IELTS Commentry: February 2020

Thursday 27 February 2020

IELTS essay, topic: Some people believe that women should be treated as equal to men when applying for a job with the police or the military, while others disagree (opinion)

Some people believe that women should be treated as equal to men when applying for a job with the police or the military. Others think that women are less suitable for this kind of job. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Sample Essay

In recent years gender equality in employment has been the topic of heated debate. While some may argue that women are less suited for certain jobs such as with the police or the military, I believe that female candidates should be treated the same as their male counterparts.

Those who consider women to be unsuited for some kinds of jobs including the police or the military often hold that opinion because such jobs are extremely physically demanding. As the female body has smaller muscles and less physical strength compared to male body, women may have difficulty engaging in strenuous activity which can be exhausting even for men. In military service, female soldiers are more likely to struggle while defending themselves than their male peers when they are forced to move around carrying heavy firearms in the battle, which can increase their risk of mission failure. Because of the hazards and extreme conditions they may encounter, some people advocate that women are not suitable for work in these fields.

Nevertheless, I believe that female applicants should be considered for police or military placements without a gender bias, because women are more suited to certain tasks. In the police service, female officers can perform important roles on some occasions such as a body search where male officers are restricted from touching female convicts. In the military service, female nursing staff are more likely to care better for injured soldiers since maternal instinct makes them dedicated and heart-warming professionals. Furthermore, for the sake of fairness to all, job seekers should have an equal opportunity to choose their jobs freely, regardless of gender. Many women have the desire to work in the police and the military and some of them have relevant expertise and qualifications. Therefore, they should not be discriminated against in employment opportunities for these jobs.

In conclusion, although some say that women are incompatible with police and military duties because of the high physical demands, I believe that they should be treated as equal to men. This is because there are certain roles with the police and the military that are more suitable for women than men, and therefore both genders should have equal employment opportunities.

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Wednesday 19 February 2020

The Top 8 English Pronunciation Problems for Japanese Speakers

There are some sounds in English that are more difficult for Japanese Speakers to pronounce properly. Here are some typical pronunciation errors Japanese Speakers tend to make.

1. Confusing consonants ‘l’ & ‘r’

Sometimes native Japanese speakers say ‘r’ instead of ‘l’.

Check: do you say ‘comprete’ instead of ‘complete’?
Listen to the correct pronunciation here.

2. Pronouncing consonants ‘f’ and ‘v’ incorrectly

Sometimes Japanese speakers say ‘p’ instead of ‘f’, such as ‘preper’ instead of ‘prefer’.
Listen to the correct pronunciation here.

Another common issue is using ‘b’ instead of ‘v’, for instance saying ‘bideo’ instead of ‘video’.
Listen to the correct pronunciation here.

3. Pronouncing the consonant ‘th’ incorrectly

Sometimes speakers of Japanese might say ‘sink’ instead of ‘think’, or ‘sick’ instead of ‘thick’. That changes the meaning of the word entirely and the listener would struggle to understand them.

Listen to the correct pronunciation here.

4. Vowel /oʊ/ like in ‘note’

If you pronounce ‘note’ more like ‘not’, that’s incorrect – it needs to be pronounced like ‘nowt’.
Listen to the correct pronunciation here.

The word ‘most’ has the same sound /oʊ/.
Listen to the correct pronunciation here.

5. Vowel ‘er’ /ɜː/ like in ‘hurt’

If your ‘hurt’ sounds more like ‘heart’, and ‘firm’ more like ‘farm’, that is incorrect.
Listen here to both incorrect and correct pronunciation, and fix your own, if you need to (scroll down to the blue box to listen).

6. Vowel /æ/ like in ‘hat’

If you say ‘hat’ but it sounds like ‘hut’, or ‘back’ sounds like ‘buck’, that is another problem.
Go here to listen to the correct and incorrect pronunciation, and you will see the difference (scroll down to the blue box to listen).

7. Word stress

Each multi-syllable word in English has one stressed syllable. In the word ‘rePORT’ the stress is on ‘PORT’, so you should say it in higher pitch and put more emphasis on it. When you don’t, it makes your word stress and rhythm flatter than a native speaker’s.

