About Myself

ABOUT MYSELF

I am Haris Farooq, I was born in Bahawalnagar. I grew up in a literary neighborhood. In 1987 I went to the renowned Boarding School of Pakistan, PAF Cadet College Sargodha, after HSSC I joined Pakistan Army and studied at prestigious Pakistan Military Academy Kakul. After early retirement from Army I worked for Spanish Embassy Islamabad for almost 6 Years.

A large number of young and old Pakistani men and women appear in IELTS each year, but it’s unfortunate that a majority secures very less Score. Although English is a very popular subject and we are very “Good at Writing in English” but why people performed so badly? Was always a question unanswered.

So I have decided to put relevant details on the net for all those who are preaparing for the test and aiming high.

CONTACT INFORMATION

CONTACT INFORMATION

Haris Farooq,

Mail at hariswattoo@yahoo.com

156 Topics for IELTS Essay

1. People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
2. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents are the best teachers. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
3. Nowadays, food has become easier to prepare. Has this change improved the way people live? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
4. It has been said, "Not everything that is learned is contained in books." Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?
5. A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near your community. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Explain your position.
6. If you could change one important thing about your hometown, what would you change? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.
7. How do movies or television influence people's behavior? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.
8. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television has destroyed communication among friends and family. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
9. Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
10. "When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success." Do you agree or disagree with the quotation above? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.
11. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Universities should give the same amount of money to their students' sports activities as they give to their university libraries. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
12. Many people visit museums when they travel to new places. Why do you think people visit museums? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
13. Some people prefer to eat at food stands or restaurants. Other people prefer to prepare and eat food at home. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
14. Some people believe that university students should be required to attend classes. Others believe that going to classes should be optional for students. Which point of view do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.
15. Neighbors are the people who live near us. In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good neighbor? Use specific details and examples in your answer.
16. It has recently been announced that a new restaurant may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
17. Some people think that they can learn better by themselves than with a teacher. Others think that it is always better to have a teacher. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons to develop your essay.
18. What are some important qualities of a good supervisor (boss)? Use specific details and examples to explain why these qualities are important.
19. Should governments spend more money on improving roads and highways, or should governments spend more money on improving public transportation (buses, trains, subways)? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
20. It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to develop your essay.
21. In general, people are living longer now. Discuss the causes of this phenomenon. Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
22. We all work or will work in our jobs with many different kinds of people. In your opinion, what are some important characteristics of a co-worker (someone you work closely with)? Use reasons and specific examples to explain why these characteristics are important.
23. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Sometimes it is better not to tell the truth. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
24. In some countries, teenagers have jobs while they are still students. Do you think this is a good idea? Support your opinion by using specific reasons and details.
25. A person you know is planning to move to your town or city. What do you think this person would like and dislike about living in your town or city? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
26. It has recently been announced that a large shopping center may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
27. It has recently been announced that a new movie theater may be built in your neighborhood. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
28. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should sometimes do things that they do not enjoy doing. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
29. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television, newspapers, magazines, and other media pay too much attention to the personal lives of famous people such as public figures and celebrities. Use specific reasons and details to explain your opinion.
30. Some people believe that the Earth is being harmed (damaged) by human activity. Others feel that human activity makes the Earth a better place to live. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
31. It has recently been announced that a new high school may be built in your community. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details in your answer.
32. Some people spend their entire lives in one place. Others move a number of times throughout their lives, looking for a better job, house, community, or even climate. Which do you prefer: staying in one place or moving in search of another place? Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion.
33. Is it better to enjoy your money when you earn it or is it better to save your money for some time in the future? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
34. You have received a gift of money. The money is enough to buy either a piece of jewelry you like or tickets to a concert you want to attend. Which would you buy? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
35. You must select a person to teach others to do a job. Which one of the following is the most important for you to consider in making your selection? " the person's education " the person's work experience " the quality of the person's previous work Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
36. Businesses should hire employees for their entire lives. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
37. Countries, businesses, and schools are three areas that need good leaders. Choose one of these three areas and describe the most important qualities of a leader in that area. Explain why these qualities are important, using specific examples and details.
38. Choose one of the following transportation vehicles and explain why you think it has changed people's lives. " Automobiles " Bicycles " Airplanes Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
39. Do you agree or disagree that progress is always good? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
40. Learning about the past has no value for those of us living in the present. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
41. The expression "Never, never give up" means to keep trying and never stop working for your goals. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
42. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? With the help of technology, students nowadays can learn more information and learn it more quickly. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
43. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Games are as important for adults as they are for children. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
44. Awards and prizes are given for excellence in various fields. Do these awards and prizes serve a useful purpose? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
45. Some people think that human needs for farmland, housing, and industry are more important than saving land for endangered animals. Do you agree or disagree with this point of view? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
46. What is a very important skill a person should learn in order to be successful in the world today? Choose one skill and use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
47. Resolving problems between individuals or groups is important. What should be considered or kept in mind in resolving problems between individuals or groups? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
48. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Self-confidence is the most important factor for success in school or at work. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
49. Why do you think some people are attracted to dangerous sports or other dangerous activities? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
50. Which is more important for success: the natural ability you are born with or hard work? Explain your opinion, using specific reasons and examples.
51. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Parents or other adult relatives should make important decisions for their older (15 to 18 year-old) teenaged children. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
52. Some people like to travel with a companion. Other people prefer to travel alone. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
53. Some people prefer to get up early in the morning and start the day's work. Others prefer to get up later in the day and work until late at night. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
54. What are the important qualities of a good son or daughter? Have these qualities changed or remained the same over time in your culture? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
55. Some people prefer to work for a large company. Others prefer to work for a small company. Which would you prefer? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.
