolish suggestion. The reason is
that section 3 only contains 13 questions and the most difficult article.
The other 27 questions are written with easier texts that take less time
to answer and can provide 27 correct answers. Also, after answering
27 questions, the student feels more confident in answering the rest
and can afford to make some errors in section 3.
2. Reading whole texts

Don' t read the whole texts! Just answer the questions! You have only
1 hour for 40 questions. During this time, you should manage to read
5 texts. Go direct to questions and then begin to read the texts
answering the question.
3. Time management
The most common problem in the reading test is time management.
Itv s a challenge to read several not so short articles and then to answer
40 questions in 60 minutes. Thus, it's essential to approach this test
rationally.

4. Wrong approach to multiple choice questions

This type of questions is quite tricky for both reading and listening
tests. In the reading test the difficulty is connected with paraphrasing
- almost unrecognizably.
Many students get confused about these questions and waste time
reading the whole texts and questions several times.
In the case of multiple choice questions you need to:
• use keyword technique - underline keywords in the
question and in the answers;
• find the right part of the text;
• read carefully and compare the text with the question.
5. "Over-thinking" the question

Some students become so sophisticated in the IELTS test that
sometimes they "over-think" the questions and concentrate too much
on the details.
Example
Passage. The two week planned study into the psychological
impact of prison life...
Now decide whether the following statement is true, false or not

given:
The study aimed to investigate the mental and behavioral
effects of life in prison.
The right answer is "true11, but many students consider not given to be
right because think that the term "psychological" is more complex than
'mental and behavioral'.Obviously, the meaning of these terms are
similar.
6. Answering the questions based on your own

opinions and conclusions.
Very often students read the text and make conclusions and give
answers based on them. In the reading test, you should answer the
questions based on the texts only, not on your opinions or conclusions
or something else that seems right too.
8. "Yes, no, not given" instead of "True, False, Not

given" and vice versa.
There can be "Yes, no, Not given" and "True, False, Not Given"
questions in the reading test. The meaning and technique of these two
groups are very similar. However, students often write "True, False"
instead of "Yes and No" and vice versa. Unfortunately, in this case,
their answers are wrong and do not bring marks.
9. "Skimming" and "Scanning"

Too many websites advise doing the reading test using these skills. It
is a big mistake! Undoubtedly, you need these skills when you want
to find any numbers or names of places quickly. However, you should
read the texts at normal speed in order not to miss any answers. Many
answers to questions in the reading test are hidden in the text and you
cannot find them if read very quickly.

10. "Keyword" technique

Almost all questions contain paraphrasing of the text. You should be
able to define the main words and find its synonyms in the text.
Keywords in questions Similar words in text
There is plenty of scientific The amount of experimental

evidence evidence is considerable
Types of birds Species of bird
Scientists have yet to It is not yet known

determine
The trigger for The cue for
Temperatures are unpredict- Temperatures fluctuate greatly

able
Longer days Increasing day lengths
The availability of food Adequate food resources
Depend on insects Require fertilization by insects
There is no limit Never reach a maximum
Achievement Success
Distinctive Different
Previous events Past experience
Traps Pitfalls

New experiences Novelty

Psychological illness Mental disorder
Decide on an action Decision making
Ancient water supplies Roman Empires... pipes and
sewers
Environmental effects Destroyed river ecosystems
Surprising downward trend Unexpectedly... demand has
fallen
The need to raise standards Must be built to higher specifi-
cations
Feeding increasing popula- Food production... soaring
tions populations
Due primarily to... Mainly because of...
Industrial growth Industrial output... continued to
soar
Modern technologies New technologies
Domestic water consumption Water in homes
WSM
11. Looking for answers in wrong order.

The questions in the IELTS test are asked in the same order as the text,
with the exception of questions such as, for example, what paragraph
contains the following information.
Don ' t mix the questions! Read and answer them in the right order.
12. Unfamiliarity with the answer sheet
Students sometimes take a lot of practice before the exam, but they
don't fill out the answer sheet. In the exam, they get confused and

make mistakes in the answer sheet.
Obviously, you should practice filling out answer sheets beforehand

in order not to waste time during the exam.
13. Writing two answers

Sometimes, when students are not sure of the answers they write two
answers in the answer sheet. Unfortunately, this way of answering the
question does not bring marks. You should choose one answer.
14. Transferring of part of answers into the answer

sheet
Sometimes, students don't manage to transfer all the answers onto the
answer sheet. You should realize that the question booklet will not be
assessed by the examiner. They see and assess only the answer sheet.
15. Transferring carelessly and incorrectly