8. Weak vowels

Japanese speakers pronounce every vowel in English the same way – but some vowels should be pronounced differently. A good example of a weak vowel is ‘o’ in ‘today’ – it should be pronounced more like ‘uh’ rather than ‘o’. Listen to the correct pronunciation here.

How to fix Japanese Speakers’ pronunciation problems

One thing I learnt from Georgie Harding, the founder of SpeechActive and experienced speech pathologist, is this:

“Your journey to a better pronunciation starts with awareness.”

You need to become aware of problems in your pronunciation first, and then you can start fixing them. Georgie has worked with hundreds of Japanese speakers and created a very useful resource to help you achieve improvement quickly and easily.

What you need to do is:

1. Go here and read through the pronunciation problems checklist.

2. Scroll down to grey and blue boxes.

3. Read about the problem and how to fix it in a grey box.

4. Listen to the Japanese speaker in the blue box. Do you hear the problem sound?

5. Listen to the native English speaker in the blue box. Do you notice the difference in pronunciation?

6. Record your speech using the voice recorder on the web page, and play to listen. Are you making the sound correctly?

These are the steps that will help you fix your pronunciation. The problem sounds may be there now, but you will learn to hear them, and to make them correctly. Regular practice will help you get very close to a native English speaker’s pronunciation.

If you need help with your pronunciation, Georgie is the best person to talk to (and you can contact her here). She worked with so many Japanese professionals and students, living in the UK, the US, Australia and of course Japan, and she has a pronunciation course designed specifically for Japanese speakers. So if you need some English pronunciation training, or accent reduction, Georgie will definitely help you speak English more clearly. Read more about her pronunciation course for Japanese speakers here.

Special offer for IELTS-Blog.com visitors

If you decide to enrol in any of Georgie’s pronunciation courses, we got you a special 30% discount, available exclusively from IELTS-Blog.com:

IELTSblogsave30%

Just to clarify – this discount is for ALL our readers to enjoy (not just Japanese Speakers), and will work for any pronunciation courses on SpeechActive website.

Enter this code at checkout on SpeechActive website, and use the savings to reward yourself for making a very, very smart decision today!

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Tuesday 18 February 2020

How dedication and consistency can get you Band 8 in IELTS

So, what does it take to get Band 8 in IELTS?

Aye Chan and Moshaddak say, “Dedication and consistency”, and we can trust their experience because they received IELTS Overall Band Scores of 8 and 7.5 respectively in their recent exams. As winners of our monthly results competition they were invited to share their tips and advice, and here is what they said:

Aye Chan, the owner of IELTS Overall Band Score of 8.0, said:

“Hello everyone,

I would like to advise you guys to keep in mind that IELTS scores are hugely influenced by your English language level. After all, it is a standardized language test. As for me, I prepared for IELTS for 2 months with a daily study routine of 3 hours. I cannot stress enough how important your English skills are. However, if you are someone with weak foundation like me, there are very good resources out there for you.

First, you have to decide between Computer-based and Paper-based IELTS, because it will largely affect how you prepare. For me, I took the Computer-based exam. The one thing that I used were online mock tests. It was very helpful; I got two reading paragraphs with different questions from mock tests in the actual exam. Another thing is that I read IELTS-Blog.com posts every day for up-to-date recent questions and tips for all four skills. They are fantastic, especially the writing tips and stand out among others. In addition to this, the recent questions are very useful in preparation for the Speaking test as you can build your ideas bank from it. Last but not least, I would like to say thanks to my local IELTS coaches (Teacher May Pyae Phyo Thu and Teacher Eaintme) for guidance.

That is pretty much all I did. One more thing to keep in mind is that you really need to have a strong dedication and consistency during exam preparation. Do not take the test for granted, but think of passing it as your dream. This was a crucial aspect, at least for me. I wish all the best to my fellow IELTS Warriors. Cheers!”

Band 8 in IELTS

Moshaddak, the owner of IELTS Overall Band Score of 7.5, said:

“Thanks for choosing me a winner.

I would like to suggest candidates to make a study plan and remain patient until they obtain the desired score. Generally, I used to listen on the radio to a variety of English conversations to develop my listening skills. For reading, I would advise to read texts on a wide range of topics, and focus on skimming and scanning techniques. Also, students need to write every day to develop their writing skill. Here, they should take advice from experts and find out ways to overcome their weakness. In my case, I used writing correction service from IELTS-BLOG.com which supported me in a great way, and especially helped to improve my grammar, lexical resource, and ability to write complex sentences.

For speaking, I would suggest to find a partner and practice regularly – but everyone should evaluate their speaking to find out their weaknesses.

Overall, my experience with IELTS-BLOG.com is overwhelming and I thank them for their support.”

Band 7.5 in IELTS

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Friday 14 February 2020

IELTS essay, topic: In many countries young people start living on their own after high school, is this a positive or negative development?

In many countries around the world young people decide to leave their parents’ home once they finish school. They start living on their own or sharing a house with friends. Is this a positive or a negative development? Give reasons for your answer and include relevant examples.

Sample Essay

Nowadays it is becoming increasingly common for youngsters to start their independent life by moving out of their parents’ home after graduation from school. This trend has positive effects on the society and the reasons behind it will be discussed next in this essay.

There are various benefits for both young people and their parents when individuals start living independently after finishing school. Young adults, in this way, have to take care of their daily needs, from house chores, cooking or cleaning to financial independence. Thus, instead of wasting time on childish activities, they are motivated to learn skills and work part-time or full-time in order to cover their living expenses. Although it might seem challenging for them to live on their own at first, it would give them valuable experience, helping them to become mature, responsible adults. Parents would also be pleased with this practice since they can enjoy their own lives by having more time for themselves. Not only would they have more financial flexibility due to independence of their children, but they also don’t have to change their habits in order to adapt to the new generation’s lifestyle. For instance, it allows many people to travel around the world, which would be impossible if their children were to stay with them after finishing high school.

Admittedly, there might be some challenges involved in this way of life. In some cases and especially under the influence of new friends or housemates, youngsters might choose to get involved in dangerous activities that involve drugs or petty crimes. However, instead of keeping their children close through adulthood, parents should prepare in advance and raise their children to distinguish between right and wrong and teach them to take responsibility for their actions.

In conclusion, although there might be some adverse consequences to this relatively new practice, I believe that the advantages of young people leaving family home outweigh its drawbacks, for both children and parents.

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Wednesday 12 February 2020

IELTS Results competition winners in January 2020

A new year is a new beginning, a chance to change things, start fresh, and take a different path in life. I am sure many of us intended to start a new life in 2020, and we can be certain that for the 7 people you are about to meet, this … is… happening!

Let’s put our hands together for the owners of best IELTS Results in January 2020:

Academic Module – 1st place

Mozhdeh Jafaridoulabi from Iran, Band 8
Aye Chan Kyaw from Myanmar, Band 8

Academic Module – 2nd place

Waleed Tayyb Buttar from Pakistan, Band 7.5

General Training Module – 1st place

Omar Brown from Jamaica, Band 8.5

General Training Module – 2nd place

Durga Priya Namdevsingh from India, Band 7.5
Moshaddak Hossain from Bangladesh, Band 7.5
Sejal Paresh Shah from India, Band 7.5

Congratulations to our winners! As a token of our appreciation we are sending your certificates of achievement to your emails. Winning IELTS results will be displayed in the IELTS-Blog hall of fame – so if you won, please feel free to show them off to your friends!

How did they score so well?

We’re always interested to find out from the winners how they did it. Some of them are our students (Moshaddak and Durga used our writing correction service), as for the others we just know they subscribed to our daily IELTS emails. I’d like to ask all the winners – please be kind to the other test takers who are still preparing for their IELTS exams. Do share your stories and tell us how you studied, and what helped you achieve success in IELTS. Any useful tips will be shared on IELTS-Blog.com, so everyone can use the same technique and get a better score in their own exam this month.

We are expecting responses from our winners and as soon as we get their tips, we will post them on IELTS-Blog.com. The first IELTS results competition we held 11 (!) years ago was our very first step towards connecting successful test takers with everyone else. Winners have obviously done a lot of things right, and by sharing their tips, ‘secrets’ and advice they are helping thousands of others achieve great results in IELTS. IELTS-Blog.com is proud to be the channel for the experience and wisdom of high scorers to reach every IELTS test taker in the world!

So if YOU got a high score in IELTS, no matter when – this month, last month, a few months ago – we want to hear from you! We would like to extend our warm invitation to everyone who is happy with their IELTS score. Take part in our IELTS results competition today, and share your IELTS tips when you win!

Learn how to enroll here.

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Tuesday 4 February 2020

Latest IELTS Test Questions and Topics Worldwide – February 2020

Welcome to our new latest IELTS exam questions page! Here you will find the most recent IELTS questions that test takers remembered and shared, updated daily in real time. Test questions are organised by country of origin, with countries in alphabetical order. Identical questions that appeared in two or more countries on the same day posted only once (no duplicates).

Click below to jump to latest IELTS questions from your country:

Latest IELTS exam questions from Iran
Latest IELTS exam questions from Nigeria

Latest IELTS questions from Iran

IELTS test paper #1

Shared by N.

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

We were given three pie charts showing vehicle exports by a particular company. We had to summarize and compare all three categories: cars, motorcycles and trucks.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Many people think that every individual is responsible for their happiness, but some people believe there are other external factors that influence us. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– What do you study?
– Why did you choose this course?
– What are some drawbacks of using social media?
– Do you use more social media now compared to the past?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Talk about a singer or a music band which you listen to frequently. Please say

– Who are they?
– When and where did you hear them for the first time?
– Why do you listen to them?

Part 3 (Discussion)

– What other music or band do you like?
– Why do you think people listen to music?
– Would you like to sing or play yourself?

IELTS test paper #2

Shared by M.

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– What do you do?
– What do you like about your work?
– Does the type of your work change from time to time?
– Do people in your city like to go to parks?
– Do you like to go to parks?
– What do you do there?
– Did you use to go to parks as a child?
– What is your favorite park?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Describe an interesting event you have participated in recently. Please say

– When and where was it?
– What was the event?
– Why was it interesting for you?

Part 3 (Discussion)

– What are some social events in your country?
– What benefits do sponsors get from social events?
– What are the advantages and disadvantages of international events?
– Why do you think so?

Go to top

Latest IELTS questions from Nigeria

IELTS test paper #1

Shared by A.

Writing task 1 (a letter)

You have recently visited a local school in your community. It needs people who can help renovate the building and also help with some activities. Write a letter to the principal of the school and say

– How would you be able to help?
– When and why would you do it?
– Who will help you to do it?

Writing Task 2 (an essay)

Many parents complain about violence promoted to their children through video games, TV programs and other media. Why is it happening? What can be the solution for it?

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– Do you work or study?
– What do you do?
– Where do you live now?
– What do you do for entertainment there?
– What music do you listen to?
– Do you like to listen to music alone or with friends?
– Do you wear jeans?
– What is your opinion about people who wear jeans?
– Why do you think so?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Talk about a recent celebration that you were invited to. Please say

– What were you celebrating?
– Who did you celebrate it with?
– Why did you celebrate it?

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Let’s talk about convocations.
– What are the main reasons for them?
– Did you take part in any graduations?
– How is naming ceremony celebrated?
– Explain about church marriages in your country.

Go to top

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IELTS Commentry

Thursday 27 February 2020

IELTS essay, topic: Some people believe that women should be treated as equal to men when applying for a job with the police or the military, while others disagree (opinion)

Wednesday 19 February 2020

Top 8 English Pronunciation Problems for Japanese Speakers (and how to fix them!)

The Top 8 English Pronunciation Problems for Japanese Speakers

How to fix Japanese Speakers’ pronunciation problems

Tuesday 18 February 2020

How dedication and consistency can get you Band 8 in IELTS

Friday 14 February 2020

IELTS essay, topic: In many countries young people start living on their own after high school, is this a positive or negative development?

Wednesday 12 February 2020

IELTS Results competition winners in January 2020

Tuesday 4 February 2020

Latest IELTS Test Questions and Topics Worldwide – February 2020

Latest IELTS questions from Iran

IELTS test paper #1

IELTS test paper #2

Latest IELTS questions from Nigeria

IELTS test paper #1

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Blog Archive

Thursday 27 February 2020

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Wednesday 19 February 2020

The Top 8 English Pronunciation Problems for Japanese Speakers

How to fix Japanese Speakers’ pronunciation problems

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Tuesday 18 February 2020

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Friday 14 February 2020

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Wednesday 12 February 2020

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Tuesday 4 February 2020

IELTS test paper #1

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