56. People work because they need money to live. What are some other reasons that people work? Discuss one or more of these reasons. Use specific examples and details to support your answer.
57. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Face-to-face communication is better than other types of communication, such as letters, e-mail, or telephone calls. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
58. Some people like to do only what they already do well. Other people prefer to try new things and take risks. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
59. Some people believe that success in life comes from taking risks or chances. Others believe that success results from careful planning. In your opinion, what does success come from? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
60. What change would make your hometown more appealing to people your age? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
61. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The most important aspect of a job is the money a person earns. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
62. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? One should never judge a person by external appearances. Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
63. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A person should never make an important decision alone. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
64. A company is going to give some money either to support the arts or to protect the environment. Which do you think the company should choose? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
65. Some movies are serious, designed to make the audience think. Other movies are designed primarily to amuse and entertain. Which type of movie do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
66. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Businesses should do anything they can to make a profit. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.
67. Some people are always in a hurry to go places and get things done. Other people prefer to take their time and live life at a slower pace. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
68. Some people think governments should spend as much money as possible exploring outer space (for example, traveling to the Moon and to other planets). Other people disagree and think governments should spend this money for our basic needs on Earth. Which of these two opinions do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
69. People have different ways of escaping the stress and difficulties of modern life. Some read; some exercise; others work in their gardens. What do you think are the best ways of reducing stress? Use specific details and examples in your answer.
70. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Teachers should be paid according to how much their students learn. Give specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
71. If you were asked to send one thing representing your country to an international exhibition, what would you choose? Why? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.
72. You have been told that dormitory rooms at your university must be shared by two students. Would you rather have the university assign a student to share a room with you, or would you rather choose your own roommate? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.
73. Some people think that governments should spend as much money as possible on developing or buying computer technology. Other people disagree and think that this money should be spent on more basic needs. Which one of these opinions do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
74. Some people like doing work by hand. Others prefer using machines. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
75. Schools should ask students to evaluate their teachers. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
76. In your opinion, what is the most important characteristic (for example, honesty, intelligence, a sense of humor) that a person can have to be successful in life? Use specific reasons and examples from your experience to explain your answer. When you write your answer, you are not limited to the examples listed in the prompt.
77. It is generally agreed that society benefits from the work of its members. Compare the contributions of artists to society with the contributions of scientists to society. Which type of contribution do you think is valued more by your society? Give specific reasons to support your answer.
78. Students at universities often have a choice of places to live. They may choose to live in university dormitories, or they may choose to live in apartments in the community. Compare the advantages of living in university housing with the advantages of living in an apartment in the community. Where would you prefer to live? Give reasons for your preference.
79. You need to travel from your home to a place 40 miles (64 kilometers) away. Compare the different kinds of transportation you could use. Tell which method of travel you would choose. Give specific reasons for your choice.
80. Some people believe that a college or university education should be available to all students. Others believe that higher education should be available only to good students. Discuss these views. Which view do you agree with? Explain why.
81. Some people believe that the best way of learning about life is by listening to the advice of family and friends. Other people believe that the best way of learning about life is through personal experience. Compare the advantages of these two different ways of learning about life. Which do you think is preferable? Use specific examples to support your preference.
82. When people move to another country, some of them decide to follow the customs of the new country. Others prefer to keep their own customs. Compare these two choices. Which one do you prefer? Support your answer with specific details.
83. Some people prefer to spend most of their time alone. Others like to be with friends most of the time. Do you prefer to spend your time alone or with friends? Use specific reasons to support your answer.
84. Some people prefer to spend time with one or two close friends. Others choose to spend time with a large number of friends. Compare the advantages of each choice. Which of these two ways of spending time do you prefer? Use specific reasons to support your answer.
85. Some people think that children should begin their formal education at a very early age and should spend most of their time on school studies. Others believe that young children should spend most of their time playing. Compare these two views. Which view do you agree with? Why?
86. The government has announced that it plans to build a new university. Some people think that your community would be a good place to locate the university. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a new university in your community. Use specific details in your discussion.
87. Some people think that the family is the most important influence on young adults. Other people think that friends are the most important influence on young adults. Which view do you agree with? Use examples to support your position.
88. Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully. Others choose not to make any plans at all for their free time. Compare the benefits of planning free-time activities with the benefits of not making plans. Which do you prefer-planning or not planning for your leisure time? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your choice.
89. People learn in different ways. Some people learn by doing things; other people learn by reading about things; others learn by listening to people talk about things. Which of these methods of learning is best for you? Use specific examples to support your choice.
90. Some people choose friends who are different from themselves. Others choose friends who are similar to themselves. Compare the advantages of having friends who are different from you with the advantages of having friends who are similar to you. Which kind of friend do you prefer for yourself? Why?
91. Some people enjoy change, and they look forward to new experiences. Others like their lives to stay the same, and they do not change their usual habits. Compare these two approaches to life. Which approach do you prefer? Explain why.
92. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People behave differently when they wear different clothes. Do you agree that different clothes influence the way people behave? Use specific examples to support your answer.
93. Decisions can be made quickly, or they can be made after careful thought. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The decisions that people make quickly are always wrong. Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion.
94. Some people trust their first impressions about a person's character because they believe these judgments are generally correct. Other people do not judge a person's character quickly because they believe first impressions are often wrong. Compare these two attitudes. Which attitude do you agree with? Support your choice with specific examples.
95. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People are never satisfied with what they have; they always want something more or something different. Use specific reasons to support your answer.
96. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should read only those books that are about real events, real people, and established facts. Use specific reasons and details to support your opinion.
97. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important for students to study history and literature than it is for them to study science and mathematics. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
98. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? All students should be required to study art and music in secondary school. Use specific reasons to support your answer.
99. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? There is nothing that young people can teach older people. Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.
100. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Reading fiction (such as novels and short stories) is more enjoyable than watching movies. Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.
101. Some people say that physical exercise should be a required part of every school day. Other people believe that students should spend the whole school day on academic studies. Which opinion do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
