IELTS 2006 Results

These results may not mean much to any individual test taker's performance, but they are often talked about so here is the chart:



Some comments on the article:

ARTICLE TEXT
Do you show a wide range of vocabulary, or do you just use the same words over and over again?

COMMENT
Yes it is good to use a variety of words, but I often find students using the wrong words just so as not to use the same word twice. This happens in both the speaking and writing sections. If you are not confident about your alternative word, you may be making things worse.

ARTICLE TEXT
Q: What should I do if I don't know anything about the topic in the chart?
A: Don't worry. You are being tested on your ability to highlight and explain key facts, trends and changes as they are shown. No prior knowledge is necessary for this section.

COMMENT
This may be true. However, I have found that students who have no background knowledge whatsoever take longer to understand the chart and are more likely to misinterpret it. Increasing your general knowledge by reading newspapers should help you with both the speaking and writing sections of the IELTS, even if only slightly.

ARTICLE TEXT
Coherence and Cohesion: Do your sentences and paragraphs make sense? Are they linked using a range of connecting words?

COMMENT
Quite often when students are advised to use connecting words to make their writing more fluent. But actually, as the advise above suggests, using connecting words helps structure your argument. If you either use them carelessly or do not use them at all, you may confuse the reader as well as yourself.