• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
IELTS Advantage

IELTS Advantage

  • Courses
  • Success Stories
  • Resources
    • IELTS Writing Task 1
    • IELTS Writing Task 2
    • IELTS Speaking
    • IELTS Reading
    • IELTS Listening
    • IELTS Vocabulary
  • VIP Course

25 Most Frequently Asked Questions

Home » 25 Most Frequently Asked Questions

I get around 1000 questions per day from students through email and during my Facebook Live sessions. Nearly all of them are one of the 25 below, so I decided to put the answers all in one post to make it simple and easy for you.

Even if you haven’t asked a question, you will probably find the answers interesting/useful/surprising.

Quick Tip– My website has the answer to nearly every IELTS question you could ever think of. All you have to do is go to Google and enter ‘IELTS Advantage’ + Your Question and you should be able to find the answer. This will not only save you lots of time but my secretary will also thank you for not sending an email 🙂

General Questions

The first five questions are really general, so I’ve given very general answers. This will take you longer to find the answer, but these first five questions are so broad, that a specific answer is simply impossible.

Also note that there are no ‘quick tips’, ‘tricks’ or ‘secrets’. Why? There aren’t any ‘tricks’ to the test, just solid advice that you have to take time to learn.

Question # 1- How do I prepare for IELTS?

Go here- IELTS Preparation- The Ultimate Guide

Question # 2- How can I improve my writing?

Go to the pages below and check out the resources there. There are lots of pages to go through, but it is a huge topic, so does require a huge amount of preparation.

Task 1 Writing

Task 2 Writing

Question # 3- How can I improve my speaking?

Go to the page below:

IELTS Speaking

Question # 4- How can I improve my listening?

Go to the page below:

IELTS Listening

Question # 5- How can I improve my reading?

Go the page below:

IELTS Reading

Specific Questions

Below I’ll give the answers to the most frequently asked specific questions. Again, if one of my articles answers the question better than a short answer from me, then I’ll give you the link to the article.

Question # 6- Should I write a conclusion for Task 1?

No. A conclusion is a summary of YOUR ideas and your opinion. Task 1 is simply reporting what you see, so there shouldn’t be any of your ideas or your opinion.

Instead of a conclusion you should write an overview.

The reason lots of people get confused about this is some teachers, books and even one British Council website call the overview a ‘conclusion’. It’s not a conclusion, it’s an overview.

Finally, it does not matter where you put the overview paragraph. I teach my students to put it after the introduction, but it is also fine to have it as your final paragraph.

Click here for more information on how to write an effective overview.

Question # 7- Should I try to use a British or American accent?

Absolutely not! You’ll probably sound ridiculous. There are no extra marks for having a ‘British’ accent. The key is to sound clear and for the examiner to be able to understand what you’re saying.

Click the link below for more information on pronunciation:

IELTS Pronunciation Guide

Question # 8- Can I use all capital letters in the listening and reading test?

Yes.

Question # 9- Should I use lots of idioms/phrasal verbs to get a high score?

Click below for a detailed answer on this:

7 Ways Idioms Can LOWER Your Score

Question # 10- Will using ‘academic’/’high level’ language help me get a high score?

This video will help you with that question:

Question # 11- Do you have an online course?

Yes, I do. It is called IELTS Writing Academy and it is a complete step-by-step guide for people hoping to get a 7 or above.

There is lots of help from me, including one on one Skype lessons and personal writing corrections, so the number of people allowed to join is strictly limited. For this reason, I only open it up to the public 2-3 times per year.

If you would like to join, you should go to this link and add your name to the waiting list. I’ll email you when it opens again.

Question # 12- How do I get a Band 7/8/9 in writing?

The key here is understanding what the examiners want. You should check out the article below that outlines the marking criteria i.e. what you need to do to get one of the higher marks.

What’s the Difference Between Band 5 and 8?

If you would like me to show you how to get a 7 or above, see question 11 above.

Question # 13- How can I improve my grammar?

You first need to find out what your common mistakes are. You should get a good English teacher to check your work and tell you what your most common 2-5 mistakes are. For example, you might have very good grammar, but you need help with articles, prepositions and punctuation.

You then need to learn the rules for each of your weak areas. When you feel confident you know the rules, practice. There are hundreds of free sites that will allow you to do this, just use Google to search for them.

Finally, you should produce these grammar points in speaking and writing. When you do this, your grammar will really improve.

If you would like me to check your writing and tell you your common mistakes, go here.

Question # 14- How can I improve my vocabulary?

Below is a 5 step plan to help you increase your range of vocabulary.

  1. Pick a book, TV show, radio show, podcast or magazine you are interested in. Don’t pick something boring because you will not stick to the plan and you will easily get distracted. People learn more effectively when they enjoy what they are doing.
  2. Buy a special notebook. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just something that you can write in every day.
  3. Read or listen to whatever you have chosen and pick out 15 words you don’t understand. Listen or read and try to guess what they mean from the context. (This step is very important because it will help you remember them.) Note the 15 new words down in your notebook.
  4. Look up the new words in a dictionary. You can do this online. Beside each word note the meaning, an example sentence or two, collocations, synonyms, antonyms and pronunciation. You can also draw pictures; whatever will help you remember the word.
  5. Review the new words after one week, two weeks and then one month. Also, practice using the new words in a sentence.