102. A university plans to develop a new research center in your country. Some people want a center for business research. Other people want a center for research in agriculture (farming). Which of these two kinds of research centers do you recommend for your country? Use specific reasons in your recommendation.
103. Some young children spend a great amount of their time practicing sports. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
104. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Only people who earn a lot of money are successful. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
105. If you could invent something new, what product would you develop? Use specific details to explain why this invention is needed.
106. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A person's childhood years (the time from birth to twelve years of age) are the most important years of a person's life. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
107. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children should be required to help with household tasks as soon as they are able to do so. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
108. Some high schools require all students to wear school uniforms. Other high schools permit students to decide what to wear to school. Which of these two school policies do you think is better? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
109. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Playing a game is fun only when you win. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
110. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? High schools should allow students to study the courses that students want to study. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
111. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is better to be a member of a group than to be the leader of a group. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
112. What do you consider to be the most important room in a house? Why is this room more important to you than any other room? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
113. If you could make one important change in a school that you attended, what change would you make? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.
114. A gift (such as a camera, a soccer ball, or an animal) can contribute to a child's development. What gift would you give to help a child develop? Why? Use reasons and specific examples to support your choice.
115. Some people believe that students should be given one long vacation each year. Others believe that students should have several short vacations throughout the year. Which viewpoint do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
116. Would you prefer to live in a traditional house or in a modern apartment building? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.
117. Some people say that advertising encourages us to buy things we really do not need. Others say that advertisements tell us about new products that may improve our lives. Which viewpoint do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
118. Some people prefer to spend their free time outdoors. Other people prefer to spend their leisure time indoors. Would you prefer to be outside or would you prefer to be inside for your leisure activities? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your choice.
119. Your school has received a gift of money. What do you think is the best way for your school to spend this money? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.
120. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Playing games teaches us about life. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
121. Imagine that you have received some land to use as you wish. How would you use this land? Use specific details to explain your answer.
122. What is the most important animal in your country? Why is the animal important? Use reasons and specific details to explain your answer.
123. Many parts of the world are losing important natural resources, such as forests, animals, or clean water. Choose one resource that is disappearing and explain why it needs to be saved. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
124. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? A zoo has no useful purpose. Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.
125. In some countries, people are no longer allowed to smoke in many public places and office buildings. Do you think this is a good rule or a bad rule? Use specific reasons and details to support your position.
126. Plants can provide food, shelter, clothing, or medicine. What is one kind of plant that is important to you or the people in your country? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.
127. You have the opportunity to visit a foreign country for two weeks. Which country would you like to visit? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.
128. In the future, students may have the choice of studying at home by using technology such as computers or television or of studying at traditional schools. Which would you prefer? Use reasons and specific details to explain your choice.
129. When famous people such as actors, athletes and rock stars give their opinions, many people listen. Do you think we should pay attention to these opinions? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
130. The twentieth century saw great change. In your opinion, what is one change that should be remembered about the twentieth century? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.
131. When people need to complain about a product or poor service, some prefer to complain in writing and others prefer to complain in person. Which way do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
132. People remember special gifts or presents that they have received. Why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
133. Some famous athletes and entertainers earn millions of dollars every year. Do you think these people deserve such high salaries? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
134. Is the ability to read and write more important today than in the past? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
135. People do many different things to stay healthy. What do you do for good health? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
136. You have decided to give several hours of your time each month to improve the community where you live. What is one thing you will do to improve your community? Why? Use specific reasons and details to explain your choice.
137. Your school has enough money to purchase either computers for students or books for the library. Which should your school choose to buy- computers or books? Use specific reasons and examples to support your recommendation.
138. Many students choose to attend schools or universities outside their home countries. Why do some students study abroad? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.
139. People listen to music for different reasons and at different times. Why is music important to many people? Use specific reasons and examples to support your choice.
140. Groups or organizations are an important part of some people's lives. Why are groups or organizations important to people? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.
141. Imagine that you are preparing for a trip. You plan to be away from your home for a year. In addition to clothing and personal care items, you can take one additional thing. What would you take and why? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.
142. When students move to a new school, they sometimes face problems. How can schools help these students with their problems? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.
143. It is sometimes said that borrowing money from a friend can harm or damage the friendship. Do you agree? Why or why not? Use reasons and specific examples to explain your answer.
144. Every generation of people is different in important ways. How is your generation different from your parents' generation? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.
145. Some students like classes where teachers lecture (do all of the talking) in class. Other students prefer classes where the students do some of the talking. Which type of class do you prefer? Give specific reasons and details to support your choice.
146. Holidays honor people or events. If you could create a new holiday, what person or event would it honor and how would you want people to celebrate it? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer.
147. A friend of yours has received some money and plans to use all of it either o to go on vacation o to buy a car Your friend has asked you for advice. Compare your friend's two choices and explain which one you think your friend should choose. Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.
148. The 21st century has begun. What changes do you think the new century will bring? Use examples and details in your answer.
149. What are some of the qualities of a good parent? Use specific details and examples to explain your answer.
150. Movies are popular all over the world. Explain why movies are so popular. Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.
151. In your country, is there more need for land to be left in its natural condition or is there more need for land to be developed for housing and industry? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
152. Many people have a close relationship with their pets. These people treat their birds, cats, or other animals as members of their family. In your opinion, are such relationships good? Why or why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
153. Films can tell us a lot about the country where they were made. What have you learned about a country from watching its movies? Use specific examples and details to support your response.
154. Some students prefer to study alone. Others prefer to study with a group of students. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
155. You have enough money to purchase either a house or a business. Which would you choose to buy? Give specific reasons to explain your choice.
156. People learn in different ways. Some people learn by doing things; other people learn by reading about things; others learn by listening to people talk about things. Which of these methods of learning is best for you? Use specific examples to support your choice.

