Themes which appear most in the IELTS test and how can I review or revise.

General Background Knowledge preparation for the IELTS Test

It is important to have some general background knowledge regarding themes that appear in IELTS.

Having an good awareness of IELTS topic areas means your opinions are more relevant. Just by being prepared means that you are better positioned to give an opinion on any number of popular topic areas. 

This is especially the case in writing; the ability to generate ideas under the pressure of the exam is usually down to a lack of knowledge around the key topic areas, while having some topic awareness in IELTS speaking will just make the exam seem so much easier.

Common IELTS Topics

Searching for IELTS worthy reading and listening articles is not easy.

It’s important to read articles that follow academic patterns and use vocabulary and grammar that useful to IELTS improvements.

Articles which are useful to IELTS preparation should be featured around the most common topic areas I have seen in IELTS reading, writing and listening.

These topics are also frequent areas of discussion in IELTS speaking.

Using some of these resources is not only good for increasing vocabulary levels, reading comprehension and speed, but will help provide a foundation of ideas important for topic awareness and idea generation.

This is a list of the most common topics with subheadings from 2022 onwards.

You can this list with use my resources list here

Common IELTS Topics

Advertising and the Media, Art and Design, Business and Money, Communication and Personality, Crime and Punishment, Economics, Education, The environment, Family and Children

Food, Health, Language, Reading, Technology, Transport and Travel, Society and culture, Sport, Work and lifestyle

How to use IELTS Topic Subheadings

These heading can further be subdivided into subheadings which allow more focussed topic and vocabulary area development. 

Of course, as we know from the experience of Covid, situations in society can change rapidly, however what remains true for IELTS and the English language is that the general subheading themes remain the same. 

Recent changes or developments in society can simply be applied to the subheadings you can see below.

In addition to this, by being critically aware, you can add your personal reponse or experience to the subheadings.

This can add to the overall effectiveness of your answers, whether it is in the writing test or the speaking test.

Advertising and Media

• Censorship and freedom of speech
• Media and technology
• News and reporting
• Children and advertising
• Methods of advertising
• Social Media and Privacy

Art and Design

• Art at school
• The benefits of art to society and for individuals
• Creative Art verses Design
• Censorship and freedom of speech – Art and the Artist
• How art is paid for – funding
• The value of art

Business and Money

• Globalisation
• International business
• Family run businesses
• Business and technology
• Business and communication
• Success in business
• Management and leadership in business
• Skills verses knowledge
• Consumerism

Communication and Personality

• Types of communication

• Family and communication

• Technology and communication

• Writing for communication

• Face to face communication

• Long distance communication

• Male and female characters

• Gender and stereotypes

• The development of personality and character

Crime and Punishment

• Major and minor crime

• Teenagers and crime

• Crime and technology

• The role of the police

• Criminals and types of crime

• Capital punishment verses rehabilitation

• How governments can reduce crime

• Cyber Crime

Economics

• Globalisation

• Economic issues and globalisation

• Economic progress

• Saving verses spending

• Taxation

• Cash verses credit cards

Education

• Children and education

• Who should educate teachers or parents

• School subjects

• Technology and education

• Discipline and rules

• Single-sex education

• Public and private education

• Mobile Phones in Classrooms

Environment

• Animals

• Pets

• Endangered animals

• Zoos

• Environmental issues

• Types of pollution

• Protecting the environment

• Government verses individual roles

Family and Children

• The role of the family

• Family size

• The generation gap

• Positive role models

• Family and education

• Discipline

Food

• Types of food

• Healthy food

• Diets and health

• Education and diets

• Traditional diets and change

• Fast food

• Children and diet

Health

• Health and education

• Exercise and health

• Prevention verses cure

• Health in poor countries and rich countries

• Global epidemics

• Hospitals and treatment

• Obesity

Language

• How to learn a language

• Language and travel

• Disappearing languages

• Language and culture

• Dominant languages

Reading

• Children and reading

• Libraries

• Reading and leisure

• Reading on-line/ e-books and paper books/Apps

• Reading newspapers and magazines

Technology

• The safety of children and technology

• Technology and changes in society

• Writing letters and emails

• Personal information

• Using the internet for socialising

• Storing data and hacking

Transport and Travel

• Issues with modern forms of transport

• Infrastructure: city and countryside

• Comparing transport

• Transport systems

Society and culture

• Poverty

• Inequality

• Homelessness

• Crime in society

• Taxation spending

• Public services

• Modern life styles

• Traditional lifestyles

Sport

• Sport and learning
• Sport at school
• Men and women in sport
• Benefits of sport to the individual and the country
• Professional verses amateurs

Work and lifestyle

• Types of job
• Patterns of work
• Part time work
• Work and technology
• Work or university
• Salary
• Abilities at work: women and men
• Equality

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The Best Approach to Task 2 Writing

Paragraphing in Task 2 Writing

Strong Arguments for Task 2

Writing the Introduction

Writing a Line of Argument

Cohesion for Task 2 Writing

Writing – Benefits of a Foreign University Education

 

The importance of understanding IELTS Task 2 Band Scores

Being able to understand and interpret the IELTS band scores for Task 2 should be a part of any student’s IELTS Preparation. 

Why the band scores are important to IELTS Students

The band scores not only allow the IELTS examiner to assess your final writing score, but can also be used to broadly improve student writing.

How the band scores are useful to teachers

A good teacher will assess your written work and use the IELTS band descriptors to work out your predicted IELTS band score.

This then can influence aspects of what they teach to their students.

If the band scores are useful to teachers, then they have to be valuable to students.

If teachers use this method, then one good way that you can work to improve your own writing score is to use the IELTS Band Scores as a guide and grade what you are presently doing rightly or wrongly.

Or to put it another way, if you do not know what you assessment is based on, how can you aim to improve or even get that score you need,

writing-band-descriptors-task-2

Public Descriptors from IELTS.org

How to read the IELTS Band Scores and Descriptors

It is easy to read and understand how the band scores work in principal.

As you can see there are four vertical columns and in each column there are nine rows which correspond to a band score number. 

In each of the rows there are ‘descriptors‘ which describe if something exists.

Addresses the task only partially; the format may be inappropriate in places at Band 5 Public Descriptors Task 2

or grades the existence of the statement.

Uses less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation at Band 7  Public descriptors Task 2

A number is selected for each column that matches the examiner’s assessment of your writing and the total grade is divided by 4 which can result in a full band score for example, Band Score 7, or a half band score like 7.5.

What the IELTS Task 2 Band Scores really mean

There are certain ‘sentences contained in the band score’ that send a big signal to examiners and these are often the aspects that are looked for in your writing first.

‘expresses a position but the development is not always clear and there may be no conclusions drawn’ at Band 5

In this example, not having an obvious conclusion means that you cannot go higher than Band 5 as the writing does not include ‘a conclusion’.

This also means that at Band 6 a conclusion ‘may be unclear’ and for a student to achieve Band 7,

a conclusion should ‘present a clear position throughout’

or ‘in my words’, the essay and conclusion should ‘be clear and represent the whole essay position throughout’.

writing-band-descriptors-task-2

1 – Task Response

For Task 2 there is no difference between the IELTS Academic test and the IELTS General test.

Task Response refers to  how well you have responded to the proposition (the argument) and to the prompts (the task) and this section can be divided into skills and subskills.

To respond to a task completely, you need ‘an essay introduction’, ‘an essay conclusion’ and ‘body paragraphs’ that satisfy the prompts of the question.

For example, if the prompt asks for ‘a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of the proposition’, then two body paragraphs would be needed to satisfy the prompts.

Similarly, if the prompt asks for ‘the causes’ and ‘the solutions’ then two body paragraphs are required to meet Band 6 of this band descriptor.

Likewise, a question that merely asks for you opinion, as in this question:

Many old buildings protected by law are part of a nation’s history. Some people think they should be knocked down and replaced by news ones.

How important is it to maintain old buildings?

may require only one body paragraph to satisfy the Band 6 TR score but a balanced ‘opinion’ essay is usually better dealt with by two main body paragraphs.

At Band 6 this means;

• addresses all parts of the task although some parts may be more fully covered than others
• presents a relevant position although the conclusions may become unclear or repetitive 
• presents relevant main ideas but some may be inadequately developed/unclear 

At Band 7 the means; 

• addresses all parts of the task 
• presents a clear position throughout the response 
• presents, extends and supports main ideas, but there may be a tendency to over-generalise and/or supporting ideas may lack focus

What a BAND 7+ score looks like

In the Academic Writing Task, make sure you have a clear introduction, body paragraphs that answer the question prompts and a strong conclusion that is relevant and supports the information in the other essay paragraphs.

2 – Coherence and Cohesion

-At Band 6 this means;

• arranges information and ideas coherently and there is a clear overall progression
• uses cohesive devices effectively, but cohesion within  and/or between sentences may be faulty or mechanical
• may not always use referencing clearly or appropriately 
• uses paragraphing, but not always logically

At Band 7 this means;

• logically organises information and ideas; there is clear overall progression throughout

• uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use 
• presents a clear central topic within each paragraph

What a BAND 7+ score looks like

In your writing, make sure that paragraphs are used and arranged logically, and sentences (and the information contained in the paragraphs) within paragraphs are focussed and arranged to create an easy to read text ‘that flows’. 

Make sure the reader is assisted by appropriate linking and referencing words, even if there might be some errors in their use.

3 – Lexical Resource

At Band 6 this means:

• uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task
• attempts to use less common vocabulary but with some inaccuracy
• makes some errors in spelling and/or word formation, but they do not impede communication

At Band 7 this means:

• uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision
• uses less common vocabulary but with some awareness of style and collocation
• may produce occasional errors in word choice, spelling and/or word formation

What a BAND 7+ score looks like

A good writer at this level will naturally display enough vocabulary and a variety that avoids repetition and indicates your level and awareness of the English Language. 

There can be a few errors or mistakes as long as these do not alter the message you are communicating, so check the meaning, that it is appropriate and check the spelling.

4 – Grammatical Range and Accuracy

At Band 6 this means:

• uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms
• makes some errors in grammar and punctuation but they rarely reduce communication

At Band 7 this means;

• uses a variety of complex structures 
• produces frequent error-free sentences 
• has good control of grammar and punctuation but may make a few errors

What a BAND 7+ score looks like

Similarly to ‘lexical resource’, a good writer will naturally display enough complex grammar structures and grammatical forms that help the reader. 

These structures do not mean ‘long and complicated sentences’ but simply grammar that ‘helps explain complex ideas’. 

Grammatical items that may be noticed by the examiner can include countability, modality, passive sentences, use of tense, pre and post-modifying phrases and nominalisation, as well as the use of clauses. 

What is important to note is that any grammatical items used will be produced accurately and for the purpose of communicating a message and not be forced. 

Finally, the 250 words or so of writing should be free of punctuation errors, so make sure you have checked for capital letters, commas and full-stops.

Conclusion and final points about using the IELTS Band Scores

Using the IELTS band scores as a guide to your current level can be a good way to focus on areas to improve. 

However, it is often difficult to be objective about our own current abilities and sometimes we need the objective/subjective opinion of a teacher or an IELTS Expert especially with gradable statements.

Of course, gradable statements mean you need to improve or work at focusing on these weaknesses, if you have any.

However, as part of your IELTS preparation, having a good understanding of the marking criteria means you are already one step ahead in getting the IELTS score you need. 🙂 

Researched using the IELTS Public Band Descriptors 2022

Follow my little IELTS tips to improve you day and schedule!

Try writing a ‘To Do’ list before bed at night

If you are ready to start the next day, there is less chance to procrastinate.

Use your study time well

I am in control of my studies. I balance my learning equally between the four language skills, and understand whether I study better 20 minutes a day or one evening a week

Be in control of your time

Turn off social media, and aim to complete tasks before moving onto the next one

Set yourself clear, realistic goals…and work hard to achieve them

It’s important to set daily, monthly and yearly goals. Make them realistic and understand they require effort.

Make the most of your golden hour

Getting up early puts you in charge of the day, rather than the day controlling you.

Cultivate good organisation skills

A clean and tidy work area, a file with subsections and logical notes made in class all help to save you time when it comes to study. Vocabulary journals and Post-it notes are also very good.

Listen to yourself

Praise yourself for the things you do or did well. Look at negatives in a positive light. A positive mind is a wonderful thing.

Use your travel time wisely

If you have to travel, use that time wisely. Listen to an English language podcast, or read journal.  If you are in an English speaking country, engage with your surroundings.

You can keep the poster below. It’s free

You can take advantage of my Writing Correction Feedback Service, here.

You will get valuable feedback on your writing to help you obtain the score you need.

All the Best,

 

Jonathan

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