In the reading test, you don't have an additional 10 minutes for
transferring the answers to the answer sheet. So, you should do it
during the test. Very often students do it with grammatical errors, or
mixing up the places for their answers.
Be careful when transferring the answers as the examiner will assess

the answer sheet but not the question booklet.
LISTENING TEST
1. Listening just practicing

In order to enhance your score in the listening test, you need to
improve your listening generally. Many tutors work with students
only on tests. It' s not enough! You need to listen to as much English

as possible. At least an hour a day. Also, it' s necessary to analyze all

unfamiliar words, to note them and learn them, then listen again.
Working with transcripts is a compulsory part of the training process.
2. Listening without patterns

It ' s important to look for "keywords" or "similar words" in this test,
as in most cases synonyms are used instead. Keywords are the
pointers to the right answers.
3. Listening without interest

Listen to those podcasts and programs in which you are most
interested. Interest is really an engine of improvement. Boring
materials will bring you far fewer benefits than topics about which
you are passionate. Moreover, listen to motivating podcasts that
contain stories of successfully overcoming hardships, gaining new
experiences and skills. Such information will concentrate your efforts
on your goal, helping you to overcome laziness, avoid distractions and
keep focused and energetic.
4. Confusion about directions in map questions
You should practice the vocabulary for map questions relating to the
directions. Very often students have to get oriented in these questions
very quickly in order to find the right answers.
• to your right
• ahead of you
• in the corner
• on your left
• go towards
• take the side path
• beside
• opposite
• turn right just before it
• where the path bends
• near
• just after
• cross the bridge

etc.
5. Wrong preparation for multiple choice questions

Multiple choice questions are the most challenging, as:
• Questions and possible answers are too long
• Often the answers seem very similar and differ just by
pronouns or other details.
• All the answers can be referred somehow
In sections 3 and 4 (where such types of questions are mostly used),

the answers are paraphrased.
To answer multiple choice questions successfully, students need to
use the time given for checking their previous answers and for
preparing to answer new ones. During this time they should
underline the right keywords that will remind about the whole
meaning, and point out the differences between the choices. If
this type of question is approached rationally, the student will feel
much more confident and quickly orient themselves while listening to
the recording.
Example (Cambridge IELTS 9, page 85):

The exact proportion of land devoted to private gardens was
confirmed by
A) consulting some official documents
B) taking large-scale photos
C) discussions with town surveyors
Transcript:
The first thing we did was to establish what proportion of the urban
land is taken up by private gardens. We estimated that it was about
one fifth, and this was endorsed by looking at large- scale usage maps
in the townland survey office.
Correct answer (A):

proportion of land devoted to = proportion of land taken up by
confirmed by = endorsed by consulting = looking at
official documents = maps in the townland survey office

As you see, there are several confusing words. Words from two
incorrect answers are used in the recording: large-scale, survey.
Nevertheless, the right answer is the first one. So, you should
understand the meaning of the speech but not only some words. Irrll
6. Check what is done during the breaks

Breaks are an excellent opportunity to prepare for further ques

tions - read ahead and underline keywords. Never check what you
have done! You can do it in the last 10 minutes when you transfer your
answers into answer sheets. Moreover, the more you think about the
answers in the listening test and try to change them the more mistakes
you will make. Thus, donv t change any answers after the recording,
but do check the spelling and the grammatical accuracy.
7. Getting disoriented in map questions and mixing

question' s order
If you have any trouble related to this you can be sure that in the IELTS
test answers are always done in order.
8. Being too relaxed in Section 1

Though section 1 contains the easiest questions (simple, short, mostly
gap-fill types of questions) it has its challenges:
• it' s the beginning of the test and students just enter into
right speed and condition;
• the answers can follow each other very quickly;
• spelling;
• numbers that can be dictated too quickly;
• you have to score 10 from 10 in this section as you will
probably lose marks in section 4;
9. Dates
Students often write dates in the wrong format. The right way of
writing of dates are following:
September 17th, 2016
September 17, 2016
The 17th of September, 2016
17th September 2016
17 September 2016
Also, be attentive to the requirements of the task. If it says to write one
word you should write the date without the year and “of”.