Some of the Common IELTS Mistakes Pakistani Students Make

Some of the Common IELTS Mistakes Pakistani Students Make

1. Our routine English Exams, whether at HSSC, Bachelor or Masters level has a typical format i.e. an English Essay, some Urdu to English translation, Correct and Incorrect sentences ect. But IELTS has absolutely different Modules like Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. So even the good students perform average since they are not aware of the format.
2. Most of the IELTS Preparatory Classes are taught the teachers who has no idea of the IELTS Test, either they have never appeared or even if they appeared they had got low Scores in IELTS.
3. Students have no idea which are the right Books for Preparation.
4. A large number of Pakistani Students are Shy of Speaking in English, so they have a lot of Grammatical Mistakes once they speak. Obviously lack of practice is the main hurdle. They need speaking practice under the supervision of qualified teacher.
5. Students think that IELTS is a Easy test. Getting 5.5 Bands in Easy, But it is of no use, at least a score of 6 is acceptable by Educational and Immigration Authorities around the world.
6. Many a Students believe that “They Don’t Need To Take Classes For The IELTS” which is not true, they save the Tuition Fee but play havoc with there future.
7. Many of them believe that they are appearing for the first time to learn about IELTS, may be second time there result will improve. This is silly repetition never improve your results. Key is appear only once with the right preparation.
8. Many a Teachers of IELTS never appeared in IELTS themselves, how can you teach something you have no idea?
9. A large number of IELTS Preparation Institutions have sprung up in the cities teaching without any material and syllabus. Even teaching through non qualified teachers.
10. Students are shy of Taking IELTS Classes, thinking they are very good in English then why to take classes?
11. Students are Un-Aware of the Tips, Techniques and Skills which are needed to Secure GOOD SCORE.
12. Students believe that IELTS is not a condition for UK Visa and a lot of there friends got visa without IELTS. But the situation changed a lot now NO UK VISA WITHOUT IELTS results.

APPEAR ONCE BUT WITH THE RIGHTPREPARATIONS

APPEAR ONCE BUT WITH THE RIGHTPREPARATIONS

Never think that in second attempt you will improve your score. This is farce. The Golden Principle is that appear once with the right preparation.

IELTS Speaking Topics

1. 
   