If you do this five days a week, after a month you will have nearly 100 new words in your notebook. After 6 months you will have at least 500 new words.

Questions # 15- Can you help correct my writing?

Yes, please click the link below to access my writing correction service.

IELTS Writing Correction Service

The next question I normally get asked is ‘Can you correct my writing for free?’

Sorry, no. If I did this for free I would have to correct hundreds of tasks per day and this is just not feasible. If you want free stuff, check out the hundreds of free articles on my site. If you want my time, you will have to pay.

Question # 16- Can I use American spelling?

Yes, but you should be consistent.

Question # 17- What is the difference between IDP and BC?

Here’s a very detailed article I wrote that should answer this question:

BC or IDP?

Question # 18- What books do you recommend?

All of the information you will ever need is on this site (and it’s free), but if you prefer books, here is a list of my recommendations.

Please don’t steal books by downloading them from the internet. Nobody likes a thief.

Question # 19- My exam is in 2 weeks/one month/3 months/next year how should I prepare?

IELTS Preparation- The Ultimate Guide

Question # 20- How can I practice speaking at home?

There are hundreds of different ways you can find people online, you just have to look.

To start with you can join my Facebook group. There are thousands of people there that will be happy to practice speaking with you. Click the link and add yourself.

Question # 21- I don’t know where to start. Please help me.

Not really a question, but a very common request. The best thing to do is start with the guide below:

IELTS Preparation- The Ultimate Guide

Question # 22- What’s the difference between UKVI and IELTS?

The lovely people at the British Council will explain this to you in the article below:

What is IELTS for UKVI?

Question # 23- Can I use personal pronouns in Task 2?

Yes, but only in limited circumstances. In general, personal pronouns should be avoided because the essay should contain more formal language. However, if you are giving your personal opinion, it is fine to use them. Below is an article that answers this question in much more detail:

Using Personal Pronouns

Question # 24- Can I give a balanced view for an ‘agree or disagree’ question?

You can, but I don’t recommend it. Giving a balanced view requires a higher level of skill than simply agreeing or disagreeing with one side and you don’t get any extra marks for it, so my advice is to keep it simple.

You also risk turning your ‘agree or disagree’ answer into a ‘discuss both views’ answer and this will cost you marks.

See below for my guide on opinion questions:

Agree or Disagree Task 2 Questions

Question # 25- Help! My test is in 2 days. What can you do to help me?

Probably my favourite question. I wrote an article for you crazy guys that leave it late. Check it out here.

Bonus question- Can you help me?

Sure! I have a website with hundreds of articles that will help you. It’s called IELTS Advantage. You’re already here.

famousauthors-1024x576

Share
WhatsApp
Email
Avatar

About Christopher Pell

My name is Christopher Pell and I'm the Managing Director of IELTS Advantage.

I started IELTS Advantage as a simple blog to help 16 students in my class. Several years later, I am very humbled that my VIP Course has been able to help thousands of people around the world to score a Band 7+ in their IELTS tests.

If you need my help with your IELTS preparation, you can send me an email here: chris@ieltsadvantage.com

guest
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Primary Sidebar

Sign up for Facebook messenger updates and receive our FREE IELTS study plan now!

fb-updates

Find Answers

Search

Navigation

  • IELTS Preparation Guide
  • IELTS Writing Task 1
  • IELTS Writing Task 2
  • IELTS Reading
  • IELTS Speaking
  • IELTS Vocabulary
  • IELTS Listening
  • IELTS Tips
  • IELTS Practice: Ultimate Free Guide
  • IELTS For Teachers
  • IELTS Writing Correction Service

Find Answers

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Search in posts
Search in pages
Filter by Categories
Featured
For teachers
IELTS Beginners
Listening
Reading
Speaking
Study Tips
Uncategorised
Vocabulary
Writing Task 1
Writing Task 2

Footer

Contact us

Email: chris@ieltsadvantage.com
Connect with us:
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube

FREE IELTS Vocabulary eBook!

displays

Check your email for the link.
By sharing your email, you are agreeing to our terms & privacy policy.

  • Success Stories
  • Our Team
  • Our Principles
  • FAQ & Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms and Conditions
  • About Author
  • Subscribe
  • IELTS VIP Ambassador Program
  • Cookies Policy
© 2021 IELTS Advantage All rights reserved. Registered Company Number NI637423. Advantage Exam Preparation Limited. 4 Castleglen Park, Dundrum, County Down, BT33 0WL United Kingdom. The information on this site is for information purposes only. IELTS is a registered trademark of University of Cambridge, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. This site and its owners are not affiliated, approved or endorsed by the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. For full information please refer to our terms and conditions and disclaimer.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT
wpDiscuz