| New Way of Teaching (NWT) by Academstar | IELTS Material | Listening, Reading and Speaking |

Lesson 13.
1. IELTS Listening – Reviewing Maps.
2. IELTS Reading – Matching headings.
3. IELTS Reading Passage 3 - Doing two exercises at the same time. Fill in the gaps from the boxes.
4. IELTS Speaking Practice.
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1. IELTS Listening – Reviewing Maps.
IELTS Listening – Map exercises are very popular and generally given once in four tests. They are
generally given in Part 2 of the Listening test.
What do we need to know about Maps?
✓ They either have an entrance or a starting point.
✓ They may describe the current location or the proposed relocation of objects.
✓ You need to know some prepositions and phrases to be successful in this exam.
Entrances.
Entrance is the most important element in maps, particularly in buildings, parks, and squares. If there is an
entrance, you need to move from the entrance and find out all possible ways of movement. From the
entrance, go to the waiting area, turn right to the reception area, and reach the library room. Our client`s
office is opposite it. So, the answer is H.
Maps without entrances.
Some maps do not have entrances (roads, special parks with no entrance, open spaces). But there is a
starting point. Sometimes, it is mentioned as a star, but quite often we start from a reception, a desk, or
any other general place that is mentioned by a speaker in the first two-three sentences of the recording
script.
Exam recommendation:
Whenever you have a map on your exam, find what is close to each of the offered directions.
Key objects to attract your attention – pond, lake, river \ trees, forests, green area, farmland \ fountain \
shops, toilets, department stores.

Pay attention to the following map again and look at every option given:
A is at the intersection of Station Road and High Street, C is opposite the Bank, B is in front of the
library, D is in front of the Chemist (or opposite to/facing the supermarket/ on the other side of the
road where the supermarket is located)
At the crossroads / at the junction / at the intersection of – when two roads cross
Roundabout – when the roads meet and form a circle.

Let`s now analyze the following two maps:

Key points about the map:
✓ Clear entrance
✓ Almost no paths and roads, so pay attention to what
surrounds every letter.
The first map is the one with the entrance. It describes the
area. You can clearly see it from the road. How to
approach this task?
Step-by-step approach:
1. Look at the entrance and the objects around it.
2. Review the order of options quickly (first we talk about
the new car park, then pitch, etc.) but mainly focus on
letters and their location.
For example:
o A overlooks the river, and you can reach it from
the community hall by using the footpath – it is on
our left, right near the river.
o C is next to the community hall.
o D is near the community hall, and it is on the right
side of the footpath.
3. Read the instruction on the top. It is the plan after the
proposed changes! Most probably, it will try to confuse
you by showing the existing location first and then the
proposed one. For example:
“Our Car Park is now next to the entrance near trees, but
we plan to build a new one to the east of the existing
location, and it is also surrounded by green.”
So, you can think that the answer is H, but as we are
looking for proposed changes, and the car park will move
to the east, this will be I.
4. While listening, try to make notes. It will be easier for
you to find locations too.

Now, let`s look at the second type:

 Key points about the map:
✓ No clear entrance – we will probably move from the
reception or the center – an open courtyard.
✓ Here, you mainly need to pay attention to the paths and
which letter is first or second on the left or right.
Step-by-step approach:
1. The probable starting point is the reception and the road
leading to the courtyard.
2. Pay attention to each letter and its location.
For example:
o If we move from the reception to the left, J is the first to
the left, and I is the second to the left. When we then turn
right, F is the second on the left, and E is the first to the
right after the courtyard.
o Pay attention to objects – I and J overlook the Main
Road; C, and G overlook the Access Road. Pay attention
to that from the reception to the courtyard. Also, pay
attention to the path from the courtyard to the factory – C
is on the right. B and E are on the left side of this path.
o Pay attention to the road from the reception to the left
and then to the right – A and B are at the end (A is on the
left, B is on the right) – they are near the factory.

Now, let`s discuss some good phrases that you need to know about maps:

1. close to/ near/next to - when the object is around (to the left, to the right of the mentioned object)
2. in front of X and behind

House B is behind House A. House A is in front of House B.

3. under/below/under/below/underneath/beneath X - when the mentioned object is under the other object

(on the surface of the map). For example, A is under B.
4. above/over – when the mentioned object is over the other object. For example, B is above A.
A
Let`s consider that this is a map and there are two objects,
B
A and B. A is above/over B, B is underneath/beneath A.

5. across X – means going inside something or when one object is on the other – opposite side of the road:
Jill`s house I live just across from Jill. My house is opposite her house.
My house Road
6. X is adjacent to Y, X is next to Y - X is close to Y (nearby)
7. X is surrounded by trees/buildings (or hidden among some objects)
8. Past means near, but not on. You can see the field, past the bridge – you go near the bridge but do not
cross it.
9. Alongside X – means around. For example, shops and houses are alongside the road (on the left and right
sides of the road).
10. To overlook/look out onto/look onto – these verbs are used to show where windows of the place look
onto (the windows of my house look onto the park).
Roads in maps.
In IELTS Listening – Maps, it is common to see movements on roads – go straight, turn left, and turn right.
For example, you can see in the picture the following:
We move from the intersection of Ash Street and Maple Street, reach the bank, and turn right to Main Street.
The café is second on the left side (=which means the café is C).