   Describe about a Film or TV program which you like most.
2. 
   Describe about a book which you read and liked a lot.
3. 
   Describe about your family, is it a large family or a small family? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each.
4. 
   Describe about your visit to a historic place? What particularly you liked there? Are historic places well protected in your country?
5. 
   Which is the most important festival in your country?
6. 
   What are the foods popular in your country, which one you like? How the trends changing
7. 
   What are the types of clothing in your country? Which one you like/dislike? And why. How these trends are changing?
8. 
   Describe about a lake or river which you visited
9. 
   Describe about your friends, their age group. Why we need friends? What are the qualities you like in a good friend.
10. 
    Some people have a lot of friends and some have one only, what do you prefer and why?
11. 
    Describe about a teacher who influenced you most, what are the qualities you think a good teacher should have?
12. 
    What are important the archeological sites in your country?
13. 
    Which place will you suggest to a visitor to see in your country, describe about it
14. 
    What are the important means of transportation in your country?
15. 
    Describe about your home town?
16. 
    Describe about your house, also give details about the housing in your country
17. 
    What are the popular means of communication in your city and why?
18. 
    What all medias are available to you and which one you like and why?
19. 
    What type of education system you have in your country? How is it changing?
20. 
    What are you hobby/hobbies? How you learnt it? Why you adopted it? Why hobbies are good for us?
21. 
    Which is the sport you like to play/watch?
22. 
    Describe your ideal place/home where you like to live?
23. 
    Describe about dream profession. And reasons of liking it.
24. 
    Tell me something about the type of schools in your country? What all facilities are available to students?
25. 
    What are the national festivals in your country? Why are festivals important?
26. 
    Describe about a place in which you have lived in and you liked it most?
27. 
    Which is the place you have a dream to visit and why?
28. 
    Describe about a job that you would like to do in future?
29. 
    What was your favorite subject?
30. 
    What type housing you like town houses or flats, what are the advantages, disadvantages of each.
31. 
    What re the disadvantages of commuting to your work place for long distances?
32. 
    Should the state be providing the cheap housing to low income people?
33. 
    Which periodical newspaper you like the most and why?
34. 
    Do you prefer electronic media or print media? And why?
35. 
    Describe about your favorite hero, what qualities you think a leader should have?
36. 
    What is the importance of Parks in our lives? What role they have for children’s upbringing?
37. 
    Do you prefer to purchase items through internet? What are benefits and drawbacks?
38. 
    Why children should learn arts, paintings and literature? What is the importance of learning/participating in arts related activities?
39. 
    Which is your favorite weather? Which weather you dislike? How these influence our moods.
40. 
    Which language would you like to learn apart from English? Why it is important to learn languages?
41. 
    Which types of music are popular in your country? Which one you like. How the trends are changing?
42. 
    Which is the color you like? Do choice of color reflects our personalities.
43. 
    Which is the country apart from your own country where you want to go? And why.
    

HOW LONG A TEST RESULT REMAINS VALID?

HOW LONG A TEST RESULT REMAINS VALID?

A Test Result Form is valid for TWO Years from the Date you appeared in Test.
Like if you appeared on 1st December 2007, then you can use the same result till 30th November 2009. After which you will have to re-appear in IELTS.

What are The Types of IELTS Tests Available?

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF IELTS TESTS? DO I NEED A SEPARATE ONE FOR IMMIGRATION TO UK, AUSTRALIA OR CANADA

Basically there are TWO Types of Tests Available.

Ø Academic Module- For Students who wish to pursue studies in UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and even some of the universities in USA

Ø General Training- For those who are planning to Migrate to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or UK. Skilled Category and HSMP has same type of test.

IELTS Preparation Booklet

What this booklet is about

This guide is here to teach you the IELTS test, not the English language. Why?
Because even if English is your main language – forget about getting a good score in
IELTS, unless you are prepared for it. Two main problems will get in your way: time,
tricks and logical traps.
When it comes to IELTS, time is your worst enemy. You need to do things fast. Of course you would get all the answers right if you had the time. But the reality is that there are a lot questions to be answered, a lot of writing to be done, and a very little time to do it.

This guide teaches you HOW TO:

• Listen, hear the right answers and write them down FAST
• Scan through the text and deal with all kinds of questions FAST
• Get your essay written FAST
• Build a speech in your head on any topic FAST
• Know and avoid the traps when you see them
This book might not give you the perfect English, but it sure will help you to get in shape and ACE the IELTS!
Attitude tips
In my opinion (which was validated by IELTS scores of the people I trained) you don't need more than 4 weeks of daily training. Set aside 3 hours that you devote to practice for IELTS – and it will get you the desired result. I believe that if you can read and understand this e-book, your English is good enough. Just stick to the guidelines of this book and they will help you get the best
IELTS score you can with your current level of English. You can even give yourself a day off once a week, and still be able to ACE the IELTS!

How to use this booklet
The way this manual is built makes it possible for you to read main chapters (Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking tips) in any order you like, there is no dependency between them. You don’t have to follow the order in which the book is written.
If you don’t have much time, I suggest reading this book and doing only the exercises that are included in it, no extra work. This is not the ideal way, though. In case you do have the time, I highly recommend that you read and pay attention to all the tips in this manual and then try to use them in practice on real IELTS tests. There are links to IELTS materials in the end of every main chapter and a detailed study plan in the end of the book.
In the end of the book there are Pocket tips – short summary of most important hints for all the chapters - Listening, Reading, Writing or Speaking. Read them every time before you start practicing – they will refresh your memory and focus you on what’s really important.

The IELTS Routine
The IELTS test consists of four parts in the following order:
Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
Listening takes about 30 minutes - 30 minutes to listen to a tape and to answer.
Questions on what you hear, and 10 minutes extra to transfer your answers to Answer Sheet.
Reading takes 1 hour and your task is to read 3 passages of text and answer questions according to what you have read.
Writing takes also 1 hour and is divided into 2 sub-parts: 20 minutes to write a report and 40 minutes to write an essay.
Speaking takes up to 11 15 minutes and consists of 3 parts: Introduction/ Interview, Cue Card (Little Speech) and a Discussion.
All the parts continue one after another, and only before Speaking you get a little break.
Listening at a glance
Listening consists of 4 sections. There are about 38-40 questions in total. You need to answer all the questions as you listen to the tape. Tape is not paused at any time and you hear it only once. The questions get more difficult as you progress through the test. Are you scared yet? Don't be! There is a technique to get you through it. A huge relief is that spelling is not important in Listening, except for the words they spell for you on the tape. Just make sure that your answers are readable and understandable, when you copy them to the Answering Sheet. You may write in pencil only.
Reading at a glance
Reading consists of 4 text passages and about 40 questions in total. Your job is to read the passages and either answer questions, label diagrams, complete sentences or fill gaps. For every type of task there are instructions and example. Passages are taken from books, newspapers, magazines and the topics are very diverse, from scuba diving to space exploration. Passages progress in difficulty, with first being the easiest and fourth the hardest.
Good news is that you don't really have to read the whole passage, thanks to technique I will refer to later. Not so good news is that there is no additional time to copy your answers to Answering Sheet and you need to squeeze it in the 60 minutes that you have. Please, don't forget to do it – I witnessed someone who did, and it was not a pretty sight. Poor guy was crying, he received score 0 for the whole Reading test. Here too you may write in pencil only, no pens are allowed.
Writing at a glance
Writing has 2 sub-tasks. First one is to write a letter according to scenario you receive, using about 150 words. The second task is to write an Essay on given topic, present and justify opinion or give solution to a problem, using not less than 250 words.
Nothing to worry here! Once you’ll start using a certain structure which I’ll explain later on for the letter and the essay in addition to your imagination, it is a piece of cake. This task requires a bit of training, but after you write a few essays and letters you will be well-prepared for it and you will feel confident.
Speaking at a glance
This is the fun part of the test, for many reasons. You get to rest before it, you are a little tired from previous 3 parts and therefore more relaxed. The examiners are trained to smile no matter what, so you feel as if you were speaking to your best friend.
First sub-part of Speaking test is an interview, which means that the examiner asks you questions about yourself, your work, studies, parents, brothers/sisters, pets, etc. This is an easy task to prepare for.
In the second sub-part of Speaking test you receive a card with 3-4 questions. After one minute, that you have to think about something to say, you should give a little speech for one to two minutes, which answers those questions. In the end the examiner might ask you a couple of additional questions.
In the third sub-part of the test you have a discussion with examiner. The topic is somehow related to the one from section two, but it is about more abstract ideas. You have to express and justify an opinion.
The examiner will record your session on tape. Don't worry about it; the tape is to test the examiner and not you.

Tips for the Listening Test
In general
The Listening Test is probably the one people get most scared of. To help yourself overcome that fear, start watching TV programs in English. It is better than radio or audio books, because you also see images that help you understand the words you hear.


Listening – a skill, not a gift!
From my experience, in many cases Listening is the least developed skill. So if you feel especially weak in that area - pay attention to the following tips, that will help you improve your Listening ability. Remember – nobody is born with it, it’s just a skill and you learn it. If you think your Listening needs no improvements – skip the “Teach yourself the words” part, move forward to the next tips.
Teach yourself the words
The only way to improve your Listening ability is to train your “ears” to separate and understand the words you hear in the flow of sentence. Often what you hear is a Blablablablabla”, which you can't to break into words, and for that reason it makes no sense to you. When training, take a recording of the news, lecture, television program movie or an actual IELTS Listening test and work with it. I suggest using MP3 player. You can easily record English from the radio or any other source to it. It is also easy to repeat (re-play) sentences you didn't understand. MP3 player is small and light, so you can use it in any spare moment that you have – riding the bus or tram, walking the dog, taking a walk yourself, etc.
First, listen, remember what you heard and stop the recording after each phrase. Even if you didn’t understand the phrase, play it in your head a couple of times, like a broken record – “Tonight we have a special guest”, “Tonight we have a special guest”, “Tonight we have a special guest”.
Then say it out loud. If you understood that phrase at first, this exercise will improve your pronunciation. If you didn’t understand the phrase for the first time, this repetition will give you more time to hear it better, break it into words and make sense out of them. And if it is still difficult, you can always rewind and hear the phrase again.
There is a big difference between seeing a word printed on paper while reading and hearing it. If you saw a word, it doesn’t mean you will recognize it when you hear it.
So every word you have seen, you must hear at list once.