10. Unfamiliarity with different accents

Listening only British English during the preparation: You can listen
to different accents in the IELTS listening test. Therefore, it is essential
to be familiar with English, American, Australian, etc. accents so as
not to be confused by different pronunciation and not to miss answers.
11. Confusion about lost answers.

One of the difficulties in the listening test is in that the recording is
played only once. Many students get frustrated about lost answers,
lose the order of questions, and miss a range of answers. That' s really
terrible! Please, move on! Don't focus on the missed answers! Just keep
moving on!
12. Focusing just on one question.

Keep the next question in mind. Very often the answers are given
almost together. Thus, don' t concentrate only on one question! Look
further ahead and consider the Jrr2jnext question as well.
13. Compound words

There is a huge list of compound words in English. They can be
written both separately and as one word. The mistake in the IELTS test
is to write them as two words when the task requires only one word.
Example
The task requires "only one word". The answer is "clubhouse". If
you write "club house" it will be a wrong answer.
But if the task allows "two words" the answer "club house" will
be considered the right answer.
14. Ignoring transcripts

Donv t move on to another test if you don' t understand anything in

the test during your preparation. Work through each test with
transcripts! All tests have their transcripts. You should note down all
unfamiliar words, understand each answer, then continue working
further with other tests. Moreover, you can transcribe a part of the
recording then check it with the transcript. This is really a great
exercise for improving your knowledge of the English language
generally, not only in listening.
15. -s in the names of centres
In the listening test, you can hear names of centres - Arts centre, Sports
centre. The matter is that -s at the end of the first word an c- at the
beginning of the second word are heard as one letter in the recording.
However, you should know and not forget in the exam how such
names are written. Without -s the answers are considered as wrong.
16. Leaving questions without answers

Students often miss answers during the listening test and leave

those spaces empty. Don' t do it! Even if you don't know the answer
guess and write something. Donv t miss the space!
17. Taking notes

Some teachers who are specialized in TOEFL give wrong advice about
note-taking. This skill is necessary for the TOEFL test but not in the
IELTS test. If you do it you could miss correct answers start to panic.
Just prepare the questions carefully during the breaks, underline
keywords, listen, and write the correct answers. Don't waste time
writing long notes.
18. "Keyword" technique

Keywords in questions Keywords in recordings
Convenient Handy
Increase in demand A tremendous need developed
Shortage of fuel Not enough fuel
Workers went away Workers were forced to
emigrate
Hope to The intention
Rebuild the port complex Port complex... reconstructing it
how the whole experience of As a result of being at university

university
as important as course content as in the detail of the course
option chosen

choose interesting modules selecting modules that will

interest you
you may do well in you will be particularly
successful
all the modules necessary for all those needed to meet their
professional training professional requirements
check with your will be able to advise you

if you have any doubt you are not certain about
developing computer skills word processing and learning to
create spreadsheets
assessment by formal still uses written exam. The sit-
examination down, formal type
learning through problem- to learn by working out the
solving solutions to problems for
yourself
developing speaking and interviewing techniques, pre-
writing skills sentation skills and producing
written reports
saw pictures of the area taken gazing at a sheaf of newly ac-
from above quired satellite images
APPENDIX 1
SOME COMMON PHRASAL VERBS IN ENGLISH

Beat up Get along Look for Run out

Blow out Get around Look into Run over
Break down Get by Look like Show up
Break into Get over Look out Take after
Break up Get through Look over Take back
Bring up Get up Look up Take off
Call off Give back Make out Take on
Call on Give up Make up Take up
Call up Go along Pack up Talk back
Carry on Go away Pass out Talk over
Come back Go on Pick out Try on
Come down Go over Pick up Turn down
Come on Hand in Put away Turn in
Come out Hang up Put off Turn off
Come over Hold on Put on Turn on
Do over Keep on Put out Use up
Fill in Keep up Put up Wait on
Fill out Leave out Roll over
Find out Let down Run into
El
Examples of phrasal verbs in sentences

BRING
Bring on: Laziness always brings on serious consequences for life. Bring
up: My parents brought me up with great devotion, care, and love.
CATCH
Catch up with: I was ill for a week, and now I have to catch up with my
studies.
CARRY
Carry on: (=Keep on, go on) Don’t give up! Carry on trying more and
more until you reach your goals!
Carry out: The research was carried out by outstanding specialists. COME
Come across: I came across this useful information while I was doing a
research for my work.
Come (a)round: When are you coming round? We haven't seen you for
ages!
Come back: (=go back) Come back as soon as possible! We are waiting for
you impatiently.
Come in/into: Students came into the room.
Come up with: Suddenly he came up with an ingenious invention
FIND
Find out: You can find out any additional details on our official website.
GET
Get along (with): The members of his family didn't get along.
Get in/Get out: Can you please get in/out the car?
Get on/ofF: We got on the train in Moscow and got off in Novosibirsk. Get
over: My father got over after the accident very quickly. [rr3l

My father got over the accident very quickly.