Exercise 1. Find the following places:

1. This is on the crossroads of Ash Street and Main Street on the other corner of the café.
2. When you move along Ash Street, turn left to Main Street; the object is the third on your left.
3. This is on the way from the bank to the welcome center, opposite it on Elm Street.
4. Go to Ash Street past the bank and café. The object is at the junction of Ash Street and Maple Street.
Exercise 2. Find the grocery store.
Recording: “Now let`s start our journey. We are now near the library. From this area, we go straight towards
High Street and before the intersection with School Road, there is a grocery store on the left side, right in
front of Chemist. (For example, the library is the starting point here).
Practice time (Recording is here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKGMQ1ufwEk&t=1190s
listen from 10:22):

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2. IELTS Reading – Matching headings.
IELTS Reading Matching Headings is one of the exercises given during the Reading test. It tests your
ability to find the name/title of the paragraph.
What do you need to know about this exercise?
✓ There are many different options (let`s say 10 titles) and paragraphs that you need to name by using
one of these titles.
✓ Each paragraph has a main idea that is supported and clearly explained, and additional ideas, which
are not supported.
✓ Your purpose is to find the main idea.
First of all, pay attention to all nouns, verbs and verbal phrases. Let`s analyze the following
paragraph:
Study of the origins and distribution of hum on populations used to be based on archaeological and fossil
evidence. A number of techniques developed since the 1950s however have placed the study of these
subjects on a sounder and more objective footing. The best information on early population movements is
now being obtained from the archaeology of the living body the clues to be found in genetic material.
So, this paragraph describes the development of the research techniques. How? Now they get it from the
archaeology of the living body!
It mentions genetic material, but there is no support for this idea.
Remember! Each paragraph contains main and additional ideas. Main ideas are generally supported,
while additional ideas are just mentioned.
The main ideas are: 1) supported and explained 2) summarized 3) identified by keywords
Let`s look at the following example:
Sample questions and text Tips and strategies:
Sample questions 1. First of all, review the given list of headings. Please
understand that some headings can be very clear, while
others may talk about abstract things. For example:
i The areas and artifacts within the pyramid itself – the
paragraph should talk about the areas inside the pyramid
and its structure.
iv A single certainty among other less definite facts –
Something very clear while other things are unclear. So,
this can be a heading of a paragraph that will be about
something very obvious.

2. Quickly review the paragraphs. Pay attention to the

nouns and verbs in the given paragraph so as to
understand which type of information is main.
For example, in paragraph A we can see that:

Pyramids, the most famous monuments, hold interest,

Text
written and argued, however, there is no question, in
Egypt, started with the monument to one king.

So, we can see that the paragraph gives many additional

ideas in the beginning (most famous monuments, how
they are paying tributes to the memory of Egyptian
kings) with no extra support. Then, we turn to the point
that the evolution of the pyramid was discussed and
argued (which means – was unclear), but there is
something clear – in Egypt, it started with the pyramid
to one king. So, we can see that the most suitable
answer is iv.

3. If you find it hard to quickly review paragraphs, you

need to do the other exercise(s) regarding this passage
first because by doing so, you will review some
paragraphs and find answers for them.

Let`s say if you do True/False/Not given questions and

they cover paragraphs A to C, you will get to know the
main topics of these paragraphs and more easily find the
heading. Just review the list of headings in the table and
start doing other exercises first.
Focus of the passage – the main issues and aspects of the main idea which are discussed in the
passage. Passages can broaden their focus (start from specific and move to general topics) or narrow it
(from the general topic to the specific point).
Sample:
We can distinguish three different realms of matter, three levels on the quantum ladder. The first is the
atomic realm, which includes the world of atoms, their interactions, and the structures that are formed by
them, such as molecules, liquids and solids, and gases and plasmas. This realm includes all the phenomena
of atomic physics, chemistry, and, in a certain sense, biology. The energy exchanges taking place in this
realm are of a relatively low order. If these exchanges are below one electron volt, such as in the collisions
between molecules of the air in a room, then atoms and molecules can be regarded as elementary particles.
Explanation:
You can see that first of all, it discusses “matter and its three realms” and then focuses on one of them –
the atomic realm. So, the passage narrows its focus.

Let`s analyze the following paragraph.