Instructions will keep you safe
Every task in IELTS Listening test has its instructions. It may sound stupid, but you really need to read them carefully. Why? Because they will tell you exactly what to do with the information: how many words you can use to answer, is there a table you must fill, is there a list to chose words from, how many items you must name, etc. And if the answer must be in 3 words – write EXACTLY 3 WORDS, because writing four or two words will get you 0 score.
To make my point crystal clear, let’s take the following scenario for example:
The speaker on a tape says:
“Well, if you are dieting, try to avoid fruits with lots of fructose like watermelon, mango, peaches or grapes.”
The question in the booklet is:
“Name 2 fruits a person on a diet should not eat”.
The answer may be “watermelon, mango” or “mango, peaches” or any combination of two items, but never three or four!!! Anyone who writes “just in case” – watermelon, mango, peaches, grapes – receives 0 score for that question.
Note: when counting words – “a” or “the” don't count as a word.

Divide and concur!
The recording divides questions into groups, so every time you are instructed to answer a group of 4-5 questions. There are 20-30 seconds of silence before each group.
First thing you should do when the tape starts playing, is understand which group of questions you need to answer.
For example the tape says: “Look at questions one to four”. It means that you have about 20 seconds to look at those questions. Go over questions, read them and underline keywords. Keywords are words that contain the main idea of the question. They will help you guess what you will hear – numbers, opening hours, names, locations, etc. Draw a line under question four, so you won’t look further before it’s time.
Then you will hear a piece of passage and answer the questions one to four as you listen. It means that you should be able to write one answer and listen to another.
After that, the tape will say the numbers of questions in the next group. Repeat the same process, including drawing the line. This dividing technique is very efficient because every time you concentrate on limited number of questions, so it makes you more focused and in control.
Distractions
Don't get confused by all the different voices you are going to hear. The recording uses several different voices – of younger and older people, men and women. You may also hear different accents - Australian, British, American, Japanese, etc. The background noise is also varies. It can be of airport, cafe-shop, street, University lecture hall, you name it. Be ready for it and don't let it distract you – because that is exactly what they want. Ignore the noises and listen for the answers.
Listen for specifics
When you are listening, look for descriptions and details, such as dates, places, telephone numbers, opening hours, years (1995), transportation (car, bike, train) If you hear them, but don’t know where to place them yet – write them on margins of the Listening booklet. Later you will have some time to check your answers. Going over the questions that you couldn’t answer during the Listening passage, you might see that what you’ve written on the margins fits.
Answer as you listen
The reason you have to “answer as you listen” is that you immediately forget the sentences after you have heard them – because of stress, foreign language, constant flow of information, etc. After hearing the third sentence you won’t be able to repeat the first. It means that when any part of Listening is over – you won‘t be able to remember any of the answers. So write them as you hear them, leave nothing for later.
Keep moving forward
Always look one question ahead. You never know how quickly the answers will come one after another, so you need to look at the Question B while writing the answer for Question A. It sounds confusing, but after a little practice becomes very natural and helps a lot. Even if you have missed the answer to a question – admit it and move to the next one, otherwise you will loose it too.
Know your clues
The answer is usually pronounced louder and clearer, it is easier to hear and understand. If you can’t hear something clear (because the speaker swallows words or whispers), then probably the answer is not there. With some practice you will be able to tell the difference.
A good clue to answer is when you hear a repetition of a word, a word being spelled out (G A R F U N K E L) or a number dictated.
The following conversation is a classic example of repetition:
Mary-Joe: “These days there are many changes in our company policy”
Kathy:”Oh, what kind of changes?”
It is clear that the word “changes” is a clue of answer.
Spelling tasks
As simple as it sounds, the spelling task is not so easy. You should practice a little to be prepared for it. Just ask someone to spell the names of cities from the following list for you. If you study alone, you could record yourself spell those names and numbers, and then play it. The same goes for the list of telephone numbers I include here. It is a good practice and will only add to your confidence.
Note: in numbers "00" sometimes is read as “double o” instead of “zero-zero”.
Cities Numbers
Antananarivo 423-5207-0074
Brazzaville 628-2087-2311
Conakry 5167-832-0155
Gaborone 8746-221-0302
Johannesburg 5337-298-0132
Kinshasa 5900-231-7621
Libreville 4348-663-980

Typical Listening tasks
Remember my promise – no surprises in IELTS? The following table shows you every type of task you may see in the Listening test booklet. Different task types come with different instructions, so if you see and remember them now, it will save you time later. Of course, you won't get every type I show here in your test and the table looks a bit boring. Anyway, my advice is to get to know them now.
Don’t let them catch you off-guard!
Task Type What do you do Instructions in the
booklet
Eliminate
When you deal with multiple-choice questions, elimination is a good strategy. Usually only one answer is correct, unless instructions say something else.
This task is similar to True/False/Not Given. You should decide for every choice of answer - is it True, False or Not Given in the passage. After you have decided, choose the one that is True – this is the correct answer. Any other choice, False or Not Given, is incorrect.
Keep in mind that there are cases when all the choices are correct or none of them is correct. Read the instruction carefully and you will know what to do in such cases.
Gap-fill strategy
Look at the words around the gap to understand what’s missing, a noun (like boy, toy, truck), an adjective (little, pretty, shiny) or a verb (stands, looks, moves). For instance, if you see Noun before the blank (“The boy is___”), it means that it’s Adjective (“The boy is small”) or it’s Verb (“The boy is smiling”) is missing.
Once you have picked a word, write it above the gap and then read the whole sentence to be sure that it makes sense.
"Chameleon" questions
They might use different words with the same meaning to confuse you. For example, the tape says “All the candidates have to fill an application form” and the question says “The candidates must fill an application” – is it True, False or Not Given? The correct answer is True because "have to" means "must".

Watch out for traps
Trap Number One – change of mind You might hear speaker answering a question and then changing his/her mind. This is a trap, so make sure you don’t fall for it. For example, if the speaker says “I want to visit that gallery on Monday. No, wait – I’ve just remembered - it is closed on Monday, so I will go on Wednesday.”, and the question is “when” – the correct answer here is Wednesday, and Monday is a trap.
Trap Number Two – generalizations
You might hear speaker first gives a list of things and then says them all in one word.
For example: “Well, I like to swim, hike, and camp – to be involved in outdoor activities.” If the question is “What kind of activities…”, the correct answer is “outdoor” and not “swimming”, “hiking” or “camping”.
Trap Number Three – explicit answers
Big bow-wow style answers can be (and mostly will be) traps. The following example demonstrates what I mean: The tape says: “This course is a must for all first year students, excluding foreign students”.
The Question is “All the first year students have to take this course”,
The Answer should be F(alse), because there is an exception – foreign students. All the explicit answers that mean “no exceptions” are suspicious to us and call for more attention.
Check the grammar
If the answer you give is grammatically incorrect – it can not be the right one. Checking the grammar of your answers will give you an idea whether your answer correct or not, especially in tasks like:
• Gap-fill
• Sentence completion
Use your time wisely
During the test, you have a little time between passages. Use it to check and complete your answers

Copy answers smartly
After 30 minutes of Listening test, there are 10 additional minutes. During the test you have written all of the answers in the Listening test booklet. These 10 minutes are given you to copy your answers to the Answering sheet, and you should use them smartly.
The Answer Sheet has 2 sides, one for Reading test and one for Listening test, so make sure you are writing on the Listening side. I include here an example of Answering Sheet so you could get familiar with it and use it for practicing.
First, copy all the answers from the booklet to the Answering Sheet, and pay attention to the following guidelines (as simple as they sound – they are BIG time savers):
• For multiple-choice questions and picking pictures - just copy the letter of
correct answer, don't circle it.
• For sentence completion – just copy your answer, not the whole sentence.
• For True/False/Not given question – just copy T, F or NG, whatever your
choice is.
• For gap-fills – just copy the word you have chosen for the gap.
• For answers written in short (like prof. advise) – write the full version
(professional advise).
• Check that all the answers are clear and understandable.
Now, if you missed some questions – it is a good time to guess.

For those of you who wonder why all the answers have to consist of maximum 3 words – here is the answer: there is not enough space on the Answer Sheet for anything longer than that!
Practice, practice, practice!
I strongly recommend that you use all the tips while practicing. In order to practice you are going to need samples of Listening test, which can be found on the following internet site (good quality, free of charge):

http://www.esl-lab.com/ - for this one you will need Real Audio Player Play the Listening samples and start using the tips while searching for answers. This is the only way to really understand how these tips work. You may have to play the same Listening file more than once, to practice in different techniques.

Pocket tips

Listening
• Read instructions.
• Guess what is missing: is it a word, a place, a name, a number, how many?
• Divide questions into groups.
• Listen for details.
• Loud and clear – answer, whisper – not.
• Repetition and dictation – answer.
• Multiple choices – use T/F/NG method to eliminate all choices but one.
• Gap fills – look around the gaps for clues (Bad grammar = wrong answer).
• Traps: Change of mind, generalization, explicit answers.
• Copy answers: just the letter, not the circle, just your answer, not the whole sentence.

Study Plan
All the tips I shared with you until now are priceless, but they will be worth even more if you use them while practicing. As I said before, there are those who study and don’t pass, and there are those who don’t study and pass.