Get up: What time do you get up at weekends?
GIVE
Give in: I have strong principles. I will never give in to them.
Give up: My dad gave up smoking ten years ago.
GO
Go back: I went back to my hometown 8 years ago.
Go on: (=keep on, carry on) Jane went on postgraduate studies after
university.
Go out /in: After knocking on the door, I went in, and I was asked to go out
for a minute. Irr4l
Go through: They went through difficult childhoods.
Go up/down: I went up/down the stairs to get to the place.
HANG
Hang on: May I speak to Mr. Smith, please? Hang on a minute, please.
Hang up: Please, hang on a minute. Don't hang up.
Hang out: I love hanging out with my friends
HOLD
Hold on: Please, hold on untill I get there. Don't give up!
KEEP
Keep on: (=go on, carry on) He kept on trying until he mastered the craft.
LOOK
Look at: Look at me when I' m explaining the topic to you.
Look after: I used to play piano ten years ago.
Look for: We are looking for the perfect office for our business.
Look into: The police are looking into the case and they will inform us when
they find the stolen items.
Look out: Look out! You're driving too quickly.
Look up: If you don't know this word exactly, look it up in the
dictionary!

MAKE
Make up: It's ok to make up answers in the speaking test if you don't know
a real situation.
PICK
Pick up: Could you please pick me up at the shopping mall?
POINT
Point out: He pointed out that the research had been quite difficult to carry
out.
PUT
Put on: It's getting cold! Put on your jackets.
Put off: Due to the rain, they had to put off the picnic.
Put out: The fire brigade found it hard to put out the fire Put up
with: I try to put up with the new conditions in my life.
RUN
Run away: Some teenagers run away from school when they don't want to
study any more.
Run out: We've run out of bread. Can you bring some?
Run over: The cat was run over by a truck but was not injured.
STAND
Stand by: I'll always stand by you. I'm your sister.
Stand for: What does VAT stand for? Value Added Tax Stand up:
Students should stand up when the teacher come in.
SHOW
Show off: He's got a new skate and he's showing off.
Show up: Ann and Jane didn't show up at the party yesterday.
TAKE
Take off: Our plane took off at 6 as expected.
Take over: When my grandfather died I took over his business.
THROW
Throw away: We threw away all the garbage from home.

TURN
Turn around: When he turned around, he saw a funny group of children
behind him.
Turn into: As years passed she turned into a beautiful young lady. Turn
on/off: Could you please turn on /off the TV?
Turn up/down: Please turn down the music. It's too loud. You can turn it
up when I go out.
Turn over: Turn over the page and you will find the information. WORK
Work out: I work out at the gym three times a week
APPENDIX 2
SPELLING MISTAKES
Mistake Correct spelling

Garag, garaj Garage
clasical Classical
planed Planned

City councel City council

combinaition Combination
Atitude, attitud Attitude
Contrôle Control
Acceptible Acceptable
Accessable Accessible
Acomodation, accomodation, acommoda- Accommodation

tion
Neccesary, necesary, necesery Necessary
Commitee, comittee, comitee Committee
Begining Beginning
Corespondence, correspondance Correspondence
Decieve Deceive
Beleive Believe
Recieve Receive
Devellopment, developement Development
Diference Difference
Dificult Difficult
Chalenge Challenge
Disapointed Disappointed
Dicease, desease, decease Disease
Embaras, embarras, embarass Embarrass
Especialy Especially

Exagérate Exaggerate
Excelent Excellent
Fourthnight, fourtnight Fortnight
Imediately, immediatly Immediately
Interupt Interrupt
Jelousy, jealosy Jealousy
Maintenence, maintainance Maintenance
Ocured, occured, ocurred Occurred
Oportunity Opportunity
Percieve Perceive
Possesion, posession, posesión Possession
Posible Possible
Psichology Psychology
Pedagogycal Pedagogical
Questionaire Questionnaire
Queu Queue
Recomend Recommend
Senery Scenery
Seperate Separate
Sucess, succès, suxess Success
Unforgetable, unforgettible Unforgettable
Untill Until
Vilage, vilige Village