A recent assessment of the status of global amphibian populations identified habitat loss as the single
greatest identifiable factor contributing to amphibian declines. Habitat loss primarily results from the
residential, agricultural, arboricultural, or recreational development of an area. Anthropogenic conversion
of land has caused significant reductions in the wetland, forest, and grassland habitat that amphibians
require for their survival. Outright habitat loss probably has the greatest effect on amphibians, but habitat
degradation or the general decline in the health of habitat often results from environmental contamination,
the introduction of exotic invasive species, or a reduction in required resources within a habitat, and
similarly affects amphibians. Likewise, habitat fragmentation (the disruption or fragmentation of habitat
into discontinuous or isolated remnants of viable habitat) emerges from isolated patches of habitat loss and
can often have delayed effects on animal populations.
What do you think is the main idea of this paragraph?
The first sentence shows the main point – about habitat loss and its connection to amphibian declines. We
can see how the idea of habitat loss is explained.
Practice time
B Choose the list of headings for
Djoser was the first king of the Third Dynasty of Egypt and the first to build in the following paragraphs:
stone. Prior to Djoser’s reign, tombs were rectangular monuments made of 1. Paragraph B
dried clay brick, which covered underground passages where the deceased 2. Paragraph C
person was buried. For reasons which remain unclear, Djoser’s main official, 3. Paragraph D
whose name was Imhotep, conceived of building a taller, more impressive 4. Paragraph E
tomb for his king by stacking stone slabs on top of one another, progressively
making them smaller, to form the shape now known as the Step Pyramid. i The areas and artifacts within
Djoser is thought to have reigned for 19 years, but some historians and the pyramid itself
scholars attribute a much longer time for his rule, owing to the number and ii A difficult task for those
size of the monuments he built. involved
C iii A king who saved his people
The Step Pyramid has been thoroughly examined and investigated over the last iv A single certainty among
century, and it is now known that the building process went through many other less definite facts
 different stages. Historian Marc Van de Mieroop comments on this, writing v An overview of the external
‘Much experimentation was involved, which is especially clear in the buildings and areas
construction of the pyramid in the center of the complex. It had several plans vi A pyramid design that others
… before it became the first Step Pyramid in history, piling six levels on top of copied
one another … The weight of the enormous mass was a challenge for the vii An idea for changing the
builders, who placed the stones at an inward incline in order to prevent the design of burial structures
monument breaking up.’ viii An incredible experience
D despite the few remains
When finally completed, the Step Pyramid rose 62 meters high and was the ix The answers to some
tallest structure of its time. The complex in which it was built was the size of a unexpected questions
city in ancient Egypt and included a temple, courtyards, shrines, and living
quarters for the priests. It covered a region of 16 hectares and was surrounded
by a wall 10.5 meters high. The wall had 13 false doors cut into it with only
one true entrance cut into the south-east corner; the entire wall was then ringed
by a trench 750 meters long and 40 meters wide. The false doors and the
trench were incorporated into the complex to discourage unwanted visitors. If
someone wished to enter, he or she would have needed to know in advance
how to find the location of the true opening in the wall. Djoser was so proud of
his accomplishment that he broke the tradition of having only his own name on
the monument and had Imhotep’s name carved on it as well.
E
The burial chamber of the tomb, where the king’s body was laid to rest, was
dug beneath the base of the pyramid, surrounded by a vast maze of long
tunnels that had rooms off them to discourage robbers. One of the most
mysterious discoveries found inside the pyramid was a large number of stone
vessels. Over 40,000 of these vessels, of various forms and shapes, were
discovered in storerooms off the pyramid’s underground passages. They are
inscribed with the names of rulers from the First and Second Dynasties of
Egypt and made from different kinds of stone. There is no agreement among
scholars and archaeologists on why the vessels were placed in the tomb of
Djoser or what they were supposed to represent. The archaeologist Jean-
Philippe Lauer, who excavated most of the pyramid and complex, believes
they were originally stored and then give a ‘proper burial’ by Djoser in his
pyramid to honor his predecessors. There are other historians, however, who
claim the vessels were dumped into the shafts as yet another attempt to prevent
grave robbers from getting to the king’s burial chamber.

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3. IELTS Reading Passage 3 – Doing exercises according to the order. Fill in the gaps from boxes.
Generally, Passage 3 is the most difficult one in IELTS Reading and has the following exercise types:
• Yes/No/Not given (finding whether the statements are true, false or not given in accordance
with the views of the author of the passage)
• Multiple choice questions (tests)
• Completing sentences
• Fill in the gaps from boxes.
Let`s see the following exercises:
Exercises Passage:
Strategies to do these exercises:
1. Start with locating questions. As you can see, the first question in Multiple choice questions starts
with the first paragraph and the last one is about the last paragraph. So, by reviewing Multiple choice
questions, we will be also able to find answers for Yes/No/Not given and Fill in the gaps from boxes.
2. In Yes/No/Not given, the first statement starts from the first paragraph as well (so it means, after
question 27, you will also be able to find the answer to question 32). The last statement is in the fourth
paragraph – 19th century, New York neighborhoods.
3. The name of exercise 3 (Fill in the gaps from boxes) – The bedrock myth – is mentioned in
paragraph 7. And if you review the whole exercise (beginnings of paragraphs one and two), you can
see that the whole exercise is relating to the seventh paragraph of the passage.

What do you need to know about filling in the gaps from the box tips?
1. Pay attention to the words around the gap. (“people … the planet “- People = world inhabitants, the
planet =Earth – it is important to understand the synonyms and find the location)
2. Predict the answer in the gap (“People … the planet” – probably, here we will use the verb)
3. Be careful!! Pay attention to the name of the exercise – For example, if it is “Psychology of the
Nation”, you need to find the paragraph which mentions people and their psychology.
4. Remember!! If you have to fill in the gaps with boxes, you need to consider that the words in the box
are different from the ones in the passage.

For example, let`s pay attention to the following exercise:

Reading passage: Although it is hardly used anymore, the telegraph is familiar to most people. This early
telecommunication device is credited, as any school student knows, to Samuel Morse, who, in 1844 made
the first long-distance electronic communication via his invention, the Morse's telegraph. What is not so
commonly known is that Morse was not the only telegraph nor was he the only such inventor at this time. A
rival system, developed by William Cook and Charles Wheatstone, was patented in England in 1845 and
was subsequently adopted for use by British rail companies to enable speedy communication between rail
stations.
Exercise: The rival system by William Cook was also used by rail companies in Britain as it was ….
Inventive fast superb next developed
As you can see, the keywords in the exercise are – rival systems William Cook and rail companies. Why did
they use this rival system? It was …. – the answer is an adjective.
Pay attention to the text:
was subsequently adopted for use by British rail companies to enable speedy communication between rail
stations = fast.
To + verb in the sentence – shows the purpose or reason:

To succeed in IELTS Reading, one should read as fast as they can.

Practice test. Now, let`s do the following test.

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4. IELTS Speaking Practice.
Now, let`s practice IELTS Speaking topics from the recent homework.

Answers:
Listening maps: H, C, G, B, I, A
Matching headings: vii, ii, v, i
Fill in the gaps from boxes. H D I B F
 | New Way of Teaching (NWT) by Academstar | IELTS Material | Writing and Speaking class |
Lesson 14.
1. IELTS Writing Task 1 – Table.
2. IELTS Writing Task 2 – Discuss both views and give your opinion.
3. IELTS Writing Task Practice.
4. IELTS Speaking Practice.
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1. IELTS Writing Task 1 – Table.
The table is considered to be one of the most difficult types of IELTS Writing Task 1.
What do you need to know about tables?
✓ They are dynamic (show changes according to years) and static (show changes according to different
categories).
✓ There is always much information in tables, so you need to select key information.
dynamic static

The structure of Task 1 Academic tables is as follows:

Introduction – introduce the topic of the chart.
Overview – this is a summary of key points and main trends in the chart. It should not include figures and
details; only represent key changes.
Body paragraphs – provide specific information on these key points. It is recommended to write 2
paragraphs, but you can write 3 paragraphs as well.
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Grouping information
Remember! It is important to group information in the tables and select key information. If you describe all
figures without grouping them and selecting key ones, you may not get a good band.
How to group information? Let`s look at this sample:
A B C D E F G H I
25 10 31 40 41 43 12 13 5

You can see that F is the highest one – 43, and closely followed by E (41) and D (40). Others are below 30,
with the exception of C (31). The lowest one is I – 5.
OR
F is the highest one with 43 points. D and E closely follow F, at around 40. Only C is around 30 and others
are below 10 and 30 points. The lowest point is I, at 5 points.
P.S. These sentences are simple and have been used to demonstrate how to group information.

Sample sentences for tables:

Introduction:

❖ The table illustrates the … across three product categories – X, Y, Z -in the USA from 2007 to 2009.
❖ The figures, presented in US dollars, span (=show) a period of six months, from January to June.

Overview:

❖ Overall, it can be observed that X yielded the highest sales among the three categories, while Y recorded the
lowest figures.
❖ Additionally, there were fluctuations/instability in sales figures within each category over the six-
month period.

Body Paragraphs:

❖ In terms of X, the figures/numbers ranged from … in 2007 to .. in 2009, with Y being … and … in the years
2007 and 2009, respectively.
❖ Despite some minor fluctuations, … remained the top-selling category throughout the period, indicating its
popularity among all other sectors.
❖ As for Z, it consistently recorded the lowest sales figures.
❖ With sales being/changing/ranging from … to … in these years, it experienced a relatively narrow/big
fluctuation compared to the other two categories.
❖ This suggests that the demand for … remained relatively stable.

Let`s look at this sample answer 1. Dynamic table.

The chart compares survey results in the years 2000, 2005 and 2010 in which students provided their
feedback about one university.
Overall, students were mainly satisfied with print resources within this 10-year period, while the
opportunity to choose different modules was rated as the lowest in the list of five criteria. Another
noteworthy point is that the rating of just one sector - online resources - increased significantly during this
time frame.
As for the most rated ones, printed resources topped the table, with just below 90 % in all three surveys.
Similarly, buildings and facilities for teaching followed them: over three fourths of students rated them as
good and this aspect saw no change. While less than half of the students participating in the 2000 survey
were satisfied with e-resources, this figure had almost doubled by 2010, sharing the first place with
printed ones.
As regards the remaining criteria, the quality of teaching was preferred by the majority of those (around
70 %) taking part in these university surveys. However, just below a third of participants said different
module options available were satisfactory during these three surveys. (180 words).

Introduction:
The table = the chart and the information is paraphrased. You can also start your introduction like this:
2000, 2005 and 2010 university surveys showing student ratings/feedback in 5 criteria can be seen from / in
the table.
So, it is not compulsory to start with the words “the table/ the chart”.
Overview:
What are the key points? Key points are the highest, lowest figures, and most significant changes.
We mention the highest and lowest ones in the first sentence and the most noteworthy change in the second
sentence.
Key phrases for overviews:
Overall / It can be clearly seen that / Another noteworthy (significant/ noticeable) point is that… / What can
be seen from the table is that … / It is clear (obvious) that…
Between 2000 and 2010 = From 2000 to 2010, Between 2000-2010, during/within the 10-year period (time
period/ time frame/time-span) = during the (time) span of 10 years.
Body paragraphs:
We divide them according to aspects – rated as high and rated as low.
You can also divide by years (2000-2005 –in BP1, 2010 – in BP2); however, it can be quite difficult and
you will repeat the same information again and again since there have not been many significant
differences.
In terms of, As for, as regards, With regards to / With respect to/ Regarding / When it comes to … +
aspects (i.e. books and movies) / the remaining figures (aspects/criteria/tasks) / the rest of the countries
(books, etc.) By the way, As regards is used with both singular and plural nouns.
You can also use – “As far as X is concerned” – as far as the remaining countries are concerned…
Sample essay 2. Static tables.

Key information about this chart:

When it comes to such static tables, you need to choose the most important figures.
What can you see in general? Food & drink and housing were the main groups of spending and clothing as
well as entertainment were not.
In this chart, you also need to pay attention to one important fact – in which countries’ figures in sectors
differ significantly and in which not! If you don`t do so, you will not get a very high Task Achievement band
(TA is one of four criteria of IELTS Writing).
Sample essay:
The table shows the percentage of monthly income spent on four items by households in five European
countries, namely France, Germany, the UK, Turkey, and Spain.
Overall, people in these countries spend the biggest parts of their monthly budget buying food and drinks as
well as housing. Monthly expenditures on clothing and entertainment are significantly lower in all
countries except Germany.
UK households spend over a third (37%) of their monthly income on housing, with those in France and
Germany closely following this figure. Although Turkish and Spanish people also spend a fifth of their
budget on housing facilities, they lead the table in the food and drink section, with 36 % and 31 %,
accordingly.
As for the remaining sectors - clothes and entertainment, the proportions of both expense groups are not very
significant. While each of these sectors makes up just around 10 % of their monthly budget, only German
people spend around one-fifth of their monthly income on entertainment and a smaller figure on clothing.
(167 words).

Basic percentage figures:

20 % - a/one 40 % - two fifths 33 % - a third 50 % - a /one 75 % - three
fifth half fourths
 20 % = 20 per cent / percent = 20 percentage points (not percentage!)
Be careful! The proportion of income rose (you know the exact figure and to what it refers!), A
proportion of income is spent on … (a means one).

Confusing tables:

Some tables may include so much information that you may even confuse the main point.
For example, look at the table above:
You can clearly see that Turkish people (= people living in Turkey, Turkish households, Turkish – but not the
Turkish – we are not talking about the nation – only people living in Turkey) spent the highest percentage on
food & drink and leisure/education, while Italy led the table in the sector of clothing.
But the major point is that you need to pay attention to sectors – Food in general took in general more of
people`s budgets than the remaining two sectors. Also, countries did not differ significantly in clothing and
leisure sectors, while the reverse is true for food.

Let`s practice the following charts:

1. Write the overview for this chart.
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2. IELTS Writing Task 2 – Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion essay is one of the most popular essay types for IELTS
Writing Task 2. During this class, we will quickly review its structure; however, you will have a
separate Writing class, where you will understand this Writing Task 2 type.
What do you need to know about the `Discuss both views` type?
✓ This essay type gives you two alternatives and you need to choose your side.
✓ You need to clearly show which view is not yours by using the method called distancing – Some
people think that, according to some people, the proponents of this view believe that, etc.
✓ You need to clearly show which view you support by stating it – In my opinion, I believe that, I
would argue that …, From my perspective, etc.
Structure:
Introduction – introduce the main topic and show which side you support (let`s say, you support view 1 and
you don`t support view 2).
Body Paragraph 1 – discuss the view that you do not support (view 2)
Body Paragraph 2 – discuss the view that you support (view 1)
Conclusion – restate your position (that you support view 1 and not view 2).

Sample essay:
Topic: Some people think that strict punishments for driving offenses are the key to reducing traffic
accidents. Others, however, believe that other measures would be more effective in improving road
safety. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion
P.S. In this essay, one opinion is strict punishments, and the other view is other measures. You need to
discuss one opinion with which you agree (Paragraph 1) and show that you support the other opinion
(Paragraph 2)
Introduction: There are different views with regard to the question of Introduction – Introduce the topic
how to provide safety on roads. I believe that rather than applying and show which of these two views
severe punishments, more workable methods can be used to promote you support.
safe driving and minimize road traffic accidents.

Paragraph 1: The supporters of strict punishments for drivers Body Paragraph 1 – Show the
believe that this may help to encourage people to drive more safely. opposite view (it is not your view, so
According to them, such measures as imposing heavy fines on drivers start with distancing – “The
can prevent them from repeating driving offenses since this will be a supporters of … believe that”.
financial burden on their budgets. Thus, they will probably obey rules Argument 1
and traffic accidents decrease. The proponents of this view also Show explanation and result
believe that sentencing law-breaking drivers or suspending their Additional argument
driving license will also deter them from avoiding traffic rules. It is Its explanation
supposed that drivers will not risk their freedom or license because of
broken rules.
Body Paragraph 2 – Show your
Paragraph 2: However, I believe that there is no need to punish view in the Transition sentence
drivers severely because there are more effective alternative ways. Argument 1
 The main reason is that governmental authorities should not punish but
educate people by helping them understand traffic rules better. The Explanation
significance of intensive and long-term driving license exam Example
preparations cannot be overlooked. A case in point is the three-step
exam system and compulsory training even after obtaining a license Explanation of example
that were applied in some states of Canada. Drivers refreshed their
knowledge, and, as a result, traffic accidents caused by drivers reduced
notably, which was significantly more effective than heavily fining or
sentencing Canadian drivers: the latter methods led to such negative Argument 2
results as bribery. Another way is to organize training programs for Explanation
frequent offenders of traffic rules. Such method is particularly effective
in order to explain to such drivers how their actions may lead to
negative consequences such as the death of people.
Conclusion: In conclusion, in order to promote safe driving and limit Conclusion – restate your position.
road accidents, it is important to teach drivers to obey road rules and
organize strict driving examinations. Punishments can be partly
effective and may lead to some negative consequences.

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3. Writing Task 1 Practice.
Exercise 1. How would you divide your information into paragraphs?
Please note that here you need to show what happens when people get older (with milk and butter
consumption, and their full-fat and low-fat milk and butter preferences).

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4. IELTS Speaking.
Today, we will practice Part 1 questions. During the Speaking Part 1 (daily conversation about 3-4 common
topics – lasts 4-5 minutes) and Part 2 (2-minute monologue about a topic for which you have to prepare
within 1 minute) you are recommended to use idioms and phrasal verbs to show the knowledge of informal
vocabulary.
It is recommended that you learn a couple of phrasal verbs and idioms that can be used in many sentences.
I will now ask some questions and you should try to use some of them in your answers.
Idioms used native speakers.
Idiom Meaning Example
Stand to win / stand to To be likely to … He stands to lose this game because he doesn`t
lose know rules.
To be pissed off Very annoyed, angry I was pissed off when he said these rude words.

Come to the point Tell clearly what you want to say I want to come to the point – I dislike everything
that contains milk.
sacked To dismiss from employment I was sacked when our managed has left the
company.
Can`t stand Do not like, hate I can`t stand fake smiles.
Lose track of Forget, lose trace of … I don`t know where good supermarkets are. I`ve
lost track of all this stuff.
No wonder It is no surprise that No wonder he has problems. He is surrounded by
such bad people.
No way! To show strong no -Do you like writing your thoughts?
- No way! Someone can read them!
Get it away from all To escape from your daily routine I get it away from all on Sundays and go to our
village.
Give it a shot To do something for the first time, I did not know how to swim, but I gave it a shot!
for fun Swimming is no longer frightening for me!

Freak out To panic Don`t freak out!

To be on the right/wrong Choose the right/wrong way While doing this exercise, I felt that I was on the
track right track.
To strike/hit iron until it Do things on time I needed to say this before the decision – I need
is hot to strike iron until it is hot.
Leftover Something that you left The leftover project, leftover food
Worn out 1) very tired after a job Worn out after a job, worn-out clothes
2) worn
Work out Do sports I work out in the park every day.
A live wire A very energetic person My father is a live wire!
A cold fish Unfriendly person His brother is a cold fish; he didn`t spoke to
anybody during the party.
Turn to someone Get advice or help Whenever I have problems, I turn to Jane.
Set somebody apart from Make him/her different Being a top student sets her apart from her peers.
others
Give/ lend somebody a Help somebody Jane always gives me a helping hand; she is a
helping hand true friend.
 | New Way of Teaching (NWT) by Academstar | IELTS Material | Writing and Homework class |
Lesson 15.
1. IELTS Writing Task 2 – Discuss both views and give your opinion type.
2. IELTS Writing Task 2 – What is your opinion type.
3. IELTS Writing Task Practice.
4. IELTS Speaking Practice and homework control
_______________________________________________________________________________________
1. IELTS Writing Task 2 – Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion essay is one of the most popular essay types for IELTS
Writing Task 2. Let`s detailly analyze this essay type.
What do you need to know about the `Discuss both views` type?
✓ This essay type gives you two alternatives and you need to choose your side.
✓ You need to clearly show which view is not yours by using the method called distancing – Some
people think that, according to some people, the proponents of this view believe that, etc.
✓ You need to clearly show which view you support by stating it – In my opinion, I believe that, I
would argue that …, From my perspective, etc.
✓ You can offer a third view or agree with both views, but it is always better to choose one of the
two views and explain why it is better than the other one.
Let`s see the sample question:
Some people believe that every human can create art. Other people think that art can only be created by
people with special talents. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
So, here is the table explaining this essay type:
View 1 View 2
Everyone can create art Art creation requires talent

You need to choose which view you support. But don`t forget, in this essay, you still need to discuss both
views!

Structure:
Introduction – introduce the main topic and show which side you support (let`s say, you support view 1 and
you don`t support view 2).
Body Paragraph 1 – discuss the view that you do not support (view 2)
Body Paragraph 2 – discuss the view that you support (view 1)
Conclusion – restate your position (that you support view 1 and not view 2).
Sample sentences for this essay type:
Introduction:
`Discuss both views and give your opinion` is a debate-like question. How to paraphrase the
following part?
Some people think that X is right. Others, however, think that Y is right.
First sentence samples (when you paraphrase the topic – debate)
❖ There is a debate over whether X or Y is more suitable/appropriate for …
❖ People debate whether X or Y (whether or not X) is appropriate / can be used / can be applied
❖ One may dispute / People dispute whether X or Y can be …
❖ People have differing/different views with regard to the question of whether X or Y is better/ how to do ….
❖ There is a question as to (regarding) whether or not X is an effective method / whether X or Y can be …
❖ People/ The group of people face the dilemma of whether X or Y can ….
Second sentence samples (here you state your position clearly)
❖ I support the view that / I believe that ….
❖ While X may have some benefits, I believe that Y is more effective for …
❖ In this essay, I will show why Y is better than X.
❖ I will state my position regarding the effectiveness / doing Y and not X
❖ I will show that X not Y can be useful for ….
Body Paragraph 1 (Using distancing to show that you do not support one of the views). You use distancing
to show that it is not your view:
❖ It is believed by some that
❖ Proponents / Supporters / Advocates of …. believe that/ argue that / consider that
❖ Opponents of X (those who don`t consider X)
❖ Those who support/ advocate …believe that
❖ Those who are in favor of … think that ….
You should use verbs expressing uncertainty – may, might, could, is probably, may be, can possibly …
Distancing – is the way of showing not your view in `Discuss both views` essays:
According to some people/ The proponents of X believe that …

Body Paragraph 2 – Show clearly that this is your view. Use comparison sentences to show why you support
this view more than the previous one. Start with a transition sentence that would link body paragraphs and
clearly show that you support this view more:
❖ Transition sentence (beginning of Body Paragraph 2) – However, I believe that X is better/more
effective
❖ In my opinion,
❖ From my point of view,
❖ Other people, including me, believe that
❖ I agree with those who …
❖ I support the idea of ….
❖ Compared with X view, Y view is better.
❖ In comparison with university, work gives more practical skills for the future.
 You should use expressions showing strength and certainty – often, are likely to, to be important,
crucial
Conclusion: Restate your position.
Start with these phrases – In conclusion, To conclude, To summarize, In summary:
❖ In conclusion, I believe that view X is more logical/ appropriate than Y because of ….
❖ In conclusion, (explain why X is good and important), and therefore, I believe that X is more
appropriate.

Sample essay:
Topic: Some people think that government should transport children to their schools. Others, however,
believe that it is the responsibility of parents to do it. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Introduction: There are differing views as to whether governmental Introduce the topic
authorities or mothers and fathers ought to be responsible for transporting
their children to school. In my view, schoolchildren should be transported Show your opinion
to school by their parents.
Body Paragraph 1. Some people assume that government should be Body Paragraph 1 – State the
responsible for organizing the transportation of schoolchildren. opposite view (Distancing)
According to them, parents are taxpayers and governmental authorities Argument 1
need to spend some part of the state or local budget which includes these
taxes. Considering that many children are also from middle- or low- Explanation
income families, it will put an extra financial burden on their parents. Argument 2
These people also believe that such a method can help reduce traffic Explanation
congestion in cities since parents often use their own vehicles to pick up
and drop off their children.
Body Paragraph 2: Nevertheless, I agree with the proponents of the Body Paragraph 2 – Show your
other view. Mothers and fathers should transport their children to view (transition sentence)
their primary and secondary schools as it is safe. School buses Argument 1
provided by governments may violate traffic rules or drive faster, while Explanation
parents will try to be careful when transporting children. A good
illustration of this is the great number of accidents caused by state-owned Example
school bus drivers in the USA during rush hour. Consequently, even Explanation (result) of this
though government-funded school buses are normally free of charge, example
using them may put a child`s life at risk.
Conclusion: In conclusion, while pupils can be transported to schools by Conclusion – restate your
government-owned school buses, I believe that parents transporting their opinion
children is a safer method.

Showing your opinion by comparing it with the opposite one and weakening the opposite view.
There are two ways of showing that one view is better than the other:
✓ To provide the comparison between them (in Body Paragraph 2 – compare your view with the other
one)
✓ To weaken the opposite one (at the end of Body Paragraph 1 – to show that this is not a very strong
point).
 1) It is important to compare your view (In Body Paragraph 2) with the view in the paragraph 1 –
the opposite view!
Without comparison With comparison
However, I believe that there is no need to However, I believe that there is no need to punish drivers
punish drivers because of more effective severely because there are more effective alternative
alternative ways. The main reason is that ways. The main reason is that governmental authorities
governmental authorities should educate people should not punish but educate people by helping them
by helping them understand traffic rules better. understand traffic rules better. The significance of
The significance of intensive and long-term intensive and long-term driving license exam preparations
driving license exam preparations cannot be cannot be overlooked. A case in point is the three-step exam
overlooked. A case in point is the three-step system and compulsory training which were applied in some
exam system and compulsory training which states of Canada. As a result, traffic accidents caused by
were applied in some states of Canada. As a drivers reduced notably, which was significantly more
result, traffic accidents caused by drivers effective than heavily fining or sentencing Canadian
reduced notably. In addition, not only drivers, drivers: the latter methods led to such negative results as
but also pedestrians are to blame. Engaging the bribery. Another way is to organize training programs for
one who violated a traffic rule in community frequent offenders of traffic rules. Such method is
works and training focused on obeying road particularly effective in order to explain such drivers how
rules will serve as a good option. their actions may lead to negative consequences such as the
death of people.
Task response is 6.0 – not clear why you Task response is 8.0 – 9.0 – it is clear why you choose
support alternatives alternative options

2) What if we cannot compare? Then Weaken!

If you cannot compare your view with the opposite one, you need to weaken the opposite view:
Paragraph 1: The supporters of strict punishments for drivers believe that this may help to encourage people to
drive more safely. According to them, penalizing drivers can prevent them from infringement again since fines will
be a financial burden on their budgets. Thus, they will probably obey rules and traffic accidents decrease. The
proponents of this view also believe that sentencing law breaking drivers or suspending their driving license will
also deter them from avoiding traffic rules. It is supposed that drivers will not put their freedom or license at risk
due to broken rules. However, neither of these methods does work because of frequent law-breakers. – You
weaken the arguments and so show that this way is not so effective.
Paragraph 2: I believe that there is no need to punish drivers because of more effective alternative ways. The
main reason is that governmental authorities should not punish but educate people by helping them understand
traffic rules better. The significance of intensive and long-term driving license exam preparations cannot be
overlooked. A case in point is the three-step exam system and compulsory training which were applied in some
states of Canada. As a result, traffic accidents caused by drivers reduced notably. This method was significantly
more effective than heavily fining Canadian drivers: the latter one led to such negative results as bribery.
______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Writing Task 2 – What is your opinion questions.
`What is your opinion` questions are written exactly in the same way as Agree/Disagree questions. Do
not confuse them with `Discuss both views and give your opinion` essays!
What do you need to know about them?
✓ They are given in two ways – as one clear statement or as a debate.
✓ You need to write this essay by showing only your opinion – no distancing!
Look at the following table:
`Discuss both views and give your `What is your opinion essays` - one `What is your opinion essays` -
opinion essays` clear statement debate statement
Some people think that people are Some people think that people are Some people think that people are
born with talents, while others believe born with talents. born with talents, while others believe
that people form them during their What is your opinion? that people form them during their
life. life.
Discuss both views and give your What is your opinion?
opinion.
How to write: How to write: How to write:
Introduction – state the topic and Introduction – state the topic and Introduction – state the topic and
show the view you support (let`s say show your agreement. show your agreement with one of the
– inborn talents). Body paragraph 1 – one reason for sides (let`s say inborn talents).
Body paragraph 1 – discuss the first the agreement. Body paragraph 1 – one reason for
view (people form talents) and show Body paragraph 2 – the other reason the agreement by showing a
distancing (it is not your view). for the agreement. comparison between inborn and
Body paragraph 2 – show why your Body paragraph 3 (not formed talents.
view (inborn talents) is the stronger compulsory)– show the Body paragraph 2 – the other reason
point than the other argument. counterargument and weaken it. for the agreement by showing a
Conclusion – restate your view. Conclusion – restate your view comparison between inborn and
formed talents.
Conclusion – restate your view

Which positions can be shown in What is your opinion essays?

One clear statement type (same as agree/disagree) Debate type:
Some people think that people are born with talents. Some people think that people are born with talents, while
What is your opinion? others believe that people form them during their life.
What is your opinion?
1. Completely support this side 1. Completely support one of the sides and compare it
2. Be against this side. with the other one.
3. Agree and disagree with this view. 2. Be balanced – to support both sides.

Sample essay for the debate type:

Question: Some people think that society should be responsible to protect animals from extinction,
while others believe that it is the responsibility of the government.
What is your opinion?
Sample essay for the balanced approach:
There is a debate over whether society members or government should protect Introduction – introduce the
animals that are at risk of being extinct. Although I agree that this is to some topic and show your opinion
extent government`s responsibility, I hold the view that society should also
endeavor to solve this issue.
 On the one hand, sometimes it is not the responsibility of a society to make Body Paragraph 1 – show
efforts to keep endangered species because the main justification for this may some agreement argument
be the fact that they do not have the power and influence capable of changing the and explain your agreement
situation and managing governmental finances. For instance, in order to solve the Example
problem regarding the extinction of tigers in South Africa, local communities
tried to gather all their savings and efforts to protect them and build some Extra explanation of this
shelters for endangered species. Unfortunately, this was not enough; poachers example
continued to kill these tigers in search of earning from some parts of their bodies.
Nevertheless, governmental authorities took the initiative and accepted laws
prohibiting the hunting on tigers and the problem was gradually resolved.

On the other hand, this is not always the case. Society members need to Body Paragraph 2 – show
understand that their role in protecting animals and plants from extinction and disagreement argument
not putting their lives in danger is also key. Even though we consider that social Explain your point
activists are not the ones provided with authority but rather come from a social
group prioritizing the issue of extinction over all other issues, their activities Show example
frequently lead to far-reaching implications for solving extinction problems. One
great illustration of this is how, thanks to social networks, Azerbaijani animal Show the result of this
activists raised the problem of tigers who were on the verge of extinction due to example
uncontrolled poaching, which encouraged many local people and visitors to
protect these species. As a result, local communities decided to organize a self-
funded conservation area for tigers, thereby preventing the disappearance of
these species.
Conclusion – restate your
In conclusion, both governmental authorities and society members need to solve main position
the problem of animal extinction.
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3. Writing Practice time.
Exercise 1. Practice questions – let`s write the introduction for this topic:
1. International sporting events promote peace between countries. What is your opinion?
Exercise 2. Practice questions – let`s plan these questions together:
2. Some people believe that eventually all jobs will be done by artificially intelligent robots, while others
think that it will not be possible. What is your opinion?
3. Some people believe that every human can create art. Other people think that art can only be created by
people with special talents. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Exercise 3. Plan the following Writing Task 1 topics:
Writing Task 1 General Training:
You are applying for a job. As well as attaching a CV, you need to write a cover letter explaining your
reasons for choosing this particular job at this particular company, and why you would be a good hire.
Things to include are:
– Possible qualifications or reasons for you to be hired
– Your energy and enthusiasm for the job
– Your past experience in a similar position.
Academic IELTS. The number of scientists participating in the global conferences.

Exercise 4. Fill in the gaps with the following words.

crucial Increase ridership equips social inequality
advocates nurture fosters inclined

Supporters of free public transportation argue that it would significantly 1 … By removing the financial
barrier, more people would be 2… to choose public transportation over private vehicles, leading to
reduced traffic congestion and air pollution. Furthermore, 3… believe that making public transportation
free would address 4 … by providing equal access to transportation for all income groups, particularly
benefiting low-income individuals who heavily rely on public transit.
Advocates for coding in the curriculum argue that it is 5 … to prepare students for the digital age. Coding
6 … computational thinking, logical reasoning, and creativity, which are valuable skills in various
professions. By introducing coding at an early age, schools can 7 … students' problem-solving abilities
and cultivate an interest in technology-related fields. Furthermore, proponents believe that coding
education promotes innovation and 8 … students with skills that are increasingly sought after by
employers.
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4. IELTS Speaking Practice and homework control
Now, let`s check your homework vocabulary, homework submission, and how well you prepare for
IELTS Speaking topics.

Quiz answers: 1. Increase ridership 2. Inclined 3. Advocates 4. Increase ridership 5. Crucial 6. Fosters
7. Nurture 8. equips