Vilonce Violence
Yong, yung Young
Standart Standard
APPENDIX 3
List of Irregular Verbs
Base Verb Past Simple (V2) Past Participle (V3) Base Verb (VI) Past Simple (V2) Past Participle
(VI) (V3)
Be Was Been lend Lent Lent
Become became become Let Let Let
Begin began Begun light Lit Lit
Bet Bet Bet Lose Lost Lost
Bite bit Bitten make Made Made
Bleed bled Blown mean Meant Meant
Blow blew bled meet Met Met
Break broke Broken Pay Paid Paid
Bring brought brought Put Put Put
Build built Built read Read Read
Burn burnt/ burned burnt/ burned Ride Rode Ridden
Buy bought Bought Ring Rang Rung
Catch caught Caught Rise Rose Risen
Choose chose Chosen Run Ran Run
Come came Come Say Said Said
Cost cost Cost See Saw Seen
Cut cut Cut Sell Sold Sold
Deal dealt Dealt send Sent Sent
Dig dug Dug Set Set Set
Do did Done Sew Sewed Sewn
Draw drew Drawn shake Shook shaken
.1 ........
19

Dream dreamt/ dreamed dreamt /dreamed shine Shone Shone

Drink drank Drunk shoot Shot Shot
Drive drove Driven show Showed Shown
Eat ate Eaten shut Shut Shut
fall fell Fallen Sing Sang Sung
feed fed Fed Sink Sank Sunk
feel felt Felt Sit Sat Sat
fight fought Fought sleep Slept Slept
find found Found speak Spoke spoken
Fly flew Flown spell spelt /spelled spelt /spelled
forget forgot forgotten spend Spent Spent
forgive forgave forgiven spoil spoilt /spoiled spoilt / spoiled
freeze froze Frozen stand Stood Stood
get got Got steal Stole Stolen
give gave Given stick Stuck Stuck
Go went Gone swear Swore Sworn
grow grew Grown sweep Swept Swept
hang hung Hung swim Swam Swum
have had Had take Took Taken
hear heard Heard teach Taught Taught
hide hid Hidden tear Tore Torn
hit hit Hit Tell Told Told
hold Held Held think Thought thought
hurt Hurt Hurt throw Threw thrown
keep Kept Kept understand Understood Understood
know Knew Known wake Woke Woken
lead led Led wear Wore Worn
learn learnt / learned learnt /learned Win Won Won
leave left Left write Wrote written
APPENDIX 4
IRREGULAR NOUNS
Singular Plural Singular Plural

Abyss Abysses loaf Loaves
Alumnus Alumni man Men
Analysis Analyses mango mangoes
Aquarium Aquaria memorandum memoranda
Arch Arches mess messes
Atlas Atlases moose Moose
Axe Axes motto mottoes
Baby Babies mouse Mice
Bacterium Bacteria nanny nannies
Batch Batches neurosis neuroses
Beach Beaches nucleus Nuclei
Brush Brushes oasis Oases
Bus Buses octopus Octopi
Calf Calves party parties
Chateau Chateaux pass Passes
Cherry Cherries penny pennies
Child Children person people
Church churches plateau plateaux
Circus Circuses poppy poppies
City Cities potato potatoes
Cod Cod quiz quizzes
Copy Copies reflex reflexes
Crisis Crises runner-up runners-up
Curriculum curricula scarf scarves
Deer Deer scratch scratches
Dictionary Dictionaries series Series
El

Domino dominoes sheaf sheaves
Dwarf dwarves sheep Sheep
Echo Echoes shelf shelves
Elf Elves son-in-law sons-in-law
Emphasis emphases species species
Family Families splash splashes
Fax Faxes spy Spies
Fish Fish stitch stitches
Flush Flushes story stories
Fly Flies syllabus syllabi
Foot Feet tax Taxes
Fungus Fungi thesis Theses
Half Halves thief thieves
Hero Heroes tomato tomatoes
hippopotamus Hippopotami tooth Teeth
Hoax Hoaxes tornado tornadoes
Hoof Hooves try Tries
Index Indexes volcano volcanoes
Iris Irises waltz waltzes
Kiss Kisses wash washes
Knife Knives watch watches
Lady Ladies wharf wharves
Leaf Leaves wife Wives
Life Lives woman women
El

APPENDIX 5
The IELTS scale
Band score Skill level Description
The test taker has fully op-

erational command of the
language. Their use of Eng-
9 Expert user
lish is appropriate, accurate
and fluent, and shows com-
plete understanding.
The test taker has fully

operational command of the
language with only
occasional unsystematic
inaccuracies and inappro-
8 Very good user
priate usage. They may mis-
understand some things in
unfamiliar situations. They
handle complex and detailed
argumentation well.
■9

The test taker has oper-

ational command of the
language, though with
occasional inaccuracies,
inappropriate usage, and
7 Good user
misunderstandings in some
situations. They generally
handle complex language
well and understand de-
tailed reasoning.
The test taker has an

effective command of the
language despite some
inaccuracies, inappropriate
6 Competent user usage, and misunderstand-
ings. They can use and
understand fairly complex
language, particularly in fa-
miliar situations.
The test taker has a partial

command of the language
and copes with overall
meaning in most situations,
5 Modest user although they are likely to
make many mistakes. They
should be able to handle
basic communication in their
own field.

The test taker's basic

competence is limited to
familiar situations. They
4 Limited user frequently show problems in
understanding and ex-
pression. They are not able to
use complex language.
The test taker conveys and

understands only general
Extremely limited meaning in very familiar
3
user situations. There are frequent
breakdowns in
communication.
The test taker has great

2 Intermittent user difficulty understanding
spoken and written English.
The test taker has no ability to

1 Non-user use the language except a few
isolated words.
Did not attempt The test taker did not answer

0
the test the questions.
irrllThis does not make sense. Consider rewording this sentence.
irr2lYou used the word “simultaneously”, which means at the same time., and is incorrect in
this context. You might consider rewording this sentence.
IrrllThis is grammatically incorrect.
irr4lA unit of time needs a number.

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100+ lELTS

WRITING AND SPEAKING TESTS

3 mins left in book 1%

3 mins left in book 1%

16. WRONG ORDER OF WORDS

3 mins left in book 7%

63. THEN OR THAN

3 mins left in book 7%

14. IGNORING TRANSCRIPTS

IELTS is a very complex and dynamic exam. Every word is carefully

• An appropriate knowledge of the English language and

3 mins left in book 7%

3 mins left in book 7%

2. Learning all night long before the exam

3 mins left in book 7%

ganized and unfocused. This test is thought out thoroughly. Every

That is why it' s essential to do full tests during the preparation,

3 mins left in book 9%

conditions she did quite well on the exam.

5. Fear and panic

All in all, train your stress-tolerance. Don't panic if you miss

6. Getting distracted by the examiner' s queries

3 mins left in book 11%

Donv t pay attention to the examiner ' s behavior! Keep focused on

7. Answering other students ' questions

Example 1 (Cambridge IELTS 9 Listening test 1)

3 mins left in book 12%

Type of work 1 ___________________

9. Learning words apart from the context

In collocations and context

Unfortunately, there aren’t any rules in English about collocations.

3 mins left in book 14%

Right collocations Wrong collocations

in groups of different forms of the word

in groups with the same suffix/ prefix

3 mins left in book 15%

10. Wrong answer sheets

3 mins left in book 16%

11. Endless search for techniques, tips, and miracles

3 mins left in book 17%

13. Repeating the same mistakes

3 mins left in book 18%

14. Learning on bad samples

In our opinion, excellent websites for IELTS preparation are:

These websites have many band 8, and 9 model answers as well as

15. Search for secret

3 mins left in book 20%

17. Getting exhausted

WRITING AND SPEAKING TESTS

2 mins left in book 22%

2. Repeating words from the questions in the writ-

2 mins left in book 22%

It is an example of very simple introduction. It can bring no more than

2 mins left in book 27%

7. Writing without planning ideas

Example Task 2 "Some people think that instead of preventing climate

Introduction - paraphrase, partly agree

Main paragraph 1 - AGREE

Main paragraph 2 - DISAGREE

2 mins left in book 27%

Conclusion - paraphrase introduction in one sentence

8. Intonation and pronunciation

9. Linking words: not use and overuse

Linking words for opinions: